PB I bet you have seen some real changes in the neighborhood on a mob level in your time...growing up did you see a lot of wiseguys hanging around like the start of goodfellas? very Interested to hear about how then compares to now!
Well, the beginning of "Goodfellas" was set in East New York, Brooklyn. But from what I know about the area, I think it was a pretty accurate depiction. I had an Uncle who lived on Pacific Street, so we made the trip to East New York quite a bit. East New York is on par with Beirut today
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I grew up on Hoffman Street in the Belmont/Little Italy section of the Bronx. And I have to say, the depiction of the neighborhood in "A Bronx Tale" was spot on. It really reminded me of being a little kid back in the late 60s.
Today Belmont is mostly Albanian and Latino. And the truth is, even the Albanians are starting to move out to the suburbs. The whole "Albanian Mafia" thing has been blown way out of proportion. Most of them are very hard working people. Many of them work as pizza makers for the Italians that are left in the area.