Cus damato mob connections?

Watching a few docs on mike Tyson early career and the legendary trainer is all over them of course. I’m sure this question has been asked before but who was cus connected to? Guessing there must’ve been some connections considering the era he came up in, in nyc, in the boxing world etc

What makes you think Cus was connected? He may have been extorted in some way and played along for his own safety but that wouldn't make him connected. I'm sure he met the likes of Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo at some point early in his career. They ran boxing. Based on all accounts, Cus was a good guy with the best intentions. Took Mike Tyson in as a son.

Yeah I've read that the fact that he wasn't really connected was a problem for him and he lost a lot of fighters to connected managers.

A quick read: http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2017...f-cus-d-amato-broadcast-from-genoa-italy

Here is an article that basically says he had to swim in the same water as others in the Mob-controlled era, but that didn't make him a stooge of the Mafia:

https://www.boxinginsider.com/inter...r-discusses-great-mysterious-cus-damato/

Cus D'Amato was as straight as an arrow. I've never heard of him being mobbed up or wanting to associate with those guys. Cus would probably yell at you for pondering that lol.

Thanks guys for the responses interesting . Wasn’t saying he was criminal FYI just if there was any connections as rightly said it was Mafia infested waters. Like trump in construction etc. Connected is a loose term I suppose maybe I should of said interactions.

(Dear mods: Politics disclaimer, responding to a mob related question)

Trump knowingly worked with mobsters to his own advantage. He bought mob cement from Castellano and Fat Tony (as a front for Chin, we now know) to bypass union labor. A quick google search will tell you more. There have been entire books and extensive news articles written about it. So, unfair to lump Cus D'Amato into the same lot. As far as anyone knows, Cus never knowingly worked with the mafia. There was a time when the mafia ran boxing and he had no choice but to bite the bar on some extortion rackets, but as far as anyone knows he never deliberately gamed that system.

I brought trump up FYI re construction mob waters etc and comparing it to the boxing world. Didn’t know there was a history about him on the threads!

When he was young he learned to fight in the streets he was a tough guy but he took the honest way. I'm sure he knew the wiseguys.

Teddy atlas came to Speros trial as a friend for support , he was one of cus main guys fornyrwre .

Atlas was also friends with Sammy Gravano but that doesn't mean Atlas was connected to the mob.

(Politics disclaimer): In a city that is 90% democrat, no democrat has ever worked with knowingly worked with the mob. The good folks at Tammany Hall were far too virtuous to bypass unions in favor of cheaper services.

His Mob connections was through a guy named Charlie Black (bookmaker), who was a silent partner in a business (Rosensohn Enterprises) with Fat Tony Salerno.

Ha !!

Was Damato ever in prison?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JplRSJr8K-g

Tyson first big test with cus being Interviewed throughout. He was from the Bronx so I reckon pizza boy would have some stories about him maybe.

No he wasn’t in the life. Only reason I posted about him is because he was into boxing when it was Mafia infested.

We’ve all seen a load of mike franzese interviews so it’s no coincidence that the most fascinating part of this interview is mike Tyson talking about meeting Tony Salerno who came to the gym to see cus damato (socially). Also Tyson mentions how cus hated mob guys as they preyed on other Italians..

Few new bits from Mike franzese too so a pretty good interview all around;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lNlR3lfnLR8

Oh yeah the final sentence of the interview is Tyson saying “Chris paciello is a good friend of mine.”

Tyson just had Michael Franzese on and Tyson says he met Fat Tony one time. He said Fat Tony went up to the Catskills to visit Cus. Tyson says Cus grew up around all these guys. Franzese is a bit of a fraud but he does decent interviews. If you want to check it out YouTube hotboxin with mike Tyson Michael Franzese. Love this forum fellas keep up the good work!

-Jake

Ps just realized someone already mentioned this in the post I apologize

I trust Mike Tyson's stories about the mob more than I do Franzese's. Tyson's been grounded and down to earth for years now and just doesn't have a reason to lie. Franzese, well, isn't.

do anyone have a clue who "Smiley" might be?
Tyson mentioned a connected guy thay Cus knew. possibly Tyson got the name wrong.

i got the feeling in the interview, Franzese was not in the streets like that. lol He didn't talk like he actually knew the ends and outs of the other families probably didn't know alot about his own Family (like certain people/events)