What's Up With the Track Suits

Whoever started the tracksuit trend in the mob world should be shot on sight.

Nobody “started it”.

It’s just how some Italians dress in certain situations.

Mob-connected or not.

Oh, I was gonna say the only time you should be wearing a tracksuit is when you're chasing down some mutt to put two in his brain hahaha

I'm partial to a sergio tacchini track suit every once in a while

It stated in the early 1980s. In fact we ALL wore em. I still do. LOL.... I love em. Problem is you can't find em today. Sergio Tacchini was a top brand. Others joined in because of the trend. Not only among street guys, but the general public took to them as well.

The big difference here is that NOBODY wore em like street guys did. The "crushed velour" suits were extremely stylish back then. Expensive "white" sneakers (a must), and a dozen different colors and textures in your closet. Even the old wiseguys started wearing em. Lol

I can't speak for other cities, but guys in NYC was famous for that. They were popular with the public in general. (but especially with street guys). Most people wore em while working out, running, etc. The wiseguy set made them a fashion statement wearing them in daily life.

Nothing spoke of a knock-around guy more than him wearing a tracksuit, white sneakers, diamond pinky ring, gold chain with a crucifix hanging from it, sporting a black Caddy or Lincoln. Cliche I know. But so very true back in that era.

At night, if blazing the town, then guys with money got all suited up. Expensive suits and Italian made silk ties; alligator, lizard, or snake-skinned shoes; sheer micro socks, bejeweled to the balls, fat knot in their pocket, and a polished ride; Benz, Caddy, Lincoln, etc. It was nothing to carry thousands in your pocket for a single night in NY.

Out to eat with the boys at a top joint in Manhattan like SPQR (Matty the Horse's joint), Angelo's, or Ruggero (Joe Zito and Curly Russo), or to Crisci or Monte's in Brooklyn, etc., then onto Regine's (Tommy Agro had them), or The Red or Green Parrot in NY, then onto after-hours clubs (run by all wiseguys) until the wee hours of the morning. Then to the Lime House or Umberto's downtown. Umberto (another Matty joint) stayed open very late. But if they closed up. The Limehouse in Chinatown was open even later. Scungilli, clams, shrimp, etc., all Italian-styled Seaford. Nothing like that after a big night of boozing and partying.

This was the regular routine nightly. For years and years. It was one fuck of a lifestyle. Lots of fun!... That was then. This is now!

Today it's a different ballgame altogether. You don't see them wear any of that 95% of the time. Very few stores carry them tracksuits, etc., and the ones that do are selling ill-fitting combinations. Low quality.

Sharkskin suits? LOL.... most people never even heard of that shit. Or have ever even seen sharkskin material. It's a thing of the past. Of the "wiseguy" era. It's like the dinosaur of old. Never again IMO.

But back then....it was the shit. It's a very different ballgame today. None of that is around anymore.

We even had a guy on SI who was counterfeiting tracksuits for everyone because of their popularity. He made a mint while supplying every crew with them to wear and resell at a big profit.

Some still wear them..nike, addidas, under armour. Guys that dont work a normal 9-5 wear comfortable clothing and some guys hit the gym during the day so it makes sense. I still like track suits.

me too. But NOT like years ago. The variety and propensity of wearing em was huge. And they were in many stores. Today, you gotta go hunting to find em.

I got a half dozen in my closet so old they're have wearing out. LOL... but I still suit em up

Don't forget the white vest

Not in NYC. lol.... very rarely did guys wear three pieces. Only during the Denny Terrio era of the beginning of disco back in 1973-1974 etc. True wiseguys never wore vests of any type. Back in the 1920s yeah. but not the era I'm speaking of

Not saying that they can't look good, but I guess it depends how you do it.

In photos I see from that era, all sorts of people wore them, especially in New York. Kids, teens, Black, White, and people of all walks of life. They were the common way to dress. Mafia members always dressed in the fashion of the day. If everyone was wearing sweatsuits in 1935, we'd have photos of them dressed like that.

I agree with most of what you said, however even back then when they were wearing suits with everyone else, gangsters typically took it a step further and wore even classier suits than everyone else. Even today, I see lots of politicians and businessmen wearing suits, but seldom do they look as good as the ones John Gotti wore. And if the mob hopes to gain any of the influence they once had, and infiltrate the political and business world, the upper crust of society, are they going to be meeting with important people like that in a tracksuit? Lol

We all wore Australian track suits.

We looked like princes. Lol.... I mean it too. Crushed velour, diamond rings, bracelets and diamond crusted watches, white on white brand new sneakers daily, what's not to like? Lol

correct it was a general trend. But wiseguys and knock around guys did like nobody else. Next level shit

My father wore $2500 suits when guys (even wiseguys) wore $500 to $700 suits. He wore $2000 genuine alligator shoes (unattainable in America) when the average banana wore $50 or 75 kickers. My dad had 100% silk handmade ties (made from the finest silk around) hundreds of them, made from Sulka Brothers on Fifth Avenue. His underwear was monogrammed. His socks? LOL, thin silk to compliment his shoes. Handmade "white on white" inlay, monogrammed 100% cotton or silk shirts with wiseguy "dagger" collars specially made from a top shirt maker on the Westside. 100% cashmere sweaters and full length topcoats (dozens of them), etc. etc.

If he didn't have 50-60 suits in his closets he didn't have one. 30-40 pairs of shoes; alligator, snake, lizard, turtle, high quality leather, etc. You get the idea right?

He must have had over $150-200K in jewelry alone. diamond crusted gold watches, Safire stones, diamonds that could choke a horse. etc. He had one ring alone. 3 diamonds (one of 2 karats, and another two that were 1 karat apiece, plus saffires and rubys adorning it). Top quality stones no less. Almost flawless. If that piece alone ain't worth $50,000 I'll drop my draws on Park Avenue at high noon. Lol

NOBODY, but NOBODY, ever dressed like my father. John Gotti? Fuck John Gotti. He's a Johnny come lately who couldn't kiss my fathers ass in Macy's window as far as dressing went.... And THAT'S the Gods Honest truth! And I NEVER lie about my family. Take that to the bank!

He looked like a million dollars. everyday I might add.

And this isn't my opinion. Its fact!

My uncles, my grandfather, they all dressed to the nines (me and my cousins too). After all, we learned from the best there was out there. But dad? LOL , he was definitely next level. He was a clothes horse.

Some guys are degenerate gamblers, some skirt chasers, some are big boozers, a few babania heads, some tight wads. He was a clothes horse and he loved to dress in the finest stuff around. He made many haberdashers very happy during his lifetime....Ah Bohome! May he rest in peace. May they all rest in peace!

He was a fuck of a guy! What a man. A man's man to the balls!.... as were my other family.

And if it sounds like I'm bragging a bit. Then you'll have to excuse me please. Because I think I am a bit. But that WAS the reality of our family.

I'm kinda surprised at the disdain for tracksuits. It's widely accepted in the hustler community, whether you're in North America or Europe. I grew up in a multicultural former mining area in Europe...Italians, Turks, Greeks, Moroccans, Kurds, Albanians, Caribbeans...guys from the former Soviet Union and the Balkans...local Belgian and Dutch biker and traveller guys...EVERYBODY wore and wears tracksuits. And I'm talking about quite a few "serious" guys that earn and have earned a lot of money. I own quite a few tracksuits myself. Fila, Ellesse, Lacoste, Sergio Tacchini, Adidas Originals, Nike...

I'm Lebanese and was always tan in the summer and in the late 80's and early 90's hung out at the dog track in Massachusetts. We always wore Tacchini track suits because two of my friends were tennis players. On more than one occasion and a few "guys" would come up to me and my friends and ask us "who we were with", LOL -- one of them once was St. Laurent and we would see him there quite often

Okay guys, my apologies then, some of you are making me want to get a few myself.

I thought Joe Massino set the trend for wiseguys in track suits because they were the only clothes that wouldstretch enough to fit him.

https://www.fila.com/men-heritage-tracksuits

Ma man! LOL....Thank you for that. You see I don't shop online. I'm a fucking fossil with these type of internet shit. I gotta go to the city to search em out. I will DEF have the wifey order a few online. Hopefully they fit correctly.

Thanks again Hollander. You came through pal

That fat prick needed a tent for his belly. Lol

I don't know if these particular sweatsuits will be cut "old time traditional style" without those new wave stovepipe tapered legs I hate so much. But its definitely worth a shot so long as they have a solid return policy if they don't fit. I wonder if other brands offer them online as well. I'm def gonna check it out. Thanks again for the heads up Hollander.

Sergio Tacchini have a website for EU, but is now also available for the US I think.

https://eu.sergiotacchini.com/collections/mens-tracksuits

Love the taachini's, not sure how popular lactose ones were, we liked those alot too.

Me too. Fila, Tacchini, Adidas was real big for us. They fit perfectly. Loose but not baggy w/sharp styles @ stripes running down the sides. etc. Puma too was real good if you caught em right.

Ah...the old days. Lol

Frank Salemme Jr in the day, my era

yep!

They match and are very comfortable...Like wearing nothing...I love them !!

They're like "daytime" pajamas! LOL.... so comfortable

I don't know, when that one Bonanno crew showed up to court in baggy sweatpants, flip-flops, wife beaters, and jeans that were frayed at the bottom I knew it was game over. If you're gonna wear a tracksuit, at least have some class and wear a fresh tracksuit with a fresh pair of kicks. That whole crew looked sloppy. I'm a firm believer that you are a representation of whatever organization you're a member of, have some pride.

Usually feds pick them up in the early hours of the morning. Don’t give them much time to dress up. Guys don’t know how long they’ll be gone and don’t want decent clothes to be taken.

Correct. Ya wanna be as comfortable behind bars as you can till bail (hopefully).

Maybe you're right

Exactly !!

They look nice if you don't look like a slob. I got quite a few compliments and "where'd you get that?!" back in the day when I used to wear those more frequently. The baby powder blue with the dark blue trim with some brand new kicks and a crisp undershirt without the bacon neck thing going on, clean look.

Sergio taccini back in my days . I believe they are making a come back.

Def

As nice as some tracksuits can be made to be, they're nothing in comparison to a real suit by Brioni with a beautiful hand-painted tie.