While reading some posts over in the Sopranos thread, I came across this comment made by Antoinette Giancana, daughter of the infomous Sam "Momo" Giancana and this is what she had to say when she made a comparison between Chicago mobsters and New York / New Jersey mobsters :

The New York (and New Jersey) breed is so entirely different from the Chicago breed. The New York breed is really very tough and horrible, and they would do anything for the eternal dollar. In the time of my father's day, you just stuck to certain areas in which you worked. Drugs were out, totally out. Now they're in with certain family members in New York.

We're just a little kinder outfit than the New York gangster is. They've had numerous killings. I think in Chicago, there might have been a few, but not as many.


I'm laughing so hard as I write this post.

This lady is really dillusional. She's basically implying that the organized criminal element from Chicago is a more reserved, less greedy and do not kll as much as the organized criminal element in NY/NJ! The Chicago mobster belongs to a much "kinder" outfit than the NY/NJ mobster!

Chicago had a "few" mob killings, but not as many as NY/NJ!

Oh, and her dad never had any dealing involving drugs! :rolleyes:

Maybe we should all move to Chicago! This way, if you happen to have a run in with a Chicago mobster, he will be "kinder" to you before he rips your eyes out of your head and takes every last dollar that you have.

At least you'll be treated with some respect before he robs and kills you!


Gee, now I know why I felt so safe when I was hanging with Don Sicilia when I was in Chicago!


Don Cardi

...trading in my home in NJ for a condo in Chicago... :p

Not to be rude but you know thats really ignorant I know shes wrong but you don't have to be such an ass about it.

Excuse me?

Why not show us if you actually have the knowledge and ability to contribute to this topic instead of just making rude comments like this one?


Don Cardi

Talk about being an ass and being rude. :rolleyes:

To quote Mr. White from Reservoir Dogs;

"You don't know what you're talking about."

While DC maybe did over-used irony, he was certainly entitled to do so, because Giancana's daughter isn't here to be offended, and everything DC pointed out is commpletely true.

Real nice, Toni. :rolleyes:

Wasn't it Lucky Luciano who said (about Chicago), "Its a goddamn crazy place"? (or something like that).

While DC maybe did over-used irony, he was certainly entitled to do so, because Giancana's daughter isn't here to be offended, and everything DC pointed out is commpletely true. [/b][/quote]I didn't say it wasn't true but he is being a little bit of an asshole in my book.

Toni, if you don't like what I wrote in my post, then it's too damn bad. You are out of line with your comments, and this is not the first time that you've made comments like this in a thread. In your short time on these boards you've managed to build some reputation for yourself.

If you cannot remain civil here on these boards, and especially in this thread, then you are not welcomed here.


Don Cardi

I am sorry that I offended you Don Cardi and I will never post something like that to you or anyone else again.

Ok, Fuggettaboutit.


Don Cardi

Let's chalk his reaction up to civic pride. I know I mentally went through a similar response when I read your post, but I see that the focus is more on deriding Antoinette Giancana as being a money-grubbing idiot than anything derogatory to Chicago.

Chicago and New York both have plenty of stories of Mob brutality. LCN members were/are no angels in either town.

Chicago has always had a gritty reputation which stems from the rough and tumble beginnings as a prairie town. Then it continued with the Stockyards and the brutality of the slaughterhouses as it not only decimated livestock, but also broke the wills of many immigrants who worked in them. I think this toughness may have spilled out into the city's character and even moreso in the underworld.

It's interesting that Luciano said that about Chicago, because at the time Chicago was probably being run by Capone, who was originally from... yup you guessed it... New York.

Donatello/Don Tekky...nice Blues Brothers avatar!

Toni G. lives here in Elmwood Park and she's a "willing" source for a quote anytime someone wants to write about "the old days" for the Outfit. So the neighborhood paper needs a feature piece about The Sopranos, realizes half the good authors on the topic of organized crime in Chicago live within a one mile radius of each other (and the newspaper's headquarters in Oak Park) and they make a few phone calls. And she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind half meaning it, half not media-savvy enough to know the right choice of words to make your point...which was...what?

When I read her "kinder/gentler" comment, I was pretty dismissive of it. So there wasn't exactly a Murder, Inc. in Chicago. That makes what they did commendable?

The paper gets delivered on Wednesday. Can't wait to see the Letters to the Editor about this (and The Sopranos premier) in upcoming editions of the neighborhood rag. If there's anything juicy that I can get to on-line I'll post links and/or cut-and-paste.

tony b.


"Everybody needs somebody to love!" -- Rev. Solomon Burke

It's neither one. Of course I was in no way taking a shot at Chicago. And I was not trying to point out that Antoinette Giancana was being a money grubbing idiot. Both have absolutely nothing to do what I originally posted.

What I was pointing out is the fact that Anotinette Giancana is being unrealistic in making a statement such as that. To say that the Chicago Mob is a more kinder and gentler Mob than the New York mob is ridiculous. The mob is the mob, no matter where they are.

And for anyone to suggest that the Chicago mob was a less violent mob than ANY other city's mob is just plain ignorant.

Chicago was the home to one of the most famous, notorious and rogue gangsters in the country... Al Capone. And during his reign, there was just as much, if not more, violence commited by him and his enemies than any other city in the country that the mob worked out of.

So it's not an imature "your city is bad and mine isn't" type of sentiment. That's childish bullshit. And anyone who tries to make it into that kind of a discussion is being imature.

Again, my point? That she was talking ridiculously to make a statement like that.


Don Cardi

Sorry DC. Not sure how to take your post.

Guess I'll just leave it be.

I can't make it any clearer than I already did.


Don Cardi

That's very interesting. It could be true, but it doesn't really matter, it's still the Mafia.