Speaking frankly, on review, Gigante's crazy act did not serve him well....at all.

Because, essentially, he implemented a 'self-imposed' exile on himself into the shadows, where he was forced to live like a virtual recluse...a stumble bum if you will, on a 24/7 basis, for many decades.

If you wanna walk around in a bathrobe all day, every day, with your hair disheveled, unshaved, unbathed, and have to travel in car trunks for appointments, etc. Then have at it. Lol

I, for one, could never, would never, stoop to such ridiculous levels for anything! You really gotta stop and ask yourself, what kind of life was that? Was it worth it?

And the answer to that question is an unequivocal no! It was NOT worth it.

He couldn't go out in public to restaurants and clubs, couldn't go on vacation with his wife and kids, couldn't even be seen dressed nicely or driving a car. He had to act like an unhinged "brain dead" zombie 99% of the time.

Because, at the end of the day, he ended up going to prison anyway and dying behind bars. WTF?

What kind of a life was that? He entire charade and life was a waste.

I'd rather just do my bid and hit the street again and go live my life. Lol

I disagree with you, his ruse allowed him to rule as boss for decades, free and on the streets. And to him the Mafia was his life. He lived and breathed it. And he was chauffeured around in a limousine. I'm sure he enjoyed life a bit more than what we're allowed to believe, though not as much as he could've. And in the grand scheme of things, his 12-year sentence he received in 1997 was a mere pittance. 12 years for decades of ordering multiple murders and racketeering??? I'll take that lol. The only reason he died behind bars was because he was already old as fuck, and by then I'm sure he was ready to go. Less stress than the streets.

Great find, never saw the second file. Genovese was also present at the John Bazzano murder in 1932 along with other high ranking members.

Nicely said and I agree with you 100%.

Although it somehow reminds me to an extent regarding similar situation when Italian bosses like Riina or Provenzano acted as simple villagers. I mean, look at where they found Provenzano?! Was it worth it? Obviously not. But we must not forget that some of those guys were fanatics when it came down to Cosa Nostra and its ideology. When Buscetta was confronted with Riina, the only thing which Riina said was that he didnt want to talk to someone who had too many wives and allegedly had no morals, while Buscetta answered that Riina didnt care about anything except for the control over whole CN with his fanatic ideas. Buscetta allegedly once stated that some CN capos died penniless only because of their "true" belief in the rules of the organization.

So my point is that Gigante mightve been the prime example of a "hardcore" or fanatic believer in the Cosa Nostra ideology.

Dude, if you honestly believe that Bernardo Provenzano spent 4 decades on that island you're crazy. They found evidence that Matteo Messina Denaro traveled extensively during his 3 decades on the run, and with Provenzano being loose a decade longer I'm sure the same could be said of him. First of all if you have the power, money, and resources to remain a fugitive for a virtual lifetime then you also have the means to travel nationally and internationally if need be.

Oh, no doubt about it. Chin Gigante was. And thats a good analogy you gave about Provenzano, Riina, and so many others that live like hermits or slugs as cave dwellers for decades at a time.

Truth be told, its simply nuts! lol

I get you but i think theres a difference between Provenzano's and Denaro's situations.

+1

No way he stayed in that farmhouse for 40 whole years lol. Wasn't a whole lot of difference, both were wanted for attacks on the State and for being the boss of bosses. If you mean a difference in old-school vs new-school, I'll agree with you. I don't think Provenzano traveled to the extent that Messina Denaro did, but no way he spent 40 years never leaving Sicily. This is not to say that either one of their lives are ones to envy, either, quite the opposite. Still a shitty life no matter how you look at it.

That was my point and thanks for understanding. Even when they were still "freely" active, Riina and Provenzano lived almost like villagers and didnt move around much. And when they became prime targets of the government, they still continued living like that. Again, Im not saying they didnt move around but their mentality was different then Denaro's who in turn grew up differently and also saw the situation from a different point of view then the old timers.

Also keep in mind that only the part of the government that's not in the Mafia's pockets were truly after them, the other part protected them.

Again, I completely agree.

IDK in the US but in 2017 the last Italian judicial psychiatric hospitals which housed mafia bosses were emptied.

Italian judicial psychiatric hospitals are to be completely emptied. Yesterday the forensic inpatient unit of Montelupo Fiorentino was definitely closed. In Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, the former largest judicial psychiatric hospital in Italy, there are only 13 internee left, who in the coming days will be sent to therapeutic communities.

The complex, located in the Sicily region, 40 kilometers from Messina, housed in the past over 600 internees. When it was a judicial psychiatric hospital it received also mafia bosses who pretended to be mentally ill, in order to obtain reductions in their sentences.

I think it's hilarious that Gigante walked around in his pajamas, checking himself into the psyche ward, and ordering murders all at the same time.

Too many people on these forums looking at life through the eyes of a regular person. In Gigante's mind he WAS living the dream, he was Cosa Nostra to the core.