I like his podcast, but I do have an issue with the lecture on cooperation. He did 6 years straight (they're his crimes); he's indicted and arrested again not long after being paroled; for crimes he committed, prior, but not arrested. When made men are cooperating, you decide it's ok to cooperate. A' La' John Alite: these are your crimes; no one made you do it; you owe the time to the people and OC has nothing to do with your debt to society. More excuses to cooperate. He may not like my posts as I reminded him that while Joe Gambino may prepare tasty prison pasta, he also skipped bail with his brother leaving friends and families at the claws of bail bondmen seeking to confiscate their life savings. More concerning is the reference to the violence in the neighborhood. Yes, I'll believe the senseless killings that took place, but what about the hundreds of peer teenagers that did their homework, took up a trade or went to college? More excuses! Just say I'm a rat to save myself. I couldn't help but acknowledge certain tough guys, through reputation he noted, while reminding him that they had to outsource their wet work to the AB. The same men he references doing life did not mirror his decision of citing other cooperators and doing the same.
I agree. He makes it sound like it was the wild west and everyone was shooting, stabbing, and seliing drugs like some violent video game. I knew a few people from that area who were a little older than him and they never mention violence and crime. They did say the mob was around but “ they kept to themselvesâ€. Everyone I knew from there mention hanging out, cruising 86th st, and playing baseball and street hockey.
According to Calandra, Bath Beach was more violent than Iraq.
The "WILD WEST" is a pretty accurate description just in a controlled way for the most part, just guys that signed up for it were the guys that were left laying in the street.
What I think he means is that everyone that was in his circle was into something... At that age your circle is your whole world,.
Alot of guys were on the fringes, a lot of 9-5 's were into a little something extra to make some extra money.
The perception was that there was NOTHING WRONG with it.
As a matter of fact as CRAZY as it sounds the guy that wanted nothing to do with was looked down upon often.
The wise guys were looked upon as if they were celebrities.
So if everyone in your circle is into something, and your parents were on the fringe so alot of their friends were into something.. And all your friends and their families were into something...
It would be very easy to feel like everyone is involved....
You have to realize alot of first and 2nd generation Italians at that time.
What that has to do with him ratting I have no idea
Just giving you an accurate description
Of course there were ALOT of hard working honest Italian immigrants
