A lot of prison stories of getting their ass kicked but how about on the streets. Any stories of wiseguys taking a beating from civilians. Most wiseguys do not walk around with guns and a lot are out of shape middle aged guys who walk around thinking they're tough.
One story that comes to mind is that Gambino soldier who got beaten to death by a neighbor. And Gotti sent Gravano along with some guy from Jersey for retribution
Apart from wise guys taking a beating from civilians, how about each other? Bobby Boriello famously beat Preston up and the Gambino's wrongly assumed his death was at the hands of Preston.
I think John Gotti Sr. would be a tough guy to fight, probably much tougher than his muscle-bound, steroid-infused son Junior, who, going by everything that I have read and heard about him, was more of a fake tough guy, trading off the name and reputation of his dad and uncles.
John Alite was/is obviously a very capable guy. I wouldn't want to fight him even now, and he's like 52/53.....
But I get what you are saying in a larger sense. Many of the mob's powerful leaders are not powerful in a physical sense: they are often older, deconditioned, out-of-shape guys who get little more exercise than walking to and from the social club. A sedentary lifestyle, advanced age, and a diet rich in cannoli's and pasta does not lend itself to being a physically capable guy. But still, there are exceptions. Even an out-of-shape guy can be a tough fighter. And it doesn't take much energy or strength to set someone up and pull a trigger.
