state your Most intriguing Mafia figure and why

Obviously if anyone reads my posts mine is Gaspipe, but I have a few others.

Carmine Persico: Lived 70 percent of his life in the can and still is head of a Mafia Family.

Fat Pete Chiodo: I guess maybe cause little is known about him.

Matthew Maddona: probably becuase he was connected with Nicky Barnes and even at 70 plus years old, he still is active with the bloods and crips in NYC. That amazes me. There was a story once how he was seen in the Ghetto hanging out with the Bloods and playing dice with them! And this was recently.

Joe Massino: I dont think ANYONE really realizes the weight his name carried from about 1970 til his arrest.

The entire Decavalcante family: The sopranos connection, they kind of legitimized the Sopranos for me.

Fat Tony Salerno, he has a classic mafia don looks. Fatt and with old school clothing and not to mention fedora and sigar

And of course Tony Accardo, the best mafia leader in my opinion.
Not a single day in jail, and extremely wealthy and died peacefuly still in power.

Gaspipe: Incredibly smart, amazing earner, turned down being boss and basically influenced/controlled Amuso as underboss, carried out hits left and right, went on the lam for 2 years from the feds while also running the family/ordering hits AND coming into nyc to have dinner with his ruling panel, a lethal mobster through and through, gets screwed in the end by the feds after flipping, and regrets flipping to this day. This guy was a lethal/rich mobster.

Wild Bill Cutolo: charismatic, great earner, running/creating businesses left and right, i have read about how lots of people who ran shops didnt mind paying protection to him cause he was a classy guy and really loved his neighborhood, did lots of charity work, hitman for the colombo family and a heavy hitter during the colombo war, when him and his crew were swept up by the feds and jailed at the MDC he led a crew prayer through their separate cells and prayed for their release,beating trials, health, families, and for LCN. They eventually were acquitted of charges relating to the war. Had entire dinners with his crew almost every day at his club. Went to the sitdown with Allie Persico even though he suspected he wouldnt come back (confirmed by a close Bonanno Capo who he had lunch with), his remains are found years later and takes down the family administration as a final payback.

Gotti Sr - loved his style, media personality (even though that was his downfall) he was a calculating guy who literally loved his close friends dearly (hear it on wiretaps,) ordered hits on guys he suspected were rats or unloyal, and fought the feds tooth and nail, was defiant until the day he died.

Sonny Franzese - living legend of la cosa nostra,great earner, very famous/popular in his time, around during the persico and gallo wars/era, sentenced to 50 yrs for a crime he didnt commit, constantly violated parole to meet his buddies, stand up guy through and through, deadly hitman (killed over 10 guys from his own words picked up in wiretaps,) even at 90 plus years old he was still shaking down strip joints, both his sons flipped and hes still around.

Carmine Persico- the Snake is a lethal mob boss who since his side murdered Joe Gallo and days after Joe Colombo was shot has been the defacto boss of the family even in jail, Persico's name has been mentioned in dozens of murder-cases since then, as he has been in charge of the Colombos for over three decades. During his 50-year-membership with the Colombo crime family, he has survived three internal wars, his life sentence, and allegedly been shot more than 20 times. Persico is also only one of three defendants from the Mafia Commission Trial who received 100 years and is still alive.

For Me it would be Roy DeMeo.
The guy who was a perfect family man and the neighbour from heaven hosting barbacue's and 4th July parties for his neighbourhood yet at "work" he was the devil himself.
Leading one of the most atrocious crews in Mob history.
A terrific earner and a nasty killer.

Another intriguing guy for me is Tony Mirra although not much is known about him other than he was a nasty bastard and an accomplished killer who even other wise guys feared - he also once took part in group sex involving an up and coming young hollywood actress (rumoured to be Goldie Hawn!)

Gerrard Pappa although again not to much is known about him but he did once clip a guy whom he despised and just for good measure he buried the body under the foundations of a new building taking care to ensure the victims head was placed exactly underneath where the toliet would be!!!!!!!!!

Carmine Persico as others have said obviously has something about him to still be a boss after all these years - he's been a major mob figure for years and years

jerry anguilo. Sentenced to 45 years at age 67 and he out lived the sentence to walk free in 2007. Impressive. Was able to build a gambling empire so large that he sent $50 K a month down to raymond patriarca during the 1950's even more impressive. Made bostons north end the safest place to live in the state during his reign as boss the most impressive. RIP jerry

I will name one from each family:

(1) Frank Costello (Genovese) - The guy had political contacts like no other. He was a gentleman.

(2) Aniello DeLacroce (Gambino) - He had honor like no other.

(3) Matthew Madonna, Aniello Migliore, Joseph DiNapoli and Steven Crea (Lucchese) - I have said it on this board and I will say it again. The Lucchese family is poised for a massive power play. These guys have been around forever. They have street cred and some carry over from the days of Tommy Lucchese. We will not know for sure until Crea is eventually brought down, but I believe the guy may become the most influential mobster in the NY area with the backing of the ruling panel.

(4) Persico (Colombo) - For the same reasons stated above.

(5) Joe Bonnano - If anyone deserves it from this family, it is him. He never went crazy. He was omnipotent up to a point and retired on his own to spend time with his family. He was also intelligent. Watch some interviews if you doubt it.

I agree with you on Crea and crew the Lucchese family is probably raking in the dough quietly, Crea hasnt been in the headlines at all since his parole expired a few years ago. They are all old school guys leading the family...

The cops didn't screw him, he screwed himself by being a paranoid killer and a rat.

Jackie DiNorscio, although sentenced to 30 years for drug trafficking, he refused to testify in the famous 1988 trial that lasted 21 months, he could, burying the jersey faction
Joe Gallo brave and cruel, was the first to realize that times had changed and that to make more money, we had an alliance with blacks, especially with Nicky Barnes,
Matthew Madonna, did business with heroin was sentenced to 30 years in the 70s although it was a simple associate does not wish to testify, released in 1995, three years later he became a man of honor of lucchesse.

I agree with the choice of DiMeo.Roy was a great worker, he controlled 90% of pornography with the DeCavalcante family in the late 70s, big drug dealer, ruthless killer, with his gang is believed to have killed 75 to 200 people. Given that Castellano did not trust him, he made sure that the Gambino signed an alliance with the Westies, so that the boss was forced to introduce it, was killed in 1983 because he considered unmanageable by Big Paul, who knows what he would do with Gotti, would perhaps , became great friends.

The cops screwed him cause they didnt want him to testify and doubt claims that Gravano had stated and by extension jeopardize their conviction against Gotti. He is a paranoid killer and a rat.

Casso would probably be my first choice. The guy was a huge earner and seemed to have his hands in so many things. He was on good terms and did work with high ranking members of other families like Frank DeCicco, Greg Scarpa, and even got to meet the Chin a few times. I also find him running the family while being on the FBI's most wanted for over two years to be fascinating. His time at the top was during a very volatie time during the history of the mafia.

Greg Scarpa Sr would be another one. He was another nut job, and he also worked for the FBI on big cases like the Civil Rights case in Mississippi. He had to have a lot of interesting stories.

There are other guys out there too, I just have to think about it for a while.

I don't understand this fascination with Casso. He was a sociopath who happened to be in the Mafia. I personally find the figures who were not purely homicidal maniacs but were capable of restraint to be far more interesting. These individuals are the ones that separate LCN from the Mexican Cartels or the Bloods and Crips and allow them to be romanticized.

Casso was in the mafia, not a social worker. Homicidal maniac is an over used when mafia members are discussed. The vast majority of people they kill or intend to kill are people part of the life, it's not like they are serial killers trolling the streets for innocent people. The fact that he was a huge earner and had his hands in so many different rackets makes him interesting to me. He also had the mafia cops working for him, and was on the FBI's most wanted list for over two years while he still ran the family from the NYC area. Outside of one or two people Casso wasn't killing random citizens like the Bloods & Crips, and the Mexican cartels. He was being fed legit information on rats, and people who weren't showing proper respect to the family. I think any mafia boss or member would have no problem "doing away" with these types.

You are correct in stating that he was a "huge earner" and it is impressive(?) that he was on the Most Wanted List while he ran the family for a considerable period of time. The Mafia Cops are also an intriguing facet of his life.

But you know what is more interesting? Being a bone fide boss and spending little to no time in prison. I think his presence on the FBI's Most Wanted List attests more to his lack of ability as a "boss" than anything else. You say "outside of one or two people Casso wasn't killing random citizens." I say that killing one or two random people is sufficient to classify you as a paranoid sociopath when you have murdered many others who are not random. Yes, the vast majority of Mafia figures (probably) have murdered. BUT they are not insane like Casso, Anastasia or Gravano. No matter how hard you try to argue otherwise, there is a distinct difference between the aforementioned individuals and people like Carlo Gambino. Gambino murdered when he HAD to. Compare his life to Casso's. Yes, Casso was not a social worker. However, he is also a far cry from the Gambinos of LCN. He and his Crony Amuso can enjoy their days in jail and will hopefully garner the negligible respect they deserve when people look back.

neil dellacroce was one intriguing figure. he was a guy who could have been boss easliy if he used forced but he was a mafia loyalist. The only mistake he made was helping John gotti rise to the top. I think most people would agree that without dellacroce Gotti would have never been made. In a sense he inadvertanetly killed the gambino family by helping Gotti become a powerful figure.

I think Dellacroce (whom I am vastly intrigued by) further supports my argument against Casso having any virtue whatsoever. Mr. Neil was ruthless in his day, but his life was more than dictated by Omerta and he would never think to break ANY rules. Casso was ruthless, but had no rules. He killed numerous members of his own family, he killed civilians, he killed anyone. He was paranoid because he killed so much and...he killed more. A guy like that is not what LCN is about. Mr. Neil, not renown for his mercy, killed as well, but was not absolutely mad.

You have to take into account Casso's entire body of work, not just those last few years of absolute craziness. He built himself into one of the most respected and feared gangsters in NYC, if not the entire country. You also can't compare a boss from the 80's- early 90's era to pre RICO old timers like Carlo Gambino. The government had much more resources and powers to combat the mafia starting in the 80's then they ever had before. If those bosses from back then were alive in the 80's, they would most likely have faced major prison time too. The Vincent "Chin" Gigante went to and died in prison, does that make him less of a boss? I don't believe it does, because the deck was stacked against him, the Government wanted to send him to prison, and that is what they did. All bosses went down during that era, do you guys like Salerno or Tony Duck's were not good as bosses because they went to prison too? So you just can't point the finger at Casso for being on the run from the FBI, he was actually the only boss to go on the run, and stay free for a couple of years.

Most mafia members killed are almost always killed by their own family. Casso was killing guys who were rats, and guys who weren't respecting the boss. You would expect any legitimate mafia member to do the same. There were times he went overboard though. You can't expect a boss to allow soldiers to not kick up, not report, and nothing happen though. The only civilian killed by Casso was Nicky Guido, and that was a mistaken identity. They also attempted to kill the sister of Pete Chiodo, who was a bummeling idiot.

Giuseppe Morello - A true Leader, a fucking war horse. This guy knew how to win a battle and was utterly ruthless. Great at strategy and power plays. Ran a massive counterfeiting ring in the late 1800's and early 1900's. If it wasn't for him going to prison joe the boss would have never rose to power.

Carmine Lombardozzi - A fucking genius with numbers. When it comes to shylocking and running stock scams no one came close to this guys power. Stolen Securities...carmine was the biggest fence for that shit in the country. Tremendous earner and leader.

Tony Accardo - If you really want to see how a boss should act look at how accardo ran the show. Stayed in the shadows, played it smart but still ran shit. Accardo could be as cold as ice and stick a ice pick into someones heart but also could be reasoned with. A true diplomat.

Roy Demeo - A fucking ridiculous earner. This guy could juggle 15 different scams at once. Had the business sense and also the killer instinct. The guy you sent to do the dirty work and you knew it would get done right but also the guy you could trust with important business stuff.

Murray Humphreys - Amazing fixer. This guy could grease any hand, Had connections that rivaled costello's. This is definitely the guy you would want to handle the business and political end of things.

Dont forget Sonny Black, great earner loyal to the boss. And when he knew he fucked up and was going to get killed. He accepted it and went straight into his end.

Murray Humphreys. Why? Because he was one of the first mobsters, if not the first to popularize the "taking the Fifth" to avoid self-incrimination. He was a mix of menace and smarts. The Hump was able to stay at the leadership level of the Outfit for years and along with people like Costello is probably the best real life example of a wise consigliere.

Humphrey's Oklahoma house

Many gangsters who I find intriguing are already mentioned by others.

Tony Accardo, Joe Bonanno, Carlo Gambino, Joe Massino etc.

But I would also like to add both Rizzuto's, Nicolo and Vito.

These guys were almost the perfect mob bosses and incredibly smart and cunning, which are ofcourse the most important qualities a boss needs to have.

They were also real gentleman with a certain style and charisma.

Both were also 'bridgebuilders'. Nicolo built up a huge network which he used as a base for setting up an incredibly effective organization. He laid the foundation, and his son Vito solidified it by making many alliances. Both father and son were also perfect mediators.

I'm speaking in the past sense because Nicolo is recently killed and Vito is locked up in prison. And since it's now turmoil in Montreal it looks lke his days are over. I'm really wondering what Vito Rizzuto will do when he returns, if that would happen in the first place. It's most likely he will be out of the picture as others have filled the power vacuum he left behind.

The big question is: will he still have allies left and be able to pull some strings? We will see.

I go with Costello because he was truly the iron fist in the velvet glove. His political sophistication really gave organized crime a license to steal.

Costello is also a good one.

It was rumored that J. Egdar Hoover didn't want to recognize the existence of the mafia because of his friendship with Costello.

He is, ofcourse, also one of the major characters were Vito Corleone is based on.

1.Sal testa- The crown prince of south philly in the early eighties. He was a capo at 28 an his was a true leader. 2. Joe Ligambi, anyone who can put the philly mob back together like he did is a true leader,plus i met him several times down the jersey shore when i was younger working at a club in margate. A true gentleman. Everyone calls him 'uncle joe'.

I thought they DID kill Fat Pete's sister?

In September 1991, using a wheelchair due to his wounds, Chiodo testified in the Windows trial. Chiodo stated that he had undergone a "transformation" from a violent criminal to a man with a conscience. When asked what prompted this transformation, Chiodo replied "I was shot 12 times,".

Chiodo's remaining family in Brooklyn soon suffered retaliation from the Luccheses. On March 10, 1992, Lucchese associate Michael Spinelli shot Patricia Capozallo, Chiodo's sister, while she was driving in Bensonhurst. Capozallo suffered wounds to the arm, back and neck but survived. On February 2, 1993, the body of Frank Signorino, Chiodo's uncle, was found in the trunk of a car in East New York. The body displayed several gunshot wounds to the head.

Chiodo provided valuable evidence that helped convict both Amuso and Casso as well as many other gangsters. He had to be flown around in a special plane while a witness because of his weight.In July 1997, Chido testified against Genovese crime family boss Vincent Gigante in another Windows-related racketeering trial.

On September 11, 2007, Chiodo was sentenced to 17 years in prison on racketeering charges but will serve no prison time due to his agreement to testify.Chiodo is currently in the Witness Protection Program.

Don't forget that Vito may have to stand trial in Italy for the bridge money laundering scheme. It's quite possible that he will be extradited to face those charges.

Joey Massino is another good choice. He saw a lot of stuff happen during his time with the Bonnano's. He was a member when Galante got out, and eventually killed. He was involved with the killing of the three capos. He was involved in the killing of Sonny Black. He was a member through the Donny Brasco fiasco. He was also able to pick up the pieces and make the Bonnano's a force again as its boss, up until he became a government witness.

James "Jimmy" Burke, not a made guy but had a lot of respect. He was close to some powerful figures like Paul Vario, never backed down from anyone, and was a major player in the Lufthansa heist.

The Chin

I'd have to say Sammy the Bull intrigues me the most. He's one guy that I'd never in a million years expect to turn rat. He was "family man" and swore up and down his kids would never be involved in the life yet years later, it's a family/group arrest. I'm even more surprised he was so incredibly stupid with his new Arizona crew and that he'd make so many mistakes.

Others that intrigue me are as follows:

Paul Castellano: Should have been a business man instead of a mafia Don.

Junior Gotti: Cause he's just plain stupid!

Henry Hill: I dunno, cause he's a weasel.

Roy DeMeo: He's a true psychopath

Tony Spilotro: God what an ego

Carlo Gambino - The epitome of a Mafia figure

There's been alot of people mentioning the likes of DeMeo and Gaspipe. Two stone cold killers who were ruthless yet excellent earners, they are fascinating characters and probably the two stand out figures I enjoyed learning about the most also.

Like I said, 'if that would happen in the first place'.

Definitely. I forgot to mention him. He was there in the 1950s, being the hitman to pull the trigger against Costello.

In the 1990s he was still there, being the most powerful boss in New York and therefore in the country.

He went from a boxer to a really fat guy, lost tremendous weight in only a few months so the prosecutors couldn't recognize him anymore.

In the 1970s he went to a psychiatric institute and behaved like he was retarted an schizofrenic, all part of an act to fool the authorities once again. Maintainted this act with success till the late 1990s.

It's an outrage that there's still NO movie made about him, while we've seen John Gotti in numerous films.

The thread is entitled the most "intriguing" mafia figure and why. The word intriguing is defined as an interest in something that is almost fantasy or fantasied about, something in which you could not see yourself doing.

That is why alot of "normal people" per say are intrigued by Casso. We just think its intriguing that he actually was a homicidal maniac and a sociopath. Why? Because it is something we would never do.

Most people like reading true accounts of events in which well....we dont have the balls to do.

without a doubt....he was respected and feared like no one else. The Genovese family's unparalleled success was due to his leadership

True, but the Genovese Family was very successful way before Gigante took over. They had the best succession of leaders in mob family history (Luciano, Costello, et al.)

I think there are probably no books or movies about the Chin because of his secretive nature. He wasn't the kind of guy who dealt with a lot of different people, just a very small and trustworthy inner circle. None of those people have ever flipped either, so there is no reason for them to write a book or talk, because they would incriminate themselves. Being so secretive there can't be books or movies made about you is a good sign for a mafia boss if you ask me.

Excellent post, I couldn't have said it better. It is their nature that makes them most intriguing to normal people like us. It takes a certain breed to do what they do. Not anyone can just kill a person and not give it a second thought, and at the same time they are always a target to be killed. On top of that they are a huge target for law enforcement, so much so they are being routinely watched. I think most people would be a nervous wreck under those circumstance, I know I would.

These are all good arguments. It is just more fascinating to me when a Mafia figure contains his murderous tendencies and/or has a conscience like "normal" people. A figure like Gambino shows that certain figures may not really be all that different.

Insofar as the RICO argument, I think that was very insightful. I have written extensively on RICO and believe that it did serve as a massive deterrent leading to the need to quiet witnesses far more often then when Gambino was in his heydey. Still, perhaps if Casso were more careful and resolved his disputes in a different manner, murdering those who carried out the initial orders would not have been as necessary.

Tommy "Karate" Pitera- obviously the intriguing part is his martial arts skills. he probably didn't even need to used a gun since his hands and lefs were weapons. Also was similar to roy demeo on how he got rid of people

Ceasere Bonventre- Was one of the Zips in the Bonanno Family. Stood six feet nine inches tall.

Lefty Ruggiero- old school mobster. he wasn't a great earner and he gambled the money he did have away but was respected for his silence and not breaking omerta

Gene Gotti- the younger Gotti brother. was actually the first gotti to get made. he also was a much better earner than his brother and gambler.

Mike Franzese- was made at 24. One of the biggest earners. Is now a born again christian who gives lectures around the country.

Danny Greene- Tough Irish mobster who took down the Cleveland mob

Thanks Dapper Don.
I wrongly thought Fat Petes sister died.

There is no Vinnie the Chin movie because he isnt nearly as glamourous or as famous as John Gotti (even though Gotti wasnt fit to be in charge on his local Burger King joint).
The Chin was a proper mob boss

I dont know where i read it but, the feds ask to Chin what use did he get by being a godfather. And living a decade pretending to be insane, and i remember the Chin saying its the feeling of power. Correct me if i am wrong

That statement didn't come from Chin directly, obviously. It was an FBI agent simply surmising what Chin got out of being boss. Chin never flaunted a lot of money. He never went anywhere further than Jersey. He put in a lot of time and effort over years with his crazy act. The feds always wondered what he felt he got out of all it. The only thing they could think of was the "pure power" he had.

General attrition and the FBI took down the Cleveland mob. Greene simply put up a good fight before they blew him up.

Ahh oke i see, thanks for sharing. Any other words or statements you can share about mobsters?

But the war with Greene created a lot of heat, which was the reason why they were brought down by the feds in the first place.

So indirectly, I think Greene did took down the Cleveland mob.

Wasnt the feds behind Greene? He was supplying the FBI with information about the Italian mafia. Wasnt that a normal business in those days for FBI to hire Irish mobsters who were considered as "good" guys when compared to Italians?

Gaetano Gagliano - He was the boss of the Lucchese family for 20 years and nobody knows when he actually died. Great article on him: http://www.americanmafia.com/Allan_May_6-19-00.html

All of the upper echelon Genovese guys seem to interest me. It's weird to think but a lot of them share similar traits; grew up in the city or uptown, former boxers, pegged for a leadership role at young ages, and are quiet as hell. It seems like their upper ranks are filled with guys who are not only rarities in o.c. but also in life in general.

I'd like to know more about the newcomers on the upper echelon of the Genovese too. People like Danny Leo, Barney Bellomo, etc... besides what's on Wiki and some news articles about past arrests not much is REALLY known about those guys...

The Chin is the most intriguing mafia figure in my mind and I'll tell you why. First of all he was able to fool the federal government for 30 years. If that isn't an achievement, then I don't know what is. Everybody thought he was crazy. We're talking respected psychiatrists, doctors, lawyers, FBI guys, NYPD guys, even the informants on the street thought he was really crazy. Here's a guy who lived almost his entire life with his mother in an apartment that wasn't much bigger than a shoebox. He's never clean shaven, looks like he doesn't shower, mumbles a lot to himself, seems lost and always has on a bathrobe. And while all this was going on, he was the biggest gangster in all of New York. Sitting on top of millions of dollars and controlling several major industries. This is also the same guy who shot Frank Costello. The same guy who went to trial with Vito Genovese.

Thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. If your car could take me to the airport; Mr. Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately.



The FBI knew he was acting, but they couldn't make a case against him for many years.

For a long time, they actually weren't sure. The man used to check himself into mental institutions on a regular basis. Of course it became clear later on, he was only acting.

Yeah PC is definitely one of the most intriguing ones. He had such an impressive personality that when the FBI agents that had been investigating him visited his grave site they started crying.

Paul Castellano was a very greedy boss, while the Chin was a more honorable boss. He has remarks about not to steal from widows and orphans, he was also more strict to the rules.

The Chin was a true gangster who got to the top on his own merit.
Castellano got to the top because he was Carlo Gambino's brother in law.

Actually the FBI never really believed his act. From day one they knew he was a powerful man in the mafia. As many Federal agents have said about the Chin: There was not a single person involved in the investigation that believed this guy was crazy. We knew for a fact he was a powerful man in the American Mafia and if the Mafia allowed certifiably insane leaders then we would have never arrested anyone because they would have to be certifiably insane to take orders from him.

After reading Murder Machine I found DeMeo pretty intriguing. Its one thing to read about a nutter like him but when you think about the nasty things he did, it makes you wonder what was going through his mind at times.

Apart from some of the other names mentioned here I also think Sam Giancana is a pretty intresting character. His supposed links to the CIA, Cuba and the JFK Assassination make for a good read.

The Feds may have known later or, but had no idea before the Commission Trial in 1986. At that time, they genuinely believed Fat Tony Salerno was the true boss.

True boss yes, but they never thought he was really crazy

They didnt know he was the real boss, they did know he was faking but couldnt prove it. He was very low key when conducting business. Agents saw several times he was wearing a suit under his bathrobe. He was one of the last major leaders, even Gotti feared him. Gotti was famous for talking behind the other bosses backs like Casso and Amuso. He even talked behind the back of his "friend" Massino calling him a whale if i remember correctly. But he never had any disrespect for the Chin, he feared him. Gotti told him once why he wasnt inducting new made guys, he told Gotti that its his business not Gottis.

Probably the mobster who intrigues me the most is Anthony Casso like a lot of people here, so there's no point in explaining it too much.
I am also intrigued by the DeMeo crew, but the Gemini Twins (Anthony Senter and Joe Testa) not Roy DeMeo so much. Those guys were up there with the most brutal and efficient hit squads in mafia history, and those two did a lot of the work. Senter was a tough son of a bitch; fought pretty hard growing up and he even ended up killing Roy DeMeo himself...Also, the fact that his family was from the Northern Italian/semi-German speaking area interests me. Pretty rare.
I also think Nino Gaggi was a very smooth, effective operator who did things the old-school way that earned him a lot of respect.

I would say the Mafia figure who intrigues me the most is Santo Trafficante Jr., boss of the Tampa family from 1954 to his death in 1987. I first learned about him from an episode of Frontline I saw in 1994 that told the story of his lawyer, Frank Ragano. The episode featured interviews of Ragano (who died in 1998). It was actually this show that got me interested in the Mafia for the first time, and I've never lost interest since.

Trafficante is fascinating because his story (and the history of the Tampa mob) isn't nearly as well known as those of other bosses like Gambino or Genovese, yet from what I've heard, he was one of the most powerful, smartest, and successful bosses ever. Ragano said that "Santo was wise and clever beyond belief." Like Accardo, he spent virtually no time in jail and had no standing convictions (although, as one of the major mobsters in Batista-era Cuba, he was briefly held in a Cuban prison after Castro took over until Ragano got him released). Especially impressive is the fact that although he was the target of an FBI sting in the 1980s, and was put on trial as part of a RICO case in 1986, he was acquitted--in fact, he was the only one of a whole group of defendants in the case to be acquitted. This was during a time period when the FBI was bringing down mob bosses left and right, and the government had learned how to effectively use the RICO law. Tampa's hardly a city that immediately springs to mind when thinking about the Mafia, and I'd like to know more about what went on down there.

In addition to Ragano's memoirs, entitled "Mob Lawyer," there are two books specifically about Trafficante and the Tampa mob, entitled "Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld" and "The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr."

For me, on number one, I think is Salvatore "Ceasar" Maranzano. You can't find any reliable picture of him on the internet and we don't know shit about him before he came to America.

Yet he shortly became the most powerful mafia figure in New York, and was the only true "boss of bosses" the American mafia once had.

Can I mention Arnold Rothstein? Or are we discussing Cosa Nostra figures only.

As far as I'm concerned Arnold Rothstein is worth mentioning.

I'm gonna throw in Meyer Lansky. God rest his soul.

Overall, I would say that Benjamin Siegel is the most interesting gangster I have learned about. It is partly because I relate to his background, but also because I respect his idealism, optimism and perseverance. Although that same perseverance led to his downfall, he never lost faith.

Furthermore, to this day, I believe that Bugsy is one of the top 3 gangster movies I have ever seen.

Siegel was definitely a very smart guy. A lot of people think of him as a loose cannon who was nothing more than a glorified thug. In reality, he was as sharp as a fox and probably could've been The President Of The United States if he had wanted to go that route.

Lansky is definitely intriguing.

ive always found nicky scarfo and joey merlino very interesting.
ive always taken an interest in the philly family. maybe because im from Pennsylvania and over in my neck of the woods theres not much going on. sure ive heard the stories about the PGH family and i seem to always stumble upon someone who knew someones dad from new kensington that was some how connected. i like scarfo just because of his unpredictability and his homicidal nature. def one short dude u didnt wanna mess with. read blood and honor and was just floored by some of his crazy decisions! i liked merlino because he had so much power at a young age. it will be interesting to see what he does when he gets out!

Probably the mobster who intrigues me the most is Anthony Casso like a lot of people here, so there's no point in explaining it too much.
I am also intrigued by the DeMeo crew, but the Gemini Twins (Anthony Senter and Joe Testa) not Roy DeMeo so much. Those guys were up there with the most brutal and efficient hit squads in mafia history, and those two did a lot of the work. Senter was a tough son of a bitch; fought pretty hard growing up and he even ended up killing Roy DeMeo himself

The version of DeMeo's death that I believe is that Roy went to Patty Testa's house for a meeting with his men.
He was seated and about to receive coffee when the Twins shot him.
Roy was to heavy to lift so they strapped his body to a chair and "walked" the chair into the garage where they stuffed him in the trunk and then one of them got the funny idea of draping a chandeliar on top of the body!
Are Joey+Anthony in the same jail or have they been seperated for years?

I'd like to know more about Testa and Senter when they were with the Lucchese family.
All I really know is that after Gaspipe tortured and Killed Jimmy Hydell they got the job of cleaning up the scene.
They also shot a crazy Russian gangster who was strong arming one of Gaspipe's associates.

Very interesting video, Vinny. Thanks! And, Ovation, I agree about the movie "Bugsy." Despite taking many liberties, it's one of those films that gets better each time you see it. Beatty's masterpiece, but everyone else in it is just as good.

For my money, Moe Dalitz was the guy who really put Vegas on the map. He was more sophisticated than Siegel. Where Siegel simply bribed Sen. Pat McCarren to get access to limited construction materials to build the Flamingo during WWII, Dalitz financed McCarren's re-election campaign and ran it. In return, when Congress proposed putting a prohibitively high tax on gaming, McCarren made sure it got knocked down to practically nothing. Dalitz was voted Vegas's "Man of the Year." Siegel died with a bullet in his eye.

BTW: I visited the Liberace Museum in Vegas a few years ago (closed now, unfortunately). They had a small display of gangster-era memorabilia. One of the items was the Las Vegas High School's Yearbook for 1956. The Homecoming Queen for that year: Terri Siegel. They did not visit the sins of the father on the daughter.

There seems to be a run on Jewish gangsters going on here, so I'll go with a more modern Jewish gangster, downtown Burt Kaplan. He was an Luchese associate that was close with Christy "Tick" Funari, Casso, Amuso, and others. He is probably most know for being the go between for the Mafia cops and the Luchese. Kaplan had rackets in South America, China, Africa, etc. In the book the Brotherhood they mention he was in a exercise club with Tommy Karate when he called Otto Heidel a rat.

I think Testa and Senter have always been seperated in prison since they were convicted. One of the Testa brothers, Patty, became a made member of the Luchese. He was close with both Amuso and Casso, he was Amuso's messenger when he was on the run. Casso eventually had him killed, he wanted to make it look like it was the Gambino's who killed Testa, so he could kill Gotti's son in return. Patty Testa was a prodigy and huge earner as a very young man, as it was told in Murder Machine. Casso said in his book he took in Senter and Testa once DeMeo was killed, and used them in a couple hits. He even claimed he eventually got the contract to kill DeMeo, I don't know how true that is though...

i find it hard to believe that casso really killed demeo too. demeo is one of my fav people to read about and his crew as well. wasnt it because the feds were looking at patty testa so hard that it kinda led them to roy?

The acting is a bit over the top, but overall it's a very enjoyable movie to watch.

But I have a feeling they could have made this film a lot better. Too bad they didn't cover Siegel's earlier years, which are probably as interesting as the rest.

There weren't many things wrong with that movie in my opinion. They could've done without Bugsy beating up Joey A. If that had actually happened, they would've tore him apart limb by limb. Then of course, there was the scene where he made Jack Dragna walk around like a dog. I found it amusing, but we all know that was pure fiction as well. Beatty's performance was truly outstanding though. Kingsley was also very good as Lansky. Even though he looks nothing like him, he still captured something I believe.

Kingsley did a fine job portraying Lansky. Way more convincing than Richard Dreyfuss in that hbo biopic.

Did you see Andy Garcia's movie The Lost City? Oh man, Dustin Hoffman was made for playing Meyer Lansky. As good as Kingsley was, he ain't got nothing on Hoffman as Lansky.

"She was a beautiful thing, Havana. We should've known she was a heartbreaker" - Meyer Lansky, The Lost City

Even if Casso turned on his friends, he did care about a few of them back in the day. This Russian Vladimir Reznikov, who was shaking down Marat Balagula, the gasoline bootlegger. He's one of the reasons Brighton Beach gets its rep as a haven for Russian mob bosses. His Robin Hood reputation attracted some attention.

Fat Andy Ruggiano really interests me. I know he wasn't put to the test, but the guy really did hate rats. There's a lot of quotes and you can tell he was old school. When he went on the lam, he would hide out with bikers in Florida, growing a beard so he could blend in. Surprised he got permission for any of that, must have been respected.

Fat Andy Ruggiano used to show up on the set of Analyze This and pal around with De Niro. I may be wrong, but I think it was Anthony Corozzo (Little Nick's brother) who introduced De Niro to Fat Andy. I know Anthony Corozzo has been friends with De Niro and Pesci for a thousand years. He has probably introduced De Niro to everyone in the Gambino family .

But Ruggiano went way back in the life. He got made under Anastasia.

I am a little late to the discussion, but my most intriguing guys would be:

1. Chin
2. Lansky
3. Accardo
4. Carlo
5. Carlos Marcello

I would love the opportunity to "interview" these guys. All were great leaders.

Marcello makes the list just so I can find out if he and LCN actually did have a role in clipping JFK.

All the psychopaths previously mentioned (Casso, Demeo, Pitera, Scarpa) are a dime a dozen.

Leaders who spent most of their career as boss with limited jail time are rare.

IMO, that makes them more intriguing.

The Chin was always overrated in my opinion.Don't know why everyone hailed him as the second coming.

Chin was certainly NOT overrated. Law enforcement had a grudging respect for him and credited his leadership with keeping the Genovese family strong while the other families were being hammered. The family is still benefiting from his past leadership to this day.

If Sammy the Bull's version was right, and The Chin organized the Angelo Bruno hit, then he certainly is a criminal mastermind. It's just never been clear who was the true schemer there. Benny Squint, Chin, or Frank Tieri (Funzi). It's just a shame that whoever did most the plotting is partially responsible for I don't know...maybe 50 dead Philly guys? If you think about a chain reaction.

Also, let this be my reintroduction to the forums. My name's John, I'm 16, and I quit internet life after I found out I have some sort of fucked up brain damage from chronic lyme disease. In the meantime I figured I'd at least learn some about wiseguys if I ever came back here. Wise move

Yes,I know all of his 'stats'.But the Genoveses have always had competent people,Funzi,Salerno.Catena etc.You can switch those guys amongst themselves however you want and the result would have been the same.
Yes the Genoveses were better off than the other families but I figure that was because the Genovese family for the most part had better people in general,not because of Gigante's leadership.

without a good leader there would be no good people.

Alan "Baldie" Longo :
"Don't let anyone tell you we're dead, we're not. Because Vito [Genovese] ain't here no more, Vincent [Gigante] is."



FBI agent John Pritchard :
'He was probably the most clever organized crime figure I'd ever seen.'
'Without a doubt, he was the smartest, most scheming mafia figure to come down the pike in my time"

For me the most interesting Mafia figure is Salvie Testa. Millionaire capo by age 27, true south Philly live for the day wiseguy. He even played tennis and killed 15 guys in the riccobene war.

But it was Gigante's leadership that kept the family strong. All you have to do is look at the other families following the Commission case, who took over, and the results - including the infighting, defections, etc. We never saw that in the Genovese family. One reason being, as law enforcement said, was Chin's ability to pick very loyal captains, who in turn were able to enforce strict discipline throughout the rest of the family.

In other families we saw people in the administrations and captains flip. Not until Felix Tranghese up in Springfield did we see that in the Genovese family, despite the fact many top Genovese guys being indicted. The Genovese family has also been the most successful at maintaining their status in terms of their rackets. This starts from the top down.

You're right that the Genovese family has always benefited from more competent leadership in general. But another reason why Gigante gets the credit he does is the period in which he was boss - from the early 80's until his death in 2005. By far the hardest time to be a boss. Much more difficult than the time periods of earlier leaders.

Just by virtue of leading the family in secret, while even the FBI thought that Tony Salerno was the boss, makes Gigante as crafty as anyone in my eyes.

The authorities say that the Genovese family has retained most of its power mainly because of the ruthless discipline and secrecy imposed by Vincent (Chin) Gigante, whom Federal and state prosecutors have identified in indictments as the group's boss since 1980. Under Mr. Gigante's rule the Genovese clan has supplanted the Gambino family as the wealthiest and most powerful crime faction in New York and New Jersey, Federal and state officials say. "Nobody will cross Chin Gigante," Mr. North said of Mr. Gigante's role in the family.

Investigators grudgingly credit Mr. Gigante with exceptional skill in selecting loyal capos who operate crews and funnel illegal profits to him. Unlike the other families in the region, the Genovese group has had no high-level traitors and its hierarchy seems to be intact.

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/29/nyregi...ed=3&src=pm

I know wikipedia isnt always reliable but it had this to say about the Chin

In one instance during the wake of a Genovese member, Gigante pulled aside Victor Amuso, the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family, to discuss the Lucchese's families encroachment on his families "Windows Racket". Gigante told him he'd be "lucky to leave this wake alive" and the Lucchese family subsequently gave in to Gigante's demand to back off.

I can believe it - the Chin was a bad ass

IKR? They guy definitely had some mental problems on top of his little "cover" but the guy new how to get what he wanted.

i really don't believe he had any mental problems. maybe like tony soprano had mental problems. but i think if 10 people got a pshych eval then 9 outta 10 would be classified as having some kind of mental problem. the chin played the part to well to be crazy and run the strongest crime family in the us.

That account came from the 1995 New York Magazine article. It said Amuso left the wake "trembling." It certainly seems Vic and Gas viewed Chin the same way Gotti did.

What's interesting is the Luccheses and their control of Iron Workers Local 580 was a key part of the window replacement racket. The Genovese and the Luccheses, as well as the Gambinos and the Colombos later on, all were involved; though it was mainly a Genovese racket from the beginning. But the Lucchese must have not been following some agreement to make Chin chew out Amuso at that wake.

Wasn't one of the reasons Castellano was killed because he was giving the Genovese control of what were historically Gambino rackets, and he killed one of his own capos from Connecuit because he was standing in the way of the Genovese there? I never knew who the capo was until today, it was Frank Piccolo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Piccolo

The Luchese killed an associate of theirs John "Sonny" Morrissey a rep for Local 580 because they thought he could eventually become a rat. They wouldn't kill Pete Savino though, even when they knew he was a rat because the Chin wouldn't OK it. That was probably one of the Chins biggest mistakes, not having Savino killed when he had the chance.

Another reason this guy might not be all he's cracked up to be.Casso straight up told him he knew Savino was a rat from his "crystal ball" and the Genovese questioned him(Savino).Naturally Savino denied it and in his arrogance the Chin didn't clip.Of course who would be so smart as to deceive the big bad Genovese family

One thing about the Genoveses is that they seem to take themselves too seriously.They have some sort of superiority complex and they buy into their own myth as much as John Gotti ever did,though in a different way:

Gigante lived his whole life in his mothers house and doing his crazy act with the thought of how smart and cunning he was,he probably never got to enjoy the fruits of his labor.Say what you will about the Gottis or Cassos or Scarfos but before they ended up in the can for life they probably lived a good life.Nice cars,big houses,women,plenty of money to spend.Meanwhile the Chin ended up the same,in jail,but he lived his life running around the village in a bathrobe and slippers

Another area where I thought they overdid it is this "not being flashy" thing,"the worst dressed mobsters" or how they "drive Buicks not Cadillacs".This gets tossed around so often it's become a generic blanket therm."Oh look how smart they are they're not flashy like the other gangsters".Does someone really think in this day in age that matters?Is the government really fooled so easily?The FEDS are going to come after mobsters no matter what,doesn't matter if they drive a Lamborghini or a Fiat.
The FEDS didn't go after Gotti because he dressed well or drove a Mercedes,it's because he did those things in front of the cameras and he beat their cases.I'm sure you can find some middle ground between dressing like a bum and parading like Gotti on national TV.

Take for instance Barney Bellomo showing up at that wedding in jeans and a t-shirt.Another example of the generic "oh he's so smart he doesn't dress flashy and attract attention".Well how the fuck does that even work?In a room full of guys dressed in suits isn't the guy in jeans going to attract MORE attention than usual?

I swear these guys must be warped

Best way to attract attention is through flashy things. Say what you want about The Chin, but his bathrobe act worked and he stayed on the street longer than any of these other clowns. The guys who truly ran the show were low key men. They never kept anything in their name, didn't drive fancy cars and almost always dressed modestly.

Seems like you willfully ignore Chin's over all record as a boss, while singling out his mistake with Savino, simply to make your point. Which holds no water by the way.



Generally speaking, they take "the life" seriously. They run their organization it was meant to be run. By all accounts, the Genovese family IS superior. Always has been. There's really no "myth" there.



Law enforcement has commented before how Chin wasn't interested in any of that stuff. Just the "pure power" he had. How long did Gotti, Casso, or Scarfo last on the street? Furthermore, what was the effect of their leadership on their families?



Well, let's see here. Judging by the current status of the family, it's very low number of rats, it's ability to maintain it's rackets - both legal and illegal - they must be doing something right.

Seriously, I think you're just trying to go against the grain here. You can't be this clueless, can you?

Because this mistake was the one that brought down the house.Had Gigante listened to the advice of Casso,who you seem to deem as an inferior,the windows case fiasco probably would have been avoided.

Say what you will about Casso,Gotti,Persico,Massino etc. but their actions only fucked up their own families.Chin's unwillingness to kill Savino fucked up 4 families.

And why doesn't it hold any water?


Please don't twist my words.By myth I meant their mystique,their image.The same way Gotti lived off the attention his daper suits and cars brought him,the same way the Genovese guys are cultivating their Keyser Soze image.
And I never said the Genovese family was overrated.I said the Chin was overrated.Replace him with any of his powerful contemporaries and you would have the same result.

Well law enforcement can't really read his mind can they?They can only speculate.If Chin wasn't interested in that stuff then why did he become a gangster?
But that doesn't even matter.If he didn't want any of that,its his business.But that doesn't make him superior to someone who did want it.
Around 30 years.Nothing to scoff at,especially if you're not spending those years pretending you're insane.

You got me there.But should that be the only criteria?


They are indeed doing something right.But I don't think the fact that the drove Buicks and not Cadillacs thwarted the FBI's plans or caused them to say "lets leave these guys alone,the Colombos drive Escalades,lets go after them".


So because I disagree and don't buy into Gigante being some all-powerful,infallible criminal mastermind I'm 'going against the grain' and am 'clueless'?Since we're throwing shots here I could accuse you of being a fanboy,but it's beneath me.
Guys like Tony Accardo or Trafficante jr. achieved everything he did without spending years pretending to be insane,yet they don't have this Leonardo DaVinci of crime aura attached to them.

I'd have to say, Antonino (Anthony) Accardo, a/k/a "the Big Tuna"/"Joe Batters"! He never spent a night in jail, never did any time in the pen, NOTHING. Managed to run the Outfit for close to 50 years, while everyone, including the "G", didn't have a clue! Others stood in as boss while "JB" was laying low
staying under the radar. His biggest/boldest move, that the public could and would scrutinize, was his purchase of a mansion in a nearby Chicago Suburb, he ended up going through 3 before his death by natural causes of congenital heart failure at a hospital not far from where he grew up as a child.
I understand that Chicago is no New York and things regarding organized crime are plenty different.

Doubtful. Savino was certainly a key to the investigation but, even without him, the feds likely would have cracked it some other way considering the 13 mob companies, unions, and millions of dollars involved.



Well, this is a good example.

Due to his high profile ways, Gotti brought down law enforcement and media attention on the mob not seen since Al Capone. His leadership style led to hours of FBI footage of every Gambino captain meeting at the Ravenite every week as well as hours of tape of him and the rest of the family administration discussing mob business; which in turn led to Gravano flipping. Gravano saw all the evidence against him and figured he had little chance of beating the case. And hearing Gotti badmouth him behind his back certainly didn't help. Gravano's testified not only against the Gambinos but also against numerous people in the other families. He fleshed out the hierarchies of all the families for the FBI, as well as gave them a ton of info on the mob and the construction industry.

Casso? His leadership style led to the defection of several top Lucchese guys like Al D'Arco, Peter Chiodo, etc. And like Gravano, they gave up a ton of info on all the families, the mob's involvement in numerous unions, the construction industry, etc.

Massino? It's still early but we haven't seen a domino effect of turncoats in any family in so short of time than his over the past decade.

Chin certainly screwed up by letting Savino get to close but the damage mostly did not go beyond the windows case and those involved. I believe like 9 or 10 guys were indicted. It wasn't a case of "fucking up" four families.



I'd be very surprised if guys like Dom Cirillo, Matty Ianniello, Barney Bellomo, Larry Dentico, etc. know who Keyser Soze is. They're not trying to "cultivate" anything. They're trying to present as little of a profile as possible. Gotti loved to make headlines. The Genovese guys try to stay out of the news as much as possible. Talk about apples and oranges.



You've already been given examples of why people credit Gigante with keeping the Genovese family strong. Yes, it included others in the family, but as I said it starts from the top down. With Chin choosing to stay behind the scenes and avoid the Commission case, him picking the right captains (not one of which flipped), the extreme secrecy and attempts to avoid surveillance, etc.



For the record, Chin did have both a wife and a girlfriend. And he spent time back and forth between them in Manhattan and New Jersey. But who says you have to screw a ton of women to be a gangster? Where is it written you have to go nightclub hopping with an entourage to be a gangster?

After Chin had been convicted and was in prison there is an account of a conversation he had with some other inmates. One of them knew an old friend of Chin's (named Gaspar) who had moved to Vegas years before. The other inmate asked Chin why he hadn't done the same. Chin replied that he "had Vegas" right in New York. For him, running the top family in the nation was enough. And his influence extended to other places, like Boston, Philadelphia, etc.



It does if certain behavior brings attention from law enforcement and the media. Gotti, for instance, openly flaunted himself for the media, which was basically a case of thumbing his nose at law enforcement. That only made the feds that much more determined to get him. Chin's unique style of playing crazy certainly brought it's own attention but not to his detriment. He kept him on the street for years where he would have probably been put away long before without it.



I'm talking about their time as boss on the street.

Gotti? About 5 years. From 1986 to his last indictment in 1990. And he was in jail for a good chunk of the time in between with his other cases.

Casso? About 7 years. From late 1986 (towards the end of the Commission trial) to 1993. And 2 of those were spent on the run.

Scarfo? About 6 years. From 1981 to 1987. And like Gotti, he had been in jail during that time on other cases.

As boss on the street, Chin lasted about 16 years. From 1981 to 1997.



If we're talking about their record as a mob boss, it's most of it.



Them driving less flashy cars and wearing less flashy clothes is just an example of the over all low key, secretive style of the family. Obviously it's not the only thing. You could include other things like Tino Fiumara riding to meetings curled up in the back seat or trunk of a car. Or Dom Cirillo having his driver go the wrong way on a freeway ramp to avoid tails. Or them making guys go through the initiation ceremony in their underwear and a robe.

But more important examples would be how they conduct their business, which has enabled them to maintain the most presence in the labor unions and legitimate industries in New York. Or how they enforce discipline. Still very few rats to this day. And until the recent Al Bruno case up in Springfield, their murders were pretty clean - Coppola, Ricci, Izzi, etc.



There is nothing which you can accuse me of being a fanboy. Everything I've said are based on the facts at hand. Law enforcement officials, former gangsters, and journalists have said the same thing. Are they fanboys?



Nobody is saying Chin was the only great boss in the history of the mob. Or even the greatest. But all things considered - the time frame in which he was boss, his few mistakes, the effects of his leadership on his family, the stated opinions of experts on him, etc. - nobody can say he is overrated.

The Chin wasn't the perfect boss, but he was very successful. I think it's uncalled for to judge his mafia career by how many girls he banged, how much jewelry he had, the kind of car he drove, etc. Not all guys are into that, especially older guys, for them sitting around playing cards and shooting the shit with their goombahs is the best thing in the world to do. The Chin had his two wives, his nine kids, his brothers, and friends who were loyal to him. He didn't have a superficial life for the most part.

The Chin was a great boss in a time period when it wasnt wonderful to be a boss anymore.
Even as a Capo, the Chin had a formidable crew and was considered a heavy hitter

Reading these interesting facts make me alsmost admire these guys. This would really be frustrating as fuck for the feds.

And Vincent Gigante was 100% Cosa Nostra. There were likely more bright ones than him, but I can't name one who would be even close to as determined as he was. He definitely deserves credit for it.

Tommy Gambino, man couldn't of hurt a fly. Looked like a businessman.

Strangest pairing was Tommy Gambino and John Gotti, who had dinner together on a few occasions. One guy was very hot-headed and the other guy was level-headed as can be.

Um Im sure Tommy Gambino and Tommy Gambino had dinner more than a few occasions. Tommy Gambino was his highest earning captain with the garmet district. tommy also knew Gotti SR whacked big paul and still broke bread with him, now thats whats interesting

tommy gambino fell in line just as everyone else did with gotti. gotti was a great leader in alot of ways. his stupidity and arrogance overshadowed his feats and shined on his faults!

i want to say tony accardo and the current chicago outfit... even the feds dont know who is boss its pure speculation by everyone and the outfit is the most intriguing family in my eyes because they are so secretive and nobody except them really know who the boss or acting boss is and how many strong they really are.... but a few come to mind in intriguing one is al tornebene the supposed former consierge of the outfit another is hy larner ... look him up

Yeah Gotti knew how to run his organization to a certain extent (excluding his media fixation) and not leaning on Tommy Gambino, like he did some other guys, was a smart move given how good an earner he was. I think Tommy was a college graduate, rare considering alot of these guys don't get through high school.

yes he was a college grad. Manhattan college grad 1962.

I have a whole laundry list of guys that are pretty intriguing to me.

Obviously Chin Gigante. I think that he was the most impressive boss of his generation, only rivaled maybe by Joe Massino until Big Joey flipped.

I'm also interested by Benny Squint Lombardo. He ran the Genovese family between Don Vittono and the Chin, and I'm having real trouble finding any info about the guy. All I know is, he kept the ranks in good order, laid extremely low (I'm talking lower even than Chin), and retired when he felt like retiring. As I write this, I'm starting to realize that he might be one of the most underrated gangsters out there, solely because his reign was sandwiched between the far more famous Genovese and Gigante.

I think Paul Ricca is pretty cool; he was Accardo's mentor and the only person that Joe Batters ever really bowed to.

Then there are Gagliano and Vincent Mangano. For founding members of the Commission, there's really not a whole lot of info out there about them. I'm curious as to how they managed to get into the Commission considering that they were from the Mustache Pete generation that was overthrown by the Young Turks in 1931.

Finally, there's Joe Profaci. I have zero information on his dealings in the US between his arrival in the early 1920s and his establishing his own borgata in the late 1920s. How did he rise so quickly?

Hi, New to the site.. My favorite is Christopher "The Tick" Furnari the Consigliere of Lucchese. I just wish there was more on him to read he is still alive and would be great to interview.

Where would you guys put the new Boss, Domenico Cefalu?
Will he be succesful like the Chin? Massino? or perhaps more like Ligambi? Or wasnt he a good choice after all?

If you wanted to interview a rapist, yeah.

chirsty tick? he was imo the lowest of the low!

The list of ones brighter than Chin would likely be a short one. Sammy talked about both Castellano and Chin. He said that, while Paul was as smart as they come in terms of being a businessman, Chin was more of a gangster but was right up there with Paul in business intellect. I've always given Chin "extra credit" for his success in the time period he was boss. It was one thing to be a boss back in the 1950's. Quite another when Chin officially took over starting in the early 1980's and into the 1990's.

You should visit him LOL his in your area Allentown, PA...

@ mickey_meatballs LOL ..you just bustin' balls or is the guy a convicted rapist ?

Seriously. He was convicted in '43 for participating in the gang-rape of a sixteen year old girl. He served 13 of a 15 to 30 year sentance, was paroled in 56 and promptly got involved in, among other things, heroin traffic with the Brooklyn faction of the Lucchese Family.

Six years later he was made, once again putting the lie to the idea of "men of honour".

Mickey where did you find this info out about Furnari? I never knew this about him...

Anthony Tony Roach Rampino. Struck me as subhuman looking monsterous without trying; balls bigger than most made men. Was at crime scene the night Big Paul went down enjoying a bone of my own while imagining who could possibly have the nuts to send The Pope to his maker in broad daylight amongst thousands of do-gooders Christmas shopping.
During the trial a woman testified just after the shooting how she almost shit her drawers hiding behind a street plant begging God to save her as A Walking Skeleton - Rampino - casually approached and strolled down to Second Avenue.

Joe Arcuri, simply because of the title of one of the oldest still living mobster in the US. Alongside that Arcuri was also undeniably the most illustrious, and much-loved man of honor, and not 'a pain in the ass oltimer' like John Gotti used to say.

Arcuri served the family for almost 60 years. During his time with the Gambino's he worked for almost every boss in Gambino history, from Albert Anastasia to John Gotti.

In my eyes guys like Joe Arcuri are rare to come across in modern-day LCN and should be treasured and spoke of higher than certain flamboyant MTV mobsters.

Should be treasured? LMFAO

wow...even wikipedia the most worthless source of info has this on him!

Christopher Furnari was born to first generation Sicilian-Italian emigrants from Furnari, a commune in the Province of Messina in the Italan region of Sicily. Furnari by the age of fifteen was earnings money from his loanshark operation in Brooklyn and northern New Jersey. In 1943, Furnari was nineteen and had already served two prison terms for armed robbery. Furnari was sentenced to fifteen to thirty years for his involvement in the gang rape of a sixteen-year-old girl whose broken body Furnari dumped out onto a muddy road.
In 1956, Furnari was released on parole. Furnari became an associate of Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese's crime family through his connection with Anthony Corallo. During the late 1950s, Furnari became involved in heroin trafficking, illegal gambling and loansharking. Furnari became an influential member of the Brooklyn faction in the Lucchese crime family and was earning $25,000 a day. In 1962, at the age of thirty eight Furnari became a made man in the Lucchese crime family.
In 1964, Furnari had become a caporegime in the family. The Lucchese powerbase was traditionally the Bronx; the first three bosses of the crime family, Gaetano "Tom" Reina, Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano, and Lucchese were all based in the Bronx. In contrast, Furnari belonged to the Brooklyn faction of the Lucchese family and operated from Bensonhurst at the 19th Hole, a nondescript bar and mob social club. Furnari oversaw a crew involved in gambling, loansharking, extortion, burglary, narcotics dealing, and the occasional murder contract. At this time, Furnari's criminal record included convictions for assault and sex offenses. He is the father of Christopher Furnari Jr., a.k.a. "Jumbo". Before he was incarcerated he lived in Oak Ridge, New Jersey.
Christopher Furnari independently dominated and controlled New York District Council 9, which represented the more than six thousand workers who did the painting and decorating for all the finest hotels, city bridges, and subway stations. He managed this through the union's secretary and treasurer, James Bishop and his associate, Frank Arnold. They would pick up cash payments from the contractors, who would charge a ten to fifteen percent tax on all major commercial painting jobs in the New York metropolitan area. He was skilled in the art of human dismemberment and would dispose of his murder victims at the 19th Hole. After his imprisonment Furnari's criminal enterprise was taken over by capo Peter Chiodo. here's just a little info on his early stuff

The rape story about Christy Tick is true. Some might be surprised to see how many mob guys had that charge on their records or were alleged to have done it at one time or another. Joe Adonis, Joe Profaci, Frank "Punchy" Illiano, and Tony Spilotro to name a few.

Tommie DeSimone, Bugsy Siegel, Steve Flemmi aka The Rifleman

I cant recall exactly but I think it was Scarfo Family Capo Pete "The Crumb" Caprio that had a convicted kiddy fiddler directly underneath him...? ANd there was some half-ass wiseguy a while back that was arrested formaking passes at young boys, he had been around some folk back in the day. Its tucked away in the archives somewhere.

i knew about spilitro never heard about profaci!

Persico is one of the worst LCN bosses to grace New York. While I can respect the pride the Colombo guys have in themselves and their "code" the Persico leadership has done nothing but put the Colombo's in a bad position, and has made them the laughing stock of the commission. Especially since Carmine's staunch refusal to step down from the throne.

Persico refused to step down despite a war over his poor leadership and nearly crippled the Colombo's by installing his idiot of a son as the head of the family. Almost all of the people associated with the Persico's are operating from a cell.

Persico leadership has done nothing but help to decimate the crew and (hopefully) a new administration will take charge forcing the Persico element out. If the Columbos hope to survive the current era of LCN. Snake and his son are morons who's time in the sun ended back in 1985 when Carmine decided to play Johnny Cochran.

Well said Parisi, can't agree more.

well said!!!! look at the transcripts he brought that heavy brooklyn accent in the court room freakin hilarious!

Carmine Galante one of the biggest Heroin trafficers of all time. Also he is one of the meanest S.O.B. that ever walked the earth.

Great description, must of been absolutely terrifying to be strolling around doing your xmas shopping and then witness that event taking place. Surreal probably like something from a movie.

where can i see those transcripts?

i know i read them before somewhere on the net, give me a day or 2 and i so can rack its not coming to me right now, but i remember his cross exams being priceless

Carmine Galante as he was probably the meanest of them all

dominick quit dom cirillo, why? because he greenlighted the hit on his own son for the sake of cosa nostra.

Faffy Iannarella...biggest snake in the grass I've ever read about. Decorated vietnam vet, and a ruthless killer under Scarfo. Sold Salvie Testa (his capo), Chuckie Merlino (the man who proposed him), and Tommy DelGiorno (his best friend and partner) down the river in order to move up the ladder.

The guy was tall and had a ghoul look like a grim reaper.