The life of Matthew Madonna

Matthew Madonna did two prison sentences for drug trafficking (11 years & 20 years) but went on to become the Lucchese acting underboss.

Madonna would have a lot of heat on him all the time because of his past convictions.
He spent 31 years of his adult life in prison and roughly about a total of 10 years of his adult life dealing drugs before rejoining the Luccheses in 1995.

Gets out of prison in 1995 after a 20 year bid and 3 years later he gets made, then about 3 years after that he gets promoted to capo, then shortly after that he is promoted to the family panel and later on promoted to acting underboss.

My first question is how did a drug dealer who spent most of his adult life either in prison or dealing drugs get into the Lucchese administration?

My second question is how the fuck does a guy live life like that?
Gets out of prison after 11 years and goes straight back to dealing heroin and gets hit with 20 years prison time.
Does Madonna not mind prison or something?

First question - As far as I understood from some of the posts on the site regarding the matter, Madonna was close to being inducted before his bid. He took his time, kept his mouth shut and came out a senior citizen(more or less, don't hang me for this comment oldies! lol) and was rewarded greatly.

Second question - What did you expect? He's a career criminal with mafia ties. You expected for him to sit back and retire at a rather young age for a criminal? It's their mentality, it's in their blood. Either you go in fully, or you don't go in at all(at least when it's the case of blue collar criminals).

But still, after his first drug sentence Madonna could have switched to other kinds of crime; for example, Salvatore Santoro (who later became Lucchese underboss) did time for drugs, but after getting out switched to labor racketeering I think and wasn't involved in drugs anymore.

Instead, Madonna made twice the same mistake.

Tom Mix was the exception, not the rule. Because, generally speaking, people stick to what they know. Whether they're criminals or working stiffs.

He was a very bright guy. He came up in Harlem and lived right over here on City Island. He was one of the few guys with the balls to tell Ducks that he was making a huge mistake with Amuso and Casso. And they took their revenge on him by hitting Buddy Luongo because they were close. And that was the true beginning of the Bronx-Harlem/Brooklyn conflict.

Interesting.

Madonna must have known Amuso and Casso really well or heard a lot of jail talk about those lunatics from Brooklyn because he was half way through a 20 year bid by the mid-eighties and wouldn't have seen or talked to Amuso or Casso in 10+ years.

He's talking about Santoro, not Madonna.

Oh, my mistake. It is 4:30 am here and I'm still half asleep.

Correct, Tommy. Good looking out .

If Madonna didn't go to prison, would he have been immediately made once the books were re-opened?

Probably not. They would have had to keep up appearances because of the alleged drug ban. Not that it mattered, most of them were in junk anyway. But not right after his first release, when the books were getting ready to open after a hiatus that pertained to drugs (and again, the REAL rule wasn't "Don't Deal," it was "Don't Get Caught." ).

Yeah, but he did get caught. And made anyway.

They broke the rule that replaced the rule.

They amended that rule at one point. I think it was that you couldn't have a drug conviction during the last five years.

My memory is fuzzy right now about who imposed it and when because I'm on Limoncello to help me deal with my Dad on a hot day. But it just goes to show the hypocrisy. Like the mob's rules are like the Constitution, a living and breathing document that can change over time .

I mean, the whole point of the rule is to stop people from snitching, no?

So if he isn't going to flip then who cares. Sell away!

Oh and there is nothing in the Constitution guaranteeing Tax Exempt status for religious institutions...

JUST KIDDING NOT TRYING TO GO THERE! Lol. Besides like I said I see both sides, would never ever want to see the Gov't force the Church what to do. Separation and all that.

I'm also interested in finding out the exact reasons behind the drug ban.

I know the main reason - heavy prison sentences can cause wiseguys to start talking.

Also I have a theory that big earners involved in gambling rackets and union schemes were ordered not to get involved in the drug trade because the bosses, thinking long term, didn't want their best earners off the streets for years. Just a theory.

The rule was selectively enforced, just like every other rule. And again, the subtext was "Don't Get Caught."

If you can't get your head around it, I don't know what to tell you.

I couldn't care less. The Catholic Church will survive.

Because I've got news for you. There's gonna be some backlash. You were here at the time. In the year after gay marriage was approved in New York, gay bashing incidents were up THREE HUNDRED PERCENT, because they had to flaunt it. In NEW YORK CITY, the Liberal Capital of the United States.

I like you. You know that. But you brought it into this thread just to get a rise out of me.

Edit: Bad day with Pop. Check your pm, Mighty .

Keep it a theory. The major books, shys, and ESPECIALLY the union heavies (Bernie Adelstein, Johnny Dio, Tony Pro, et al.) never went anywhere near big-time drug deals because they couldn't risk violating the anti-trust laws. Too much to lose. If you breach an anti-trust law, you can't hold a union position.

And for the tenth time: The rule was rarely enforced, the subtext being "Don't Get Caught," rather than "Don't Deal."

Castellano himself took dope money off the DeMeo crew. They're all hypocrites, and the rules have always been selective anyway.

Think about it. There was more skag moved during the '60s and '70s (The French Connection era) than at any other time up until recently when heroin made a comeback (into the suburbs of all places). Those years completely coincided with the "making hiatus," and it was the Golden Era of heroin dealing in East Harlem. Don't be naive.

You want to learn? Then read and learn. You're in the right place .

Nice....advocating violence because a minority "was shoving it down people's throats". So they are suppose to hide because it bothers you? Sounds like someone is insecure in his manhood, Pizza"boy"...

You gonna start this shit again, Facchia? You already went on vacation for starting trouble. You looking for another vacation?

I will remove myself, fuck you and this board. Have fun with your four guys will no lives. I actually look on her to laugh and these losers.

Don't let the door hit you in your ass on the way out. Bye!

Doesn't anyone see a pattern here?

The mods are not fucking around (and I applaud them for it). Flaming long time posters--or any posters--won't be tolerated. Take heed.

Here here!

Nah, I completely get it.

I know. I was barbecuing for my father at the time and really had my hands full. And I returned your pm.

Don't get caught unless you had permission from the boss or are the boss.

Trumunti
Evola
Galante
Genovese
Eboli

mulberry ,that list is a little short.. lol, you can add every boss..carlo's brother paul was the H guy ..joe n gallo and his son. neil had nothing but junk guys around..look at harlem..vic gas. the jersey guys i think are pretty clean or really never got pinched..maybe someone can come up with some names in the junk biz from nj..

The nj Ls have always made some $, but not at that top wholesale level but still even recently if u really dig some things are going on

Then obviously cherry hill and skins , that was his big part of his biz

Plus a lot of biz on the fringe - finance and clean plus port delivery

the WS cleaning , that was a big thing that is rarely discussed here and didn't get much media attention as it should of but a lot of money there ,

But your right Bronx not a ton of wholesales except for cherry hill who were probably one of the biggest

NJ towns so corrupt so labor and construction , garbage is always going to bring be big but 1 fam did a shit load of pills but LE couldn't get above the associate level

Spot-on.

Speaking of Tramunti, was he really deep into drugs? Some books and articles say he was framed and was only guilty of greeting a drug dealer watched by an informant, and at the trial he said "I am a gangster, but not a drug dealer" or something like that. On the other hand, maybe he WAS into drugs, but just not guilty of this specific drug deal? Like what happened to Genovese (allegedly)?

I think a part of the long trial for the Jersey faction of the Ls in 1986 consisted of drug charges.
http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-27/news/mn-888_1_mob-trial

Colorful character at the end of the day big heroin guy in the disco days rubs shoulders with all the big h guys. Goes to jail I believe 75 does flat 20 to the new era of mafia and gets to be acting boss. Even sees a guy like Joe defede the acting before him flip and tell and something makes me believe that defede probaly had some responsiblty in his induction ceremony in the mid 90tys. I always think guys who massino inducted must not tell there great day to other family members.

Of course, he did. They were on the street at the same time for three years. Matty got his button just before DeFede went inside for extorting the garment district. So even if DeFede didn't actually prick Matty's finger, he definitely called the shot. You can make book on that.

How did Matty survive nicky barnes becoming a goverment witness? All the guys that where under Matty got life with out, he for being even bigger then them seemed to skate.

That's interesting.....

Barnes served the same amount of time as Matty.

Hhhmmmm...

Madonna goes to prison 75 Barnes turns rat 79 or 80. ReLly nothing g he could tell on Matt for. What he sold him herion a bunch of years ago. I think all his guys who got life; had murders and nicky could pin them on them council guys who he says screwd him over. Don't ever think Madonna did anything with nicky but sold him some dope.

I know that the Gambinos and Bonanos have/had have international drug sources and the Genovese have weed sources, but does any other family in the country have any upper level drug connection?

Does any family outside of NYC have any upper level drug connection currently (that anyone is capable of knowing about)?