Johnny keys

Gravano talks about killing him. He talks how he met him at a pizzeria Johnny Keys owned in Jersey. Anyone know what town thatnwas in?
Also, Gravano said Keys had about 30 guys around him at all times. Anyone know who some of those guys were?

I’m pretty sure Johnny Keys was in Trenton. As for the specific guys around him I’m not sure I would need to investigate more. But yeah Johnny Keys was a pretty powerful guy and had been that life for probably 59 years at that point.

He was big in the gambling rackets in Trenton NJ (he lived in Lawrence) and then moved his crew out to Bucks County PA after being down in Florida for a while (all the Trenton guys went back and forth from Florida). People also called him Johnny Casanova I think. I don’t know who was around him but he was about the same age as Pappy Ippolito. And he was cousins with Angelo Bruno and so were the Costellos who were big in that area. I don’t know if they were related or just that they both were related to Bruno. Reds Pontani was probably around him. If I had to guess, And they all were tight with Sam the Plumber and the Gambinos in the area. Actually the 2 guys from his hit were 2 of them. I think Sammy’s story in the book is half bullshit though. Nicky Russo was a well respected captain. But Johnny Keys was definitely a real serious guy and well versed in the life. I don’t know what pizzeria it was but they talked about whacking him inside a Friendly’s ice cream shop according to Sammy.

Anyone know why the video was cut short ??

I'm sure it was just a cliffhanger for the next episode.

Sammy is a good story teller but sometimes he takes it too far. I am sure Johnny Keys really went on and on about how Sammy wasn’t a punk, he was the only one able to pull off this hit and Sammy was greatest mafioso ever as he was being kidnapped.

Sometimes he stops and touches his watch or whatever, and you see him crack a smile.

Am I the only one thinking that's the same old gangster coming out? Smiling to himself about full of shit he may or may not be at any particular moment and the people in the comment section worship him like a god and buy his shirts.

And what movie had the part where the old gangster asks to be clipped with his shoes off?

Witness to the Mob.

I didn’t realize this was a podcast thing. The two guys he talks about were old school. Nicky Russo was a captain who ran Trenton for the Gambinos. His son Michael was probably going to get straightened out but was killed in an argument outside a restaurant. Nicky took a bullet in the fight and wouldn’t let the doctors remove it until a court forced him. He was in Yardville with Angelo Bruno, Nicky Scarfo, Bobby Manna and I think some other guys. Pal Joey was another Gambino in Trenton. He used to sit in a deli in Ewing that was still around at least a few years ago. Both these guys became the middlemen between Scarfo and Castellano and later Scarfo and Gotti.

What was “ Pal Joeys” last name?

Joey Farinella. He was a stand up guy and a really well liked guy.

100%, even though his cousin in law was not a stand up guy, that guy was a fucking crumb bum

John?

I thought the same but it doesn't seem that way..If you have to pay to see the whole video, I'll unsubscribe from his channel !!

Russo and Farinella allegedly participated in the murder of Gambino snitch Alfredo Santantonio in 1963.

He releases short stories randomly during the week and on Fridays he releases his official podcast. You can pay to get it on Tuesday commercial free or just wait till Friday for free on YouTube. I'd be surprised if he doesn't finish that story. It was a great one.

Southshorekid

Question.. on the Seaside Heights NJ boardwalk, there is an arcade called “ Pal Joeys”.. been there for years, since the 70’s at least. Does that belong to Pal Joey of the Gambino’s when he was alive?

Not to my knowledge but it certainly could have been. Seaside, Belmar and Point Pleasant are the big day trip shore towns for that area. This is mostly before my time so no doubt I’m missing a lot. No surprise that a lot changed when they started dying of old age in the late 90s early 2000s. Trenton was an area where a bunch of made guys from different brugads managed to stay relatively under the radar. It’s like a lost history and that’s why I’m not naming anybody who isn’t already well known to have been in the life. But there were a lot of wise guys, especially around Chambersburg and North Trenton. Those neighborhoods were old school “I didn’t see nothin” kind of places where the 100 year old great grandmother played the numbers every day. Like everywhere else that’s all gone now. I’m not sure there were ever more than half a dozen made guys at any one time in the area - Nicky Russo, Pal Joey, Anthony Tassone, Daylight Tramontana, Sam the Plumber, Johnny Keyes, Pappy Ippolito and his son, Pinky Costello and his sons, Reds Pontani, and some others I’m less sure of. But there were also hundreds of serious guys on record with them.

I’ll put it this way, about 20 years ago when I was young and stupid I fell in with an old guy from that area through a family connection. I used to go hang with him occasionally, drive him around and hear about the good old days. He hadn’t even had the appearance of legit job since the 60s and was collecting envelopes right up to the very end.

I’m not fan of Sammy at all but I feel his most interesting stories were all before he hooked up with Gotti. The Johnny Keys hit probably was my favorite section of his book

I wonder if either Sammy or Johnny was lying when he said hes the hitman's hitman and done over 50 hits, never knew that Keys was such a big hitter

What I don't understand is that, according to Sammy Gravano, Johnny Keys was at war and he was constantly surrounded by guys.

When you read Phil Leonetti's book, he barely mentions the situation and just say that Johnny Keys was opposing the new leadership and the Gambino wre going to kill him. It doesn't look like Testa and Scarfo felt they were at war with anybody. They made sure to eliminate the people behind Bruno's death and Keys was one of them but it was hardly a war.

So to me, when Johnny Keys said he was at war, he was mostly protecting himself from being targeted by the Family. I mean, on his part, he didnn't do anything against the new leadership; He didn't attack any of their members.

He was up in North Jersey and pretty sure the next show he will say he met with Phil and or Nick or similar to kill Keys unless that meeting took place before and Sammy fucked up the story but pretty sure there was a meeting : Nick went to Bobby Mana and Bobby went to Gambino’s and possibly others to make like it was a commission hit .... sure it was Nick - Westside - Gambinos getting Keys huge racket package for it to be done through the commission.... just like Sammy said . There was no way was Philly guys were doing that hit , he was ready for that . But he had to take a chance with the NY guys or flip .... he was dead because they would of started to kill him men and thats another reason the bosses got involved....they didn’t want 25 guys being clipped in there strong hold up there ..... would of brought major heat .

Serpiente - here’s the way I heard the story. How does line up with what you know?

I was told - Johnny Keys was not involved in the Bruno hit. He met with the guys that were right after to try and find out what was going on (Tony Bananas was also under Johnny Keys until Newark was given their own capo). Tony Bananas admitted to him that he was involved and got permission from the Westside. Johnny Keys was furious and he thought Phil Testa and Scarfo were also involved and he wouldn’t have his crew fall inline. He refused to come in and Scarfo put in a beef with Chin through Bobby Manna. While that was happening Johnny Keys was testing his support from Cleveland and the Gambinos (through Nicky Russo) to take over the family. Like you said he really didn’t have a choice. The Commission said he had to go because he wouldn’t come in. But really it was because the Westside wouldnt have complete control over him and the Gambinos would get a much larger piece of the Trenton area rackets with him gone. I’m sure there was more to it if that’s even correct but the way it was told to me sounded more like he got hit because he was a Bruno loyalist.

He probably had to take the chance meeting with Sammy but all this talk about him recently does make me wonder what would have happened if the Westside wasn’t so strong and Gambinos backed him and it all went down differently. Guys who were around Keys died of natural causes in Florida.

South : Yeah really really need someone with the knowledge to get Phil & Sammy together and ask these questions..... there is definitely something we don’t know..... and no doubt Keys was not trusting anyone but NY wanted North Jersey & Trenton areas book .... how it all came down we won’t know until someone asks the right questions....

Drives me crazy there are only a few things thats not known and they have them Phil &. Sammy and they are not getting any younger.... you see Sammy can not put stuff together.... i get it .... i have a hard time with stuff that was just everyday...that i had no clue was going to mean anything.

Furio : Can you get me a list of murders that Phil Leonetti admitted to the feds .... there is one he didn’t tell or didn’t know about or there is something i am missing but after i get that list i will know more.

Remember, it was Scarfo that went to the commission and asked Keys to be killed to "prove the administration was truly backing Scarfo" and not Keys. The Gambino's were given the job because 2 Gambino's were innocently spotted talking with Keys at a restaurant and it looked bad.
Did Keys have a brother involved ?

Yes agreed .... its amazing that guys on here know the questions.... with at least Sammy you can reach him .... but Phil was always quiet .... not cut out for YouTube although someone could work with him and get him out of his shell .

The way I heard this story after Sammy’s book came out is above. If that’s close to how it went down then my guess is Keys felt like he was at war with a faction that was trying to take over the family and he saw his crew more as the old guard. Again if that’s the case then Keys was trying get support from the commission rather than just start killing. Scarfo might not have felt like he was at war because he already knew he won. Then again a lot of people say Keys was involved with the Bruno hit which would be a completely different story.

And you gotta remember this before Gotti and the commission case. If Keys just started killing people that probably wasn’t going to fly with the commission. Who called ALL the shots at the time. Unlike when Stanfa and Merlino were going at it.

As per usual the only guy alive who might know the entire story is Bobby Manna. Although I’d trust Leonetti’s version of events more than Gravanos embellishments. I’m curious if Gravano continues by talking about Frankie Stale or the sit downs over Cherry Hill.

Btw I heard through the grapevine that Johnny Keys widow just recently passed away.

I live in the area (live a couple minutes from the golf course where they kidnapped Keys) and know there is still a lot of gambling (not sure who exactly as I'm not involved but you always hear things). Any idea if they are still kicking up to anyone in Philly/NY? Also heard there are some pretty violent Russians operating out of a bar in the Polish area by St Hedwigs.

@Baldo

I don’t get down that way much anymore and don’t want to speculate. The last guy in that area that I heard was made with Philly was Tony Gag. He lived in Hamilton and died about 10 years ago. I don’t know for sure he was a friend though. Another guy from Hamilton people used to hint at being made was Mickey DiMattia. I HIGHLY doubt that he was, but as desperate as some of these crews are now he might have made his bones with the Sam Vasta hit and got proposed. He’s dead now too (drug deal gone wrong). One of the Gambinos I mentioned here had two young grandsons that were active in some capacity. He’s dead. One of them is dead. I think the other one (his cousin) got some serious time a few years ago for dealing. I’m guessing he’s still in the can somewhere (EDIT - actually I checked the DOC and it looks like he got parole when the corona happened last spring). Most of the known Trenton wise guys (except for the 2 Michaels and a few others) didn’t bring their kids into the life. They did it right made their money and their kids and grandkids are legit professionals and business owners.

If there’s gambling in NJ, someone is kicking up still you can be sure of that. Except the off the boat clientele like the Polish and Russians. Both those groups had deep connections to Brooklyn and probably still do. They aren’t to be fucked with and are big in the heroin scene. But again they pretty much stick with their own kind as far as I know. I know what bar you are referring to though.

Good info. It ever come out why Sam Vasta was killed? I had heard one rumor that some people thought he might of been informing. Like you said, I doubt Dimattia was made. I had heard third hand that he did some time with Barney (again, don't take my word for it) but that doesn't mean anything (doubt the westside was looking to recruit him).

Where did you live? Trenton, Hamilton, elsewhere?

@Baldo

I don’t know why. I don’t know who he was with either. DiMattia wasn’t Westside material in my opinion. I never met him personally and don’t know who he was with. But he was an unstable crackhead based on a few people I know who did used to be involved with him.

Staten Island. I never lived down there just had some family... Chambersburg Ewing and Hamilton.

No way Phil L goes the youtube podcast way , we see how he disguised himself in the past lol. Not many ppl have more stories then Bobby Manna that are alive. Was having a conversation with my brother who brought up a good point about why don't these old timers like Manna or even Chickie Chang ,grab Geroge A. and release a book upon their death. Take care of their family ,make up for some of the shit. SS come over to the North kid, too boring out there.

Nothing organized in chambersburg, it went away just like Newark’s first ward and down neck, jersey city’s village. The shore barely hanging on. Gone gone gone The people’s italian bakery not as good anymore btw

I guess some still believe.... but i bet his kids are writing shit down ... who would of thought anything that went down in the old neighborhoods would matter 40 -60 years later on fourms and a place called YouTube.

It’s long over. And not just in NJ. Those neighborhoods and the mindsets don’t exist for Italian Americans anymore. You’d have to be crazy to get involved in the little bit that’s left since 2000 with all the technology. Cameras fucking everywhere these days.

I’m surprised peoples is even still there. All the old Italian joints in Trenton are now Honduran restaurants. In Brooklyn they’re Asian food. The Bloods and cartels aren’t scared of the mob. There’s just a respect for what it once was that still exists. When I tell stories about my great grandfather being a bootlegger, it’s like describing cowboys in the Wild West. Ancient history.

I'm still amazed when I hear of the random old Italian still living in the burg today. Probably can count them on one hand. Just wish the area didn't go so downhill. I remember driving by my old house there a couple years ago and it was boarded up.

Let's quit with the cameras are everywhere, cameras are everywhere but other gangs are still operating. I think it comes down to there's just nothing left, mob-wise.

Dilly dolly is correct, the Italians just don’t have the recruiting pool or the heart anymore. Before I hear about the Sicilians, stop. Wasn’t Cali Sicilian? Connections back to old country! And nothing. The old days this guy that took him out would be dead or his family would be dead. The reason nothing happened is simple, no one willing to do it. No balls. All burb wannabes. This forum lives because of the past, not the future. Face it, we here on the forum only have the past to discuss the future is bleak, very very bleak

The rules will change soon and the life will continue to fall apart.

That’s my point... nothing left. Guys did YEARS in the past for doing things things that are completely legal now.

The immigrant mindset of keeping with your own and keeping your mouth shut is over for Italian Americans. There’s not enough zips coming over to have the closely guarded immigrant communities anymore. Not true for other ethnic groups.

But also technology. You can’t even cross the bridges without being videoed. Cleaning money is way harder than it was. Everybody has a cellphone collecting tons of data. Facial recognition software. Etc etc etc.

With technology today you’d be taking even bigger risks chasing a smaller and smaller reward. Personally... fuck that. I’m just a guy who was lucky enough to have something happen that caused me to wake up to the reality before I screwed my life up. I’m very grateful for that actually.

I can just imagine an Italian guy walking into a business and shaking down the owner, only to have some spoiled punk with blue hair recording it all on his cell phone.

This fucken new world is definitely worst then all the other fads ..... WTF did you young people do .... we held it together for a long time ....this is on young folks !!!😆

Lol exactly

...and that kid w/ blue hair should have his ass kicked!!....

This kid was a nut job. Not part of the life. It's not like a rival faction killed Cali. What would killing his innocent family do but draw heat. Even family members of made guys in American mob that ratted weren't targeted(except for Fat Pete's sister Patricia Cappazola) or associates family(except Joe Salerno Sr). The world has changed and the American Cosa Nostra is trying to adapt to survive. Darwinism

You were right pal...Good call !!

I think Sammy likes to toot his own horn a little too much. I can see Johnny Keys being resigned to his fate, but spending his last hours slavishly kissing Sammy's ass sounds like a bunch of crap. Sammy plays himself off as a reluctant murder nowadays, when in fact he was a greedy and conniving bastard who'd kill his best friend for his business. He's pulling one over on the people with limited knowledge of cosa nostra.

You are right. Sammy tries to come off as the “ compassionate gangster” who hated killing. He talks about cosa nostra as an honerable brotherhood when in fact it was a greedy brotherhood that cared about one thing and one thing only: Money !!!

He mentioned Jimmy Calandra but pronounced his name incorrectly and referred to them as the “ bath beach boys” which i thought sounded funny. I highly doubt he ever met or even heard of Calandra until recently. He must be plugging his name because Calandra has a book or podcast coming out.

He did the same thing with John Alite and Gene Borello. He mispronounced "Borello" and said these two guys were his friends and he mentioned their podcast. I guess he is getting paid to promote other podcast or books because I don't see why he would care about Alite, Borello or Calendra.

That said, I enjoy his podcast very much.

Agreed in some of this .... look most went to third or forth grade .... yes they say sixth or eighth.... but these guys are street smart and many have extreme learning disabilities and cant read Alite ... he is going from memory and thats how it comes out .... i get he has to embellish so the story comes out good ... but these street guys made it to forth grade ... you know before they started not showing up .

He wouldn't get that emotional if it wasn't true, or he's a 10 times better con artist then Franzese....

That looked genuine to me...He was a soldier at the time, or maybe acting captain, in his 30's going to meet a heavy weight...

His videos are way above Franzese's...Where are Franzeses videos where he did anything close to this ?? All he talks about is how much money he made, his brother was a junkie, his father is to blame for making him a millionaire and he's only respectable guy....

Gravano is the only worthy subscriber

@Serpiente

Hope you don’t mind me posting this here but I tried DM you and couldn’t. Saw somewhere here that you were involved in a business on Hamilton Ave near Trenton High and had a question for you. If you are able to DM me to start a conversation I’d really appreciate it.

Years ago around that area .... but its private info ... nothing to do with OC ...strictly legitimate business.