Tony Zoppi was indeed a mob figure from the city of Dallas, but according to several sources was never a made member of cosa nostra. He was only a Dallas family associate. There's one write up that has him listed as a captain in the Dallas crime family, which is false information because he was never made. Zoppi was a writer for the Dallas morning news in the 1950s, and was also considered a probable Kennedy assassination conspirator. In 1966, he moved to Las Vegas and got a job as the manager of a restaurant at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. He later became the vice-president of the Hotel.

True? That one pretty well connected guy. you can see why they'd have wanted to have him under their "protection"

The associates are an element of Cosa Nostra i find fascinating, especially the guys that aren't Italian and cant be made, but still become powerful under their capo's as valuable crew members. Or all the bankers, brokers, lawyers and everything, friends and/or family of the mafiosi in the public sectors and spread out everywhere, who for one reason or another will agree to the bidding of the "connected" guy, whether or not they are actually indebted to him.

They'd all have their own reasons, of course, especially actual family, but i wonder how many deluded fans of the Godfather were actually eager to seek out and forge their own "connections", rather than trying to work for a mutual gain, subordinating themselves as kind of "groupie".

Also, actual Italian associates that aren't made guys for one reason or another are interest me as well, like Ronald "Monkey-Man" Filocomo being denied membership on his decision to keep a monkey as a pet, and Freddie DiNome never being made due to his general nuttiness.

That's very true. Anthony "Tony Roach" Rampino was another full blooded Italiano who never could get made because he was a huge dope addict, and Gotti didn't trust him. He was just a Gambino associate. Right now he's still serving a 25 to life sentece.