Do you think the mob still controls any judges, law enforcement or politicians?

Law enforcement most certainly. I know for a fact and politician i know for a fact as well because one is my father-n-law

mulberry, my opinion would be. yes, half of n.y.c. and more in new jersey.

After what I have read, I would say yes.

The biggest busts on record where the cop went on to Hollywood status and got book deals...was always cut short by someone at the top of the law enforcement pyramid.

They never try to take down the whole thing.

Maybe it's like a cash cow or a golden hen to them.

You really do have a low opinion of the people in New York City, don't you?

New York cops are no more corrupt than redneck cops (like you'd find in, say, Northern California).

And today? Post 9/11? Forget about it. The rats in Internal Affairs monitor these guys for their entire tour of duty. GPS in the cars, laptops and cameras in the cars, the whole nine yards. And I don't even like the average cop. Not because I don't believe in law and order. It's because the average cop has a misanthropic personality, and I'm more outgoing than that.

But what's right is right. You're making the NYPD out to be the worst of the worst. They police the greatest city in the world for little pay and even less appreciation. They shouldn't be judged by someone living 3000 miles away.

allright. good enough, but, I don't live in calif. haven't been back there in 46 years, but, whatever you say, young man.

but, I must say, ive never heard of anywhere else, where cops are employed as uh, uh, contract killers for the mob. that's pretty bad.

I thought you lived in Northern California?

no p.b. im way up north 5o miles from the Canadian border.

Gotcha. When you said way up north I just assumed California. But I guess that covers a lot of ground .

yeah, youre right, I don't want to say exactly where I live. but, little resort city, with a lake in town. ive got 3 wooded lakes within 5 miles. most people that come here from the east stay. most are real estate people. one new Yorker comes to mind, came up 20 years ago. made a fortune.still here. little town like this, 75 realty offices.

now, im not predujice, but, I don't think we have a black family here yet. and maybe at the most 5 Mexican families. but, im not at all racist.

I think most corruption these days is not mob related. Lots of corruption in NJ involving real estate development. Mostly having nothing to do with the mob. Mob guys have the FBI and DEA up their asses, no politician or cop who wants to avoid jail is going to have anything to do with anyone known to be mob associated. (Other than informing on/arresting them) But that does not mean no corruption, it just means none of the corrupters or corrupted is kicking up to the mob. And the police are not corrupt in the sense that they would take a bribe or anything obvious like that, but I think there is a lot of favoritism where they give special treatment to friends and come down hard on (perceived) enemies with both feet.

A great book about recent corruption activity here in Jersey to read is the book titled "Soprano State" GREAT read.

Dante, I would take that book with a large grain of salt. The authors seem to believe that Hoffa is really buried under the old Giants Stadium. I think those authors have an agenda more about politics than the mob.

Seems like a portion of the recent LCN arrests have some type of non LE government corruption like bid rigging with the construction industry but haven't heard of any LE involvement in a while.

Exactly. You won't hear of briefcases full of money changing hands, at least not as much as the old days. These days the big thing is "consulting". Some politically connected lawyer or businessman gets a consulting contract with an agency or a company that's seeking work with the government. And it's all legal, just unethical.

Sunday, October 12, 2014


US Attorney Says: Five Families "Still There"


U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara: The Mob Is “Still There” | Vanity Fair: At Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, contributing editor Bryan Burrough asked U.S. attorney Preet Bharara a question he said he has always wanted to ask a U.S. attorney: what’s going on with the mafia?

“The mob is still there,” Bharara said. “The Five Families are still there, they’re still extorting business, they’re still using baseball bats.”Interestingly, he acknowledges this while fully aware of the fact that the Feds have cut their manpower and resources to combating OC in New York. As we reported in Why New York's Five Families Have Regained Power, the New York Mafia in fact "has quietly staged a comeback and is now more powerful than it has been in years," said Richard Frankel, special agent in charge of the Criminal Division for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York office.

The fact is, the American Cosa Nostra was organized specifically to perpetuate itself. No matter how many single individuals are knocked out of the box by death or prison, the structured institution itself, currently pegged at about 8,000-strong (including inducted members and associates), continues. And learns. The key factor now is anti-terrorism, which is benefiting the Mafia in New York the same way Communism helped buffer it for the greater part of the 20th century. While the FBI sacrifices resources on one menace to chase another one, the mob gets back to work.It's the same story in Italy; while the cops kept the focus on the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Ndrangheta turned itself into a $72 billion a year criminal empire stretching across the globe that kills anyone and digs bunkers in the street in broad daylight.

Read more: http://www.cosanostranews.com/2014/10/us-attorney-says-five-families-still.html#more

good thing he told us..i thought they all went back to italy

well, im glad I live where I do, I don't have to put up with those guys. I take nny78s post to mean that their still busy in new York , and new jersey. guess their here to stay after all,

Binnie, Glad to see someone else on here around my age. I don't think the feds are working that hard at elimintaing the LCN, the drug smuggling or most other OC groups like the Russians because there is just too much money and too many jobs that would be lost if these particular bad guys were completely shut down. I think the Feds allow the LCN to operate in a box and as long as they don't step outside the box they are allowed to continue their bread and butter operations with the occasional bust. An example would be legalizing marijuana. Now almost all of LE is against legalization of weed and they will tell you its because it will cause more harm and create more addicts and blah blah blah, when in fact alcohol causes far more damage that weed ever will. When was the last time you heard of guy beating up his wife after smoking a blunt, never, he's too busy eating cheetos, laughing and watching cartoons. It's the Feds, local LE, prisons, and local governments who are addicted to the money brought in by keeping weed illegal. To borrow an adage from the medical profession, "its more profitable to prescribe treatments than it is to provide a cure". The guys in the US mafia are getting smarter and more high tech everday, there will always be some kind of OC.

Of course. Because criminal minded people will always exist. It's the face of the mob that will change.

No offense, but you haven't lived in New York for almost thirty years. You have no idea how much these neighborhoods have changed. The knockaround Italian American wiseguy lifestyle is on its last legs. But it will just morph into something else. Because like we both said, criminals will always be around.

That's a great point PB and to be honest, for anything to survive, it will invariably have to change, adapt...

I appreciate the great insights PB as always. I can only imagine how different things are now. Say did you hear that Gulfstream bought Calder and they are going to keep the track open and have a couple of live race days weekly. I'm guessing mainly for the gambling license since Gulfstream put Calder out of business. Sheldon Adelson put several million dollars of his own money into the push down here in Tallahassee for expanding gambling on and off the reservations, Gulfstream I'm sure is looking to expand their operations.

nny78. yes, im an old coot. and you are spot on about pot. its harmless, and has a great deal of medicinal value. and you are correct about the opposition spreading their tales about the effects of pot. its not a narcotic. and the propaganda put out by L.E. IS PREPOSTEROUS. and your right about their reasons also. the Italian thing has taken a back seat to the Russians, the Mexican la em, the ayran gangs, the Asians, bikers are now world wide. so, your post is quite correct in your reasoning.

No, you can't. Not unless you can imagine a Haitian guy running a fruit stand at the Arthur Avenue Market .


Yeah, I saw that. But I'm not getting my hopes up for anything special.

As you probably know, Gulfstream opened up for a Summer meet this year for the first time. They've always run from December to April there. It was only four days a week, but it was awful. Not only were the jockeys all shippers from South America, so were the horses. You almost couldn't read the form without an interpreter. But they should have known better anyway because summertime means Saratoga. That's where the quality trainers are, and the quality horses and jockeys follow them.

And a few years back they reopened Hialeah for quarter horse racing. They claimed that it was the first step to bringing back the thoroughbreds. And we're still waiting. Hialeah used to be a VERY big deal. It was right up there with Belmont, Saratoga, Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. But they fucked that up, too.

I don't agree that pot is harmless, but it should not be illegal. I've known promising people who screwed up their lives by becoming stoners. The harmful effects are exaggerated and there are some beneficial medicinal uses like you said. It should be legalized, taxed, and regulated like alcohol or tobacco.

Hey!....Bruce Cutler says that Gaspipe's statements are preposterous, and I believe Bruce......Lawyers don't lie, they have to tell the truth!
Take that statement back Binnie Coll!

Crazy how things have changed. I remember when we were kids there was an Italian market or fruit stand on every corner and the kids played ball in the streets till the wee hours. Back then there were lots of wise guys and wannabes hanging around the neighborhoods, not so much now except in your neck of the woods and a few other spots I would guess. I don't think the ponies will ever be what they once were down here as you know there are too many gambling options and the demographics are changing down here as well. Not sure how it is over in your area in Delray but its about 60 percent Canadian were I live and they are from Quebec and speak French.