Yeah, it's a dick measuring thing and it's all subjective anyway. He's seventy now. But in his prime I'd go with Patsy. Hands like catcher's mitts. A black belt in Judo twenty years before the martial arts became mainstream in New York. Zero fear. For lack of a better word, an animal. And I use that term respectfully.

And Tanglewood wasn't a gang in the traditional sense. There was no structure, and they didn't have the numbers. But out of those kids, and he wasn't always around them. But Al A. was a true tough guy. And they ALL feared him.

Is DeSimmone out and active?

patsy looks like a tough mother fucker

PB, Was Al A.an associate of the Luccheses or Gambinos? And he liked knives right?

The Cuban guy, yeah. But he didn't need those knives. Tough motherfucker.

Damn, I wish I knew what you were talking about, lol.

the cuban guy he was busted with greg depalma and those guys in 2005 i think he is with the luchesese AL ALVAREZ i think was his name was

All good MH, hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving.

I agree with PB, Patsy was one tough cookie. Buster was another tough guy. And I am not sure how old PB is but I'm an 80's baby so he may have more knowledge on the golden days of The Bronx than myself although I have been around some very serious guys in my lifetime.

I do not mean to constantly mention his name but since you asked, I will give you my opinion now that he is gone and I choose to only speak on my own personal experiences therefore I have to say that Wahoo was as tough of a guy that I have ever come across.

Smart too. He lived to be 77 years old and If it wasn't for that rat Walter then he wouldn't have spent a day of his life behind bars and that says a lot for someone who did as many hits as he did.

I personally know a few that the media and books blamed other people for and were completely wrong but those are stories for another day if I choose to share.

Ultimately, he died of a stroke but he had more than one stroke in his lifetime and survived all of them until that last one that did him in, in 2009. He actually lost a lung due to one of the strokes that he survived.

Lastly, I will never forget the time that I was riding along with him and my father back in the 90s, nonchalantly listening to them speak as he turned to my father and said (to keep it brief) "I'm not just a wise guy, I'm a tough guy". Well he sure was.

Very tough. And none of the younger guys would ever mess with him.

He's definitely not in the program anymore...

Yeah, that is taking things way too far. Ball breaking and joking around with each other is one thing, picking on family members is another.

I'm 56, ONF. I grew up at 187th and Hoffman, and we now split our time between Throggs Neck and Delray Beach, Florida. So my feet are still in the neighborhood quite a bit.

No argument on Wahoo. A tough guy and a gentleman both. I don't know if you remember T.V. Sharp bookmaker. His office was following the Kosher Kids and he was laying off into the Islands long before the fucking Internet. Well, either Jamesy or Artie made a 20k mistake in my favor during baseball season one year. Baseball's slow season. Not even a moron makes a mistake like that during the fucking summer when you're just happy to break even.

This was like 25 years ago. I was already in my early 30's, and I took it like they were testing me. I went to the place on Morris Park Avenue. Il G******* and I blew my top. It could've turned into something but it didn't.

Anyway, Wahoo had a longtime friendship with my friend (even though we were from across the street). He told me I was right for being upset. But that neither he nor T.V. were aware of it. And that I'd be within my rights to keep it. I declined. He smiled, gave me a bear hug that I can still feel when it's damp, and gave me the usual "If you ever need anything...."

I never cashed in on that favor. I had my own friends anyway. But that man showed me A LOT that night.

Do you remember the other Al? His father had the place on Central? He was no joke, either. He came within an inch of knocking Willie out. But the tide turned on that one.

He wasn't quite in that leaague. But other than the other Al, no one in Tanglewood could go toe toe with him. He swung like and ape. Hit like one, too.

I grew up in Throggs Neck with family roots from both 116th and Pleasant in Harlem and Parkchester in The Bronx back when they were both Italian filled neighborhoods.

I'm not sure who T.V. is but I knew Sonny (the old man) who was bookmaking under Jerry in his and Wahoos old club under the L near Steves toy store (what a rip off that guy was) before they split up into their own seperate clubs after that little argument they had over the loan but thats another story.

Anyway, my educated guess would be that it was absolutely a test. And to this day I believe that I was also tested by him when he asked me to pick up an envelop and bring it back to him. The envelop wasn't sealed and had every kind of bill there is from hundreds to loose singles in it. Long story short, when I gave it to him, he counted it, smiled and told me to go give it to his "brudder" lol. That guy is legend.

Lol.. yeah the place was a mexican joint after that... now its vacant i think. ... not on that level. (W.M.) but certainly way above most peoples... really strong guy...

By the way, do you remember Rudy Green Eyes? I believe he was from around that area. Great guy.

No family in Parkchester to speak of, although I certainly know the area. Remember Danny Squire and his office at The Riddler's?

Re East Harlem. Same here, on my Dad's side. My grandparents lived at 325 Pleasant for something like fifty years. When they got here, they lived downtown on Baxter for a year or two. Then up to Pleasant for the rest of their lives. My Dad's 86 and still on the Giglio board. But you won't find him on the website lol. Anyway, my Mom's side settled in the Bronx and Yonkers. When they got married, that's when they moved to Belmont. But my grandparents lived well into the '80s, so I was on Pleasant Avenue constantly. My Dad and I had lunch at Andy's almost every Friday for more than twenty years.

Small world.

You mean Rudy S or the Rudy that was around Joe Sass?

Danny L? Ive seen him around but I don't know him personally. Very small world pal

Yes, I believe Rudy S, he was around Arthur Ave all the time.

Pizza, OTF, Bronx and others....at least leave us a glossary in ur will when u pass so that we can decipher all this one day LOL. Lot of great knowledge passing right before our eyes.

Didn't Rudy S have a club upstairs of a building on Webster Avenue by 238th st in the Bronx?

No, Beans. Rudy's club was right on Arthur Avenue (hence, the name "Club Arthur"). Rudy rarely left the neighborhood.

Are you talking about the place by the old Federico's? (Now, that's a dated reference ).

Anyway, if that's the club you mean, it belonged to the Luccheses. It was run by various members of the old Mikey Salerno crew. Hope that helps, buddy .

speaking of those guys you have to throw in several of those guys from that crew in to the mix for toughest guys in the bronx

lol, as usual spot on PB. Thank you

Yeah, but for awhile they were out of control violent, even by mob standards. That's why I laugh every time someone calls the guy in Tuckahoe "white collar." It's true enough today, but they didn't know him thirty years ago.

Do you remember his place on Bronx River Road? I recently posted this. But if they didn't know you, and you walked in there late on a Thursday night, you were taking your life in your hands. I'm embarrassed to say that I saw more than one "civilian" get his ass beat in that place. Of course, no one ever pressed charges. Thankfully, they all calmed down once they got into their forties and beyond.

yeah some of these guys were outta control violent, they were a rough group , and they had quite a few giys around who were not huge earners they were they incise work had to be done lol , are you Talking about the place that Started with a P on Bronx River road

Yes, like the opera.

Have Ron Perlman and Steven Crea ever been in the same place at the same time?