Rhode Island Congressman Cicilline has a long family history with the Mafia in New England. He was applauding the FBI last week but his father once was a victim of FBI illegal wiretaps. I wrote all about the history with lots of links to sources in the article below. I am curious if any of you can add to the story.

http://wbsm.com/rep-cicilline-agent-strzok-and-fbi-misconduct-opinion/

Hadn't heard about this guy before. Thanks Chris.

Between Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, mobbed up politicians shouldn't surprise anyone anymore. We have them at the highest levels of government, to this day.

You skipped all the democratic presidents. Not surprising considering it's you.

Only Kennedy. A half century ago. And, he had nothing to do with it. His father worked it out through Frank Sinatra, who he cut off as soon as he got to the White House, per Bobby's insistence. Three Republican presidents since then had direct contact with mobsters.

Hold on. Trump had no direct dealings with the mob. We've been through this before, Pizzaboy said it well at the time, you couldn't build anything in New York in the 70s and 80s without going through the mob. They had control over all the unions yada yada yada.

You've egregiously skipped over Bill Clinton's dealings with gangsters while Governor in Arkansas. Granted, they weren't Italian-Americans, but that's beside the point.

I don't believe that Kennedy's father was that tied to the mob, and I feel the same about Trump. The rumors always come from political rivals or news success looking to get attention. Kennedy's father was doing what anyone else did in the years of prohibition, and Trump never has been shown to have dealt with anyone in the mafia. I hate the Clintons, but I don't believe they murdered all those people they were said to have had killed. People want to tear others down so bad, especially if it's a political difference, that they resort to the craziest rumors to make a false point. As for the congressman who knows, occasionally the rumors are true, but it would cut both ways in the long run. And his supports would still stand by him no matter what.

Yes, you could build in NYC in the 70s and 80s without going through the mob, and most builders did. They just paid the cost of union labor. The mob's racket was soliciting some builders to buy their cement in exchange for using non union labor. The builders that did so knew what they were doing, Trump being no exception. The mob's racket wouldn't work if most projects weren't built with union labor. The ongoing presence of union labor had to exist for the extortion to work. So, bullshit. Trump built his empire knowingly using mob connections. He was friends with mob lawyer Roy Cohn, who taught him how to get away with it, too. Trump and Roger Stone still use some of Cohn's old trickery today. Pizzaboy? He's an anonymous commenter on a website, for crying out loud. lol.

Oak, I have to ask you a question(and after that I'll never speak to you again)...How come guys like you ,Moe-Moe, etc etc.. never talk about how corrupt the government is? Just guys with vowels at the end of their names. I don't get it. They took the playbook from the mafia.

Sorry to derail your thread Chris...Btw, i appreciate your interviews and contributions to the board.

Everyone knows the government is corrupt. People like you always act like you've discovered some kind of groundbreaking knowledge when you say this. Meanwhile, every nation has a government. The mafia is not a government. They're an organization of thieves. Do you think any nation in their right mind is going to put them in charge? A government with corruption is better than an organization designed to steal. You don't torch a car because it needs a tune up.

Enjoyed this one conversation we had. Have a good life.

Still one of the most knowledgeable guys that ever roamed this board. His posts were always something to look forward to imo.

The website is called Gangsterbb, not Governmentbb.

Oh, I get it now. The 35 part refers to your IQ.

i love moe posts (he is funny and really nice guy !)

There's a difference between the two? I must have bumped my head and pinky toe. Thanks for informing me on that.

Says the guy who's a pitcher and a catcher. Go figure....

I have nothing against Pizzaboy, but to quote him as an undeniable source? If he said everyone in the 80s who built in New York had to willingly break the law and consort with mobsters, he's wrong. It's that simple. Trump did so knowingly. He took advantage of the situation. He took the easy way out. Honest builders followed the law and hired the union labor, and reported instances where they believed they were being extorted and overcharged. Justice eventually came, but it took a long time. It usually does. Trump gamed the system. He cheated. It's who he is.

Damn right, son. I had your mother and father at the same time. They didn't complain.

Oak, as always, oversimplifying the issue in order to push his anti-Trump agenda.

No, you oversimplified the issue. You said that all builders in NY had to work with the mob, which is absurd. The extortion racket only worked because so many builders didn't even have access to avoid union labor and build cheap. Most had to do it the right way, even if they wanted to play ball with the mob. Then, there were some, like Trump. who had access to a quid pro quo with the mob where they could save money on building by using mob cement in return for the mob calling off union action if they used non union labor. Trump took advantage of this, and he knew it. Donald Trump is a criminal. He got away with it because Roy Cohn fixed it for him.

Plus 1. Pizza knew people and facts, and had first experience with how the unions were run. I also looked forward to his posts.

We tried to meet for dinner when I was in NY but could not make it work. I really wish we had enjoyed a fine meal and conversation.

Well, if Pizzaboy said that every builder in New York had to cohort with criminals, he's wrong. Most couldn't even if they wanted to. They had to bite the bullet and pay inflated prices for everything from labor to supplies. Trump had the inside connections to strike a deal with the mob, and he did. He did so knowingly. He had fixers to keep him insulated. He's a crook. He might have even stolen the election. It's the way he operates.

Of course nobody can be quoted as a 100% undeniable source, but Pizza struck me as believable as an anonymous commenter can be. I can't remember if he said that ALL contractors had to go through the mob, rather that it was extremely widespread while the mob were at their peak.

As far as the Trump debate goes, I don't think an European like me got enough clear intel on the matter to form any kind of strong opinion. Let's say that, from a personal point of view and based on what i've read, I find his antics - past as well as present - "questionable" at best; but like I said, I better keep shtum.

So now it's not "all" contractors, just "some".

Glad you guys are starting to face reality. And, Trump was part of that "some" who knowingly worked with the mob to get an edge on his competition, which was dishonest and criminal. Trump was not just going with the flow. He was an exception. Builders who didn't have his daddy's connections had to do things the right way. They had to pay the inflated prices and report instances of extortion, over billing, etc. Many of them never saw justice, and the few that did had to wait a long time for it. All the while, Trump got richer and richer and richer. He's a cheater who made a deal with the mob to keep his costs low, so he could undercut his competition. He got away clean because the most crooked lawyer in American history, Roy Cohn, fixed it for him.

I didn't change the narrative. I just can't remember if Pizza ever said it was all contractors having to take the dirt road; never claimed I did. Only stated that he generally speaking was a convincing source regarding NYC.

Moe claims Pizza as his source on this. I'm saying that if Pizza said this, he's wrong. It is cynical and patently absurd to say that every builder in New York worked with the mob when Trump was coming up. It wasn't the 1940s. The RICO act was well into effect at this time and builders would have had to be crazy to seek out mobsters that they could pay off in exchange for low building costs. Most builders were extorted by the mob, which is not the same thing as "working with" the mob. They were victims of the rackets. Forced to overpay for everything. And, Trump does NOT fall into this category. He worked in collusion with them. He had special inroads that allowed him to save money on materials and labor in exchange for purchasing materials from the mob. He knew what he was doing. It was not business as usual. It was criminal as hell. It's who he is.

Co-signed.. The problem with people who are as politicized as OAF, whether it be on the left- or right end of the spectrum, is that they aren't really open anymore to different viewpoints or arguments. A shame really..

I think Harry Reid was Senator ,not a congressman but I remember he cought a serious beating from some mob guys.

They pounded his face in.

Why should anyone be open to something that they know is false? Do you believe accepting something that you know is a falsehood makes you "open minded"? Moe's claim that all builders had to work with the mob is complete bullshit.

Barry Goldwater, the father of modern day conservatism, was the real puppet of Vegas mobsters. The scene in Casino where Dick Smothers is going through his comped chips with the hooker in the background is based on Goldwater, not Harry Reid. People just think it's Reid because he happened to be a Nevada senator at that time. The book "Green Felt Jungle" clears it up.

You are right about the Clinton’s. They had extremely close ties the Coias who were patsies for the mobs interests in LIUNA.