Barone's claim of being in a gang called The Jets is ridiculous. There was no gang by that name, it was made up be the writer of the play West Side Story. and originally it was an Irish-Catholic gang battling Jews. Barone saying that shows he may have been nuts. Maybe the next rat will say the Warriors movie was based on him and his friends.

. Thanks for the article Furio!

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that Gotti was instrumental in having Massino regain the Bonano seat on the Commission.

He refused to give contract to Chin sons and was shelved only because there was the Genovese doesn't mean that Gigante didin't make a bullshit disrespecting a veteran.

Yes Turnbull you're correct. That is the prevailing theory. That Gotti used his influence to help Joe Massino sit on, (and the Bonanno Family) be recognized by, the Commission again.

Thats actually not true Jace. During the late 1940s-1950s era there were plenty of local neighborhood street gangs typically made up of local Irish and/or Italian hoodlums (some of whom were later absorbed into LCN). I believe there was a Westside gang called The Jets, and obviously George Barone was affiliated with them.

I know about street gangs, but you are just guessing on the Jets and Barone. Look up what I said, the writer of West Side Story made it up, and it was not an Italian gang. I also checked the street gangs site, there is no such gang on there.

I'm well aware of the "Jets" and the "Sharks" of Westside Story Musical fame. Lol

Barone belonged to a mostly Irish gang of toughs on Manhattan's Westside Hells Kitchen neighborhood. I'm also well aware of that "street gangs" site you refer to. And I can tell you now that there were many gangs across NYC not represented on that site. Just because the "name" is not on the site, does not mean they didn't exist.

George Barone was no jerk off, despite what you may think. And although by the time he "turned" canary he was an old man, he was nonetheless a "made" guy for many years who also served as one of the most powerful ILA officials both in NYC, and later down in the Port of Miami, FL.

He whacked guys, he followed orders, was loyal, and was a very well-respected guy in the underworld for many years. So you tell me, WTF would he have to lie about having been a member of a street gang as a young hoodlum?

PS: The correct answer is: he'd have no reason to answer that he was a gang member of the Jets, if he was not (while under oath in a courtroom no less). What good purpose would that serve? You tell me? If he said the gang's name was The Jets, then the gang's name was The Jets.

Not the Boy Scouts of America or any other name. He was old, but he wasn't crazy.

. Yeah when I saw the Jets and Sharks I was like “Wait a minute when did this become West Side Story” lol

Exactly. Lol..."When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day"

Somebody get my tap shoes? Lol

Well, the defense should have challenged him on it by asking him to show the jury some of his dance moves.

I thought the Bonannos were ' off ' the commission because of their rampant drug dealing. Did they even get their commission place back after the banana war?

After the 1960s war they did. They they lost their seat again for their rampant deal dealing in the late 1970-early 1980s. By the late 1980s, Gotti had helped Massino and the Bonanno's get that seat reinstated. And then Gotti got jailed, and Massino turned to be a rat.

Whoa it didn't happen that fast, it was over a decade later that Massino turned.

I didn't give a timeline. I just stated chronologically what took place.

. Haha. Classic cinema gotta love it

They screwed up a lot. The drugs, the Galante vs Rastelli dispute, and the Donnie Brasco fiasco.