Remember reading a post recently where NY guys like PB etc were saying Bensonhurst, a previous mainly Italian neighbourhood had greatly changed (as had mob influence.) Same for Howard Beach? Used to be a Gotti stronghold. I vaguely remember reading also of an incident there in the 90s where a black man was beaten to death and the media made it into a white Italian on Black crime. Some kind of racial incident anyhow.

That's what happened in Bensonhurst in the late 80's with the black guy Yusuf Hawkins. I grew up in Bensonhurst. I can tell you now that Howard beach is still to this day more Italian and still has more of a mob presence than Bensonhurst today for sure. Sad to say but Because other nationalities and immigrants from different back grounds are moving into Bensonhurst now and have since the late 90's, 3rd and 4th generation Italian American families are moving out as well as some of the mob guys who were born and raised there. Since the 80's and 90's, mob influence has been declining. But 1st and 2nd generation Italian Americans ain't going nowhere. They too stuck in their old ways. That's how my grandparents are. They not moving out of Bensonhurst for nobody even if Bensonhurst became like east New York Brooklyn lol
lol dyker heights now is what Bensonhurst use to be 25 years ago... Mostly Italian and still mobbed up. The same with Howard beach.. Only black people won't get killed or beat up anymore if they walk through the neighborhood

Thanks for the info Vinny! Very interesting! I confused the racial thing with Howard Beach. How is Bensonhurst to live today? A safe neighbourhood? So say in the 90s it was still strong Italian?

You welcome pal. Anytime ok so the Bensonhurst now is smaller than what it was 20 years ago. Now, It's only from 16th ave to still well ave straight across and from 62 street to about 86 st. That is it. Now the Bensonhurst I was born and raised in which was in the mid 80's was way bigger... Like if you lived in dyker heights, that was concidered Bensonhurst. Bath beach was concidered Bensonhurst. Gravesend was also concidered Bensonhurst. But ever since Yusuf hawkins was killed by racist cusgines in the late 80's, the third Colombo mob war of 91-93 ( I lived through that ) and the demographic changes that's been happening ( just to name a few events ), neighborhood real estate developers and each of the neighborhood counsel representatives have been trying to separate their neighborhoods from Bensonhurst. Dyker heights don't even associate themselves with Bensonhurst and the people there won't go to 18th ave anymore. Bath beach has turnt into a slum. Looks like shit now. Gravesend has also separated themselves. They won't go to 18th ave either. Back than, everybody went to 18th ave. So to answer your question, Bensonhurst now is not so safe like it use to be. Now there is drugs and drug addicts, gang bangers, ghetto people, and poverty. It ain't the slums yet but it's getting there in some parts. Still have a lot of nice homes but the Chinese own them now... Most of them anyway. I would never want to go back to live. 90's Bensonhurst was the last decade of traditional old school Italian and Italian Americans who still lived there and the neighborhood was good but after the third Colombo war ended, families started leaving ASAP. When the late 90's came, white flight really begin. The most recent racial situation in Howard beach was in I think 2005, where three black guys were beat up with baseball bats. But it wasn't a racist attack. The media ate that shit up. The kid convicted... Nicky Minucci was a neighborhood street guy who had black friends, dressed hiphop, listened to rap and talk slang. He was far from racist even tho Howard beach is known for racism. The reason those three black kids got beat up was because they were trying to steal a car. They were walking around in the neighborhood for about two hours and aroused suspicion from the Neighorhood old timers. So phone calls were made and here comes fat nick and his crew. They drove around lookin for the three black kids, found them, an argument happened and next thing they all are fighting. Fat nick got a bat from his truck and went to work on them. It wasn't racist what they did. They were protecting the neighborhood. One of the black guys had a low jack in his pants. If that isn't for stealing cars, I don't know what is. Now it's a white on black thing. Now fat nick doing 15 smh. That's what really happened

Very interesting insight Vinny thanks!! This article I found may interest you, I wonder what you think, same views today in Bensonhurst? Also their saying in the year 2000 the Italians were still 65%! http://journalism.nyu.edu/publishing/archives/race_class/cops_benson/bensonhurst.htm

Thanks Nicky I read the article. That's a great find. I mean the article was published in 2002. yeah... I can believe the percentage of Italians by 2002 was 65 even 70 percent. But No fucking way it still 65 percent now, not in 2014. It's less than 30 now for sure. I think about 20 percent give or take. Now dyker heights is about 65-70 percent for sure. But in the 80's, all of Bensonhurst was 89-90 percent and blacks knew better than To come over here. it just the truth and it's proven history. I seen it with my own eyes. but that's not the case now. They can come and they even chill there and nobody says nothing. Laws have changed. see what happened to fat nick Minucci and he is soooo farrrr from being a racist. He has lots of black friends. They will say that he is MADD cool... But Don't fuck around with him. He use to protect the Gotti grand kids... Frank, Carmine and John ... Victoria gotti's kids. Fat nick and his boys use to crack heads if anybody tried to run up on them. They all grew up together. But most Italian young kids today... Growing up in neighborhoods like Brooklyn, bronx and queens listen to hip hop, dress hip hop, Do Hip hop stuff like dap eachother or give each other a pound and they talk slang. Some people would concider them wiggers but that's how it is now. Black guys date white girls now and nobody can do a thing about it ... Even Italian girls got black boyfriends. but even up to the late 90's, that was still frowned upon. Couldn't do that when I was growing up unless the black dude had a death wish and the white girl had a banish for life wish lol

Vinny did you grow up and were a similar age to the guys who killed the black guy in 89? Must of been a crazy time in Bensonhurst afterwards. Were any of those kids from connected families if they were trying to act like tough kids on the street? Reminds me of the Sopranos and the kids AJ hangs with before he tries to kill himself. Patsy's son etc.
I know most tourists when the go to NY see the usual sites, if and when I go I would rather stroll around Bensonhurst, Howard Beach etc just see the places I always read about in mob books lol

Howard beach i think is kind of a base for gambino drug trafficking. Members of the luchesse crime family were also running a crack cocaine ring in bensonhurst during the early 90s.

You could say the likes of Lester, Kern, Ladone, Minucci, Fama and Mondello were just kids but all you have to do is listen to their parents and relatives talk to know that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I have been reading up on all this stuff and racism in the working class was endemic back then. Things needed to change.

Moe... You absolutely right about these kids parents. They were bazzare with their racial slurs. But I know for a fact that nick Minucci wasn't a racist because guys I grew up with knew people in his circle. For those three black kids who got beat up, it was wrong place wrong time. But it's still sad. Now his life is ruined with a 1st degree criminal felony assault and attempted murder, serving 15 years prison. Smh

And guys from the bonanno's as well like the guys from the bath avenue crew.

Vinny c,I remmember my uncle telling me that in the late 60s,a black guy was found betten,and stabbed under 20th ave,close to the metro station or something like that.Zou know anything abouth that?He is 61 today,he remmebers the stories.

I was 9 years old when Yusuf Hawkins was killed in 89. So now you prolly can guess my age. But i was just a kid. Keith mondello, Joey fama and those guys were older kids ... Teenage cusgines... I am guessing in their 17's and 18's I believe but I am not too sure about their exact age. Everybody knew eachother or of eachother back than so knew who Keith mondello and Joey fama was before 89. They used to all hangout in front of pino's pizzeria on 18th ave with their crew. But keep in mind Growing up in Bensonhurst especially in the 80's, there were plenty of Keith mondello's and Joey fama's running around causing trouble, starting fights and being bullies but most of them weren't killers. From what I heard as I got older, Yusuf was banging an Italian girl in the neighborhood who happened to be either an ex girlfriend or lover of mondello. When he found out, he was upset but when he heard that the guy was black, he completely lost it. Yusuf's only reason in the first place for coming to the neighborhood was to buy a used car from a used Car lot close to where the white girl he supposedly was fooling around with lived. Too close for comfort. And sure , there were plenty of kids I grew up who's families were connected. Some of them real assholes and arrogant. Some were attention junkies... Wanted the whole world to know. Some were humble and kept it to themselves about it .... The ones who played tough were punks really, wanna be gangsters. They use to get their ass Whipped when fights broke out at the Italian feast ( st Rosalia ) on 18th ave. The soprano kids if they were real wouldn't survive one bit in Bensonhurst especially in the 80's and 90's. They were suburban wanna be tough guys. I knew kids like that from Long Island. Even the Gotti brothers ( growing up Gotti reality tv kids ) frank , Carmine and John ( Victoria gotti's kids ) were punks. Guys like fat nick use to protect them. Other kids didn't care that their family last name was Gotti but it's actually agnello after their father carmine agnello.

Check your pm, Vinny.

I fuked kids like that in the ass in the can i fuked em!...Fukin break up my party....Fuhgettaboutit

fat nick still locked up?

Yup cheech. He won't be paroled until 2019 only for good behavior Tho.

One reason Howard Beach hasn't converted as much is because it is a nicer place to live and more expensive. It is also much smaller than Bensonhurst. A beach community that is more long island than new york city.

I don't remember that exact story But bad things use to happen like that when I was growing up. when I started going to high school, if you wasn't from the neighborhood ( you know what I mean ) you would have to be careful. Some kids would leave school early before 3 pm so they can make it home safe. I got stories from family members and the old timers who use to tell me about certain people being chased out the neighborhood as early as the 60's and 70's. It was one hell of a crazy time I tell you that. At the end of the day, I never participated in any of that nonsense.

yeah i guess so,chek your pm box

@ 2:00



Remind me to never go to Bensonhurst.

Plus, there are very few apartment buildings.

The same applies to the Throggs Neck and Country Club sections of the Bronx. And there's no subway service in Throggs Neck and Country Club, which is a HUGE plus in terms of keeping the trash out. Because generally speaking, if someone can't afford to keep their driver's license current and hold on to even a cheap car, you probably don't want them for a neighbor.

That's not politically correct, but tell me I'm wrong .

I think you got young men in every community that want their own gangster culture. Certain Black kids use gangster rap and street gangs. Certain Italian kids have the goombah racist mobster image that fufills that need for them.

"Fuckin A " Pizzaboy, you had to be a sociologist in a past life..lol seriously, thats a great point.

You could use a certain "W" word to describe the majority of HB youth today.

Funny enough Fat Nick and Joey Fama of Bensonhurst fame are friends in prison. No joke.

I'm 55 years old, but I'm guessing wigger?

The wannabes of my generation are the wiggers of today. Times change, but it's the same principle.

Pizza-Man you didn't rock the Sean John Velour ENYCE or Akademiks in the late 90s ?

Funny thing is PB the wannabees of your generation are/were 100x more tougher and capable of the wanabees of today

I was too nice to point that out, Tiger .

My wannabees can beat up your wannabees.