We hear about gangsters who were tough and some people say that because they were killers. Killers might not be able to carry themselves with the same confidence and intimidation if they don’t have a gun. Who were some mobsters who were known to be great street fighters and didn’t need a gun or knife? I have heard stories online about people like Sammy Gravano, Joseph Scopo, Anthony Accetturo and Vinny Gigante all being tough through and through with or without the threat of a weapon.

From what I read no one is kicking tommy karate piteras ass. A psychopath to boot. Also read a while back that tony the roach rampino was strong as an ox and could fight as well as play softball like a pro.

I believe the Snake Persico killed someone in a street brawl, while he was still a teenager.

I saw someone on YouTube who was locked up with the Snake tell a story about Persico knocking a kid out cold because he wouldn’t continue fighting somebody else in the prison.

He was a huge psychopath. I wonder if wise guys even got along with him.

Sammy the Bull said that Gerry Pappa was the toughest guy he ever knew and Bo Dietl said that Joseph Scopo was the toughest guy he ever knew.

btw why the genovese family didn't revenge his death ?!
did the colombo's had the ok to kill him ?

Bruno Indelicato or Johnny Joe Spirito

Gerard was out of control, I don’t know who were the guys affiliated with who blew his head off in his restaurant, but it was to not be avenged

Albert Anastasia was said to be very tough, according Fat Andy Ruggiano Anastasia was the toughest man he ever met. I would think Joel Cacace would also have to make the list of legit tough guys

That’s wild, the Boss is the Boss wherever he goes, it would seem that prison is included.

John Veasey fought off Frank Martines and Vincent Pagano with three bullets in his head

The Hunchback fought off the younger Scarfo guy and took his gun away from him.

Hunchback was the real deal. He was from my old neighborhood. His sister was a real wack job. John John wasn't tough at all. He was really high all the time so he didnt feel anything. One of my closest friends smashed him in the face with a que ball one night even after he was made. He only had balls when he was high and that was 85% of the time. His Brother Billy was really tough with his hands.

Testa had a reputation as a tough guy too I think.

There are many mafiosi in Italy who also have the reputation of being tough and ruthless. Much more ruthless than any Italian American gangsters.

Patsy Parrello.
Angelo DeFendis , legit middleweight
Both Meldish brothers
John DiGilio

Big Lou Fazzini

He is not a wimp, no doubt but tough compared to who? I know Lou, nice guy.
Most mob guys are tough because they have the mob behind them. They are almost like a terrorist group. A navy seal is tough, not so much a mob guy. To say Salvie Testa was tough is absolutely ridiculous.
In Phil Leonetti’s prime, put him on the mat with a college wrestler and he would be destroyed. I never quite understood the tough mobster part,, they are tough in numbers and the fact people wont fight back because they belong to a crew who will hit them in the head with a pipe when their back is turned. ( among other things).
A lot of you guys are way off base when it comes to mobsters being tough. Some are very tough in that they can do time and dont back down. Some of you are mixing that kind of toughness with fighting ability. Two different things and mutually exclusive.

Lenox, to be honest, it's secondhand information. I read it on one of these forums. I apologize if it caused a problem.

gerry pappa was killed because he killed a made guy in the colombo family. chin okayed the hit. one of the shooter got made into the bonanno family armondo rea or something i dont know why that happend like that but it all came up in chins trial cause pete savino was with gerry papa. he was also selling drugs

Yeah he whacked Colombo Capo, Shorty Spero

Gambino associate and Greg DePalma's enforcer, Willie Marshall was a bad ass.

Back in the day Big Lou Fazzini killed a guy in a fistfight with a single punch. That is a fact.

John Perna was a New Jersey All state High School wrestler at Belleville High School and wrestled Division 1 in college at Seton Hall.

He is also fearless, used to rob drug dealers in the hoods of Newark back in the day while attending Seton Hall I have heard from a friend who was in his Frat at Seton Hall.

Johnny Perna gets my vote, I would never fuck with him in a million years.

What mob guy would be tough based on your criteria then?

Carmine Galante always had a reputation for being tough.

I have heard that story, that's why I mentioned him.

That is true 100%. Then again, so did charles manson and i dont know how tough he was.
Lou is a good guy and did his time.

John Alite, cause he says so!

John did you stab Artie Lange? Yes I did.

John did you baseball bat Mike Bocchetti? Yes I did.

John did you penetrate John D Amato anally? Yes I did.

John DiGilio

John Alite was a predator. He had a lot of childhood issues and did a lot of fuck up shit. He also jumped guys from behind when he was on Dust.

Alite got his ass kicked recently at one of the bars here in Jersey within the past 5 years I wanna say at Cuzin's in Marlboro.

yep, that was 2 years ago.

Hugh McIntosh

Did John Perna graduate from Seton Hall?

Yeah , I mean he was there for four years so I assume he walked out of Seton Hall with a degree.

Dante
John just got married and mellowed out a lot.

I havent seen him in probably about ten years, he was in the same wild and crazy Frat at Seton Hall as a good buddy of mine who is 7 years older than me.

Joe is more level headed and business minded. Ralph is a nice kid.

Eddie Melo was a Frank Controni guy I believe, he was Golden Gloves or equivalent in Canada.

Ive read many stories, seen interviews and know people that new him. Seems Jimmy Burke could and would love to hurt People with his hands. How it all started.

A lot of these mobsters or anyone for that matter that enjoy hurting people were abused as children. Burke certainly did.
Some are just born evil.

Some of the older mobsters used to box too. Gigange and Gravano are two examples. I am sure there are many others who didn’t just fight on the street and weren’t just tough with weapons in their hands. Perna being a wrestler is a great example provided too. I would love to hear stories of him going to the projects in Newark and robbing dealers though. That sounds unbelievable because those projects were a different kind of rough in the 80s and 90s.

Anastasia killed a guy with his bare hands. The mad hatter, Lord high executioner. Enough said.

Many professional fighters start out as tough street fighters too. I wonder if some of these guys who grew up fighting could’ve gone professional had they applied themselves.

I wish there was more information on Joe Scopo. Bo Dietl is a tough guy himself and he talks this guy up as a fighter and a tough guy a lot.

Were any of the guys that we are naming great earners as well? Anastasia was a great earner. So was Sammy. Idk if they were making money like Tommy Gambino, Ponte, Franzese or any heavy earners like that but they were still making millions every year.

The robbing the drug dealers story might be somewhat convoluted. He may have went to buy drugs and then took the drugs without paying( not large quantities). He wasnt strong arming them and using a gun to steal their money, that i can tell you.
Did he ever punch some small time street dealer and then rob a few dime bags of weed? Maybe.
Did he rob half a key of coke or a pound of weed? NO !

Now that sounds more believable.

Mickey Cohen would have to be mentioned too. He was a professional boxer. He even told bugsy off to his face(supposedly).

Just sharing what I’ve been told, again those guys are all 7 years older than me.

What other tough guys in Jersey did you hear about? I only heard about Accetturo and Perna.

Perna's a fighter? Digilio we know will knock you out. A serious Middleweight boxer.

New Jersey state champ for wrestling.