PB there are still a lot of heavy guys here in Chicago who have yet to do serious time. None of the Caruso brothers have served any time. A lot of the main guys in the Elmwood Park Crew like Gary Gags have not done serious time. Albie Vena has been on the street forever so has Sammy Cards. Before he got sick, Joey Andriacchi ran things for 20 plus years after he was out of prison.
Well, I can only speak to what goes on in New York. But I'll take your word for it. If you've learned anything about me it's that I tend to stay in the areas that I think I know something about.
It's not that Chicago is
completely foreign to me. I've read plenty about the glory days, and I've always been interested in Accardo. But that's mostly "book knowledge." What I post about New York isn't (not always, anyway).
Wait, let me clarify that Chicago "book knowledge" statement that I just made. I actually DO know a few things about Milwaukee Phil that I didn't read in books (I'll pm you sometime). I'll just say that he was originally from Yonkers (a Bronx suburb), and was very tight with the Bronx-Westchester faction of the Genovese family right up until the day he died in prison.
As far as the terrorism thing goes in New York, it's been both good and bad for the wiseguys. Less agents = good. Being convicted under the terrorism statutes = bad. And I have a feeling we're going to see more and more of that. Look at Basciano. Don't get me wrong, he killed people so he belongs in jail. But he doesn't belong in the terrorist wing with Ali Baba and the 40 hijackers. There's something seriously wrong with that sentence.
