By ED SCARPO
It was a hot summer day in east Detroit last Friday. The birds were chirping, the kids were out playing stick ball. In the Stern Market Historic District people were enjoying the weather as they shopped and generally got prepared for the weekend. In the middle of the district next to the historical meats, cheeses and spice sellers was the owner of a small cigar stand. The owner, a tall thin man with youthful features and a scruffy beard was experiencing a typical day, however, things were about to change.
Nicholas Farrinaci, the owner of “Nick’s Cigar Stand” in the middle of the market place, was enjoying his day selling cigars chatting with customers and near-by neighbors when all of a sudden a blue and white van with the initials F.B.I came into the busy district. Bystanders were shocked as the man was arrested, taken into the van and driven away within a period of just 2 minutes. The man, one of the bystanders called a “nice man who is always willing to chat with customers, no matter how busy his day is.”
Another side to that man is the side which Federal authorities call his dark side. That side, is the one known to FBI agents as “Skinny” Nicky Farrinaci, alleged captain in the Detroit Cosa Nostra; typically referred to as the Partnership. Mr. Farrinaci was brought up on Extortion charges Monday for shaking down his fellow stern market proprietors. According to a source in law enforcement, “Farrinaci has been shaking down food and booze stores in that market for the last 5 years without being checked.”
The low key Farrinaci (age 45) was once thought to be a low level associate of the organization, however, according to law enforcement, the last 10 years has brought about a possible rebirth of the organization many once thought was small, depleted and maybe even dead. “Detroit has been growing (unchecked) the last several years. We took the heat off of them after 9-11, and just as is the case with a lot of (cosa nostra families), they were left to grow. They’ve made about 15 guys in the last decade or so. From what we can tell they are up to about 20-30 guys on the street.”
To Federal authorities, Farrinaci spells the new age Detroit mobster; smart, tough and off the radar. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again, if you leave these guys alone, they will grow strong.” According the source, Farrinaci is one of these men who was made “sometime in 2005” and grew to the rank of captain in the last several years. “You can only keep these guys down for so long; eventually, they are going to come back unless we keep our foot on their necks.”
http://cosa-nostra-news.blogspot.com/
