What does fashion and house size has anything to do with these two men? Carlo Gambino lived in a humble home and big Paul had a mansion. Carlo dressed like any old grandfather and paul dressed like a wall street exec. Burke and watts were both serious guys was my point and mentioned in the same sentence often due to being non remembers. Tony ducks was caught on wire tap with fat Tony about how they wack captains like it's nothing. So in that life weather you are made or not made, i would think the risk is high for both parties. Both watts and burke did a lot of work and im sure made men were in that column. Truth is they were both gangsters and very notorious italian or not. I was reading the book "tough guy" by Eddie Maloney and first chapter he says after his fiend Mcbratney was wacked by gotti. He was never sure if he did or didn't have a contract on him for his involvement in the gambino kidnapping. So he he went to burke and burke was good friends with dellacroce and neil called off the contract on him as a favor to Burke. The assumption that jimmy Burke because he did the dirty work or lower rung crimes was a nobody and not an earner is just flat out untrue. The bosses all new him, made money with him and highly respected him. He was a boss of his own crew and did his own dirt up until he went away. He split money with vario his friend and was allowed to come and go as he pleased for the most part. As i learned watts did the same. I watched a harlem black gangster in an interview say how feared, fearless and respected burke was even as an old man in jail. Yes they were bad people but we are not commenting on the boy scouts web site. Its about organized crime which shockingly doesn't produce the most kindess of human beings
You had originally "gone off topic" from Tough Tony with your questions as you said. But Louie had mentioned that Watts and Burke were on "different levels". You asked how, and I just responded.
The clothes and house per se don't make the man, but collectively with all the other things I mentioned they do draw a clearer picture between the two of them. My point in bringing those things out was to show "how they traveled" around NYC and in what circles they each hung out, and in turn were accepted in. Watts dined on Park Avenue, Burke didn't even know where Park Avenue was.
I gave "props" to both for their balls and money earning abilities, yet also tried to show the differences between them. YOU make the choice, I just showed the similarities and differences.
Also Understand that Tony Ducks had zero to do with Burke. Most likely knew of him, yet probably never met him. And thats regardless of whether money was kicked up the hierarchy to him.
By comparison, Watts was known to have served directly under Castellano and later been close to Gotti as well (2 bosses). That too should be considered no?
As I said, at the end of the day I'm not really a fan of either. But this is just my 2-cents worth of observation.
