Technical Problems Gumming Up the Works

Nick Christophers visited a notorious Philly mobster in prison, where the soldier is serving a life sentence. Nick has guest blogged a few times
Nick Christophers, left, with Chuck Zito and Nick Puccio.

Some may have noticed that I haven't been posting lately. It's really annoying because I've got some cool stuff that should've been posted already.

The moment I've long dreaded finally arrived, you see. It happened last night. My heretofore loyal desktop computer rather abruptly died, which in turn nearly caused me to die (twas only a fleeting feeling of cardiac arrest).

A few deep breaths and a swift pull from a bourbon bottle helped (for about three seconds). I am determined, however, to use whatever resources I can to post content until I get a new computer. That said, since my resources are rather limited: my tablet (which I'm using now), cellphone, and a super portable Acer laptop that's so slow I may smash it to pieces this very night, posting is going to slow down a lot. (It's possible to provide assistance if you're so inclined.)


Fueling the problem is that my tablet is dreadfully small (I'm using it now) and feeling, with each finger-tap, what very well  may be the painful onset of CTS. (I forget... did I tell you that it's possible to provide assistance if you're so inclined?)

I have drafts of several longish pieces in need of quick revisions and copy edits.

Also in the pipeline, a story centered on the son of a Five Family mob boss. Recently, I spoke with  Joseph Colombo's son, Anthony, who has a new book out,  I interviewed Anthony and want to thank him and his son for helping me with the story. And for their patience.

Also on deck
My pal Nick Christophers visited a notorious Philly mobster in prison, where the soldier is serving a life sentence. Nick has guest blogged a few times on here, writing about John Alite and the Greek Mafia. This time he has crafted an intriguing piece about Nicodemo "Nicky Slick" DiPietro.

Nicky Slick was a prolific killer for the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra family. According to Scott Burnstein, writing on Gangster Report:

"One informant told authorities that 46-year old Nicodemo (Nicky Slick) DiPietro, a convicted murderer and Gino DiPietro’s cousin (Gino was notoriously rubbed out during Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi's trial) bragged in prison of wanting to have Gino DiPietro killed because he provided information to police about his little brother’s criminal activities. Nicky Slick reportedly claims to have been named after and baptized by infamous Philadelphia mafia don Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo, currently serving life behind bars for a slew of murders he ordered as Godfather of the crime family thirty years ago."

Philly.com posted a March 2000 story about Nicky Slick, then on trial for murder. (The paper, amusingly, filed it as an Exotic Dancer story... What can I say, I have a thing for strippers....)

Man Held In Killing At Club Suspect Was In Jail Till 3 Weeks Before -- from May 2012:

There was a lot of smirking going on in court yesterday. 
Accused killer Nicodemo "Nicky Slick" DiPietro, 31, smirked at a 21-year-old former exotic dancer who was about to testify against him in a murder case. 
The dancer smirked back. 
Amy Smith was called to testify at DiPietro's preliminary hearing on charges that he shot and killed Tad Rice-Green, 33, inside a waterfront nightclub in the early morning of Feb. 28.

Smith said she was in Club Deco, 510 N. Front St., when DiPietro, of 16th Street and Packer Avenue, South Philadelphia, shot Green, the owner of a women's clothing store. 
After DiPietro was ordered to stand trial on a general charge of murder, Municipal Judge Louis G. F. Retacco told defense lawyer A. Charles Peruto Jr., "If you file for bail, tell your client not to smile during the hearing." 
DiPietro, described as a mob associate by authorities, turned to a potential witness in the courtroom and mouthed, "You better watch yourself on the street," before being led out by a sheriff's deputy.

Read rest here.

As for Nick Christophers, he relaunched his website and runs his own entertainment-related promotional agency.

You should check out his work. He's a writer as well as an artist. Below you can view him on The Ask Bon Bon Show.





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