UK Show Compares Sopranos With DeCavalcantes
I have never seen this UK-made documentary which compares the Sopranos with the crime family upon which many believe the fictional family was based -- the DeCavalcantes, an organized crime family that operates in Elizabeth, N.J., and surrounding areas.
Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano. |
It includes actual wiretaps of the mobsters speaking and offers some pretty good insight -- it is actually more savvy than a lot of the mob shows made available in the U.S. And it includes some interesting commentators as well.
So sit back and enjoy the show... for those more interested in the background, read on:
Like the Sopranos, the family founded by Sam "The Plumber" did suffer many of the same indignities from New York.
As Jerry Capeci wrote in 2003 on his PPV website, Gandlandnews.com:
"In Gang Land, however, the Newark-based DeCavalcantes have long been second class wiseguys.
"Listen to me. They make anybody and everybody over there. And the way that they do it, it's all fucked up. Guys don't get their finger pricked. There's no sword and gun on the table..."
"When the Garden State family wants to induct a worthy candidate into its ranks, it sends his name and credentials across the Hudson for approval. It only takes one New York “nay” to deem him unworthy and veto his ascension.
"And since the late 1980s, wannabe DeCavalcantes from New York – much like Big Apple residents looking for better car insurance rates – have had to rent an apartment in Hoboken or give their mother’s New Jersey address to get around a New York rule that bans the family from inducting non-residents of the Garden State...
And at one point, Capeci added: "The Mafia Commission had ruled that the family was an out and out fraud, and as a result, according to top New Jersey turncoat Vincent (Vinny Ocean) Palermo, the Dapper Don and the other New York bosses ordered it to re-induct its entire membership.
"The problem, Palermo told FBI agent Nora Conley, was that decades earlier, legendary boss Simone (Sam The Plumber) DeCavalcante, (left) who took over the family in 1962, had altered important long-standing parts of the initiation rite.
"These included the well-known use of a gun, knife and a burning holy card, Palermo said, recalling that during his induction in 1976, “DeCavalcate explained that he did not feel it was necessary to actually use these items in the induction ceremony.”
The words of Sam "the Plumber," if Palermo is telling to truth, come very close to actual dialogue spoken on the show by Phil Leotardo, boss of the leading New York family on the show, the Lupertazzis, who in his diatribe justifying whacking the Sopranos' hierarchy noted to Albie Cianflone and Butch DeConcini:
"And since the late 1980s, wannabe DeCavalcantes from New York – much like Big Apple residents looking for better car insurance rates – have had to rent an apartment in Hoboken or give their mother’s New Jersey address to get around a New York rule that bans the family from inducting non-residents of the Garden State...
And at one point, Capeci added: "The Mafia Commission had ruled that the family was an out and out fraud, and as a result, according to top New Jersey turncoat Vincent (Vinny Ocean) Palermo, the Dapper Don and the other New York bosses ordered it to re-induct its entire membership.
"The problem, Palermo told FBI agent Nora Conley, was that decades earlier, legendary boss Simone (Sam The Plumber) DeCavalcante, (left) who took over the family in 1962, had altered important long-standing parts of the initiation rite.
"These included the well-known use of a gun, knife and a burning holy card, Palermo said, recalling that during his induction in 1976, “DeCavalcate explained that he did not feel it was necessary to actually use these items in the induction ceremony.”
"Listen to me. They make anybody and everybody over there. And the way that they do it, it's all fucked up. Guys don't get their finger pricked. There's no sword and gun on the table..."
For those interested, here is more of the dialogue from that scene, from "The Sopranos: The Blue Comet (#6.20)" (2007):
Phil Leotardo: What?
Albie Cianflone: Nothin'. I agree in spirit but I gotta counsel.
Phil Leotardo: This thing shoulda been done during John's era.
Butch DeConcini: They got redundant upper management, bleeds off half the kick. We take 'em out, absorb the whole fuckin' thing.
Albie Cianflone: Take out an entire fuckin' family?
Phil Leotardo: Let me tell ya a couple of three things: Forget Coco, forget Fat Dom who goes over to Jersey and never comes back, forget my brother Billy.
Albie Cianflone: Phil, Phil, that's not what I'm sayin' at all.
Phil Leotardo: Anthony Soprano has no respect for this thing. He's never been in the can, not really. Here's a guy who stepped over his own uncle to grab the big seat, his father's brother.
Albie Cianflone: Please, huh?
Phil Leotardo: I'm embarrassed. I let him come to the hospital last Christmas, and I took his fat, fuckin' hand in friendship.
Albie Cianflone: Philly, ya had a heart attack.
Phil Leotardo: Listen to me. They make anybody and everybody over there. And the way that they do it, it's all fucked up. Guys don't get their finger pricked. There's no sword and gun on the table...
Albie Cianflone: Phil...
Phil Leotardo: No, Alb, either it has meaning or no meaning. And the Vito thing, the man harbors a faggot.
Albie Cianflone: It's true.
Phil Leotardo: Five fuckin' Families and we got this other pygmy thing over in Jersey... There's no scraps in my scrapbook... Make it happen.
For those interested, here is more of the dialogue from that scene, from "The Sopranos: The Blue Comet (#6.20)" (2007):
"Phil Leotardo: Historically, Carmine always said the Sopranos are nothing more than a glorified crew. Plain and simple. We decapitate and we do business with whatever's left.
[to Albie] Phil Leotardo: What?
Albie Cianflone: Nothin'. I agree in spirit but I gotta counsel.
Phil Leotardo: This thing shoulda been done during John's era.
Butch DeConcini: They got redundant upper management, bleeds off half the kick. We take 'em out, absorb the whole fuckin' thing.
Albie Cianflone: Take out an entire fuckin' family?
Phil Leotardo: Let me tell ya a couple of three things: Forget Coco, forget Fat Dom who goes over to Jersey and never comes back, forget my brother Billy.
Albie Cianflone: Phil, Phil, that's not what I'm sayin' at all.
Phil Leotardo: Anthony Soprano has no respect for this thing. He's never been in the can, not really. Here's a guy who stepped over his own uncle to grab the big seat, his father's brother.
Albie Cianflone: Please, huh?
Phil Leotardo: I'm embarrassed. I let him come to the hospital last Christmas, and I took his fat, fuckin' hand in friendship.
Albie Cianflone: Philly, ya had a heart attack.
Phil Leotardo: Listen to me. They make anybody and everybody over there. And the way that they do it, it's all fucked up. Guys don't get their finger pricked. There's no sword and gun on the table...
Albie Cianflone: Phil...
Phil Leotardo: No, Alb, either it has meaning or no meaning. And the Vito thing, the man harbors a faggot.
Albie Cianflone: It's true.
Phil Leotardo: Five fuckin' Families and we got this other pygmy thing over in Jersey... There's no scraps in my scrapbook... Make it happen.
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