Cosa Nostra News

Philadelphia's Natalie Guercio will soon be joined by Philadelphia's Natalie DiDonato on the VH1 reality show Mob Wives. We don't know when the new Natalie will appear but she's rolled out her social media accounts and has been stomping on Natalie Guercio's guts.... and deleting at least one earlier tweet that noted a family connection, specifically that "Frankie Flowers" was her cousin. Natalie Didonato Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi allegedly "made his bones" by killing DiDonato's cousin -- assuming Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso is her cousin.

Vito Rizzuto drove around the streets of Montreal  in an armored car  and brazenly sent his assassins across the world to kill those who defied him. The Godfather of Montreal, Vito Rizzuto, died one year ago of complications from lung cancer. In this group count traitors and Calabrian mobsters from Toronto. Vito's bloody street war to annihilate any and all rivals and defectors didn't end with his death in December 2013. So said a law enforcement source quoted in the Toronto Sun , which further noted that Rizzuto's death last December at age 67 failed to "stem the vendetta." The Rizzuto crime family still has some “Calabrian Mob opportunists and Sicilian traitors” that it needs to deal with, the source said. Although Rizzuto was challenged, he retained his power. “The ground was never lost,” the source said. On Dec. 1, after months of relative peace within Montreal’s Mafia circles, one of its Calabrian members was fatally shot in a restaur...

From TMZ/Instagram Rodolfo “Rudy” Lopez is wanted for the box cutter attack that left London Rene, 37, with gashes on his face, stomach and arm after a dispute outside Club Output, sources said. " Mob Wives " star Natalie Guercio 's boyfriend, Rene was knifed in a Brooklyn nightclub, toward the end of December. TMZ broke the story, noting that Rene has been slashed on the right side of his face after the attack in Club Output  [in Williamsburg, Brooklyn ]. Rene was hospitalized following the attack, and according to TMZ, he told police officers he considered himself lucky to be alive.

Incredibly absorbing documentary about the mob's decades-long control of prizefighting. Most notable - the film uses modern technology to highlight the so-called " phantom punch " that sent Sonny Liston to the mat. This knockdown -- further screwed up by the referee, a former boxer himself -- marked the beginning of the end of both Liston's boxing career and the mob's influence over the sport. (Some even believe the mob murdered Liston.) The two fights between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship were among the most watched and controversial fights in the sport's history. The phantom punch ended the second fight between Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) and Sonny Liston.

A small-time dice game caused a mob boss's defense attorney to take a huge gamble. He lost. As a result,  on June 10, 1969, 12 volumes (more than 2,000 pages) of conversations between various mobsters and New Jersey crime boss Simone Rizzo DeCavalcante were released to the public. A book was issued as well.  Sam the Plumber: The Real-Life Saga of a Mafia Chieftain  condensed the voluminous disparate recorded discussions and provided context. Sam the Plumber preferred to be called "The Count."

DOMINICK CICALE, A FORMER CAPO IN THE BONANNO CRIME FAMILY, ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS  Dominick Cicale In 1999, Bronx-based Dominick Cicale finished his second years-long bit and hooked up with Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, then an up-and-coming member of the Bronx faction of the Bonanno crime family. Initially he'd been closely affiliated with "Big Ernie" in the Genovese family.

The week before Christmas 2014, three North New Jersey-based Genovese crime family mobsters pleaded guilty to waterfront racketeering in a case going on for years -- since January 2011's Mafia Takedown Day . The guy who owned the “Godfather’s Garden.” But the Genovese family's control of the New Jersey waterfront goes back decades and includes many storied mobsters of the past who killed and were killed for control of the lucrative waterfront rackets of the Garden State. The Genovese family even ran its own hit squad, which focused on murdering FBI informants, among others. The bloodless indictment by comparison likely will end with three men serving three-year prison sentences. The key count in the indictment is conspiracy to extort members of the International Longshoremen’s Association for Christmastime tribute payments, according to New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch . Genovese s...

Italian Law Enforcement Officials Call It Italy's Fifth Major Mafia Group Mafia Capitale is based in Rome. In a story posted this week about Matteo Messina Denaro ,  The Independent notes that Italian law enforcement has uncovered what is believed to be Italy's fifth major Mafia group. It's based in Rome. The organized crime group is less violent prone than the traditional Mafias and seems to largely rely on corruption. In terms of age, it goes back "at least three administrations."

Now available at a holiday promotional price as part of the Kindle Countdown Deal: Cosa Nostra News: The Cicale Files, Volume 1: Inside the Last Great Mafia Empire . Life (and death) inside the Mafia... in the words of a former Bonanno capo.... Dominick Cicale was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. From a young age he was closely associated with the Genovese crime family, considered the most powerful Mafia group in America. Fate intervened.  In 1999 Cicale forged a tight alliance with Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano, then an up-and-coming member of the Bronx faction of the Bonanno crime family. Under Basciano’s tutelage, Dominick rode the fast track: he was inducted into the American Cosa Nostra and swiftly rose from soldier to capo, amassing great wealth and power. Cicale befriended and associated with numerous high-ranking figures within all of New York's Five Families as he plotted and schemed in a treacherous world where each day could be his last....

No this is not Javier Bardem; it is "Joey the Clown" Lombardo. We have always been fascinated by Chicago Outfit member Giuseppe Lombardi -- aka Joseph Patrick “Joey the Clown” Lombardo Sr. (born January 1, 1929), who is serving life in prison. Gus Russo indicated  Lombardo may have been the boss or part of a panel of bosses. However, the nice, neat and likely extensively inaccurate Wikipedia entry notes that from 1999 to 2007, "Joey the Clown" Lombardo was consiglieri. Actually, we have seen that title attached to Lombardo in many other stories. Let's say he was a "high-ranking" member and be done with it.

Some of you may have already heard or read this story. I assume many of you have not... From the MailOnline, which published this in April 2011 : It is a Mafia murder mystery that has remained unsolved for years. But investigators finally believe they might have got to the bottom of what happened to family mobster Nicholas Cirillo, who vanished seven years ago and has not been seen since - his death may have been ordered by his own father. Genovese gangster Nicholas disappeared on Mothers' Day 2004, two weeks after an altercation in the Bronx with fellow mob man Vincent Jr. Basciano and Dominick Cicale, part of the infamous Bonanno family.

By Ida Libby Dengrove Boots, left, and his lawyer Klein. REVISED SLIGHTLY: We'd hate to hazard a guess as to how many Mafiosi are named in Selwyn Raab's excellent Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires . But we do know one who is not mentioned. Raab not only failed to name this Bonanno family gangster; the former New York Times investigative reporter also inadvertently credited onetime Bonanno consiglieri Anthony Spero for something that resulted from the innovation of this unnamed mobster.

DeStefano's book, due next June. Due for a June 1, 2015 release, Anthony DeStefano 's history of organized crime in New York City from the mid-19th Century until today is titled Gangland New York: The Places and Faces of Mob History . An author we make it a point to read , DeStefano has noted on his blog that, in writing the book, he sorted through hundreds of archival and current photographs "but it was worth the effort." "Gangland New York" deals not only with Italian organized crime but also "the gangs and criminal combinations of the Irish, Chinese, Jews, Russians, Albanians and many others, including the Greeks."

Junior is... the conceiver... Mafia Series Based on True Events in Development From 'Mortal Instruments' Producer (Exclusive) - TheWrap : A new scripted series about a mafia war that spanned U.S. and Canadian borders is in development from Don Carmody Television, Suzanne DeLaurentiis Productions and Triplicity Entertainment. Conceived by former New York mobster John A. Gotti (pictured above), the scripted period series is inspired by true events that took place in a power struggle between the New York mafia and two rival mafia families in Canada.

You never would've heard of Frank Palmeri, a Gambino crime family mobster, if he wasn't incorrectly identified as an underboss by Italian officials. Francesco Palmeri US and Italian law enforcement officers arrested Palmeri, 61, in December 2014 in his Brooklyn apartment as part of a larger crackdown in Italy and Brooklyn. Two other alleged mobsters were arrested in the US and five in Italy. When Italian police identified tbe Sicilian-born Palmeri as the underboss of New York City’s Gambino family, the story was given instant global coverage. Who is Francesco Palmeri? In December 2014, there was no relevant information about a Gambino mobster named Palmeri. The arrests were said to be related to a Ndrangheta-Gambino ring that law enforcement previously smashed apart . Gambino crime family consiglieri Bartolomeo "Baboots" Vernace, was this year sentenced to life in prison for the 1981 "Shamrock murders," a double homicide. Jos...

Photo of "English Shaun" from an over-the-top newspaper story. From Jon's Jail Journal --  Prison Tattoos: What Teardrop Means In Jail : See video below in which Shaun Attwood explains what the teardrop tattoo means, as well as different variations of it.... English Shaun, who was featured on a NatGeo program, spent six years in one of America’s toughest jails—run by Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County. (I incorrectly reported in a previous story that he had served a "few" years; it was more than a few.) This blog features a  few stories about "English Shaun," a good friend. One of my personal favorites is about  an old-school mobster with whom Shaun had done prison time.  Shaun is an author  and he recently released a new version of his book "Hard Time: Life with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in America's Toughest Jail ." The 2nd Edition of the book is free via whichever link is appropriate: UKKindle ,  USAKindle ,  iTunes ,  Kobo ,...

TG Graziano had five acting capos around him. One of the first things Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano did as acting boss of the Bonanno family was bust down the five acting capos that Anthony "TG" Graziano had around him, according to our colleague and former Bonanno capo Dominick Cicale. "What is this? The Bonanno family or the Graziano family?"  Basciano complained to Dom, referring to the Staten Island-based capo who reportedly has since been shelved by the family because of " Mob Wives ," the reality show that was the brainchild of TG's daughter Jennifer; Renee, one of the show's stars, is another of his daughters.

Natalie is smokin'... From Enstars : The new season of VH1 hit reality show Mob Wives should be called World War III because the woman on the show are at war, literally, and the drama doesn't look like it's dying down anytime soon. Season 5 of the reality series made its debut on Wednesday and by the looks of the show, it's clear that the women may be not be in a jolly mood this holiday season. During the season 5 premiere of 'Trust No One,' viewers quickly learn that cast mates Angela Raiola (Big Ang) and Drita D'avanzo are now opening up to Natalie Guercio (Renee Graziano's sworn enemy) and of course that wasn't going to sit well with Graziano. Luckily for Graziano, she didn't cast all of her trust in one basket, and her BFF Karen Gravano is back and the two are not a force to be reckoned with; Guercio is going to learn this lesson the hard way. In addition to the dynamic duo being the best of friends, their fans have their backs, and a...

"Kayo was an animal on a leash for [Bonanno capo Joe]  Zicarelli and others.  All they had to do was unsnap the leash and he'd kill for the fun of it."  -- Federal agent "Kayo" Konigsberg struggles with detectives. An 89-year-old mob hitman  who was probably responsible for the murder of Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo, a high ranking Genovese crime family capo, died in late November, about two years after finishing a 50-year prison sentence. Harold "Kayo" Konigsberg died five days after his 89th birthday and was buried in Florida, where he'd been living in a nursing home and terrorizing his fellow residents.

We wanna give props to Jose Lambiet of Gossip Extra -- finally, someone out there recognized us -- and actually included a live link!! It was due to our story on Kayo : BREAKING NEWS — Retired Mob Hit Man Who Bullied Residents in Broward County Assisted Living Dead at 89! : "According to Cosa Nostra News, Konigsberg shot and/or strangled his victims with his bare hands. Many times, the bodies of the people he killed could not be found." Jose Lambiet  is one okay dude in our book!!!!

Frank Cullotta warned "Frankie Blue" An interesting story on  Tony Spilotro is on Gangland Wire : On June 9, 1980, the night Frank Bluestein, aka “Frankie Blue” , was murdered, Frank Cullotta had warned him that the Las Vegas police department was following him. "Frankie Blue" knew someone was on his ass, but he was certain it was criminals -- a group with bad intentions, looking to rob him. And that didn't give him a moment's pause. It was actually an occupational hazard. Garbage men may tweak their back while hefting trash cans, mobsters might get shot or robbed or both. So "Frankie Blue" was like “ I got a gun if anybody tries to rob me .”

Life in the Gallo crew Mob Candy publisher Frank DiMatteo has written a memoir -- now available -- about his life in the crew of Joseph "Crazy Joey" Gallo. Introduction: "I guess you can say each person has a choice of which road to follow in life, sometimes you don't have the power to make that choice. In my case, life came at me so fast that I never had the opportunity to hit the brakes. I grew up around my father's world, a world that few have ever learned to understand or justify. That world has been termed "The Underworld". You might say, I was bred into the Mafia. It was always around me and I was always around it. I knew the ways of the street as well as I knew my ABC's, in fact, I knew the streets better. I knew all these men and they all knew me, most of them watched me grow from a baby to the full grown man I am today, Frank DiMatteo. This was the world I grew up in and to me, it was as normal as family life on televisi...

Andrew DiDonato 's downfall was already under way before he even realized it. But he knew without a doubt that his boss and cohorts were sizing him for a body bag. Experience taught Andrew how to find the traps. This was a skill quickly cultivated by Mafia associates who planned on living a long life, especially associates who took to the life with DiDonato's vigor. Former Gambino associate Andrew DiDonato. Ultimately, Andrew never killed anyone. To this day he is thankful that he never crossed that line. Andrew's book (written with true-crime writer Dennis N. Griffin , Surviving the Mob: A Street Soldier's Life in the Gambino Crime Family ) is dense with details of his many years on the street as a Gambino associate in the crew run by capo Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo. DiDonato made enemies out of major leaders in two crime families (in the end, three, including his own) during his years on the street. He once shot another man point blank in the head...

Genovese capo Daniel Pagano, last August. The Rockland DA's Office took down an alleged Mafia-linked sports-betting ring today, with more than a dozen arrests this morning. Fourteen suspects are charged with multiple felony counts following a 16-month probe into a multimillion-dollar monthly sports-betting ring that allegedly operated in Rockland, New York City, Bergen County in New Jersey, and Florida, according to law enforcement officials. All those arrested were arraigned and released without bail today. The ring took bets on professional football, basketball, baseball and college sports, Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.

Courtesy of Wikipedia "In the 1970s and ’80s, state and federal officials proclaimed Palm Springs a Mafia haven, saying it had been that way since the 1960s...."  The Desert Sun is running a five-part series that explores how the Mafia established a presence in Southern California's Coachella Valley. Stories in the series so far (see end for link): Gangsters in Paradise Mafia leaders liked to spend their winters in the desert. They didn’t like any dirty business in their backyard, but that didn’t stop them from murdering a PS civic leader in Indiana.