Emails from Wiseguys Who Read Cosa Nostra News
I get lots of email. Mostly from mob enthusiasts asking me to cover this or that.
I have yet to receive a communique from, say, a beautiful women in town seeking someone to show her New York's many unique splendors.
Sometimes I get emails from mobsters.
I can vouch that all of the following are authentic. They've been slightly edited; some details were removed or changed to protect identities as these weren't written for publication.
(I'd rather get that email from our hypothetical beautiful woman.)
On this blog in general:
Hi Ed, just sending this e-mail to thank you for looking at the other side of why many of us flip and join team America, my name is Al, (not my real name) and I was a associate of the Bonanno family, my mentor was James" Big Louie" Tartaglione, and I was very dear friends with Mike Scars..., I was always in Queens (Astoria crew) I spent most of my adult life in the world of LCN, I just wanted to thank you for showing the other side of why guys flip, I had to flip or die, I would of done a 100 years in prison but I stopped buying into the life when I witnessed so many double dealings with stand up guys getting the shaft, me being one, this life became more about the dollar than honor, I've seen so many very smart guys flip from crews in all of the 5 families, that's why I made the move, again thank you, Keep the Blog going...
The Alite-Junior thing:
It's too much of a personal food fight that doesn't hold much interest for me, but has to be great for your site. I've always said that sons of wiseguys should be banned from ever getting made, so I don't put much stock in what Jr. says. Alite is a grunt who is too bitter to make his great wealth of information interesting. They need to shoot it out at 20 paces and get it over with or get married. Only married couples usually hate each other that much.
On John Junior Gotti:
Junior Gotti: "They don't see my mother, 23 years without my father. They don't see my wife without me. They don't see houses and buildings that were taken from me. Businesses that were taken from me. They don't see the price that we had to pay, the tolls that were taken on my children. They don't see any of it."
What a sniveling piece of shit. How did he get the houses and buildings and businesses in the first place. What does he think, life is finders keepers; possession 9/10 of the law? And the tolls taken on his family? Real men know that anything that happens is because of choices they made, and DO NOT whine like a little girl...
On public perception of famous turncoats:
(They) will tell lies to make themselves look better and the other guy look worse. It's hard for the average guy to wade through the bullshit. Michael Franzese, for example, says, "I never ratted out a mob guy," but doesn't mention that he testified against Norby Walters, who was with his stepfather, Sonny, and was like an uncle to him. Henry Hill never mentioned that most thought he was a punk and potential rat, and used the statement, "You respect a dog for his master," when referring toward him because Paulie loved him. Pete the Greek (Joe Gallo's "bodyguard" who took a bullet in the ass) never mentioned he ran out on a score because he was scared and left me and another guy in the place. They're all full of shit.
When you walk into a prison and the door clangs shut behind you, if you can't say, "This isn't as bad as where I grew up," you shouldn't be there.....
On Mob Wives, the VH1 show:
That whole Mob Wives crew is a waste. I have never watched the show because I resent the images they represent, which are the worst of the women in our lives, but don't show the best, our mothers, good wives, sisters, and daughters, which were the majority. On the other hand, I realize that we have brought a lot of pain to those women, and if some, like those on Mob Wives, could capitalize on that and get financial rewards because of it, good luck to them. From what I see, they have gone from bad to worse in the real world instead of using the success to improve. Fuck'em.
On banning boss's kids:
From when I was a teen I firmly believed that bosses' kids should be banned from the mob. When I was stealing they were strutting; when I was shooting they were playing gangster; when the bullets were coming my way they were nowhere to be found. Those guys wind with positions they haven't earned, and like a hollow chocolate bunny shatter when they get hit. The truth that mob guys never understood is that conditions make toughguys, NOT ethnicity or genetics. When you walk into a prison and the door clangs shut behind you, if you can't say, "This isn't as bad as where I grew up," you shouldn't be there.....
Wiseguys or Stupidguys?
Have mob guys traditionally been known as "wiseguys" or "stupidguys?" When the shit hits the fan, the wise clicks in and they instantly review all the guys who have rolled over and are out on the street without worry of being killed. They ask themselves why they should be morons and spend the rest of their lives in prison or get to the table first and beat guys who will only roll on them. They look at a co-defendant and wonder if he's already working on a deal to betray them. So they decide to dip a toe in the water and see what deal is swimming around there first. A proffer is the way they go. If they don't get what they want they go back to prison; nothing gained, nothing lost. What they don't think about is that the promise the Feds give them that the proffer will never be made public or be used is a lie. Everything comes out. The bigger name they are, the more pointed the questions, the lesser the deal offered them (supply and demand), and the thought of what life will be like afterward depending on their age and how many years they think they have left. Better to die a hero or a scumbag? If they were offered the key they'd have jumped, but no key was instantly in view.
Ed u never stop seaming to amaze with your articles. This guy is pretty much on point. Ill get flak from the ratt hatters but what.s new. You get a kid like Jr or Urkle some wise guys call him and he gets street cred for being Daddys lap dog and the guy who constantly in the trences gets shit on it takes its toll after a while u smarten up real quick start holding back ur scores and making ur own moves with out the ok and eventually ir no good and ur choice is die or turn. Perfect example Lefty two guns in the movie they mafe him look like a real slap dick. Sonny Black passes him over because Donnie was a better earner and takes him under his wing. I understand its just a movie but a proven point this guy Al makes herr they leave u no choice. Fuck the made guy bullshit to i know more guys that are associates that get more respect than the made guy. That.s another problem when the jealousie starts. I can go on and on seen first hand with my guy he use to play everbody against one another. Same for Skinny and Georgie Borgesi but i was buffered from them. As for this guy Al he.s on point. And i always said ill do my time for my fuckups but im not foing lif
ReplyDeleteEd ladt cimment was.nt finished then disappeared philly
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about it, pal...
ReplyDeleteAnyway ed nice letters nice article are they from different people or same guy nsmed al
ReplyDeleteSounds like another rat trying to explain his life away. I was with big Louie in Fort dixs he talked a good game on the compound but was meeting with the Feds all awhile and in my mind he was part of team America before he walk out the door every body new but they still kiss his ass Frankie fap to sat there cursing mikie scars soon as he left the same guys that were kissing his ass said he would flip in 30 days it's all bull shit there is no more Honor be your own man and walk with your head held high.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have to start deleting comments because they point out inaccuracies and misleading info in stories then sorry but you lose what little credibility there was to begin with. Esp on something like this which could have just was easily come from Bigfoot. Just Saying !
ReplyDeleteEd, as you can see from posting those letters theirs a lot of bitter people in there, this is the reason why these guys come out n go right back into the life, from reading the letters you can see that they feel their owed something and what they think their owed is from that life, hence them going right back in it.
ReplyDeleteSome interesting tidbits in those letters. Thanks for sharing Ed.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Great article, Ed. I believe I've said it on a number of posts that the guys who make it in the life are the ones related to the higher-ups, unless you're a massive earner. I like the guy that says if the jail doesn't seem like where you grew up you don't belong there. That's the truth. Prison is like living in the projects or tenement ghettos.
ReplyDeleteFrankie Fap from 18th Ave? He used to walk around like Gotti on steroids and then he flipped? That guy?
ReplyDeleteIf i remember Old School u commented about that last wk the reason the old guys who did.nt talk because of the life they had before the life they chose i believe u said. I begiinming to see why they go back in it and if they fail its three hots and a cott. Philly
ReplyDeleteGreat post Ed, I know many guys from E Harlem and the Bronx who are tough guys with or without a gun and who did thier time and some of them are well known and a few not known at all. I can only speak for 2 of the families that they are with but my point is we only hear about the guys that went bad or were not loyal which is true but there are still real men out there even in this fucked up day and age. I also know some scumbags too lol just my 2 cents thanks
ReplyDeleteVery true statement
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blog Skinny .Lol Philly
ReplyDeleteRecommended reading, Man of Honor by Joe Bonanno
ReplyDeleteAside from the first guys letter, the others are Old timers who lived the life for decades, served long-ass time in prison. Most are retired, but some quite active. Won't say more than that....
ReplyDeleteActually, we have a mutual friend, David. I have to like something up and I'll be back.
ReplyDeleteTwo stories upcoming: life as a Gambino associate in Queens (Stephen Newell)....then the Cowboy Crew.... I've been busy with work-work and am behind schedule. This stories will be up asap.
ReplyDeleteI have a question, when is a guy a rat? When he does a proffer? When he admits guilt? When he takes a plea? When he testifies? Or when he goes on TV,gets his own show and explains how gambling and bookmaking work? Flipping channels last night and I see a guy on A&E ( I think that's the channel) explaining his gambling ring. Off shore bets, wacking up cash, collecting money. Its crazy how loose everyone is
ReplyDeleteWhere'd Cap live? I know ... deleted it from the published email but he says in the actual email...
ReplyDeleteAccording to mobsters I think it's pretty clear. The moment you act on an impulse to give information to law enforcement. Remember how pissed Nino Gaggi got at Roy Demeo for making small talk with a detective. Roy said it was just casual conversation but Nino responded with "You can't speak to someone that long and not possibly give something away."
ReplyDeleteGuy who wrote the first email is from one of the Islands. ... Long or Staten....
ReplyDeletewould like to read the rest on steve ed I know him well very good dude been in touch with him the shit he was telling me
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Nino notoriously hated cops with every bone in his body.
ReplyDeleteEd Scarpo.... When I first began reading articles on your site you reported news about the mob such as indictments, court proceedings , etc. Now you've taken on this pro rat perspective . Even helping a full blown scumbag like Dom Cicale make money since his release. Maybe you should change the name of your blog from Costa nostra news to " life after becoming a mob rat " ?
ReplyDeleteTake ur time were not going any where thats what makes this site so great the facts and ur sources and stories are on point. Philly
ReplyDeleteAJ, Robert Milano gotta be the top guy from both of those neighborhoods, old school tough as nails and made one helluva homemade sour kraut onion something or other for the hot dogs for the cookouts we used to have by WeeGee's club on E. 115th when we dressed the giglio with Trigger Mike's nephew flipping the burgers. I think they still do it on pleasant ave in the summer. I don't know about Johnny Z though. He's always boozed up on the Johnny Walker black. I do miss Johnny Echoes. One helluva guy. I couldn't believe how Joey Meldisch deteriorated on the dope before he went down and they never caught who whacked his brother a couple of years ago. You are right, though. There are still some heavy hitters around from there. I put on some other post that the greasers and Calabrians will eventually takeover what's left in another 20 or 25 years. Maybe I gotta change that now that I think about it. Maybe another 40 years.
ReplyDeleteI said it before and I'll say it again, it's better then hanging out in social clubs, not that there are much left.
ReplyDelete