Have you ever dealt with the Italian-American mafia?

You don't need to know nothing, OP.

Yes, socially. Two of them, both names would be recognized on this board, hello. One's long dead, the other's old and retired for a long time. Why don't people realize they had lives that took them to mundane places and did mundane things, right? Like a burger on Saturday night or a vacation to Bermuda or wherever?

Got caught counting cards at a downtown LV casino in the 70s. Won a good amount of $ before being escorted from the casino with my acquaintances who were also in on it. The nice man let us know we could never come back and reminded us that people like ourselves were planted all over the desert.

Briefly. In law school, I did an internship at the US Attorney's Office. I shot the breeze with a mobster for a couple of minutes. Not about the case, of course.

[quote] the Italian-American mafia?

As opposed to the Norwegian American mafia?

'Ndrangheta, please.

I was working for a charity that was given a table to sell some items at a concert venue. The concert was one of those, "a portion of the proceeds." Apparently some of the regular vendors were mad at how well we were doing. These two 40 or 50 something guys dressed like they were from Casino swooped down barely said anything and took most of our merch and the cashbox. Me and this other girl were "ushered" into a back office. We got to leave with the money raised but the way they acted and what they said made me think they were mafia or at least thugs of some kind. Working for a nonprofit sucked sometimes.

when I was in college, a roommate dated someone who was connected. that person's family owned sanitation garbage biz in tri-state a area.

I warn people about my nonexistent relatives. It’s funny because they often believe it but anyone in the know knows you wouldn’t normally share that.

are Italians supposed to be loud? as in talk very loudly? how would you deal with them if you had to? Men and women. some tips pls.

My Boston landlord and his no count son were spectacularly assassinated while dining at their usual hangout/restaurant. It was a big story at the time.

Hmm...when I was an over-stressed, and (somewhat still naiv) grad student in Chicago-living in Little Italy- I was amazed why the particularly *Scenic* neighborhood I lived in seemed to be rather devoid of crime. I.E.- the bodegas weren't being smashed and grabbed constantly, I never had my wallet lifted walking in the area, etc, despite living in the vicinity of no less than a couple of Police stations.

I asked this question one day, to an older tenant in the apartment above me, and he gave me this kind of reproachful chuckle, "What? You never noticed our 'Watcher'?" Of course I looked at him blankly. ( In my defense I was usually pathetically exhausted) . Finally, it dawned on me he might mean the *slightly* out of place man who seemed to dutifully walk, what had to be an AKC breed worth Akita, round the neighborhood a few times a day at least. Always dressed impeccably mind you- if Wilson's leather and gold watches are your thing.

So yeah, the "Watcher" was * Family* and tended to hibernate a lot in the local pizza place as well, as if that doesn't just top it all off, but honestly, when I realized what he was doing, I was (truthfully) a little grateful- cause there were some EXTREMELY fucked up and dangerous areas around us.

Not that I condone mob activity at all or anything.

R12, the mob should move in the ghetto areas of Chicago. Cut down the black on black violence.

[quote] As opposed to the Norwegian American mafia?

There’s the Irish mob, the Jewish, the Russian mob…

[quote] As opposed to the Norwegian American mafia?

There’s the Irish mob, the Jewish mob, the Russian mob…

The Italian mob cleaned up a lot of places. Everyone will tell you that. Even Joan Rivers used to talk about how better Vegas was with them and Atlantic City. FDR hired them to handle the ports during WWII. Those ports were safe.

Well, sorta. Italian and Jewish mobs were hired for the ports.

Mussolini was hated by Italian-Americans.

My very tenuous connections are as follows:

A Houston mobster (!) lived in my gated suburban neighborhood and was attacked driving home one day. In his limo. About 50 yards from the entrance. Scores of bullet holes but I don’t recall if he survived.

My husband’s friend is closely related to the Joe Pesci character in The Irishman.

Hell yeah! R12 sounds like South Philly! What I don't like is when people think you are Mafia because you're Italian.

In my twenties I had a few fuckbuddies that were clearly Mafia.

One was a hot, furry older guy in his fifties. Very typically Sopranos style guy. A fun fuck a few times but not a longterm thing, obviously.

Another guy took me longer to figure out. Very brooding type and after I put two and two together that was the end of it. But damn, he was huge.

I think we had a few guys around like R12 mentions, and I was grateful for their presence. I minded my own business and they minded theirs.

I lived in a few cities in the Rust Belt and Mafia guys were pretty much everywhere. Hell, one of the cities had a Mafia dude as mayor for decades.

I grew up on Staten Island.

So yeah.

What about the gay mafia?

R13 - Wishful thinking. They are not there as they got run out from the high crime rate. 12-year-olds with guns are not afraid of Vito.

Related by marriage

Wishing wishing, R23. Mafia are more ruthless than wanna-be gangsters.

I’ve dealt with the Italian American dick. One of my dudes claimed to have involvement with them. Can’t say no more.

R25 - It doesn't matter when it's 5,000 to 12. Ask the feds.

[quote] are Italians supposed to be loud?

Depends on where they're from.

Neapolitans are LOUD. Sicilians are whispery quiet. (They speak very inside their mouths--I don't know how to describe it.)

Films and TV make people think the Mafia was glamorous and a big outfit in big cities, but a lot of the network was small town stuff.

This was a great book and accurately captured the town and the era.

Italians have beer can cocks. You’ve been warned.

......

R31, why did you post this "......" four minutes after the prior post?

A distant relative married into the Gambino (?) family. I think it was Gambino.

Greeks. Bad news.

Is there even a Jewish mafia left? Unlike the Italians, the Jews never wanted or expected their children to join the "family business." Rather, organized crime was the means of getting out of poverty, the Lower Eastside and other ghettos, and into educated, professional affluence.

R3, I'm curious. How do they catch you counting cards or how do they prove it? Don't you just do it in your head?

Yes - the son of the big mafia boss in my area (who was deceased for a while) used to come in my store all the time and spend money. After his father died in the early 80s (after running the mafia for about 50 years) , he tried to take over and was quickly sent to prison for screwing up (he was not as smart as his dad). Anyhow, once he got out of jail, he was still respected and still had his father's money. He loved to shop my store for any holidays - especially Christmas. The last time I saw him was the last Christmas I had my store open - 2010. He came in early in the day on Christmas Eve with his 'chauffer' - a guy about ten years younger than me who was drop-dead gorgeous with a killer body. Later on, his chauffer came back to the store and asked to speak to me in private (yikes! what did I do wrong?). I took him in my back office and he told me his boss was having a private Christmas party that night at his home (re: mansion) and he wanted me to go. I told him I already had plans with my family that night (I did) so I wouldn't be able to make it...and I hoped his boss would understand (I knew I took a big risk saying 'no'). He said OK, he would tell his boss, but maybe 'some other time' . II was interested - but 'some other time' never came, and I closed my store a few months after. I miss him and his hot chauffer.

r29, That group from Johnstown, Pa had an accountant who lived in my hometown. My younger sister was best friends with his daughter. He was later indicted. I don't remember the outcome, as I had moved away by then.

An Italian guy I know at work is 6 foot 3, he talks loud and is intimidating. but his shoe size is only size 9.

R36, Downtown was known for single-deck blackjack. Remember, this is the early 70s. There were 3 of us playing at the table, us and the dealer. We tried to be cool but it was like 3 am and there were few players around. So you're counting plus-minus and it comes down to a perfect situation in your favor, and all 3 of you have been doing fairly 'normal' bets. Suddenly all three of you lay out huge bets. It becomes evident what you're up to. The dealer could tell. We won and were asked to wait. We were personally escorted out by a couple of disturbing individuals. As we left the table the dealer said to me, "My grandmother could have won that hand". We were told never to show our faces there again. They let us leave and were unhappy. The good news is we made out nicely money-wise but we were shitscared... concerned. This isn't something you want to do, especially if alone. It's why there were 3 of us.

R35 Correct. Jews had higher iqs.

Yes, with the sons of very well known Jewish and Italian members of the Chicago Outfit. As in grade school through high school. Got into a fight with one of them in 4th grade. Principal at school sat us down and said we should talk it out and we should be friends. We had known each since first grade and rose the same school bud. They lived about 1/4 mile away. So [name withheld] said I could come over for a pool party and sleep over. My mom said no way in hell was I to go over there. “But Mom, they have a bowling alley in the basement!” Didn’t cut any ice with her.

[quote] rose the same school bud

Did you mean "rod the same school bus"?

[quote] Is there even a Jewish mafia left? Unlike the Italians, the Jews never wanted or expected their children to join the "family business." Rather, organized crime was the means of getting out of poverty, the Lower Eastside and other ghettos, and into educated, professional affluence.

R35 My mother, aunt, and maternal grandparents lived in Brownsville, Brooklyn in the 1920s and 1930s. "Murder, Incorporated," which was part of the Jewish NYC mafia of the time (mostly consisting of hitmen) was located there. In fact, in tracing my family's residences in Brooklyn while doing ancestry research, I discovered one of the apartments they lived in was down the street from what was then "Midnight Rose's Candy Shop," which was the front for Murder, Inc. When I told my aging aunt that she had lived near the candy store that was the mafia hangout, she said, "Oh, everyone knew that's what it was."

When I said to my best friend, who is far more worldly than I, that it must have been frightening for my family to live there, my friend said they were probably very safe there because the neigbhorhood would have been controlled by the mob. Then, after I described my grandfather's mysterious work history, my friend said my grandfather was probably working for the mob, not as a killer, but in a subsidiary role.

[quote] Correct. Jews had higher iqs.

R41 It's my understanding that Meyer Lansky (ultimately the head of Murder, Inc.) was initially brought into the Italian mafia because he was a math wiz. Apparently, none of available Italian men were that good with math! They needed Lansky for things like tax fraud and other types of financial accounting sleight of hand.

[quote] rose the same school bud

[quote] Did you mean "rod the same school bus"?

Third time's a charm.

Perhaps "rode the same school bus?"

I was working in Providence Rhode Island. I was telling a coworker about what a pain in the ass another coworker was. He said to me, “Would you like me to have him taken care of?”

R14. The mob but not the mafia.

I knew a guy from the North End of Boston, his family was mafia. They were great, actually, never had any trouble from them and I wasn't afraid of them (never crossed them or borrowed money either).

The only mob guys that ever scared me were the Russian mob up in San Francisco. I used to have to deal with the right-hand-man of the thieving then-president of Ukraine. He was a thug who escaped from Ukraine with a sizeable fortune years ago. Much scarier than the Italian mob, you could feel it when they walked into a room. These Russians are for real. I wouldn't cross them for any reason.

So does small feet equate to small dick?

OP .....There is no such thing as the Mafia.

[quote] As opposed to the Norwegian American mafia?

Boy, do they run those MN apple strudel shops as successful money laundering fronts or what?

I remember St. Olaf's local mobster, Henny "The Herring" Ljungberg ...

It is how the maternal side of my family immigrated to the U.S. Back in the old country my mother's oldest brother married a woman whose father was involved and he went to work for his father-in-law. Uncle came to this country with his in-laws and then sponsored his family over (his parents/my grandparents, his two brothers/my uncles and sister/my mother). He was killed at age 36 as the result of a dispute over the paving of a shopping center parking lot his "construction" company did. Somehow, his widow ended up OWNING the shopping center after his death. Uncle #2 took over his brother's position and was a far greater bastard than Uncle #1. I've told this story here before: As a six-year-old I witnessed Uncle #2 beat up my grandfather on a concrete basement floor causing him to have a heart attack and die. Dispute was over grandpa discussing at a card game with his buddies the details of a bid Uncle's "construction" company was submitting for a city job. So many disputes and deaths in this fucking disturbed family involved "construction". Uncle #2 was also in the newspapers for a city job his "construction" company did using inferior materials that resulted in deaths. I only keep in touch with Uncle #3's family as they were never involved with any of this shit.

Family on my paternal side is complete opposite. All still back in Italy, average middle-class folks not involved in anything nefarious. I inherited property from that side and will be retiring to bella Italia to be with them in the near future.

R53 MARY!

I mean MARIA!

[quote][R53] MARY! I mean MARIA!

I forgot to mention mafioso Uncle #2 grabbed six-year-old me by the neck and slammed me against a wall raging about how I had "disgraced" the family by screaming when he was beating up grandpa and the neighbors heard me screaming and came running over.

R55 Ugh, that's terrible. I hope you're gotten over that.

R40, thanks for explaining. That was interesting. So they basically can tell by the results (you all shifting to big bets on the same hand), and they don't have to prove it--they can throw out anyone they like. It sounds like a fun and dangerous situation.

I guess I didn't really think they could see you counting in your heads, but I didn't know what else it could be. That's what would give me away. I would probably be looking up to the side while doing quick rundowns in my head of the data I'd accumulated, but I'm a little bit of a dummy when it comes to juggling a lot of mental factors.

Wait, though. Dummy here again. Isn't that the right way to win at blackjack anyway--remembering which cards have been played and figuring out your best play as things evolve? I'll have to read up on this.

R42, just enough clues for me to suspect who the boy's dad was. That and the Chicago connection.

[quote] Isn't that the right way to win at blackjack anyway--remembering which cards have been played and figuring out your best play as things evolve?

R40 was talking about early '70s, single-deck blackjack, plus 3 people (not just the card-counter) being in on the scheme. Frankly, it sounded OK to me except for 3 people being in cahoots.

The rules of blackjack are mostly about looking at the dealer's face card, assuming there's a ten under there, and knowing when to stand, when to hit. Also, when to split cards (two aces). In a nutshell, if you hit, you're most likely to get a ten (tens, jacks, queens, & kings).

R19, but do you resent when people DON'T think you're connected? That was Elliot's dilemma on Just Shoot Me.

[quote] Is there even a Jewish mafia left?

Yep, full of Russian Jews now. One scam after another in places like NY.

Sexual blackmail operations and J. Edgar Hoover

Lansky is credited with having "controlled" compromising pictures of a sexual nature featuring former FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover with his longtime aide, Clyde Tolson. In his book, Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover, biographer Anthony Summers cites multiple primary sources regarding Lansky's use of blackmail to gain influence with politicians, policemen and judges. One such stage for the acquisition of blackmail materials were orgies held by late attorney and Lansky protégé, Roy Cohn, and liquor magnate, Lewis Rosenstiel, who had lasting ties with the Mafia from his bootleg operations during Prohibition.

The release of FBI files on Lansky[32] revealed extensive monitoring and investigation, which makes it harder to explain why Lansky was not pursued to conviction, unless he successfully evaded it by blackmail. Cohn copied this model of blackmail to control politicians and evade conviction himself.[33]

,,,,.,.,.,.,

R64, why did you post this ",,,,.,.,.,.," 11 minutes after the prior post?

Since you seem to be super pressed about this every time it happens, R65, I have sometimes posted whatever characters for space filler to try to correct an issue with the way Thread Watcher and counts show up in my thread list. It's an issue with the platform.

I suppose I could post "bump" but then someone would hiss and ask "why did you bump this thread when someone just made a comment 6.78536728193877 minutes ago?"

I'm so sorry that doing this infuriates you to the point where you want to spontaneously burst into flames and burn for all eternity in unparalleled rage and horror. No one else has ever noticed.

Wow, that's dumb.

I grew up in a neighborhood inhabited by the real life characters in Scorsese movies. Grew up with and knew all their kids.

Obviously film and TV really exaggerates some of it.

But in a lot of ways they get it very right. The Sopranos, especially.

[quote] Yep, full of Russian Jews now. One scam after another in places like NY.

Are they really a mafia, or are they just criminals?

R11 Gunned down in 1995 in Somerville, MA? If so, your landlord was my uncle.

I have a friend who is a true NY Mafia princess. She has the most amazing stories. Even though her father died years ago and her mother had an 'accident' not long after, she still doesn't sit in a restaurant with her back to the door and she doesn't like having her picture taken by anyone.

[quote] Gunned down in 1995 in Somerville, MA? If so, your landlord was my uncle.

So you're about Roman's age, R71?

Oh yes, I had to pay ridiculously high rates to our waste management (dumpster pick up) company in our Mt. Vernon, NY. facility back in the 80s. The company was mob owned. I was told by one of our old timer employees that if I complained about the rates they'd probably burn the building down. I understand that all those mob owned waste management companies are now kaput because the mob guys who ran them are all either in prison for life, or dead.

so the mob no long control the waste mgmt companies?

nice. you learn something new everyday here on DL

My sister fell in love with an Italian in the early 1970s and moved back to Sicily with him. His mum used to be the doctor's secretary. I used to go on holiday as a kid and stay at their apartment.

One morning I went to get myself some breakfast, Nutella spread on biscuits, when I opened the cupboard door to get the Nutella, all these rolls of Italian lira rolled out on top of me. It's where she kept the doctor's money out of sight of the mafia!

Things haven’t been the same since Al Bruno got shot.

Quite a while back I worked in NYC and took the bus to the subway stop. On one of my trips a man pulled over in his car and offered me a ride to the subway because I was standing at the bus stop in a blizzard waiting for the bus for a long time. 2 buses already passed the stop because they were full, everyone was taking the bus to get out of the snow. So I took him up on it, being I was freezing out there waiting for a bus for 30 min and late already for work.

On the way to the subway stop we chatted and he was a really nice guy, intelligent and polite. The car was an expensive Oldsmobile. Instead of dropping me off at the subway he offered to and I agreed to a ride all the way into Manhattan from Queens to my job. It turned out we were having the worst blizzard in years and the bosses at work told me go home, they had to close for the day. No one could get in due to the city to work due to the blizzard. It was pretty bad.

His name was Andy and his last name really is a well known mafia name. He was Italian, bragging after I got to know him his brother was very very wealthy lived upstate with a mansion with statues on the top of it. Was going to take me there one day. We saw each other for a little more than 2 years. I do not call him a boyfriend or a lover because we never got that involved, he never even kissed me though he tried. But I did not let it go to that length. He was married, and an older gentleman. I was in my early 20s. He told me he was retired but he did not look that old really. He took me out to breakfasts, lunches but never dinners, was home with his wife at that time. He lived in Forest Hills in an very expensive home and claimed he 'got' the judge's position as judge and the judges house, who lived next door to him. He said his money came from working for the city emptying parking meters. He was in perfect shape and played tennis everyday. Claimed his wife ran off with the local delicatessen owner and took all the money from their account when she did. Then came back to him after he dumped her.

I was so young I never questioned how he had so much money emptying parking meters but he offered to buy me stocks, a car, took me out on the Island for expensive lunches and bought me clothing, jewelry, paid for a dentist visit when I had a bad toothache and when that dentist seemingly touched me inappropriately he offered to 'take care of him' and I became so frightened for the guys life I told him no no. He was very jealous of any man I spoke to and I really never wanted a relationship with him and could not get him to leave me alone. He eventually told me he'd leave his wife to marry me. I did not want him to do so and the only way I was able to get away from him, because he would follow me in his car when I would leave the house where I lived with a room mate is when I moved. There was one time when I had a date and he later told me all about the date and what we did on it. I don't know how he could have know the things he did but he really knew. Looking back at it all from being older and more knowledgeable about life and finances and things I have for wondered about him and if he was 'connected' as they say.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

R79 but was he hot? hung?

I don't know if he was hung because I never saw him that way but he was very tall and athletic, muscular in the way a tennis player is. Very closely resembled a young Burt Lancaster. Had a deep masculine voice. Had a quick temper which was a bit frightening to me.

Loooooove these stories. In Chicago, any living mobsters left reside in Oak Park, but I think most are gone.

The Russians here are scary as hell — do not hang with Russians. I lived in a building with Russian peasants (a three-flat in Harwood Heights on Summerdale Ave down/across Cumberland from the Gacy house. Landlord was an old school Sicilian woman. The Russians were constantly drunk and let their kid bounce basketballs at 1am above my apartment. I bitched to my landlord. But what really pissed her off was when I told her that when I would go into the basement to do laundry, and they let their homeless Russian friend just sit at a table down there, drinking vodka while I did laundry — and I had a fucking newborn upstairs. She flipped the fuck out and went Donkey Kong on the Russians, God bless that little hard-ass….Italian women are STRONG. No, none of these people were mob, but they were rough enough for me lol.

I think the Russian mob is the world’s powerhouse in criminal activity, likely even more wealthy than the cartels. But the cartels are more violent.

I volunteer in a jail. I learned there that the reasons shootings are up in Chicago is that the cartels no longer deal with one gang — they basically bid out the orders to which ever gang they feel like, which means war. It used to be the cartel would deal with only the Latin Kings or whoever, but not any more.

R79, how long did this "friendship" last? did you let him suck you off? surely there must be something....how do you keep this "friendship" going for years?

R83 I always avoided the Russians in Chicago because so many had that FAS/dead behind the eyes look. If any of them were in "organized crime" it was harsher and with deeper roots than any other mob stuff.

I think there was a Polish mob in Chicago but a very localized one for their community.

Even some of the things I'd heard about the old Russian bathhouse couldn't convince me to head into that neighborhood.

A night long, long ago (I've told this story on another thread): I had a roommate who had a taste for guys who were borderline tough guys. Never believed they were actually made men but she'd bring them home. I got stuck talking to one of them and when I asked him what he did (we were in the kitchen doing lines) he came in close -- very, very close -- and said, "I'm a thug." Just enough tough guy swagger to make it believable but also something a wannabe would say.

He wanted it, I knew he wanted it, he knew that I knew. . . but that was not a good situation to misread. I still regret it.

My mother worked for a very famous mob boss on Long Island. They ran cash businesses to launder money. I hung out with his kids when we went over there or had a function. He came to my brother Bar Mitzvah too

[quote] Are they really a mafia, or are they just criminals?

No doubt both.

[quote] I think there was a Polish mob in Chicago but a very localized one for their community.

There’s a joke in there somewhere.

R82, are you a man or a woman?

I guess if he was willing to marry her, she’s a woman. It’s not a recent story.

Yes. Bland, normal looking, pleasant since I was a schoolmate of son and daughter in less-involved part of family (although their grandfather had been killed). At one time the Syrian mob was killing each other in spectacular fashion and the Italians just laughed at their clumsiness. They all said how things had gone downhill since "the good old days."

But, always, "There's no such thing as what they call "the mafia" and it's all anti-Italian propaganda. (They were, of course, Sicilian.)

just go to little italy during san gennaro festival and you see them all over the place.

[quote]These Russians are for real. I wouldn't cross them for any reason.

Don't mess with the Russians, Janice.

r57, no it's because you start suddenly betting more, double down and hit on things that go against basic strategy.

OP = Yes. Dated an Italian American guy. His ex was suing him and his parents and they all discussed offing the ex over dinner one night. It wasn't even a big deal to them. They weren't going to do it themselves but they certainly acted like they had the option and "knew a guy". They also loved loved LOVED The Godfather movies. My ex also dragged me to the Sons of Italy meetings. Lots of characters there.

I'm assuming you are a female R96?

I think a lot of people here know people who've just watched too many mafia movies and think they're "connected".

R96 = Nope. Gay. My ex boyfriend had 8 brothers and sisters. They were all fine with the gay thing. Family holidays were miserable. Endless brats running around and Dad was definitely the Patriarch. I remember they never shut up about Kitty Kelly either. How DARE she go after Sinatra!!! How DARE she!! Sinatra and Pavoratti were like patron saints to that family. They had a lot of money too. My ex boyfriend had a temper and busted my car window. He refused to fix it. Daddy saw it and asked what happened and I told him to ask his son. The window was fixed the next day.

^^^ whoops...I was responding to R97.

I grew up in a Chicago suburb where several mafia big wigs lived. Went to school with their kids. A couple of the dads were murdered while I was growing up—one for botching the Anthony Spilatro murder ( character Joe Pesce played in Casino was lightly fictionalized portrayal of Spilatro). Still friends with some of the mob kids—some still seem connected in some way thru construction unions, etc.

It was a bit like the Sopranos. We lived in a very nice suburb. Everyone knew who was a mob chief but they were part of regular life. Came to Littke League games, school stuff. My mom was co-Girl Scout leader with one mob wife—whose husband was summons for a meeting in Vegas and never returned.

On of the mob kids—whose dad was killed—loved my parents. Would send them shipments of steak out of the blue. Gifted them a trip to Vegas for their 40th anniversary and opened up the town to them—private concert with Ray Charles, tickets to lots of shows. Cried like a baby at their memorial services. He’s married to a very smart, pretty funny Jewish woman. They met while visiting people in jail! He was visiting a friend and she was visiting her dad, a Jewish mob boss. They remind me of the main couple in Goodfellas.

My grandfather came to Chicago from Sicily in 1920. Wasn’t in mob but definitely mob adjacent. His good friend was Frank Netti, Capone’s bodyguard. My grandpa owned night clubs and restaurants so had lots of mob connections. When he was alive, we’d go to all kinds of social events with mobsters.

My dad never had anything to do with it. Became a lawyer and married my mom, who was from well-to-do wasp family. He would take us on mob tours, though, when we were kids. Showing homes of mob kingpins and scenes of famous shootings.

When I asked him what he thought of portrayals of mobsters in movies/tv he said: they’re much dumber and duller in real life.

I’m R101 forgot to mention that my mom, who was not Italian, grew up in River Forest, wealthy Chicago suburb, and went to high school with Antoinette Giancana, the original Mafia Princess. They were in the same grade. My mom said Antoinette was a dumb-dumb, wore a leopard coat to school until someone stole it from her locker and dated a divorcee throughout high school.

I grew up in a a town outside NYC where some families were rumored to have mob ties or be one generation out of the mob. It was also the late 1970’s - early 80’s when the mob still had a lot of power and influence in NYC. I never had any contact with them.

But I remember one time as an adult I got lost in western Long Island - it might still have been part of Queens - and I turned around in a cul de sac. The homes were not huge and they were ugly in that Italian way that is now more associated with Russians. But the lawns were immaculate. Every one was like a golf course. There was one woman outside doing something and she stopped and stared at me (I am very innocuous-looking) and then a neighbor walked over to her and they conferred. It was like a scene out of a movie. I have no idea where I was but I also have no doubt I was in a mob neighborhood.

R 101. Did you grow up in Rosemont?

Thanks to all for posting. This is a highly entertaining thread

My Dad was a heart and lung surgeon in a southwestern city......

as kids we were aware he had operated on one of our local east coast mobsters out here for the climate seniors.

A name everyone knows My Dad rarely if ever spoke of it.

The client survived the operation!! Dad came home that evening

I

When I became a made man it wasn't like it is in the movies.

Couldn't sit for a week.

Can't grow up in North Jersey without knowing someone who is either mob or mob adjacent. One of my college friends was Tony Provenzano's niece. She used to visit him in jail. When I became a teacher in Newark (1970s) more than a few of the teachers were married to guys in the mob. You could tell because they wore lots of jewelry, had a certain flashy look, said their husbands were "in construction" . Sometimes their husbands were away for extended periods on business, really jail. One's husband died, and the funeral was right out of Goodfellas. The way the men were dressed. Another wanted a divorce, she had to go to the head of the family to get his permission first because she was afraid the husband would kill her.

Impossible to avoid in some sectors.

Chat gpt is for amateurs. Nerds for the win! But this guy is probably hiding now haha

R104. Nope. Western Suburb.

Berwyn?

R35, there was a Jewish gang called, “Murder Inc”. Doesn’t sound very family friendly to me.

R110. I heard Rosemont was full of retired Mafia kingpins. Do you happen to know if that is true?

One of the western suburbs best known for the big Mafia guys was River Forest, IL. Adjacent to Oak Park, also home to Mafia residents

Sam Giancana was killed in his home, in the basement kitchen (commonly used during the hot summer month). Supposedly shot in the back of the head while he was frying sausage and peppers.

Street address was 1147 S Wenonah, Oak Park.

Tony Accardo lived in River Forest at 915 Franklin Ave.

I always wonder about the Waste Management Open PGA golf. 'Waste management'. Hmmm.

Wasn't Paul the Waiter a little more than adjacent? BTW, I love your story about being serenaded by Frank Sinatra as a little girl. Love your stories.

What can we do but do our best given our ancestors?

Y como?

I worked at a few Italian restaurants in my 20s. We would always joke & whisper about the owner being “connected”. But we never really knew for sure.

I got fucked by one of their tough guys. He was from Staten Island. Fat cock.

It's important to remember that the mafia is a dangerous criminal organization that engages in illegal activities such as racketeering, extortion, and violence. It's never a good idea to get involved with them or engage in any illegal activities that could put you at risk. It's also important to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or glorifying criminal organizations based on Hollywood movies or other media.

Anyone who's been to a gay bar, bath or sex club has patronized the mafia

are they still controlling the sea ports?

Any other stories?

Hi, ChatGPT at R121! Thanks for your helpful moralizing.

Now, got any hot stories about swarthy Italian dick?

my ex worked for them in construction in the 70's. The first 2 weeks they convinced him to gamble with them on payday and lost both paychecks. I told him he couldn't do that anymore or we wouldn't have any money. They had promised him a job building the twin towers but after he stopped gambling the job never materialized.

Yes, my oldest sister married into full-on New Jersey Mafia.

Yes. Many of our appliances and much of our decor had "fallen off trucks."

R127 care to elaborate? Is your sister happy with her marriage? Is she ever in fear for her life? Does she live in the lap of luxury?

OK, since this thread is sputtering along, I'll branch out.

As a child, I lived in a town that had a large organized crime presence (not Italian). Anyway, one day, there was a huge sweep (arrests) that included "dirty" cops. One of the cop's kids went to my school. I didn't even realize this bust / sweep had happened, but I do remember some kids gossiping about it.

The 2nd generation (my generation) did not get involved in organized crime. They were pretty much normal kids, in my estimation. Except ... one of the kingpins had a son (or nephew) who was really effeminate and MEAN. I avoided him. He would just look at you and spurt out an insult.

[quote] One of the cop's kids went to my school.

I should have said "One of the cops' kids"

I still think a lot of people in this thread know people who've watched too many mob movies and say things like gagagool and rogotha. That doesn't make them made... it just makes them wannabes.

sorry ***gabagool

Mary got an intestinal bug and had to stay a month in a Minnesota hospital. Had no money and couldn’t sell the farm cause nobody else in town had any money.