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The other sons name is 'Michael Franzese'...former Columbo boss.
He's now a profesional speaker, and 'Christian'.
He was once listed as like the 18th richest either person or gangster alive, back in his hey day when he ran things...
And was also featured as a character in the movie 'Goodfellas'...
They mention his name in the narrative when their walking through the bar/club...here's the line...
'Paulie two times, (the guy that said everything twice) Pete the killer, and John Franzese'...
So if you watch the movie again, he's the second character introduced after Paulie...
Anyways, as much of thier former enterprises have dried up, and those who already got there's having 'sealed the doors'...many of these lower keel mob figures are left to fend for themselves...
Crime, and the way crime is done has really changed since the 70's and 80's...
And with movies like Casino, Goodfellas, Witness to the mob, and now even the reality show 'The Ghottis'...many of these non-relivant figures are cashing in on what notoriety they can, while they're still somewhat relivant in the public eye, writers or prosicutors looking to make a name for themselves.
But again, it's mainly the younger guys 50's maybe 40's, who just missed out on 'theirs'...with nothing to loose, who are becoming turn coats for the government or Hollywood, or anyone else who will pay them for whatever information they can spill...
Crime families, expecially of the Italian order, cannot hold out and exist in todays world, when their own members or former members or lower end associates are always on Fox News spilling their guts to Heraldo Rivera in hopes of getting a book or movie deal...
Last edited by Time and Space; 01-21-2011 at 08:21 AM..
Everyone who is saying that the Italian Mafia is not as harmless as the Mexican Mafia, what are you thinking? Here in NYC, the Mafia is the Bloods, Crips, Cholos, etc. Just because they are quiet doesn't mean they aren't violent and dangerous to everyday people. Where do you think the drugs and guns in NYC come from?
Mafia bust nets 127 suspected members of organized crime in sweeping crackdown (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/the_mob/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_mafia_bust_nets_more_than_100_members_of_organi zed_crime_in_sweeping_crackdown.html - broken link)
I guess today a big mafia bust was made...more than a hundred, mainly Italian, mob figures arrested and locked up from crimes ranging from murder to racketeering...you know...the usual...
But my question is, as I hear and read about this bust...how does it really effect my life today??
And should I 'cheer?'...
Remember we were told
'the world will be a better place now that Saddam is gone'...
Well is it? Are the drug cartels nicer people now that Saddam is gone?
Now that Saddam is gone, are fuel prices under control? Has robbery stopped?
Did Saddams demise bring about a cure to aids? or stop corruption?
Point being...I really have nothing to cheer about here...
So they went after some old mobsters...good for them...but in the over all scheme of things...what will it really change?
It won't change human nature...
It won't end corruption in business...
It won't have an effect on the Mexican Cartel
It won't stop violence in the middle east...
Infact, of all the worries that burden me today, none come from the Italian mob...absolutly none...
My number one concerns are employment, taxes, and other mandated state or governmental fees, and inflation and low wages...
Those are my number one concerns...not the Italian mob.
One thing I'll say about the Italian mob or other crime figures...is that
they don't forcebly take money out of my check...
In other words my involvement in or with crime is totally voluntary.
Crime is voluntary...state and federal fees and taxes are forced.
In other words, with the exception of extortion...if I don't want to deal with the mob or other crime sydicates...for the most part I can steer clear by simply keeping my head on the up and up...
But the government seems to force you to deal with them, whether you want to or not...by always passing laws, and raising taxes and adding fees that squeeze more and more money out of you...
The mafia and other crime sydicates can't do that...
Like I said, if I want to avoid the mob or other crime syndicates...than I can simply choose to not get involved in their 'world'...for the most part it's a choice...
So as I sit here today...hearing about them brag about realing all these old time mob guys in...it really changes nothing in my life at all...
Crime will go on, others will fill their void...other younger more violent less organized criminals...
But in all honesty, government mandated fees, insurances, tags, licences, code compliances, penalties, fines and tickets, ride my butt far more than the mafia ever has or ever will...
127 criminals off the street will change a lot. That you are not happy about it makes me wonder how many of your relatives did they get? Everybody should be happy about the bust and we need more of them.
This bust is a good thing except it would have been better to identify and shadow these people in order to figure out where they were getting their drugs. If we really wanted to damage the Mob(s) we would simply legalize and drop the prices of everything they are selling such as drugs, money and prostitution. Without the illegality based price supports they would have to accept the same margins as any other supplier of goods or services.
We could destroy the Mexican gangs by punishing any and all businesses that hire illegal immigrants. We should also eliminate the importation of immigrants into technical positions until all American scientists, programmers, engineers and technicians are fully employed. I could care less if Microsoft had to cut profits or raise prices.
And again...it's a sad state of affairs when I fear the power and authority of the government more so than I do the mob...
Yes, very sad for you that you seem to have your priorities turned inside out.
The Mafia operates mostly in the Northeast and we who live here suffer from it just as you who live near Mexico suffer from the impact of illegals.
The mob seems to infiltrate almost everything here -- they have their hands in on highway building projects, lots of construction projects..it goes on and on and on -- even more than we know
Rhode Island is probably the most corrupt state in the US and it's due to the Mafia--and aren't Mafia headquarters still located in Providence, RI?
Massive highway construction projects like the embarrassing "Big Dig" in Boston that resulted in millions of $$$$$$$ over costs and years in the doing ----because of infiltration by the Mob. A few years ago a huge block of concrete fell from one of those tunnels and killed someone. They are constantly finding new cracks--and when you drive though, well--it's LEAKING!
Contracts that made their way to the Mafia and the Mafia takes the money and gives back low quality materials such as worthless concrete. Lots of instances where you HAVE to do business with the Mob--they control and you cannot purchase materials from anyone else.
If you live outside of MA, CT, NY, NJ, RI, I guess I can understand your complacency because you are not as directly affected as we are so you just are not aware.
BTW, get this right----the MAFIA/MOB and Italians are not synonymous. The Mafia/Mob is only a subset of Italians so the run of the mill, average hardworking Italian should be left out of this conversation. They are not relevant to a discussion of the Mafia.
Good for the government for getting their 'men'...mainly thanks to the co-operation of turn coats, and others trying to sell books, or cash in on what's left of their non-relivant past.
(As I shared in the previous post)
But sadly, the volume of drugs will not decrease, as the population continues to use and consume...
There would be no market for drugs, if people didn't use drugs...
Now, other, more shady, less firmiluar crime syndicates, will simply move in and fill the void.
And these other organizations are much more 'secretive', and a lot less civil with the public.
Because of all the 'turn coats' inside the mob, their organization has become easy convient targets for law enforcement...
And also somewhat do to their predictable structure...it's a model that hasn't changed in decades...their Operating methods...
I can honestly say though, I don't feel any safer, at least where I live...
And again...it's a sad state of affairs when I fear the power and authority of the government more so than I do the mob...
Yes, very sad for you that you seem to have your priorities turned inside out.
The Mafia operates mostly in the Northeast and we who live here suffer from it just as you who live near Mexico suffer from the impact of illegals.
The mob seems to infiltrate almost everything here -- they have their hands in on highway building projects, lots of construction projects..it goes on and on and on -- even more than we know
Rhode Island is probably the most corrupt state in the US and it's due to the Mafia--and aren't Mafia headquarters still located in Providence, RI?
Massive highway construction projects like the embarrassing "Big Dig" in Boston that resulted in millions of $$$$$$$ over costs and years in the doing ----because of infiltration by the Mob. A few years ago a huge block of concrete fell from one of those tunnels and killed someone. They are constantly finding new cracks--and when you drive though, well--it's LEAKING!
Contracts that made their way to the Mafia and the Mafia takes the money and gives back low quality materials such as worthless concrete. Lots of instances where you HAVE to do business with the Mob--they control and you cannot purchase materials from anyone else.
If you live outside of MA, CT, NY, NJ, RI, I guess I can understand your complacency because you are not as directly affected as we are so you just are not aware.
BTW, get this right----the MAFIA/MOB and Italians are not synonymous. The Mafia/Mob is only a subset of Italians so the run of the mill, average hardworking Italian should be left out of this conversation. They are not relevant to a discussion of the Mafia.
When criminals are caught it's a GOOD thing.
I cannot repute anything your expressed...for I do not disagree with any of it...not at all...
Your post is complete in and of it'self...
So what I write next, takes nothing away from what your shared...
I, personally notice, have read, done research on many different corrupt people, officials, agencies and orginizations, who all dip their hands in the cookie jar and exploit the American people out of our tax dollars and or public coffers.(not just the mob)
People don't realize that you don't have to be apart of the mob to be 'corrupt'...
The potential to be 'corrupt' lies within the hearts of many, and is carried out daily, whether covertly or incovertly.
And is often done under the cover of 'legality'...or fruadulent paper work...
I read stories all the time of state or city workers scamming hundreds of thousands out of state funds.
Or contracters hired to do work for the state or government, grossly over charging...
This may sound crazy to you...and I doubt you'll understand...but I think what many liked or respected about the mob is, they were who they were, and didn't pretend to be anything else...
Kind of like fighting wars in WW2, where men wore uniforms and operated in regiments, vs trying to fight Al Quida and other such groups...
In other words, it was easier to spot your 'enemy' back then. Today, your enemy might pose as Bernie Maidoff, the Billionare scam artist who financially destroyed countless lives...or some other fraudulant investment firm on wallstreet squandering thier custimors money...
I'm just saying the Italian mob is not the end all or do all of corruption...
I'm sure the Russian and Armanian guys are just licking their chops, waiting for the dust to clear...
Only their organizations are ran much tighter, and the dual languages spoken make infultration much harder for authorities...
In closeing...I'm not argueing with you, or even disagreeing, I'm just adding my own thoughts and perspectives to the event...
I'm sure the Russian and Armanian guys are just licking their chops, waiting for the dust to clear..
Agreed.It kind of destroys your faith in humanity.
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