Racketeering, Organized Crime, and the Mafia
It ain’t like you see in the movies or read in the papers. There ain’t one boss or one family or one guy telling the others what to do. Different ones each have different pieces. They more work together, do each other favors, and have understandings about who is doing what. But try to outdo each other, too. If there is an opening, the one guy or the one clique might try to move in on the other. Can be hard feelings but mostly they get along.
In the public’s eye, yes—they will think the mafia is involved. In the cops’eye, many times too. No doubt they [mafia] do have their fingers in a lot of things, but many times it is very hard to sort out, who is doing what, who are the main ones. A lot of the main ones were Italian, at least the ones I knew of. But there also were some Jewish guys and Polish or German or Greek or whatever. Guys more or less like me. But still the Italians would be longest list.1
The Italians are connected to one another and also to people like myself. Have a spider web with each other and then have other spider webs with ones like me. Whether the Italians are the same as the mafia, I can’t say. It is more they have ties going back to ones who were mafia. Guys like Phil and Amato and the Guccis still have the connections but they’re not as tight as before, as when Mario and Nicky were the main ones. It is more that the spider webs are still in place and the name is still there.
Not sure I ever heard someone say, hey, that guy is “made” or he’s a “wiseguy.” Think I heard that from you. Just hear people say he’s “in” or he’s “really in”; or will hear, “He is connected all the way,” or “He is connected but not all the way.” If he is connected and high up, then may hear, “He’s a main one,” or “He’s a top guy.”
When I first got to American City, the gambling, the prostitution, the bootlegging, the fencing, the paying off of the cops, the different scams where there’s a kickback—was more or less split between the Italians and a couple of Jewish guys. Not the little shit but the bigger stuff. What you call the rackets.
The Italians were pushing on the main Jewish guy. But he was holding his own. Stayed on top on account he had the cops, the mayor, the city council— all in his pocket. Get in his way or cut into his territory, the cops would bust you. Was himself connected to the mafia in Oceantown. That was his muscle. Is paying them a piece. Like any big card game, the mafia gets a cut. Was an accommodation ‘cause some of the local Italians are also connected to the mafia in Oceantown, which is playing both sides
Then the Jewish guy gets popped for the bootlegging and the prostitution. By the feds. Did a short bit in the penitentiary and with the feds watching, he was losing his grip. Was a rumor he had a heart attack, is in bad health. This was an opening for the Italians who already were knocking on the door. Italians pretty much took over, especially the gambling—the big poker games, the bookmaking. Not all the way ‘cause it ain’t that this person or that group takes over everything.
A couple of Jewish bookies have stayed big—like the Feldmans, who are related to the main Jewish guy. Held on to part of his operation. But the Feldmans don’t buck the Italians, don’t overstep their bounds. Really, they work together ‘cause the Feldmans have the knowledge as far as the bookmaking and are known to pay [those who win on bets waged]. Have a lotta contacts with the police and different judges, too.
In a way there is still a “Jewish mafia,” if you wanna call it that. Will find them in the gambling and the fencing, and will find different Jewish businessmen and lawyers who stay in the background but still pull a lotta strings. Work with the Italians but know the Italians can get rough. Push comes to shove or the Italians want a piece of the action, the Jewish guys will cave in.
The main Italians [when I first got to American City] were Nicky Moretti and Mario, Angelo’s old man. Gus was big. Owned several restaurants and nightspots in the area, but had a piece of other businesses that were involved in construction and that. Was an operator as far as land deals and getting local contracts from the city or the government. Stayed more behind the scenes, so to the ordinary joe blow he was mostly legit. You could usually find Mario at this little sandwich and ice cream shop, right off the main drag in American City. Was attached to a toy store. If want to say “hello” or have business with Mario, then meet him there. Down the road I had dealings with all of them but more with Mario on account of my connection with Angelo.
Nicky and Mario and Gus were tied up. I can’t say if they were “made” as you use that term, but they were thought of as the mafia. Mario was with the mafia in Franklintown, was very tight with the top guy. Nicky and Gus were connected more to Oceantown. See, you can be connected to, do business with, more than one mafia outfit. Both the mafia from Oceantown and the mafia from Franklintown were involved in American City. Would go back and forth as to which one had a bigger pull according to who had the cops, who had the DA, who had the better spider web. Some people in American City were more tied to Oceantown, some more to Franklintown. Do business with both, but cater toward one more than the other.
There are lots of Italians, too, who are into crime hut who are not tied to the mafia. May know each other hut is no real mafia connection. Except the Italians work together, will scratch each other’s back. Are many times related to each other. So and so from this group is married to so and so in that group. It is hard to sort out who is mafia, who isn’t. Who is crooked and who is just a businessman. Many times they are both, a crook and a businessman.
Take the Presti family. Old man Presti is dead now. English was very broken. This is a very big family. Own a lotta property, lotta businesses in the area. Like Laundromats and pizza places, couple of motels. Are legit but they have their hand in some shady stuff, too. One of the Presti girls is married to Jerry Gucci’s son, which is a cousin to Angelo. So, is some connection but not really that much.
This or that one from the Presti group were part of the local clique but not at the center. More on the margins. Are very big politically, like on the school board. So have their hand in who gets a job in the schools or in the county. That’s how Jesse got hired by the county to do maintenance ‘cause he knew Jimmy, one of the Presti brothers. Called him “Jimmy Low.” He was a source of tips for Jesse. Even after Jesse is saying he quit, I’m surmising Jimmy Low is still giving tips to Jesse. You will have to ask Jesse about that.
The Guccis are four brothers and each has sons and son-in-laws involved. Were getting to be good-sized operators when I first hit American City and are still going strong. Are about my age, a little younger. I had a lot of dealings with them. With Jerry and Vinnie mostly, the oldest brothers. Even now I have some dealings but it is very off and on. They have their fingers into different things. Some legit businesses that bring in a decent dollar and are a good cover, too. Have a good-sized lumberyard, home supply place. Have opened a nightclub on the edge of town that is pretty swanky that will cater to the yuppie crowd. Still have the vending machines. Jerry has been messing with the marijuana for a long time. Has been a main one for bringing in the marijuana. Now his one son, Tommy, is involved. Off and on will bring in cocaine but mostly stick with marijuana. Vinnie and Jerry are connected in some ways but aren’t really mafia in the same way as Angelo and Phil and Amato are.
My first dealings with the Guccis was on cigarettes. I had guys come to me who were clipping trucks for cigarettes. I contacted Jerry. Yeah, he could handle it. Was good money in cigarettes at that time ‘cause taxes had shot up. Just have to get around the state tax. Had the vending business with cigarette machines in different places, so could unload them. Whether they had other outlets, I don’t know. I dealt with Jerry a few times, then I could tell he was pulling back. I brought it out in the open, “Hey, what the fuck is going on? Do you want the stuff or don’t you?” Comes out that Angelo has gotten into the cigarette business and Jerry is leery to buck him. More or less is telling me I should give Angelo the first crack.
Angelo was into vending machines, too, and with his connections to other mafia, he had the outlets to peddle the cigarettes all the way. Had his own operation but was part of a bigger operation, too. How it was done I don’t know, but involved having the cigarettes stamped to show the tax was paid and then could sell them to a lot of legit places. Whereas Jerry could only handle so much, Angelo had the spider web to handle whatever cigarettes came his way and his back was covered better. Had an advantage from being connected [to the mafia]. As soon as the cigarette tax shot up—bing, bing, Angelo and the other mafia guys are running an operation that is making an easy dollar. Once Angelo got involved, was an understanding that Jerry would back off. If Jerry stayed at it, then he would keep it small.
Same thing with the liquor. First on, I was taking that to Jerry. Then, when I got in thicker with Angie, I was running the liquor through Angelo. I didn’t want to cut Jerry off, but Angie was opening a lot of doors and had the connection with the DA. Jerry understood that. No hard feelings. We stayed tight.
Jerry and Vinnie had a lotta dealings with Angie. In some areas they might compete, like with the vending business, but mostly they each did their own thing or worked together—say, on some of the dope that was being brought in. Jerry and Vinnie would cater somewhat to Angelo, wouldn’t buck him or try to take over what Angie had. But Angelo wouldn’t push that too far.
No, I didn’t talk to Nicky or Mario about the mafia. No way. You would not want to get in their face that way. You are just blowing wind up your ass to do something like that. But with Angelo, not that there was much conversation, but different things would come out. I heard a lot from Louie ‘cause we palled around, and from Phil. Louie had a loose mouth, liked to puff himself up. Was connected but he wasn’t “in” the same way as Nicky or Mario, or Angelo. Now to the ordinary joe blow, Louie was the “inafia” maybe even more than Nicky or Angelo. Louie played on that. Wanted to be in the limelight. But if push came to shove, Louie was not that big. Not that he didn’t have a lotta connections, ‘cause he did—with different ones and in different places. But Louie was not as high up, not as respected.
Phil was a cousin of Angelo. I have stayed in touch with Phil all these years. We will run into each other, at a restaurant or auction. Then, too, I will stop by his auto shop. Even more so than Louie, Phil always knew what was happening in American City. On account of his relatives being involved and because people trusted him, and on account of his own involvement. I would say today Phil is very near the top. Right up there. Very big in the fencing and becoming bigger in the gambling. Him and his sons, Joey and Phil Junior, have picked up the slack from Louie going down and now Angelo being sent away.
This is funny—I would razz Phil about getting himself a bodyguard, now that Angelo is out of the picture and Phil is a main one. See, the top mafia guys pretty much all had a bodyguard. Would come to the card games, bring along a bodyguard. When I first met Angelo, he didn’t have a bodyguard. Then he starts showing up with one. Is moving up you might say and his Dad [Mario] is staying more in the background. It got to where you would seldom see Angelo he didn’t have a bodyguard. Many times he had two. We just referred to them as “Angelo’s boys.” Were more than just bodyguards now. Were a go-between for Angelo for different things. Like the fencing—I would contact Angelo, he would have one of his boys meet me to take care of what needed to be done. Were Angelo’s muscle, too, if somebody needed to be leaned on. Were toughies. You would not want to mess with them. Contact Angelo and he would have his boys handle it.
What I know about the mafia and the local clique in Tylersville is from the past ten years or so, after I moved here. I would hear tidbits when I was in American City but not enough to amount to anything. Same thing in Boones-boro, this or that name would come up but didn’t pay much attention. The top guy died about a year after I opened my shop here in Tylersville—Sammy Terrano. Never did meet him. Was high up in the mafia, on the order of Louie Sica [see below]. Had a pretty tight grip on things, especially the gambling and the shylock loans. Didn’t hassle the little guys but the bigger stuff, he would want a piece of. After Sammy dies, their operations are split up among different ones that were part of his clique. Amato, Ben Silas, Bucky Travis, Frankie Biviano—those were the main ones. Sammy Terrano was the old school, ran a tight ship. After he was gone, it has become a lot looser. Amato, Bucky, and them work together but more are doing their own thing.
That is the main difference between the two places, in American City you had different ones who were main operators whereas in Tylersville it was mainly the Terrano group. What is happening now, is Tylersville is getting to be more like what American City was when I operated there. You have Italians and some non-Italians, too, who at one time were connected to the mafia but the tie is weaker now. The spider webs are still there, but is harder to tell if it is mafia. Have a local clique in Tylersville, same as you do in American City, that each has its fingers into different things. This or that one in the clique in Tylersville is acquainted with guys in the clique in American City, and have connections with mafia guys in other places.
Is no doubt that Amato and Angelo were acquainted and did business together. Same with Amato and Lenny [see below]. Phil would not let on but it would come out in little ways that, yeah, he had gotten together with this or that one in Tylersville. Each will push to get the edge on the other but are more doing each other favors and have understandings about who is doing what and that each should stay in his own territory. So you will not see Amato or Bucky edging in on American City, same as Phil or Nicky would not be edging in on Tylersville. Would be hard to do anyways on account the local cops in each place is gonna hammer the clique from the other town if there was much butting in.
It has always been looser in American City than in Tylersville. The mafia, the Italians, have a tighter grip in Tylersville. An operator like me, or someone like Puddy who does the bookmaking, it is harder to have a free rein in Tylersville. Not that they are telling you what to do but you have to be more leery of stepping on toes. Are more understandings, of, “Hey, to do that you will need to work with us.”
Take the fencing, the local clique was a big help in American City. No doubt. But the clique only helped so much. It is pushing but I am making my own openings to become a main dealer you might say. I don’t know how to say it but you would have to be “in” more with the local clique in Tylersville. Couldn’t make it on your own as easy, to get the contacts with the police and with the magistrates or to get the local businessmen as an outlet for unloading the warm stuff. In Tylersville, it would be harder to get the really good spider web.
The connections you have in one place can be a help but that don’t mean you will have connections in the other place. There is a grapevine but it don’t necessarily travel that far. Myself, the connections I had in American City helped a little but did not carry over that much to Tylersville.
I don’t know what you’d call Jeep and Lenny, are Italian but aren’t mafia. Are part of the Caparella crowd. Is a whole bunch of them, cousins, nephews, this or that in-law. Are all related. Go way back, thirty, forty years, even longer. The younger ones like Lenny and Jeep are more taking over but it is their dads and uncles who for many years were the main ones. Different ones are involved in different businesses but they more or less work together. Some businesses are shady, some are mostly legit. If somebody gets busted or can’t pull his weight, there is another one to take his place.
The one you hear about the most is Ralph, Jeep’s uncle. Is now in his seventies but is still kicking. Has a helluva temper. Is not someone you want to cross. The restaurant that Jeep runs is really owned by Ralph and Jeep’s dad. Jeep is a free spirit, likes to gamble and chase women. Does not have a good eye for business. Will buy the dumbest junk at the auctions, thinking it might be an antique or whatever. Then dip into the bar monies to cover his expenses. Then has to deal with Ralph when they go over the books. His uncle would rake him over, which Jeep will complain to me about. Jeep takes it in stride, is easygoing, and knows inside he deserves an earful.
They [Caparellas] are big in the gambling—at one time in slot machines whereas today it is the video poker machines. Lot of shady business stuff. Into real estate, have a trucking outfit, have a couple of junkyards for cars, shit like that. Couple of flea markets and auction places. Own different bars and pinball places. Have the main vending machine and amusement business in the area. If a bar or another place in the area has a poker machine or pool table, it has come from one of their businesses. It was well-known that they would play hardball to make sure of that. Handled a lot of shy lock loans, a whole lot, which many times will go with the gambling. As far as fencing [stolen goods], yes, they are pretty big in the fencing, especially Lenny. He has been the main one I have dealt with.
Not mafia, now. But cut from the same cloth. Are some mafia in the area, but stay on good terms. More or less tolerate each other, keep out of each other’s way. Will work together too, do favors back and forth. I have been at Jeep’s restaurant and a guy will come in for a sandwich or play the poker machines, and he is chatting with Jeep. Jeep might introduce the guy. Then later Jeep tells me, hey, that is so-and-so—”He is real mafia, not me.” Jeep would get a kick out of telling me that.
In my eye the Italians do have an advantage. They stick together better. The family thing and even just being Italian. The trust is there. That you should patronize one another, help each other out in little ways. One hand is feeding the other. Just have a knack for moving back and forth between the legit and illegit. Look the other way if another Italian guy is a little shady. Big thing is, who is part of the family, who are the relations. Is a trust that comes from that, that you can depend on somebody else to fill in, to help you find a contact or get a job done. This cousin, this in-law, can pull some strings. Is a helluva spider web.
Going to jail doesn’t hurt the Italians the same way. Will have different ones to fill the shoes. Will keep things going and keep other ones from homing in. If somebody does horn in, chances are good it will be another Italian. Can see this with the main Jewish guy, how doing time can hurt you. Helped to push him out. Can lose a lotta connections unless you got things in place before you go to the penitentiary, unless you have different ones who will keep the operation going. The Italians were already pushing, now the door is open all the way when he went to jail. Jews more work alone. Have a son or whatever, but not cousins and uncles who can be brought in.
Take myself when I went to the penitentiary [1970s], I had to turn my business over to a couple of friends. It didn’t take long, they had fucked it up. Lost everything. If I had been an Angelo or a Jeep or a Jerry Gucci, a cousin or relative could have run my shop, and other ones would have chipped in to make sure it didn’t go under. The shop would be there for me when I got out.
The Italians and the mafia will shy toward the background. Say you are a bookie, they will be the layoff and the shylock loan, and back you in other ways. Take Puddie who is about my closest buddy as far as Tylers ville goes. Little Italian guy, a bookie pretty much his whole life. We have known each other eight, ten years. Is an early bird like me. Will be driving by my shop, sometimes 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning. If sees my truck, will come in for coffee or will see if I want to go for breakfast. Can talk business or whatever and know it will stay between us.
Puddy isn’t mafia, nothing like that, but is connected with Amato and the old Terrano group. Is like a partnership where Puddy runs his own operation but where he gives a percentage to the Terrano people, and they in turn are doing things for him. Say you wanna bet on a football game, go to Puddy. He has a lot of regulars. Puddy does the collecting and the settling up. Does what needs to be done. His wife and family help out, with keeping the books and that. Is bringing his sons into the business. The younger one has a knack for the business but the oldest one is nothing but a fuck-up, which Puddy’s eyes are too shut for seeing. If somebody owes money or something comes up, Puddy can go to Amato or the Terrano group to take care of it. Same way, if somebody needs a shylock loan, pass that on to Amato.
Can be almost anyone who will want a shylock loan, but is mostly people who more or less are operating on the shady side. Come up short on cash and don’t want the whole world to know what they are into. Like myself when I was into the fencing in big way—it was very unpredictable when the buying would go crazy, then have to go to Angelo or Charlie for a quick dollar. Or say a guy is dealing dope, is a lot of money at stake, and is many times working on credit. Same with guys that gamble heavy, roll the dice when they shouldn’t. Then fall too far behind and are betting on the house’s money. Or they owe their bookie. That is why at the big card games, there were always mafia guys there in case somebody’s money ran low. This or that business guy who is in a pinch, is another group. Especially a guy who runs a tavern or nightspot ‘cause that is a business with a shady angle and the guy running the place will know who the shylock guys are. Are maybe into the tavern guy already. There is good money in the shylocking. The ones I’ve known were all pretty much Italian. If not Italian, then connected to them.
Main thing they have, is the contacts and can be a go-between. And just from doing it so long, from having their operations in place, it is hard to break in if you are somebody new. Have so many people to step in. There is a lot of trust within a family and the relations, to go to bat and do favors for one another. And have the know-how for mixing the legit with the illegit, skate between the two. In many ways are more legit than illegit, can go either ways.
More than anything they have the name. That is why you hear some guys puff themselves up, try to let you think they are in the mafia or that they know somebody in the mafia or they are doing business together. That way people will think you have some backing, that you are someone they can do business with, or that you are someone not to be fucked with. Louie liked to have people think that, wanted it to be known that he was “mafia.” As a threat, to scare them. Myself, I wanted to get along with them but still do my thing. Don’t step on toes but don’t back down either. Is a fine line there. Who is using who? It is more I am helping them, and they are helping me.
You will hear people say, yeah, “He’s a top guy” or “He’s the main one. But that term is used very loosely, just means he is high up and his word carries a lot of weight. In my eye someone like Sica, Louie Sica, is what is meant by saying so-and-so is a “top guy.” No doubt he was high up, a notch or two above a Mario or a Nicky. Came off and on to the Sunday night poker games. Two bodyguards. Was from outside the area. People respected him. Was shrewd like Angelo but had more toughness about him. Just the way he carried himself. If he showed up, he was noticed—put it that way. Was someone Angelo or Phil would go to if they needed a contact. Just have to cut Sica a slice of what was going down or owe him a favor down the road.
Same thing if there was disagreement, Sica has been known to step in and settle it. Was a blow-up between the Guccis and Angelo over the video poker machines. The Guccis got into it first, before Angelo. Have their machines in different places. But Angelo is pushing his way in, is even hitting some of the same tavern people where the Guccis have their machines. Angelo is offering the places a better cut. The Guccis weren’t backing down this time. Is getting nasty. Sica stepped in and vouched for the Guccis, that Angelo shouldn’t horn in that way—is plenty to go around, so each one should take the other into account. This pisses Angelo and he is running to Phil to complain. But Angelo knows he can’t buck Sica on account of Sica’s standing and just the understanding, hey, the matter was taken to Sica and this is what he decided.
How it works is, the poker machines come from someone like Angelo or the Guccis. Or from someone like Amato in Tyler s ville. They own the vending companies. So go to this tavern, this nightspot, this club—”Hey, you can use a couple of poker machines.” Then every week a van comes by and empties the machines. So much goes to the tavern guy, so much to the company that owns the machines. Then maybe chisel the tavern guy besides but keep the chiseling small to avoid hard feelings.
The video poker is very big—in Tylers ville, in American City, in Boones-boro. Is big in just about any town you go into. It is easy to blow a good dollar, which a lot of guys do. For the ordinary Joe Blow who runs a tavern, having the poker machines in your place can be a big help. Will be extra dollars you are taking in from the machines but also you are bringing in people like me who want to play the machines. Then will have a drink, eat a sandwich, spend money in other ways. I wish I had back just a little of what I’ve put into those goddamn machines. Is a very good racket.
I’d say for a lot of operators like myself, it is love-hate thing with the Italians. They don’t really hold you back or get in your way but you wanna get along with them. May need a contact or may need a favor done for you. Just looking back, it would hard to remember the different times I went to Louie or Angelo or Phil for a contact. It was always in the back of my mind, say, I didn’t have an outlet for stolen property that came my way, I could go to Angelo. Chances are good he would have a contact and you would have confidence in him to handle his end of it.
This [confidence] comes from my doing business with Angelo but in a way, too, because he is known to be mafia. Same thing if I wanted to light [burn down] my shop to get the insurance or I wanted somebody leaned on. You would be more likely to go to someone like Angelo. You are figuring they can handle it or will put you touch with someone who can. Even if they say no, you know they will not be snitching to the police.
They [the mafia, the Italians] respected me and I respected them. I wouldn’t buck them but wouldn’t bach down either. It was mostly one hand helping the other. I did favors for them and they did favors for me. Helped me out, like for unloading the stolen stuff or with the magistrates. I catered to them in other ways.
Take the gambling. Angelo and Nicky would use my store sometimes. Clear off the second floor, for the big crap or poker games. Would be on a Friday or a Sunday night. Big money. I was to get a 5 percent cut but I really didn’t collect. Angie and Nicky both got a cut, and then a cut went to mafia people in Oceantown. This is a favor I done for them. Now they owe me a favor or will give me freer rein to operate.
See, at that time in American City, Angelo is more and more becoming the main one, especially once his man became the district attorney. So now, different ones in the local clique and ones like me will cater more to Angelo. Not all the way but it will tip in that direction. I still did some business with different ones like the Guccis. But I would cater to Angelo. Not take orders now, nothing like that. But more an accommodation. That is why any liquor or cigarettes I would ran through Angelo. I wanted to keep that “in” with him, know what I mean?
If push comes to shove, sure, Angelo could probably do me in. But he would think twice before trying. But that is not a consideration. I would not get in Angelo’s face. No need to. I wanted to get along with him and different ones, but I wasn’t kissing their asses. I wasn’t trying to outdo Angelo like I was with Louie. That would be dumb. I would not want to get on the wrong side of Angelo. With Louie, that was not a worry. I could hurt him as much as he could hurt me. Maybe more.
I once had to put a gun to Louie’s head. This was way back when Jesse and me were doing the burglaries. We had a small load of copper and instead of running to the foundry guy in Franklintown, we let Louie handle it. Said he could get rid of it and pay us a better price. It is now more than a couple of weeks and Louie is jerking us around, that the copper didn’t bring the amount he thought it would. Is wanting to pay us less. Jesse said, “Let’s just forget it, not do business with him again.” See, Jesse didn’t want to deal with Louie in the first place. Didn’t like Louie. I told Jesse, fuck that bullshit. I went by Louie’s place and put a gun to his fucking head—not literally, but showed it to him and let him know I would use it if I had to. He should get the money to us and the amount we agreed on. Blah, blah. Couple of days later, Louie drops by my shop and drops off the money in an envelope. Just “Hi,” and “Good-bye.” Then he didn’t speak to me for almost a year. Then, I’m at an auction, Louie bought me a cup of coffee and sat down and we chatted. After that, we became pretty tight.
Same with Joey Page, Angelo’s cousin. I did not like the man. Thought he was more than he was on account of that connection. Was a bail bondsman at that time but also did some burglaries, truck hijackings, different scams. Mostly horseshit. A little fencing. Would snitch to save his ass if he got jammed up. We’d run into each other on account of we knew a lot of the same people. One day he comes into my shop. I’m in the back working. “Sam,” he says, “we should go into business together.” Blah, blah, blah. “We should pool what we got.” I gave it to him straight, that he can take his fucking ass and get the fuck outta my shop. I could not stand the man—thought he was more than he was, and was leery of him, that he could be a snitch.
Joey is still operating in American City, with his sons who are taking over. Have their fingers in different things. Have gotten pretty heavy into dealing in dope. The backing for that came from Angelo. But the man is an asshole. Now, down the road, we was friendly to each other, but I did not want to be involved with him.
How much ones like Angelo or the Guccis are into the dope peddling, I can’t say. Is not something I (ever) messed with and is not something that ones like Angelo would want to discuss. As far as the gambling and the fencing, yeah, you could rap about that. But you would not want to bring up the dope dealing. Yet it is very known that the Guccis have been involved with the dope for many years and that Angelo had become a main operator. Not directly but more in the background. Phil would not touch the dope. Was upset with Angelo. Was a tension between them.
Jeep and Lenny, and the Caparella outfit, are involved in the dope business. But more on the edges. Don’t really want to be associated with it and don’t want it to be known if they are, but is hard to walk away from the money. Are involved with some of the bikers, that I am sure of.
If you trace it back, sure, the main ones who are operating has changed some—but a lot of the names are the same. This goes all the way back to when I first hit American City. Even more so, if you just go back to when I left, whew, that is twenty, twenty-two years. If not involved themselves, then their sons or their relatives. Just go down the list. Mario is dead but Angelo was the main one until he got popped a couple of years ago. His one son is pushing to make a name for himself but doesn’t have enough heart. Are other relatives who are stepping in. One of Angelo’s nephews is operating—has a travel agency, a notary business, does money transfers. Angelo was the money behind that. Now his nephew has it. Phil, whew, he has been at it even longer than me. Has taken over some of Angelo’s slack. Phil’s two sons are involved. The Feldmans—is the biggest Jewish bookie in American City—their old man was involved going way back to the main Jewish guy. A couple of the cops that I dealt with are still around. Nicky, jeez, he is in his eighties. Stays in the background. But is still the money behind a lot of things. His word still goes a long ways. The Guccis have a bigger slice of the vending business and are bigger in the fencing. The big card games and the big dice games have gone to Nicky and to Phil. Jimmy Low is getting bigger, becoming more open. There is a lotta jockeying going on.
In some ways, there is less of the mafia now. But I don Ï think the Italian part is less. What I have seen is, one Italian is replaced by another Italian. They still play on that little threat, that little fear—”Yeah, I’m mafia.” In Ocean-town, yes, the mafia is still going strong. But in places like Tylersville and American City, a lot of the old connections are still there, but it is mostly a local clique that will have quite a few Italians in it.
It is hard to know who is legit and who is really shady. The main operators in Tylersville and American City are legit businessmen, as much as they are illegit. Go where they can make the most money. Ones like Charlie would be legit almost all the way, whereas ones like Angelo would fall more toward the illegit side, and then there ones who are in between like Phil. In some areas they might compete, but they mostly do their own thing or work together.
Really, that is the way I operated. Is the way the underworld and the shady business stuff works. Not one big boss telling others what to do. That is bullshit But scratching each other’s back, doing favors back and forth. Whoever has the most connections can do the most favors. The more favors you can do, the more people you will have in your pocket. The more you will be on top.
Different ones in the clique had a lotta connections. Will depend on the area and whether it is the gambling, the fencing, the nightspots, the local deals on the shady side, or whatever. Can be a main guy or two, but more so it is spread among different operators, different factions of the clique. And will be changing, not all the way, but back and forth. Who is on a roll, who is pushing the hardest.
But it is hard for a newcomer to break in, hard to get accepted. Until you have a few spokes in the wheel, say, with the local clique, the opportunities won’t be there. New guy can break in but will he last? Five years down the road, is he still operating?
1. Sam used the term “mafia” freely and loosely when referring to individuals who had some sort of present or historic ties to cosa nostra groups. He used the term reluctantly in other cases, for example, when assessing current mafia influence or when the term might suggest a “big” or very powerful organization. He also often used the terms “mafia” and “Italian” interchangeably, whereas at other times he clearly distinguished between an individual or group who is “mafia” as compared to others who are “Italian but not mafia.”