Ed Scarpo's Blog, page 9

In A Wiser Guy, Louis DiVita Walks Fine Line

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Louis DiVita, as noted, is advertising on this blog. So this story normally would fall under the rubric of what is today called "Sponsored Content." But, rather than do that, I will just come out and say:  I write about whatever topic I want on this blog, anyway -- and  I probably would've found his book and written this story even if I'd never spoken to him (although that would've been difficult; I wouldn't have been able to ask him the...

Not Bonanno-linked Burglary Crew's Finest Moment

Credit: Starcasm


Strangely, I found this completed story, written many months back, unpublished in my cue. I wrote it and apparently forgot to publish it. So I'm doing so now.
Ironically some of the bank burglary crew members mentioned here were apparently members of Gerard Bellafiore's bank burglary crew...

Lee D’avanzo had a past, but it was, like, no big deal.

Besides, he was a changed man, a business owner, as he told his wife, Drita, who believed him, "but boy was she in for a shock!" as Hol...

Bank Robber Shot in Florida Once Tied to Colombos

Surveillance photos of Bellafiore at work before being shot multiple times.

A Martin County Sheriff's Deputy with 13 years of experience shot a bank burglar early last Monday morning in Florida.

The robber, Gerard Bellafiore, 47, has more experience at his job -- robbing banks using an improvised fish hook -- than the deputy does enforcing the law. He's been robbing banks since around the early 1980s, working back then with former mobsters such as Chris Paciello and James "Jimmy" Calandra.

A Maf...

Spumoni Gardens: Botched Robbery or Mob Hit?

Yesterday more than 100 people attended the funeral of Louis Barbati, 61, co-owner of L&B Spumoni Gardens Pizzeria, a popular New York City eatery, who was shot to death at 7 p.m. on June 30 right outside his home in Brooklyn's Dyker Heights section, on 12th Ave. near 76th St.

Mourners paid their respects at St. Ephrem’s Church in Dyker Heights. "Disgraced" former Rep. Michael Grimm (aka "Mikey Suits"), described in news reports as a family friend, was among the attendees.
Among those...

Q&A With That Guy Who Played Boardwalk Empire's Meyer Lansky

Meyer Lansky as portrayed by Anatol Yusef.
Tony Sokol, the admitted "Gangster Geek" at Den of Geek, wrote an excellent story about The Godfather that he allowed Cosa Nostra News to republish. Now, he's lent us another gem. From January 2015, an interview with Anatol Yusef, who played Meyer Lanksy.  The real Tony Sokol, in his 20s...
Tony also writes for a host of interesting sites, among them, The Chiseler, KpopStarz.com, and hypnocloud.com. Previously, he wrote for Altvariety, Coed.co...

2016 Not Coming Up Aces for Mob Boss Skinny Joey

Joey Merlino may no longer be able to indulge in gambling
in Pennsylvania following an altercaton.
Updated
Things are going from bad to worse for Philadelphia's alleged mob boss.

First, his fine-dining establishment in Boca was put on the block a mere months following its grand opening.

Then Skinny Joey was linked to a group of convicted criminals and individuals with organized crime ties  who "dumped tons of contaminated soil and construction debris near residential areas and waterways in Ne...

From Sausage & Peppers to Gambinos & Persicos

Angelo Spata possibly doing a "Carlo Gambino" smile for the cameras.


Cosa Nostra News Exclusive
First, the following string of comments is from a previous story; this is simply to set this story's backdrop. Comments are highlighted in yellow to signify their pending significance.

The comments, edited for clarity and space, offer several revelations:

1.) Michael "Mikie Scars" DiLeonardo wasn't involved in that blog story or the related discussion until "several" commenters blasted him. (The quotes...

Book on Sicilian Palmeri Brothers Now on Kindle

Paul Palmeri was alleged to be a witness in the murder of Willie Moretti, New Jersey boss. The above is a reenactment of RFK's 1958 interview with John Charles Montana (former underboss or consiglieri of  Stefano Magaddino).

Today marks the Kindle debut of Louis P. DiVita's A Wiser Guy -- so readers can purchase it in whatever format they prefer: ebook, hardcover or paperback. (Be sure to check out Louis's website, where the above trailer is posted, along with additio...

Nephew of Colombo Boss Carmine Persico Dies

Danny Persico wasn't a violent mobster despite his last name.
Danny Persico, nephew of sentenced-to-life Colombo crime family boss Carmine Persico, has died.

This is based on a seemingly exclusive report by Kenji Gallo on his Breakshot Blog.

While contacting sources, we learned Danny, in his early 50s, had been fighting colon cancer for around the past six years.





Daniel “Danny” Persico was brother of Colombo capo Teddy Persico, as well as Carmine and Sean. Daniel's father, Colombo capo Theodore Persico Sr., brother of Carmine “The Snake” Persico, was only recently released from prison following a 22-year bid.

Danny's brother, Teddy Jr., recently copped to a plea agreement that send him back to prison for another stretch, this one 12 years.

Danny "was not a bad guy," wrote Kenji, noting he'd last seen Danny Persico at the nightclub Aero in Brooklyn. 
Kenji noted how it was Danny Persico who "helped set up the limo ride for his brother Teddy when he was released from Greenhaven after 17 years."

Danny was highlighted in a Jan. 11 New York Post story as the "one Persico relative who is not in prison or dead" adding that "Danny Persico (was) a minor figure who lives on Long Island.

“There’s nobody left,” veteran investigator told the Post.
“The old-timers are too old and too tired. There are still big moneymakers who bring in tons of cash, but they’re not combatants. They are not involved in homicides. To run things, you need somebody who has two sides to him.”

"If this is, in fact, a requiem for the Colombos, they leave behind a brutal legacy, filled with the most colorful characters in gangland lore, a legendary band that inspired fictional depictions ranging from “On the Waterfront” to “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”


Non-violent Stock Fraud Case
Danny Persico was indicted around 16 years ago for a pump-and-dump stock fraud case.

In March 2000, members of four Mafia families were among 19 indicted for a multimillion-dollar stock fraud involving several boiler room brokerages. The mobsters acted as the muscle "for the companies in New York's financial district," federal prosecutors said.

Among those arrested in the predawn raids were Edward Garafola, a Gambino crime family member; Frank Coppa Sr., Bonanno crime family captain; and Daniel Persico.

Lewis Schiliro, assistant director in charge of the FBI in
New York, called them "the highest-ranking mobsters
arrested to date in a stock fraud case."

The case focused on White Rock Partners, which was renamed State Street Capital Markets Corp. and was run out of an office at the World Trade Center. It also involved brokers from three other firms specializing in microcap stocks, J.W. Barclay & Co., A.R. Baron & Co. Inc., and D.H. Blair & Co., which operated at 44 Wall St.

Think carefully about this next quote.... Really allow yourself to grasp what the FBI AGENT is saying....

"As in all cases of mob activity, though, once they're in, they're in for good. You start by asking for mob assistance, and suddenly you have a business partner," Schiliro said.

Maybe this is part of the reason this happened?

Book "A Wiser Guy" Emphasizes "Wise" in Wiseguy

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There's no shortage of mob content, as I've noted on here.

I must have around a hundred partially finished stories in my Blogger's cue. Some of you still mention some of these projects in the comments.

The subject matter here is pretty straightforward: my readers want to read about the Mafia in America and Canada. I've tested the waters, writing about related topics, such as the Cartels, and I know interest is  low. Some motor cycle club-related stories showed a degree of interest, but not...