It cannot be argued Vito ‘Don Vito’ Genovese led a life full of twist and turns, similar to a game of Snakes & Ladders maybe? Yet how many of those slides down were actually of ‘Don Vito’s’ making? I personally believe the waters have been muddied somewhat in respect of ‘Don Vito’, in most, if not all of the problems he faced. We last left Vito in 1947 as he was acquitted for the murder…
It is often said that women play no part in ‘The Life’. As can be seen in a previous piece I wrote for the National Crime Syndicate, Ladies of the life, this is not entirely true. I have chosen to take a closer look at three more such women, who not only played a part but were, whether good or bad, an integral part in their respective families. The three women I will be featuring…
I am aware that a lot has already been written about the Genovese Crime Family over the years, the majority of which has been about, quite rightly, Vito Genovese. Therefore, you’d think it impossible to be able to come across something RELATING!!! to the family that isn’t already public knowledge. Some of our readers may be aware that I co-admin The Genovese Crime Family page on Facebook, which should show the respect that I have…
“The Mafia is oppression, arrogance, greed, self-enrichment, power and hegemony above and against all others. It is not an abstract concept, or a state of mind, or a literary term[…] It is a criminal organization regulated by unwritten but iron and inexorable rules[…] The myth of a courageous and generous ‘man of honour’ must be destroyed, because a mafioso is just the opposite.” — Cesare Terranova, Italian Magistrate murdered in 1979 La Cosa Nostra is…
Join us as we take a closer look at the woman that played a significant role in the gangster lifestyle. I have chosen the following ten based on no criteria other than trying to list the most infamous. Ma Barker The godmother of crime, Arizona Donnie Barker (aka Kate Barker), was merciless despite her sweet-sounding moniker of ‘Ma Barker’. Marrying George Barker at 19 they went on to have four sons; Herman, Lloyd, Arthur…
The stage is Sicily. On stage are men of the state and Mafia bosses. It is a tragedy of death, intrigue and mystery, but also of struggle, passion and life. The stage is set as we continue our look at The Sicilian Mafia in a land of secrets, shadow and myth that gave birth to the Mafia. As a child Giuseppe ‘Joe Bananas’ Bonnano grew up in Castellamare del Golfo, a town and commune in…
Finding a list of lavish properties proved to be as difficult as I thought, as Tony Accardo told his boys, to keep low level and below the radar. I have chosen these ten with the help of Rob Bailot Jr. who has also provided the pictures for this piece, thanks Rob. l. Al Capone’s Florida Mansion Bought For $40,000 in 1923 Now Worth $15,000,000 This is the Capone mansion, which he bought in 1923 for…
While there was a time when people were reluctant to pronounce the word “Mafia” … nowadays people have gone so far in the opposite direction that it has become an overused term … I am no longer willing to accept the habit of speaking of the Mafia in descriptive and all-inclusive terms that make it possible to stack up phenomena that are indeed related to the field of organised crime but that have little or nothing in…