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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: Footreads]
#887535
07/10/16 03:19 PM
07/10/16 03:19 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 71
InCamelot
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back then they worked for themselves, and they did work for anyone. Who they answered to no one.
Am I wrong about that? I thought that they kicked up to the elders in Genovese or Lucchese crews still.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: Footreads]
#887554
07/10/16 05:35 PM
07/10/16 05:35 PM
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InCamelot
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The guys mention later went to the luccheses. But then no where is pizza boy when you need him. The part I was especially curious about was that I recall reading Fat Tony Salerno encouraged his crew to stay away from drugs, but I also read that the Purple Gang kicked up to the people in the 116th crew. I'm aware of the usual "well they were hypocrites" thing. I was just curious who was actually in the position to be dealing with the Purple Gang.
Last edited by InCamelot; 07/10/16 05:39 PM.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: InCamelot]
#887555
07/10/16 06:29 PM
07/10/16 06:29 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 7,346 naples,italy
furio_from_naples
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naples,italy
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http://z14.invisionfree.com/GangstersInc/ar/t618.htm The Purple Gang was not exclusively Italian-American. They used the toughest, smartest and best street thugs from any ethnic group. The leaders, however, were of Italian origin and were marked by various families to become made members of La Cosa Nostra when the membership books were opened. Vinny Basciano, one time "Boss" of the Bonanno borgata, was a Purple Gang member, responsible for their considerable interests in Westchester County. At the time, the late 1970s through mid 1980's, Vinny Gorgeous was the owner of the heroin brand "Blue Thunder"--a very popular bag sold primarily in the neighborhood around 157th street and Melrose Avenue in the Bronx. Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri, a powerful Gambino captain, was also a Purple Gang shot caller in the early 1970s, and, legend has it, was the man who made the lucrative world of babania available to a young John Gotti in 1977. Bobby Germaine, a close associate of Jimmy Burke, familiar to most as "Jimmy Conway," in the Martin Scorcese film Goodfellas--and by proxy supergrass Henry Hill was an influential member. You can even make a leap and consider The Purple Gang the modern extension of the 107th Street Mob which held among its ranks such Mammasantisima as Frank Costello(Castigila), Vito Genovese, John Ormento and an early Federal Bureau of Narcotics informant Eugenio Gianinni. Mr. Gianinni was shot and dumped on 109th street after attempting to gather evidence of the FBN's "Moby Dick," Lucky Luciano, and his involvement in the international heroin traffic. Carmine (Gribbs) Tramunti was the LCN overseer of the Purple Gang during the late 1960s. Gribbs was the front boss of the Lucchese clan after Gaetano Lucchese died in 1967. Many believe that Paul Vario of Brooklyn was the real boss until Anthony Corallo took the helm in or around 1973. The Colombo crime family also had it's hand in the Purple pot. In 1983, the Colombo's were running a heroin operation based in Hell's Kitchen's northern edge in concert with the Purple Gang and the Irish locals, mythologized as "The Westies." 9th Avenue and 49th street during the mid to late 1980s and 37th street between 6th and 7th avenues (dealers would stand in doorways that led to garment district sweat shops) were the street outlet points for this alliance. In addition to heroin (10 dollars a bag), nickle (5 dollar) bags of cocaine were also sold.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: furio_from_naples]
#887586
07/11/16 03:34 AM
07/11/16 03:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 71
InCamelot
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http://z14.invisionfree.com/GangstersInc/ar/t618.htm The Purple Gang was not exclusively Italian-American. They used the toughest, smartest and best street thugs from any ethnic group. The leaders, however, were of Italian origin and were marked by various families to become made members of La Cosa Nostra when the membership books were opened. Vinny Basciano, one time "Boss" of the Bonanno borgata, was a Purple Gang member, responsible for their considerable interests in Westchester County. At the time, the late 1970s through mid 1980's, Vinny Gorgeous was the owner of the heroin brand "Blue Thunder"--a very popular bag sold primarily in the neighborhood around 157th street and Melrose Avenue in the Bronx. Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri, a powerful Gambino captain, was also a Purple Gang shot caller in the early 1970s, and, legend has it, was the man who made the lucrative world of babania available to a young John Gotti in 1977. Bobby Germaine, a close associate of Jimmy Burke, familiar to most as "Jimmy Conway," in the Martin Scorcese film Goodfellas--and by proxy supergrass Henry Hill was an influential member. You can even make a leap and consider The Purple Gang the modern extension of the 107th Street Mob which held among its ranks such Mammasantisima as Frank Costello(Castigila), Vito Genovese, John Ormento and an early Federal Bureau of Narcotics informant Eugenio Gianinni. Mr. Gianinni was shot and dumped on 109th street after attempting to gather evidence of the FBN's "Moby Dick," Lucky Luciano, and his involvement in the international heroin traffic. Carmine (Gribbs) Tramunti was the LCN overseer of the Purple Gang during the late 1960s. Gribbs was the front boss of the Lucchese clan after Gaetano Lucchese died in 1967. Many believe that Paul Vario of Brooklyn was the real boss until Anthony Corallo took the helm in or around 1973. The Colombo crime family also had it's hand in the Purple pot. In 1983, the Colombo's were running a heroin operation based in Hell's Kitchen's northern edge in concert with the Purple Gang and the Irish locals, mythologized as "The Westies." 9th Avenue and 49th street during the mid to late 1980s and 37th street between 6th and 7th avenues (dealers would stand in doorways that led to garment district sweat shops) were the street outlet points for this alliance. In addition to heroin (10 dollars a bag), nickle (5 dollar) bags of cocaine were also sold. Oh I didn't know that that many future LCN members were actually Purple Gang members. I thought most weren't outside of Leo and the Priscos. And I thought Basciano was of a different generation. Thanks.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: cheech]
#887699
07/12/16 10:42 PM
07/12/16 10:42 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 71
InCamelot
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why you asking about prisco and buckalo? ?
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: Jimmy_Two_Times]
#887797
07/14/16 03:03 AM
07/14/16 03:03 AM
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InCamelot
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On a sort of related note, I saw a video of Henry Hill saying he knew Sonny Black and had him in with the Purple Gang. Of course, Henry at this point was about saying whatever/whenever, but just thought it was interesting side bit to this conversation... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCqiQQ9EXEY Henry Hill just said anything sometimes huh? Lol. I don't know.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: InCamelot]
#887852
07/14/16 08:18 PM
07/14/16 08:18 PM
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Posts: 865
MightyDR
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http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/11/nyregi...otics-ring.htmlHere's an article about a big heroin bust in NY in 1982. The leader of the ring was allegedly Dominic T-----, a member of the Colombo family. According to the FBI, Mr. T----- "has been a major supplier of heroin to the Bronx Purple Gang". T----- got 40 years. EDIT: Don't know why it's censoring his name
Last edited by MightyDR; 07/14/16 08:19 PM.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: SinatraClub]
#887890
07/15/16 01:04 PM
07/15/16 01:04 PM
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 392
Flushing
Capo
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Capo
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Basciano wasn't a Purple Gang member, PB already stated this long ago, but the Blue Thunder case is discussed in depth in Anthony DeStefano's book, and none of the accused were Purple Gang members. I have read that book twice and don't recall any Purple Gang mentions either. I also don't recall any mentions of the specific Bronx neighborhood where blue thunder was sold. The above poster says it was in Morrisania (157th street and Melrose). This jives with what Pizza had always said. I recall on several occasions Pizza mentioned that Basciano set up in neighborhoods that other mobsters feared to go into. Morrisania is one of those neighborhoods. I delivered express mail there in the early 2000's and even then it was a warzone. Looked like Kosovo, literally.
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Re: Made guys/capos the Purple Gang kicked up to?
[Re: MightyDR]
#887891
07/15/16 01:12 PM
07/15/16 01:12 PM
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 392
Flushing
Capo
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Capo
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http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/11/nyregi...otics-ring.htmlHere's an article about a big heroin bust in NY in 1982. The leader of the ring was allegedly Dominic T-----, a member of the Colombo family. According to the FBI, Mr. T----- "has been a major supplier of heroin to the Bronx Purple Gang". T----- got 40 years. EDIT: Don't know why it's censoring his name The site seems to filter out certain Italian words. I've noticed this too. As for the Colombo's, a poster early in this thread said the Colombo's were aligned with the Westies in a Heroin thing. I have never heard of this. Any truth to it, you think?
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