BEST

Pete Chiodo: ok to shoot me but menace to kill my wife is enought!
Phil Leonetti: my uncle was a psycho,killed Sal Testa and promised to his father to take care of him,I dont want that my son grew up in such maniera.

WORST

Gravano: John [Gotti] will blame it all on me.

Hi Furio - love your posts! For sake of discussion, I honestly think Leonetti was more self-serving in his motives than he lets on, but that's just my opinion perhaps. He certainly seems like a solid witness who has told the truth consistently about his time in the life and who hasn't turned it into a money making venture the way many former mobsters have. He's one of my favourite rats but he's still a rat! Chiodo probably is the best choice in my opinion, but for sake of discussion I'll pick someone else:

BEST

D'Arco: Like Chiodo, he hadn't done anything wrong and the family was going to kill him anyway because they were being run by two delusional, paranoid psychopaths. Why sit around waiting to be clipped? If there were three bosses who *earned* people ratting on them by their own stupid behaviour, they were Scarfo, Amuso and Casso. However, they weren't the worst bosses of all time, that dubious honour must surely belong to my next choice....

WORST

Massino: After a highly successful, lucrative, fairytale run at the top, he throws away his legacy and goes down as the biggest pussy in the history of the Mafia. Willing to take a piece of everybody's action, happy to boss his family around for 20 years, but not willing to take the fall when the law comes knocking. Wanted the big seat but couldn't take the responsibility the way a Tony Ducks or Carmine Persico could. He just wasn't of that quality.

He could have been truly one of the last legends in the American LCN but instead his entire legacy is a joke.

. The whole Pete Chiodo fiasco was really dumb on Gaspipe’s part. Not only trying to kill a guy who was loyal to you but then trying to kill an innocent women who is his family member so he won’t testify. Shows how psychotic Gaspipe was

-
Gotta tell ya, THAT was a great breakdown and explanation for each of their situations, and I completely agree with what you wrote. 100%....make that 1000%

eastsideofvan,in my opinion Leonetti is sincere. He should easly made his time and after out return as a powerful made man but decided of change life for his son and apart Mafia Prince wasnt egocentric like the other mobsters.
Pete Chiodo is another thing: he get 12 bullets but refused to cooperate until this psycho dont menaced his wife.
Now even for avoid 5 years in prison there are something that flipped.

Don't know why posters are defending Leonetti. His book is self serving, of course he's going to lay all the blame on his uncle. He's, to me, the worst kind of rat. The one who waits until he's guilty and then rats.

Massino is my worst rat. Boss for 20 years, I'm sure he had people put to death for ALLEGED informing and then rats himself. Even becomes a jailhouse snitch regarding VB. At least VB took it like a man and much younger.

Chiodo probably was guy with best reason.

Leonetti was a remorseless stone killer who was riding high and loving it. He later baled out on his uncle and blamed Scarfo for Leonetti's own behavior. He was a heartless punk, plain and simple. Chiodo? I agree. He seemed loyal and was mislabeled a rat by those two maniacs. They shot him 12 times, then later shot his sister, killed his uncle. WTF did you want the guy to do? He had nowhere to go, and nothing to lose at that point.

Chiodo: He had a reason to rat….

Worst rat: Massino… He’s such a hypocrite…. **** him… excuse my language…

Agreed. Joey Massino was a phony fat fuck who sunk all his guys! A complete blowjob!

Massino is the worst. I could give a pass to a rat (as an outsider) but a Mafia Boss. A Cosa Nostra Boss of the Bonannos, no less. And he wanted to change the name, thats would've been terrible. Say what you want about Jonhn Gotti and Carmine Persico as bosses but they did what they were supposed to do. Stand up.

By far Massino....

Everyone with a brain cell knows he'd never get the death penalty for his crimes, and yet Law Enforcement and Joe Pistone insists that's the reason..

He didn't become boss because he was stupid...Killers with no money spend decades on death row...He knew that

He got a great deal, he got to keep a lot of his money, and that's the reason...Simple as that

Chiodo had the best reason AFTER RATTING for doing so. HIs sister's shooting was one of the worst moves ever by the mob, maybe the worst. However he was shot, and as mobster should have excepted it as part of the life he chose. Once they shot his sister, he was justified.

. That’s very fair. I never totally bought Leonettis story either. Chiodo was actually loyal yet they still tried to kill him. Shows how devious that life can be

RE: JCrusher..."never totally bought".....I dont think anyone has..BUT..alot of his story & reasoning has fair validiction...who would not be disgusted by the way he was led by a leash by a psycopath ..who started killing everyone and best friends @ the slightest provocation or non thereof..he could of been next 4 sure...& Scarfo's mocking his own son when learning of his hanging thereafter...besides the book..Leonetti is not or have been heard from since...although I would'nt be suprised if now that Nicky Sr. is gone , Phil might have some REAL tell all something in the works (b it a book or a movie)...our old friend here @ GGB ..SERP (who knew or still) knows Phil..hinted @ this a ways back on this here forum..Peace , Hoodlum.

. Absolutely. I think there are truths to what he says. Scarfo was nuts so I can understand Phil having enough of him. His cousin Mark did hand himself so I dint doubt that had a big impact on him to flip as well

Further to the Leonetti debate (I think it's an interesting one) I think his story is very credible for the most part. How he has retold the events that took place, and the events he was involved in, strike me as very genuine. And he could have done way more to self aggrandize himself in the 30 years or so he's had to do it than just write Mafia Prince. He's clearly not all that interested in his own fame in the way a Gravano or a Franzese or even a Pennisi is.

BUT....I don't buy that he went to prison and then had this great epiphany that he needed to play for team USA because he just realized his Uncle was a delusional paranoid psychopath. Leonetti had gone along with that ride the entire time - rolled the dice on trial and lost - got 45 years - then sat in his cell for a couple of days before he decided "fuck this". That's when he "got the courage" as he described it in his A&E interview to call the FBI and tell them he wanted to talk. That's the part I take umbrage with - he just can't own the fact that he couldn't handle the idea of doing the time. That was the reason he flipped, not anything else. Not his son. He had no interest in quitting the life when his son was born and growing up - not until he was sitting in that cell. It was the 45 years that did it and nothing else.

I hate it when guys pussy out and then turn around and give some BS justification. It's the second part that really gets me. I'd respect it more if they just said "yeah I pussied out."

It's just like that ridiculous William Cutolo Jr. interview where he says he was about to burst in and kill Jackie DeRoss and the guys involved in his dad's death when at the last minute the light hit a photo of his son and he realized he couldn't get sent away and abandon his son. What complete bullshit! He may well have gone there with a gun but in that moment where the light supposedly hit the photo what really happened is he realized he was about to do something which would cause the entire Colombo family to rain down fury on him until he was tortured, killed and dismembered. That's why he didn't do it. No bullshit about a photo of his son. So of course he had to co-operate... it was his only choice.

Oh, please!

RE; EASTSIDEOVAN..."He had no interest in quittin' the life while his son was growing up"......that's the part I or anybody dont understand..why I said JCRUSHER was right in nobody TOTATTLY believes his story..well said my friend.

when i was in the life i would have flipped in a moment to save my ass i just never had to and i was brutal believe me

U were never in the life , nor have ever been near anyone in the life , & if u had been in the life..u would not brag about something so sensitive as "would have flipped" so shut the fuck up & stop trolling me asswipe.

Arent you the guy aleays pretending he was connected? Old fart dont get involved

Like I said ..earlier ..Karma's a bitch..can u read that u (cant spell) fuckin' moron.??

Im terrified i guess i better call the cops

Well you already called them once tonight on me. Somehow they haven't shown up yet.

Dont worry theyll be there and youll end up a felon. Fag

Rat

Camorrista Salvatore Tamburrino became a high level turncoat after he was arrested for the murder of his wife in 2019.

Massino's disgusting. The fact that his fat treacherous ass is still alive at 79 annoys the hell out of me.

From the mafia standpoint:

Best: Kevin Weeks - "The guys I am testifying against have been Federal Informers for 30+ years"


From a person standpoint:

Best: Anyone who said "This shit is wrong and I need to stop doing it and its not suddenly because I have pending charges and by telling I will not be charged"

Its not often I agree with Hoodlum but this is one of those cases.

Thanx TonyB...I know we have our differences..alas..I know u doubt my associations..but that was a long time ago....I had trouble w/ some old school dudes..but only 'cause of my pops..the only person I knew "somewhat" well was Nicky Crow..but other than that I am a NOBODY...thanx 4 ur agreement on that other "dude"..Hook..good night .