My great grandfather was a respected guy. I'm related to the Gallo boys on one side, Nitti and Capone on the other.

My grandfather was offered a job many times, but instead led a legit life. But he has an amazing mind, as well as tough and could've been great at it.

My father was a fuckin' hothead getting into brawls in the 70s run by made guys in Bensonhurst. My fuckin' father was told "You're too hotheaded to work for us" basically. Imagine that, told he was too hotheaded by fucking killers! He's lucky he didn't get his ass killed, most of his friends got washed in the early to mid 70s as part of a car theft ring run by Sammy Gravano.

But man, sometimes I wish my grandpa didn't decide to go legit. His dad was a highly respected guy, my grandpa has a fuckin' brain, balls, and carries himself, he could've gone far. Instead my family is stuck being fucking legit.

No. My grandfather grew up in Brooklyn and was friends with a lot of guys who became mobsters or were. However my grandfather never aspired to be that. He was in the ice and than the oil business. He would always tell me stories about the mob BUT always tell me that living a legit straight life was the best way to go. My father (who I have the ultimate respect fir) was a NYC cop back from the 70’s when the mob was really powerful. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories that aren’t public knowledge about mob victims. Obviously having those two men as role models who knew about the mob but were proud to live legit lives inspired me to live a happy legit life with a family of my own now

Nah, maybe back in the 20's, 30's, and 40's... those wild west days of mob life were probably the best. By the 80's with the rico laws and the fbi cracking down it seems like it just became a nightmare.

My Grandfather was consiglieri of the Bonanno family, he spent alot of years on prison. At the end of his life he had had open heart surgery several times, he was on his way out when Giuliani brought all these indictments. He died before they could put him away, Im sure the stress of it killed him. If he would have lived he would have spent whatever time he had left in prison. It always seemed like a bad life to me, and he never seemed happy that I could remember....never smiled.

RICO did play a huge part in breaking the back of La Cosa Nostra, but when you're talking about guys like Scarfo, Gotti, Amuso, and Casso you don't need RICO to bring them down, they were just that stupid. The mob did the most damage to the mob, more than the government or any law ever could.

My respect to your grandpa. I'm sure the guy had balls of concrete. That being said a lotta guys of that generation, affiliated or not, they didn't smile. I mean this was the generation that experienced the Depression and Hitler and shit....They lived under the mushroom cloud too more than most people. They had a lot of reasons besides Rudy not to smile, you know what I mean?

A lot of wiseguys end up in prison or in witness protection, so I don't think I missed anything. I think anyone who gets involved in rackets these days is nuts. But if you really wanted to be a wiseguy, I guess you could take bets on horses or whatever. Eventually Paulie Walnuts or Furio will come around looking for an end, and you will be with someone. Be careful what you wish for.

Well, I'm related to Freddo Corleone and we are still shooken up over his untimely death by my Uncle Michael....

Everyone thought Freddo was stupid but he was smart. Smart and he wanted respect!

Lol. You're a very funny guy, ya know that Tommy? I'm talking like Ha Ha funny!

Funny how? What? Let me understand maybe because I'm fucked up. Funny how? Like funny like a clown? Do I fucking amuse you?

you do. lol

Nah, Its just the way you tell the story

If this is true… “stuck being legit” is what most of the old timers wanted for their families. It sounds like you had a solid relationship with them both. Might have been different if they were in the can all the time.

I feel like I missed out because by the time I was old enough to understand anything the American Mafia's heyday was long passed. But other than that I wouldn't wish that shitty life on my worst enemy.

In today's world there is really no 'up-side' to a life of crime unless you come from the bottom of the barrel and have no other hope. You can make just as much legitimately and not have to kick up to some greedy boss [ unless you count the government ] or spend a decade behind bars with animals. Id rather own a chain of stores or apartment units and be my own boss without having to deal with a bunch of violent, uneducated, knuckleheads.

Im thrilled that my grandfather was far-sighted enough to steer the family far away from that life otherwise I might be living a nightmare right now.

Bingo! you hit the nail right on the head

I'm Glad He Chose the Right way otherwise he might not have been around to Influence you. Look at what it's become.

I think you summed it up well, and sorry about your grandfather. I believe that the me who became involved in the 1940's and earlier had few other choices, and may have wished they were born in the 1960's or later. Who in this day would want to be involved in group with rats and under surveillance, while other opportunities for good life are around. The only ones I feel bad for are the ones like the longshoreman who in today's gangland column was reported to have been fired from his job as a crane operator for being friends with an over 70 year old former Gravano friend and a few other old wise guys. Being on friendly terms with some is no crime. I don't think anyone living now is missing out.

The mob life is a horrible life to live past or present. Living a straight life is a blessing compared to that life.

To me the Mafia, or what it used to be, isn't something you join because you think it's going to be this glorious luxurious life. You join because it's what you believe in, it's in your blood figuratively speaking. Anyone who joins because they think it's equivalent to utopia, these are the types that will flip at the first sight of handcuffs when things get hard.

Go play for the Yankees or write a screenplay.

You don’t really “join” so much as the set of circumstances choose you. For a lot of guys it’s in their blood literally speaking and they spend their entire lives surrounded by that life. And even then after being normalized your entire life what you actually get involved in is like a frog in boiling water. You do small little things and then a little more and a little more etc. Usually from when you are a little kid. And it used to be you needed to get straightened out to keep the wolves away. “Joining” is less of a choice than it sounds. Some kid from Mississippi doesn’t just get to say “hey I think this is for me and I’m going to move to Arthur Avenue to give it a shot.” It don’t work like that. You do criminal stuff and you WILL run into problems. If you are white in the northeast you don’t have a lot of options. You get on record with someone and kick up in order to deal with those problems. Or just as common from my experience… you owe somebody money or a serious favor and now you belong to them.

It’s a horrible life. I imagine despite all the Hollywood bs and neighborhood celebrity status in years past… deep down it’s always been a horrible life. You don’t have friends. Almost everyone you deal with would sell you out in a heartbeat. These are career criminals and most of them only care about themselves.

In all seriousness though, I'm a little drunk, but you really are describing the world in general. I mean, most of us for the most part, don't have to worry about being killed, but betrayal is everywhere and you really can't trust the vast majority of people. Most people really ain't your friends, like everything else, friendship has an unofficial probation period, it's not something that's just given away like loose change, it's something that is earned. This rule is universal, doesn't matter where you are or where you're from.

. Yeah he needs another longer vacation from here 😂

...and he'll get banned if we see any more flaming on this or any other board. NO MORE OF THIS CRAP!

. Thank You Turnbull!!! It’s gotten out of control here the last few months with a few posters

Turnball are you a mod?

This is some of the dumbest shit I've ever read. Go out and be a crook if you wanna be one so bad.