People often debate who was the most powerful, the toughest, or the most deadly mafioso. But what about the other side of the coin? The fellas who didn’t necessarily conduct themselves like mobsters?

It might be interesting to flip the conversation a bit and ask…Who, in your opinion, was the least “gangster” gangster? Who were the mobsters who didn't conduct themselves like mobsters that the FBI still documented through the years as fully “initiated” mafiosi, but who rarely conducted themselves as such?

You know, the guys who mostly ran legitimate businesses, as opposed to criminal rackets, per se.

The guys who didn’t talk like “dese and dose guys,” who were better educated and gave off the persona of legit businessmen, as opposed to a thug. Because, in truth, maybe thats what they were?….basically legit. Yet, they were, in fact, “made” members of the Mafia….Those guys!

Maybe they didn’t even have an arrest record, because they had never been even been picked up by the cops in their life. The fellas who didn’t operate criminal rackets because it just wasn’t their thing?

Think about the “goodfellas” who were indeed, goodfellas, yet, maintained an air of respectability about them and were generally viewed as mainstream folks.

List the names of the mafiosi who you feel fall into this category…

Probably a decent majority of guys in smaller families fit that description

Some that come to mind:

Los Angeles: Anthony Mangione, Thomas Palermo, John Cascio and Leo Dia

Colorado: Agostino Salardino and suspected members John Pricco, Carl Cascio and Paul Surace

Madison: Vincenzo Caruso

Very good, Joe. I'm not intimately familiar with all those names. But I have heard of them. (good info.)
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Anybody else wanna take a shot?

Would we put Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal in this classification?

Well, I think the right answer would yes and no at the same time. He certainly wasn't a mafioso. But he was def associated with them, so there's that. Also, he wasn't a hoodlum, per se. Yet, he did handle "legit" casino gambling for them and was also known as a bookmaker.

What ruins him and a lot of other guys is that he was a longtime FBI informer. So whatever he may or may not have accomplished, is dwarfed and tainted by that reality.

So between his informing, and the fact that he wasn't actually a tried-and-true mafioso, I think, at least regarding this question, would be have to be no.

But Rush, I know you like to focus on Chicago. There are a lot of guys in the Windy City that could, and did, fall into this category. Just think about it and I'm sure you could name a few.

So we can agree in regards to operation Strawman when they put away the bosses from Chicago and Kansas City in prison for skimming, Frank was providing information to the FEDS on who was involved from both families?

I don't have the specifics about the info he provided. But they say he had been a rat for many years. So it only stands to reason that he would have provided info on those guys, other guys, casino skimming rackets in general, and whatever else he could feed them to keep his FBI handlers happy, no?

Agreed NYMafia. Agreed 100%.

We are in complete accord, Rush.

Bill Bonanno

Fred Roti, Roland Libonati, Frank Annunzio and others from Chicago.

No doubt about that. Roti (and his relatives,) Libonati, and a host of others in Chicago...New York, and a host of other cities as well, had many "sleepers" for lack of a better word, who were either dyed-in-the-wool mafiosi, or top crew associates, masquerading as politicians and legit businessmen, etc., but were actually "tools" of the underworld.

It was a very corrupt (but extraordinarily interesting) dynamic.

To a degree, thats true too. Bill Bonanno was a mobster "in theory," but was actually a nincompoop. He was a perfect example of inept nepotism...to the extreme.

I would put Anthony Scotto up there. He was well educated, well read. There was nothing about him that screamed gangster

Today we have a ton of guys who are just legitimate businessmen. They are not mobsters

The Gambino Family's Tony Scotto is an ace example of a NYC guy who falls perfectly into this category. The Genovese Family's Angelo Ponte is another one.

Back when the Democratic Party ran the country, there were not many Republicans among the Italians.

Bill Musto haha..

So it would appear. lol.

Buddy Cianci in Providence

Cianci wasn't a mafioso. But he was a corrupt politician who allegedly cooperated with mafiosi. So in that regard, then yes, I guess you could say he was an "associate" of sorts.

For that matter, look at Whitey Bulger's brother who was a top politician out of the area? If memory serves me, he was a State Senator. Yet, he schemed and protected his mobster brother for decades, essentially indemnifying him against investigation and prosecution. Am I right?

There were a lot of guys up the New England way who fall into this category. I just gotta think a bit.

Another honorable mention is Richard Daley, the mayor of Chicago from 1955-1976.

I don't know if we could call Mayor Daley a mobster, or even an "associate" of mobsters? Rush, I'm not all that familiar with him, per se, but how does he fall into this category?

Even if he was "corrupt," (which there are plenty of politicians who are,) in what way did he work with mafiosi?
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Here's part of my initial post:

"It might be interesting to flip the conversation a bit and ask…Who, in your opinion, was the least “gangster” gangster? Who were the mobsters who didn't conduct themselves like mobsters that the FBI still documented through the years as fully “initiated” mafiosi, but who rarely conducted themselves as such?

You know, the guys who mostly ran legitimate businesses, as opposed to criminal rackets, per se.

The guys who didn’t talk like “dese and dose guys,” who were better educated and gave off the persona of legit businessmen, as opposed to a thug. Because, in truth, maybe thats what they were?….basically legit. Yet, they were, in fact, “made” members of the Mafia….Those guys!"
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Does he fall within the general category above?

Rush, These are the types of guys (listed below) I had in mind when I initially created this thread:


Giuseppe (Joe) Cusimano and Gaetano (Tommy) Russo were both highly respected, longtime "soldiers" in New York’s Gambino Family. Yet, neither man had a police record to speak of, and both hobnobbed with politicos and businessmen within the legitimate world. They were the wealthy longtime owners of Brooklyn’s famed, Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home chain. Both were shadowy figures that little was ever known about. Yet, several underworld sources say that years back, dating back as far as former bosses Salvatore D'Aquila, Frank Scalici and Vincent Mangano, Tommy Russo ran the policy rackets in the Bensonhurst section of Kings County and served as an “overseer” for the Gambino Family.

Daley lived in the 11th Ward. The most heavily mobbed up neighborhood in the city.

I would have to say he was well connected with the 26th street guys during his tenure of 1955-1976.

Is this your personal thoughts and opinion? Or do you have hard facts to back up your feelings that Daley was working hand-n-glove with the Outfit, and in league with them to further their goals?

Here's another good example of a fella who I think falls into this category.

For many years, Long Island’s John Del Mastro doubled as a businessman and devout Lucchese Family associate. Ostensibly, Del Mastro was just the owner of a very successful fence installation company, based in Smithtown. But in reality, by the early 1960s, both local and federal law enforcement authorities had determined that Del Mastro was actually a coveted and highly influential Mafia associate and close aide to top bosses within the Lucchese borgata. He rubbed elbows with the likes of Andimo (Tommy Noto) Pappadio, Antonio (Tony Ducks) Corallo, Joseph (Joey Narrow) Laratro, Aniello (Neil) Migliore and others. Heavily involved in both Republican and Democratic Party politics, and a big donor, the influential Del Mastro was considered a key “link” between the mob and local government, who helped pave the mob’s way for the infiltration and expansion into Suffolk County's construction rackets.

I do have facts and his name is Fred Roti who was a loyal member of the "Machine" established by Mayor Richard J. Daley. We all know Roti was a made member of the Chicago Oufit and one of the most powerful guys they had working for them and Daley himself.

Its quite obvious Daley was connected when he was running the city of Chicago.

Ok, Fred Roti I do know. And as you say, he was a member of the Outfit. In fact, the Roti family, in general, had a long history with the Chicago underworld.

@Rush dont quarrel with faces who only use google...ignore them...