Here's my 2 cents. Deal and die is an outdated policy that only a fool follows in the mob. The logic behind it was that drugs bring long prison terms and that creates rats. Only problem with that is, while the mob was trying to not piss off the government with drugs, the government was busy rewriting laws to lock wiseguys up for life over other shit. Now I'm always reading articles about wiseguys getting 30 and 50 years for the usual rackets. So fuck it. Just deal drugs and get that money, they're gonna give you 100 years either way...

It was never deal and die anyway. It was GET CAUGHT DEALING and die. All of the bosses were lying hypocrites when it came to that shit. The mob has been in junk since day one. The mob is still in junk today. Period.

Oh I'm not saying it was enforced. I know very well about the hypocrisy involved. I'm just saying as a policy and even as an idea, might be good back before RICO, but these days it's not even a logical idea. It's missing out on money just so you can get 50 years for running a whore house or something

When you say junk are we talking about smack here ? Or a variety of drugs in general

Heroin was the big thing from the start but they got into everything. But junk usually means heroin

Remember in Goodfellas when Paulie told Henry to "stay away from da garbage"?

Was there a lot of made men that were actually killed after being caught dealing? I've never heard of it happening.

Me neither. I'd like to hear of some circumstances if anybody knows any.

Paul castellano wanted to kill little Pete tambone for dealing but I think he was spared , wasn't carmine consalvo murdered for dealing ??

What happened to MikeyO

Gotti, I don't remember any guys getting taken out for drug involvement either, as others have said very hypocritical.

I think it was overlooked as long as the cash was coming in but from what I have read and seen on tv, it may have been used as a reason to put a hit out on someone you wanted to kill for other reasons. If big paul thinks gotti is a threat but can't get the ok to kill him, he'll cling on the drug thing since technically it's the policy

The point of the original post I guess was to show how it may have been dumb to try and work with the feds anyway. Maybe the deal and die policy made guys stick to being local wholesalers on the low instead of possibly getting everyone involved and getting to cartel status. Staying out of the drug business to appease the feds only made the feds screw wiseguys in other ways.

First time posting so go easy on me...(or not, I like it rough too. Hehe)

From what I know, drugs are looked down upon. Money is money. And that's how it's viewed I would surmise. However, usage is not allowed. And if found out I would guess there's a 'correction' applied.

Usage isn't allowed?

Technically, you're right. But tell that to half the made guys back in the '70s, running around Kennedy airport and hijacking trucks coked up out of their minds .

And welcome to the boards, Girlie .

Hey, PB, what is your opinion on Joe Bonanno and drugs? I don't think he was as involved as a lot of people say but I also don't think he was some white knight for Sicilian virtues as his autobiography makes him sound.

Still, you would think he'd have to be involved in some aspect seeing as how heavy one of his top guys, Galante, was into it.

Hey Snakes .

Bonanno was a little bit too far up the food chain, and a little bit too before my time (I was born in '59), to give you a strong opinion about that.

That being said, I THINK he had to be neck deep in drugs. Galante couldn't have been moving all that junk (and I CAN give you a strong opinion about that ) without JB's knowledge and backing.

Thanks. Unsurprisingly, he never mentioned Galante in his book.

That was funny because Paulie was a drug trafficker too.

The real rule was don't deal unless you have the permission of the boss. You can't tell me that Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano didn't know the Cherry Hill Gambinos were dealing. Most of the Bonanno bosses were dealing. Most of the top Lucchese guys were dealing.

It seems the deal and die rule was used as a controlling measure to make sure drug dealing didn't become rampant and turn every crew into a drug ring. Keep it tight and efficient and distance yourself from those crews that were bigger players (such as the Cherry Hill Gambinos) so when guys get arrested and flip it can't be linked to the administration.

A couple of users were the Indelicato son (Bruno ?) and in the Gotti crew, Tony "Roach" Rupino, I think both were addicted to heroin. There were more I'm sure. The Gemini twins were big users. THE gotti crew was up to their ass in drugs Angelo Ruggiero, his brother; Gene Gotti and Charles Carniglia to name a few.

That's basically how it is today. In just the last 10-15 years we've seen numerous mob drug cases, particularly in New York. Less so in the small families left elsewhere but that seems due more to not having the manpower or "business diversity" to compete and really be major players in the drug trade.



That's just it. While some will use comments or edicts made by bosses like Castellano, Gigante, Corallo, Accardo and others as an argument to prove the "deal and die" rule, a close examination shows it was more "Only deal with permission...and don't get caught." Castellano took drug money off John Gambino while telling the Gotti crew not to deal. Gigante (despite his own past drug conviction) supposedly makes a pact with Castellano to kill drug dealers in their families but then appoints Bellomo (a known drug trafficker) the acting boss of the family. Corallo complains about drug dealing on tape but then gives the OK for Amuso and Casso (known drug traffickers) to take over the family. And when Accardo was running the Outfit, you had top guys like Fifi Buccieri and Turk Torello involved in the drug trade.

i think it was more about control too.like ivy mentioned all those guys that got a pass for dealing, its all about favouritism, cliques and having the money come directly to the top. only enforce rules on people they don't like i.e castelanno and gotti. Also if your a boss you wouldn't want every soldier and associate making that kind of money.