1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: You're tuned into The Gangster Chronicles. Well, James McDonald and 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Allen Tomanso on the Digital Soapbox Network material witness on 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: an aggregated battery, I was a hang gun and um, 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: they believe this might be in retaliation to our testimony. 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening wherever you may 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: be listening from. Welcome to another episode of The Gangster Chronicles. 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: My name is Alex Alonso from Street TV a k a. 8 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: Street Gangs, and I'm here with my co host James 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: McDonald and we are what's this our second episode without 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Reggie Wright Jr. So we're doing the show. We're holding 11 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: it down without Reggie Wright Jr. This is episode thirty three. 12 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: And if you're new to the podcast, please go back 13 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: and listen to a few other episodes because you'll see 14 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: that a lot of our episodes are interrelated and you 15 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: won't start hearing me till episode three. So don't fill 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: my inbox with all these questions. And if you listen 17 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: to us on Apple Podcast, please leave us a rating 18 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: and a review so that we continue bringing you this 19 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: amazing content. You could also post a comment and a 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: question that we will answer on the air. And if 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: you want, you could audio a question via your cell 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: phone and texted to us d m U s uh 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: posted on the Facebook page and if the question is worthy, 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: we'll play it on the air. And if you like 25 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: this podcast on Apple Podcast, give us a rating from 26 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: one to five five men that you're loving the show. 27 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: And for those who do not have Apple Podcast, you 28 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: could listen to us on Google Play for you Samsung 29 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: and Android users, Spotify and Radio dot com, or you 30 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,199 Speaker 1: can listen to the podcast the way my mother does 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: and she just asked Siri play the Gangster Chronicles. And 32 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: you could also watch portions video portions of this podcast 33 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: on the Digital Soapbox Network that's on YouTube videos produced 34 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: by Smooth Cut Productions. And if you want to get 35 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: in touch with James, you can catch him on Facebook 36 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: and he is the one with the James McDonald with 37 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: the Harley in his profile and you could also find 38 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: them on Instagram at B I G G J thirty 39 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: six thirty six. And you can still get those death 40 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Row t shirts from him night zero four and he 41 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: will deliver them to you within one of two days. 42 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: And you can find me at Street Gangs dot com. 43 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: Just click on the contact link and you can send 44 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: me a message via email. And I'm at all social 45 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: media platforms at alex Alonso one zero one that's on Twitter, Instagram, 46 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: and Facebook. So, James, before we go into our show, 47 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: we got a special guest. But I want to just 48 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: cover a couple of facts from from the last couple 49 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: of weeks. I think I said that John Connolly, who 50 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: was the FBI agent that was working with Rusty Boulger 51 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: and Boston, was sentenced to life in prison. That is incorrect. 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: He was sentenced to ten years in the FEDS in 53 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 1: two thousand two. Then he got out in two thousand 54 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: eleven and they um, the State of Florida picked them 55 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: up for a murder and he was sent to forty 56 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: years there. The State of Florida has him scheduled for 57 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: his first parole date in twenty thirty nine and he 58 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: will be ninety eight years old. Yeah, what are you 59 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: if he's gonna even make it to years old inside 60 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: the Feds. Yeah, that's crazy. Now. About two episodes ago, 61 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: James Reggie Wright Jr. Was talking about the book deal 62 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: that maybe ray j has about Sugar Knight and ray 63 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: j Um Sugar Knight and whatever they're gonna whatever they're doing. 64 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: But I had through out there that hey, you don't 65 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: have to be on a major publishing shing, and you 66 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: could be an independent writer and get on a major 67 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: publishing like like um Monster Cody did and he was 68 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: published on Penguin. James had said, what do you say, 69 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: sinthing all that ain't no major publishing company. But Penguin 70 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: Publishing was founded in nineteen thirty four. It operates out 71 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: of London, England, and it is one of the biggest 72 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: publishers the history of America, I mean in history of 73 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: the world. Reggie didn't Reggie didn't know. And just because 74 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: Monster Cody from Matrix Gangster Crypt published his book under Penguin, 75 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: don't mean it was a major And I thought that 76 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: was a hell of accomplishment. Because Homeboy wrote his book 77 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: in the shoe in um Pelican Bay Duty. Yeah, well, 78 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: you know if he when he gave up the material, 79 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: they read that book and went through it and and 80 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: they re rewritten some stuff in there. Well, I don't 81 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: know the specifics of it, but it was a hell 82 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: of a book. It came out of. It's called An 83 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: Autobiography of a Los Angeles gang Member on Penguin. Penguin 84 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: is now merged with Random House since two thousand and thirteen. 85 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: So I just wanted to correct Reggie Wright Jr. On 86 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: that Penguin is a major publishing house. And the last 87 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: fact check, well, this ain't really a fact check. I 88 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: wanted to find out what was bus stop from O 89 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: F TBS real his actual job now I heard it 90 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 1: when he was a Cairo practor. I couldn't find it out, 91 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: so anyone out there knows, please hit us up. His 92 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: real name is Sammy Williams, and I couldn't figure out 93 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: what is his current profession, but I believe he's in 94 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: the medical field, which is amazing because he's from the 95 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: Bounty Hunters. He's from aout the Nickersons. Well, I mean, 96 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: good things come out of the project, for sure, Good 97 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: things come out of everywhere in every neighborhood. You got 98 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: some you got some catch that got skills. And your 99 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: brother was close to all them guys from o FTB right, Charlotte, 100 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: where we all were, We always close to him, um everybody. Yeah, 101 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: we had a good report with him. It was just 102 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: the politics that that divided everybody. Okay, all right, So 103 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: I just want to I got a just couple of 104 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: news updates um Joshua Brown and the Joshua Brown case 105 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: out in Texas. That guy Dad, he is green from 106 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: Louisiana is still on the run. Remember there was three 107 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: guys wanted. They're arrested too. I was just talking to 108 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: somebody that live out there and he was telling me 109 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: some interesting stuff about it. And he one thing he 110 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: was saying that the police had some of those guys. Well, 111 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: this is one of these theories out there. The police 112 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: so those guys to get at him. What happened was 113 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: they said that first they thought he wouldn't gonna be 114 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: a credible witness because he, you know, sale marijuana, his 115 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: track record and all that. They brung all that up 116 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: in court. But he's still testified on the behalf of 117 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: the guy that got killed. But then they said that 118 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: he turned out to be such a good witness and whatever. 119 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: You uh. The police didn't want him because of the 120 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: the lawsuit that was coming from the mama, so they 121 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: had to get rid of me. So, I don't you know, 122 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: this is just here say what he was telling me. 123 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: That is a lot going on out there. I think 124 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: there's a lot of unanswered questions even though it seemed 125 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: like maybe it was just a drug deal went bad, 126 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: but they're still it still smells to me, but I 127 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: don't I don't know. It's too early right now to 128 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: even try to speculate on whether the Dallas p D 129 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: had anything to do with josh A Bound's murder. If 130 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: it was just one thing. I did ask you, I said, well, 131 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: do you see all of these things on the news, 132 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: the three guys, this guy getting killed. Oh yeah, it 133 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: was on the news everywhere when it happened. So this 134 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: situation does exist. So we were sitting there like it's impossible. 135 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: Why why we ain't hearing about it? We ain't in Texas, 136 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,239 Speaker 1: we don't get to Texas news. So it's definitely happening. 137 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: And those guys words shot and the whole nine is 138 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: for real. Well hopefully, um we we're gonna stay on 139 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: that story because nobody's talking about it right now, but 140 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: if we learned something to new about it, you're gonna 141 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: hear about it on the Gangster chronicles. Uh did you 142 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: hear about Badass from Long Beach who was briefly signed 143 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: the death row records during the nineties. He died in 144 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: police custody a few days ago in Riverside County. Wow, 145 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: nobody knows what else. He's only for three years old. 146 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna says peace to you, my brother. You know 147 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Man, you really didn't know each other. 148 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: Ranting to you, but we really didn't, you know, kicking 149 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: like that and none but rist in peace. Yeah, rest 150 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: in peace too, badass from Long Beach. Um. We'll find 151 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: out what happened to him in the next couple of 152 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: coming days. And the last thing I want to say 153 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: is Um, the East Coast Crips and the Florence Third 154 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,679 Speaker 1: Teams had their third face to face meeting. I believe 155 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: it was either October thirty one or November one. I 156 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: was out of town, so I wasn't able to attend it. 157 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: But there is footage online if you go to Skip 158 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: Townsend's YouTube channel, he has about two minutes of footage. 159 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: For those of you who don't believe this is true 160 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: that have been questioning whether or not that the East 161 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: Coast and the Florences came together, they came together again 162 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: and there's actual video footage on YouTube that you can see. 163 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: You see a bunch of Mexicans, about a hundred of them, Cynthien. 164 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: That's the video I'm talking about Cynthia Senator Van And 165 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's crazy that we we put ourselves 166 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: down when you're doing good things like this. You know 167 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: a lot of catches. Are they only doing this because 168 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump? I wouldn't give an if if it 169 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: took Donald Trump to get these two neighborhoods together, then 170 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: fuck it. I give a high poet Donald Trump and 171 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: putting them together definitely, but we need to get them 172 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: gains the Chronicles and everybody can hear this story. Yeah, 173 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: maybe everybody needs to know what's going on. I'll reach 174 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: out to a little doc and see if we can 175 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: get a representative from Florence thirteen and perhaps come here 176 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: and just talk about this monumental truce between two gangs 177 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,719 Speaker 1: that have been worn for twenty years. And lastly, we 178 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: gotta shout out Nori from the Drink Champs. Nori went on, 179 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: he went on the podcast called No Jumper and guess who. 180 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,199 Speaker 1: He said it was the best podcast out right now, 181 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: that was crazy. He said, The Gangster Chronicles is the 182 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: best podcast out right. The way he explained each and 183 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: everybody roll and I was like, man, he compared us 184 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,599 Speaker 1: to the TV show um Um, the one out of Baltimore, 185 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: but the Gangsters of the Police, Um the Wire. He said, 186 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: the Gangster Chronicles podcast is like the TV show The Wire. 187 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: I don't know, but that's a hell of a compliment. 188 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: Damn show is. And and it had me choked up 189 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,319 Speaker 1: because I'm like, I'm not into it. I don't look 190 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: at the and I'm bullshitt y'all not I don't look 191 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: at the comments. I don't look at none of these bodios. 192 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: I don't do none of it. I come in here 193 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: and after the show is over, I go home and 194 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: I'm waiting on another week. I don't fare attention to it. 195 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: So I got people coming to me, coming up to 196 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: me at the stores that to swap me, uh, pull 197 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: up on the side of me and take a double 198 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: take and say, oh you guys chronic. It is overwhelming 199 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: to me. I mean, I didn't went from here all 200 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: the way to hear where I'm at now and and 201 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: being recognized, Man, you helped me this, You helped me that, 202 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: you helped me through a hard time on this and 203 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: and we appreciate all y'all. We appreciate all y'all I 204 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: appreciate y'all from the bottom of my heart. Um, I 205 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,839 Speaker 1: never thought I would be in a position where I'm 206 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: at now. He even offered us distribution in case we 207 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: needed it, that's how much he loved the show. But 208 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: I've known Nori man. I think i've know Norith about 209 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: twelve years now, and he's always been a good guy. 210 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: Whenever he comes to l A, when if he's not 211 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: too busy, he hits me up. I was surprised that 212 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: he shot. I didn't even know Nori. I haven't talked 213 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: to Nori since we've been doing this podcast, so I 214 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:36,839 Speaker 1: was surprised that he even you know, because he got 215 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: his own podcast, the Drink Champs, and that is one 216 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: of the top podcasts and the music category. So I 217 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: know he's busy with doing his podcast, but he's listening 218 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: to us. I just want a guy. I thought it 219 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: was uh noring, somebody ship man, get my boys a 220 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: shout out. I'm like, man, it's just dude, for real. 221 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,079 Speaker 1: He on there and and it was it was some 222 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: else or something else, all right, So we got a 223 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 1: special guest today. This guy is born in New York, 224 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: came out to l A, has a career and entertainment, 225 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: but he is tangentially linked to organized crime. He just 226 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: came out with a book called The Accidental Gangster Rii Spado. 227 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: But before we go into a conversation with Rii Spado, 228 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: let's play this clip. I equate a good gang shirt 229 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: up there with a doctor or a good lawyer. There's 230 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: good gangers, are bad answers. You know, it's like anything 231 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,839 Speaker 1: else in life and any other segment of life. But 232 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: being a true gang shirt, most people would thinking maybe 233 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: I'm a little mentally, maybe press I am. But to 234 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,679 Speaker 1: be a true gang shirt you have to be in 235 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: telling you you know, if you mentioned a few guys 236 00:12:55,200 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 1: that I knew, and what's separation those guys my last 237 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: Frank and Sello tell Michel Sunday Clinch, Jimmy Toschi, Jimmy Toschi. 238 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: Even though there was a pretty time he couldn't you know, right, 239 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: but they were still smarting. There was still on TV 240 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: right now, The Great Do Yes, it seems like they're 241 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: show kind of mirrors of life a whole look in 242 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: a way. Yes, because when I came down to the HollyHood, 243 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: I knew Dino Dealer right there, Roll sur being I 244 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: know if anybody knows who Dino Dealer Runt was. But 245 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: at that time, back in the day, he was the 246 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: biggest lender, brenda producer round and did King Kong across 247 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: a hundred and thirty forest three tons of movies. I 248 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: became close with them. He was he came from Italy 249 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: and they were involved with Carlo Ponti over there in 250 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: the film business, and he was very successful. And I 251 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: became friends. And the next day you know, there's a 252 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: problem there, a problem there. And then I went on. 253 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: I talked to people, they were reading the problems. Like 254 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: just sitting down with people, I could trib you my 255 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: experiences a salesman of someone he turned for understanding people 256 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: and being able to sit down and take care of 257 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: the problem. So you were what they were called, the fixer. 258 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: I was knownally the Hollywood fixer. How much show you 259 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: think they broke month? I only think maybe somebody saw 260 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: off picked up something and the writers wants the writer 261 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: to get something. He changed it all for totally. He 262 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: had a writer and wanted the doors for TV pilot 263 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: about me. I mean I read that and you know 264 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: who the hell he was talking about. There was no 265 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: of someone's at all. I think the writer probably agreement 266 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: and the reality was open to even think they would 267 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: agree the breaking. But there's a whole another situation, and 268 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: we could talk three years of out writers and how 269 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: but everything's too rich for it. Seems like all my life, 270 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: people always part of me as a gangster. But for 271 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: many years I was a successful a churchman and the 272 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: leading agent for the potential in Church company. And then 273 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: I had my own agency where I serviced Automo bill 274 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: dealers with a training for a Brahm and where I 275 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: saw the credit life and accident and health insurch That 276 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: became my first indictment. A guy that I took that 277 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: never made more than thirty tho dollars a year, I 278 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: brought him in a gentleman. I can't call him a gentleman, 279 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: but he was making over a hundred grand year with me. Uh, 280 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: my company was growing very quickly. I was going very well, 281 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: and he became very jealous. He found out about a 282 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: deal that I had with the in Church company where 283 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: I was allowed to use the premium to grow my business. 284 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: And then he tried to say that you know that 285 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: I was friends with Sonny Francais Maya Lansky and others, 286 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: which showed he was trying to get me into tape conversations. Anyway, 287 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: that became my first indictment, and I was facing fifty 288 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: five years in prison, and it was my first case. 289 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: I ended up getting five years probation. But once I 290 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: had that fewn he was like, you know, and I 291 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: became who I was. I left there, I went to 292 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: San Francisco, and I became very well known in San 293 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: Francisco in a very short period of time. I already 294 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: known Sonny Franchise, all right, I knew my Orlanski, and 295 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: through life I got the net other well known gangsters. 296 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: That's all in my book. Carlo Marcello Russell Buffalino's who 297 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: Joe Pesci plays in a new film The Irishman. Yeah, 298 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 1: so I had yeah, hell of a life. Do you 299 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: have some feelings here you? For example, well, Michael Harris, yeah, Harrio? 300 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: How long that him was? I don't know if even 301 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 1: the guy know who Danny Sinton was, but then he 302 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: was the first guy that produced Bob Marley. Uh. Danny 303 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: was big in the music business. And when Danny was 304 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, I was a guy who took care 305 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: of Danny and he probably Yeah. When he was in 306 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: New York, it was joe Piney and when he was 307 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: in London, it was my snake, Joey Pile. Danny knew 308 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: how to work the system really good and he was 309 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: always protected. But he came here, and before he came here, 310 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 1: he stopped in New York. He was with White Cleft, 311 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: and through White Cleft he met Asian Jack and they 312 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: came out here with and wanted me to handle problem 313 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 1: was shog Knight. Lydia was so underver the little issue 314 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: is wanted me to talked to Show and uh I 315 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: met Lydia Asian Jack. Asian Jack ended up thinking on 316 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: my couch for a year, so I found out who 317 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: he really was. But they went back and forth and 318 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: every time that he was here, she got Michael long 319 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: At help. But there was not a need for me 320 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: at that situation be to sit down with Show, because 321 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: I really didn't know who was right who is wrong 322 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: in the situation, and when Michael being in prison and 323 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: his wife an thanks for him, it was not a 324 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 1: proper situation for me to get involved in. Patian Jack. 325 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: He's a good talker's a good looking boy. He was fast, 326 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: fast with a woman. We're a hustler. He he was 327 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: getting money from White Club, John and Jerry wonder Urb 328 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: and all these people. It's up on my couch and 329 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: grow my son's cart. For a year. Never offered to 330 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: put up a five cents. And then I found out 331 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: the truth about Asian. What happened. What he wanted. There's 332 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: something in the music business. He wanted me to be involved, 333 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: and i'mby donst to me. He was going around Los 334 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: Angeles stone everybody. He was with me, so that was 335 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: sort of like a guarantee on him. When he was 336 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 1: mentioning mining, white Cliffe and I became front. White Cloth 337 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: called me and it was round Christmas time and he 338 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: was the friends when Naomi Campbell and they only was 339 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: being stalked by this guy out Long Island. I think 340 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: this was somewhere that in nineties. Boy called Naomi boy 341 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: I was going. She happened to be having a Christmas party. 342 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: Bro I went there. She had valet party and all 343 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: that they're told the guys leave my car air. I 344 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: went in and they only brought me into her office. 345 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: We talked. She gave me the information that I needed. 346 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: I should think g go, she should have stay at 347 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: the party. You know a lot of people. I shouldn't 348 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: really have to run any ship, I shaid, I just 349 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: walked through and say, oh so, I walked through the 350 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: room where the party was and shut aloud to a 351 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: few people. A few late days later, I'm sitting in 352 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: my share at home, Jack sitting on his couch. I 353 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: lived over on his wall dry every the time. I 354 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: found the guys that dressing Long Island, and they went 355 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 1: to his home and the long Guyland, and when they 356 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: got there, if I'm on the telephone, and I told 357 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: him exactly that I did not want him to even 358 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: think about the only Campbell. He wasn't the emailer, he 359 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: wasn't the color. He wasn't to look at it. He's 360 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: not the telephone. I should know. I should see those 361 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 1: fool guys in front of you right now, he said, yeah, 362 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: should there being very nice right now, I should. If 363 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: you ever see them again, that would be the last 364 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: face that you're everybody see. Jay gets up and go 365 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: to my dining room table because Naomi, he says he 366 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: took care of it. He was just trying to he 367 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: was from what I want to find out. Everybody wanted 368 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: to say that what's up. Jack took credit for killings 369 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: that other people did well. So pretty much what you've 370 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: seen Jack, That's what I'm saying, not in my book. 371 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 1: Like I said, he was a fast doctor, good looking guy, 372 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: and he hustled. Everybody never worked with David. I made 373 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 1: a legitimate dollar. Not that I'm all that pole here 374 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: that thou But if we make money together or I'm 375 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: taking care of you, you made some money, you're gonna 376 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: come over and say, here, do the right thing. But 377 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: I had an overstock of what they called me, all 378 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: the DVDs, the CDs from Universal. So my mate Joey Poylo, 379 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,120 Speaker 1: the bossa London At, a guy named Ron Winters. Ryan 380 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: was big into music business and Ryan with a Canivan, 381 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: son of a bitch. He was good at He was 382 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: a good guy. He said he wanted to buy him 383 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: when it came to a price. And then he told 384 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: me he's wired the money to me. I give him 385 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: my banking and I'd be their way on my bank. 386 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: On my bank one called Ron. He'd actually give me 387 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: a number that he transferred. Nobody can find a number 388 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: that he come up. While I had to go through 389 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: the Bank of Landa for one back to another bank 390 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: by trying he gets there, and then I founally found 391 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 1: out he was bullshitting, and then through somebody in the 392 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: movie industry, because when Ron would come to town, he 393 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: would never tell anybody where he was staying, and he 394 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: never checked in on your real name, so you could 395 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: find a guy. My guy said he had a meeting 396 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: with this guy, rond Winters at the Beverly Wilsters and 397 00:23:55,119 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: what I shouldn't want to go water? And I went, 398 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 1: and I was at the bar, and he's promised that 399 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: he would come downars and get me. I was literally 400 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: gonna hang this fucking guy out the window. Unbeknown to me, 401 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: shouldn't nice. They're having a meeting with him. The other 402 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: guy in the movie industry tells Shug about me that 403 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: I'm waiting down there at the park. The Shug came 404 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: down and that's how we met, and he asked me 405 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: not to do anything. He says, we'll make money. Are 406 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: you sure you won't make money somewhere though? He said, 407 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: But I got under going with the guy. I don't 408 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: want to mess that up, he said, please. I said, okay, no, 409 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: And then it came and I started going to Shug's 410 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: office when he was over here on Busher and Sampa's 411 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: that day. And we always show. I always saw it 412 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: the four Sea Dolls every night. He likes to be 413 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: there rightfully every night as he was. And then it 414 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: came down to Ron, which has happened to be his 415 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: distributor in anyland. But Ron was distributing death roll all 416 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: over Europe mhm, and he wasn't paying shure. So show 417 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: came to me, my mace. We got the first million. 418 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: Like when we got the first million, idea was that 419 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: I would do a September cent, but we wanted to 420 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: handle it every month. Whatever was your guy. I think 421 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: he got violated. He was in prison. I got the 422 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: million dollars. It was a way till he was account 423 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: I can't remember. A girl and a guy and should 424 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: called his lawyer from prison and had his lawyer transferred 425 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: ten dollars in my out I mean underground like that. 426 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 1: It was there in the next day. Show was always 427 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: a gentleman, and I gotta say it always did the 428 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: right thing. Does the Marsta deal with the Crypts of Blues? 429 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: And yes I did. You got a lot of respect 430 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,719 Speaker 1: from them, and they got every respect you're gonna remember 431 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: something about the time, and particularly us guys from New York. 432 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: I never knew about fucking prejudicism racial and you know, 433 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: I never knew about this ship that's part of in 434 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: New York. I mean, you know, we have black guy 435 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: who would just but what I was friends with him, 436 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: all right, We never had none of that stuff. What 437 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: would be the biggest advice you would give to leaders 438 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: and crips of blues if you could teach your menut 439 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: in a better way of life, teach your man with it. 440 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: And I know for a fact I had a comment Mike, 441 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: you try to tell his boy what to do with 442 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 1: the money, how to save it, how to invest it, 443 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: because living this kind of life, you're eventually gonna die 444 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: and over to jail. And if you're fortunate to make 445 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: it through both of those, do you have any money 446 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: or Svike? Alrighty? That was Ori Spado and we got 447 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: him live in the studio. So Ari, The first thing 448 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: I want to ask you, what what compelled you to 449 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 1: want to write a book about all these crazy experiences 450 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: that you've had in your life. I ain't been an 451 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: avid reader all my life, Even to this day, I 452 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: read every night before I go to bed, and while 453 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 1: I was in prison, I was reading. I read over 454 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: three hundred books in prison, and it was just something 455 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: that in my head and which I'm normally good at 456 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: formulate things in my mind, whether it's going to be 457 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: a robbery or a takedown or whatever I want to do. 458 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: But this became an idea. And when I would up 459 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: the yard, I came up with the name the Accidental Gangster. 460 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: That's a great title. And not thinking that I'm ever 461 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: going to write a book, I mean, I just never 462 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: thought of it. But when I got out of prison, 463 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: there were a lot of guys who came to me 464 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: in the entertainment, but I wanted to do reality show 465 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: with me knowing this town is I know what most 466 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: people are bullshitter And my lawyer is a gentleman named 467 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: George Hams, one of the most prestigious entertainment law firms. 468 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 1: George and I we always get together once a month 469 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: or whatever, the Four Seasons or the Peninsula or someplay. 470 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: And I'm telling George about it, and George looks at me. 471 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: He said, already I know your story. He says, write 472 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: a book. Find a writer to help you, he says, 473 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: And we'll get a movie, though, is it hard for 474 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: you to find some? So now I know a lot 475 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: of scriptwriters being here in Hollywood, I don't know any 476 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: book writers. As a difference right between writing a book 477 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: and writing a script totally totally different, and one writer 478 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: at another don't wrote book. I just said down one 479 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: day because here I went, I was still on paper. 480 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: I'm not allowed to go to certain places and all 481 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: this here and I wasn't looking going to get violator 482 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: for some stupid ship. So I said it down in 483 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: my computer and I started writing. I think maybe I 484 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: was about a third of the way into the book, 485 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: and I just kept doing it. Talking to my cousin 486 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: back e and he said, there's somebody here wants to 487 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: say hello to you. Guy. His name was Tom Burt Tom, 488 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: and I haven't seen him since high school and we're 489 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: bringing each other today. And he said, already you know 490 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: Dennis Griffin, He said, do you remember him? I said yeah. 491 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: He said, he's a writer. He's living in a lot 492 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,480 Speaker 1: his vedeas he's writing a lot of gangster books. I 493 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: should get the hell lot here through Dennis. We have 494 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: a Wild Blue Press, which is a publishing company. They 495 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: write true crime and they do quite a bit of it, 496 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: and they do a good job. But you didn't. You 497 00:29:57,880 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 1: didn't spend time with Dennis, so he didn't. He did 498 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: personally know your story. Last time you've seen him was 499 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,959 Speaker 1: in the military. And the funny thing was, Dennis was 500 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: a cop in upstate New York, Monroe County or some 501 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: place I can't remember. I didn't see Dunnis again until 502 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: two months ago. My granddaughter graduated and I was back 503 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: in New York and Dunnis that i't met again. So 504 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: your cousin told Dennis, I got this incredible story that 505 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: you probably want to write. Google Dennis and he had 506 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: his email on this thing. He emailed him and he 507 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: called me. First two people ever read the manuscript happened 508 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: to be Nick Pileggie, who wrote Good Fellows, Casino American 509 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: Gangster So Suge Knight and death Row Records in your 510 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: book at all? Do you cover that? Do you talk 511 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: about that in your book? Yes? I do now, James, 512 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,479 Speaker 1: you guys never met before. Hum never met. He was 513 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: on I guess the same side of business, but he 514 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: was going a little further and deeper than where we 515 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: was going out to get the money. As you heard 516 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: him say, you wouldn't collect did a million dollars for 517 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: it in England? Right there there was my people in London. 518 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: How do you you come up with the name accidental gangster? Well, 519 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: as I walked the yard, a lampol i came up 520 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: because here I was a Slatto boy in state in 521 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: New York, and I'm thinking about all the guys that 522 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 1: I met. You know, you watched and know all these 523 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: gangster and stuff, and you see all these people and 524 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: I actually met them. I had their phone number at 525 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: one time. I was able to call them. These are 526 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: bosters throughout the country and how's this something like that? 527 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: And most of the books you read is about the guy. 528 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: He was born in benson her in Brooklyn, and his 529 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 1: father was in it, his uncles were in it, so 530 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: he became in it. It was quite a process. So 531 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: it took a lot out of me. I mean just 532 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: I mean being against you know, when you were against 533 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: gainst a boy nature not about choice. You you wasn't 534 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: taught how to be against. You wasn't shown this is 535 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: the way a gangster should be. You knew exactly what 536 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: a gangst there was and how you live. So there's 537 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: nothing accidental about you? You see what I'm saying. Well, 538 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: that's why I leave it up to the readers read 539 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 1: my book, The Accidental Gang. They can make the decision. 540 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: Was it accidental or accidentally on purpose? I said, by nature, 541 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: not by choice. That's what I wouldn't name it, because 542 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: I mean I wasn't forced into it. I actually walked 543 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: into this part of life and I became what I've 544 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: seen and what I felt in my heart. This is 545 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: what I want to do. That's what you wanted if 546 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: you walk into it open arms. Did nobody push you 547 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: into being who you are? Nobody pushed me, right, and 548 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: I guess there never a lot of people to push 549 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: me in anything exactly. Well, in the audio clip that 550 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: we just heard, basically you were a Hollywood fixer and 551 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: I was as curious. Um in your book, do you 552 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: talk about the specific entertainers that you helped and can 553 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: you give us maybe a little snippet of a of 554 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: a person that you know needed to call on your services. 555 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,719 Speaker 1: Some of my friends were, and you know, I had 556 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: to read my book to find out, but I do. 557 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: Frank Sinatra, I know Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. I 558 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: knew him all and uh and Cheryl others and through 559 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: Dina de Laurentis, Uh, Ralph Serpi, Peter Falk, Colombo, Colombo. 560 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: But I met him when he was doing the Brick 561 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: Show in Boston. Now, for the people who don't know 562 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: who Dino de Laurentis is, this is a guy that 563 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: was associated with so many great movies during the nineteen seventies. Um. 564 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: He did the Velachi Papers, which is the first mafia 565 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: guy to ever become a snitch. Um. During the nineteen sixties, 566 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: he also did the movie Serproco, which was the New 567 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 1: York p D officer that decided he wanted to turn 568 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: in all his corrupt all the corrupt officers that were 569 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: working in NYPD, and they end up trying to kill him. Uh. 570 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: And he did the movie about that, Serproco. He also 571 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: did a death Wish with John James Bronson h nine 572 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 1: teen seventy three. Um, So this is a guy I'm sorry, 573 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: Charles Bronson. This is a guy who he was a 574 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: heavyweight during the seventies. He was he was like the 575 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:10,879 Speaker 1: guy could pull money from this track. So how did 576 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: you meet How did you meet him? Because Dino de 577 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: Laurentis that that guy has a story to tell in 578 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: terms of all the films that he made and and 579 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: he did. He did some gangster movies too, did a 580 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: lot of gangster movies. Uh, he left all right, Oh, 581 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 1: there's a whole bunch I left out. Um. He also 582 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:32,959 Speaker 1: did Conan the Barbarian Street with Anthony right here. Yeah, 583 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: that's that's in the eighties, near the end of his career. No, 584 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 1: Conan the Barbarian. Yeah, that's near the end there. We 585 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 1: say that in the beginning they were doing a film 586 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 1: in New York. There was the film like Matt yeah fourth, 587 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: I think I got it right, You're right street with 588 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: Anthony one right, Uh, And you know they went in 589 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: this city this went before how it would really be 590 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: come Hollywood, Will you read that film? And they got 591 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: other pre myths to uh film from the city, and 592 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: they weren't herd setting things up when some guys went 593 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: towards that you can't film her because they didn't have 594 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 1: the proper permission, which was from the boys. And then 595 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: through my friend Frank Russell, they went they am and 596 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: that's how we got involved and uh became friends after 597 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: that there. So back then, let's say you had to 598 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 1: have your hand in the majority of a lot of 599 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: things that was going on in the city. So with 600 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 1: nobody gonna eat unless you ate. So this is what 601 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: this is gonna be, and there's no compromise. This is 602 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: what it is if not get out of you understandable, 603 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 1: every got he's got to be shown a little bit 604 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: of lover exactly. And see back in the days, that's 605 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,800 Speaker 1: a good thing because you didn't have one person sitting 606 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:52,279 Speaker 1: on the block feeling his belly and and looking at 607 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: every looking down at everybody else. Y'all made sure that 608 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,879 Speaker 1: everybody got something out to deal, whether it was irrationally 609 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: correct there and they changed somewhere and exactly when or 610 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 1: how you know? I have a saying jails are full 611 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: of people because they're greedy or jealous. You've been in prison, 612 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: all right. Most of the people that were greedy or 613 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: jealous got jealous, he killed somebody, whatever occasion. But greed 614 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: is the main factor. And the bosses keeping all the money. 615 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 1: Other guys are not making money, and what happened. They 616 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:30,080 Speaker 1: try to say that they don't want nobody deal drugs there, 617 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 1: so saying they don't like any of the guys trafficking 618 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: narcotics because it brings on unnecessary law enforcement attention. But 619 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: now I want that money. At the time, I wasn't 620 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:42,240 Speaker 1: physically there, but you know, you air of a gentleman, 621 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: probably one of the most respective guys around, Carlo Gambi. 622 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: Do you never saw that guy going to president. You 623 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: never saw the cameras on him all the time. Quiet guy. 624 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: But he made a promise that the that these guys 625 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:56,320 Speaker 1: would not deal drug. I heard that. I can't totest 626 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: the word. I wasn't there. But at the same time, 627 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: there's an expectation for all these captains to produce a 628 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 1: certain amount of money every month. Yeah, but you know 629 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,720 Speaker 1: there's so many other ways shooting, construction business, the union, 630 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: the colding district. Uh, there's so many other ways to 631 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 1: making money. Prostitution, gambling, which is the Vegas and that 632 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: was a normal but you know, when the boss had 633 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 1: taken all the money and you got all the captives 634 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 1: and the other people, they want their podcasts full too, 635 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,719 Speaker 1: and so they people started yelling drug and what's that produced? 636 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: Performance to to to know that and then to know 637 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:37,359 Speaker 1: that the that the big man is eating and really 638 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: don't want to feed me in the right way, especially 639 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: the things that I do. What what I bring to 640 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: the table, it's worth more than anything, so I should 641 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,920 Speaker 1: be taken care of. Absolutely. So at what point do 642 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: you feel like, Okay, I'm not getting taken care of? Uh? 643 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:55,839 Speaker 1: Do that put you in a position where you can 644 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: walk away and do your own thing or you actually 645 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: stuck in a situation. I think you're stuck there, and 646 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 1: you're stuck in a situation and now you've got to 647 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,759 Speaker 1: fend for yourself. I can get into a deep conversation 648 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 1: with you on this ere Uh you know, we boy 649 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 1: could discuss our personal thoughts. Yeah, we do that about 650 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 1: the life, but we could do that some other time. Yeah, yeah, 651 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,320 Speaker 1: we can. What what I'm what I'm trying to say is, 652 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:25,719 Speaker 1: without making it sound like a interview, my whole thing is, 653 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: you know, we all make choices. We all have choices, 654 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: and and if this is what I choose to do, 655 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,879 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get it while I'm getting it, and I'm 656 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: gonna make sure I get it. Yeah, but at the 657 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 1: same time trying to get it, you can lose, you 658 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, putting your hands in somebody else's 659 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: pocket without differmission, you got to deal with the consequences. 660 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 1: So the way you live, the way y'all live your 661 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: life a posted the way we live our life is 662 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: totally different. Y'all have certain rules that y'all go by, 663 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,719 Speaker 1: and our rules don't apply to the way y'all y'all 664 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,360 Speaker 1: put y'all rules. Now, you know what I'm saying. So 665 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 1: it was basically the same thing, but with different with 666 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 1: a different understanding, you know what I'm saying. So it's 667 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 1: pretty easier for us to play those trick games. It's 668 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: pretty hard if you get caught with your hand in 669 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 1: the cookie jar. The consequences is deep, but there are 670 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: a couple of exceptions though. Michael Franz Easy, Sonny's son, 671 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:24,439 Speaker 1: actually walked away from the life, and so did John 672 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,480 Speaker 1: Gotti Jr. Kind of walked away from the life with 673 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: without anything happening to them. Would you disagree? And those 674 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 1: are two guys that were pretty deep into it, John 675 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 1: Gotti Jr. Being in the Gambino crime family and Sonny 676 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 1: France sees um Michael friends Easy being one of the 677 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: top one of the top earners during the seventies. You 678 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 1: read that book, you're gonna learn a lot about Michael 679 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 1: franchise and okay. Uh, Michael is a very intelligent guy. 680 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:52,920 Speaker 1: There's no question about that. There. Uh, you made a 681 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:57,000 Speaker 1: lot of money. He is Sonny steps right. But Sonny 682 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: did adopt him legally. When Sonny at his wife Tina, 683 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 1: her name was Christina, a couple of my uncle. Michael 684 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:05,759 Speaker 1: was a year and a half, two years old at 685 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: that time when she married Sonny. Uh. Sonny's other son 686 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: actually got two families. He got Carmen, Rosemary, and Lorraine 687 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: from his first marriage. They I want to say my age, 688 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:23,360 Speaker 1: but I think they're all older than I am, and 689 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:28,320 Speaker 1: they're all regular citizens, good people. And then when he 690 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 1: married Christine and Michael was step son, he had then 691 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: his son Johnny, and he had a daughter Tina, and 692 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: the youngest daughter, Gia. And I knew all these kids 693 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: when they were yi. Gia ended up dying from an 694 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: overdose at a hotel and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I think 695 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:52,280 Speaker 1: it was Johnny became an informant on our case against 696 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 1: his father, against me and everybody else. Johnny was the 697 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:59,839 Speaker 1: son against his own father. Johnny was a spitting him 698 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 1: the just sunny. Johnny was a drug addict. It's surprising. 699 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 1: I just got word two days ago that he's trying 700 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 1: to get a movie made and the gentleman's named that 701 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 1: I mentioned earlier who went reduced being the Norman, Supposedly 702 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:16,840 Speaker 1: he's trying to do it. I know if it's ever happened, 703 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,200 Speaker 1: but the would you would you agree though, that Michael 704 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 1: and John Jr. Were able to walk away from that 705 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 1: life though, which is kind of an exception to the rule, 706 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:29,080 Speaker 1: because who their fathers was. Well, maybe that has something 707 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: to do with it, because they were both the sons 708 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 1: of high ranking Michael walked away and it was an 709 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,240 Speaker 1: awful long time ago, walked away with a lot of money. 710 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: And I wasn't in the room. It's only what I 711 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: hear of, but he was. I don't want to say 712 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,359 Speaker 1: something that might be wrong, but you know a lot 713 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: of people were paid off from heavy money. Well, you know, 714 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 1: the money is the name of the game today, all 715 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:58,480 Speaker 1: right where it was before where before you got your button, 716 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 1: before you gotten uh, you had to do this year, 717 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: you had to go and do work. Okay, we no longer. 718 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 1: How much money can you bring it? Yeah? Well, you know, 719 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: Michael Francis, he said in a recent interview that he's 720 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,320 Speaker 1: got a book out and He does still get nervous 721 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 1: sometimes because when he goes to book signings, you never 722 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:20,680 Speaker 1: know who's gonna be there, and you never know if 723 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:23,160 Speaker 1: it's somebody that's still from the life that say, hey, 724 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 1: I'm uh, that's still hating on him. But the question 725 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 1: is it still like that today? Is the market is 726 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:32,479 Speaker 1: still active as like it was back then? They're still 727 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:36,880 Speaker 1: things changed. A lot of the Italians from Sicily and 728 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 1: other uh from Italy are running some of the families 729 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:46,319 Speaker 1: in New York today. Uh, they're keeping it low key. 730 00:42:46,719 --> 00:42:50,000 Speaker 1: Are they as powerful as they work? No way? No way. 731 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,839 Speaker 1: The FBI with the Rico whack. Just now that they're there, 732 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:59,479 Speaker 1: you should be an FBI unit for every family, every 733 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 1: family constantly, twenty four hours of the day. It's no 734 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:06,160 Speaker 1: longer the kids. They get about two two two squads 735 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:08,880 Speaker 1: down for the whole five family they are. Plus you 736 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: got the family in Jersey and Pennsylvania. Is there one upstate? 737 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: Is there an upstate family Buffalo? Yeah, So it's not 738 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:20,800 Speaker 1: like it used to be in terms of the FBI 739 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,520 Speaker 1: monitoring them, you know, But then again, in the FBI, 740 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:25,919 Speaker 1: I don't have to leave the officer they get today. 741 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 1: It's easy all right. So, man, there's so many things 742 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,439 Speaker 1: that I wanted to have a conversation with you about. 743 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,759 Speaker 1: Maybe we can start off with Haitian Jack, like you 744 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:40,160 Speaker 1: actually socialized and kicked it and hung out with Haitian Jack. Yes, 745 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:42,560 Speaker 1: they did it, unfortunately, and I don't know if you 746 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 1: knew at the time, but he's the primary person behind 747 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:49,520 Speaker 1: tupocket and shot the first time in four I believe 748 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:53,080 Speaker 1: in New York where he survived and actually on the 749 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: rape of that girl went away correct with Haitian Jack. 750 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: There was another boy there who proffered against me. Jamaican 751 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: boy named Ricky was there, and it is believed that 752 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: Park never even raped this girl. It was those other guys. Yeah, 753 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:13,200 Speaker 1: but they were parks friends, so Park had the name. 754 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 1: So Park, you're getting charged and that's that's why he 755 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:18,279 Speaker 1: got shot by them because he remember he went on 756 00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 1: TV and said, if you guys are gonna arrest me, 757 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 1: then you gotta arrest everybody that was there. And then 758 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 1: that's when um, Haitian Jack and Jimmy Henchman said, man, 759 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: we gotta shoot this dude. But you actually knew him 760 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 1: when he came to Los Angeles. By this time, you 761 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 1: you living in l A. I'm living in Los Angeles 762 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:37,439 Speaker 1: and Danny shows up at my door from New York 763 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:41,040 Speaker 1: because he stopped in New York from London before he 764 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 1: came in. Now you talked about Danny Simms. Yeah, okay, 765 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,399 Speaker 1: wait before we're talking about be bothered about Haitian Jack. 766 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:50,120 Speaker 1: Danny Simms is the dude that basically discovered Bob Marley 767 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: and what nineteen sixties, seven sixty eight? Um, and you 768 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 1: knew him? Okay, so you met Haitian Jack. Dude, dude, 769 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,520 Speaker 1: Annie Sims? Talk about how did you meet Danny Simpson? First? 770 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:07,640 Speaker 1: I actually met Danny Sims through my friend Joey Pile 771 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:10,520 Speaker 1: out of London. Joey Poe was the boss over there. 772 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:14,120 Speaker 1: Began with Ronnie Reggie Cray. Joey was a gentleman and 773 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:18,920 Speaker 1: I thought like we'd become him and Danny had the 774 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,440 Speaker 1: returner to Mac Morrison. I got a number here. Uh, 775 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 1: what's his first name? Morrison? What does his first name? 776 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: I'll look it up, Mark Morrison. I just talked to 777 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 1: him the other day and I forgot his name. Uh. 778 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 1: And Mark was a hotta back a no day and 779 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,759 Speaker 1: he had they had a deal with Warner Brothers and 780 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,399 Speaker 1: they wanted me to take care of him while he came. 781 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,440 Speaker 1: He was here in Los Angeles, h make sure we 782 00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:44,680 Speaker 1: got to the studios, make sure he did what he 783 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:48,200 Speaker 1: strove for. So my son and I went over there 784 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:50,279 Speaker 1: and we took care of Mark while I was here, 785 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,840 Speaker 1: and Joy and I became very close through the years, 786 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:58,279 Speaker 1: and then Danny was moving back to Los Angeles. I 787 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:02,800 Speaker 1: met Danny. Goddamnit, I've known Danny for so long I forget. 788 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:04,840 Speaker 1: So did you know Danny before he hooked up with 789 00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:07,600 Speaker 1: Bob Marley? No, I didn't know him that, okay, because 790 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:09,680 Speaker 1: that was around sixty eight, So you met him after 791 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,840 Speaker 1: sixty eight. I did the World of Red Gay featuring 792 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:16,239 Speaker 1: Bob Marley exhibit at the Queen Mary, and I gotta 793 00:46:16,239 --> 00:46:17,880 Speaker 1: be honest with you. I didn't even know who to 794 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: how Bob Marley was until Danny introduced me to Roger 795 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:26,120 Speaker 1: Steffen in Silver Lake, who has got a great collection 796 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:30,200 Speaker 1: in his home of Bob Marley. My Morbilia, which we 797 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 1: got HIRER. Curator, cost over half a million dollar just 798 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:36,800 Speaker 1: to get it up and put it for people to 799 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:40,640 Speaker 1: come to you with the Queen Mary. But Danny, Danny 800 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:45,000 Speaker 1: was a smart guy, so was Danny was Haitian. Jack 801 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: trying to get into the music business through Danny Sims 802 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 1: because he knew Danny Simms. Well, Danny wanted to do 803 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 1: something White Cliff he brought I know if Jack was 804 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:57,759 Speaker 1: in trouble or something. But Jack was going back, didn't 805 00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:00,280 Speaker 1: want to go back to New York. And I didn't 806 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:03,080 Speaker 1: know that Jack was a snitch at that time. Krupac 807 00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:05,120 Speaker 1: was the first one I think that came out with it, 808 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:09,040 Speaker 1: and nobody would really believe in two back he came 809 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:11,560 Speaker 1: out with it a song, correct. I believe he did 810 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:15,800 Speaker 1: say something about him and I answered, you Jack to 811 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:18,600 Speaker 1: a lot of people sleeping out of my car. And 812 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 1: but he's on the phone every day talking to people, 813 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:26,600 Speaker 1: and people are sending their money, not working, and he's 814 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 1: going out and buy nice coldest and that. And but 815 00:47:29,719 --> 00:47:32,439 Speaker 1: then eventually two other people out of Brooklyn and back 816 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:35,560 Speaker 1: in New York. Uh, they called me Jack were not 817 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,680 Speaker 1: who he proclaimed. He was taking credit with somebody else. 818 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:42,360 Speaker 1: Because when you tell me do you kill people and 819 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:45,719 Speaker 1: how many people you killed? Then I know you killed nobody. Jack, 820 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:52,920 Speaker 1: all right, all right, why would you tell me? All right, 821 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,720 Speaker 1: that's the dumbest thing. But he did it and people 822 00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:59,759 Speaker 1: became fearful of him from it, and the guys on 823 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:02,759 Speaker 1: a say Angels were heads up and a little bit quicker. 824 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:07,560 Speaker 1: I guess that the guy's back East. And from my understanding, 825 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:11,840 Speaker 1: Jack had been a snitch for a long time working 826 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:16,279 Speaker 1: for the FBI where he got deporting Republic. He got 827 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:19,480 Speaker 1: deported and he isn't the Dominican Republic. That song that 828 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:22,400 Speaker 1: you were talking about um is called against all Odds 829 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 1: a Boy Tupac and the line is a real live 830 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,160 Speaker 1: tale about a snitch name Haitian Jack, you know. And 831 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 1: I didn't know he was a snitch. And then after 832 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:34,640 Speaker 1: they finally got rid of him, everything, all the guys 833 00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 1: were named big guy went in the box. He was 834 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:43,080 Speaker 1: in the music business. I can't forget. I'm forgive me 835 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: for with names. But through my life we're not talking 836 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:49,600 Speaker 1: about no, not Sug, but a lot of other people. 837 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:51,920 Speaker 1: I never introduced the shark. I know. We we had 838 00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:54,759 Speaker 1: a media one day at the fourth season. That's when 839 00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:58,160 Speaker 1: I first met Mike Concepts you and uh really like 840 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:02,840 Speaker 1: like a real gentleman guy. But everybody called me afterwards, 841 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:05,600 Speaker 1: why didn't I tell them Jack was just night? I 842 00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:08,279 Speaker 1: should because they didn't know to who years was that 843 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,239 Speaker 1: when he came to Los Angeles and was, uh, I 844 00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,959 Speaker 1: guess leaping on your couch for for a while. Had 845 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:18,440 Speaker 1: to be two thousand, maybe somewhere around there. He was 846 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:20,920 Speaker 1: sleeping on my couch for a year. Then after a 847 00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:24,400 Speaker 1: year he got in an apartment upstairs in the same building. 848 00:49:25,040 --> 00:49:29,360 Speaker 1: I don't know who gave him the money, acon somebody 849 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:33,680 Speaker 1: getting the money, and he got an apartment upstairs. And 850 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:37,160 Speaker 1: then he rapped some Mexicans and he got a score 851 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:39,880 Speaker 1: on I don't know how many pounds it was. It 852 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:42,080 Speaker 1: was a big score, and he brought it the Ohio 853 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:45,080 Speaker 1: I know, the guy who sold the form in a while, 854 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:48,960 Speaker 1: and Jack came back with all the cash. And I 855 00:49:49,160 --> 00:49:53,120 Speaker 1: lived on swall over here. Actually sure used to be 856 00:49:53,239 --> 00:49:55,840 Speaker 1: on Swallow all the time too, and walk away from me, 857 00:49:56,200 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 1: you remember, and my patio door. It was a whole 858 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:03,520 Speaker 1: lot of my apartment, which I always keep him walking 859 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:06,440 Speaker 1: because I smoked. And Jack came back from Ohio and 860 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:08,640 Speaker 1: let me Ricky. And Ricky said, you're gonna go take 861 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:10,839 Speaker 1: care of the old man. He said, fuck no, I'm 862 00:50:10,840 --> 00:50:12,800 Speaker 1: not going to give him a nickel. I heard that, 863 00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:16,360 Speaker 1: and Ricky came around and says, Rick, I already heard it, 864 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:19,120 Speaker 1: and then I called Jack. I said, you get upstairs, 865 00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,360 Speaker 1: put my son's key under the fucking door. You're not 866 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:24,560 Speaker 1: to dry that car, I said. And I want you 867 00:50:24,640 --> 00:50:28,200 Speaker 1: out of this fucking building by tomorrow. I should remember something. 868 00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:32,520 Speaker 1: You're not a gangster, I am. You told him that, Yeah, 869 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 1: I said, I want you out next morning. He had 870 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:37,840 Speaker 1: you all he moved out. That's when he moved in 871 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:41,000 Speaker 1: the building in Century City. So you gave him a pass. 872 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,400 Speaker 1: I would have did someth choying for even saying something 873 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:48,640 Speaker 1: like that. I mean, after you're taking care of him, 874 00:50:48,719 --> 00:50:51,279 Speaker 1: take care of him. He's a no good motherfucker. And 875 00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:53,799 Speaker 1: I don't care if that's on the air. I don't 876 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,040 Speaker 1: see it too. He's a no good motherfucker. I mean, 877 00:50:57,560 --> 00:50:59,880 Speaker 1: but I mean just living that life. Man, how do 878 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:03,080 Speaker 1: you feel now that that you're not really you're not 879 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:08,280 Speaker 1: active as you were, but you still consider the gamester, 880 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:12,560 Speaker 1: How do you feel by just just living a normal life, 881 00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:16,160 Speaker 1: just comfortable, just you know, I'm gonna be seventy five 882 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:18,520 Speaker 1: years old, but in my mind, I think I'm still 883 00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:21,920 Speaker 1: twenty one. I think we're all gonna be like that 884 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,719 Speaker 1: there no matter who we are. Okay, we all think 885 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:28,160 Speaker 1: we're young. And do I miss that fast cash? Yeah? 886 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 1: And you know I don't have the availability of things, 887 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:37,520 Speaker 1: thank god. I mean I have money every month. I'm 888 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:41,919 Speaker 1: gonna pay my rampaying my bills, and uh, I don't 889 00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:44,520 Speaker 1: have the extra money to be going out and spending 890 00:51:44,560 --> 00:51:47,480 Speaker 1: a thousand dollars a night. That's the four season and 891 00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:50,839 Speaker 1: the peninsula or something. You know, those are the days. 892 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,160 Speaker 1: But back in the day I had guys around. I 893 00:51:54,239 --> 00:51:58,319 Speaker 1: need a fifty grant. I have bookies around. I don't 894 00:51:58,320 --> 00:52:00,680 Speaker 1: even know who's a bookie anymore. Is there anything you 895 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:03,400 Speaker 1: would change if you can go back, if you can 896 00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:06,359 Speaker 1: go back in time, is there anything that you would change? Yes, 897 00:52:06,640 --> 00:52:10,560 Speaker 1: I would rather been born in the twenties, all right, 898 00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:14,560 Speaker 1: and being really active in the thirties. Okay, that was 899 00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:17,840 Speaker 1: my time. You was ahead of your time. I was 900 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:19,800 Speaker 1: too late. Well, you would have been coming up in 901 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:22,600 Speaker 1: the bootleg era then that's right. That was the time 902 00:52:22,680 --> 00:52:27,360 Speaker 1: to becoming become involved. That's the day. Story were the 903 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:30,480 Speaker 1: days alcohol was illegal throughout the whole third I believe. 904 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:32,880 Speaker 1: So you were born with like in the mid forties 905 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:37,319 Speaker 1: after World War two, after World War tours. Born nineteen Yeah, 906 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,200 Speaker 1: but you see, if I wanted to go back, I 907 00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:44,640 Speaker 1: go back to before I was born nineteen forty four. Yeah, 908 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:49,040 Speaker 1: my mom was just turned seventy five. Um, on the 909 00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:51,360 Speaker 1: seventh of this month. I was just at the funeral, 910 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:58,480 Speaker 1: I meany, Yeah, she rested in peace. Now one year? 911 00:52:58,600 --> 00:53:04,080 Speaker 1: Right when one year Thanksgiving to be the one should 912 00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:07,360 Speaker 1: be one year of her death? Rest in peace of 913 00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:11,759 Speaker 1: Mahalia Thanksgiving. So your mom was born in what year? 914 00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:16,000 Speaker 1: Forty four? You were born? My father was born in 915 00:53:16,120 --> 00:53:21,359 Speaker 1: forty My mom and dad were both born in forty Well, 916 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:23,840 Speaker 1: my father passed in fifteen, two thousand and fifteen, and 917 00:53:23,920 --> 00:53:29,200 Speaker 1: my mom is about to be eighty. And uh, mother 918 00:53:29,360 --> 00:53:34,759 Speaker 1: was born the way in November? Was she born? She 919 00:53:34,880 --> 00:53:39,440 Speaker 1: was born in November. She past Thanksgiving terrible time. But 920 00:53:41,320 --> 00:53:45,880 Speaker 1: when she was a Sangitarian, Yeah, yeah, she was crazy. 921 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:51,920 Speaker 1: Do you born in November December? Yeah? Well? Um, and 922 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:54,799 Speaker 1: let's talk about this indictment because there's so many things. 923 00:53:55,040 --> 00:53:56,800 Speaker 1: I want to make sure we talked about this because 924 00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:00,879 Speaker 1: in two thousand eight you was indicted in that whole 925 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:05,920 Speaker 1: um what was that the Colombo the Colombo family indictment? Right, 926 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:08,839 Speaker 1: So I read through the superseding indictment. There's all these 927 00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:12,439 Speaker 1: allegations of this guy killed this dude, this dude killed 928 00:54:12,520 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 1: that dude. But then I'm looking, Okay, I want to 929 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:17,640 Speaker 1: know what or Spado did. And it doesn't say you 930 00:54:17,719 --> 00:54:20,839 Speaker 1: were involving any of these things that these other um 931 00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:24,040 Speaker 1: Colombo members were doing. Correct, So what exactly why were 932 00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:27,800 Speaker 1: you indicted then? In nineteen nineties seven, and that FBI 933 00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,440 Speaker 1: Asian happened to be shame that BI agent that got 934 00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:34,480 Speaker 1: Wedey Bulger John Connolly, Oh, oh, you're talking about the 935 00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:36,960 Speaker 1: one one out here in Los Angele, which was like 936 00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:39,640 Speaker 1: a gift to him. Anyway, he was on the elite. 937 00:54:39,800 --> 00:54:43,359 Speaker 1: A BI organized prank days for us. They approachriated, try 938 00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:46,239 Speaker 1: to get me to become an informant. I refused, but 939 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:48,680 Speaker 1: I grabbed them for money the game of fucking tape 940 00:54:48,719 --> 00:54:51,800 Speaker 1: one day open. I got five thousand dollars for the 941 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:56,480 Speaker 1: old first show. Honest, your god, he and my fucking 942 00:54:56,560 --> 00:55:01,400 Speaker 1: live everyone one day said, because then I got an attorney, 943 00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:03,319 Speaker 1: I said, not gonna have for him. Sure, he said, 944 00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:06,360 Speaker 1: you got anything in our will turn himself in. But 945 00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:09,759 Speaker 1: he said, I will see today you are chained shackled 946 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:14,320 Speaker 1: put on con there and brought the Brooklyn over ninety 947 00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:18,120 Speaker 1: seven in two thousand and eight. He made that a 948 00:55:18,239 --> 00:55:20,799 Speaker 1: reality become it gonna be very honest with you by 949 00:55:20,880 --> 00:55:23,560 Speaker 1: all means, how did they get me on that indictment? 950 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:26,200 Speaker 1: Two predicate good act is all you need on a 951 00:55:26,320 --> 00:55:29,399 Speaker 1: reco indictment, And they came up with two predict good act. 952 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:33,960 Speaker 1: One was a conspiracy to distribute cocaine? How did that come? Now? 953 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:35,759 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be honest with you, and I'll tell you, 954 00:55:36,080 --> 00:55:38,759 Speaker 1: uh insent in my book, I used to have four 955 00:55:38,920 --> 00:55:41,839 Speaker 1: the fifty pounds, but we've flown it in New York 956 00:55:41,920 --> 00:55:44,480 Speaker 1: every two weeks. I had airports, I had a pilot, 957 00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:47,960 Speaker 1: I had everything like boom boom boom, nice cocaine. I 958 00:55:48,160 --> 00:55:51,480 Speaker 1: really never involved him, but it was a Germaican boy 959 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:54,080 Speaker 1: named Ricky Lee, and I took care of Ricky. Rickie 960 00:55:54,239 --> 00:55:56,440 Speaker 1: was a good boy, made a ton of fucking money 961 00:55:56,600 --> 00:56:00,440 Speaker 1: and he was signing product from here to Brooklyn and 962 00:56:00,719 --> 00:56:06,000 Speaker 1: North Carolina. Had a big home up in Hollywood Hill. 963 00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:10,040 Speaker 1: I was godfather to his daughter. And Rickie always came 964 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:12,759 Speaker 1: back and you know, gave me some loving, you know 965 00:56:12,800 --> 00:56:15,239 Speaker 1: what I mean? He got arrested. He was supposed to 966 00:56:15,360 --> 00:56:18,719 Speaker 1: stop the business. His wife went away and the urge. 967 00:56:18,960 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 1: So he got ahold of five hundred pounds some cocaine 968 00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:26,239 Speaker 1: and a gun, and he shipped at the North Carolina 969 00:56:26,520 --> 00:56:30,320 Speaker 1: and somebody where at the shipping place they tracked it. 970 00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:33,120 Speaker 1: He got arrested. I was lawyering him off. He was 971 00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:36,160 Speaker 1: at downtown n DC here or lawyering him up. He 972 00:56:36,280 --> 00:56:40,480 Speaker 1: had ships several a half a million dollars worth a cocaine. 973 00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:43,560 Speaker 1: I was on the streets in Brooklyn and his wife 974 00:56:43,640 --> 00:56:46,320 Speaker 1: came over with the mexicanst for what happened to know 975 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:50,520 Speaker 1: him boat. And in the meantime, Sonny Frank j sent 976 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:53,840 Speaker 1: Guy Ftato while to meet with me. Guy Ftato was 977 00:56:53,880 --> 00:56:56,680 Speaker 1: a guy to Sonny was Grooman was going with his 978 00:56:56,920 --> 00:57:00,360 Speaker 1: main guy. He's row for was Sonny the Underboston family 979 00:57:00,400 --> 00:57:03,759 Speaker 1: at the time. And you know, Sonny endorses the guy. 980 00:57:04,480 --> 00:57:08,520 Speaker 1: The guy had been wired right from the first fucking moment. 981 00:57:08,719 --> 00:57:11,439 Speaker 1: Sonny had no clue. Right, Sunny had no clue even 982 00:57:11,480 --> 00:57:14,319 Speaker 1: though he was told he's still I mean. This guy 983 00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:18,160 Speaker 1: was an FBI was in informant for the d A 984 00:57:18,680 --> 00:57:21,400 Speaker 1: before he went to the FBI. When the d A 985 00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:24,200 Speaker 1: was through with him. He got over with Sunny. Thus 986 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:27,840 Speaker 1: the five hundred of Semite tapes, and Sonny was on 987 00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:30,880 Speaker 1: most of them, which was not good. And you were 988 00:57:30,920 --> 00:57:34,480 Speaker 1: only only living. I was on eleven and he sit 989 00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:37,480 Speaker 1: on my couch. And the guys who owed the money 990 00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:40,560 Speaker 1: to Ricky on the streets, they knew who man who 991 00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:44,600 Speaker 1: I was, picked up the phone and they had a 992 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:49,040 Speaker 1: hundred grad already. They weren't running dodging what the probable 993 00:57:49,240 --> 00:57:52,240 Speaker 1: was was. Ricky thought, I'm gonna send them. I forgot 994 00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:55,000 Speaker 1: how many keel it was, but I'm gonna side of that. 995 00:57:55,120 --> 00:57:58,080 Speaker 1: There was so many money back. But he didn't realize 996 00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:02,080 Speaker 1: that these guys were converted the critical game, so he 997 00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:05,600 Speaker 1: was taking the longer the convert it get the money 998 00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:09,120 Speaker 1: to send back. So they already had a hundred thousand 999 00:58:09,160 --> 00:58:14,040 Speaker 1: dollars ready. And there's guy. I could have somebody figure 1000 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:16,200 Speaker 1: that up tonight. It's great. We got the guy. I 1001 00:58:16,200 --> 00:58:18,240 Speaker 1: don't have to make no call, no nothing. So he 1002 00:58:18,320 --> 00:58:21,280 Speaker 1: has somebody pick up the first one your ground, and 1003 00:58:21,440 --> 00:58:24,160 Speaker 1: then he starts talking to the Mexican that he wants 1004 00:58:24,440 --> 00:58:28,280 Speaker 1: fifty kilo he's at me and or fifty kills every 1005 00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:31,760 Speaker 1: two weeks. I got the car, nobody the van will 1006 00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:34,360 Speaker 1: ship it back to New York and all the money 1007 00:58:34,360 --> 00:58:36,959 Speaker 1: we're gonna make. And then when he's back to New York, 1008 00:58:37,120 --> 00:58:41,040 Speaker 1: he's sucking to Michael, who was Sonny's nephew, who was 1009 00:58:41,120 --> 00:58:44,360 Speaker 1: acting captain of the Colombo family. I never had any 1010 00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:50,080 Speaker 1: interaction with Michael. Now guy Fitto talking to Michael about 1011 00:58:50,200 --> 00:58:53,240 Speaker 1: all the money we're going to make with Ori because 1012 00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:57,720 Speaker 1: we're bringing fifty kilos, we're paying twelve thousand, he's gonna 1013 00:58:57,800 --> 00:58:59,880 Speaker 1: sell it for twenty eight. We're gonna make all this 1014 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:04,040 Speaker 1: money every couple of weeks, right, is that Michael cut Potto? Yeah, okay, boy, 1015 00:59:04,120 --> 00:59:10,160 Speaker 1: you're good. That's that's that's a that's our special weapon. 1016 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:15,800 Speaker 1: So no, Michael never called me, asked me about it. Nobody. 1017 00:59:16,560 --> 00:59:20,280 Speaker 1: So here's Michael thinking we're doing this deal or he's 1018 00:59:20,280 --> 00:59:23,040 Speaker 1: putting it together. Of course Michael was out here. He 1019 00:59:23,120 --> 00:59:26,640 Speaker 1: saw it. He saw the restrict respect the head on 1020 00:59:26,760 --> 00:59:29,120 Speaker 1: the streets out there. But they deal don't happen because 1021 00:59:29,120 --> 00:59:31,200 Speaker 1: I'm not doing it, and these guys ain't going to 1022 00:59:31,320 --> 00:59:34,280 Speaker 1: give it up unless they're all half a million dollars paid. 1023 00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:39,000 Speaker 1: So I got you basically conspiracy. They got me for conspiracy, 1024 00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:42,760 Speaker 1: ReCl conspiracy. Not only that. Now Fotato starts digging it 1025 00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:46,160 Speaker 1: into Michael Cotta pottle that or he did the deal 1026 00:59:46,400 --> 00:59:51,000 Speaker 1: and fucked us. So Michael goes to Sunny. He gets 1027 00:59:51,040 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 1: permission to wake me. So that's why Sunny France says 1028 00:59:55,880 --> 00:59:59,080 Speaker 1: they wanted to act. Yeah, so he ordered that he 1029 00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:02,360 Speaker 1: didn't or get the approval. But this is why you 1030 01:00:02,400 --> 01:00:06,080 Speaker 1: were in custody though, right or before before we go okay, 1031 01:00:06,120 --> 01:00:08,800 Speaker 1: before you guys got arrested. Before did you know that 1032 01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:11,600 Speaker 1: he or did you whack before you guys got arrested? 1033 01:00:12,040 --> 01:00:14,000 Speaker 1: You learned all of this while you're reading You're discovered 1034 01:00:14,040 --> 01:00:19,840 Speaker 1: in My Discovery. That's crazy, Hunt James, You listening to 1035 01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:24,360 Speaker 1: a to a tape of somebody saying, Okay, I give 1036 01:00:24,400 --> 01:00:27,000 Speaker 1: you permission get rid of you. How did you feel? 1037 01:00:27,120 --> 01:00:28,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it's part of the game. So I knew 1038 01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:32,480 Speaker 1: you accepted to a certain extent because this is part 1039 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:35,760 Speaker 1: of the game, you know what being a man? And 1040 01:00:35,920 --> 01:00:39,120 Speaker 1: I feel that I'm a man. I was piste off. 1041 01:00:40,160 --> 01:00:42,800 Speaker 1: Why was I piste off that because of order that there? 1042 01:00:42,920 --> 01:00:46,240 Speaker 1: Because it was a stupid thing. Because suddenly used to 1043 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:47,840 Speaker 1: call me up and say, come on in the hand 1044 01:00:47,880 --> 01:00:53,120 Speaker 1: fucking dinner. Okay, you don't call me up and asked 1045 01:00:53,160 --> 01:00:55,720 Speaker 1: me what the whole the story and overre If you 1046 01:00:55,760 --> 01:00:58,040 Speaker 1: would have called me, he would have known the FOTAO. 1047 01:00:58,160 --> 01:01:01,320 Speaker 1: Then we would have discovered fo an informant. But ID 1048 01:01:01,520 --> 01:01:04,200 Speaker 1: like we could be best friends. But if you sunk up, 1049 01:01:04,720 --> 01:01:08,360 Speaker 1: I can't stop this hit, so I might have to 1050 01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:11,440 Speaker 1: wag my best friend. So you're not gonna get a 1051 01:01:11,480 --> 01:01:13,479 Speaker 1: phone call. You're gonna say come on, let's take a ride, 1052 01:01:13,640 --> 01:01:16,680 Speaker 1: and you're hopping the front seat. We alreadynew what's gonna 1053 01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:19,360 Speaker 1: happen because these two the goons in the back seat. 1054 01:01:19,880 --> 01:01:22,560 Speaker 1: So you want a getting way, you know, you don't understand. 1055 01:01:22,600 --> 01:01:27,040 Speaker 1: I've known Sonny close to fifty years now. I've learned 1056 01:01:27,040 --> 01:01:31,160 Speaker 1: an awful lot for Sonny. And I said on the 1057 01:01:31,280 --> 01:01:34,440 Speaker 1: interview with these animal the other day, these guys are 1058 01:01:34,520 --> 01:01:38,680 Speaker 1: smart guys, and I considered myself a smart guy. Guys 1059 01:01:38,760 --> 01:01:41,400 Speaker 1: will become bosses, are not scoopid, and you gotta be 1060 01:01:41,440 --> 01:01:45,360 Speaker 1: having a muti function. Sonny was very smart and I 1061 01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:48,160 Speaker 1: was just surprised that he did that, and I was 1062 01:01:48,200 --> 01:01:50,200 Speaker 1: a little bit hurt. And our last words that we 1063 01:01:50,360 --> 01:01:53,439 Speaker 1: had before he got out, before we did our time 1064 01:01:53,760 --> 01:01:55,640 Speaker 1: was were sitting in the girl when he comes in. 1065 01:01:55,840 --> 01:01:58,280 Speaker 1: He was on bail. I couldn't get bill. I was 1066 01:01:58,360 --> 01:02:02,520 Speaker 1: facing fucking life with fifty kilos of cocaine. And he 1067 01:02:02,680 --> 01:02:05,640 Speaker 1: comes in at Bunny, I hear you're upset with me. 1068 01:02:06,680 --> 01:02:09,880 Speaker 1: I'm shutting down. He's standing around. The judge is over 1069 01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:13,960 Speaker 1: here in the world with defunded buddy. I'm not piste 1070 01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:16,920 Speaker 1: off with you, I said, I'm upset. We were talking 1071 01:02:16,960 --> 01:02:19,920 Speaker 1: a little, just so YouTube stop talking. I got seven. 1072 01:02:20,200 --> 01:02:22,280 Speaker 1: It was the luckiest thing to happen to me because 1073 01:02:22,520 --> 01:02:26,000 Speaker 1: I got severed from that case because I was going 1074 01:02:26,080 --> 01:02:29,800 Speaker 1: to use that discovery at my trial. At the trial, 1075 01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:33,840 Speaker 1: so Sunny lawyer tried to get me, prevent me from 1076 01:02:33,960 --> 01:02:37,640 Speaker 1: using that discovery at the trial and try to get 1077 01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:41,760 Speaker 1: severed Sunny Franchise from the trial. And the judge says, 1078 01:02:42,440 --> 01:02:46,320 Speaker 1: not any I'm not in Sunny Franchise is not being severed. 1079 01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:50,440 Speaker 1: But I read a motion, Mrs fade O Rolle, I 1080 01:02:50,560 --> 01:02:53,200 Speaker 1: wrote a motion that I wanted my trial was angel 1081 01:02:53,360 --> 01:02:55,400 Speaker 1: because this is where my peers are. I don't live 1082 01:02:55,480 --> 01:02:58,640 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn. Those people and not my peers, Am I correct? 1083 01:02:58,880 --> 01:03:01,440 Speaker 1: Usually it goes by, goes by where the crime, the 1084 01:03:01,520 --> 01:03:06,360 Speaker 1: alleged crime occurs as yeah, all right, well you're using 1085 01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:08,520 Speaker 1: the phone, so you're on the phone in Los Angeles 1086 01:03:08,840 --> 01:03:14,000 Speaker 1: talking to people in Brooklyn. So where's the jurisdiction both 1087 01:03:14,120 --> 01:03:17,560 Speaker 1: on both sides? Yeah, both sides. So what was the 1088 01:03:17,640 --> 01:03:21,080 Speaker 1: result of that um that motion about moving your case 1089 01:03:21,160 --> 01:03:24,600 Speaker 1: to the Los Angeles? I wrote my own motion. It 1090 01:03:24,720 --> 01:03:27,920 Speaker 1: was a damn good motion. And the judge says, the 1091 01:03:28,160 --> 01:03:32,080 Speaker 1: US attorney maybe Mrs spadel should be severed. And he says, 1092 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:35,440 Speaker 1: you have until noon tomorrow convinced me otherwise to be 1093 01:03:35,600 --> 01:03:37,800 Speaker 1: back in Neontis, or the next day we're back there, 1094 01:03:39,200 --> 01:03:41,880 Speaker 1: and then Judge and Mrs spadol I have to deny 1095 01:03:42,000 --> 01:03:46,440 Speaker 1: your motion for severance and ocation los Angeles. I got 1096 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:48,800 Speaker 1: in the transpress. I got some of it in my book. 1097 01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:51,400 Speaker 1: He should, but when I'm gonna do, he's just if 1098 01:03:51,480 --> 01:03:54,600 Speaker 1: you could explain the difference in legal terms of me. 1099 01:03:54,880 --> 01:03:57,600 Speaker 1: He said that that discovery you want to use could 1100 01:03:57,680 --> 01:04:00,920 Speaker 1: also be used against you. I got up explain this 1101 01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:04,760 Speaker 1: could be inculporatory or exculpriatory, which you could have. You 1102 01:04:04,800 --> 01:04:08,480 Speaker 1: should unconvinced. Mr Sparrow, you know what you're talking about. 1103 01:04:08,600 --> 01:04:10,520 Speaker 1: What do you want? I shall take the severance. So 1104 01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:12,919 Speaker 1: I got severed. It was a lucky day in my life. 1105 01:04:13,040 --> 01:04:15,480 Speaker 1: Otherwise I still be in prison today. What happened to 1106 01:04:15,640 --> 01:04:18,160 Speaker 1: Guy for Tatto? He was the fife for Tatto. We 1107 01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:22,160 Speaker 1: were blessed because there was another faction of the Colombo family, 1108 01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:26,960 Speaker 1: Michael Vino and a few other guys. And he was 1109 01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:31,240 Speaker 1: such a bad informant. The judge Weinstein, who is the 1110 01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:34,160 Speaker 1: oldest living judge on the course and I think he's 1111 01:04:34,160 --> 01:04:37,640 Speaker 1: still in today, declare him the worst informity ever you. 1112 01:04:37,960 --> 01:04:40,000 Speaker 1: So now they didn't want to use him as an 1113 01:04:40,040 --> 01:04:43,760 Speaker 1: informant against me. They wanted to use the tapes. My 1114 01:04:43,800 --> 01:04:46,520 Speaker 1: attorney said, in no way I want him. Yeah, because 1115 01:04:46,520 --> 01:04:48,680 Speaker 1: if you're gonna use the tapes with Guy for Tattle, 1116 01:04:48,760 --> 01:04:50,960 Speaker 1: you gotta bring Guy for Tattle to court so your 1117 01:04:51,000 --> 01:04:54,280 Speaker 1: lawyer can cross examine, right, And the U S attorney 1118 01:04:54,280 --> 01:04:56,640 Speaker 1: didn't want to bring the court to and uh so 1119 01:04:56,760 --> 01:04:58,640 Speaker 1: you Loki kind of beat the case even though they 1120 01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:01,160 Speaker 1: sentenced you to what I to plead guilty to a 1121 01:05:01,280 --> 01:05:08,400 Speaker 1: gun chach, which was a minimum mandatory right, h five years. 1122 01:05:09,320 --> 01:05:13,840 Speaker 1: And on the robbery, the judge I played gud took 1123 01:05:13,880 --> 01:05:17,479 Speaker 1: a deal in ninety seven months to hundred ten months. 1124 01:05:17,720 --> 01:05:20,800 Speaker 1: I got sixty two. The judge gave me sixty days 1125 01:05:21,040 --> 01:05:23,920 Speaker 1: on the robbery. U s attorney was bitterness screaming, and 1126 01:05:24,000 --> 01:05:25,760 Speaker 1: he looked at her and he said, as far as 1127 01:05:25,800 --> 01:05:29,520 Speaker 1: I'm concerned, you charged Mr Spadeo twice the same crime. 1128 01:05:29,760 --> 01:05:35,200 Speaker 1: He said, Mr spadel my hands are tied. One gun. Judge, 1129 01:05:35,880 --> 01:05:39,400 Speaker 1: I had to give you sixty months, sixty two always blessed, 1130 01:05:39,480 --> 01:05:42,840 Speaker 1: and I got sent to Lumpo. That's crazy that um 1131 01:05:43,560 --> 01:05:46,440 Speaker 1: Sunny wanted you whack now Sonny. He just got out 1132 01:05:46,480 --> 01:05:48,880 Speaker 1: of prison two years ago. Guess how old Sonny is. James. 1133 01:05:49,440 --> 01:05:54,480 Speaker 1: Sonny is the oldest Mafia member on earth. If you 1134 01:05:54,560 --> 01:06:04,760 Speaker 1: the old and two two we talked about once a 1135 01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:08,320 Speaker 1: month every couple. Was that right? You still talk to him? Wow? 1136 01:06:08,640 --> 01:06:11,640 Speaker 1: You talked to the guy that ordered you act. Yeah, 1137 01:06:12,040 --> 01:06:15,840 Speaker 1: that's incredible. Well, at some point y'all fixed that situation. 1138 01:06:16,040 --> 01:06:23,120 Speaker 1: Had to because somebody wouldn't be here, you know exactly. 1139 01:06:23,680 --> 01:06:27,920 Speaker 1: It had to be fixed that at some points, you know, 1140 01:06:28,160 --> 01:06:30,680 Speaker 1: look like I told him, I don't know, you know 1141 01:06:30,800 --> 01:06:34,040 Speaker 1: what if I did something wrong and they gave permission 1142 01:06:34,040 --> 01:06:36,000 Speaker 1: and wait me, they got it right though, but make 1143 01:06:36,000 --> 01:06:39,320 Speaker 1: sure I did something wrong. So that means he believed, um, 1144 01:06:39,600 --> 01:06:42,600 Speaker 1: Michael Catapano story about you did the deal, you got 1145 01:06:42,680 --> 01:06:46,360 Speaker 1: the money, all this other stuff that never happened, told 1146 01:06:46,440 --> 01:06:51,800 Speaker 1: him that his real name wherever he went by guy. 1147 01:06:51,960 --> 01:06:55,520 Speaker 1: That's I mean, shouldn't that be some type of rule? 1148 01:06:56,320 --> 01:06:59,200 Speaker 1: Get in here, we hold court. Let's talk about this. 1149 01:06:59,440 --> 01:07:02,720 Speaker 1: We can't ship normally. You have plastic on the floor. 1150 01:07:02,760 --> 01:07:05,760 Speaker 1: I'm saying it because I watched these movies and I 1151 01:07:05,880 --> 01:07:08,240 Speaker 1: see plastic on the floor, and if you step on 1152 01:07:08,320 --> 01:07:11,240 Speaker 1: that plastics, you know you're gonna get whacked. So killed 1153 01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:15,080 Speaker 1: should I say? And uh, I'm in a moment, so 1154 01:07:15,520 --> 01:07:19,120 Speaker 1: you know it was gonna happen. And uh, what's his name? 1155 01:07:19,240 --> 01:07:23,560 Speaker 1: Joe Bessie? Yeah, when he played and they beating with 1156 01:07:23,640 --> 01:07:26,600 Speaker 1: the baseball back that that was a casino in Casino 1157 01:07:26,760 --> 01:07:31,040 Speaker 1: or Goods when it was killing him and his brother exactly, 1158 01:07:31,560 --> 01:07:37,160 Speaker 1: but the baseball back that was it was casino. What 1159 01:07:37,240 --> 01:07:39,880 Speaker 1: I'm saying is it don't matter who's who. You know, 1160 01:07:39,920 --> 01:07:42,840 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, you make a mistake. They don't hold court, 1161 01:07:43,400 --> 01:07:47,840 Speaker 1: holding courters, getting rid of the situation, the problem. So 1162 01:07:48,560 --> 01:07:50,720 Speaker 1: I mean that's why I said, it's totally different from 1163 01:07:51,240 --> 01:07:54,080 Speaker 1: our culture, our way of game banging and doing what 1164 01:07:54,200 --> 01:07:57,440 Speaker 1: we're doing. I don't think their coature was game banging. 1165 01:07:57,840 --> 01:08:00,880 Speaker 1: There's like, uh, it's it's a better way. Come on, 1166 01:08:00,920 --> 01:08:04,320 Speaker 1: how did you It's not it's not it's I mean 1167 01:08:04,880 --> 01:08:08,120 Speaker 1: organized crime. They're organized. They're organized to the team, but 1168 01:08:08,160 --> 01:08:10,600 Speaker 1: a lot of times I think they're too quick to 1169 01:08:10,680 --> 01:08:13,800 Speaker 1: whack people because they go on perceptions, they go on rumors, 1170 01:08:13,840 --> 01:08:16,320 Speaker 1: and they don't get the facts too. They make mistakes. 1171 01:08:16,560 --> 01:08:21,400 Speaker 1: That's what's wrong with it today. Nobody Today You've got 1172 01:08:21,520 --> 01:08:25,000 Speaker 1: guys who become government and informants and they're still living 1173 01:08:25,040 --> 01:08:28,559 Speaker 1: in the same same how same neighborhood in Brooklyn. They 1174 01:08:28,880 --> 01:08:32,040 Speaker 1: they don't leave, they don't go under what's like brogram No, 1175 01:08:32,160 --> 01:08:33,920 Speaker 1: we'll see what you have now. And there is older 1176 01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:38,479 Speaker 1: bosses you got you got me in that's seventy five, 1177 01:08:38,680 --> 01:08:42,760 Speaker 1: seventy nine years old. That's not being to do fifty years, 1178 01:08:42,920 --> 01:08:46,320 Speaker 1: thirty years, uh, ninety two months in the federal facility. 1179 01:08:46,720 --> 01:08:50,599 Speaker 1: So uh, leave that motherfuck alone because I don't want 1180 01:08:50,640 --> 01:08:54,240 Speaker 1: this ship brown here. So just bring my money. It's 1181 01:08:54,240 --> 01:08:56,160 Speaker 1: all about the money. Now, it's all about the money. 1182 01:08:56,360 --> 01:08:58,240 Speaker 1: So how is money doing that? A hundred and two 1183 01:08:58,320 --> 01:09:01,280 Speaker 1: years old? Um him. I had to call him earlier 1184 01:09:01,360 --> 01:09:04,400 Speaker 1: the morning, earlier to morning my time. I gotta get him, 1185 01:09:04,520 --> 01:09:07,360 Speaker 1: like I called, I'm up early, anima, so I'll call 1186 01:09:07,400 --> 01:09:11,240 Speaker 1: him like six. So it's nine a m. There. He's 1187 01:09:11,280 --> 01:09:14,880 Speaker 1: just getting through with his react and he's actually moving around. 1188 01:09:14,960 --> 01:09:17,519 Speaker 1: He rowed around because he's going out to lunch every day. 1189 01:09:18,200 --> 01:09:20,760 Speaker 1: I should what the funk you doing? I said, I 1190 01:09:20,840 --> 01:09:23,280 Speaker 1: should you go one more? And I do? Buddy, You 1191 01:09:23,439 --> 01:09:26,719 Speaker 1: know how we are gotta keep out there and gotta 1192 01:09:26,800 --> 01:09:30,800 Speaker 1: keep moving. And I thought we have conversations. And I 1193 01:09:30,920 --> 01:09:33,679 Speaker 1: just left my hands up with this guy because somebody 1194 01:09:33,800 --> 01:09:35,960 Speaker 1: was so many they didn't think his mind was that good. 1195 01:09:36,080 --> 01:09:38,479 Speaker 1: I mean, I had a conversation with him and we 1196 01:09:38,600 --> 01:09:41,880 Speaker 1: were talking about the politics today and he going, Buddy, 1197 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:44,840 Speaker 1: it's all in the Bible. I said, sid, let me 1198 01:09:44,880 --> 01:09:47,240 Speaker 1: ask you a question. When the fund, did you ever 1199 01:09:47,320 --> 01:09:50,040 Speaker 1: read the Bible? Let me tell you, he says. One 1200 01:09:50,160 --> 01:09:52,439 Speaker 1: time they put me in the hole, he said, and 1201 01:09:52,560 --> 01:09:55,680 Speaker 1: I read every book that they had around. Did I 1202 01:09:55,800 --> 01:09:58,840 Speaker 1: get my hands on He's they're no more books, and 1203 01:09:58,960 --> 01:10:01,560 Speaker 1: the last one was the Bible, so I read it. 1204 01:10:01,800 --> 01:10:04,960 Speaker 1: He buddy, he says, those old guys who wrote that 1205 01:10:05,080 --> 01:10:11,400 Speaker 1: Bible were smart. Bastard. Did you ever meet Carmine Persico 1206 01:10:11,479 --> 01:10:14,320 Speaker 1: who was the actual boss or the family who just 1207 01:10:14,400 --> 01:10:18,680 Speaker 1: recently passed. I think so, because Sunny would have been 1208 01:10:18,920 --> 01:10:25,080 Speaker 1: Sunny was his underboss. I believed. Well back in the day, 1209 01:10:25,280 --> 01:10:28,759 Speaker 1: the years ago, there were here. If Carmel was away 1210 01:10:28,840 --> 01:10:33,360 Speaker 1: Sunday with the boss, Sunday was away, Karmen Camem became 1211 01:10:33,439 --> 01:10:37,799 Speaker 1: the boss. Uh what you gonna say, James, I'm actually 1212 01:10:37,960 --> 01:10:40,400 Speaker 1: like looking at you like, damn, you did your homework 1213 01:10:40,439 --> 01:10:42,320 Speaker 1: on this. Well, you know, I grew up in New 1214 01:10:42,400 --> 01:10:45,200 Speaker 1: York in the seventies. You know, my family's from New York. 1215 01:10:45,680 --> 01:10:48,320 Speaker 1: So when I was a kid, we knew about the 1216 01:10:48,360 --> 01:10:52,320 Speaker 1: five families. We knew about them. And where I moved to, 1217 01:10:52,760 --> 01:10:56,440 Speaker 1: or where my family migrated to, was an old Italian 1218 01:10:56,479 --> 01:10:59,920 Speaker 1: neighborhood in East Harlem, which eventually became all Port of 1219 01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:03,679 Speaker 1: beacon Um. Pleasant Street was was where all the Puerto 1220 01:11:03,760 --> 01:11:06,880 Speaker 1: Ricans eventually moved. But there's a restaurant there that state 1221 01:11:06,960 --> 01:11:10,200 Speaker 1: Italian and there was no more Italians living in East Tarland. 1222 01:11:10,200 --> 01:11:12,800 Speaker 1: But every week that comes driving from wherever they live 1223 01:11:12,880 --> 01:11:15,840 Speaker 1: to come to this restaurant and it was I think 1224 01:11:15,840 --> 01:11:18,600 Speaker 1: it was a fourteenth and Pleasants. Um. I think that 1225 01:11:18,680 --> 01:11:21,920 Speaker 1: restaurant is still there. Um. I don't remember the name 1226 01:11:21,960 --> 01:11:24,840 Speaker 1: of it. So yeah, I have a little understanding of 1227 01:11:24,920 --> 01:11:26,960 Speaker 1: all of this stuff because of just growing up in 1228 01:11:27,040 --> 01:11:30,439 Speaker 1: New York City. You know about the Gambino family, you 1229 01:11:30,479 --> 01:11:33,280 Speaker 1: know about the Colombo and the Bananos, you know about 1230 01:11:33,280 --> 01:11:36,240 Speaker 1: the Luke CAZy, the genovesa Is because they all spread 1231 01:11:36,280 --> 01:11:39,479 Speaker 1: out through all these burrows and you can't help but 1232 01:11:39,640 --> 01:11:42,760 Speaker 1: learn this stuff in New York. And it's crazy to 1233 01:11:43,000 --> 01:11:47,160 Speaker 1: actually survive it, you know what I'm saying, Because every 1234 01:11:47,240 --> 01:11:50,040 Speaker 1: day is a gamble, you know what I'm saying. And 1235 01:11:50,320 --> 01:11:53,840 Speaker 1: I'm only saying that from my perspective watching these movies 1236 01:11:53,960 --> 01:11:57,120 Speaker 1: that they put out. And you know scar Face, you know, 1237 01:11:57,240 --> 01:12:00,479 Speaker 1: every day he woke up, it was man, I could 1238 01:12:00,479 --> 01:12:02,880 Speaker 1: die to day, you know what I'm saying. That's pretty 1239 01:12:02,960 --> 01:12:06,000 Speaker 1: much It's really not, you know, but there is the 1240 01:12:06,160 --> 01:12:08,360 Speaker 1: same We used to have a seen you many years ago. 1241 01:12:08,960 --> 01:12:11,360 Speaker 1: You know, we used to me, there's a dinner anymore 1242 01:12:11,560 --> 01:12:14,639 Speaker 1: if you over you know, if you showed up one 1243 01:12:14,720 --> 01:12:19,120 Speaker 1: day and Peter wasn't there, you know, you don't answer 1244 01:12:19,240 --> 01:12:22,120 Speaker 1: Peter Rich. But if Peter ain't there to that day, 1245 01:12:22,200 --> 01:12:25,280 Speaker 1: you know, Peter ain't coming back. So what's your favorite 1246 01:12:25,320 --> 01:12:27,680 Speaker 1: movie that kind of talks about the life. Most of 1247 01:12:27,720 --> 01:12:30,120 Speaker 1: the movies are based on the East Coast, even though 1248 01:12:30,200 --> 01:12:32,400 Speaker 1: people don't know that there was a mafia family in 1249 01:12:32,479 --> 01:12:35,720 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. It kind of died off when during the 1250 01:12:35,800 --> 01:12:38,920 Speaker 1: fifties and sixties though, when Um when the l a 1251 01:12:39,000 --> 01:12:43,439 Speaker 1: p D hired Um William Parker. William Parker became the 1252 01:12:43,520 --> 01:12:45,760 Speaker 1: chief of the l a p D. And he got 1253 01:12:45,880 --> 01:12:48,040 Speaker 1: rid of all of this stuff. He wasn't tolerating it. 1254 01:12:48,479 --> 01:12:50,639 Speaker 1: But what's your favorite movie that kind of depicts the life. 1255 01:12:51,000 --> 01:12:53,160 Speaker 1: That's a good question because I really don't have one. 1256 01:12:53,960 --> 01:12:59,280 Speaker 1: But about Bronx Tales Without Pain. Yeah, that was a 1257 01:12:59,320 --> 01:13:06,920 Speaker 1: good I'm sorry in that movie. Have you ever like, Okay, 1258 01:13:07,360 --> 01:13:10,680 Speaker 1: I did this to your dad? This kid grows up 1259 01:13:10,720 --> 01:13:13,120 Speaker 1: and did come at you. I mean it's all different 1260 01:13:13,160 --> 01:13:15,360 Speaker 1: kind of ways. Have you ever had anybody trying to 1261 01:13:15,439 --> 01:13:18,200 Speaker 1: come at you because they felt you had something to 1262 01:13:18,280 --> 01:13:21,720 Speaker 1: do with their people? What do they love ones? No? No, 1263 01:13:22,200 --> 01:13:24,760 Speaker 1: I never had that. Do you remember I've been out 1264 01:13:24,840 --> 01:13:28,640 Speaker 1: here over fifty years? Uh, not over fifty years. I 1265 01:13:28,760 --> 01:13:33,200 Speaker 1: take that back a long time. Nineteen seventy I was there. Yeah, 1266 01:13:33,280 --> 01:13:36,640 Speaker 1: you'll read about that FBI agent in the book. I 1267 01:13:36,720 --> 01:13:40,040 Speaker 1: put his name in a book. Okay. Uh. That Italian 1268 01:13:40,080 --> 01:13:45,400 Speaker 1: restaurant I'll talk about. It's called Rawls, Yeah, hundred fourteen 1269 01:13:46,040 --> 01:13:50,360 Speaker 1: and pleasant and it's still an Italian restaurant. It's big. 1270 01:13:50,479 --> 01:13:56,080 Speaker 1: You can buy the sauce and long pavilions real they yeah, 1271 01:13:56,240 --> 01:13:59,479 Speaker 1: like nine dollars. But it's not an Italian neighborhood anymore. 1272 01:14:00,080 --> 01:14:03,919 Speaker 1: You know, the Italians with the restaurant, the Stone tables, 1273 01:14:05,800 --> 01:14:10,479 Speaker 1: my wife. Yeah. So Michael Harris, real quick before we 1274 01:14:10,520 --> 01:14:13,679 Speaker 1: wrap up the show. You actually met Harry oh, Michael Harris? 1275 01:14:13,840 --> 01:14:17,600 Speaker 1: Or didn't meet him over the phone because he was incarcerated. 1276 01:14:18,320 --> 01:14:20,280 Speaker 1: And do you talk about him in your book? I 1277 01:14:20,600 --> 01:14:23,880 Speaker 1: mentioned him? I can't remember now. In fact, wish he 1278 01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:26,360 Speaker 1: had a book. I could look at the induct And 1279 01:14:28,120 --> 01:14:30,760 Speaker 1: did you ever answer his phone calls when he used 1280 01:14:30,760 --> 01:14:35,120 Speaker 1: to call death Row? Michael Harris, who would take those calls? 1281 01:14:35,720 --> 01:14:42,160 Speaker 1: Every different people? Um? When he called everybody was instructed 1282 01:14:42,240 --> 01:14:46,479 Speaker 1: nonstance or that phone, because if you called on the 1283 01:14:46,560 --> 01:14:50,760 Speaker 1: red phone, you it was somebody, it was somebody big, 1284 01:14:50,840 --> 01:14:54,840 Speaker 1: it was somebody important. So he started answering him. Then 1285 01:14:54,920 --> 01:14:58,960 Speaker 1: he just stopped. You just don't answer that. And that 1286 01:14:59,200 --> 01:15:02,040 Speaker 1: came with you know, his wife coming up there, the 1287 01:15:02,120 --> 01:15:05,080 Speaker 1: whole nine and all of that. So, I mean, you 1288 01:15:05,160 --> 01:15:09,120 Speaker 1: know what type of cash you was. So it was boy, 1289 01:15:09,120 --> 01:15:11,960 Speaker 1: I'm glad I did not get involved in that, yeah, 1290 01:15:12,000 --> 01:15:15,640 Speaker 1: because you would have had you what you probably had 1291 01:15:15,680 --> 01:15:18,000 Speaker 1: to get rid of him because he put you on 1292 01:15:18,080 --> 01:15:21,040 Speaker 1: the bullshit mission. Well no, and you know it's like 1293 01:15:21,200 --> 01:15:24,120 Speaker 1: I said, you know, and I said, like, you know, 1294 01:15:24,200 --> 01:15:26,240 Speaker 1: I could be up. Sonny should have caught me back 1295 01:15:27,160 --> 01:15:31,280 Speaker 1: said at the table and discuss what happened here. And 1296 01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:33,880 Speaker 1: if you would have done that there, then he would 1297 01:15:33,960 --> 01:15:37,519 Speaker 1: discover the guy for that over an informant. Because you know, 1298 01:15:37,600 --> 01:15:39,160 Speaker 1: that's how you're going to read in my book. I 1299 01:15:39,280 --> 01:15:42,000 Speaker 1: told you about that half a million on your brand 1300 01:15:42,080 --> 01:15:45,200 Speaker 1: came in what Ham did? The other four hundred thousands, 1301 01:15:46,040 --> 01:15:50,439 Speaker 1: it's in my book, it's on my discovery. Okay, the 1302 01:15:50,640 --> 01:15:54,800 Speaker 1: FBI got the fucking money personally. So you guys never 1303 01:15:54,880 --> 01:15:57,519 Speaker 1: really specifically talked about it you want, Sonny. He just 1304 01:15:58,080 --> 01:16:00,760 Speaker 1: I have a rule my father. They taught me as 1305 01:16:00,800 --> 01:16:04,880 Speaker 1: a young boy. Never the snitch. My sister snitched on 1306 01:16:05,040 --> 01:16:07,599 Speaker 1: me one time and my father gave her to spanking. 1307 01:16:07,880 --> 01:16:10,040 Speaker 1: Still made me go on and fade the garden, but 1308 01:16:10,200 --> 01:16:14,040 Speaker 1: she got the sprank. Never snitch. So he used to 1309 01:16:14,120 --> 01:16:16,200 Speaker 1: tell me I had to tell him everything. But he 1310 01:16:16,320 --> 01:16:18,200 Speaker 1: and I an't a problem. I'm not gonna go to 1311 01:16:18,280 --> 01:16:21,120 Speaker 1: Sunny with it because don't I'm snitching on you. That's 1312 01:16:21,160 --> 01:16:24,840 Speaker 1: still being a snitch. Don't you agree, Well, conversation needs 1313 01:16:24,880 --> 01:16:27,599 Speaker 1: to be explained in order to get to the bottom 1314 01:16:27,640 --> 01:16:32,680 Speaker 1: of the situation. Well, you're in intelligent guy, I mean 1315 01:16:33,160 --> 01:16:37,080 Speaker 1: it really does. If not, then you can't fix the situation. 1316 01:16:37,760 --> 01:16:40,439 Speaker 1: And if you can't fix the situation, the only thing 1317 01:16:40,560 --> 01:16:44,080 Speaker 1: you gotta do that's left is to get rid of it. 1318 01:16:44,560 --> 01:16:49,880 Speaker 1: To think of how many guys are dead over nothing. Yeah, yeah, 1319 01:16:50,439 --> 01:16:52,599 Speaker 1: And then you know, it's like when the FBI set 1320 01:16:52,720 --> 01:16:56,120 Speaker 1: me up and I take the FBI. But I could 1321 01:16:56,200 --> 01:16:59,639 Speaker 1: tell when the attorney got that phone call, he said 1322 01:16:59,680 --> 01:17:02,320 Speaker 1: he I called me and they said this is your 1323 01:17:02,479 --> 01:17:07,040 Speaker 1: last chance or else to work with him. The attorney 1324 01:17:07,200 --> 01:17:11,639 Speaker 1: name is Mark Mazie. He's an entertainment lawyer. Today. I said, 1325 01:17:11,920 --> 01:17:14,280 Speaker 1: what did they mean by that or else? He said, 1326 01:17:14,280 --> 01:17:18,040 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm sorry Mark telling me you spoke 1327 01:17:18,120 --> 01:17:22,320 Speaker 1: to me. Tell them that. Orey said go fund yourself. 1328 01:17:22,479 --> 01:17:24,560 Speaker 1: And then I sat in my chair on swall and 1329 01:17:24,680 --> 01:17:27,639 Speaker 1: I thought, what do they mean by that or else? 1330 01:17:27,840 --> 01:17:31,080 Speaker 1: And then it came to me, They're gonna go well 1331 01:17:31,400 --> 01:17:35,599 Speaker 1: with their informants and say that I'm a snack, I'm 1332 01:17:35,640 --> 01:17:39,920 Speaker 1: a wreck. You sure should? They did? Well. I beat 1333 01:17:40,000 --> 01:17:43,720 Speaker 1: him to the punch because Jimmy Cacchi was one of 1334 01:17:43,800 --> 01:17:48,320 Speaker 1: the tapes fly back to Buffalo, New York, go on 1335 01:17:48,520 --> 01:17:51,839 Speaker 1: record with Joe Tadaryl, who was the boss of Buffalo, 1336 01:17:51,840 --> 01:17:55,120 Speaker 1: because thought he was in prison. So I was in 1337 01:17:55,360 --> 01:17:59,679 Speaker 1: record when I was taking the FBI with a boss, 1338 01:18:00,080 --> 01:18:04,040 Speaker 1: so I know the route. They wanted me to keep 1339 01:18:04,120 --> 01:18:07,599 Speaker 1: doing it. Jimmy, so you're in trouble, Yeah, I did. 1340 01:18:09,400 --> 01:18:11,400 Speaker 1: So you how close were you with Jimmy Cochi? Now 1341 01:18:11,439 --> 01:18:14,920 Speaker 1: he was part of the Los Angeles family, right, Jimmy 1342 01:18:15,040 --> 01:18:17,960 Speaker 1: was regally from Buffalo. Jimmy was the most serious guy 1343 01:18:18,040 --> 01:18:21,640 Speaker 1: out here in my opinion. Uh, Jimmy and I were 1344 01:18:21,720 --> 01:18:25,040 Speaker 1: like brothers. He was never the boss of the Los 1345 01:18:25,080 --> 01:18:29,920 Speaker 1: Angeles family. He was the boss to Palm Springs. Never 1346 01:18:30,040 --> 01:18:33,080 Speaker 1: made no money down't there, Jimmy, How you don't make 1347 01:18:33,120 --> 01:18:37,599 Speaker 1: any money in Palm Springs. That's where all the millionaires are, right, Jimmy. 1348 01:18:39,400 --> 01:18:41,759 Speaker 1: Jimmy would be at my door and a Monday moron 1349 01:18:42,600 --> 01:18:46,880 Speaker 1: and on Friday he leave. We we made money, were Jimmy. 1350 01:18:47,000 --> 01:18:50,960 Speaker 1: We made money. We shopped it fifty fifty. That's the 1351 01:18:50,960 --> 01:18:56,360 Speaker 1: way I like doing things. Chapter fifty fifty. Wouldn't Jimmy 1352 01:18:56,400 --> 01:18:59,000 Speaker 1: have to send them back to buff to Upstate New York? 1353 01:19:00,960 --> 01:19:04,960 Speaker 1: What Jimmy did with their money? I don't know. Yeah, 1354 01:19:06,439 --> 01:19:11,080 Speaker 1: Jimmy still no. I think he passed, And I honestly 1355 01:19:11,160 --> 01:19:13,320 Speaker 1: think I've really one of the last people to speak 1356 01:19:13,360 --> 01:19:17,880 Speaker 1: to him. That I was calling him from prison. He 1357 01:19:18,080 --> 01:19:21,400 Speaker 1: just got home from the hospital and he was I 1358 01:19:21,479 --> 01:19:26,840 Speaker 1: had to call Betty and then he die. Yeah, and 1359 01:19:26,960 --> 01:19:28,800 Speaker 1: that was kind of like I think Jimmy is like 1360 01:19:28,920 --> 01:19:32,280 Speaker 1: the last of the Los Angeles crime family, the last 1361 01:19:32,360 --> 01:19:36,599 Speaker 1: one on here. Right. It's pretty um. I think it's 1362 01:19:36,600 --> 01:19:41,479 Speaker 1: pretty non existent now that Los Angeles has uh anything 1363 01:19:41,560 --> 01:19:43,679 Speaker 1: going on. But you know, if there was, I ain't 1364 01:19:43,760 --> 01:19:46,000 Speaker 1: going near him because I never went there, the guy 1365 01:19:46,000 --> 01:19:48,559 Speaker 1: who don't any of us anyways, but you didn't mind. 1366 01:19:49,439 --> 01:19:51,880 Speaker 1: But during that time, you didn't mind associating with guys 1367 01:19:51,920 --> 01:19:54,400 Speaker 1: like Jimmy and all these other people, and you knew 1368 01:19:54,439 --> 01:19:56,400 Speaker 1: what they were doing. And I had a close connection. 1369 01:19:56,600 --> 01:20:02,160 Speaker 1: Were from Buffalo, h you know, we're from the same 1370 01:20:02,520 --> 01:20:06,200 Speaker 1: neck of the woods in New York. People missed took 1371 01:20:06,320 --> 01:20:09,360 Speaker 1: us for brothers a lot of time when we were out. 1372 01:20:09,920 --> 01:20:12,000 Speaker 1: You know, there was a problem. You know, if I 1373 01:20:12,080 --> 01:20:15,240 Speaker 1: see Sonny, you tell Jimmy you're with me. Jimmy, tell 1374 01:20:15,320 --> 01:20:18,880 Speaker 1: Sonny you're with me. I had the issue Jimmy the 1375 01:20:19,000 --> 01:20:22,760 Speaker 1: sunny I'm the one who made that injury like that. Uh. 1376 01:20:24,640 --> 01:20:29,320 Speaker 1: But no, Jimmy was a great guy. He eventually learned 1377 01:20:29,360 --> 01:20:34,080 Speaker 1: to read it write. And Jimmy was feared out here 1378 01:20:35,800 --> 01:20:40,719 Speaker 1: as far as these things are, he was feared. Jimmy 1379 01:20:40,800 --> 01:20:43,800 Speaker 1: Cocchi died on August six, two thousand eleven, at the 1380 01:20:43,880 --> 01:20:47,759 Speaker 1: age of eighty six. Well, a lot of these guys 1381 01:20:47,840 --> 01:20:51,760 Speaker 1: are up there in age like like really like, oh, 1382 01:20:52,880 --> 01:20:56,000 Speaker 1: I've been there. Yeah, I've been around for a long time. 1383 01:20:56,280 --> 01:20:58,760 Speaker 1: You know one thing, you know, it's really funny, and 1384 01:20:59,200 --> 01:21:02,760 Speaker 1: I knows anything. But when I was in Brooklyn and 1385 01:21:03,040 --> 01:21:07,640 Speaker 1: we were in a tower over there is she like 1386 01:21:08,200 --> 01:21:14,120 Speaker 1: all the Italian wise guys are diabetic. H Oh that good? 1387 01:21:14,360 --> 01:21:23,600 Speaker 1: Uh sauce that alright? So um, before we go, I 1388 01:21:23,720 --> 01:21:26,559 Speaker 1: just want you to give us at least a Frank 1389 01:21:26,600 --> 01:21:29,080 Speaker 1: Sinatra story. I know you probably have him in your book, 1390 01:21:29,120 --> 01:21:31,560 Speaker 1: but just tell us something brief about Frank Sinatra. You 1391 01:21:31,600 --> 01:21:37,800 Speaker 1: knew the guy personally, Frank. Frank was not allowed to 1392 01:21:37,840 --> 01:21:42,040 Speaker 1: smoke around his wife. So in the days before they 1393 01:21:42,280 --> 01:21:46,000 Speaker 1: all this bullshit was smoking. You can smoke at the bar. 1394 01:21:47,080 --> 01:21:52,040 Speaker 1: And you know, Frank Sinatra, I put up the money 1395 01:21:53,160 --> 01:21:58,720 Speaker 1: for Matteos and Westwood Boulevard. They both grew up in Hoboken. 1396 01:21:58,960 --> 01:22:07,720 Speaker 1: Uh maddim tail. Mattie was funny and Uh I was 1397 01:22:07,840 --> 01:22:09,960 Speaker 1: there every night. I said, on this side of the 1398 01:22:10,120 --> 01:22:14,280 Speaker 1: dining room. Frank said, in the dining room over with 1399 01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:19,320 Speaker 1: the table people in his white Barbara. Well, we we 1400 01:22:19,400 --> 01:22:22,160 Speaker 1: said at the bar, he come over and get a cigarette, 1401 01:22:22,520 --> 01:22:25,479 Speaker 1: and we said at the bar, and then we were 1402 01:22:25,560 --> 01:22:28,840 Speaker 1: talking and have a lot of conversations about the old days. 1403 01:22:30,880 --> 01:22:33,600 Speaker 1: But one of the best conversations was he walked on 1404 01:22:33,760 --> 01:22:37,479 Speaker 1: one night, we're getting our card with the valet, and 1405 01:22:37,600 --> 01:22:40,400 Speaker 1: he asked the valet, what's the biggest tip you ever got? 1406 01:22:42,320 --> 01:22:46,599 Speaker 1: And the guys ballet says a hundred dollars. Franks, you're 1407 01:22:46,680 --> 01:22:51,840 Speaker 1: really so Frank gives him two hundred and he says, 1408 01:22:51,880 --> 01:22:54,720 Speaker 1: who gave you the hundred? He said, you did, sir. 1409 01:22:57,200 --> 01:23:01,160 Speaker 1: Oh wow, that's hilarious. That's Frank always hung out with 1410 01:23:01,320 --> 01:23:03,760 Speaker 1: all the gangsters. Even though he was a singer, he 1411 01:23:04,000 --> 01:23:06,200 Speaker 1: was in the music business. He hung out with gangsters. 1412 01:23:06,240 --> 01:23:08,880 Speaker 1: He's from the photograph with almost all the gangsters. But 1413 01:23:08,960 --> 01:23:11,920 Speaker 1: you know what I noticed. This is something that that 1414 01:23:12,080 --> 01:23:17,519 Speaker 1: always bothered me that white gangsters can do whatever. White 1415 01:23:17,560 --> 01:23:20,439 Speaker 1: gangsters and white entertainers can hang out and socialize, and 1416 01:23:20,600 --> 01:23:23,080 Speaker 1: no one criticized it. But when people of color who 1417 01:23:23,120 --> 01:23:26,320 Speaker 1: are entertainers hang out with gangsters, they point the finger 1418 01:23:26,360 --> 01:23:29,200 Speaker 1: at this person that you're you're a bad guy. Frank 1419 01:23:29,280 --> 01:23:32,080 Speaker 1: Sinatra got away with hanging out with whoever he wanted 1420 01:23:32,120 --> 01:23:35,200 Speaker 1: to hang out with, and had took very little stigma 1421 01:23:35,280 --> 01:23:39,040 Speaker 1: for that. And he broke the ratio bar vega by 1422 01:23:39,760 --> 01:23:42,200 Speaker 1: by bringing Sammy Davis jan And that was crazy because 1423 01:23:42,640 --> 01:23:45,600 Speaker 1: Sammy David Jr. Hanging with them. I wonder how the 1424 01:23:45,720 --> 01:23:48,120 Speaker 1: hell he did it? Yeah, how he did it? I 1425 01:23:48,160 --> 01:23:51,320 Speaker 1: mean back then, you couldn't go to Vegas without being 1426 01:23:51,400 --> 01:23:54,360 Speaker 1: called the N word, way back then when they was 1427 01:23:54,960 --> 01:23:58,200 Speaker 1: when when they first came in to Vegas. So that 1428 01:23:58,400 --> 01:24:01,760 Speaker 1: was crazy. Sammy Davis and he was part of the 1429 01:24:01,800 --> 01:24:10,880 Speaker 1: Red Back Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra. I grew 1430 01:24:10,960 --> 01:24:15,880 Speaker 1: up in the seventies, did much racial Oh yeah, where 1431 01:24:15,960 --> 01:24:19,640 Speaker 1: I was born in the Bronx, there was uh you 1432 01:24:19,760 --> 01:24:22,439 Speaker 1: had the black section, you had the Puerto Rican section, 1433 01:24:22,800 --> 01:24:25,559 Speaker 1: and you had the Italian section. Now I just took 1434 01:24:25,640 --> 01:24:27,640 Speaker 1: my son there a couple of weeks ago. None of 1435 01:24:27,720 --> 01:24:30,200 Speaker 1: that exists anymore. Everything is all mixed in because we 1436 01:24:30,240 --> 01:24:33,400 Speaker 1: got Dominicans that moved in Jamaicans. But when I was 1437 01:24:33,479 --> 01:24:36,720 Speaker 1: a kid, it was all segregated, you know. So it's 1438 01:24:36,760 --> 01:24:39,680 Speaker 1: kind of cool that it doesn't exist anymore. Then when 1439 01:24:39,720 --> 01:24:42,439 Speaker 1: you was there, it was pretty much like the Bronx tales, 1440 01:24:44,320 --> 01:24:49,519 Speaker 1: You niggers get out of our neighborhood. Excuse my person. 1441 01:24:49,880 --> 01:24:51,840 Speaker 1: It was just like that. It was just like that, 1442 01:24:52,320 --> 01:24:55,040 Speaker 1: especially in the seventies when I was really young. By 1443 01:24:55,080 --> 01:24:57,280 Speaker 1: the time you get to the eighties and nineties, are 1444 01:24:57,320 --> 01:25:01,920 Speaker 1: starting to change. But I remembered Webster Avenue. Uh if 1445 01:25:01,920 --> 01:25:04,080 Speaker 1: you cross Website Avenue, that's where all the Brothers is at. 1446 01:25:04,120 --> 01:25:06,160 Speaker 1: And people just say, don't you better not cross Website Avenue. 1447 01:25:06,160 --> 01:25:09,479 Speaker 1: You get jazz kicked a cross webs Avenue, you know, 1448 01:25:09,640 --> 01:25:12,600 Speaker 1: so you know it doesn't that doesn't exist anymore. But 1449 01:25:13,080 --> 01:25:17,400 Speaker 1: but there are still pockets in Brooklyn. See, Brooklyn got gentrified. Um, 1450 01:25:17,520 --> 01:25:20,600 Speaker 1: there were parts of Brooklyn that we're still segregated. But 1451 01:25:20,720 --> 01:25:26,280 Speaker 1: that gentrification Park Slope is all like yuppies and white 1452 01:25:26,560 --> 01:25:29,720 Speaker 1: business people moved into the sections of Brooklyn that we're 1453 01:25:29,760 --> 01:25:36,240 Speaker 1: all exp Oh man, that's crazy Brooklyn is. And even Harlem, 1454 01:25:36,520 --> 01:25:40,360 Speaker 1: Harlem costs too much money to live now we developed 1455 01:25:40,400 --> 01:25:43,320 Speaker 1: that there. You're gonna see the same thing in a 1456 01:25:43,360 --> 01:25:46,720 Speaker 1: lot of Angeles. Oh, it's already happening there. Now. I 1457 01:25:46,760 --> 01:25:50,439 Speaker 1: can't believe the rents in Inglewood, James. People used to 1458 01:25:50,439 --> 01:25:51,920 Speaker 1: move to Ingleod because, oh, I can go give me 1459 01:25:51,960 --> 01:25:54,840 Speaker 1: a one betroom apartment. You know, I get one bed 1460 01:25:54,920 --> 01:25:57,720 Speaker 1: room for six hundred in Inglewood. Now it's like two 1461 01:25:57,760 --> 01:26:01,080 Speaker 1: thou dollars for one bedroom apartment. And Gowood you know, 1462 01:26:01,960 --> 01:26:05,040 Speaker 1: but uh, or I want to thank you for coming 1463 01:26:06,040 --> 01:26:08,320 Speaker 1: on this edition of The Gangster Chronicles. I want to 1464 01:26:10,000 --> 01:26:14,160 Speaker 1: just remind everyone that your book just came out November 1465 01:26:14,200 --> 01:26:20,280 Speaker 1: two THO. Yeah, yesterday, and technically yesterday. Not not only that, Alex, 1466 01:26:20,800 --> 01:26:24,040 Speaker 1: but we want everybody to know that this interview was different. 1467 01:26:24,560 --> 01:26:29,400 Speaker 1: It's certain things that we couldn't we couldn't address. It's 1468 01:26:29,520 --> 01:26:31,600 Speaker 1: things that we didn't want to address with this this 1469 01:26:31,760 --> 01:26:36,719 Speaker 1: man here because um of his book and his personal 1470 01:26:36,840 --> 01:26:44,240 Speaker 1: safety whatever. But good interview. We appreciate you coming here, 1471 01:26:44,840 --> 01:26:48,639 Speaker 1: and maybe we can just you know, get into it once. 1472 01:26:48,720 --> 01:26:52,120 Speaker 1: Everybody get this book and and and I need to 1473 01:26:52,200 --> 01:26:54,000 Speaker 1: read it so I can have more this. You know what, 1474 01:26:54,280 --> 01:26:56,040 Speaker 1: I don't think. I don't even have a book yet. 1475 01:26:57,200 --> 01:26:59,080 Speaker 1: You ain't got a book. I don't have a book yet. 1476 01:27:00,200 --> 01:27:01,640 Speaker 1: I bought a book for a friend of mine is 1477 01:27:01,680 --> 01:27:03,920 Speaker 1: still in prison. He'll have it tomorrow. It's literally you 1478 01:27:04,040 --> 01:27:09,000 Speaker 1: doing any book signings or anything coming up. Uh. I'm 1479 01:27:09,720 --> 01:27:13,640 Speaker 1: talking with Borders. I bind the nobles over here. I 1480 01:27:13,760 --> 01:27:17,960 Speaker 1: don't know if the door Amazon in Century City. Uh, 1481 01:27:19,520 --> 01:27:22,560 Speaker 1: the mob Museum in Las Vegas wants me there for 1482 01:27:22,640 --> 01:27:26,800 Speaker 1: a talk in a book signing. I spoke with gentleman there. 1483 01:27:27,240 --> 01:27:31,120 Speaker 1: I said the end of January or February. So when 1484 01:27:31,200 --> 01:27:34,280 Speaker 1: you do get when you do get the schedule, let 1485 01:27:34,400 --> 01:27:36,479 Speaker 1: us know and we can let everybody else will let 1486 01:27:36,560 --> 01:27:40,040 Speaker 1: you know. That will work. And the book is available 1487 01:27:40,240 --> 01:27:43,760 Speaker 1: online at Amazon. It's also on Bars and Noble, The 1488 01:27:43,840 --> 01:27:46,760 Speaker 1: Accidental gang Story. They can go to my website w 1489 01:27:47,200 --> 01:27:53,400 Speaker 1: w W dot the Accidental Gangster dot com, and they 1490 01:27:53,479 --> 01:27:59,040 Speaker 1: can find me on Instagram at the Accidental Gangster dot com. 1491 01:27:59,760 --> 01:28:05,760 Speaker 1: All righty, that's or Spado the Accidental Gangster dot com, 1492 01:28:06,040 --> 01:28:09,599 Speaker 1: and also on Instagram at the Accidental Gangster. And his book. 1493 01:28:09,680 --> 01:28:12,559 Speaker 1: I saw his book already available online. It just came 1494 01:28:12,600 --> 01:28:15,280 Speaker 1: out yesterday, The Accidental Gangster. Go out there and get it. 1495 01:28:15,560 --> 01:28:17,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go get it as soon as possible, read it, 1496 01:28:17,680 --> 01:28:19,519 Speaker 1: and then I'm I want to have another conversation with 1497 01:28:19,680 --> 01:28:22,600 Speaker 1: you after I read the book. I'd be happy to 1498 01:28:22,680 --> 01:28:25,040 Speaker 1: come back. And I want to just thank everybody for 1499 01:28:25,120 --> 01:28:27,760 Speaker 1: listening to another episode of The Gangster Chronicles. Don't forget. 1500 01:28:27,800 --> 01:28:30,000 Speaker 1: You can hit James McDonald up on his Facebook page 1501 01:28:30,360 --> 01:28:32,519 Speaker 1: or his Instagram. You can hit me up at alex 1502 01:28:32,520 --> 01:28:36,639 Speaker 1: Alonzo one zero one on all social media platforms. Don't forget. 1503 01:28:36,680 --> 01:28:40,040 Speaker 1: He's still got those Death Row T shirts and uh, 1504 01:28:40,439 --> 01:28:42,840 Speaker 1: that's it. We're out. We're out, we're out. See y'all 1505 01:28:42,920 --> 01:28:47,760 Speaker 1: next week. This has been a digital showbutch network production.