Is Pittsburgh alive?

[stubbs]

There's many reasons why a Family goes defunct. With Pittsburgh in particular I'd argue one reason being that the mob and economies go hand in hand. If the South never lost the Civil War, New Orleans and not New York would have remained the immigration epicenter of the Mafia and the dynamics would have been completely different. The decline of the mid-west also saw the decline of the mob in that area. When we talk of the Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cleveland Families, we're not talking city entities but rather multi-state organizations. Outside of the big 3 cities you had Akron, Youngstown, Stuebensville, Altoona, Erie, Utica, Albany etc. These cities have changed significantly from the time they were thriving middle class cities and we can't appreciate them today. But way back when, these were key components for what made Cleveland Cleveland or Pittsburgh Pittsburgh.

Buffalo is a border town and as an entity has had a presence on both sides of it. Given the activity of Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal as OC cities, it would make sense why Buffalo could theoretically bounce back. Pittsburgh, while becoming a nicer city, really lacks anything that could sustain a crime family. Gambling only goes so far and the percentage that the mob controlled in the 50's is far more than what they control now.

Of course, we can look at Philly and wonder what the hell purpose they serve in the larger scheme, Philly is not a very important city but nonetheless that group remains fucking Rocky Balboa.


Now in terms of a diminished hierarchy, the most important rank remains the Boss. This role, as representative of the area, serves as a conduit with other groups. If someone wishes to go to that area, this Boss is alerted and its dealt with politically. That is the role that John Tronolone played as boss of Pittsburgh while he lived in Florida the entire time. The next is Underboss, captains aren't really needed unless the group is sizable enough. Not every Family in Sicily had capos, with some groups ranging from 7-15 members it makes little sense. But the Boss is the Boss. Without it, then I'd say a group ceases to be a Family entirely. But that's going back to "viable" semantics which have been debated ad nauseam.

That’s a great anecdote about New Orleans and the Civil War, I hadn’t ever considered that.

[JeremyTheJew]

Ive come to believe from my research that Carlo Bommarito was most likely "hot dosed," killed for being an addict and informant on Billy Giacalone's orders. I wrote about this in a guest Gangland News column for Capeci in 2015 or 16. Not trying to derail this thread, just wanted to note it since Bommarito's '07 OD was referenced.

Scott Burnstein

What are your thought on what else I said regarding Detroit members' extended blood families in the non-OC realm? Accurate or would you clarify?

How come Hollywood Ron Morelli isn't discussed? I think he's an interesting figure from what you've said.

I actually know several of the relatives of local OC. And yes - very diversified.

Jack toccos grandson is a shitty rapper that used to tell me that "we'd be made men" LOL .... But fr ...

In Detroit (suburbs included) there is a east side and west side... The toccos and zerillis we're the east side mostly in grossed point (rich suburb where Ford, art Van, illich etc were) and giacalones who are west side.

Extremely different in almost everything

[JeremyTheJew]

https://youtu.be/T-9sO8_IawE

Incase anyone wanted to see his music video...

[Wiseguy]

https://youtu.be/T-9sO8_IawE

Incase anyone wanted to see his music video...

Good hell.

[B.]

Joey Testa's nephew takes the belt for worst "mafia" rap video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVtD1mEuFvg

Joe Pesci beat all of these kids to the punch and did it best. "I don't drive by, because I'm a wiseguy... I just stop by, with a couple of guys."
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm031

[eboli]

That's not even Tony Testa's most disgusting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAumu1j0YY

[Angelo Santino]

That's not even Tony Testa's most disgusting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAumu1j0YY

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

[FriendofFamily]

Does the Pittsburgh Steelers 6-5 Record Count as being alive?

[FriendofHenry]

Does the Pittsburgh Steelers 6-5 Record Count as being alive?

Only if they beat Cleveland this week

[johnny_scootch]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

[TwoPiece]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

Jojo Pellegrino is cool but you know about his boy The Shark from Morris Park? he swam home from Rikers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yC0B7l ... =emb_title

[AntComello]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

Jojo pellegrino and the shark are the only decent Italian rappers. Jojo actually has talent is he connected at all

[AntComello]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

Jojo Pellegrino is cool but you know about his boy The Shark from Morris Park? he swam home from Rikers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yC0B7l ... =emb_title

Lmfaooo he swam home from rikers

[Angelo Santino]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

Take any Italian kid covered in tattoos with chains and baggy pants and explain to any Italian over 50 that they're not wiggers and see if they say ok. At the same time you can explain that 'thug' really means 'gangster' and not shitbird like in 'the old days.' Any Italians here over 50 that want to weigh in?

I didn't listen to JoJo, a friend of mine Nino tried to introduce his music to me and lets just say I wasn't impressed. But then that's my own opinion and who the fuck am I? Pellegrino made a career out of it, that's a good thing. With music or anything else, it's easy to criticize, harder to create.

[BobbyPazzo]

Kind of divine justice for mob guys to see their offspring becomes wiggers.

Tony Testa is a horrific rapper but he isn’t a wigger. Paul Wall is a wigger. Tony doesn’t act like or dress like anything other than an Italian kid from Brooklyn. He’s hardly what I’d call a wigger unless just being a rapper makes you a wigger by your definition.
If you grew up in NYC in the 80’s and 90’s hiphop was the music of the time and it became a part of you regardless of your heritage. In any case JoJo Pellegrino is the best Italian american rapper there is.

Jojo Pellegrino is cool but you know about his boy The Shark from Morris Park? he swam home from Rikers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yC0B7l ... =emb_title

Didn’t expect to see JoJo’s name on here but yea he’s the only guy that counts... he’s legit