New York Purple Gang Book

[bert]

Apparently Scott Deitche’s new book is going to be called Hitmen, The Mafia’s Killing Squad, the true crime history of NY’s infamous Purple Gang of the 70s and 80s

I didn’t think the Purple Gang in New York was really a thing and was created by the press?

It was blown up bigger by the press. They came and went, a few kept going but they were not a Mafia killing squad.

That's the thrust of my book. Dig beyond the hype.

It's a working title...

Great. I remember in the 1980's a few guys were coming around to after hours clubs in other boroughs, and the guys bring them around claimed they were Purple Gang Members. They seemed too young to have been in it in the 1970's. They were tough, and in their own way gangsters, but due to the ages I doubt they were Purple Gang. The media did hype it.

[JeremyTheJew]

Apparently Scott Deitche’s new book is going to be called Hitmen, The Mafia’s Killing Squad, the true crime history of NY’s infamous Purple Gang of the 70s and 80s

I didn’t think the Purple Gang in New York was really a thing and was created by the press?

It was blown up bigger by the press. They came and went, a few kept going but they were not a Mafia killing squad.

That's the thrust of my book. Dig beyond the hype.

It's a working title...

I'm really looking forward to this. whether there was a purple gang our not the East Harlem 116th st crew is wildly fascinating

Thank you. It's due in April 2021, so assume publication will be in the fall 2021

Sounds really awesome.
Does it follow any key players?? Danny Leo, etc

[Vknicks]

There most definitely was a Purple Gang, They did some murder for hire but more then anything sold lots and lots of drugs mostly Heroin , a few of them ended up becoming Wiseguys and a few became drug addicted or alcoholics who never did much other then petty crimes later in life many of the latter were the guys who were in at the, the first group actually got made before the Purple gang stooped operating.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Vnicks vs JIGGS.

Easy win.

[Pogo The Clown]

VNicks is Maxipad under another name.


Pogo

[Angelo Santino]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

[Bruno187]

There were 2 brothers from the Bronx who had beef with the Purples in the late 70's and they went back and forth shooting at each other, one brother got cut up bad, recovered, then eventually wound up dead supposedly chopped up in the trunk of a car that was set on fire. The other brother was in the can and wouldn't come out for a long time so he couldn't do anything about it. The other brother got out like late 90's I wanna say, and from what I heard is actually made now. Crazy times the 70's.

[Cheech]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

[Angelo Santino]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

I meant the basis' for Judge Torres' book such as the Pleasant Ave crew etc. If you never read that book I do recommend. I don't know anything about the Purple Gang other than that it involved a heroin ring in the 70's with names like Matty Madonna involved.

Jiggs? Needs to watch his ethnic slurs against the Irish but aside from that he's okay. I remember him from RD, for awhile he just stopped posting. I knew he was on the elderly side and feared that he passed. I'm glad that he's still around and that he's here.

[Cheech]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

I meant the basis' for Judge Torres' book such as the Pleasant Ave crew etc. If you never read that book I do recommend. I don't know anything about the Purple Gang other than that it involved a heroin ring in the 70's with names like Matty Madonna involved.

Jiggs? Needs to watch his ethnic slurs against the Irish but aside from that he's okay. I remember him from RD, for awhile he just stopped posting. I knew he was on the elderly side and feared that he passed. I'm glad that he's still around and that he's here.

Ive own both. One is the prequel. Its very good. I did a bad job of agreeing with you
Purple Gang or not that whole east harlem crew is interesting to me.

[Angelo Santino]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

I meant the basis' for Judge Torres' book such as the Pleasant Ave crew etc. If you never read that book I do recommend. I don't know anything about the Purple Gang other than that it involved a heroin ring in the 70's with names like Matty Madonna involved.

Jiggs? Needs to watch his ethnic slurs against the Irish but aside from that he's okay. I remember him from RD, for awhile he just stopped posting. I knew he was on the elderly side and feared that he passed. I'm glad that he's still around and that he's here.

Ive own both. One is the prequel. Its very good. I did a bad job of agreeing with you
Purple Gang or not that whole east harlem crew is interesting to me.

I'm sure it's very interesting, but you know me I'm literally living in the last century sorting out the horse manure rackets. But yes, Harlem has always amazed me too. E106th up to E116th, between 1st and 3rd, lotta history there.

[Cheech]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

I meant the basis' for Judge Torres' book such as the Pleasant Ave crew etc. If you never read that book I do recommend. I don't know anything about the Purple Gang other than that it involved a heroin ring in the 70's with names like Matty Madonna involved.

Jiggs? Needs to watch his ethnic slurs against the Irish but aside from that he's okay. I remember him from RD, for awhile he just stopped posting. I knew he was on the elderly side and feared that he passed. I'm glad that he's still around and that he's here.

Ive own both. One is the prequel. Its very good. I did a bad job of agreeing with you
Purple Gang or not that whole east harlem crew is interesting to me.

I'm sure it's very interesting, but you know me I'm literally living in the last century sorting out the horse manure rackets. But yes, Harlem has always amazed me too. E106th up to E116th, between 1st and 3rd, lotta history there.

don't sell yourself short, you know plenty. but I know what you mean.

I need more posts from JIGGS in 2020

scott, really looking forward to your book.

[Cheech]

where's Furio when you need him with a list known purples

[sdeitche]

Lucchese farm team in East Harlem right? "Pleasant Avenue bunch" in Carlito's Way are based on them.

No sir.

Pleasant avenue bunch = 116th street crew.

This comes straight from the horses mouth. (Judge eddie torres).

JIGGS

Shit.. Pete Amadeso walks into my club just like that? Bullshit. There's an angle here. Pete's a made guy, his uncle is a heavy hitter with the Pleasant Avenue bunch, what's he doing here?

I always wondered about this. I read both books and seen the films. The books seemed very grounded in reality, even though its all fictionalized I get the sense Judge Torres was familiar with the things he went into, likely from a combination of growing up in that neighborhood as well as his time spent in the legal system and later as a judge.

Any other info on this subject I'm all ears.

same. I find the purple bunch rather fascinating. whether they were called purple or not. our friend pizza seemed to think there was. not saying he was right on everything. he wasn't. and I enjoy reading Jiggs' posts as well. either way that whole East Harlem bunch is very interesting imo

I meant the basis' for Judge Torres' book such as the Pleasant Ave crew etc. If you never read that book I do recommend. I don't know anything about the Purple Gang other than that it involved a heroin ring in the 70's with names like Matty Madonna involved.

Jiggs? Needs to watch his ethnic slurs against the Irish but aside from that he's okay. I remember him from RD, for awhile he just stopped posting. I knew he was on the elderly side and feared that he passed. I'm glad that he's still around and that he's here.

Ive own both. One is the prequel. Its very good. I did a bad job of agreeing with you
Purple Gang or not that whole east harlem crew is interesting to me.

I'm sure it's very interesting, but you know me I'm literally living in the last century sorting out the horse manure rackets. But yes, Harlem has always amazed me too. E106th up to E116th, between 1st and 3rd, lotta history there.

don't sell yourself short, you know plenty. but I know what you mean.

I need more posts from JIGGS in 2020

scott, really looking forward to your book.

Thanks!

[UTC]

I always found Viserto, Jr. interesting.