Greek Mob in Philly and New York

[Rat]

Back in 1993, Joseph (Little Joe) Defede , a Lucchese Family mobster, was collecting the family's monthly "protection" payment of $10,000 as usual. But this one time he had been rudely humiliated by the Greeks.


Defede had just taken over the collection duties from a capo who was greedy and did not get along with the Greeks. Based in Astoria, Queens, the Greeks distributed illegal Joker Poker machines and ran horse rooms and a lucrative dice game. For years, they had paid the Lucchese family $10,000 a month for the right to operate on their turf.


Basically, a low level Greek mobster pulled a gun on Defede then proceeded to make him get on his knees and beg the Greek for his life in front of everyone. Defede knew nothing of the bad blood and was shocked that a lowly scrub associate would dare mistreat him and threaten his life.


The low level Greek gangster was an underling of Greek Godfather Spyredon (Spiros) Velentzas. Luckily for the Greeks, at the time Spiros was locked up with Lucchese boss Vittorio (Vic) Amuso in the same Federal prison.



The Lucchese family hierarchy was incensed over the incident. They were debating on whether or not the only way to rectify the situation was to kill the offending hood.


The Lucchese mobsters were demanding an apology from the Greeks. The Greek Godfather quickly worked out a deal. His underling would have to apologize (and pay some cash, of course) on Lucchese turf and Velentzas' brother would come along as a sign of good faith.


The Greek gangsters had to know what they were up against, and most likely they wouldn't have come if they weren't ready to make a perfect act of contrition. What they didn't know for sure was whether Defede would accept it.


The showdown took place at the All Nations Social Club in Gravesend, Brooklyn a couple of weeks after the underling of Greek Godfather Spyredon (Spiros) Velentzas pulled a gun on Defede, made him kneel on the floor and plead for his life.


The confrontation was a potentially lethal showdown about saving face, and those who love the mob as well as those who hate it will tell you that people get killed over things like this.


With photographs of late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano and other boxers on the walls behind them, two armed Lucchese mobsters calmly stood toe-to-toe and eyeball to eyeball with two Greek gangsters at a Brooklyn social club.


That day at the club, Defede sat at a card table while soldier Frank Gioia Jr. and George Conte, an acting capo, stood behind the bar with silencer-equipped handguns. Angelo (The Boxer) Defendis – former Golden Gloves champ and onetime light heavyweight contender who ran the club – and another mobster sat on a couch, ready for cleanup duty. A stolen car was parked outside, ready to carry away the dead weight.


They determined that the apology (and cash payment) was satisfactory, and the hit did not take place. Wisely the Greeks apologized profusely that cool summer day in 1993 and walked out of the club without a scratch.


Defendis, whose old ring robe, boxing gloves and photos of his glory days hung near Marciano's picture, was "ecstatic the sitdown ended amicably." The club was Defendis' pride and joy and he was pretty relieved the place didn't become a bloody mess.

http://greekorganizedcrime.blogspot.com ... reeks.html

[Philly d]

the Rudaj organization had more Greeks in it than Albanians so im thinking that was the new generation of greeks in oc.I think they called it the Rudaj because it fit the media narrative of Albanians being the new breed in NY crime even though Coletti an Italian was the real leader.John Alite said he is friends with Spiro Valentzas son and he is going to bring him on the podcast,so hopefully he does it will be interesting to see a different ethnic crime gang talking about their experiences

That's not the case at all. Rudaj's guys were all Montenegrin, Albanian, Yugoslav....whatever they happen to be calling themselves that week. They shook down Greek clubs in Queens, and even Italian ones in the Bronx. Collotti was originally a Gambino associate, but when his rabbi Skinny Phil died, he wound up in trouble with his new boss Joe Gambino. Collotti and some other guys gave a beating to some actually made Lucchese guys on Morris Park...he went to Joe for support and Joe told him "you wanna be a wiseguy with wiseguys? You know the rules, now you're on your own". So he set up shop with Rudaj and their alliance while profitable in the short term, went down like a ton of bricks in the end. The entire story has been covered dozens of times both on the old board and here on Black Hand.

Why didn't the luchese guys hit him?

[Bruno187]

They were looking to. He also had quite literally a small army of Albanians around him all the time. Before anybody could get a lead on him, they picked up the whole crew and indicted them. Too bad.

[johnny_scootch]

Every single Diner in NY and Jersey Is Greek owned, I’m not even exaggerating!

Diners in NYC have been dropping like flies for years.

RIP The seaview diner, kings plaza diner, the oasis, the blue bird, the foursome, el Greco, Dizzys, the vegas diner. Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head many many more have perished.

[NJShore4Life]

Every single Diner in NY and Jersey Is Greek owned, I’m not even exaggerating!

Diners in NYC have been dropping like flies for years.

RIP The seaview diner, kings plaza diner, the oasis, the blue bird, the foursome, el Greco, Dizzys, the vegas diner. Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head many many more have perished.

Yeah all the Greek owned diners around here are getting killed by the pandemic.

I once asked a Greek acquaintance of mine who owned diners why all the diners in NJ are Greek owned and he told me it was because all the Greek guys learned how to cook serving in the Army over in Greece and when they came to the USA as young men that was a skill they had that they put to use to live a better life in America. Some of those Greek diners make a lot of money!

I know a Greek diner owner who has a real estate portfolio in the millions and he just owns a dumpy little 24/7 diner in Jersey. Some of them bring in serious cash operating 24/7 with the right location.

-Dante

[baldo]

I bought my first house in 2009 off a Greek couple that owned a diner here in NJ (they were moving back to Greece). Funny thing is the oven in the house was barely used...they must have been working at the diner all the time LOL.

[monarch]

In 2019 the Greek diner in my quiet Center City neighborhood turned into an Italian restaurant owned by Albanians. Philadelphia was outdoor dining & takeout only for most of 2020 so I noticed Jerry Blavat sitting outside with the same group every Monday. The only reason I noticed him is because he drove a Jeep Compass with his picture on it and he was dressed like the picture; I’m a transplant so the first time I saw him I had to ask who he was.

[mr white]

Same thing with Greek diners and diners in general in Boston and 20 miles out in all directions. The Busy Bee Diner in Brookline MA (about a mile west of Fenway Park) was owned by Pete Christakis and was a personal spot of Cadillac Frank Salemme. I know because I worked two blocks away and saw him there and he made the papers th we re and then went back again around turn of the century and made the papers there again...haha...it might still be there although I think I read or was told it closed..can't remember. But it was hilarious because they had financial news on the TVs and nobody in the place had stocks..I think they were still betting the number there but I could never tell for sure...definitely sports....those days areong, long over, I hope this isn't rating on a message board..and I miss all the diners and its fucking sad to hear the same thing is happening in NYC.

[DonnieB]

Every single Diner in NY and Jersey Is Greek owned, I’m not even exaggerating!

Diners in NYC have been dropping like flies for years.

RIP The seaview diner, kings plaza diner, the oasis, the blue bird, the foursome, el Greco, Dizzys, the vegas diner. Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head many many more have perished.

The Blue bird & KPD bk legends....I miss that ole tin can dinner

[baldo]

I think part of the death of diners is the due to the rise of “foodie” culture. Younger people especially don’t have an appreciation for food that isn’t “Instagram worthy”. I’ve noticed less and less Chinese restaurants around as well. They used to be a staple along with pizzerias growing up in the 80s. There are still fancy “Asian fusion” places around but they aren’t the same as the cheap reliable places that served egg rolls and lo mein.

[johnny_scootch]

Every single Diner in NY and Jersey Is Greek owned, I’m not even exaggerating!

Diners in NYC have been dropping like flies for years.

RIP The seaview diner, kings plaza diner, the oasis, the blue bird, the foursome, el Greco, Dizzys, the vegas diner. Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head many many more have perished.

The Blue bird & KPD bk legends....I miss that ole tin can dinner

George's Luncheonette hasn't closed so I still have faith in the world.

[NJShore4Life]

I absolutely can’t stand the millennials and their douche bag foodie culture. I also can’t stand now how everyone thinks they're Dave Portnoy now with reviewing pizza. There’s literally complete morons out in places like Iowa rating their shitty dog food pizza that I wouldn’t feed to a zoo animal a 9.4 like they’re Dave Portnoy saying “one bite everyone knows the rules” .

[baldo]

Agree 1000 percent njshore. I lived in Manhattan for years and have been to Italy multiple times (my parents are from there) so I’ve been exposed to good food and simple food is still the best, man.

[Philly d]

I think part of the death of diners is the due to the rise of “foodie” culture. Younger people especially don’t have an appreciation for food that isn’t “Instagram worthy”. I’ve noticed less and less Chinese restaurants around as well. They used to be a staple along with pizzerias growing up in the 80s. There are still fancy “Asian fusion” places around but they aren’t the same as the cheap reliable places that served egg rolls and lo mein.

great call. two chinese restaurants just closed by me. replaced with sushi and poke places.

[bluehouse]

Remember the organic eat well craze in the early 2010s lol that didnt last long