What the guys on the street thought of other families

[Nick Prango]

From everything I've read it's a miracle the Colombos are still a thing. Gravano's take is hilarious. In the Colombos everything was about violence, beatings, murders, beefs, etc. When he was transferred to the Gambinos, he was flabbergasted that people actually followed rules, put making money, infiltrating unions, setting up rackets before the violence and the other bullshit.

Good point. Colombos had like 3 civil wars and can never seem to keep it together. The Colombos almost became the Gallos back when the brothers had a borgata that rivaled the actual Colombo family.

[CabriniGreen]

"The Genovese family is the most sophisticated, cautious, secretive, and powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States." - Phil Leonetti

"I have always considered the Genovese Family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States. - Al D'Arco

"If anybody survives it will be the Genovese." - Anthony Accetturo

Fat Tony considered the Bonannos "junk men."

Gotti referred to the Vic and Gas-run Lucchese family as "the circus."

There was an article (it's posted somewhere on the forum) from back in the 1960's, not long after Vito died and Carlo was becoming more prominent, that talks about how Genovese members had sort of a blue blood mentality and looked down on Gambino members.

No, they called the Gambinos " degenerates" because the sicilians like Carlo and Castellano had a thing for marriage between relatives... I posted this multiple times, it was a Life magazine article from 69. It's the same one where they have Benny Squint as the successor, when its supposedly some big secret. The article also said Carlo did the same member tax that Profaci did, which made me question the whole Gallo war premise that Profaci was too greedy.

[CabriniGreen]

Forgot who said it but someone in another family refered to the Luccheses as the LuCrazies. The NY guys also refered to the DeCavalcante guys as farmers.

Pogo

I read somewhere that NY guys called Chicago guys farmers too. (Wish I could recall the reference.)

I doubt it came from the strongest, the West Side... as they were in a lot of business WITH Chicago.... Lol

How would the Outfit of the 50s n 60s be farmers? Ridiculous....

[CabriniGreen]

Forgot who said it but someone in another family refered to the Luccheses as the LuCrazies. The NY guys also refered to the DeCavalcante guys as farmers.

Pogo

I read somewhere that NY guys called Chicago guys farmers too. (Wish I could recall the reference.)

I doubt it came from the strongest, the West Side... as they were in a lot of business WITH Chicago.... Lol

How would the Outfit of the 50s n 60s be farmers? Ridiculous....

Ah, It came from Gene Gotti....is this because Chicago reached out to John to use Cutler on a case? What interactions did Gene Gotti have with Chicago?

And forgive me, but the guy wouldnt know a sophisticated crime if you smacked him in the face with the indictment. Hes a heroin dealer who did a ton of time, shit I just watched a hip hop documentary on FX/HuLu. Hip Hop Uncovered. They insinuate the Supreme Team from Queens was supplied with heroin from the mob, and they blocked out the guys eyes, but the mobster they showed onscreen was a DEAD RINGER for Eugene Gotti.

How would he put himself on a pedestal? He and Quack Quack put their whole borgata in turmoil....

[baldo]

Perhaps the farmer comment was referring to how the Chicago guys carried themselves, dressed, etc. For some reason, they always seemed to me more of a blue collar rough and tumble type of family. Perhaps I'm basing that off of all the surveillance pics of Chicago the guys seem to be dressed much more casually in jeans, sweatshirts, etc (which of course is very superficial). I'm not insinuating at all that they weren't powerful or un-sophisticated (had nationwide reach including the Casinos at one point). I find people from NYC basically consider everyone that doesn't dress or act like them as "hicks" or "farmers." For example, I'm an Italian (first generation) from Trenton but when I went to college and met guys from Staten Island, Brooklyn, etc, they viewed me as some sort of hillbilly because I didn't do things like play basketball on a playground everyday growing up LOL.

You have to remember, the Chicago guys are still Midwesterners which is very different from your typical New Yorker. Just my two cents.

[Hired_Goonz]

Maybe the "farmers" comment to the Chicago guys was just a joke. I mean the guy was doing 50 years and probably just wanted to break some balls to pass the time.

[PolackTony]

The whole farmers things was from when Gene was locked up with Solly D (who is/was pretty far from anything like a "farmer", to say the least). My impression was that it was breaking balls, but does show the parochial and pompous attitude that some New Yorkers have about anything outside of NYC. I've had people here literally tell me that they thought Chicago was a state lol (New Yorkers who've actually visited Chicago, of course, express an overwhelmingly favorable view of the city though).

And the farmers thing I don't think was specific to the Midwest, as I recall that New York guys would refer to the DeCavs as "farmers" as well. Just their way of flexing on anyone not from NYC.

[NJShore4Life]

The funny part about the Decavalcantes being called Farmers is that their main area of operations where the family originated from Elizabeth is one of the most industrialized , urban areas of NJ (think Sopranos opening industrial area scenes on the NJ Turnpike).

[CabriniGreen]

The funny part about the Decavalcantes being called Farmers is that their main area of operations where the family originated from Elizabeth is one of the most industrialized , urban areas of NJ (think Sopranos opening industrial area scenes on the NJ Turnpike).

Lol, yes exactly..

[PolackTony]

The funny part about the Decavalcantes being called Farmers is that their main area of operations where the family originated from Elizabeth is one of the most industrialized , urban areas of NJ (think Sopranos opening industrial area scenes on the NJ Turnpike).

Lol, yes exactly..

Yes and directly bordering one of the NYC boros. I have tons of family from Elizabeth and they're "New Yorkers" in every way but their license plates. Again, the "farmers" thing I think was really just a way to flex on guys and break balls. Chicago ain't exactly Green Acres either.

[SolarSolano]

The Chicago/Gene Gotti comment was actually shared by Jimmy Colandra of the Bath Beach Crew who most people know. He did time with Solly D and Gene Gotti. He said that Gene Gotti was exceptionally rude to Solly and would call Chicago "Shit Cargo" and made a farmers comment. Jimmy said Solly was respected across the board and everyone liked him but hated Gene lol. Colandra's story was in the wild Outfit facebook group that Ross started.

In Underboss, Gravano's book, he talks about Chicago's Underboss reaching out to use Cutler, which was DeLaurentis. I always wonder where Sammy got the impression that Solly was number 2 in the entire city and likely that he didn't understand its crew structure.

[Snakes]

The Chicago/Gene Gotti comment was actually shared by Jimmy Colandra of the Bath Beach Crew who most people know. He did time with Solly D and Gene Gotti. He said that Gene Gotti was exceptionally rude to Solly and would call Chicago "Shit Cargo" and made a farmers comment. Jimmy said Solly was respected across the board and everyone liked him but hated Gene lol. Colandra's story was in the wild Outfit facebook group that Ross started.

In Underboss, Gravano's book, he talks about Chicago's Underboss reaching out to use Cutler, which was DeLaurentis. I always wonder where Sammy got the impression that Solly was number 2 in the entire city and likely that he didn't understand its crew structure.

I think he probably confused him being Rocky Infelise's underboss with being the Outfit's underboss.

[stubbs]

I remember reading an article from a few years back where the judge in a mob case told the defendants to surrender their passports. The lawyer joked that his clients had never even been to New Jersey.

The point is a lot of those lifelong New Yorkers have never left the city. Especially guys who’ve spent their whole life living in their own tight closeknit circle of other gangsters from the neighborhood.

Remember what Mikey Scars said about Jackie D’Amico? He was acting like Brooklyn was some fresh new territory that had just been conquered.

So, of course guys from New Jersey, let alone Chicago, would be “farmers” to these guys from Manhattan or wherever. It’s not like most of em are well-traveled and cultured.

[PolackTony]

I remember reading an article from a few years back where the judge in a mob case told the defendants to surrender their passports. The lawyer joked that his clients had never even been to New Jersey.

The point is a lot of those lifelong New Yorkers have never left the city. Especially guys who’ve spent their whole life living in their own tight closeknit circle of other gangsters from the neighborhood.

Remember what Mikey Scars said about Jackie D’Amico? He was acting like Brooklyn was some fresh new territory that had just been conquered.

So, of course guys from New Jersey, let alone Chicago, would be “farmers” to these guys from Manhattan or wherever. It’s not like most of em are well-traveled and cultured.

Oh for sure. Not even talking about wiseguys, but the parochialism can be hyper local. I've met New Yorkers who barely have set foot in other boros. When I was moving from the Bronx to Brooklyn, to my neighbors in the Bx I might as well have been sailing off the end of the earth on one of those old maps with "here be dragons" on it. They had like no frame of reference for Brooklyn. I even tried showing someone where I was moving (Sunset Park) on a map and she kept trying to find it way out in Queens by the Nassau border lol. And she was like "oh Brooklyn is all the way down there?". No joke, and she lived in the Bx her whole life.

[Antiliar]

The whole farmers things was from when Gene was locked up with Solly D (who is/was pretty far from anything like a "farmer", to say the least). My impression was that it was breaking balls, but does show the parochial and pompous attitude that some New Yorkers have about anything outside of NYC. I've had people here literally tell me that they thought Chicago was a state lol (New Yorkers who've actually visited Chicago, of course, express an overwhelmingly favorable view of the city though).

And the farmers thing I don't think was specific to the Midwest, as I recall that New York guys would refer to the DeCavs as "farmers" as well. Just their way of flexing on anyone not from NYC.

Do you have a link to this?