Hootie Russo

[Extortion]

He really didn't rat. He was accused of drug dealing and at the time he was not drug dealing and he didn't even really meet the CI on the case. He was being accused of crimes he did not commit so he jumped off the Gambino's global plea with all the co defendants in the Gambinos who were represented by Carnesi. He sat down with the FBI to clarify things he had done so he is not charged with things he did not commit is what he says. He also absolutely admits that in the street it does not matter and it is considered cooperating but at least he doesn't deny it. I wouldn't consider him a government witness because he is not. I would not consider him a rat because who did he rat out?

[Extortion]

I agree. I like Hootie, but he is all over the place in his interviews/podcasts. He is not consistent in his stories. he says that he had sitdowns with bosses. That is impossible. Why would a boss of a crime family, want a sitdown with some low level crew member? Personally i think that he was never proposed for membership.

I dont think he was proposed either. I think he's saying bosses as in captains, like Ronnie Trucchio...

Who was he saying was bummed out they were gonna lose there Social Security checks??

I am not sure. He didn't mention name. He said that it was a captain.

It was Mastroangelo the captain.

[AntComello]

personally met Hootie 20x maybe.. mutual friends, im a little younger...he was known to be with the ozone park crew forever. always around al. and roc. so if he wasnt "on record" everyone thought he was. not exagerating his drug dealings either. hadwas a few dealer friends "connect" i guess you call it. actually a decent dude,, never a tough guy or over the top jerk off, but then again that whole crew was really low key. AL and Mike Roc were very humble, quiet type guys. not to be fucked with of course. but, unlike Gene Borello and Ronny G running around HB and OZ like they were John Gotti thr 5th

Do you think he woulda had a better shot at getting made in Ronny G’s crew? Seems like his drug pinch (after Al specifically told him to stop) closed the book on getting straightened out with the Gambino’s. And it seems like he had a pretty good relationship with Ronny G.

honestly cant say, but ronnie had festa and palmaccio both big drug dealers..both kicking up... both with their button...as far as al being against drugs...please... the ozone park boys, which was most of his crew originated where all big drug dealers with his dad ronnie and down through him. cant say whether Hootie kicked up , was an associate, independent. or otherwise because it wasnt my business to know obviously but he wasnt touched by anyone, and he wasnt violent. someone had his back, because ronnie G crew and a few other drug crews around wouldnt have said,,oh thats hootie, he doesnt have to follow the laws of the street..you know whati mean

I’ve had back and forth discussions with someone on here over private message about hootie being all over the place with his stories... yeah I don’t get the “al hated drugs and didn’t want anything like that around him”... is he kidding??? I mean Al’s best buddy Roc was involved with that huge weed operation and they had to get permission from someone for labarca to take out bosshart over him trying to cut Roc out of the weed business.... Al’s crew seemed knee deep in drugs... weed and ecstasy...

yep. from what i hear there was more to the bosshart thing than just the weed biz. heard he was a tough kid that really didnt give a shit about the "rules" and cosa nosstra. just a street dude and saw a lot of these ,at the time wannabee mobsters as weak and was kinda rogue. more than 1 person didnt like him for it.again, just what ive heard through some people who are more involved to whatever degree

Did Hootie give up Todd LaBarca or Gennaro Bruno for that hit when he was queen for a day?

santos was the guy. not saying hootie didnt rat. i dont know details, but he is around his old haunts where santos isnt...

Hootie also says nobody ever did business w Santos so how did he know everything he gave up? I read that it was Al who was driving and saw Howard Santos' car parked in front of the fed building...didn't know they actually saw him walking with his handler til Russo said it...

Yea I think first Al just happened to be driving by and he noticed Santos car parked and he wasn’t in it so he circled the block and saw him talking with his handler in his car.

[JakeTheSnake630]

That guy JC was talking to Luisi on one of the last shows. JC brings up questions about a crew in Portland. Im like wow maybe im going to find out some cool tidbits about what’s going on/went on in Maine. Makes sense to ask a Boston guy about this too. But no. He was talking about Portland Oregon. What the fuck would BL know about that. No one gives a shit about Portland Oregon when it comes to LCN. Guy is clueless.

[Jbravo]

All you have to do is listen to him speak he stretches the truth to his stories and places himself in situations...bullshit artist and def a rat..

[queensnyer]

personally met Hootie 20x maybe.. mutual friends, im a little younger...he was known to be with the ozone park crew forever. always around al. and roc. so if he wasnt "on record" everyone thought he was. not exagerating his drug dealings either. hadwas a few dealer friends "connect" i guess you call it. actually a decent dude,, never a tough guy or over the top jerk off, but then again that whole crew was really low key. AL and Mike Roc were very humble, quiet type guys. not to be fucked with of course. but, unlike Gene Borello and Ronny G running around HB and OZ like they were John Gotti thr 5th

Do you think he woulda had a better shot at getting made in Ronny G’s crew? Seems like his drug pinch (after Al specifically told him to stop) closed the book on getting straightened out with the Gambino’s. And it seems like he had a pretty good relationship with Ronny G.

honestly cant say, but ronnie had festa and palmaccio both big drug dealers..both kicking up... both with their button...as far as al being against drugs...please... the ozone park boys, which was most of his crew originated where all big drug dealers with his dad ronnie and down through him. cant say whether Hootie kicked up , was an associate, independent. or otherwise because it wasnt my business to know obviously but he wasnt touched by anyone, and he wasnt violent. someone had his back, because ronnie G crew and a few other drug crews around wouldnt have said,,oh thats hootie, he doesnt have to follow the laws of the street..you know whati mean

I’ve had back and forth discussions with someone on here over private message about hootie being all over the place with his stories... yeah I don’t get the “al hated drugs and didn’t want anything like that around him”... is he kidding??? I mean Al’s best buddy Roc was involved with that huge weed operation and they had to get permission from someone for labarca to take out bosshart over him trying to cut Roc out of the weed business.... Al’s crew seemed knee deep in drugs... weed and ecstasy...

yep. from what i hear there was more to the bosshart thing than just the weed biz. heard he was a tough kid that really didnt give a shit about the "rules" and cosa nosstra. just a street dude and saw a lot of these ,at the time wannabee mobsters as weak and was kinda rogue. more than 1 person didnt like him for it.again, just what ive heard through some people who are more involved to whatever degree

Did Hootie give up Todd LaBarca or Gennaro Bruno for that hit when he was queen for a day?

santos was the guy. not saying hootie didnt rat. i dont know details, but he is around his old haunts where santos isnt...

Hootie also says nobody ever did business w Santos so how did he know everything he gave up? I read that it was Al who was driving and saw Howard Santos' car parked in front of the fed building...didn't know they actually saw him walking with his handler til Russo said it...

Yeah first guy to ever get outed as a rat actually being seen ratting... Santos was crew. If he had no info then they wouldn't have been so scared and the fbi just doesn't deal with anyone. You have to provide verifiable info

[chubby]

personally met Hootie 20x maybe.. mutual friends, im a little younger...he was known to be with the ozone park crew forever. always around al. and roc. so if he wasnt "on record" everyone thought he was. not exagerating his drug dealings either. hadwas a few dealer friends "connect" i guess you call it. actually a decent dude,, never a tough guy or over the top jerk off, but then again that whole crew was really low key. AL and Mike Roc were very humble, quiet type guys. not to be fucked with of course. but, unlike Gene Borello and Ronny G running around HB and OZ like they were John Gotti thr 5th

Do you think he woulda had a better shot at getting made in Ronny G’s crew? Seems like his drug pinch (after Al specifically told him to stop) closed the book on getting straightened out with the Gambino’s. And it seems like he had a pretty good relationship with Ronny G.

honestly cant say, but ronnie had festa and palmaccio both big drug dealers..both kicking up... both with their button...as far as al being against drugs...please... the ozone park boys, which was most of his crew originated where all big drug dealers with his dad ronnie and down through him. cant say whether Hootie kicked up , was an associate, independent. or otherwise because it wasnt my business to know obviously but he wasnt touched by anyone, and he wasnt violent. someone had his back, because ronnie G crew and a few other drug crews around wouldnt have said,,oh thats hootie, he doesnt have to follow the laws of the street..you know whati mean

I’ve had back and forth discussions with someone on here over private message about hootie being all over the place with his stories... yeah I don’t get the “al hated drugs and didn’t want anything like that around him”... is he kidding??? I mean Al’s best buddy Roc was involved with that huge weed operation and they had to get permission from someone for labarca to take out bosshart over him trying to cut Roc out of the weed business.... Al’s crew seemed knee deep in drugs... weed and ecstasy...

yep. from what i hear there was more to the bosshart thing than just the weed biz. heard he was a tough kid that really didnt give a shit about the "rules" and cosa nosstra. just a street dude and saw a lot of these ,at the time wannabee mobsters as weak and was kinda rogue. more than 1 person didnt like him for it.again, just what ive heard through some people who are more involved to whatever degree

Did Hootie give up Todd LaBarca or Gennaro Bruno for that hit when he was queen for a day?

santos was the guy. not saying hootie didnt rat. i dont know details, but he is around his old haunts where santos isnt...

Hootie also says nobody ever did business w Santos so how did he know everything he gave up? I read that it was Al who was driving and saw Howard Santos' car parked in front of the fed building...didn't know they actually saw him walking with his handler til Russo said it...

Yeah first guy to ever get outed as a rat actually being seen ratting... Santos was crew. If he had no info then they wouldn't have been so scared and the fbi just doesn't deal with anyone. You have to provide verifiable info

He was crew enough to be in the Christmas post card picture of al and his crew... so santos obviously was dealing with them and knew shit. Just more weird lies from hootie..

[queensnyer]

which is hilarious to me anyway..a crew christmas postcard....what the fuck could they say...it was a good year, ganbling and loansharking where profitable for us. dabbledin prescription drug dealing too, not sure if we will continue this upcoming year.only whacked one guy, so everyone is safe and doing well . happy and healthy..merry christmas LMAO

[Browniety86]

I remember reading where Trucchio was bragging about the Bosshart hit, taking credit for it...and he was made sometime shortly after...

[MichaelGiovanni]

I have that picture of the Christmas photo saved. I Don’t recognize hootie in the pic.

[queensnyer]

I have that picture of the Christmas photo saved. I Don’t recognize hootie in the pic.

could you post iy

[chubby]

I have that picture of the Christmas photo saved. I Don’t recognize hootie in the pic.

Yeah post it if you can please, I’ve seen it a dozen times but not anytime recently.

[chubby]

Here it is, found it on google images.. and hootie is not in the photo...

[Browniety86]

Here it is, found it on google images.. and hootie is not in the photo...

Howie Santos sure is though! Hootie is a liar...Santos was hot n heavy with that crew

[moneyman]

Hootie claims he was done with Trucchio and LCN in 2005, he mentions the 2011 indictment was for crimes pre 2005