Could you be a wiseguy???

[Cheech]

Fat fingers. You must have never incorrectly typed something. Kudos.
I used google and figured out what it is. What I'm trying to make out is how that's relevant to the discussion. Never been good at solving riddles.

[Cheech]

Cheech: Just maybe some had vision while others wore glasses? Check out Sky King Fireworks

Not form the sticks. Not sure what you're saying.

Ronnie Carrabia's son owns it, which is ironic because Carabbia himself is famous for putting on his own fireworks show(blowing up danny greene).

Right but trying to figure out the relevancy. Seemed random. And the glasses thing I don't get. Lost.

[IRA]

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[Cheech]

Ya. But I agree with that. No one said there isn't bookmaking and things going on. What's being said is it isn't what it was.

[Chicago]

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[FriendofHenry]

Cheech:

Fair enough. A very wise and extremely wealthy man would tell me that he had vision while the world wore bifocals. That's where the "glasses thing" came from.

I was trying to point out that at least some of the old LCN guys were smart enough to invest their cash in long term business that their family's could run and prosper.
Another area "Old Timer" provided his daughter and son-in-law with the largest supplier of bingo supplies in the tri-state area for a wedding gift. The gift that keeps on giving

I'm sure that some of the really big time, well know guys did something similar, only on an even larger level. Does this seem more relevant now?

[Angelo Santino]

Cheech:

Fair enough. A very wise and extremely wealthy man would tell me that he had vision while the world wore bifocals. That's where the "glasses thing" came from.

I was trying to point out that at least some of the old LCN guys were smart enough to invest their cash in long term business that their family's could run and prosper.
Another area "Old Timer" provided his daughter and son-in-law with the largest supplier of bingo supplies in the tri-state area for a wedding gift. The gift that keeps on giving

I'm sure that some of the really big time, well know guys did something similar, only on an even larger level. Does this seem more relevant now?

In the Ohio River Valley, alot of these Black Handers, if you look at their descendants, went onto became mayors, police commissioners and doctors. And that's a trait that went on up until your time around these guys. I'm sure JCB can list off a bunch of relatives who were legitimized. And even the players themselves seem to have gotten more legitimized the older they got... And alot of these descendants today, have no idea what their ancestors were involved in. It's "hush hush we don't talk about that, it was a different time then," Jimmy's had experience with this.

Pueblo, CO is similar. It disbanded in the 60's and descendants all became very well off. They don't like their past brought up.

Same with St Louis, the Sanzone family threatened an author with legal action for mentioning someone in the 30's who's name made it into an FBI report as an earlier LCN boss.

[Cheech]

Cheech:

Fair enough. A very wise and extremely wealthy man would tell me that he had vision while the world wore bifocals. That's where the "glasses thing" came from.

I was trying to point out that at least some of the old LCN guys were smart enough to invest their cash in long term business that their family's could run and prosper.
Another area "Old Timer" provided his daughter and son-in-law with the largest supplier of bingo supplies in the tri-state area for a wedding gift. The gift that keeps on giving

I'm sure that some of the really big time, well know guys did something similar, only on an even larger level. Does this seem more relevant now?

youre arguing my point. i agree. thats how it SHOULD be done. if you're still hustling fireworks out of your trunk or shaking down coin operators at $400 a month then you did it WRONG.

[IRA]

......

[Angelo Santino]

Cheech:

Fair enough. A very wise and extremely wealthy man would tell me that he had vision while the world wore bifocals. That's where the "glasses thing" came from.

I was trying to point out that at least some of the old LCN guys were smart enough to invest their cash in long term business that their family's could run and prosper.
Another area "Old Timer" provided his daughter and son-in-law with the largest supplier of bingo supplies in the tri-state area for a wedding gift. The gift that keeps on giving

I'm sure that some of the really big time, well know guys did something similar, only on an even larger level. Does this seem more relevant now?

youre arguing my point. i agree. thats how it SHOULD be done. if you're still hustling fireworks out of your trunk or shaking down coin operators at $400 a month then you did it WRONG.

May I say something though, there are guys who are proud of being criminals. Some guys have the mentality and will proudly share that they haven't worked a legitimate job since they were 21. That's a human criminal trait that will always be around. Of course, that approach to "organized crime" vs a semi-legitimate business-like approach has been argued in different forms. Gotti or Castellano, Bruno or Scarfo. Very basic example but both types of personalities were always at odds. Gravano discusses this in Underboss.

Fratianno was one example, he never wanted to be legitimate and in fact had a scrapbook of articles of his exploits and used that to intimidate people. Notice the animosity he had when he wrote his book in regards to Pete Milano. Milano was made to be very weak and timid, that Fratianno had to hold back laughing when he learned Milano was made a capo. This was his perspective.. Pete Milano died in his sleep in LA relatively rich.

OC will always have that disorganized element. Some guys will be fine selling fireworks, worked for Merlino was fencing watches. Well, not really, but not everyone sees beyond that.

[B.]

In answer to the original question of this topic, here is how you know whether or not you have what it takes me to be a wiseguy:

You click the "Hide my online status" checkbox whenever you log into the forum.

That's it. That's the online equivalent of pricking your finger and mumbling some broken Italian about never betraying your friends.

[Tag]

In answer to the original question of this topic, here is how you know whether or not you have what it takes me to be a wiseguy:

You click the "Hide my online status" checkbox whenever you log into the forum.

That's it. That's the online equivalent of pricking your finger and mumbling some broken Italian about never betraying your friends.

No. It's the online equivalent of being a coward.

[B.]

In answer to the original question of this topic, here is how you know whether or not you have what it takes me to be a wiseguy:

You click the "Hide my online status" checkbox whenever you log into the forum.

That's it. That's the online equivalent of pricking your finger and mumbling some broken Italian about never betraying your friends.

No. It's the online equivalent of being a coward.

Being a wiseguy is the street equivalent of being a coward, so we're talking about the same thing.

[Cheech]

Ya. But I agree with that. No one said there isn't bookmaking and things going on. What's being said is it isn't what it was.

It will never be what it once used to be.
People don't fear the Mob anymore including the Mob guys themselves.
Once the fear is gone, all bets are off and anything is possible.
Organized Crime can't really function successfully for very long without fear.
Young people today laugh at the Mafia and think it's some folk lore from 100 years ago with Al Capone.
Guys in Chicago are afraid to loan out money because the minute they lean on someone, the guy runs to the Feds and gets wired.
A lot of mob guys don't hesitate to become informants because they don't fear anybody anymore.

In addition, the Feds are too smart. They know pretty much everything that is happening and they just bide their time until they have enough evidence to put people in jail. Plus that, every Joe Citizen has a camera. You can't even take a piss anymore without somebody filming it or knowing about it.

Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone or debate it with anyone. That is just my opinion and that's all.

I give up, you boys will never understand until your involved in it yourself. Where did you hear young guys laugh and think it's folk lore? Mob guys are still feared and guys still have respect for each other. Of coarse it isn't what it was, but when are you guys gonna realize it's the same shit, just a different time period. Not as easy as the old days, but the Feds don't know everything. You guys read too much. The bookmaking thing was just an example Cheech, have you guys ever been convicted of a crime or involved in anything criminal? And I'm not talking just placing a bet with your local bookie. Just by all you say I can tell you don't know much about the everyday life of a person involved in crime. Billy A and the guys i know would have you shitting in your pants with fear. I see it everyday in life and at my work. You guys think it sits on front street, right there for ya to see, but it's nothing like that. Old timers sitting around bitching over being broke are the ones who lost out and the ones that are smart keep it going and stay low profile. The Feds are always gonna be looking at this shit, but that don't mean they know every little thing that goes on in the OC life.

You're right. My bad.

[East Bronx]

In answer to the original question of this topic, here is how you know whether or not you have what it takes me to be a wiseguy:

You click the "Hide my online status" checkbox whenever you log into the forum.

That's it. That's the online equivalent of pricking your finger and mumbling some broken Italian about never betraying your friends.

No. It's the online equivalent of being a coward.

Ouch .