Mobster Attire

[NickyEyes1]

Why can't I edit my posts when I'm not in the mattress, Soliai?

Because we don't make mistakes over here, Nicky.

How about dem sods lately, Mark?

[NickyEyes1]

Fuck me , *sox

[Meatball]

Fuck me , *sox

Hey, what did I say about mistakes?!?

Yeah, looking forward to second half. We aren't out of this wildcard thing yet. I don't think we'll touch KC but wildcard is a possibility!

[Meatball]

Back on topic...
In the mid eighties, I was in Italy while in the service. Everybody and their fratello was wearing Fila track suits. They were the big thing back then.

[rayray]

It's always the sign of the times for gangsters and legit people, not to mention your personality and money status for either kind. And of course, your waistline!!

[NickyEyes1]

I do have a couple track jackets but I never do the full on tracksuit. It's a little too much

Actually I do occasionally when going on runs in the fall/winter.

[East Bronx]

A young Basciano

That's the side of his old home on Revere and Schurz, on the Revere side of the property, before he eventually built an addition on the Schurz side. And that red awning actually came down before he put the addition on if I remember correctly. But that's a long time ago, mid to late '80s, without a doubt. So don't hold me to the specifics.

[Rocco]

Members Only Jacket....

[rayray]

Members Only Jacket....

Then there's that leather jacket that kind of looks like a members only jacket but it's not.

[FriendofFamily]

Hey - where are the Black Shirts and White Ties???

LOL

Good Topic - getting a really nice Track Suit is hard to do without looking like a slob - When you're a physically Big Guy.

[B.]

This topic could kind of relate to my mustache topic, too.

And while we're talking about physical characteristics, at what point did these guys end up being so fat? There were definitely some big guys going back to the early days, but not nearly as many. I have a couple of thoughts:

1) People in the US in general have become significantly fatter over the last few decades. Mob guys all have connections to restaurants and are around food all the time, particularly breads, cheeses, and fatty meats, so it makes sense they would be a heavy demographic. With the rise of junk food since the 1950s, that has only made it worse.

2) A lot of these guys don't have to do much by the time they become serious players with the mob. They've got other guys out there who are literally and metaphorically hungry doing the daily hustling while their supervisor just has to hang out and have meetings (usually over food).

This is just a side note, but Carlo Gambino's FBN file lists him as being somewhere around 200 lbs if I remember right. He was a short guy, so he must have been a lot heftier when he was in his 30s and 40s. Maybe that's where his heart condition developed and he lost the weight later? I've never seen fully body photos of him from when he was younger, just the pics of him when he was a frail old man.

[Bruno187]

Wish I had some pictures, but by far the best (or worst depending on your criteria) dressed gangster had to be Rudy Santobello in the late 80's to early 90's.
It was common for him to dress in a single color with different shades from head to toe....whether it be canary yellow, mint green, pink....with matching shoes, socks, tie...the whole nine.
Now not to belabor the point, but try to picture this...mint green patent leather shoes, nylon mint green socks, mint green slacks, some kind of checked mint green jacket over a mint green french cuff shirt with the pointed collars. Really impeccably put together---but the thing is--everything was mint green. And tomorrow would be a similar outfit in canary yellow. The good old days.

[Cheech]

i have a beautiful purple label (ralph lauren) sweat outfit that is dumb comfortable.

[Meatball]

Fila still makes a nice velour suit. personally there is nothing to me more comfortable than a nice leisure suit. and it has nothing to do with mafia. it has to do with comfort. i have a beautiful purple label (ralph lauren) outfit that is dumb comfortable. nike makes good ones.

Cheech, I'm 50, so "leisure suit" has a completely different meaning to me than track suit, warm up, etc.

"Leisure Suits" where what we dressed in on school picture day with big collared silk shirt.

The suits were usually a bad color/pattern made of polyester and always hot & miserable!

[SonnyBlackstein]

Wish I had some pictures, but by far the best (or worst depending on your criteria) dressed gangster had to be Rudy Santobello in the late 80's to early 90's.
It was common for him to dress in a single color with different shades from head to toe....whether it be canary yellow, mint green, pink....with matching shoes, socks, tie...the whole nine.
Now not to belabor the point, but try to picture this...mint green patent leather shoes, nylon mint green socks, mint green slacks, some kind of checked mint green jacket over a mint green french cuff shirt with the pointed collars. Really impeccably put together---but the thing is--everything was mint green. And tomorrow would be a similar outfit in canary yellow. The good old days.

Jeezus I wish there were pics.

So much for the Westside flying under the radar and Gotti getting credited with the original flashy dresser/gangster 'label' (ahem).
I'm surprised Chin didnt slap the green straight off his suit.