John Pennisi Sighting / Sit Down News

[B.]

I'm with Pogo 100%.

No doubt the Brasco situation hurt Napolitano and reflected badly on his judgment but in the book Ruggiero definitely hints at problems brewing that support Massino's testimony.

Did any of the Bonanno CWs ever say anything about a contract on Ruggiero? People accept the idea that Ruggiero narrowly escaped being killed but I'm not sure there's any basis.

Nick Caramandi believed he was going to be killed for bringing an informant around but I've never seen anyone confirm Scarfo wanted him killed. I believe Leonetti confirmed there was a contract on Tommy DelGiorno but that was another issue.

[SonnyBlackstein]

I'm with Pogo 100%.

No doubt the Brasco situation hurt Napolitano and reflected badly on his judgment but in the book Ruggiero definitely hints at problems brewing that support Massino's testimony.

Did any of the Bonanno CWs ever say anything about a contract on Ruggiero? People accept the idea that Ruggiero narrowly escaped being killed but I'm not sure there's any basis.

Nick Caramandi believed he was going to be killed for bringing an informant around but I've never seen anyone confirm Scarfo wanted him killed. I believe Leonetti confirmed there was a contract on Tommy DelGiorno but that was another issue.

We're not taking Caramandi's word (Leftys in this case). We're taking the FBI's.

And feel free to argue the points rather than posting a vote.

[chin_gigante]

According to Leonetti, when they were in prison Ciancaglini offered to set up a meeting with the FBI so he could grab DelGiorno and jump out a window with him because he felt so bad about bringing him around. Obviously never happened

[Cheech]

Pennissi really shouldn't of posted that card. Why do it? To prove you knew pete? He comes off very insecure. And like i said before literally bad mouths everyone. Literally everyone from perna to baudanza to johnny sideburns to joe cafe to john his captain.
The guys a weirdo.

That's not necessarily true. He badmouths some, but talks highly of others. Even the subject in question, Pete, John has always said only good things about him. Says mostly good things about Mikey DeSantis and other characters like Salvatore Cambria etc.

John is that you?

[Hired_Goonz]

I'm with Pogo 100%.

No doubt the Brasco situation hurt Napolitano and reflected badly on his judgment but in the book Ruggiero definitely hints at problems brewing that support Massino's testimony.

Did any of the Bonanno CWs ever say anything about a contract on Ruggiero? People accept the idea that Ruggiero narrowly escaped being killed but I'm not sure there's any basis.

Nick Caramandi believed he was going to be killed for bringing an informant around but I've never seen anyone confirm Scarfo wanted him killed. I believe Leonetti confirmed there was a contract on Tommy DelGiorno but that was another issue.

I think the basis for the narrative that Lefty was about to be clipped was from Pistone's first book. He actually claims that Lefty was literally on the way to his own murder when he was arrested. The only way that makes sense is if the feds had a CI who was aware of the plot in real time and immediately called his handler who quickly swung into action and had Ruggerio picked up, which admittedly is possible. Keep in mind though that his book is also the source for the story about Napolitano giving his jewellery to the bartender before going to his own murder, which as I've read in an older thread on here has been debunked by LCNBios. He's seen the report which shows that Sonny was found with his jewellery on him and I cant imagine he would lie about it, on the other hand I cant totally see Pistone bending the truth in his book.

I just cant see any reason why Massino would lie on the stand about the motive for a murder he's already been convicted of. I can't conceive of a scenario where the feds pass on the opportunity to use an actual boss to wear a wire just because he killed someone for bringing around an FBI agent. By that standard, why would he admit to killing Mirra for being a federal informant? It seems much more likely that Massino is telling the truth and that Sonny Black was killed as part of an ongoing power struggle in the family.

[Cheech]

Agree.
It is profession of criminals after all. That most of them behave like scumbags should hardly come as a surprise.

You don't get amazed when people behave like shit in prison.

hes a scumbag murderer, usually they get a long with other scumbag murderers

[SonnyBlackstein]

Agree.
It is profession of criminals after all. That most of them behave like scumbags should hardly come as a surprise.

You don't get amazed when people behave like shit in prison.

hes a scumbag murderer, usually they get a long with other scumbag murderers

Fair call Cheecharoo. You did make me chuckle.

[newera_212]

I was wavering on that myself thinking it didn't make much sense for this guy to start a power play to take over the family right after it's outed that he brought a Fed into the fold - but at the same time it kinda does. That could mean he knows he's on borrowed time and it's now or never.

Also, Massino lying to protect his cooperation agreement is something that I don't really buy. You think they care? He was a sitting boss for christ's sake. That's a huge win for them. A sitting boss. How many people did he have killed when he was boss? Combined with people he personally helped kill himself when he was younger? And the Mirra/Napolitano murders because them bringing a Fed into the fold would be the ones that would piss the feds off? The feds themselves know the danger that CIs, cooperators, and their own agents can be in when trying to infiltrate LCN. Those two murders, because of Brasco, would jeopardize them accepting Massino? The same feds (well, not technically the SAME feds... but still) who...just 5 or so years later...allowed for a solider and Capo who both personally took part in the broad day assassination of a NYPD officer to flip and hop on the stand in trials. Those guys had great cooperation agreements and time served, but Massino would have looked bad in the Feds' eyes if they knew he clipped Napolitano because of the Brasco thing? That doesn't make sense to me

i know there was probably some shady stuff with money, asset allocation, etc . in terms of Massino lying and the Feds being okay with it - but him lying about murders seems like something they'd have a problem with

[Uncle Pete]

He was a sitting boss for years but his cooperation alone obviously wasn’t good enough which was why they wired him up to snag Vinny Gorgeous tho right? Also, the difference between killing a guy who turned rat and killing a guy who brought an undercover fed around is subtle, but it is a difference. I look at it this way, he was facing the death penalty and wanted to flip, he has more motivation to say it has nothing to do with Donnie Brasco than he does to tell the truth. He was the one that gave the Ok, so no one really will know anyway. To quote Casino “Why take a chance?”

Also, someone please correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t those Colombo rats deny knowing the guy was a cop? If so, it seems that motivation for murders does matter to the Feds when considering cooperation agreements

[SonnyBlackstein]

Also, Massino lying to protect his cooperation agreement is something that I don't really buy. You think they care? He was a sitting boss for christ's sake. That's a huge win for them. A sitting boss. How many people did he have killed when he was boss? Combined with people he personally helped kill himself when he was younger? And the Mirra/Napolitano murders because them bringing a Fed into the fold would be the ones that would piss the feds off? The feds themselves know the danger that CIs, cooperators, and their own agents can be in when trying to infiltrate LCN. Those two murders, because of Brasco, would jeopardize them accepting Massino? The same feds (well, not technically the SAME feds... but still) who...just 5 or so years later...allowed for a solider and Capo who both personally took part in the broad day assassination of a NYPD officer to flip and hop on the stand in trials. Those guys had great cooperation agreements and time served, but Massino would have looked bad in the Feds' eyes if they knew he clipped Napolitano because of the Brasco thing? That doesn't make sense to me

To quote Pogo it doesnt matter what the Feds would or would not have done, it only matters what Massino would perceive they might do.

Its a smart play because the lie cannot be disproven. The only people who know the truth are long dead. And as Pete says, why take a chance?

[PaddyWhack]

In a sense it makes me wonder if it all boils down to Massino’s ego. Sal Vitale said Massino told him he needed to give a receipt to Sonny Black over the Pistone situation. Was Sal lying? Or was Massino’s ego so big he had to lie in order to make his Brother inlaw testimony seem irrelevant?
No way for the feds to prove either way who is telling the truth , it’s a he said she said situation, that can’t be proven either way because Massino gave the order so only his excuse would be relevant at the end.
Who knows what’s going on behind the scenes but nothing would surprise me either way.

[nizarsoccer]

Pennissi really shouldn't of posted that card. Why do it? To prove you knew pete? He comes off very insecure. And like i said before literally bad mouths everyone. Literally everyone from perna to baudanza to johnny sideburns to joe cafe to john his captain.
The guys a weirdo.

That's not necessarily true. He badmouths some, but talks highly of others. Even the subject in question, Pete, John has always said only good things about him. Says mostly good things about Mikey DeSantis and other characters like Salvatore Cambria etc.

John is that you?

Yes, it is I John Pennisi, a member of the Mafia and founder of the Anti-Ghostbuster League.

[Charlie]

Vitale when he testified against Massino said the following:

"Vitale also tied Massino to the murder of Dominick (Sonny Black) Napolitano, who was killed for introducing undercover FBI Agent Donnie Brasco into the Bonanno family. "I went on a walk-talk with Joe Massino in Howard Beach [Queens], and he said, 'I have to give him a receipt for the Donnie Brasco situation,' " Vitale said. "I understood that to mean he wanted him dead."

[johnny_scootch]

The Brasco situation probably seemed like a little gift to Massino. He didn’t get caught up in any legal trouble and if he was already having problems with Sonny Black, Brasco was the perfect excuse to kill him and clear the way for his eventual rise to the pinnacle of the Bonanno family.

[PolackTony]

The Brasco situation probably seemed like a little gift to Massino. He didn’t get caught up in any legal trouble and if he was already having problems with Sonny Black, Brasco was the perfect excuse to kill him and clear the way for his eventual rise to the pinnacle of the Bonanno family.

Agreed. The way I see it, the question is: was bringing Pistone in something that would have gotten Napolitano clipped in a scenario where he was otherwise in good graces and without any other context to get rid of him? Even if Massino or Vitale claimed that it was the reason, is it sensible to take that at face value, when it clearly could’ve provided a convenient cover to justify taking out a guy that Massino already wanted to do away with? Can we identify a clear-cut example where this sort of infraction, and it alone, was in and of itself enough for a guy to get clipped?