HairyKnuckles wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:56 am
Ed Scarpo (possibly misled by Jr) seems to suggest that Sr was a captain and that he had one of the biggest crews,
HK where does he seem to suggest he was a Captain? You can't mean the paragraph where 75 crew members because he literally says as B pointed out that NONE of them were made.
Also I'd refer you back to this section of the 3rd part of interview
We refer to him as Anthony Junior here to distinguish him from his father, Gambino soldier Anthony (Fat Andy) Ruggiano who ran a crew out of the Café Liberty social club in Ozone Park, Queens. Fat Andy died in 1999.
Does the article actually describe Ruggiano as a captain anywhere or did Ed "the Grim Blogger" Scarpo say it somewhere else? I quoted the part of the article that refers to his large crew of associates and it's clear in that part at least that they're referring to Ruggiano as a soldier. I only see people in this thread trying to say otherwise, some of which speaks for itself.
It's funny, though, how a guy like Scarpo gets these opportunities through the visibility of his blog. I have no ill will toward him but it's clear he's flying by the seat of his pants and we're going to get fairly surface-level research. I'm glad he at least attributed some of the info about the Anastasia murder to Ed Valin, as in the past I remember him lifting heavily from an LCNBios post without giving credit.
maxiestern11 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:21 pm
In fact, Andy was a very personal friend of my friends and family.
So I should just take that at face value?
Ruggiano Sr was a good friend of mine for a long time. He brought me canolis when I was a kid. He helped out on the block whenever he could. He saved a guy once from getting a beating. Sonny was about to get a whipping but Andy said no. Good guy!
His son testified in court that his father was never a captain. That you can take at face value.
Hairy, you can take it any way you like. I really could care less. I’m stating fact.... you can go scratch for all I care! Lol
And regardless if you wanna believe he was or wasn’t a skipper. The fact is he had a huge crew. FACT! and was a very influential guy. Period! Case closed!
One more thing I’d like to say and explain. I have known Associates (not even so-called made guys) who’ve had 10,15,20 guys “around” them. And soldiers who’ve had as many and more. And I’ve known skipppers who’ve had only 5-6 total around them. 1-2 good fellas and a few associates ...
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Every conceivable combination is possible understand? It largely depends on the capabilities, Drive, age, intelligence and situation of the guys involved. There has been all of those situations over the years in various crews.... it is wrong to buttonhole guys into slots.
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And regardless of whether Andy was a skipper or not (and he was). He was nonetheless a very active guy. Moved around a lot. Had lots of knockaround guys around him.
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I know by the mid-late 1970’s he was a skipper. And was given the respect as such!
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Ask anybody in the know (who knew him) and they’ll say the same thing I’m sure.
Super wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:07 pm
who was in his crew max .
He inherited guys from East New York and HB. Guys who had also been under Charlie Wagons years before. Took some of Sonny Franzese’s guys when he went away. Sonny Black Montello before he went bad. Had a bunch of associates around. But good guys..... his kid even said that Nicky Corozzo and his brothers were around Andy also.... Wagons had a big crew over the years. Tony Pep was close to him for awhile, etc.... guys in Florida. In fact, .... Al Maione.... when I say something. Go to sleep on it
Super wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:07 pm
who was in his crew max .
He inherited guys from East New York and HB. Guys who had also been under Charlie Wagons years before. Took some of Sonny Franzese’s guys when he went away. Sonny Black Montello before he went bad. Had a bunch of associates around. But good guys..... his kid even said that Nicky Corozzo and his brothers were around Andy also.... Wagons had a big crew over the years. Tony Pep was close to him for awhile, etc.... guys in Florida. In fact, .... Al Maione.... when I say something. Go to sleep on it
Super, all those Brownsville/East NY guys were together over the years. Fatico and Ruggiano especially. And many of the young guys who came out of that area, even guys who in later years ended up in other borgata’s started out with them understand. So who was “official”, who’s “unofficial”.... they interchanged as the years went on and guys went away or died, or moved, or jumped fences, etc.
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But Andy always had a solid crew. Used to be a big nightclub in the bottom of a motel outside Kennedy airport that Andy and many other friends of mine used to hang in every week. The name is on the tip of my tongue. I’ve gone there myself on numerous occasions. Off the Conduit. It’ll come to me. But Fat Andy was there all the time. He always came in with an entourage of his guys.
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There was no shortage of guys around him believe me!
B. wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:32 am
Am I overlooking something, or does he say somewhere in this interview that his father was a captain?
johnny_scootch wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2019 6:17 pm
In the 1960s and 1970s, Anthony (Fat Andy) Ruggiano had one of the biggest crews in the Gambino family, and he wanted to keep it that way.
He had had around 70-75 guys in his crew, and out of all of them, Andy wanted to straighten out only one, Nicky Corozzo.
Fat Andy "didn’t want to make anybody his equal at one point," said Anthony Junior. "He had a big crew with him and he liked it that way. He wound up being right."
Andy and Anthony (Tony Lee) Guerrieri even got into an argument over Fat Andy's reluctance to make any of his guys.
In the above part, it is clearly implied that the 70-75 crew members are all associates, as it says he only wanted to straighten out one of them. It then makes it clear that by straightening them out, they would become his "equal", which is to say a soldier, and they would no longer be "with" him, as they would belong to his captain. By not making many members, he would retain a large crew of associates under him as a soldier.
This segment of the interview is clearly saying he had a crew of 70-75 associates under him as a soldier, nothing to do with being a captain. Whether you want to believe he had that many associates is another question. He very well might be high-balling the estimate, as I doubt the son had an official count and wants to paint an impressive picture, but keep in mind that many associates, especially back then, could just be neighborhood guys, store owners, etc. who happens to be on record with Ruggiano in addition to full-on criminals. An aggressive figure like Ruggiano who was made in the early 1950s and active for decades in NYC and Florida could certainly put a lot of people on record over the years, though again I have no reason to support nor refute the 70-75 estimate.
Great summary B. Well said
Nice rug ya got here kid...it’d be great for a craps game
To say him, or any captain had 75 associates is wrong, unless they want to count anyone who ever worked in a club he had a piece of, or just hung out with a person in his crew for a while. Do they count his neighbors too? A associate is with a crew, so the captain if he was one might have a lot, but no where in the area of 75. An associate, a real one is like a member, and has to come in if sent for, and show up at any occasion like a wedding or funeral, or at least kick in for a gift to the event. They are just exaggerating, anyone who had a drink with him is now being counted.
bert wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:07 pm
To say him, or any captain had 75 associates is wrong, unless they want to count anyone who ever worked in a club he had a piece of, or just hung out with a person in his crew for a while. Do they count his neighbors too? A associate is with a crew, so the captain if he was one might have a lot, but no where in the area of 75. An associate, a real one is like a member, and has to come in if sent for, and show up at any occasion like a wedding or funeral, or at least kick in for a gift to the event. They are just exaggerating, anyone who had a drink with him is now being counted.
Why would you say that Bert? How in the heck would you know how many guys are in a crew? Especially in a big crew? You’d be VERY surprised. Especially back in the 50’s 60’s 70’s etc .... some crews were HUGE!
bert wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:07 pm
To say him, or any captain had 75 associates is wrong, unless they want to count anyone who ever worked in a club he had a piece of, or just hung out with a person in his crew for a while. Do they count his neighbors too? A associate is with a crew, so the captain if he was one might have a lot, but no where in the area of 75. An associate, a real one is like a member, and has to come in if sent for, and show up at any occasion like a wedding or funeral, or at least kick in for a gift to the event. They are just exaggerating, anyone who had a drink with him is now being counted.
Why would you say that Bert? How in the heck would you know how many guys are in a crew? Especially in a big crew? You’d be VERY surprised. Especially back in the 50’s 60’s 70’s etc .... some crews were HUGE!
So if you still wanna believe what you believe. Or just wanna be contrary that’s one thing. But I’M TELLING you! Ok! And in this particular case I’m sure. Now, was it 69? Or 72? Or 65? Or 78? ..... I didn’t get a scorecard. Lol... but Fat Andy during the 1970’s especially ran a big big crew. .... at the end of the day. Believe what you want.
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Im not gonna argue it. But I know what I know. Period
Bert, if your with me. And you have 3-4 guys with you... then they’re ALL with me understand? If I have 15 guys like you... and each has 3/4/5 guys around them like you.... then I’ve GOT 75 guys under me understand? YOU ARE ALL WITH ME! Period! .... it really doesn’t take much!
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And if I’m a guy that has 15-20 good fellows with me. And 15-20 associates... (very realistic). To collectively have over even 100-125 guys with me IS VERY VERY VERY POSSIBLE. Get it!
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And it happened every day. Especially years ago
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And we’re NOT talking Half-ass guys. But good solid knock around guys !!
maxiestern11 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:28 pm
Used to be a big nightclub in the bottom of a motel outside Kennedy airport that Andy and many other friends of mine used to hang in every week. The name is on the tip of my tongue. I’ve gone there myself on numerous occasions. Off the Conduit.
The Jade East?
bert wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:07 pm
To say him, or any captain had 75 associates is wrong, unless they want to count anyone who ever worked in a club he had a piece of, or just hung out with a person in his crew for a while. Do they count his neighbors too? A associate is with a crew, so the captain if he was one might have a lot, but no where in the area of 75. An associate, a real one is like a member, and has to come in if sent for, and show up at any occasion like a wedding or funeral, or at least kick in for a gift to the event.
The discrepancy lies in how you're defining an associate and how Jr was defining one. I take it that your definition is someone with whom Fat Andy was making money with and was put on record with the family. You wouldn't be wrong because that's the technical definition if you read all the books but it's different on the streets. There are plenty of guys who aren't on record but are considered with one made guy or another, the people you would sit down for or call upon for a favor, neighborhood guys you know for 20 years, relatives or the guys that hang out at your club. All these type of people would be considered associates even if they aren't officially put on record. Let me emphasize the social club aspect because Fat Andy's club was one of the most popular in the entire city, everyone and anyone who was someone that made the rounds stopped by there and you had plenty of no ones who wanted to be someone hanging around and they all would do anything Fat Andy asked them to. So Bert you're right and you're wrong at the same time it's a gray area that comes down to definition. Did Fat Andy have 75 guys on record? probably not. Did he have 75 guys he considered part of his crew that he could call upon for whatever, it's possible.
