By David Amoruso
If you thought Michael Spinelli’s nickname was bad, wait until you’ve heard the story of how he became a made member of the Lucchese crime family. As far as gangland stories go, Spinelli’s is anything but Hollywood material. Yet, it’
By David Amoruso
Lucchese crime family boss Michael “Big Mike” DeSantis got to the top of the hill in an unusual way: A letter from his imprisoned-for-life predecessor Vic Amuso. Still, he put in the work and did the time to get the title. Now law en
By David Amoruso
Many question how much power an 85-year-old imprisoned-for-life Mafia boss actually has over his crime family. Mob leader Vic Amuso (above) answered with a letter that said: Total power. From behind bars, he orchestrated the complete
By David Amoruso
A Lucchese family mobster who flipped and helped send dozens of New York wiseguys to prison has been outed as a fraudster who scammed mall owners and developers out of tens of millions of dollars while in the Witness Protection Progr
By David Amoruso
Genovese crime family underboss Venero Mangano had a long and distinguished career. Two careers, actually. And in both he proved he had a sharp mind and balls of steel. He also showed one could live a long life and die of old age whe
By David Amoruso
Vittorio “Vic” Amuso’s reign over the Lucchese mob family has been one of pure terror, mostly for members of his own Borgata, as he ordered scores of his soldiers and captains whacked. His murderous rule has ensured his place at the
By David Amoruso
A $15 million drug ring led by members and associates of New York's Gambino, Bonanno, Genovese, and Colombo crime families was busted yesterday. Twenty-two people were charged as being part of a lucrative marijuana smuggling network
By David Amoruso
Lucchese crime family captain Richard Pagliarulo came from a mob crew where nicknames were brutally honest. Peter Chiodo, his predecessor as crew leader, was nicknamed Fat Pete, because he was…well…fat. He weighed over 400 pounds. Pa
By David Amoruso
Never was a nickname more appropriate than the one of Lucchese crime family captain Peter Chiodo. They called him Fat Pete. Why? Well, his weight ranged from 400 to 500 pounds. Like I said, appropriate.
“Fat Pete” Chiodo was the quin
By Thom L. Jones for Gangsters Inc.
Salvatore Avellino recorded by electronic surveillance:
'Do you understand me, now when you got a guy that steps out of line and this and that, now you got the whip. You got the fuckin' whip. This is what he, To
By David Amoruso
Steven "Stevie Wonder" Crea is one of the leading members of the troubled Lucchese Crime Family. Crea is a powerhouse in labor racketeering. Using the reputation of the Lucchese Family and, when needed to prove that reputation, it
By David Amoruso
Joseph "Little Joe" Defede was born in 1934 in New York. In his early days as a mobster Defede used to operate a hot dog truck in Brooklyn that doubled as a numbers bank. As a close personal friend of Lucchese Boss Vittorio Amuso D
By David Amoruso
Alphnose "Little Al" D'Arco was born July 28, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York. As early as D'Arco could remember he hung around people who were either associates, members or even bosses of the Mafia. As he grew up in Brooklyn he made vi
By Thom L. Jones for Gangsters Inc.
In those last few seconds, as his life was disappearing like an evanescent breath, nothing to protect him, no salvation at hand, his thoughts must have been perhaps his wife and children; his family to be torn apa
