Mafia Articles and News
In early 2015 this author was called to a meeting in Howard Beach, Queens. The meeting location was at a diner on Crossbay Boulevard. Waiting at a table were Johnny Sideburns and Joe Cafe. Joseph “Joe Cafe” Desana is a Caporegime with the Lucchese family. Joe explained why he called…...
A series on Johnny Sideburns…Part 1 John “Johnny Sideburns” Cerrella originally hailed from Harlem, New York, eventually settling in sunny Florida. Formerly, a handsome young man who enjoyed taking the sun as well as the Florida nightlife. Possessing a vast taste for quick money that he acquired through scamming and…...
Years ago, Nicky “Little Nicky” Scarfo was Boss of the Philadelphia crime family. Replete with a crew of capable guys at his disposal, bodies were left like garbage all over Philadelphia as mob hits were a common occurrence. Salvatore “Wayne” Grande a Scarfo soldier, was responsible for some of those…...
Journalist Jerry Capeci created Gand land sometime in 1989 which appeared in the Daily News. The column ran from 1989 – 1996, thereafter Capeci took it online. Its availability to read was at no cost, except for the price of the newspaper. Conversely, all that changed in June 2008, to…...
John “Johnny” Perna – Lucchese wiseguy of Cedar Grove, New Jersey plead guilty via videoconference before U.S District Judge Kevin McNulty yesterday. His plea was to Count One of the indictment- committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. Also charged in the June 2020 indictment is Thomas Manzo…...
Holiday time of year brings plenty of decorations, lights, and shoppers into Manhattan. This seasonal joy was similar on December 16,1985, that same Christmas spirit was in the air. Something else was also swirling in the air on that night, the pungent smell of gunpowder. The Russians are coming Thomas…...
FBI agent Joaquin “Jack” Garcia was handpicked for an extremely dangerous assignment in the early 2000’s – Infiltrate the Gambino crime family. Using his undercover moniker, Jack Falcone he succeeded in accomplishing his task. In what turned out to be one of the most fruitful infiltrations of organized crime since…...
Louis Anthony Manna, aka “Bobby or The thin man”, once a powerful force to be reckoned with, is now an old man at age 91. With over three decades in prison on his 80 years sentence, a result of a 1989 racketeering and murder conviction. As shoppers are hustling and…...
John Rubeo’s name first surfaced on a phone call August 26,2016 by Fox29’s Dave Schratwieser. On the other end was editor of Gang Land News, Jerry Capeci. https://www.ganglandnews.com/ Schratwieser with co-host, George Anastasia hosts Mob Talk Sitdown and Philly Prime Podcast https://mobtalksitdown.com/ Everyone was abuzz about who was behind the…...
Vincent “Chin” Gigante is arguably one of the most iconic and colorful crime bosses in mob history. He dominated the Genovese crime family, referred to as the “west side” by members of the life. Appropriately nicknamed the “odd father”, for his bizarre behavior, such as walking around the streets of…...
