The next is an article model of the Curious State episode of the identical title (feat. Elie Honig), edited for content material and studying readability. You’ll be able to take heed to the complete episode right here.
At 6’6” Lenny Montana was greater than life. For those who’ve seen The Godfather, you’d acknowledge him as Luca Brasi—a hitman. And Lenny simply so occurred to be one in actual life.
Earlier than Hollywood, he held the position of “enforcer” for the notorious Colombo crime household. Apparently, whereas on the set of The Godfather, he shared a number of tales of the ol’ days. Together with how he’d dip a tampon in kerosene, tie it to the tail of a mouse, mild it, then let the mouse free in a constructing. Or he’d mild a candle and stick it entrance of a cuckoo clock. So when the chicken popped out…
As an enforcer, Lenny’s job was easy: Intimidate, assault, and homicide as wanted for the Colombo crime household—one of many 5 main households heading up organized crime in New York Metropolis.
Elie: Basically, there are two issues that the mob cares about and needs to realize. One is that they wish to generate income. Two is that they don’t wish to get pinched. They don’t wish to get arrested and thrown in jail.
My title is Elie Honig. I spent 14 years as a federal and state prosecutor. I now do a wide range of issues. I train at Rutgers College. I work for CNN as a senior authorized analyst. I’ve written a guide, and I work on podcasts as nicely.
Elie’s most up-to-date podcast is known as Up Towards the Mob, the place he unveils inside tales of the modern-day mafia. He’s been concerned in main circumstances like John Gotti Jr. and Ciro Perrone of the Genovese crime household. Elie’s been dubbed “organized crime’s worst nightmare.” If you have to know something concerning the mafia and their historical past of violence, Elie’s your man.
Elie: In all probability the largest a part of what made the mafia on this nation—going again to the early and center of the twentieth century—was the worry of violence. And worry, in fact, grew to become the mob’s strongest weapon. I imply, how do they get away with extorting an organization? Why would a butcher or a baker in Queens within the Sixties pay the mob 200 bucks per week in money? Worry.
Is that worry truly justified by frequent fats lips and damaged legs? And even worse…a cement overcoat, successful, a contract, an Italian rope trick…you understand…homicide. Is the mafia as violent as they’re made out to be? Or has worry gotten the most effective of us?
For those who’re trying to get made, homicide is a gold star in your resume.
Elie: The mob began utilizing worry to construct up their fame. And that enabled them to commit a bunch of crimes within the 80s and 90s. You bought into the conflict section the place they had been dropping one another, taking pictures one another for retribution throughout households. And that’s been depicted in motion pictures.
To make sure a way of order and authority, mafia households have rankings. On the backside of the record of made guys are troopers—which embrace enforcers like Lenny Montana. Then you definately’ve received the Capo…
Elie: …who runs a crew and that normally 10-15 or so troopers and associates.
Then the underboss and consigliere. And sitting fairly on the prime of the ranks is the boss.
Elie: Orders to commit violence usually begin on the prime. Underneath the principles of the mob, that are normally however not at all times adopted, you can not commit a homicide until it’s sanctioned by the boss. And in reality, in case you do commit a homicide with out the boss’s blessing, you may be killed.
So the boss passes down the homicide request to a Capo or soldier. After which that particular person has to type out all of the nitty gritty particulars. If this had been a scene in a film, it’d be the planning section of a heist movie. Besides as an alternative of a treasured diamond, they’re stealing a life. (Cue the heist music.)
Elie: Okay, what’s my hit workforce gonna appear like? I would like a shooter. Do I would like a second shooter? Do I would like somebody to steal a van that we will use? That’s clearly from a selected case I did. Do I would like a driver there? Do I would like a getaway driver? Do I would like what they name a “crash automobile driver,” which is in case the getaway automobile will get stopped by the cops or one thing you have got one other automobile that crashes right into a wall so the cops are gonna cope with that.
The decrease you’re, usually talking, the extra of the hands-on work you’re going to finish up doing. The extra at-risk you’re going to be of getting caught by the cops. So being a boss has its advantages.
Doug: Once they’re placing a workforce collectively, do they ever rent outdoors of the household?
Elie: Hmm, good query. In order that’s very, very delicate throughout the mob within the homicide context. I’ve prosecuted murders the place they’ve used associates, trusted associates, guys who they knew would finally go on to get made. It could be awfully dangerous for any of the households to herald any person who’s not even an affiliate within the homicide context, as a result of that danger of cooperation.
Nevertheless, I did a collection of circumstances involving house invasions, the place the Genovese household was concentrating on individuals who they knew had giant quantities of money of their properties, usually drug sellers, individuals who owned all-cash companies. “Oh, I heard this particular person retains $500,000 in his house.” The Genovese household, for no matter purpose, didn’t wish to ship their very own guys. And perhaps their guys felt it was too dangerous, proper? Breaking into a house, you will get shot, you will get arrested, you will get attacked by a canine, who is aware of. And perhaps they only didn’t have the abdomen for it.
They went out and so they primarily subcontracted a bunch of Albanians, and these Albanians had been youthful youngsters newer to the sport, extra prepared to commit acts of violence. And so I did this entire huge indictment the place the highest half of the indictments had been all of the Genovese guys who arrange these robberies and made a lot of the cash. And the underside half of the indictment is the Albanian guys who had been breaking in and zip tying individuals and beating them, pistol whipping them, that sort of stuff.
In order that’s an instance the place they might subcontract. However in terms of homicide, I’ve not seen an instance of the mob going outdoors of their individuals.
Now, there’s additionally a type of flip aspect to that, which is, it’s broadly believed, it’s not likely strictly true, that with the intention to get made, to get that button, which is type of the golden ring within the mob, it’s important to have dedicated a homicide, or it’s important to have confirmed that you just’re “succesful,” as they are saying. I don’t know if that was ever strictly the case. However look, they need robust guys, they don’t need guys who had been afraid of throwing fists or giving out a beating. However in case you’re trying to get made, homicide is a gold star in your resume.
Why do individuals get killed within the first place? There are two most important causes.
Elie: One is that if they’re cooperating or there’s some suspicion they’re speaking to the cops, the FBI, and will flip on individuals. Now, if prosecutors like I used to be and the FBI are doing it proper, they’ll by no means have an opportunity to take somebody out for cooperating, as a result of we’ll transfer them earlier than their cooperation turns into recognized. However there are occasions when somebody is flippantly cooperating, perhaps feeding a bit of bit of data to the cops, being an informant however not essentially to testify. There are variations of it, and so most of the mob murders that I’ve prosecuted had been as a result of any person was suspected, typically accurately typically not, of speaking to the cops.
The opposite purpose somebody will get killed within the mob: cash.
Elie: You’re presupposed to ship a sure share or proportion of your income up the hierarchy. For those who’re not doing that, and by the best way, all of them skim to some extent, I imply, they’re all criminals. However in case you get caught doing that, otherwise you’re doing it to the improper man, otherwise you’re doing it for sufficient cash, that would get you killed as nicely.
Violence, corresponding to homicide, has its advantages. (There’s one thing I by no means thought I’d write). The upside is you do away with an issue and construct your fame. The draw back, nevertheless, is very large danger.
Elie: To begin with, that’s the easiest way to attract the warmth. The factor that will get prosecutors like I used to be, and the FBI, most enthusiastic about you and dedicating probably the most sources and a spotlight is to do a homicide. So why does it make sense for them to kill any person once they might simply scare the crap out of them with a warning or perhaps with a beating as an alternative?
The opposite drawback for the mob with murders is murders create homicide fees, which create cooperators, and cooperators present data that results in extra fees. And what occurred was we had this entire string of circumstances within the Gambino household the place it began with one charged homicide. And two of the blokes charged with that homicide flipped. They usually gave us a handful of extra murders and extra racketeering. And we simply type of had this mushrooming impact, the place we constructed homicide case after homicide case and racketeering case after racketeering case. And people guys flip as a result of homicide brings the chance, and actually the probability, of life in jail. And that could be a very totally different ballgame than saying, okay, we’ve charged him with extortion and mortgage sharking, and he’s taking a look at three to 5 years in jail.
Murders create homicide fees, which create cooperators, and cooperators present data that results in extra fees.
Lately, the mafia is realizing that killing somebody could also be extra hassle than it’s value. As a result of homicide, it seems, is dangerous for enterprise.
Elie: And now I feel we’ve entered the fashionable period, the place they understand that there’s an excessive amount of draw back and never sufficient upside to murders.
Or to place it in financial phrases:
Elie: There’s not sufficient marginal utility to committing new acts of violence. It’s not precisely the best way they phrase it. However they have already got their fame, persons are already frightened of them sufficient of them that they’re not going to defy them. So why begin dropping our bodies when there’s a lot draw back?
How does the mafia lurch away from a tradition of violence? It could shock you to listen to, however the final mafia objective is to go legit…comparatively talking.
Elie: However what they need to have the ability to do these days is to take the cash they make by way of crimes, after which launder it or put it in an enterprise that they will at the least placed on the books and write it off. For instance, in the event that they managed to get an possession stake in a enterprise and importation enterprise. Lots of occasions they tried to do it with strip golf equipment. And somebody might imagine, strip golf equipment aren’t a authentic enterprise. I imply, it’s authorized, you’ll be able to have a strip membership, proper. In order that was the type of final objective. Unions are quite common targets for that. So if as a mobster, you’ll be able to type of make the leap. And that is what separates the nice from the nice. You already know, the actually completed mobsters from the simply run-of-the-mill mobsters, is that they managed to get their hooks into and at the least run their cash by way of authentic unions or eating places or bars or strip golf equipment or what have you ever. And that’s a continuing objective. Nevertheless it’s onerous to try this while you’re additionally concerned in murders on the identical time.
Doug: What’s the enchantment of unions?
Elie: Oh my goodness. It’s a money cow for them. So I did a case years in the past, the place the Genovese household had taken over a bus drivers union native 1181, which was a Queens-based bus drivers union. And nearly all of their members are the individuals who drive your youngsters to high school on daily basis. There’s nothing improper with the drivers, however their union has been taken over by the Genovese household.
What does the Genovese household get out of it? Lots of stuff.
To begin with, there’s actually thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of {dollars} coming by way of the coffers yearly that they pocket. For instance, no-show jobs. They love no-show jobs. So what these mobsters would do, the president of the Union was a man named Sal Battaglia. We prosecuted and convicted him.
His nickname, by the best way, was “Sizzling Canines.”
Elie: And when the FBI agent arrested Sal Battaglia, they stated to him, you understand they chitchat a bit of bit, it’s cordial sufficient. They usually stated, “What’s along with your nickname?”
He goes, “I wish to eat hotdogs.”
Okay. All proper, that explains it.
Sal Battaglia was the president of the union, in addition to a made man within the mafia. When the FBI pulled the union’s worker record, they seen one thing peculiar.
Elie: There have been like eight different Battaglias. He received “jobs” for his aunt and his nephew, and his cousin and his brother. And one among them was listed because the, I’m making this up, however the Director of Finance for the union or Supervisor of this or that for the union. And none of them confirmed up, none of them did any work. None of them had any {qualifications}. However they received a wage of 60, 70, 80 grand a 12 months. They usually received advantages by way of the union as a result of even mobsters want well being and dental.
It’s actually top-of-the-line issues you will get into because the mob. And plenty of occasions you’ll be able to then use a union to strongarm individuals. For those who management a union that has any type of tie to development, you should utilize that to shakedown contractors. On this case, they managed the bus drivers union, after which they use that to leverage their method into the New York Metropolis Division of Training. They usually had sure officers they had been bribing and paying off, they’d them of their pockets. We ended up prosecuting a number of of them.
So yeah, I really feel like I’m doing a public service announcement right here. For those who’re within the mob, go get a union. They know that they don’t want me to inform them however a really profitable enterprise there for them.
They received advantages by way of the union as a result of even mobsters want well being and dental.
Doug: It looks like a bus drivers union can be small potatoes.
Elie: Oh, no, no. This union had I wish to say 14,000 members or 11,000? This isn’t simply “the wheels on the bus go spherical and spherical” sort of stuff. And they also use that as leverage to get into different unions and into the pockets of officers.
A tasty chew of union trivia: Apparently, Frank Sinatra acted as a liaison between the chief of Chicago’s mafia and the Kennedy household in the course of the ’60s primarily with the intention to get union backing. When Kennedy reneged on his guarantees after being elected, Sinatra was punished by having to play 8 straight nights on the crime boss’s membership.
Gah, it looks like such a multitude. Who extorted who and when and was violence crucial? Or did a smattering of excellent old school worry do the trick? And who the hell is protecting all of it straight?
Doug: They’ve the nickname of organized crime, however how organized are they actually?
Elie: To some extent, not organized in any respect. I imply, you’re not going to see like their ledger sheets and that sort of factor, in the event that they’re doing enterprise off the books, however they do have their very own inner controls. It’s well-known who has what mob union, who has what enterprise.
I at all times discovered this so fascinating. In the event that they run into issues, and so they do loads, each internally, inside, let’s say, the Gambino household. And externally between, let’s say, the Colombo and the Bonanno households, they’ve their very own authorized system, shadow authorized system, the place they work out beefs, as they name them, by way of what they name sit-downs. And it’s nearly like many civil court docket circumstances had been.
So let’s say two totally different guys, let’s say a brand new butcher store opens up in Queens, and the Lucchese suppose it needs to be theirs, however the Bonannos suppose it needs to be theirs as a result of they had been extorting the prior man, therefore, they inherited it. However the Luccheses say no, he’s somebody who we had been doing enterprise with earlier than, they’ll do a sit-down. It’s a gathering between representatives, they even have nearly like legal professionals, normally, the precise principals don’t sit down, they get representatives. And it must be equal rank to equal rank, that means mob rank. So if one aspect has a captain, which is a excessive rank, the opposite aspect can’t ship a soldier which is a decrease rank, it must be captain to captain, soldier to soldier, after which they make their arguments.
It’s simpler throughout the household, as a result of then the boss can simply go he wins, he loses. However they should attempt to work out an answer. And if they will’t throughout the mob households, that’s while you begin to get into escalated conflicts of the last word kind. That’s while you get right into a conflict the place they’re killing one another. However they’ve been sensible sufficient to work out shit like that for the final 20 years or so.
Doug: TV reveals and flicks concerning the mafia are violent, and so they appear to be endless. Why do you suppose the mafia captures our collective creativeness?
Elie: It’s a bit of little bit of a hen and an egg factor, proper? Are we fascinated with the mafia due to the Godfather and Sopranos and Goodfellas? Or did these reveals and flicks succeed as a result of we had been already fascinated with the mafia?
I feel simply the tales are so good. I imply, it’s a part of the explanation I needed to be a mafia prosecutor was as a result of the tales are so outrageous, the personalities of those guys, the murders are terrifying, and so they make for good TV, proper? Essentially the most memorable scenes in these motion pictures are the homicide scenes.
I do take into consideration typically it’s essential that we not glamorize it. And I used to at all times be involved about this once I was arguing a mafia trial to a jury. There may be such a factor because the jury turning into charmed by the mafia defendant. It’s the identical method you sit there and also you root for Tony Soprano, the anti-hero.
Which brings us again to what the mafia, at their core, actually desires.
Elie: Basically, there are two issues that the mob cares about and needs to realize. One is that they wish to generate income. Two is that they don’t wish to get pinched. They don’t wish to get arrested and thrown in jail. And murders actually run in opposition to each of these objectives.
One of many issues about being part of the mob is you don’t actually should kill that many individuals to scare individuals. They’ve heard of 1 or two murderes, or they’ve seen it on the information. And that’s a lot sufficient to scare individuals.
There may be such a factor because the jury turning into charmed by the mafia defendant.
Doug: Is the mafia actually that violent?
Elie: So it’s a terrific query. And the reply just isn’t as a lot not anymore. There’s been a serious decline within the variety of mob hits over the previous couple a long time. If I needed to boil down why that’s the case to a one-word reply, it might be enterprise. Simply enterprise.
For probably the most half, they’ve traded of their piano wires and pistols “legitimacy” through good ol’ union and enterprise extortion. They’ve swapped precise violence with the worry of it.
Within the new age the place the mafia counts on previous tales of violence to proceed lining their pockets with money, they could be offering a path of energy to different shadowy organizations. The type that gained’t hesitate to get their palms bloody—and bury the Italian Mafia as we all know it in a shallow grave.
Elie: I feel they’ve made, whether or not consciously or not, a cost-benefit calculation that homicide and different acts of violence are now not value it. I’m wondering at what level individuals cease being afraid of them or begin turning into extra afraid of a few of the rising felony teams that I began to see in direction of the tip of my time as a prosecutor. The Albanian mob, Russian mob, Chinese language mob which relies in Chinatown proper across the nook from my workplace in Manhattan.
I’m wondering if there comes a degree the place these mobs begin turning into extra feared than the old-school Italian mob and because of this, begin shifting in on their enterprise of extortion and different fear-based enterprises. I’m wondering how lengthy they will survive.
