Hello everyone! Frank Coconate and I are here for today’s ANP Roundtable discussion. We updated you on the status of our former co-host Michael Magnafichi. In addition we touched on local political news from the Chicago area.
We’ll be back sometime next week. Have a nice weekend.
54 Comments
hey joe glad you stayed on track this week. show was ok . we need some new blood, frank has no chance in politics .or on county board.he means well but no chance.
We’ll have a new face on soon. Thanks. J
Joe, How close were you to getting Sponge to tell some stories? He just
passed away 2 weeks ago, although faster then everyone expected. From
what I know he was pretty much at odds with Johnnie. I was at the wake and didn’t see anyone.
Dear In…,
Michael expressed that he thought he would be successful in encouraging Sponge to come on the show. However, Michael was aware that Sponge was not well and decided to leave him alone. I believe that Michael explained that Sponge was disappointed in the DiFronzos (Johnny mainly). Apparently it is somewhat of a common feeling among some of Johnny’s crewmembers of disappointment in Johnny for knocking his crew out of the action. Despite the fact that Willie Messino remained loyal to Johnny to the end, Willie told me a few times that Johnny should move over and put someone in his place that wants to do something. This was expressed by Willie as recent as 2002. Willie was disgusted at the state of affairs of the Outfit as early as the late 90s as far as I remember. He used to complain to me by saying, “its a shame to see what has happened. I worked my whole life to build this thing and Johnny doesn’t want to do anything with it.” Willie didn’t know what I knew, which is something that I learned from Buddy Ciotti. Buddy taught me that Johnny receives an end of all the stuff the Bastones had abroad. This is part of the reason how I know that Johnny is not as retired as some believe he is.
joe. johnny is retired alright! both hands out every tuesday.
Both hands out every Tuesday?
Pay the bookies on Tuesday…
lol
Joe, do you think once JD goes EP will start up again?
Interesting thought. I would not be surprised if it did.
Who is EP gonna tax? Poker machines and internet sports betting? The same old scams are tired. Chicago was once known for the stockyards… Now, we are known for our beef(ers).
Rudy Fratto will continue to institute protection money scams.
Why are people afraid of him? He looks a lot like Mr. Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High…
Rudy is a great con man. He is a real gangster who has conned many people over the years to believe he is a Mob boss. He will continue to find suckers (usually immigrants or young people in their 20s). He is a true fagin ( http://americannewspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dodger-and-fagin1.jpg).
He can’t be that good. He keeps getting pinched. And he always in financial trouble. What mob? Johnny giving orders from My Ways?
Pinched? He is a repeat offender and pulled off receiving the same sentence the second time, which was also under the guidelines. Criminals are supposed to be sentenced to more time as each time a new case goes before the court. Most importantly, he avoided the real issue in his first case (the tax case). His tax case was largely based on the fact that he was receiving income from a number of businesses and not reporting the income. This is called tax evasion. However, the truth is that Rudy was extorting those companies in the first place. This is not my opinion, because I happen to know for a fact that the payments in question were extortion payments. Rudy is so good at getting away with crimes that he was able to intimidate the owners of the companies in question to conceal the fact that he was collecting ‘protection money’. If any of the owners of the companies would have opened up their mouths, Rudy would have been (should have been) hit with extortion. As mad as he was that he got nailed on tax evasion, he was also gloating over the fact that he got away with the bigger stuff. His true victory in the tax case can be illustrated as follows (the example you are about to read is hypothetical): Rudy is driving a car with a person tied up in the trunk and is pulled over by the police for speeding. After stopped by the police the officer issues a speeding ticket and sends him on his way. The person in the trunk is not detected and Rudy is left with a court date for speeding.
So what. He’s got a decent lawyer (Angelini jr).
Decent lawyer? I know numerous professionals who are familiar with law or are lawyers who are the first to say that Don Jr is not a good lawyer. His lawyering had nothing to do with Rudy’s sweetheart deals. The only case that I know he won was the RICO case that I filed against his clients. According to the judge, I filed out of time and His Honor would not consider tolling the statute, despite the fact that the years that I lived in duress are valid reason to toll a statute. In other words, any lawyer would have scored a victory.
The glory days are over… No one, with at least half a brain , would be part of a “secret” organization whose strength is beefing on each other. Like the world we now all live in, there is zero accountability. Pride is gone. Honor gone. Friendship gone. Sure there will be scams, but the Outfit as we knew it will never be again. Mags was the last true mafia prince in Chicago. Forever…
H D Nuts yes glory days are over. but there is no beefing. one made guy talked thats it in all the years there is plenty of accountability thats why they are so quiet and staying low because of johnny orders. they make so much money from sports betting it is unbelievable . jd is smart as hell they are just being careful. time is on there side thats how it works. mags was no prince he was spoiled and did not have to make it up like other guys.look at him now he was handed shit and f.up. also EP is still operating believe me.they control all the crews the north south threw marco
I personally know more than one guy who beefed. Some say Johnny is a protected informant. (Whitey Bulger, Scarpa, etc). Let’s say the entire Outfit kills it this football season. What do they make?
Mags was a young guy on the move. In his early 20’s he had a lot going. Sure. He f*cked it up. Sad to see. I always liked Michael.
What crews are out there? Those clowns hanging out at Panera in Westchester. Looks like bad casting for for a d list seniors mob movie.
Rudy Fratto will find numbskulls to give him protection money.
Joe, on the next show could you and Frank further discuss some of the things that MM would not tell you on camera?
Be glad to.
Who is gonna pay that guy anymore? First shoulder he taps is going to the g.
Do you have any Sponge stories that you can share?
I have a few. I’ll tell some of them on the show. 😉
Great
joe whats up with you? when is next show.
Dear Pat,
A vast number of tedious unimportant things associated with the holidays and a little bout with laryngitis has put a small damper on the show. I genuinely expect to have the show on the road for early next week. Thanks for inquiring. J 😉
Hi Joe,Maybe on the next show you can expand on Carl Dote’s recent good fortune with the city of Melrose Park.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/23952838-418/convicted-mob-bookmaker-twice-a-winner-in-melrose-park.html
I was planning on it. lol
Dry snitching is when you indirectly tell on someone or use an intermediate to reveal someone’s secrets too someone in a position to make the secrets exposed
Dear James,
Thank you for your input. Assuming that you are correct (your definitions seem logical), I believe that based on my explanation of Magnafichi’s actions, he would be considered a dry snitch under the second definition that you explained. Maganfichi has served as a dry snitch thorough American News Post as his intermediate. As far as his suspected involvement with the FBI, he would be considered a plain snitch. Again, thank you. J
The family secrets ‘trial’ is a shameless example of government conspiracy on a local and federal level regarding the outfit. It is an outrage. The audacity of trying to cover 18 cases, many associated cases never addressed, many never stepped forward, a lot more never indicted, even more people with unacknowledged testimony, blanketing RICO like that to deter attention to it’s own, justified access should be present to surpass the statute of limitations due to the corruption of Illinois. Every one in Illinois watched with their mouths closed, knowing truths, relevance and the standing of the federal government during that ttime & during the ‘trial’. As sad as it is, 30 years isn’t that long ago. Long enough for some involvements and information to die off, not long enough to be unfamiliar, uninvolved or vague with what happened. Another 30 years and it will be. The family secrets trial’s mistake was in going after the middle mafia man instead of the federal government because victims are all STILL too scared to talk, why would associates, unless accidently caught by frosh or local government? They’re the one who need the government’s help and vice versa. Such is a product of the nepotism that is publicly under emphasized within organized crime. Any one remember U.S. v Accardo? The government doesn’t want information from magnafichi because they already know it involves breathing agents with honorable praise of which it would like the public to believe when reading precedent. If anything, the government wants him low key. As far as I am concerned, magnafichi is on the list, along with difronzo & co., among the countless that should be held in obstruction of justice involving the family secrets’ cases rather than being given a pat on the back & the ‘good ol’ ‘keep your mouth shut’ speech.
It’s tough when you say local and federal government conspiracy. Most people on the outside view this extreme opinion as fantasy. I’m not debating the merit of your claim. However, give people the facts surrounding your opinion. Let them conclude “it’s a conspiracy”… People will deduce and come to a similar conclusion that you believe, if the subject matter is well presented. Sorry for your troubles…
Thanks for the feedback. At this point I would be beating a dead horse (some more).
Agreed.
Cynically depressed, you have rambled a plethora of conspiracies. I am not even certain if it is possible to decipher what is fact and what is fiction. Who are these victims? Weren’t they mob/outfit related? How do you know there are still victims around who are afraid to talk? Isn’t is feasible that some of them don’t want to talk because of other reasons? Where do you get your information?
Also, the D’Andreas & Spilotros ran together, were taken out by the same people so perhaps some light can be shed on the situation, with certain contribution, among many others’ involved in those cases. Mario was taken out by Joseph Doug Hardin & DEA Agent Raleigh Lopez. They presented a picture of Mario D’Andrea instead of Nick D’Andrea during the family secrets ‘trial’ to Nick Calabrese and other testifying witnesses. Any one think there might be a reason behind that? It would be interesting to see people who testified during ‘trial’ or a round up of should have been associated cases or the people who did not come forward during that time to file a lawsuit, out of fear, on here to openly discuss situations with a reasonable amount of consideration from the actual public rather than a sad, staged, mockery that should have went after the government players who helped orchestrate the entire organization.
That is depressing…
Decent show Joe. Lots of unanswered questions remain. The little hot dog, Celozzi, Indurante…
How about a piece on Sponge? RIP.
I realize that I didn’t get to your questions. However, I will address them soon.
You are doing a good job. I really enjoy your subtle jabs. Good stuff.
I appreciate your compliment. However, what do you mean when you say subtle jabs?
Your welcome. How about interviewing a few of these retired “G” guys? Anyone from LE who understands the Outfit.
Your jabs are great. Well timed criticisms of your fellow hosts’ choice of words. You correct them frequently or make comments about the subject matter, almost under your breath. Keeps me coming back.
Yeah,I’d like to hear more about Celozzi and Portillo
Like what?
Are they a couple?
I am not sure. You are not the first to ask this. Michael suspects that something weird is going on too.
The kid seemed really vulnerable. Celozzi came across as a real wolf. Mike too. The little hot dog was about to be cooked. I assume that mags and Celozzi had a decent score set up. It was sad to watch. Talking about the difficulties of growing up with privilege. Someone asked tony jr for his autograph. Wtf. That’s gotta be rough for sr to see.
I think that is a great call!
You alive Joe?
Yes sir. We’ll have a podcast up later tonight.