To bad there's no real batman or punisher eh? John Buttimer
On May 26, 2013, at 9:55 PM, Nick Andrews <[email protected]> wrote: > Like the Mockers, when things are running smoothly, most people benefit. But > at some point it will fall apart. > > I love that scene in The Rocketeer where the Mafia guy and the FBI guy turn > and look at each other while shooting at the same bunch, shrug their > shoulders and go back to shooting. > > As for modern times and the groups of thugs these days, I could not be a cop > in a city. Don't know how they do it. I would not be able to follow the > rules. I would not be corrupt and take bribes to look the other way, would > not enforce ridiculous or unconstitutional 'laws', would not feel bad about > not turning cash from drug dealers in and could not allow real scum to slip > through the system. Too much Old West, I'd be somewhere between Dirty Harry, > Judge Dredd and Rorschach... > > On May 26, 2013 12:04 PM, "LAR" <[email protected]> wrote: >> For years Bay Ridge was the safest neighborhood in Brooklyn outside of Boro >> Park. I once actually saw a mugging interrupted by a couple of older Italian >> "shop owners" with guns. They actually said: Eh! You want to mug him do it >> someplace else, not in this neighborhood. Their attitude was, this place is >> ours and we want our daughters safe. Guliani broke the Italian mafia and >> their power with the pizza connection case. Their presence is not as strong >> as it was in NY when I was growing up, just small enclaves here or there. It >> left a vacuum for a while and we had the Jamaican and Russian mobs competing >> for control - it was a very violent time, though nothing compared to Chicago >> in the 20's. And neither of these organizations had any compunction about >> killing "citizens". The Russians pretty much won - especially in Brooklyn. >> There is one corner of Coney Island still controlled by the Italians, mostly >> out of respect (And a sufficient show of force), but the rest belongs to the >> russians. Even the beach club in Sheepshead bay that I spent my summers in, >> which was a "Family" business is owned by them now. I remember being a gofer >> for the men who played poker, they used to tip me $20 for getting them >> drinks and sandwiches (And twenty bucks back then was enough to take a date >> to a ball game or dinner and a movie). Taught me a lot about poker too, >> which I use to this day. >> >> As you point out in the books, when organized crime reaches a certain level >> of organization and stability it provides an important service and release >> valve. But when they overstep Government has to eventually crack down or >> risk losing control entirely. >> >> >> On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 1:36 PM, Raymond Feist/New ATT >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> On May 26, 2013, at 10:05 AM, LAR <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> > Let's not forget forget Donny Brasco - I grew up around mafia families in >>> > NY (Both childhood friends of mine, and some Capos were childhood friends >>> > of my father. My Uncle is the only man I know who got a business loan >>> > from connections and did not have to lose half his business or pay too >>> > huge a vig. And of course, I remember more than a few times my favorite >>> > pizzeria or restaurant closing at 3 in the afternoon <G>. >>> > >>> >>> I dated a Sicilian American girl from Long Island for a while. She put it >>> this way: No one in my family is a made guy, but made guys had dinner at >>> our table on many occasions. >>> >>> Best, R.E.F. >> >> >> >> -- >> If you want to take the island, then burn your boats. With absolute >> commitment come the insights that create real victory. >> -Tony Robbins
