What's your take on the mob?
We grew up in CT and followed all the Gotti trials.
When John finally went to prison, my sister would send him cards--she was married.
She got a Christmas card from John Gotti---in Marion Ill---that said in his writing "-----" Thank you for all the beautiful cards" Love, John
She called me up up and I was like holy shit!
She still has it.
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to showing the shit that went down, especially the violence. 
I've been fascinated with mob stuff since I saw Joe Vallachi in televised Senate Hearingsas a kid..
Didn't want to BE a mobster,just found them interesting......
Cool story,BTW..
I'd trust a John Gotti to hold my wallet before I trusted a Lyin Ryan.....Of course that really isn't saying much,I suppose...
but that's about all I know of them.
I imagine I would try to avoid known mobsters but if for some reason I had to have contact with them, I would try my best not to piss them off.
on the other hand, in Texas, in my yute, one of my best friends' mom was our weed dealer. We loved hanging out at their house. We'd be watching some movie on TV and she'd breeze in with a joint and ask us to taste it and let her know how it felt as she wanted to figure out how much to charge for it. Yep, them wasn't bad times. Due to the nature of the business I am sure some of the people hanging out that we mostly ignored were probably in some kind of organised crime thing.
So I have probably been around more of them than I first thought. And I lived through it! Which is an amazing testament to their patience because, and I have many folks who can vouch for this, in my late teens I was an annoying little fuck. I thought I was funnnnnnny as hell. I still do but now I have just enough sense to realize not everyone thinks so.
Kings Inn.
I was a TWA pilot commuting to New York from my home near Boston.
Many times my last flight would arrive at LGA too late for me to get a flight home and I'd stay at the KI.
It was cheap and had dependable transport to and from the airport.
The rooms were relatively clean but I wouldn't walk barefoot on the carpet.
I have no hard evidence for this, but it was generally accepted that the KI was a money laundering scheme and hangout for the local 'family'.
I felt safe there.
I figured they weren't gonna let anybody fuck with their operation.
For a time they operated an adjoining bar/night club.
I went in there for a beer one night and immediately saw that I didn't fit in this place.
When I saw 'Goodfellas', years later, I thought "Holy Shit! That's the Kings Inn bar!"
My mother-in-law was a wonderful woman. So was Jimmy's sister.
I think you had to have grown up seeing it to understand how vicious these people are. I never understood the popularity of the Sopranos
I couldn't stand the show myself...watched half an episode...that was it for me.
I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. 
To this day I'll never understand why he told me so much. I've known the mob.
I used to have coffee with Michele Sindona.
Many of the people involved were quite charming.
It is DUers that I have a difficult time understanding.
I sent a pm to RiffRandell when I did my post on this thread telling her it was a true statement.
I will not post with this DUer again. 
I like datasuspect. My comment was not about him but rather re:TV.
or so I hear....
I'm from Italy originally but, contrary to stereotypes and assumptions, I only had one experience with the mob. When my dad was doing his mandatory military training he was stationed in Sicily. Usually, if you were from northern Italy you'd go south, while if you were from southern Italy, you'd go north.
Anyway, years later we always went to Sicily on summer vacation. I still remember gorgeous beaches, clear waters, the smell of oranges and lemons and the pristine Greek temples dotting the countryside.
We were near a beautiful little town called Cefalu` - one of my parents' favorite places where they'd meet often when my dad was on leave. We went inside a bar (in Italy, bars are like cafes and serve all sorts of drinks including non-alcoholic ones) to get a granata (basically shredded ice with fruit syrup or juice on top) al limone (lemon).
At the counter, there was an elderly gentleman - well-dressed in haute couture but unassuming at the same time. He was ahead of us and he too had ordered a granata al limone. The bartender informed us that they had run out of lemons (since they used fresh lemons) and that the gentleman was the last lucky one.
The gentleman looked at us - a young family, obviously from northern Italy (you can tell where someone is from by the accent), with two young girls around 6/7 years of age - and motioned to the bartender to give the granata al limone to us.
The bartender did so without uttering a word or questioning the gentleman. My sister and I protested, wanting to return the granata to the man. But my mom and dad understood this man was a VIP in town, obviously well connected. They thanked him.
My parents directed us to thank him. We did. He left. Once he had left, the bartender said that he was the kind of person you don't say no to (hint hint), that he was connected and he got things done (hint hint).
At least they are organized and discourage free lancers.
Ain't illiegal .. and it sure doesn't hurt!
I knowI'd sure rather not be on Tony Soprano's shit list!
Bake