January 29, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of the show I started off with some mob news involving members and associates of the Bonanno Crime Family who have a dirty cop on their payroll in Long Island. We then discuss Genovese mobster Ciro Perrone. In the early 2000's a TV show called "Growing Up Gotti" debuted on the TV channel A&E. It was very popular but not necessarily with gangsters. Wiretapped conversations revealed insults being hurled at John Gotti's family calling them various things. One of the gangsters recorded discussing them was longtime Genovese mobster Ciro Perrone. Perrone was a very interesting gangster and lived a colorful life in the Mafia.
Jeff Nadu is an American Mafia researcher, podcaster and content creator. He has worked at Barstool Sports and was hired personally by Dave Portnoy. His podcast "The Sitdown" with Jeff Nadu has put out hundreds of biographies on various mobsters, gangsters and criminals. He's also personally interviewed mobsters like Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Dom Cicale, Anthony Ruggiano Jr, Gene Borrello and others as well as US Prosecutor John Gleeson and FBI Agent Joaquin "Jack" Garcia. He has been personally endorsed by former Gambino mob captain Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo and esteemed author RJ Roger.
DISCLAIMER: My videos and podcasts are meant for entertainment and educational use. All material found in my videos reflect this use. ANY opinions and or statements of any guest is merely his/her opinion.
If you enjoy our show, please hit the like button and make sure if you're new around here you subscribe as well!
Jeff Nadu is an American Mafia researcher, podcaster and content creator. He has worked at Barstool Sports and was hired personally by Dave Portnoy. His podcast "The Sitdown" with Jeff Nadu has put out hundreds of biographies on various mobsters, gangsters and criminals. He's also personally interviewed mobsters like Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Dom Cicale, Anthony Ruggiano Jr, Gene Borrello and others as well as US Prosecutor John Gleeson and FBI Agent Joaquin "Jack" Garcia. He has been personally endorsed by former Gambino mob captain Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo and esteemed author RJ Roger.
DISCLAIMER: My videos and podcasts are meant for entertainment and educational use. All material found in my videos reflect this use. ANY opinions and or statements of any guest is merely his/her opinion.
If you enjoy our show, please hit the like button and make sure if you're new around here you subscribe as well!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to The sit Down, a mafia history podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Here's your host, Jeff Nado.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
What's up everybody, and welcome in to another edition of
the sit Down. As always, if you enjoy this audio podcast,
please make sure you leave us a detailed review and
a five star rating.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm your host, Jeff Nayd.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This is episode one hundred and ninety five of the show.
We're approaching two hundred episodes. In about a month or so,
we will be at two hundred episodes. We got a
plan something big for that. That said, I hope everybody's
having a great week. Kind of into aduldrums of winter
at this point, late January, early February. Got super Bowl
(00:58):
coming up, Eagles Chiefs. Obviously being an Eagle fan, that's exciting.
We got two weeks to the game. Today's show, I
got a little bit Popeori of everything. I'm gonna do
a little bit of biography later in the show. I
always has always put the time mark if you want
to just fast forward to that, but I heard you
to stick around. I want to go over a couple
(01:20):
of things here kind of before we get the episode
started today. You guys know, if there's something going on
in the genre, the mob world.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I like to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I have some news and then I kind of just
have an opinion piece. I was reached out to by
listeners of the show on Twitter and on YouTube kind
of asking me to comment on what's been going on
with Joey Malino and Dominic Sakali.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And I and I will spend a few minutes on
this today.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Obviously, if you don't know who dom Skaali is, we've
had dom on the show. In fact, I think I
was the first person ever interviewed Dominic here on the
Mob Genre. And you know, Domini's deeff play a lightning
rod former Banano crime family captain, eventually became an informant.
He's been kind of going back and forth with Joey
Milino and it's really just.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Been one sided from Dominic.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And I think a lot of people worried about Dominick's
mental state at this point because he's really just kind
of spent a whole lot of time on this.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
He seems really kind.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Of just taking it all personally. So I contacted Dominic.
I don't talk to him too much, but I contact
the Dominick and I said, hey, listen, why don't you
jump on the YouTube channel. I'm curious to ask you
a couple of questions about this. And I think there
is one thing that I have noticed about Joey Milino
is he definitely gives these guys a lot of content.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know, it's always about, oh, you need me for views.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But I think Joey does spend a lot of time
worrying about them for no reason. I think Dominic is
he kind of said to me that, you know, he
feels like Joey's bullying him a little bit. And I
don't know what Dominic expects. You know, Joey's always he's
going to have his opinion on informants. Now again, in
the sixties or seventies, what Joey would be doing on
(03:06):
YouTube is is completely against the rules and laws of
closon AUSTRA. But I do think Dominic is taking a
little too far with some of his recent behavior. I
think it's just kind of getting a little tiresome at
this point. You know, the one thing Dominic does, and
I think bothers people, is to continued putting stuff that
you're going to talk about off and continuing to focus
(03:29):
on drama. And you know, Dominic did it with Sammy Gravano.
Dominick's doing it now. And Dominic knows what he's doing
because when you look at Dominic's views, I'll just explain
this quick to you. Dominic does a show about some
Bonano crime family captain, he gets three, four or five
thousand views. He does a video on Joey Milino, he
(03:52):
gets fifteen thousand in two days. So Dominic, I know
for a fact Dom's not here for the money. But
anytime he does the show on Joey, he feels that
he's doing something more value. And and look, I don't
know what he's up to. I don't know why he's
doing it. I don't, But then again, I know why
(04:13):
he's doing it. He gets views out of it. And
you know, you look it again, Look at any time
he does the show where he calls out Joey Melino
or John Gotti Junior or Sammuel Gravano, he gets fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,
twenty thousand views. And you know, Dominic is a showman
in that sense. But I do think people are going
(04:34):
a little tired. Throw in the fact that you know,
there are definitely people to pick fights with, But you know,
I think you can't win with Malino. His fan base,
We're gonna are gonna like him regardless, and whether or
not they agree with you, they go with the wind
blows and what he tells them.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Goes and and he's never gonna win. Dominic.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
He's in the end, Dominic cooperated and Joey didn't, and
that's all that matters to these people. So again, he
didn't really clarify much to me. He really just kind
of said that he doesn't like Joey being a bully.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
But I don't know where that comes.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Like Dominic's talking about Joey's wife and stuff that has
nothing to do with the Mob, and I don't like.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I think it just gets a little low brow at
the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
You know, we all have to engage in drama occasionally,
but you know, I think Domi's kind of getting a
little too obsessed with it at this point. But he
gets views, and that's Dominic's goal at this point. So
I do also want to talk about a little news here,
which is really interesting because you know, one of the
questions that I get posed with the most is is
(05:39):
the Mob still around?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
What are they doing now?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
And yeah, they're absolutely still around and they're still to
their old tricks. And I want to kind of talk
about a story that's been going on for a couple
of years now, and this relates back to a filing
over a year ago, in fact, I think almost two
years ago. It was like the summer of twenty twenty too,
and then an indictment dropped I think in early twenty three,
(06:05):
and essentially it was a gambling indictment brought by the
Nassau County Long Island people. There was a federal involvement
as well, and basically Genevieve and Bonano people were jammed
up for book making, loan sharking, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But there was a guy that we saw arrested in this.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
There was a detective, a Nassau County Police Department detective,
a guy called Hector Rosario.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And we really haven't seen the outcome from Rosario.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
That said, we're learning still some really interesting things about
this now.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
According to the New.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
York Daily News, a mobbed up Nassau County cop working
behind the scenes for the Banano crime family staged a
fake raid to shut down a gambling parlor run by
Genevese gangster Salvage shoemaker Rubino federal prosecutor's charge in new
court filings, now recently fired Police Department detective Rosario allegedly
(07:09):
had a side gig working for the family of the Bananos,
and that they considered Rubino's gambling den at his shoe
repair company in Merrick Long Island competition. So in twenty fourteen,
two Banana members paid Rosario to shut the place down,
(07:30):
and Rosario got to work.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
According to federal prosecutors.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Now, one of the informants, a Banano associate, is expected
to testify he was in the room when Rossario and
his Quote associates barged into the shoe repair shop, broke
one of the gambling machines and demanded sal Rubino, who
was a Genovies associate, tell them where he could find
Joseph Joe Box Rutigliano, an associate who collected gambling proceeds.
(08:00):
According to the feds, now, the Banano crime family also
paid Versario to shut down at least two Gambino crime.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Family gambling spots.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Now the detective also provided a tip to his cop
colleagues about the existence of a betting part of the
Banano saw as competition, and Rossari who was fired in
August of twenty twenty two, is set to go on
trial in federal court for obstructing a grand jury investigation
and lying to the FBI. Now, it has been alleged
(08:29):
that Rosario and the banana associate became close friends way
back in two thousand and eight, and the gangster enlisted
the detective into a life of crime. Rossari huged the
law enforcement database to look up possible government cooperators for
his buddy in twenty eighteen to determine if they were cooperators.
(08:50):
Now what's crazy is we're also finding out that bananas
are involved in narcotics according to the federal laws or
the federal indictment. Mario also visited his friend's marijuana growhouse,
offering to transport the weed, helping the gangster obtain herin,
and discussed a plot to conduct a fake raid on
(09:12):
a drug dealer in Hempstead. Now, the gangster introduced for
Sarrio to another cooperator, a maid member in the family,
as a.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Quote dirty cop. Rassario lived up to.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
His label, even going as far as warning the guy
to not talk on his phone because he was under
criminal investigation. Now, Brazario was charged for settling and rattling
off a string of lies in January of twenty twenty
where he was interviewed by the FEDS where he claimed
he didn't recognize saw the shoemaker and he never stepped
(09:44):
foot in a gambling spot.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Now, his lawyer.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Asked a child judge to bar prosecutors for mentioning the
word mafia at all. Now, according to the defense attorney,
references to organized crime are unnecessary to make the determined
of whether mister Rosario was truthful in his statements to
the FBI. There's simply no need to introduce the five
(10:07):
families at mister Rosario's trial in order for the jury
to make a factual determination of guilt as to the
crimes charged. Such explosive evidence would inevitably taint the jury,
as we introduced to show mister Rosario's propensity for criminality. Now,
Rosario was busted in twenty twenty two, as I said,
(10:27):
with all these other guys as part of this Genevieve
Bonano gambling operation case. Now, remember, multiple people have already
pled guilty and were sentenced, including mister Rabino, salad shoemaker,
car My Pizza Palito, a captain of the genevie'st Crimemby.
He's already serving a thirty years in federal prison CTA.
Now thirty months, not thirty years. My apologies, but you know,
(10:51):
this is again still the influence that the mafia has.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I don't think, really I don't necessarily disagree with the
judge or the lawyer. I think in terms of like Rosario,
it wouldn't have mattered if the guy was a banana
crime family are what he was just a dirty cop
who was going to take money, regardless.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Of who he was working with, whether it was a
gang or whoever.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
He happen to know this banana guy and they started
cutting off profits to this guy. There is one thing
that the mafia still is doing. They make a lot
of money. Okay, we can act like they don't they're
not doing anything, but all these guys do really well.
These are bookmaking operations that bring in a lot of money,
and this is how the mob moves Now. They're moving
around with this kind of stuff, you know, fronts and
(11:38):
bookmaking operations, and you know they still have cops on
the payroll, which is crazy. But again, if I'm engaged
in criminality and I have a bunch of money, and
I know the guy down the street has an a
rival operation and I know a cop. I'm gonna do
what I can to get that cop to that spot
to shut him down. The mister Rosario is going to
go to jail over this, and it's never go for cop. Inside.
(12:01):
That said, he's not the first cop to do something
like this. You know, we know about Ron Previty, we
know about the mafia cops. This is something that the
mafia continues to have success doing. Now they're not doing
it on the level that they once were. I mean,
keep in mind, at one point Chicago, fifty percent of
the police force was under the control of alcohpoone.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
It's not like that now.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
But you are going to find these cops that, you know,
living in New York's not cheap, you know, living on
Long Island, you know, living like a king is not cheap.
And mister Versario probably, you know, probably brought in six
figures as a cop, but he can make an extra
fifty sixty eighty grand a year as as doing things
(12:42):
for the mob. Now, I thought it's pretty stupid because
again they never stop looking at the mafia.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
But you know, hey, he's gonna go to jail.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Over this, But hey, mobs still around, They're still doing things,
and uh, it's no more evident than than this rite
up that said, we're gonna get into the episode today,
and it is on an interesting guy, a person called
Sero Parone. SiO was a captain in the Genoese family.
He went back to the fifties, had a really interesting
(13:14):
and colorful early life, which we'll get to, and we
even find a reference in some of the interesting wiretaps
that we would get from Sierra Parone. His table at
his favorite restaurant that he hadn't interest in was bugged,
and we learned some really interesting things about his life
in the mafia, some of his opinions on a show
called Growing Up Gotti involving the grandsons and daughter of
(13:38):
John Gotti. Serah Prone's is a really interesting guy and
I wanted to push this show out to the podcast
people as well, because I've always found Prone to be
really fascinating.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So here you go a show on Sierra Parone.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
As always, make sure you like the show, make sure
you subscribe if you're not, you're new here, and the
leave us a review. I'm working on some interviews coming up.
You know, always kind of keeping my ear to the street.
I'm always trying to bring on new people. And I
am actually working on a little bit of a side
project involving bringing someone out of the shadows, and it's
(14:15):
actually gonna be kind of a separate thing I'm going
to be doing here in the new year, so that'll
be cool too. I am also possibly considering in the
spring doing some sort of meet up for podcast guests
if you're in the New York Philly area. I haven't
kind of decided where it's going to be, but once
I kind of get things in motion, i'll maybe let
you guys know. So without further ado, let's get to it.
(14:39):
Zero Parne my episode on sit Down. Zero Parne was
born January eighth, nineteen thirty one, in Manhattan. According to
early census reports, and to the age of about two.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Zero Parone lived.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
In Lower Manhattan in district too that could be granted village,
the West Village, the East village.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I didn't have that information.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
That said. As a child, Sierra Prone's family would move
to East New York.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Prone's father, Agostino, was born in Italy and worked as
a teamster living in East New York.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
His mother, Mary was born in New York.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Now Sierra Prone's family in East New York lived at
three eighty three Cleveland Street, and they would live there
until Perne was in his twenties. Nazerra Peron had three
brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers, Michael and Joseph,
would follow him into the life and they were all
(15:46):
made into the Genoese crime family. Now, in nineteen twenty five,
according to census records, a four year old Sierra Perone
was actually listed as a patient at the New York
Orthopedic Hospital in White Plains, New York. Now we're unclear
(16:09):
of what exactly happened to young Sierra Parone. That said,
according to various media reports, including a piece done about
Prone at the NY Mafia site, they would say that
Prone at one point had a club foot that he
suffered from an accident as a child. So I don't
exactly know if that had something to do with it.
(16:30):
And in those days in the twenties, Pron was just
kind of sent to an orthopedic hospital. I wondered if
maybe he had an issue with polio at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I know that was a problem in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
But Perone ultimately was at that hospital in nineteen twenty five,
now around the age of twenty, most men in New
York City and in this country prepared possibly for World
War Two. That said, the draft for World War Two
not happened until nineteen forty. And in June of nineteen forty,
(17:05):
Sirrah Parone was arrested alongside three other individuals and they
were accused of a payroll hold up of of approximately
one thousand, one hundred dollars, which again in today's inflation,
that was about twenty five thousand dollars back then in
those days. So Parone and his pals made off with
(17:26):
a bunch of money and eventually were arrested. Now, approximately
a month later, at his sentencing, Judge Franklin Taylor would
hit parn who at that time was just nineteen years old,
with seven and a half to fifteen years in state prison. Now,
(17:47):
at the court appearance, Sirrah Perune's mother screamed to the
point that Judge Franklin Taylor hit her with contempt of court. Now,
obviously this is a little bit strict, but from what
I understand, mister Taylor warned the judge to or warn
(18:08):
the court to not act crazy, and it was getting
a little boisterous, to which he hit Miss parone zero's
mother with contempt of court charges and thirty days in jail,
to which Parne would leap up and stay quote, I'll
get you yet.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Now.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Parne may not have known it, but going to prison
was actually a blessing in disguise because just several months later,
the United States government would conscript young men of fighting
age to go to World War Two. Parn was in
jail though, so he wasn't going to go to World
(18:46):
War two, and lucky for him, he missed the war
and he was released in nineteen forty five, So he
did get a little lucky zero perone by that payroll
hold up and going to prison. Now, before you get
to the rest of the story, I invite you, if
you're enjoying this video underneath it, please sit that super
thanks icon and contribute to the growth of this show.
(19:10):
Any contributions are greatly appreciated now. Upon his release from
prison in nineteen forty five, Sirah Paron would become affiliated
with the Genovese crime family, and one of the people
that he would become close to is a person called
Anthony Tony. The Sheikh Carillo now Corilla was based out
(19:33):
of Brooklyn and Queens and in the crew of legendary
Genevez figure Mike Miranda. Now Parone would obviously become an
associate of the Miranda and Carrillo crew and eventually was
made into the Genoviz crime family before the books closed
in the nineteen fifties. Now, as I stated, both Paron's brothers,
(19:58):
Michael and j Joseph became members as well, and according
to records in nineteen sixty three put up by mob
ratt Joe Volacci, there was a master list involving members
of the Genevez crime family. Three of the Perone brothers
were made as of nineteen sixty three, so we can
(20:18):
venture to believe that they were made before the books
closed in the late fifties. Now, upon gaining membership into
the Genevese crime family, Sirah Perone would move his basis
of operations to Ozone Park, Queens, not far from East
New York. It was said that he had a Launchonette
(20:41):
as well as an interest in a restaurant called Don Pepe,
which is on Lefferts Boulevard and still open today. Now
we'll get to more on Don Pepe a little bit later.
As also said that Peron had a social club on
one hundred and first Avenue in Ozone Park. Now, eventually
(21:03):
mister Parone was placed into the crew of legendary Genevez
heavyweight Matthew Mattie the Horse, Aini Yello. In nineteen eighty,
Sierra Parone would be arrested by the FEDS in raids
against mob families. Approximate seventy members and associates of the
mafia were picked up in nineteen eighty. Also arrested that
(21:26):
day alongside Sira Parone was Bonano crime family member George
Grumpy Tropiano. Now, as far as I know, mister Parone
never went to prison on the charges he got, which
were loan sharking. Now, by the nineteen nineties, Sirah Parone
would become a captain, elevated by the Genevez crime family
(21:50):
after members like Maddie the Horse, Ani Yello and Little
Jimmy Ida were sent to the hierarchy of the Genomez
crime family. Now we know mister Perome is a captain
due to a conversation in nineteen ninety eight between Salvatore,
Sammy Meepaul's Aparo and Michael Cookie Dierso. Now, in that
(22:12):
wiretap conversation, which there were many of them during the
infiltration of Cookie Dierso as an informant in the Geneviees family,
at one point Cookie Deersha would state to Sammy Meatball's quote,
you know who Vito's brother brought up Zero Perone. He says, uh,
(22:32):
I was with the guy Zero my father was friends
with from Howard Beach. He said, I went down there.
He's got all kind of antiques and shit. I said,
that was the guy Sammy was telling me about. Now,
Sammy obviously is Sammy Meatballs. At one point Sammy Meatballs
would state, regarding Perone quote, Yeah, Sira's a good, nice guy,
(22:58):
to which Diersha would state, he's with us too, Sammy
Meetbulger's bond. Yes, a captain Deerso. There's so many fucking
guys Aparo, Yes, captain a skipper. So again by nineteen
ninety eight, in this we would have to believe by
(23:18):
the mid nineties, mister Parone, based out of Ozone Park,
was a captain in the Genovese family. Now, remember the
Genoez crime family has not generally had a huge group
in Queens. We do know that tough Tony Federici had
a crew up in Corona and out of his restaurant
at Parkside, but outside of that, there weren't a ton
(23:39):
of known genovies people in Queens that said Paron operated
out of Ozone Park. Now we do know that Sierrah
Perme was involved not only in loan sharking, but in bookmaking,
and we would learn that he was very involved with
shaking down unions, which I'll get to a little bit later.
(24:01):
One thing that the FEDS realized about Sierra Parone is
he regularly held court at Don Pepe Restaurant, a restaurant
that it was said that he had some sort of
ownership in and in Don Pepe's there was a restaurant
table towards the back of the restaurant. It was a
very large table, and it was said that on the
regular Perone would hold court at the restaurant with various
(24:25):
wise guys. They'd have meals and talk about the old
days and the current days as members of the mafia,
and we would learn a treasure trow from these FBI
wiretapped conversations, including a wild story in the sixties told
by Parone involving Gambino associate Willy Boy Johnson, an eventual
(24:48):
government informant, Willie Boy Johnson. According to Sierra Parone, Willie
Boy at one point in the sixties would stumble into
the restaurant, got to which Peronne would state, I wrapped
his head up and I told my brother bring him
by Lutheran Hospital on Jamaica Avenue. Don't go in with him,
(25:10):
just take the tablecloth. Let him walk in by himself.
He would then state the Willie Boy quote, all you
gotta do is when you walk in. Say, when I
was walking in the street, I caught this thing in
my head. I'm in the neighborhood, so I come in,
and that's what he said.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
At one point during the discussion, telling wise guys that
he saved Willie Boy's life, Parone would state, regarding Willie
Boy picking up a nabel A knife from the dinner table, quote,
if I would have known that that fucking guy that
he would be a rat, instead of taking him to
the hospital, I would have went like this, and we
(25:51):
would venture to believe that mister Parone, while holding the
knife stated he would have likely offed Willie Boy. But
remember Willy Boy wasn't outed as a rat for about
twenty five more years.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
But a wild story involving Sierra Perone that he saved
the life of Willie Boy, and in turn, you know,
if he hadn't, you know, Willy Boy wouldn't have become
a rat. Now, as we know, Willy Boy was taken
out after becoming a rat. With the John Gotti crew.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Now, we would also again get some colorful conversation regarding
other things, including Growing Up Gotti, which by this point
in two thousand and four was on the air, and
it was actually quite popular. In fact, when I was
growing up, I was about fifteen at the time Growing
Up Gott he was huge. I mean he was gigantic.
(26:38):
It was one of the top shows on TV. I
mean they had all sorts of games and they were
on major radio shows. They were big at that time.
They actually had that you know, spiked hairstyle, which I
had at the time as well. If you've ever seen
photos of me back then, I had it as a
young child. But it was very popular and even wise
guys discussed the show at Dom and the reviews of
(27:01):
the show were not flattering from zero Perone. At one point,
Perone would state regarding Growing Up Gotti, quote, it's a
fucking soap opera and the kids look like girls.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Now.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Also at the table that night was Serra Parone's right
hand man, Genevieve's associate, John Yanucci, as well as Colombo
mobster Ralph Scopo Junior. Now, all of these people commented
on this show, including Yanucci who stated, quote, it's one
(27:37):
of the most disgusting, insulting shows on television. Now, think
of the hypocrisy of what we're saying here. Now, look,
I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't a
it was a flattering portrait of Italian Americans.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
But these are gangsters who are probably.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
The most unflattering portrayals of Italian Americans in America, and
they're stating how kids on TV are disgusting and insulting. Now,
Ralph Scopo at one point who claimed that he was
so quote so embarrassed, I can't even talk about it.
And he would state that he had been a longtime
friend of John Gotti and he can't even discuss how
(28:16):
embarrassed he is for his extended family and this show. Now,
mister Scopo then would describe state quote saying they're paying
a hell of a price to be an embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
So this is a guy.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Who stole from people, hurt his own people, but he's
calling people that're on TV having a good time and embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Got it.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
That said, A ton of information was picked up, and
Sierra Parone talked and talked and talked. Eventually, though the
federal government would catch up to zero Parone. In two
thousand and five, he would be indicted by the federal
government alongside his pal John Yanucci, Maddie the Horse and Yellow,
(29:09):
and Parne's young protege Stephen Buscemi. They were all picked
up allegedly for shaking down the bus drivers Union.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Local one to one eight one.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Now the Amalgamated Transit Union, which is what this is,
essentially covers about fourteen thousand people connected to school bus drivers,
so there's a lot of members. And from what I understand,
Paron and iiny Yellow, who had known the secretary treasurer
of Local one P one eight one, a person called
(29:44):
Julius Bernstein. They had had their hooks into this guy
for years. In fact, at one point on wire tap,
mister Parne would state as far as Julius Bernstein quote,
He's one of the best thieves I've ever met in
my life. So again, they had their hooks into him.
(30:04):
They were getting kickbacks, they were controlling a very large
union of bus driver contracts. Now, ultimately Sero Parone and
his protege Stephen Buscemi would go to trial. They would
beat the rap the first time. That said, they were
retried and eventually convicted. Zero Peronne would be hit with
(30:29):
five years. Now, remember, at that point in the mid
to late two thousands, Sierra Parone was eighty seven years old.
In fact, he had not been to prison since that
payroll hold up in the forties, so he did a
nice job of staying out of jail, and many people
believed that Peron would likely die in prison. That said,
(30:51):
he was released in late twenty eleven at the age
of ninety. Several months later, Zero Perone would die at
the age of ninety. Now, various people on YouTube, including
Japanese Si Jean Burrello, John Alak, they have all talked
about Sira Peron before, and he was a pretty major
(31:14):
mainstay in and around Ozone Park is very chummy with
other families, members of the Banano family, the Clumbo family,
the Gambino family. Parone was a hardened wise guy his
whole life. At one point in two thousand and four,
Sirah Perone would be discussing with his pals about the
(31:34):
thought of FBI subpoenas coming out. Peron would state, quote,
what the fuck can I live another year? Maybe two years?
I'd rather die in jail with my friends and become
a rat. Guys day like this, they don't make anymore
(31:54):
in the mafia, and over the next twenty years. This
is why I believe the mob will eventually evaporate.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
People like Sierra Parone no.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Longer exist, and the ethics and ways they lived translated
to the others around them. Most of them are dying
as well. Sierra Parone, a man who was made in
the fifties. What a story we can remember. He didn't
(32:24):
like growing up Gotti. I hope you enjoyed this video.
We'll see you next week here on the Sitdown
Welcome to The sit Down, a mafia history podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Here's your host, Jeff Nado.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
What's up everybody, and welcome in to another edition of
the sit Down. As always, if you enjoy this audio podcast,
please make sure you leave us a detailed review and
a five star rating.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm your host, Jeff Nayd.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This is episode one hundred and ninety five of the show.
We're approaching two hundred episodes. In about a month or so,
we will be at two hundred episodes. We got a
plan something big for that. That said, I hope everybody's
having a great week. Kind of into aduldrums of winter
at this point, late January, early February. Got super Bowl
(00:58):
coming up, Eagles Chiefs. Obviously being an Eagle fan, that's exciting.
We got two weeks to the game. Today's show, I
got a little bit Popeori of everything. I'm gonna do
a little bit of biography later in the show. I
always has always put the time mark if you want
to just fast forward to that, but I heard you
to stick around. I want to go over a couple
(01:20):
of things here kind of before we get the episode
started today. You guys know, if there's something going on
in the genre, the mob world.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I like to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I have some news and then I kind of just
have an opinion piece. I was reached out to by
listeners of the show on Twitter and on YouTube kind
of asking me to comment on what's been going on
with Joey Malino and Dominic Sakali.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And I and I will spend a few minutes on
this today.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Obviously, if you don't know who dom Skaali is, we've
had dom on the show. In fact, I think I
was the first person ever interviewed Dominic here on the
Mob Genre. And you know, Domini's deeff play a lightning
rod former Banano crime family captain, eventually became an informant.
He's been kind of going back and forth with Joey
Milino and it's really just.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Been one sided from Dominic.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And I think a lot of people worried about Dominick's
mental state at this point because he's really just kind
of spent a whole lot of time on this.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
He seems really kind.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Of just taking it all personally. So I contacted Dominic.
I don't talk to him too much, but I contact
the Dominick and I said, hey, listen, why don't you
jump on the YouTube channel. I'm curious to ask you
a couple of questions about this. And I think there
is one thing that I have noticed about Joey Milino
is he definitely gives these guys a lot of content.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know, it's always about, oh, you need me for views.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But I think Joey does spend a lot of time
worrying about them for no reason. I think Dominic is
he kind of said to me that, you know, he
feels like Joey's bullying him a little bit. And I
don't know what Dominic expects. You know, Joey's always he's
going to have his opinion on informants. Now again, in
the sixties or seventies, what Joey would be doing on
(03:06):
YouTube is is completely against the rules and laws of
closon AUSTRA. But I do think Dominic is taking a
little too far with some of his recent behavior. I
think it's just kind of getting a little tiresome at
this point. You know, the one thing Dominic does, and
I think bothers people, is to continued putting stuff that
you're going to talk about off and continuing to focus
(03:29):
on drama. And you know, Dominic did it with Sammy Gravano.
Dominick's doing it now. And Dominic knows what he's doing
because when you look at Dominic's views, I'll just explain
this quick to you. Dominic does a show about some
Bonano crime family captain, he gets three, four or five
thousand views. He does a video on Joey Milino, he
(03:52):
gets fifteen thousand in two days. So Dominic, I know
for a fact Dom's not here for the money. But
anytime he does the show on Joey, he feels that
he's doing something more value. And and look, I don't
know what he's up to. I don't know why he's
doing it. I don't, But then again, I know why
(04:13):
he's doing it. He gets views out of it. And
you know, you look it again, Look at any time
he does the show where he calls out Joey Melino
or John Gotti Junior or Sammuel Gravano, he gets fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,
twenty thousand views. And you know, Dominic is a showman
in that sense. But I do think people are going
(04:34):
a little tired. Throw in the fact that you know,
there are definitely people to pick fights with, But you know,
I think you can't win with Malino. His fan base,
We're gonna are gonna like him regardless, and whether or
not they agree with you, they go with the wind
blows and what he tells them.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Goes and and he's never gonna win. Dominic.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
He's in the end, Dominic cooperated and Joey didn't, and
that's all that matters to these people. So again, he
didn't really clarify much to me. He really just kind
of said that he doesn't like Joey being a bully.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
But I don't know where that comes.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Like Dominic's talking about Joey's wife and stuff that has
nothing to do with the Mob, and I don't like.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
I think it just gets a little low brow at
the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
You know, we all have to engage in drama occasionally,
but you know, I think Domi's kind of getting a
little too obsessed with it at this point. But he
gets views, and that's Dominic's goal at this point. So
I do also want to talk about a little news here,
which is really interesting because you know, one of the
questions that I get posed with the most is is
(05:39):
the Mob still around?
Speaker 2 (05:40):
What are they doing now?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
And yeah, they're absolutely still around and they're still to
their old tricks. And I want to kind of talk
about a story that's been going on for a couple
of years now, and this relates back to a filing
over a year ago, in fact, I think almost two
years ago. It was like the summer of twenty twenty too,
and then an indictment dropped I think in early twenty three,
(06:05):
and essentially it was a gambling indictment brought by the
Nassau County Long Island people. There was a federal involvement
as well, and basically Genevieve and Bonano people were jammed
up for book making, loan sharking, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
But there was a guy that we saw arrested in this.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
There was a detective, a Nassau County Police Department detective,
a guy called Hector Rosario.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And we really haven't seen the outcome from Rosario.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
That said, we're learning still some really interesting things about
this now.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
According to the New.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
York Daily News, a mobbed up Nassau County cop working
behind the scenes for the Banano crime family staged a
fake raid to shut down a gambling parlor run by
Genevese gangster Salvage shoemaker Rubino federal prosecutor's charge in new
court filings, now recently fired Police Department detective Rosario allegedly
(07:09):
had a side gig working for the family of the Bananos,
and that they considered Rubino's gambling den at his shoe
repair company in Merrick Long Island competition. So in twenty fourteen,
two Banana members paid Rosario to shut the place down,
(07:30):
and Rosario got to work.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
According to federal prosecutors.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Now, one of the informants, a Banano associate, is expected
to testify he was in the room when Rossario and
his Quote associates barged into the shoe repair shop, broke
one of the gambling machines and demanded sal Rubino, who
was a Genovies associate, tell them where he could find
Joseph Joe Box Rutigliano, an associate who collected gambling proceeds.
(08:00):
According to the feds, now, the Banano crime family also
paid Versario to shut down at least two Gambino crime.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Family gambling spots.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Now the detective also provided a tip to his cop
colleagues about the existence of a betting part of the
Banano saw as competition, and Rossari who was fired in
August of twenty twenty two, is set to go on
trial in federal court for obstructing a grand jury investigation
and lying to the FBI. Now, it has been alleged
(08:29):
that Rosario and the banana associate became close friends way
back in two thousand and eight, and the gangster enlisted
the detective into a life of crime. Rossari huged the
law enforcement database to look up possible government cooperators for
his buddy in twenty eighteen to determine if they were cooperators.
(08:50):
Now what's crazy is we're also finding out that bananas
are involved in narcotics according to the federal laws or
the federal indictment. Mario also visited his friend's marijuana growhouse,
offering to transport the weed, helping the gangster obtain herin,
and discussed a plot to conduct a fake raid on
(09:12):
a drug dealer in Hempstead. Now, the gangster introduced for
Sarrio to another cooperator, a maid member in the family,
as a.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Quote dirty cop. Rassario lived up to.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
His label, even going as far as warning the guy
to not talk on his phone because he was under
criminal investigation. Now, Brazario was charged for settling and rattling
off a string of lies in January of twenty twenty
where he was interviewed by the FEDS where he claimed
he didn't recognize saw the shoemaker and he never stepped
(09:44):
foot in a gambling spot.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Now, his lawyer.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Asked a child judge to bar prosecutors for mentioning the
word mafia at all. Now, according to the defense attorney,
references to organized crime are unnecessary to make the determined
of whether mister Rosario was truthful in his statements to
the FBI. There's simply no need to introduce the five
(10:07):
families at mister Rosario's trial in order for the jury
to make a factual determination of guilt as to the
crimes charged. Such explosive evidence would inevitably taint the jury,
as we introduced to show mister Rosario's propensity for criminality. Now,
Rosario was busted in twenty twenty two, as I said,
(10:27):
with all these other guys as part of this Genevieve
Bonano gambling operation case. Now, remember, multiple people have already
pled guilty and were sentenced, including mister Rabino, salad shoemaker,
car My Pizza Palito, a captain of the genevie'st Crimemby.
He's already serving a thirty years in federal prison CTA.
Now thirty months, not thirty years. My apologies, but you know,
(10:51):
this is again still the influence that the mafia has.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
I don't think, really I don't necessarily disagree with the
judge or the lawyer. I think in terms of like Rosario,
it wouldn't have mattered if the guy was a banana
crime family are what he was just a dirty cop
who was going to take money, regardless.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Of who he was working with, whether it was a
gang or whoever.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
He happen to know this banana guy and they started
cutting off profits to this guy. There is one thing
that the mafia still is doing. They make a lot
of money. Okay, we can act like they don't they're
not doing anything, but all these guys do really well.
These are bookmaking operations that bring in a lot of money,
and this is how the mob moves Now. They're moving
around with this kind of stuff, you know, fronts and
(11:38):
bookmaking operations, and you know they still have cops on
the payroll, which is crazy. But again, if I'm engaged
in criminality and I have a bunch of money, and
I know the guy down the street has an a
rival operation and I know a cop. I'm gonna do
what I can to get that cop to that spot
to shut him down. The mister Rosario is going to
go to jail over this, and it's never go for cop. Inside.
(12:01):
That said, he's not the first cop to do something
like this. You know, we know about Ron Previty, we
know about the mafia cops. This is something that the
mafia continues to have success doing. Now they're not doing
it on the level that they once were. I mean,
keep in mind, at one point Chicago, fifty percent of
the police force was under the control of alcohpoone.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
It's not like that now.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
But you are going to find these cops that, you know,
living in New York's not cheap, you know, living on
Long Island, you know, living like a king is not cheap.
And mister Versario probably, you know, probably brought in six
figures as a cop, but he can make an extra
fifty sixty eighty grand a year as as doing things
(12:42):
for the mob. Now, I thought it's pretty stupid because
again they never stop looking at the mafia.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
But you know, hey, he's gonna go to jail.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Over this, But hey, mobs still around, They're still doing things,
and uh, it's no more evident than than this rite
up that said, we're gonna get into the episode today,
and it is on an interesting guy, a person called
Sero Parone. SiO was a captain in the Genoese family.
He went back to the fifties, had a really interesting
(13:14):
and colorful early life, which we'll get to, and we
even find a reference in some of the interesting wiretaps
that we would get from Sierra Parone. His table at
his favorite restaurant that he hadn't interest in was bugged,
and we learned some really interesting things about his life
in the mafia, some of his opinions on a show
called Growing Up Gotti involving the grandsons and daughter of
(13:38):
John Gotti. Serah Prone's is a really interesting guy and
I wanted to push this show out to the podcast
people as well, because I've always found Prone to be
really fascinating.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So here you go a show on Sierra Parone.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
As always, make sure you like the show, make sure
you subscribe if you're not, you're new here, and the
leave us a review. I'm working on some interviews coming up.
You know, always kind of keeping my ear to the street.
I'm always trying to bring on new people. And I
am actually working on a little bit of a side
project involving bringing someone out of the shadows, and it's
(14:15):
actually gonna be kind of a separate thing I'm going
to be doing here in the new year, so that'll
be cool too. I am also possibly considering in the
spring doing some sort of meet up for podcast guests
if you're in the New York Philly area. I haven't
kind of decided where it's going to be, but once
I kind of get things in motion, i'll maybe let
you guys know. So without further ado, let's get to it.
(14:39):
Zero Parne my episode on sit Down. Zero Parne was
born January eighth, nineteen thirty one, in Manhattan. According to
early census reports, and to the age of about two.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Zero Parone lived.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
In Lower Manhattan in district too that could be granted village,
the West Village, the East village.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I didn't have that information.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
That said. As a child, Sierra Prone's family would move
to East New York.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Prone's father, Agostino, was born in Italy and worked as
a teamster living in East New York.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
His mother, Mary was born in New York.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Now Sierra Prone's family in East New York lived at
three eighty three Cleveland Street, and they would live there
until Perne was in his twenties. Nazerra Peron had three
brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers, Michael and Joseph,
would follow him into the life and they were all
(15:46):
made into the Genoese crime family. Now, in nineteen twenty five,
according to census records, a four year old Sierra Perone
was actually listed as a patient at the New York
Orthopedic Hospital in White Plains, New York. Now we're unclear
(16:09):
of what exactly happened to young Sierra Parone. That said,
according to various media reports, including a piece done about
Prone at the NY Mafia site, they would say that
Prone at one point had a club foot that he
suffered from an accident as a child. So I don't
exactly know if that had something to do with it.
(16:30):
And in those days in the twenties, Pron was just
kind of sent to an orthopedic hospital. I wondered if
maybe he had an issue with polio at some point.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I know that was a problem in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
But Perone ultimately was at that hospital in nineteen twenty five,
now around the age of twenty, most men in New
York City and in this country prepared possibly for World
War Two. That said, the draft for World War Two
not happened until nineteen forty. And in June of nineteen forty,
(17:05):
Sirrah Parone was arrested alongside three other individuals and they
were accused of a payroll hold up of of approximately
one thousand, one hundred dollars, which again in today's inflation,
that was about twenty five thousand dollars back then in
those days. So Parone and his pals made off with
(17:26):
a bunch of money and eventually were arrested. Now, approximately
a month later, at his sentencing, Judge Franklin Taylor would
hit parn who at that time was just nineteen years old,
with seven and a half to fifteen years in state prison. Now,
(17:47):
at the court appearance, Sirrah Perune's mother screamed to the
point that Judge Franklin Taylor hit her with contempt of court. Now,
obviously this is a little bit strict, but from what
I understand, mister Taylor warned the judge to or warn
(18:08):
the court to not act crazy, and it was getting
a little boisterous, to which he hit Miss parone zero's
mother with contempt of court charges and thirty days in jail,
to which Parne would leap up and stay quote, I'll
get you yet.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Now.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Parne may not have known it, but going to prison
was actually a blessing in disguise because just several months later,
the United States government would conscript young men of fighting
age to go to World War Two. Parn was in
jail though, so he wasn't going to go to World
(18:46):
War two, and lucky for him, he missed the war
and he was released in nineteen forty five, So he
did get a little lucky zero perone by that payroll
hold up and going to prison. Now, before you get
to the rest of the story, I invite you, if
you're enjoying this video underneath it, please sit that super
thanks icon and contribute to the growth of this show.
(19:10):
Any contributions are greatly appreciated now. Upon his release from
prison in nineteen forty five, Sirah Paron would become affiliated
with the Genovese crime family, and one of the people
that he would become close to is a person called
Anthony Tony. The Sheikh Carillo now Corilla was based out
(19:33):
of Brooklyn and Queens and in the crew of legendary
Genevez figure Mike Miranda. Now Parone would obviously become an
associate of the Miranda and Carrillo crew and eventually was
made into the Genoviz crime family before the books closed
in the nineteen fifties. Now, as I stated, both Paron's brothers,
(19:58):
Michael and j Joseph became members as well, and according
to records in nineteen sixty three put up by mob
ratt Joe Volacci, there was a master list involving members
of the Genevez crime family. Three of the Perone brothers
were made as of nineteen sixty three, so we can
(20:18):
venture to believe that they were made before the books
closed in the late fifties. Now, upon gaining membership into
the Genevese crime family, Sirah Perone would move his basis
of operations to Ozone Park, Queens, not far from East
New York. It was said that he had a Launchonette
(20:41):
as well as an interest in a restaurant called Don Pepe,
which is on Lefferts Boulevard and still open today. Now
we'll get to more on Don Pepe a little bit later.
As also said that Peron had a social club on
one hundred and first Avenue in Ozone Park. Now, eventually
(21:03):
mister Parone was placed into the crew of legendary Genevez
heavyweight Matthew Mattie the Horse, Aini Yello. In nineteen eighty,
Sierra Parone would be arrested by the FEDS in raids
against mob families. Approximate seventy members and associates of the
mafia were picked up in nineteen eighty. Also arrested that
(21:26):
day alongside Sira Parone was Bonano crime family member George
Grumpy Tropiano. Now, as far as I know, mister Parone
never went to prison on the charges he got, which
were loan sharking. Now, by the nineteen nineties, Sirah Parone
would become a captain, elevated by the Genevez crime family
(21:50):
after members like Maddie the Horse, Ani Yello and Little
Jimmy Ida were sent to the hierarchy of the Genomez
crime family. Now we know mister Perome is a captain
due to a conversation in nineteen ninety eight between Salvatore,
Sammy Meepaul's Aparo and Michael Cookie Dierso. Now, in that
(22:12):
wiretap conversation, which there were many of them during the
infiltration of Cookie Dierso as an informant in the Geneviees family,
at one point Cookie Deersha would state to Sammy Meatball's quote,
you know who Vito's brother brought up Zero Perone. He says, uh,
(22:32):
I was with the guy Zero my father was friends
with from Howard Beach. He said, I went down there.
He's got all kind of antiques and shit. I said,
that was the guy Sammy was telling me about. Now,
Sammy obviously is Sammy Meatballs. At one point Sammy Meatballs
would state, regarding Perone quote, Yeah, Sira's a good, nice guy,
(22:58):
to which Diersha would state, he's with us too, Sammy
Meetbulger's bond. Yes, a captain Deerso. There's so many fucking
guys Aparo, Yes, captain a skipper. So again by nineteen
ninety eight, in this we would have to believe by
(23:18):
the mid nineties, mister Parone, based out of Ozone Park,
was a captain in the Genovese family. Now, remember the
Genoez crime family has not generally had a huge group
in Queens. We do know that tough Tony Federici had
a crew up in Corona and out of his restaurant
at Parkside, but outside of that, there weren't a ton
(23:39):
of known genovies people in Queens that said Paron operated
out of Ozone Park. Now we do know that Sierrah
Perme was involved not only in loan sharking, but in bookmaking,
and we would learn that he was very involved with
shaking down unions, which I'll get to a little bit later.
(24:01):
One thing that the FEDS realized about Sierra Parone is
he regularly held court at Don Pepe Restaurant, a restaurant
that it was said that he had some sort of
ownership in and in Don Pepe's there was a restaurant
table towards the back of the restaurant. It was a
very large table, and it was said that on the
regular Perone would hold court at the restaurant with various
(24:25):
wise guys. They'd have meals and talk about the old
days and the current days as members of the mafia,
and we would learn a treasure trow from these FBI
wiretapped conversations, including a wild story in the sixties told
by Parone involving Gambino associate Willy Boy Johnson, an eventual
(24:48):
government informant, Willie Boy Johnson. According to Sierra Parone, Willie
Boy at one point in the sixties would stumble into
the restaurant, got to which Peronne would state, I wrapped
his head up and I told my brother bring him
by Lutheran Hospital on Jamaica Avenue. Don't go in with him,
(25:10):
just take the tablecloth. Let him walk in by himself.
He would then state the Willie Boy quote, all you
gotta do is when you walk in. Say, when I
was walking in the street, I caught this thing in
my head. I'm in the neighborhood, so I come in,
and that's what he said.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Now.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
At one point during the discussion, telling wise guys that
he saved Willie Boy's life, Parone would state, regarding Willie
Boy picking up a nabel A knife from the dinner table, quote,
if I would have known that that fucking guy that
he would be a rat, instead of taking him to
the hospital, I would have went like this, and we
(25:51):
would venture to believe that mister Parone, while holding the
knife stated he would have likely offed Willie Boy. But
remember Willy Boy wasn't outed as a rat for about
twenty five more years.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
But a wild story involving Sierra Perone that he saved
the life of Willie Boy, and in turn, you know,
if he hadn't, you know, Willy Boy wouldn't have become
a rat. Now, as we know, Willy Boy was taken
out after becoming a rat. With the John Gotti crew.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Now, we would also again get some colorful conversation regarding
other things, including Growing Up Gotti, which by this point
in two thousand and four was on the air, and
it was actually quite popular. In fact, when I was
growing up, I was about fifteen at the time Growing
Up Gott he was huge. I mean he was gigantic.
(26:38):
It was one of the top shows on TV. I
mean they had all sorts of games and they were
on major radio shows. They were big at that time.
They actually had that you know, spiked hairstyle, which I
had at the time as well. If you've ever seen
photos of me back then, I had it as a
young child. But it was very popular and even wise
guys discussed the show at Dom and the reviews of
(27:01):
the show were not flattering from zero Perone. At one point,
Perone would state regarding Growing Up Gotti, quote, it's a
fucking soap opera and the kids look like girls.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Now.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Also at the table that night was Serra Parone's right
hand man, Genevieve's associate, John Yanucci, as well as Colombo
mobster Ralph Scopo Junior. Now, all of these people commented
on this show, including Yanucci who stated, quote, it's one
(27:37):
of the most disgusting, insulting shows on television. Now, think
of the hypocrisy of what we're saying here. Now, look,
I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't a
it was a flattering portrait of Italian Americans.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
But these are gangsters who are probably.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
The most unflattering portrayals of Italian Americans in America, and
they're stating how kids on TV are disgusting and insulting. Now,
Ralph Scopo at one point who claimed that he was
so quote so embarrassed, I can't even talk about it.
And he would state that he had been a longtime
friend of John Gotti and he can't even discuss how
(28:16):
embarrassed he is for his extended family and this show. Now,
mister Scopo then would describe state quote saying they're paying
a hell of a price to be an embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
So this is a guy.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Who stole from people, hurt his own people, but he's
calling people that're on TV having a good time and embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Got it.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
That said, A ton of information was picked up, and
Sierra Parone talked and talked and talked. Eventually, though the
federal government would catch up to zero Parone. In two
thousand and five, he would be indicted by the federal
government alongside his pal John Yanucci, Maddie the Horse and Yellow,
(29:09):
and Parne's young protege Stephen Buscemi. They were all picked
up allegedly for shaking down the bus drivers Union.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Local one to one eight one.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Now the Amalgamated Transit Union, which is what this is,
essentially covers about fourteen thousand people connected to school bus drivers,
so there's a lot of members. And from what I understand,
Paron and iiny Yellow, who had known the secretary treasurer
of Local one P one eight one, a person called
(29:44):
Julius Bernstein. They had had their hooks into this guy
for years. In fact, at one point on wire tap,
mister Parne would state as far as Julius Bernstein quote,
He's one of the best thieves I've ever met in
my life. So again, they had their hooks into him.
(30:04):
They were getting kickbacks, they were controlling a very large
union of bus driver contracts. Now, ultimately Sero Parone and
his protege Stephen Buscemi would go to trial. They would
beat the rap the first time. That said, they were
retried and eventually convicted. Zero Peronne would be hit with
(30:29):
five years. Now, remember, at that point in the mid
to late two thousands, Sierra Parone was eighty seven years old.
In fact, he had not been to prison since that
payroll hold up in the forties, so he did a
nice job of staying out of jail, and many people
believed that Peron would likely die in prison. That said,
(30:51):
he was released in late twenty eleven at the age
of ninety. Several months later, Zero Perone would die at
the age of ninety. Now, various people on YouTube, including
Japanese Si Jean Burrello, John Alak, they have all talked
about Sira Peron before, and he was a pretty major
(31:14):
mainstay in and around Ozone Park is very chummy with
other families, members of the Banano family, the Clumbo family,
the Gambino family. Parone was a hardened wise guy his
whole life. At one point in two thousand and four,
Sirah Perone would be discussing with his pals about the
(31:34):
thought of FBI subpoenas coming out. Peron would state, quote,
what the fuck can I live another year? Maybe two years?
I'd rather die in jail with my friends and become
a rat. Guys day like this, they don't make anymore
(31:54):
in the mafia, and over the next twenty years. This
is why I believe the mob will eventually evaporate.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
People like Sierra Parone no.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Longer exist, and the ethics and ways they lived translated
to the others around them. Most of them are dying
as well. Sierra Parone, a man who was made in
the fifties. What a story we can remember. He didn't
(32:24):
like growing up Gotti. I hope you enjoyed this video.
We'll see you next week here on the Sitdown
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