August 13, 2025 • 26 mins
Wilfred "Willie Boy" Johnson was a Gambino Crime Family associate. He was a longtime friend to John Gotti. He was also a longtime government informant and was extremely destructive to Gotti and the Mafia itself.
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USE REFERRAL CODE- JEFFNADU
Jeff Nadu is an American Mafia and organized crime 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 Agents Joaquin "Jack" Garcia and Michael Campi. He has been personally endorsed by former Gambino mob captain Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo, esteemed author RJ Roger, and former Colombo Crime Family captain Michael Franzese.
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 he/her's opinion.
If you enjoy our show, please hit the like button and make sure if you're new around here you subscribe as well!
GO CHECK OUT PROPHET X AND GET INVOLVED- https://t.co/hnCEZoj1Sd
USE REFERRAL CODE- JEFFNADU
Jeff Nadu is an American Mafia and organized crime 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 Agents Joaquin "Jack" Garcia and Michael Campi. He has been personally endorsed by former Gambino mob captain Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo, esteemed author RJ Roger, and former Colombo Crime Family captain Michael Franzese.
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 he/her's opinion.
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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 (00:21):
What's up everybody, and welcome in to another edition of
the sit Down. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we're gonna get
into another organized crime topic. And one of the people
that I see discussed on YouTube lot is Willy Boy Johnson. Now,
the question is why would I do a video on
Willie Boy.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I've talked about him before.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
That said, I wanted to go further in to why
Willie Boy Johnson decided to cooperate against against the mafia.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And it goes back to the old adage, if.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
You don't take care of your troops, they will rebel
against you.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Did will people.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
He actually believe that he would never be killed by
his old friend John Gottie. I want to delve into
the history of Willie Boy and why he did what
he did and why in the end.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
He did it.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
The story of Willie Boy Johnson next on the sit Down.
Willie Boy Johnson was born Wilfrid Johnson on September twenty ninth,
nineteen thirty five, in Brooklyn, New York. According to census records.
At the time of his birth, his family lived at
seventeen seventy two Pacific Street in Brooklyn. Now, it was
(01:39):
said Willi Boy Johnson's father, John, who was obviously the
head of the household, was unemployed and according to the
nineteen forty census, he was quote unable to work. It
was also said that John Johnson was an alcoholic and
very rarely provided for his family. He and his wife
(02:00):
Lilian had five total children. They would include obviously Willie Boy,
four sons, one daughter, a daughter Clara, who was the
oldest child of John and Lilian Johnson. Now I want
to talk a little bit about Willi Boy's background. Now
we have heard through various reports over the years that
(02:22):
Willy Boy is indeed Native American, which I believe is
on his father's side, and I know was on his
father's side. What's funny is back in the thirties and
the forties, they were actually listed John and Lillian Johnson
as Chinese, which again I think that was just the
side of the times. Maybe this didn't recognize Native American
(02:45):
at that time. From what I do understand, Lillian, Willi
Boy's mother was said to be Italian, and during the
nineteen forty census there's a brother in law that lived
in the home with them with the last name Sansone,
So we would venture to believe that WILLI Boy had
some Italian in him. By nineteen fifty the family lived
(03:10):
at twenty three seventeen Pacific Street, just up the street
from their old home. This is obviously the home in
modern day times. As I said, Williboy's father and his
childhood was not particularly easy. His father was said to
have a substance abuse problem. He was abusive, didn't provide
(03:33):
and I think this really kind of made WILLI Boy
into kind of the tough guy that he was.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
He was running the street quite early. It was set.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
By the age of twelve, WILLI Boy Johnson was already
turned into criminality, robbing and stealing from various businesses in
the vicinity.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
That he lived now.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
As I said, Williboy was born in nineteen thirty five,
he wouldn't meet John Gottie till approximately the age of
twenty two two. In approximately nineteen fifty seven, WILLI Boy
would meet John Gotti running the streets of Brooklyn. By
that point, John was involved in criminality as well as
we know. They would eventually catch the eye of Carmine
(04:14):
Charlie Wagon's Fatigo and Willi Boy was a known associate
in the Fatigo Crew now Crew. According to former NYPD
Lieutenant Remo Francissini, who knew Willi Boy quite well, he
would state this about Willi Boy and his physical appearance. Quote,
(04:35):
he was real stocky, about five feet nine inches and
well over two hundred pounds. He looked like a professional wrestler,
size twenty one neck gravel voice. You don't want to
meet Willie Boy on the street, and if you did
meet him, you'd better have backup ammunition in your pocket,
because six bullets were not going to stop this guy.
(04:56):
He was the type of guy who with he got shot,
he would almost try to rip the bullets out of
his own chest and they get really pissed off. You
shot me, Now you're in fucking trouble. Willie Boy was
a stone cold tough guy. He would start his mob
career essentially as a debt collector. People paid when he
(05:17):
came to collect, and he would have no problem hurting
you if he had to. Now, in an interesting story,
in a very random twist, Queen's Mobster and eventually Genevieve
mobster Sira Perone would stayed at one point did in
the sixties while in Don Pepe restaurant, which he had
an ownership in throughout his life. Willie Boy Johnson would
(05:39):
actually stumble into the restaurant at one point after being
shot in the head, which again didn't kill him. Now
Prone would discuss that they attempted to pull the bullets
out of Willie Boy, but you know, it was very
difficult and they eventually dropped him off at a hospital.
Prone would state, you know, again on wiretap that if
(05:59):
he had known that Willie Boy would eventually become a rat,
that Prome would have you know, killed him himself at
that time, which we don't know if he actually would have.
But Willieboy had really been through it all in his
early life. I mean, he was a tough sob. He
survived being shot in the head, and the mob knew,
particularly the Gambino crime family, that if someone needed you know, money,
(06:24):
you know, or someone needed to have money collected, that
Willie BOYD was the very trusted person to do it.
So by his thirtieth birthday, essentially he was on the
fast track of being a respected associate of a growing
criminal empire. Eventually, not only was he a collector, but
he would begin his own bookmaking and loan sharking operations
(06:46):
and would actually become a pretty legitimate and good earner
for the Fatigo crew. He also maintained a job, a
legitimate job as a crane operator in an engineering union. However,
the problem for Willi Boy is when you were committing crimes,
when you're out running the streets, when you were involved
(07:06):
with a criminal entity and an organized crime group, you're
going to be under the.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Ire of the police.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And that's exactly what would happen to Willie Boy Johnson.
Before we get into that, though, I want to talk
about kind of the dynamic between Willie Boy and John Gotti,
because the difference between John and Willi Boy was one
in the fact that Willy Boy would never become a
made member.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
He was not fully Italian. John was. And one thing
we would find about John Gotti over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Now, I'm just going to be quite frank this has
nothing to do with his involvement of the mafia, but
he was a horrible friend. I think that's been uncovered
time and time again by just the way he treated
people that he called friends. Right, we've heard that about
the likes of Jackie Nose Dimico, who was constantly being
verbally assaulted by John Gotti.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
John Gotty talked about all sorts of people.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
He talked about, Joe the Cat, he talked about, you know,
all these different people behind their backs, right, But some
people he talked very badly about to their face, and
Willie Boy was one of them. It was said that
he would constantly call Willy Boy half breed and you know,
different things about being an Indian. He was constantly just
(08:23):
kind of breaking his balls, which again friends do that.
But you know, I think eventually you become a bit
kind of irritated, You become a bit maybe disenchanted with
certain things.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
And what happens to Willy Boy is he gets arrested.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
In nineteen sixty six, Willi Boy Johnson is arrested on
arm robbery. He's eventually sent to prison. And I think
on the surface, Willie Boy had every intention of you know,
standing up, being a man.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's what he was.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
However, the problem is, and the mob sometimes falls apart
and doesn't do these sorts of things. The Fatigo crew
who says will take care of your family, Willi Boyd
believes that they will.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
They don't. Willi Boy.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Johnson would eventually state that his wife was actually unwelfare
she had no money.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So he becomes very irritated. So what does he do.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
He goes to the FBI and says, Okay, you know what,
fuck these people, I'm going to cooperate. Now what would
happen is WILLI Boy would eventually become.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
A very very trusted informant.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
In fact, he was regarded as ci BQ five to
five eight dash te.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Now the te and the FBI would mean that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Willy Boy was regarded as a quote top echelon informant. Now,
I also want to state what Willy Boy would tell
the FBI as far as files about his relationship with
John Gotti Sr. Before I do that, though, I want
to talk about the book Underboss by Peter Moss involving
(10:03):
Sammy Gravano. That book would state, although on the surface,
Willie Boy played the quote obedient tanto to Gody's lone Ranger,
he seemed to take special pleasure in reporting Gotti to
the FBI. Gotty's idea of humor left plenty to be desired,
and Johnson seed with resentment.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
As Gotti delivered divisive asides about redskins and half breeds
and often treated Willy Boy as a second class citizen. Now,
Willyboy would stay to the.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Government about Gotti quote, sometimes I love him, sometimes I
hate him. You know, he wears these fucking expensive suits now,
but he's still a lot of bullshit. He's a fucking mutt.
Don't be fooled by that exterior. So again, there are
times where as friends Gotti and Nigeria are Gero Gotty
(11:01):
and Willie Boy are closed, Willy Boy gets very sick
of the constant barbes to him, you know, treating him
like shit. He would say that Fatiko would treat him
kind of like a gopher.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Make him, you know, do low end things.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And I think the book, in terms of what they
said about Willy Boy, was right. There was a lot
of resentment of Willi Boy towards people like John and
I think they kind of pushed Willy Boy a little
too far. Now, As I said, the government regarded Willy
Boy as a top echelon guy, and we would learn
that throughout his approximately fifteen to seventeen years to in
(11:38):
forem him, he was very destructive not only to John Gotti,
but to other crime families.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
As well. Now, in the nineteen seventy four arrest.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Of John Gotti involving the whacking of James McBratney and
Staten Island, the federal government would state that mister Johnson
aka Willie Boy, was the soul reason John Gotti was
arrested in that case and that his information, you know,
(12:07):
was the detriment.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
If they didn't have.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
His information, John may have not been arrested, and that
Willibig quoted saying that he had heard John Gotty boasting
about it, that he had been a part of it.
So John Gotty went away for several years due solely
too Willie Boy Johnson, and nobody knew it. Willieboy would
also provide various very big gems about not only Gotti
(12:31):
but other mobsters.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Who were moving drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
He would also give information about the whereabouts of Paul
Verrio's junkyard to where Verio would have conduct conversations and
do business and down the road Vario was arrested. He
would also discuss very important information about the Pleasant Avenue
crew and their exploits in the junk business up in
(12:57):
East Harlem. Now, while doing all this providing of information,
it was obviously secret.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
He was a ci Willie Boy.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Was engaging in committing business for the family. In approximately
nineteen seventy nine, Willie Boy Johnson is given a hit
on a person called Anthony Tony Plate. Palate now Pilate
was a killer in his own right and a very
feared individual.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
He moves his business to Miami.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
He's a important conduit in Miami for the Gambino crime family. Eventually, though,
Neil Dela Croce wants him dead because Neil believes some certain.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Things about him. He has to take care of a
hit for Neil.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Neil wants to distance himself from Tony Plate, so he
gives the Gotti group the hit. Now, this is also
said to be one of the only hits we know
that John Gotti may have actually been the trigger man
in From what we understand, Gotti, Ruggierio and Willie Boy
(13:59):
were involved in and taking out Tony Plate and that
would happen again in Miami. It was also said that
Willie Boy was one of the eight people involved in
the eventual nineteen eighty kidnapping of John Favara. Josh Vavara
obviously the man who sadly by accident, killed John Gotty's
(14:21):
youngest son, Frank Gotti. In nineteen eighty, it was said
that Willy Boy was in a crash car and was
involved in getting rid of what we would be perceived
as a whacked Favara. So Willi Boy's doing at all.
He's earning, he's cooperating, giving information. He's also killing people
(14:43):
and living two lives.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
In his mob life.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He is a dependable killer who makes money for the family,
and in the FBI's eyes, he is an extremely important,
divisive cooperator, so he's doing it all. The Willie Boy eventually, though,
would be arrested, and according to the FBI and the NYPD,
(15:08):
he was selling narcotics. He was seen handing a bag
to an individual who handed him a bag back. He
would claim Willie Boy that the money was from gambling,
and he decides not only to you know, take it
on the chin, but he tells the NYPD at that
time and also give them information. So he's given information
(15:28):
to the NYPD, the FBI, and he also starts to
not only give information on people, but where bodies are,
where gambling locations are, which would lead to the arrests
of people like Frank Adchico.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He was also giving layouts.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Of the new home of Angie Rugierio, who is obviously
involved in selling junk with Gee Gotti. He provides the
FBI information on you know, what room is which, where
they can install this, where they can install that, and
again this would lead to the arrests of mister Ruggierio,
which can be seen here. So this is all really
(16:09):
really bad for the mob, and this guy is probably
at the time one of the most important cooperators they have. Now,
mister Johnson makes it abundantly clear, though I will never testify,
this is strictly a secret thing. And he didn't really
earn that much money he was earning me. He had
earned maybe a few thousand dollars over the course of this.
(16:32):
But you know, it's not like Willie Blue is becoming
a rich man over his cooperation.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
By nineteen eighty.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Four, though, the federal government is starting to you know,
really set John Gotti into their crosshairs. They want him,
they want Angie Uggierio, they want all these different people.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And that's where you know, a very publicized.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Story Diane jack Alone, she's the assistant US attorney at
the time. They're looking to obviously get everybody indicted. The
problem is Jacqueline realizes that some of the information involved
in is Willy Boy and that she plans to out
him as a cooperator.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Now, one thing that I'll.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Be honest, I'd never heard before, John Gleeson recently stated,
and I had interviewed John I was the first person
interviewed John Gleeson years ago.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
I had heard in a recent discussion.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
You know a lot of people have gotten on Jack
Alone over the years for basically outing Willie Boy as
a cooperator. Why would she do that? And again, on
the surface, it looks really questionable. If you're the FBI,
you basically put him into the crosshairs and in harm's way.
He gives you all this information and this is the
thanks he gets. According to John Gleeson, he would state
(17:48):
that the reason Jack Alone was so upfront about putting
him out there was not only was some of his
information very important to their indictment, but Willie Boo's making
a mockery of his cooperation.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He was out there killing people.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
He was involved in the murder of Tony Plate in
nineteen seventy nine.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You know, he was he was a criminal, He was
a killer.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
He needed to be taken off the street, and you know,
we needed to put it all out there about what
he was up to.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
He didn't deserve anything more than that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Jack Alone, nonetheless, not only wants to do it, but
she is supported by her superior, Eastern District Attorney Raymond Deary,
So everybody's on board with.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Her outing Willie Boy. Now, Willie Boy knew that he
was a dead man.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
He would tell his superior and so his you know
FBI guy, a guy called Andrew Abbott, that he was
a dead man and that if you guys put this
out there, I'm a dead man. Nonetheless, in March of
nineteen eighty five, Willie Boy's name appears alongside people like
(18:58):
John Gottie, Jean de la Croache, To Carniglias, Lenny d Maria,
Nikki Carazo, all the people arrested road Trampino. They're all
listed as co conspirators Nogain. Still nobody knows that Willy
Boy is the rat, the last person to be arraigned
(19:18):
that day.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And here we can morning mister Johnson ready for troll.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
There you could see Willy Boy being let into everything.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Willy Boys the last to be arraigned that day.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Now, jack alone would state that no condition of bail
would secure mister Johnson's appearance. Now, the judge in the
case would state, you know, why is that. At that point,
jack Alone would say, quote, he's been an informant over
the last fifteen years. Williboy would jump up and state, quote,
(19:58):
not true, your honor, And that's where the water starts
flowing through. And it's now known that Willy Boy is
a cooperator. Not only is a cooperator, but he has
been a secret informant for over a decade, a decade
and a half.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Not good. Not good.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
They would basically put Willy Boy in twenty three hour confinement.
He's basically in protective custody because if anybody gets a
hold of him, that's that Willi Bou would state, he's
not testifying.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Da da da da da.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
And eventually, according to Samy Gravano, you know, everything kind
of passes, Willy Boy distances himself from the government. Blah
blah blah blah blah. Now, according to Samy Gravano gott
he is eventually housed with Willy Boy and himself. Sammy
(20:55):
would stay quote it was up on the ninth floor.
John told Willie Boy, you did a bad thing for
all them years, but I'll forgive you.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It's not the first time it happened.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
You can never be with us again after this, but
nothing will happen to you now. WILLI Boy with Dan
as John, according to Gravano, to swear on his dead
son's head in terms of Frank Gotti, to which Gravano
claims John did. Willie Boy obviously never testified. John beat
the rap. Everybody's acquitted.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Blah blah blah blah blah. Now.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Sammy would then state quote John totally conned Willie Boy.
I don't know how he fell for this, but he
did lock stock barrel. So John Gotty gives WILLI Boy
his word. You don't testify. We're good in our eyes.
Nothing's gonna happen to you. You can't be around this anymore,
(21:51):
but you can live. Your family will be fine. Everybody
will be good. WILLI Boy buys it. He even buys
it to the point of after everything's figured out, Williboy eventually,
while being housed, has no money, He gets hit on
a drug charge, tries to sell narcotics, has to deal
with that.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Eventually everything ends.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
John Gleeson would state that he saw Williboy outside court
and tells him, you know, what the hell are you doing.
You got to get get out of here. You know
you're you're gonna be killed, to which Willi Boy basically says, well, no,
I'm not gonna be killed. Everything's gonna be fine. I
redeem myself. You know, John loves me. I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They told me they're not gonna do nothing to me now.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
I definitely believe that Willie Boy actually believed John Gotti
and they had been friends for decades.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Right, he sweared on his kid. How could he do that?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
And again, I think Willie Boy was very innocent in
terms of the way he thought. You know, it was
kind of you know, gullible. This is the mafia in
the end, and John did what he had to do
to get him not to testify, and he knew the
friendship meant nothing to him anyway, doesn't mean nothing to
me either. I gotta do what I gotta do now.
Gleason would tell him, you know, get out of town.
(23:12):
You know, he would stay. I had a construction job.
Everything's going to be fine. I'm just living my life.
And he would live his life and approx to me.
Late August nineteen eighty eight. August twenty ninth of nineteen
eighty eight, Willie Boy Johnson, early in the morning leaves
his home seventy two thirty three Roy's Place in the
(23:32):
Georgetown section of Brooklyn. He heads down those steps right
there to his car, which is a Mercury, goes to
the corner of the street, where he's accosted by two
shooters who fire nineteen rounds at Willie Boy.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
He's hit multiple times and is killed.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
The shooters that day were said to be, as we know,
Banano crime fan psycho Thomas Tommy Petera, as well as
a person called Vincent Kojak Guillatino. Both Tommy Karate and
Vincent Kojak Guillatino are still alive and I have served all
this time in federal prison one of the charges they
(24:17):
hit on Willie Boy. At the time of his death,
Willie Boy Johnson was fifty two years old. He was
eventually buried in a cemetery in Queens. His tombstone would
read beloved husband and father, We entrust our precious love
(24:39):
unto the Lord. I've always felt that Willie Boy Johnson
is a fascinating look into a person who I think
truly believed in the code. I think he truly believed
in friendship. I think he truly believed in John Gotti.
He had been friends with him for years. But I
(25:01):
think his resentment. I think John's constant jokes and barbes
and treating him like shit just kind of annoyed him,
just like it would annoy anybody, and Willie Boy got
back at him the only way he knew. It's weird
though that in the end it went back to, all right, John,
I'll do what you say, John, whatever you want John,
And he actually was kind of mystified into believing what
(25:24):
John told him. This is the difference between a true
blue gangster and someone who is not a true blue gangster.
I'm not going to tell you that Willy Boy wasn't
a tough guy or wasn't maybe a gangster for a
lot of his life. But John Gotty knew that friendship
didn't mean nothing to him, especially after he flipped on
him and did all those things. John did what he
had to do and had to do it. But it
(25:45):
all would have never happened if John would have just
been a decent friend to a guy that had been
good to him for years, and one of these things
was really I think and encoupling a lot of different
things that brought John Gotti down.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
I think Willie Boy was the sole reason John went away.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
No, but a lot of this couple together eventually led
to John Gotti's demise. Willi Boy Johnson very interesting individual. Nonetheless,
like I said, at the time of his death, very
violent death. He was fifty two years old. Thanks everybody
for watching and if you enjoyed it, let me know
(26:25):
what you think in the comments below, and if you'd
like to support my channel further, hit that super chat
thanks or the super thanks.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I come blow the video, see you next time. Here
all to sit there,
Welcome to The sit Down, a mafia history podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Here's your host, Jeff Nado.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
What's up everybody, and welcome in to another edition of
the sit Down. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we're gonna get
into another organized crime topic. And one of the people
that I see discussed on YouTube lot is Willy Boy Johnson. Now,
the question is why would I do a video on
Willie Boy.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I've talked about him before.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
That said, I wanted to go further in to why
Willie Boy Johnson decided to cooperate against against the mafia.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And it goes back to the old adage, if.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
You don't take care of your troops, they will rebel
against you.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Did will people.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
He actually believe that he would never be killed by
his old friend John Gottie. I want to delve into
the history of Willie Boy and why he did what
he did and why in the end.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
He did it.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
The story of Willie Boy Johnson next on the sit Down.
Willie Boy Johnson was born Wilfrid Johnson on September twenty ninth,
nineteen thirty five, in Brooklyn, New York. According to census records.
At the time of his birth, his family lived at
seventeen seventy two Pacific Street in Brooklyn. Now, it was
(01:39):
said Willi Boy Johnson's father, John, who was obviously the
head of the household, was unemployed and according to the
nineteen forty census, he was quote unable to work. It
was also said that John Johnson was an alcoholic and
very rarely provided for his family. He and his wife
(02:00):
Lilian had five total children. They would include obviously Willie Boy,
four sons, one daughter, a daughter Clara, who was the
oldest child of John and Lilian Johnson. Now I want
to talk a little bit about Willi Boy's background. Now
we have heard through various reports over the years that
(02:22):
Willy Boy is indeed Native American, which I believe is
on his father's side, and I know was on his
father's side. What's funny is back in the thirties and
the forties, they were actually listed John and Lillian Johnson
as Chinese, which again I think that was just the
side of the times. Maybe this didn't recognize Native American
(02:45):
at that time. From what I do understand, Lillian, Willi
Boy's mother was said to be Italian, and during the
nineteen forty census there's a brother in law that lived
in the home with them with the last name Sansone,
So we would venture to believe that WILLI Boy had
some Italian in him. By nineteen fifty the family lived
(03:10):
at twenty three seventeen Pacific Street, just up the street
from their old home. This is obviously the home in
modern day times. As I said, Williboy's father and his
childhood was not particularly easy. His father was said to
have a substance abuse problem. He was abusive, didn't provide
(03:33):
and I think this really kind of made WILLI Boy
into kind of the tough guy that he was.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
He was running the street quite early. It was set.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
By the age of twelve, WILLI Boy Johnson was already
turned into criminality, robbing and stealing from various businesses in
the vicinity.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
That he lived now.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
As I said, Williboy was born in nineteen thirty five,
he wouldn't meet John Gottie till approximately the age of
twenty two two. In approximately nineteen fifty seven, WILLI Boy
would meet John Gotti running the streets of Brooklyn. By
that point, John was involved in criminality as well as
we know. They would eventually catch the eye of Carmine
(04:14):
Charlie Wagon's Fatigo and Willi Boy was a known associate
in the Fatigo Crew now Crew. According to former NYPD
Lieutenant Remo Francissini, who knew Willi Boy quite well, he
would state this about Willi Boy and his physical appearance. Quote,
(04:35):
he was real stocky, about five feet nine inches and
well over two hundred pounds. He looked like a professional wrestler,
size twenty one neck gravel voice. You don't want to
meet Willie Boy on the street, and if you did
meet him, you'd better have backup ammunition in your pocket,
because six bullets were not going to stop this guy.
(04:56):
He was the type of guy who with he got shot,
he would almost try to rip the bullets out of
his own chest and they get really pissed off. You
shot me, Now you're in fucking trouble. Willie Boy was
a stone cold tough guy. He would start his mob
career essentially as a debt collector. People paid when he
(05:17):
came to collect, and he would have no problem hurting
you if he had to. Now, in an interesting story,
in a very random twist, Queen's Mobster and eventually Genevieve
mobster Sira Perone would stayed at one point did in
the sixties while in Don Pepe restaurant, which he had
an ownership in throughout his life. Willie Boy Johnson would
(05:39):
actually stumble into the restaurant at one point after being
shot in the head, which again didn't kill him. Now
Prone would discuss that they attempted to pull the bullets
out of Willie Boy, but you know, it was very
difficult and they eventually dropped him off at a hospital.
Prone would state, you know, again on wiretap that if
(05:59):
he had known that Willie Boy would eventually become a rat,
that Prome would have you know, killed him himself at
that time, which we don't know if he actually would have.
But Willieboy had really been through it all in his
early life. I mean, he was a tough sob. He
survived being shot in the head, and the mob knew,
particularly the Gambino crime family, that if someone needed you know, money,
(06:24):
you know, or someone needed to have money collected, that
Willie BOYD was the very trusted person to do it.
So by his thirtieth birthday, essentially he was on the
fast track of being a respected associate of a growing
criminal empire. Eventually, not only was he a collector, but
he would begin his own bookmaking and loan sharking operations
(06:46):
and would actually become a pretty legitimate and good earner
for the Fatigo crew. He also maintained a job, a
legitimate job as a crane operator in an engineering union. However,
the problem for Willi Boy is when you were committing crimes,
when you're out running the streets, when you were involved
(07:06):
with a criminal entity and an organized crime group, you're
going to be under the.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Ire of the police.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
And that's exactly what would happen to Willie Boy Johnson.
Before we get into that, though, I want to talk
about kind of the dynamic between Willie Boy and John Gotti,
because the difference between John and Willi Boy was one
in the fact that Willy Boy would never become a
made member.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
He was not fully Italian. John was. And one thing
we would find about John Gotti over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Now, I'm just going to be quite frank this has
nothing to do with his involvement of the mafia, but
he was a horrible friend. I think that's been uncovered
time and time again by just the way he treated
people that he called friends. Right, we've heard that about
the likes of Jackie Nose Dimico, who was constantly being
verbally assaulted by John Gotti.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
John Gotty talked about all sorts of people.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
He talked about, Joe the Cat, he talked about, you know,
all these different people behind their backs, right, But some
people he talked very badly about to their face, and
Willie Boy was one of them. It was said that
he would constantly call Willy Boy half breed and you know,
different things about being an Indian. He was constantly just
(08:23):
kind of breaking his balls, which again friends do that.
But you know, I think eventually you become a bit
kind of irritated, You become a bit maybe disenchanted with
certain things.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
And what happens to Willy Boy is he gets arrested.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
In nineteen sixty six, Willi Boy Johnson is arrested on
arm robbery. He's eventually sent to prison. And I think
on the surface, Willie Boy had every intention of you know,
standing up, being a man.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's what he was.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
However, the problem is, and the mob sometimes falls apart
and doesn't do these sorts of things. The Fatigo crew
who says will take care of your family, Willi Boyd
believes that they will.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
They don't. Willi Boy.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Johnson would eventually state that his wife was actually unwelfare
she had no money.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So he becomes very irritated. So what does he do.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
He goes to the FBI and says, Okay, you know what,
fuck these people, I'm going to cooperate. Now what would
happen is WILLI Boy would eventually become.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
A very very trusted informant.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
In fact, he was regarded as ci BQ five to
five eight dash te.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Now the te and the FBI would mean that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Willy Boy was regarded as a quote top echelon informant. Now,
I also want to state what Willy Boy would tell
the FBI as far as files about his relationship with
John Gotti Sr. Before I do that, though, I want
to talk about the book Underboss by Peter Moss involving
(10:03):
Sammy Gravano. That book would state, although on the surface,
Willie Boy played the quote obedient tanto to Gody's lone Ranger,
he seemed to take special pleasure in reporting Gotti to
the FBI. Gotty's idea of humor left plenty to be desired,
and Johnson seed with resentment.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
As Gotti delivered divisive asides about redskins and half breeds
and often treated Willy Boy as a second class citizen. Now,
Willyboy would stay to the.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Government about Gotti quote, sometimes I love him, sometimes I
hate him. You know, he wears these fucking expensive suits now,
but he's still a lot of bullshit. He's a fucking mutt.
Don't be fooled by that exterior. So again, there are
times where as friends Gotti and Nigeria are Gero Gotty
(11:01):
and Willie Boy are closed, Willy Boy gets very sick
of the constant barbes to him, you know, treating him
like shit. He would say that Fatiko would treat him
kind of like a gopher.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Make him, you know, do low end things.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And I think the book, in terms of what they
said about Willy Boy, was right. There was a lot
of resentment of Willi Boy towards people like John and
I think they kind of pushed Willy Boy a little
too far. Now, As I said, the government regarded Willy
Boy as a top echelon guy, and we would learn
that throughout his approximately fifteen to seventeen years to in
(11:38):
forem him, he was very destructive not only to John Gotti,
but to other crime families.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
As well. Now, in the nineteen seventy four arrest.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Of John Gotti involving the whacking of James McBratney and
Staten Island, the federal government would state that mister Johnson
aka Willie Boy, was the soul reason John Gotti was
arrested in that case and that his information, you know,
(12:07):
was the detriment.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
If they didn't have.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
His information, John may have not been arrested, and that
Willibig quoted saying that he had heard John Gotty boasting
about it, that he had been a part of it.
So John Gotty went away for several years due solely
too Willie Boy Johnson, and nobody knew it. Willieboy would
also provide various very big gems about not only Gotti
(12:31):
but other mobsters.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Who were moving drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
He would also give information about the whereabouts of Paul
Verrio's junkyard to where Verio would have conduct conversations and
do business and down the road Vario was arrested. He
would also discuss very important information about the Pleasant Avenue
crew and their exploits in the junk business up in
(12:57):
East Harlem. Now, while doing all this providing of information,
it was obviously secret.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
He was a ci Willie Boy.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Was engaging in committing business for the family. In approximately
nineteen seventy nine, Willie Boy Johnson is given a hit
on a person called Anthony Tony Plate. Palate now Pilate
was a killer in his own right and a very
feared individual.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
He moves his business to Miami.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
He's a important conduit in Miami for the Gambino crime family. Eventually, though,
Neil Dela Croce wants him dead because Neil believes some certain.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Things about him. He has to take care of a
hit for Neil.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Neil wants to distance himself from Tony Plate, so he
gives the Gotti group the hit. Now, this is also
said to be one of the only hits we know
that John Gotti may have actually been the trigger man
in From what we understand, Gotti, Ruggierio and Willie Boy
(13:59):
were involved in and taking out Tony Plate and that
would happen again in Miami. It was also said that
Willie Boy was one of the eight people involved in
the eventual nineteen eighty kidnapping of John Favara. Josh Vavara
obviously the man who sadly by accident, killed John Gotty's
(14:21):
youngest son, Frank Gotti. In nineteen eighty, it was said
that Willy Boy was in a crash car and was
involved in getting rid of what we would be perceived
as a whacked Favara. So Willi Boy's doing at all.
He's earning, he's cooperating, giving information. He's also killing people
(14:43):
and living two lives.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
In his mob life.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He is a dependable killer who makes money for the family,
and in the FBI's eyes, he is an extremely important,
divisive cooperator, so he's doing it all. The Willie Boy eventually, though,
would be arrested, and according to the FBI and the NYPD,
(15:08):
he was selling narcotics. He was seen handing a bag
to an individual who handed him a bag back. He
would claim Willie Boy that the money was from gambling,
and he decides not only to you know, take it
on the chin, but he tells the NYPD at that
time and also give them information. So he's given information
(15:28):
to the NYPD, the FBI, and he also starts to
not only give information on people, but where bodies are,
where gambling locations are, which would lead to the arrests
of people like Frank Adchico.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He was also giving layouts.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Of the new home of Angie Rugierio, who is obviously
involved in selling junk with Gee Gotti. He provides the
FBI information on you know, what room is which, where
they can install this, where they can install that, and
again this would lead to the arrests of mister Ruggierio,
which can be seen here. So this is all really
(16:09):
really bad for the mob, and this guy is probably
at the time one of the most important cooperators they have. Now,
mister Johnson makes it abundantly clear, though I will never testify,
this is strictly a secret thing. And he didn't really
earn that much money he was earning me. He had
earned maybe a few thousand dollars over the course of this.
(16:32):
But you know, it's not like Willie Blue is becoming
a rich man over his cooperation.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
By nineteen eighty.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Four, though, the federal government is starting to you know,
really set John Gotti into their crosshairs. They want him,
they want Angie Uggierio, they want all these different people.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And that's where you know, a very publicized.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Story Diane jack Alone, she's the assistant US attorney at
the time. They're looking to obviously get everybody indicted. The
problem is Jacqueline realizes that some of the information involved
in is Willy Boy and that she plans to out
him as a cooperator.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Now, one thing that I'll.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Be honest, I'd never heard before, John Gleeson recently stated,
and I had interviewed John I was the first person
interviewed John Gleeson years ago.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
I had heard in a recent discussion.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
You know a lot of people have gotten on Jack
Alone over the years for basically outing Willie Boy as
a cooperator. Why would she do that? And again, on
the surface, it looks really questionable. If you're the FBI,
you basically put him into the crosshairs and in harm's way.
He gives you all this information and this is the
thanks he gets. According to John Gleeson, he would state
(17:48):
that the reason Jack Alone was so upfront about putting
him out there was not only was some of his
information very important to their indictment, but Willie Boo's making
a mockery of his cooperation.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He was out there killing people.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
He was involved in the murder of Tony Plate in
nineteen seventy nine.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You know, he was he was a criminal, He was
a killer.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
He needed to be taken off the street, and you know,
we needed to put it all out there about what
he was up to.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
He didn't deserve anything more than that.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Jack Alone, nonetheless, not only wants to do it, but
she is supported by her superior, Eastern District Attorney Raymond Deary,
So everybody's on board with.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Her outing Willie Boy. Now, Willie Boy knew that he
was a dead man.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
He would tell his superior and so his you know
FBI guy, a guy called Andrew Abbott, that he was
a dead man and that if you guys put this
out there, I'm a dead man. Nonetheless, in March of
nineteen eighty five, Willie Boy's name appears alongside people like
(18:58):
John Gottie, Jean de la Croache, To Carniglias, Lenny d Maria,
Nikki Carazo, all the people arrested road Trampino. They're all
listed as co conspirators Nogain. Still nobody knows that Willy
Boy is the rat, the last person to be arraigned
(19:18):
that day.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
And here we can morning mister Johnson ready for troll.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
There you could see Willy Boy being let into everything.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Willy Boys the last to be arraigned that day.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Now, jack alone would state that no condition of bail
would secure mister Johnson's appearance. Now, the judge in the
case would state, you know, why is that. At that point,
jack Alone would say, quote, he's been an informant over
the last fifteen years. Williboy would jump up and state, quote,
(19:58):
not true, your honor, And that's where the water starts
flowing through. And it's now known that Willy Boy is
a cooperator. Not only is a cooperator, but he has
been a secret informant for over a decade, a decade
and a half.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Not good. Not good.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
They would basically put Willy Boy in twenty three hour confinement.
He's basically in protective custody because if anybody gets a
hold of him, that's that Willi Bou would state, he's
not testifying.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Da da da da da.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
And eventually, according to Samy Gravano, you know, everything kind
of passes, Willy Boy distances himself from the government. Blah
blah blah blah blah. Now, according to Samy Gravano gott
he is eventually housed with Willy Boy and himself. Sammy
(20:55):
would stay quote it was up on the ninth floor.
John told Willie Boy, you did a bad thing for
all them years, but I'll forgive you.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It's not the first time it happened.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
You can never be with us again after this, but
nothing will happen to you now. WILLI Boy with Dan
as John, according to Gravano, to swear on his dead
son's head in terms of Frank Gotti, to which Gravano
claims John did. Willie Boy obviously never testified. John beat
the rap. Everybody's acquitted.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Blah blah blah blah blah. Now.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Sammy would then state quote John totally conned Willie Boy.
I don't know how he fell for this, but he
did lock stock barrel. So John Gotty gives WILLI Boy
his word. You don't testify. We're good in our eyes.
Nothing's gonna happen to you. You can't be around this anymore,
(21:51):
but you can live. Your family will be fine. Everybody
will be good. WILLI Boy buys it. He even buys
it to the point of after everything's figured out, Williboy eventually,
while being housed, has no money, He gets hit on
a drug charge, tries to sell narcotics, has to deal
with that.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Eventually everything ends.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
John Gleeson would state that he saw Williboy outside court
and tells him, you know, what the hell are you doing.
You got to get get out of here. You know
you're you're gonna be killed, to which Willi Boy basically says, well, no,
I'm not gonna be killed. Everything's gonna be fine. I
redeem myself. You know, John loves me. I'm good.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They told me they're not gonna do nothing to me now.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
I definitely believe that Willie Boy actually believed John Gotti
and they had been friends for decades.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Right, he sweared on his kid. How could he do that?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
And again, I think Willie Boy was very innocent in
terms of the way he thought. You know, it was
kind of you know, gullible. This is the mafia in
the end, and John did what he had to do
to get him not to testify, and he knew the
friendship meant nothing to him anyway, doesn't mean nothing to
me either. I gotta do what I gotta do now.
Gleason would tell him, you know, get out of town.
(23:12):
You know, he would stay. I had a construction job.
Everything's going to be fine. I'm just living my life.
And he would live his life and approx to me.
Late August nineteen eighty eight. August twenty ninth of nineteen
eighty eight, Willie Boy Johnson, early in the morning leaves
his home seventy two thirty three Roy's Place in the
(23:32):
Georgetown section of Brooklyn. He heads down those steps right
there to his car, which is a Mercury, goes to
the corner of the street, where he's accosted by two
shooters who fire nineteen rounds at Willie Boy.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
He's hit multiple times and is killed.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
The shooters that day were said to be, as we know,
Banano crime fan psycho Thomas Tommy Petera, as well as
a person called Vincent Kojak Guillatino. Both Tommy Karate and
Vincent Kojak Guillatino are still alive and I have served all
this time in federal prison one of the charges they
(24:17):
hit on Willie Boy. At the time of his death,
Willie Boy Johnson was fifty two years old. He was
eventually buried in a cemetery in Queens. His tombstone would
read beloved husband and father, We entrust our precious love
(24:39):
unto the Lord. I've always felt that Willie Boy Johnson
is a fascinating look into a person who I think
truly believed in the code. I think he truly believed
in friendship. I think he truly believed in John Gotti.
He had been friends with him for years. But I
(25:01):
think his resentment. I think John's constant jokes and barbes
and treating him like shit just kind of annoyed him,
just like it would annoy anybody, and Willie Boy got
back at him the only way he knew. It's weird
though that in the end it went back to, all right, John,
I'll do what you say, John, whatever you want John,
And he actually was kind of mystified into believing what
(25:24):
John told him. This is the difference between a true
blue gangster and someone who is not a true blue gangster.
I'm not going to tell you that Willy Boy wasn't
a tough guy or wasn't maybe a gangster for a
lot of his life. But John Gotty knew that friendship
didn't mean nothing to him, especially after he flipped on
him and did all those things. John did what he
had to do and had to do it. But it
(25:45):
all would have never happened if John would have just
been a decent friend to a guy that had been
good to him for years, and one of these things
was really I think and encoupling a lot of different
things that brought John Gotti down.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
I think Willie Boy was the sole reason John went away.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
No, but a lot of this couple together eventually led
to John Gotti's demise. Willi Boy Johnson very interesting individual. Nonetheless,
like I said, at the time of his death, very
violent death. He was fifty two years old. Thanks everybody
for watching and if you enjoyed it, let me know
(26:25):
what you think in the comments below, and if you'd
like to support my channel further, hit that super chat
thanks or the super thanks.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I come blow the video, see you next time. Here
all to sit there,
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