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IN THIS ISSUE
· 
Making Fredo Blush
· Politically Incorrect
· This Week in Mob History

8-6-01

Making Fredo Blush

     Fredo Corleone must be rolling over in his grave these days. The much maligned son of "Don Vito," who used to "bang cocktail waitresses two at a time" in Las Vegas, would be appalled at the Sex in the City carefree attitude going on in today’s underworld.

     First there is the recently completed mob trial in Staten Island featuring Joe "the German" Watts, a former "pal around" of John Gotti. Watts, who is really a Welshman, not a Kraut, struggled to look pathetic for the jurors – looking sickly and using a cane to get around. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Laurene Maron, a stunningly attractive platinum blonde, took the stand and wowed both jury members and spectators alike.

     The interest was not so much in her testimony at her ex’s trial, from which the jury returned deadlocked on the main charge, but rather in her new extra-curricular sexual activities as hostess of a high-class swinger’s club. Al Guart, a former AmericanMafia.com contributor, revealed in the New York Post on July 1 the new lifestyle of Watt’s former flame, to whom Watts was married from 1980 to 1996. She currently owns and operates "Angel’s Couples, "a wife swapping club that asks couples to donate $80 to attend its orgies."

     At her website, Anegelscouples.com, Maron describes herself as 5’8" tall, blonde hair, brown eyes, athletic in stature, with legs up to there." Perhaps that’s why the non-German Watts is looking so haggard these days – maybe she wore him out before he began his last prison stretch.

     Nothing could be as sordid, however, as the sex-extravaganza going on in Atlanta at the Gold Club trial. In the past few weeks several big name athletes, Patrick Ewing being the most prominently mentioned, have been called to the witness stand to discuss their sex-capades at Club Sin. A recent joke on the Tonight Show had Jay Leno telling the audience that it took two strippers to have sex with Ewing, the former New York Knick standout – one to perform the act the other to hold the ladder.

     Ewing testified the girls performed oral sex while Gold Club owner, Steve Kaplan, one of several defendants in the trial, stood by and watched. Kaplan, an alleged associate of the Gambino Crime Family, paid his dancer/strippers to have sex with athletes like Ewing, fellow NBA players Dikembe Mutombo, John Starks, Larry Johnson and Dennis Rodman, and NFL running back Terrell Davis, believing their presence at the Gold Club would be an added attraction for the high-class strip joint.

     During Atlanta Brave’s center fielder Andruw Jones’ testimony he claimed he had sex with two strippers, again while Kaplan watched. Sounds like Kaplan has some sick fetish.

     The Gold Club trial had been going on since the first week of May.

     If what is going on in Atlanta is sordid, then the soap opera that has become Carmine Agnello’s life can only be described as bizarre. How happy can John Gotti be now that word is out his less than brilliant son-in-law has been confirmed a philanderer. Not that the "Dapper Don" served as a role model for fidelity – i.e. Shannon Grillo and Lisa Gastineau.

     The ailing Gotti’s last commentary on his soon to be ex-son-in-law was, "So what’s the story with Carmine? Does he get in the backseat of the car and think someone has stolen the steering wheel?"

     Two weeks ago reporter Murray Weiss of the New York Post, which coincidentally employs Carmine’s talented wife, Victoria Gotti, as one of its Sunday columnists, wrote a couple of articles exposing Agnello’s relationship with Debbie DeCarlo, his overly devoted bookkeeper. It seems DeCarlo – described by Weiss at various times as "acid-tongued," "gutter-mouthed" and worst of all "frumpy," – had Agnello’s picture tattooed in the small of her back.

     Weiss stated that "when prosecutors closed in on their alleged criminal activities, DeCarlo tried to hide their intimate relationship from the feds, and Agnello’s wife Victoria, by covering up his face with another tattoo." Apparently Agnello’s mug can still be seen beneath a newly implanted bulldog on Miss DeCarlo’s butt.

     While a guest on Benny Anthony’s "Mafia Moment," a segment on KCXL radio in Kansas City, I inquired of Benny’s co-host Linda Williams if she would ever have the face of her boyfriend or husband tattooed on her hindquarters. "No," she replied. "It’s easier to get a divorce than to remove a tattoo."

     And speaking of divorce, that’s exactly what novelist Victoria Gotti is seeking from the "obsessive and possessive" and incarcerated Agnello, who is looking at 25 years in prison if convicted. While the only tattoos Carmine will be looking at for a while will be on the biceps of the general prison population, Victoria will be free to choose a new beau. We’ll see if Vicky gets a nod on the new love from the "Dapper Daddy" if he continues to hang on in his Springfield prison sickbed. Agnello was never a favorite of the former "Teflon Don."

Politically Incorrect Mafia Week         ^TOP

Host Bill Maher has let the mob take over his ABC nightly discussion show, "Politically Incorrect." Tuesday night’s show, actually Wednesday morning, featured Jerry Capeci, my former boss, along with actor Steve Schirripa, Uncle Junior’s caretaker on the Soprano’s, Roseanne Massa, the sister of Mikey DeBatt, one of Sammy’s 19 notches, and a mob lawyer.

     I found the half-hour show to be boring and disappointing. I felt the format followed no rhyme or reason and all of the guests ended up talking over one another especially Schirripa. What a waste of Capeci’s time and talent.

     Perhaps the remaining shows will come across with a little more substance.

This Week in Mob History         ^TOP

August 6, 1929 – Pittsburgh mob boss Steve Monastero was gunned down at the entrance to the Allegheny General Hospital.

August 6, 1951 – Jimmy "the Weasel" Fratianno etched his name in the "Mob Hits Hall of Fame" by killing Anthony Brancato and Anthony Trombino in Los Angeles. I covered this double murder in a column "The Two Tonys," that’s in the AM.com archives vault. It originally appeared on May 24, 1999. I recently came across the name Anthony Brancato in the book "Most Wanted: A History of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted." It said his name was added to the list on June 27, 1951 and he was apprehended two days later. No other information was listed. Anyone out there have any info?

August 6, 1960 – Cleveland/Youngstown mobster Vincent Innocenzi was reported missing by his wife. A week later his decomposing body was found near Akron.

August 11, 1922 – New York gangster Umberto Valenti was murdered by gunmen working for Joe "the Boss" Masseria after a "peace conference." The shooting, in which two bystanders were wounded, took place a week after Valenti tried to murder Masseria in a broad daylight attack that took the life of another bystander.

August 11, 1954 – Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante, Sr. died of natural causes and was succeeded by his son who would run the mob family until his death in 1987.

August 12, 1933 – In Kansas City gunmen working for Johnny Lazia murdered local hood Ferris Anthon. Unfortunately for the killers they ran into heroic Sheriff Tom Bash while making their escape. The sheriff and a deputy were on their way home from an ice cream social with Mrs. Bash and a fourteen-year-old neighbor girl. Bash slammed on the brakes, grabbed a riot gun and he and the deputy jumped out and blasted away at the getaway car. Killed instantly were Sam Scola and Gus Fascone. Charley Gargotta jumped from the car and emptied his revolver at Bash, missing every shot. Throwing down the gun, he pleaded, "Don’t shoot me – Don’t shoot me!" A fourth gunman escaped. Political connections saved Gargotta from a murder charge and he ended up serving just 19 months in prison. He was murdered in a sensational double killing in 1950.

August 12, 1975 – Mario DeStefano, brother of Chicago psychopathic killer "Mad Sam" DeStefano, died of natural causes. For more info on "Mad Sam" see my two columns from May 1999.



Contact: AllanMay@AmericanMafia.com




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