How The New York Mafia Actually Works | How Crime Works | Insider
Former New York Mafia made member John Pennisi speaks to Insider about how the mob actually works.
John Pennisi was born and raised in an Italian New York neighborhood where the mob had huge influence. He speaks on how he ended up being an associate with the Gambino family through John Gotti Jr. before he became a made member of the Lucchese crime family in 2013. Pennisi says he decided to leave the mob in 2018 after members of his crew falsely accused him of cooperating with law enforcement. Since leaving the mob, Pennisi has been writing blogs on sitdownnews.com and producing a podcast covering topics of organized crime on / sitdownnews .
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - The rules
02:51 - The five families
04:21 - The hierarchy
05:34 - The ceremony
07:16 - The responsibility
09:44 - The corruption
10:50 - The origin
11:59 - The rise & fall
13:53 - The NY mob’s future
15:50 - The plugs
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How The New York Mafia Actually Works | How Crime Works | Insider
I live in a place with a mob presence. It is not romantic like the movies make it look. When he says "You don't choose this life, it chooses you," it doesn't mean in some abstract sense, like it's your destiny. It means someone realizes they can use and exploit you, so they suck you into it when you're too young to know better.
Like marriage?
yea soundss like the military and everything else huh?
@@Qunyc1985 what country you from? must be a shitty miliary if youre being used and exploited by them
yeah exactly, they use kids as runners because they have no records, general scumbag s*** like that. then you have this Andrew Tate Guy saying that organized crime is good crime LOL
If you look into Chicago drill culture and the gang violence it's crazy. It's teenagers killing people really young and looping even rappers and other famous people in it. Chief Keef was not able to go back to his hood because the streets wanted him to pay of bonds to known criminals from O'block. Like...just cause I'm famous and I made a way out means I have to associate myself with people who will ultimately be my downfall or get killed? All because we're from the same hood.
"When you have an organization that no longer follows its own rules, it weakens the organization". This applies to most organizations, from Churches to hospitals.
This applies to the current events in the United States..
Very true, as a Christian I have seen many believe they were following Christianity but were following some cult with a Christian mask on. Whatever you believe or are apart of you need to know what it truly is about or someone can easily trick you or lead you down a bad road as they are deceived themselves. For me that means studying the Bible and knowing all the parts that talk about certain topics to get a clear picture of the message instead of just one part that is twisted but people wouldn't know because they don't know the rest.
I beg you to name one organization that ever followed its own rules. Make sure you get out and vote (LOL)
Not only that, but people who adhere to the old rules are pariahs
Funny how hospitals and churches (Catholic) are both organizations controlled by the mob
My mom lived near a mafia family in Chicago in the 80s. She said they used to throw really expensive furniture away like it was nothing, so she would grab it and use it in her apartment lol. She also said areas near the mob families were the safest places to be. As long as you weren't involved in mob activity, no one was gonna mess with you. Small time criminals weren't tolerated
🤡
@@ivand0007 The mob (or any intelligent crime org) doesn't rob their neighbors, that's how you make home uncomfortable. You're the only clown here lol
Mr. Happy yeahh safe until they knock on your door that yu habe to pay 500 a month for their protection and if yu dont yu have a big problem
@@jackma3730 yuuup.
Except the didn't extort families
John Pennisi: I don't think they're able to corrupt the politicians as they were years ago. Politicians: Who needs mafia when you have corporations!
Brought to you by Pfizer tm
Truth. Great comment.
true
Yeah they just got outbid
I'd reather the mob at least there honest with you lol
Him: “You were not allowed to kill women and children…” Me thinking: “Wow what a relief to hear!” Him: “… of mob families.”
Exactly. You heard right the SECOND time.
The first part is what people glorify and romanticizes about the mafia. The second part is what they ignore while doing all that glorying.
this rule is mostly gets broken, so even if you're a wife of a mob family, you're still not safe.
😂
😂
What I notice is that every ex-member of mafia crime families that are fortunate to get away alive, are so intelligent, tough, confident and so well spoken. You can see the guy explain so well how the things worked, the rules and the importance following them. I'm not glorifying what they did and are doing, but their system is so well made and the rules are so important. Excellent video!
They generally are better people than the ones actually running the country lol
@@SlimPickins_07 They are not better people.
Terrorists are also organized and the rules are important. Even Nazis were organized and had important rules. You people who glorify these evil people I don't get. These are psychopaths and terrorists.
@@vinnidavinci3932 meh, that's your opinion. You are welcome to have it. Most of these people don't watch people live in poverty and do nothing about it when they have a choice, and they also don't force people into slavery in the largest prison system in the world.
@@SlimPickins_07 The fact that they are lazy bums and killers is not my opinion it's a fact. Comparing is kinda stupid, would you compare nazis and make justification on who's worse? There's nothing good about the mafia, they are evil psychopaths. They are are racists and they will only provide for their families and only those in their circle. They are no better, they are not some selfless saints. You people have seen too many movies.
My grandfather was nearly beaten to death in the 60s bc he refused to play ball with the mob. He owned a road construction company. The people with honor are those who stand up to the mob.
You're someone who is being honest
😅
Haha gramps got slapped up. The mafia is so badass.
@@TaniasUncle you're definitely either 12 or someone who's lived a VERY sheltered life. organized crime isn't something to be glorified or romanticized
@@talonalexander7161 mafia the only YTs i respect. They tough. Rest of them mfs be corny and scared of they own shadow
When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn and they arrested Carl Gambino. We found out he lived right around the corner from my family's house. Not a lot of people knew and his house was simple.
You must have lived on Ocean Parkway
Next video: Alien breaks down alien scenes in movies
It could happen but alien's are demons so that would be scary
Next Video: The strange disappearance of John Pennisi.
😂
How the alien abduction and probing actually works
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Crazy to think that the mafia is still a thing in today's world.
@MACizera Why? There´s stll social clubs even although not even close to the amount back in the day and not as visible
They’ve had a big presence in Canada the past few years
@MACizera Criminals In Action
The fact that there's 420 comments. I know this is random but I've always believed strip clubs were an organized crime thing. Cops and robbers and questionable ppl all over the ladder, anyone suspicious..., me: idek who the bad and good guys r. Them: nodds in silence. Even w/ a sympathetic look. Im gonna not thug it out but simbas dads voice in the background echoing: these ppl r not ur friends! 'memember! Always remember. Also me staring at gang posters & all its symbolism ish, in the probation officers office, p.o.: you thinking about joining? My head: damn, I can't just look at stuff? U r taking forever to do paperwork. Me outloud: no. Id just rather not be ignorant of my surroundings. It baffles me how sometimes ppl never look past a surface. This wasn't an invite either.
For as long as there is a black market, there will be organised crime. The Italian-American mafia is just one of many OC groups and one could argue that their power and influence has been exaggerated by film/television and the huge law enforcement effort to destroy them in NY and other places (Boston is a good example, where Whitey Bulger worked with the FBI to take out the Italian-American mob whilst getting a free pass to do the same things that they did). The Italian-American mafia is nowhere near as powerful as it used to be, largely because the kind of criminal activity that is profitable has changed and other organised crime groups have a monopoly on these activities. The best example would be drugs: the Italian-American mafia were once pivotal in bringing in heroin via the French Connection, back in Lucky Luciano's days, but the global trafficking routes have changed and different crime syndicates have formed and evolved to control the new routes and networks of distribution. One distinction is that organised crime is less structured around ethnic groups, although there are still organised groups that do organise themselves alongside ethnic lines, such as the Albanian Mafia, who control a large percentage of the cocaine coming into Europe from the import level, down to wholesale, retail and even street level in some places (London, for example). Then there are the mafia groups in Italy: the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra, the N'drangheta (considered now by some to be the most powerful mafia group in Italy, who have heavily infiltrated Masonic lodges and have massive dealings with banks in London). But what you see is that these traditionally ethnically structured groups working with other groups, i.e. the Sicilian mafia working with Nigerian Crime syndicates in Sicily, the Albanian Mafia working with the Camorra etc. and the Mexican Cartels working with anyone who can make them money, such as gangs in Britain that are not structured along ethnic lines but, rather, are syndicates made up of connected criminals, bound by profit above all. This has always been the case, but globalisation has forced criminals to relax any xenophobic inclinations they may have had in the past. But back to the original point: for as long as there is a black market or for as long as there are ways to make money illegally, criminals will organise in order to make profit. Russian criminals that are tech-savvy steal $billions and are alleged to work with the Russian State. The same can be observed in many nations and I suspect that certain cyber criminals that work in the US may enjoy the protection of the security services if, for example, they supply information on other criminals, which many top criminals do (one myth that people should certainly forget about is the idea that criminals don’t snitch!). Those Russian hackers we hear so much about may be connected to Russian Mafia groups who also deal in drugs, guns, human beings and whatever else there is a market for but which is illegal to buy and sell. Gang A, from location X, will work with Gang B in location Y to move product 1 to location Z, in exchange for money which was stolen via cyber crime. In turn, Gang C who control location Z may sell product 2 to Gang A in order to supply location X. All of these criminal groups will be organised and may or may not be structured along ethnic lines - Gang A for example might be made up of a syndicate of criminals from a range of ethnicities, while Gang C may be made up exclusively of Italians, Albanians, Russians, Turks, Chinese, Brits or whatever else. It is incredibly complicated and the days in which the idea was that a small group of Italian Americans controlled all organised crime are certainly in the past and, moreover, our understanding or assumptions about this period of the history of criminality are quite naive. Films like Goodfellas have helped to create a romantic image that is massively misleading and exaggerated. Goodfellas in particular is a good example of this: Henry Hill was a low-level associate of a crew in an Italian-American mafia “Family” - he was a drug addict and was not high up the ladder at all, but the film portrays him as being a far more powerful and respected person than he actually was. Great film but very inaccurate which glorifies a person and his life which were not glorious at all. An honest portrayal of that man and his life and crimes would be a very ugly, sad and pathetic film. Organised crime has been around since there have been A) markets and B) laws which dictate what can and cannot be bought and sold within these markets. Organised crime will be around for as long as this is the case. The days of the Italian-American mafia, their "glory" and their reign are a tiny blip on the radar and the history, present and future of organised crime is far more complicated than assuming that a group of well-dressed Italian Americans in a couple of cities control the whole show. At least we got some great films and TV out of that particular organised crime group though, eh?
I worked with a guy of Italian heritage who would get pretty darn upset when you talked about the mafia. I was a huge Sopranos fan and made the mistake of mentioning that once. He just found it so insulting. Funny part, a few years later when we were much closer I happened to ask why he always smoked different brands of cigarettes. He told me he smoked whatever brand his uncle brought over when he visited. His uncle regularly gifted him a few boxes of cartons of cigarettes. I was then treated to a couple hours of utterly fascinating tales.
Well now I have to ask, any particular tales that you recall stood out?
I can see why your friend would get upset. It’s even referred to in The Sopranos that the Jersey mob guys are as Italian as a can of Chef Boyardee
Imagine getting upset about the sopranos.
We used to bring a trunk full of cartons of cigs to my grandfather in NJ all the time. He got his menthols and got rid of the rest. It was a really good turn around
@osmoticmonk my Sicilian grandparents from Jersey City might disagree lol
11:30 He gives one of the greatest examples I've ever heard of the old saying: All it takes for the triumph of evil is for a good man to do nothing. Shame on anyone who doesn't shut down evil people when they have the chance to do so.
real easy for you to say that, but when you're in that position you might be thinking a little more in terms of self preservation...
I’d like to see how you’d stay alive while standing up to an organization when a good chunk of the law enforcement is known to be on pay roll back when 😂
Two Mafia hit-men are walking deep into a forest in the middle of the night. One of them says: "I gotta admit I'm scared out here." The other replies: "You're scared... I gotta walk back alone!"
This comment deserves way more up votes
Lol
This is to good
Thought that the McCann joke🙄😂
This one made me chukle...
Great interview. The thing that he didn't mention was the specific reason why he left. He left because one of the made members in his family was sleeping with his wife. That would get the guy killed. So instead of admitting to sleeping with his wife , they accused him of being a snitch so that person who was sleeping with his wife didn't get killed by breaking the Cosa Nostra rules.
I thought either way a snitch would be killed, snitching would normally get someone killed in most cases.
Very Machiavellian
You mean the first guy or the second guy?
Wait so this guy slept with another man’s wife or was it vice versa? You worded it weird
@@bluetie1058 sorry for the confusion. What I was trying to say is that this guy being interview names Pennisi left the mafia because another made member was sleeping with Pennisi’s wife behind his back which is a death sentence in cosa nostra. So instead of the guy coming clean (and getting killed by Cosa nostra ) , he made up a lie saying that Pennisi was a snitch so that he wouldn’t get killed for breaking mafia rules.
I like the way he said "when the organization doesn't follow it's own rules, it weakens" that's even noticeable now w/ the government's too
Always wondered how much you would have to make to compensate from either the constant threat of death from someone inside the organization or long-term jail sentences from law enforcement.
A lot. Basically every made man is either a millionaire or taken care of by one and never has to worry about money...
@@CornPopWazABadDude lol nope
@@justincraig398 how does it go then?
@@episode1439 Today, many struggle just to make a "living wage". Traditional means of earning for mafiosi (extortion, numbers, slot/vending machines, etc.) has done nothing but decline in availability over the last decades. Because their codes often dictate what specific activities can or cannot be undertaken, it leaves members with a very narrow range, and that range is often high-risk/low-reward, such as robbery and swag sales. More regulation = less earnings for the mob. They are very, very slow to adapt to environmental changes, and the changes in recent years have been exceedingly difficult to deal with.
@@episode1439You have a monthly fee defined by your capo (roughly 2 thousand 5 thousand bucks, stricter capos can go up to 10 thousand 15 thousand per month). The capos then deliver a monthly fee to the boss through middlemen. Since the underboss and consiglieri can also be considered capos, they don't require a tribute per se. It's a common misconception that every made guy is rich. Some associates and soldiers can be desperate to make the monthly tribute, and some live in poorer conditions. The capos though, live better lives than average and bosses are rich, though most don't flash it out
I use to drive limousines in Vegas and every time this guys come in, they always stay in Bellagio and they always tip very well. Very respectful and always very nice to me, asking how m i doing ect. That kindness and respect made my day. Anyone working with this guys will tell you the same. I got some rich Hollywood type arrogant aholes coming in too and i rather serve this guys than anyone else. Not just for the tips, for the respect they give to little people like me.
Your not little because you offer good service to others 👍
Respect yourself my friend. If you are earning a living and paying your way, you aren't one of the little people
@@hornylorney8150 absolutely my friend. God bless
Shut up and drive weirdo. Im paying you for a service not to be your friend.
bro hasnt worked a day in his life
A friend of mine worked for years and is still connected to the Camorra (the 'mafia' of region Campania, of which Naples is the capital). He explained me he was always on the alert for troubles because he knew he could trust only very few of his 'colleagues'. One day, three of them asked him to jump in the car and go for a ride with them. He hadn't done anything wrong and yet during that short trip he convinced himself they were going to kill him. He'd misunderstood their intentions, but that gives you an idea of how it feels to be part of such organisations...
He’s smart not to trust people, they might go yapping to the whole world on KZhead where you and your account are traced and monitored.
The Naples Mafia is very scary. The control the entire city and make sure that no crimes are committed, especially during tourist season. I saw a special long ago about some tiny mobster head that everyone was afraid of.
Exactly, in the end none of them can trust each other so eventually they start killing each other Asimov's Cascade effect in action
@@ETAisNOW oh please, how lame 😒
@@ETAisNOW Haha... Facts...
Very little about crime is how it is portrayed. Greed and people who get involved but have not thought it through and have no idea what they are doing are major downfalls. It's frightening it's living in fear and your on your own be under no illusions. If you can't shut up don't get involved. That's the hardest part. It's not going down the club and being top dog. Predictable, keeping your head down and its a job. You'll get out what you put in and you have to be lucky all the time and I don't miss it one bit
I hate how glorified crime is in movies and tv.
What a way to answer his critics who accused him of talking to the police.
“They falsely accused me of ratting, so I ratted”
I DON'T think he did. Many people who" LEAVE " street gang remain loyal to their "Hood". Please REMEMBER most people in the neighbourhood' are NEVER CRIMINALS.
@@BradsGonnaPlay Well at that point you don't really have a lot of options do you?
Has he ratted, though? He just says stuff that anyone who has seen godfathers or read a bit knows already. He being recruited by John Gotti Jr was the closest to telling inside stuff, and that wasn't close.
If you ever escape the mob, you owe the mob NOTHING and can spill all so long as you aren't spilling directly to the feds via witness protection. Mob is a life you can't go in and out of.
"I don't think they're able to corrupt the politicians as they were years ago" Well yeah, the politicians saw that they could cut out the middle man and just get the payments themselves!
Has a truer statement ever been made?
indeed!!!
Well what is lobbyism if not corruption in broad daylight?
@@andreasfredriksen5225 Just straight up theft. Russia is just as bad if not worse.
Yes, and No, power just shifted. They Mafia aren't needed anymore. Now Big Tech are the new Mafia. But the real people in charge have been in charge from the beginning. The World Banker families. Self proclaimed Luciferians from their own books and publications.. The Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Morgans, Duponts, Bushs, Warburgs, Kuhn Loebs, Lazards, Goldman Sachs and the Lehmans are the ones ruling the world. They are the most powerful families today. And they control the money, the oil, the drug trade, and all material resources and the companies that own them.. Today's politicians just have there hands out hoping to catch scraps that fall from these families tables or they serve them directly.
A+ interview. This guy is so fascinating to listen to. I could listen to him for hours talking about the mafia. I wonder if the shifting demographics would lead to the triads replacing the mafia
No lol the rico is still a thing.
Ye cannae change the laws of physics ya big Vulcan pricc ya...! It's obvious really; ye cannae change the demographics demographics demographics demographics...ye cannae change the demographics demographics Jim!
@@acerbicatheist2893 There's Triads on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow, there's Triads on the starboard bkw, starboard bow Jim.
He has his own channel on here where he discusses various stories from his past - sitdownnews. Great channel.
Doubtful. Gang members generally come from a poor background. But immigration from China to the US is currently limited to privileged people, because of US quotas on legal immigration, and it's hard for a person from China to come to the US illegally (can't just hop a wall).
Interesting interview. Very well put together
I remember a local family in my old town got run off a bridge by a drunk driver. The mafia family in town always looked out for people so they found the drunk truck driver and yea it didn’t end well for him. From what I heard, he got stabbed to death in prison. I remember the funeral for the family was all paid for by the mafia since the grandparents didn’t have enough to cover the costs for the family of four that had passed.
this was the most honest guy ive seen to talk about the mafia without an ego, he just told it as it is
😂😂😂
Probably because his rank was quite low like I don't see a reason to have an ego when you're that low in the organisation
@@klaus9637 au contraire I've known guys who worked legitimately with 'local businessmen ' (in their bars,shops,etc) who acted like they where in the godfather. It's the people with brains who actually live this life who keep their heads down and don't let themselves have a big ego
@@johnyoung2877 that could be it as well tbh he seemed like a genuine guy
You can never, really tell with these guys - they're opportunists at heart.
Political conditions, economic conditions along with high crime were ripe for organized crime to grow during the 60s 70s 80s and into the 90s. It was actually a catalyst for the families growth. I can’t see theses eras returning that gave rise to the mob. This video is very insightful in how and why the mob flourished once upon a time. And then again who knows!
not with how tech is now. they would never make it as big as what they were back then. like christ japan for the yakuza made it where if you even sold anything to them as a normal shop keep you would be fined huuuuuge so the money was useless
Well I mean the cartels aren’t hurting so it’s still thriving it’s just the Mexicans have the market right now.
The decline of the Mob was also tied with the decline of the Unions - which I don’t think is anywhere near Hoffa’s era nowadays.
@@pereirafernando7413 decline of the mob started with the longer prison sentences and guys ratting on each other in the old days that didn’t happen
La Cosa Nostra is not what it was but the Italian Mob is still alive and well today. I suggest you look up Camorra(Neapolitan mob) and 'Ndrangheta(Calabrese mob). Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano is a great read. Roberto is a journalist that went deep undercover into the Camorra and exposed them. He is under witness protection of the Italian government. Heis considered a hero and the one that started the catalyst to push the Camorra out of Naples. There was a movie made but it was pretty bad. It was more like a collection of short films loosely based off stories in the book. The acting is...yeah. Also there is a more recent show, Gomorra on Sky Italia. It is an amazing depiction of how it still works. Great actors and great writing. I think there were a few seasons on Netflix. It is in Italian with subtitles but the subs are on point. Camorra have a presence in the US, mostly through legitimate businesses. They tend to keep under the radar in the US. I don't want to spoil it in case you want to read the book.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you for sharing your story. I grew up in NYC Chinatown so I am very familiar with Mulberry Street and Monroe Street. Looking forward to hearing your stories.
It always baffles me how these guys are allowed to talk to the public and don’t get killed. Do they have a deal with their past family? Why can some members leave and some end up dead thrown in the river?
The RICO law wiped out most of the families. Their power is thus less than before. Some good books on that. In Italy they've also made inroads against the mafia but it's still pretty strong there comparably speaking.
wow!! would you recommend some books? thank you so much !
@@damienholland8103 Why don't they enact a RICO Act or something similar over there then?
@@kommisar. because they expanded. Judges, politicians, CEO etc.. They try to get 'legit' in appearance, with solid fronts. Italy is corrupted to the core.
@@Bic4Colours OK, but they still enacted the RICO Act here in the States knowing full well that there were corrupt judges, DA's and politicians, so why don't they do the same thing in Italy to help fight the corruption?
His words are very concise and easy to understand. He didn't mess up not even once. No wonder they had him in the family. He probably could tell you what someone was wearing and their tag numbers 2 weeks ago. He probably relayed information to his family members as a job.
He probably relayed information to the judge and jury that’s why he’s “so concise “ this dude sat in a cell for a couple months was afraid so he worked with the feds dont give this scum no credit he probably robbed and oppressed small businesses and whatever these bums do…
@@xxray88jlxx to be fair to mr Pennisi he has completely renounced that life.most of the others come across as insincere and still think they're gangsters.
@@xxray88jlxx didn’t he do like 17 years for a murder before all of the ratting…coulda sworn he did some hard time
You hit it on the head! I don't know if the mob and its inner workings have ever been explained so efficiently. Great vid.
@@xxray88jlxx I agree. But the actual explanation of how "The Life" works was delivered in a very understandable and precise manner, without bragging or swaggering. From a purely educational standpoint--say, for someone who has no idea whatsoever what Cosa Nostra is about--an explanation like this will give them the utmost insight into The Life. There's a reason why "The Insider" interviewed him.
very informative, thanks john, i think you're risking a lot talking like this
His way of explaining the ceremony is much more detailed than what Michael Franzese explained, although it is similar. I assume eachfamily has variations of how they conduct it.
I agree. The ceremony which for example used to include during the 1970's when wearing side burns for men were all the rage again with Oooga horns blaring every time somebody got a trophy wife again during day light hours instead. A trophy wife to do all of the unpaid out in the open work for der boss man. Which is some of the reasons as to why the T.V. show called, "All in the Family" became so wildly popular for big city dwellers to watch.
When the mob was discovered by the public, it became a downward spiral from that point on; also glamorizing the organization in Hollywood caused many Italian Americans to act more pretentious, which really brought down the organization.
Yeah, from what I heard it was never like the movies until the movies made them act in that stereotype.
Every fat Italian guy think's he's connected now.....probably to a fork and spaghetti
Foooogettttabattt it
The main fall started at the apalachin meeting where they caught a lot of people and brought the Mafia to the limelight. Even J Edgar Hoover couldn't deny their existence at that point
💯
I grew up selling fireworks and electronics for La Cosa Nostra members in the suburbs of Boston. Many don’t know, they use minors to transport stolen goods, drugs, guns, and in my case, fireworks. I was always one to two degrees away from being able to identify anyone who was a made guy. They used associates to manage the fireworks business so that if we ever got caught, and one of us were to squeal, the person who took the blame was never the actual people in control. I never got caught and when I turned seventeen I was replaced by other kids who were around the same age when I started, which was 14. I could never be a made guy because father was Irish and my mother was Italian. I got lucky and went to college, which meant I moved away. Years went by and I learned most of the people who employed us were in jail or dead. It’s always the same story.
You look like this man no cap
You lucked out not to be directly involved to be clipped if you got caught.
@@piero17y65 Agreed. We could be brothers or cousins
Loved you guys up in the North End! Hooked us up good.. no rip-offs, good prices.. we'd jump off at N. station & walk up to our promised land.. the good old 70's... I miss them days & seeing you guys. Great people
@@bhall4996 That big heavy guy sitting on the lawn chair smoking a cigar circa 1980. Turned out to be a boss years later. You’re right the prices were economical and they had mortars Saturn missiles cakes with grand finales.
'I have to watch everywhere I go and everything I do'......'I know what, I'll put myself on the biggest video platform in the world'....... I've watched a lot of vid's like this recently, mafia, drug smugglers, bank robbers....that's a lot of exposure for people I imagine have enemies.
This was awesome
The cons far outweigh the pros when it comes to the mob. Listen to this man and learn. He lived "the life". He knows first hand what it is and what it isn't. Thank you, John. :o)
History of NATO.
@@victoreklofslott8093 ttttttttttttttttttttttttt ggtttttt try 5
He was not in the mob, he was gopher wanna-be.
@@TOMVUTHEPIMP Ahhh... so you KNOW John was never made. Interesting. I've read thousands of comments on John Pennisi and never ONCE did anyone say he wasn't made. You're the first and I'm sure you can back up what you're saying...unless this is just an opinion.
@@dimitristripakis7364 Dignified or vilified ?
"I'm Adam Richman. A criminal who's held nearly every job in the Mob biz. Now I'm on a journey to find America's greatest mafia hangouts. And take on the country's most legendary mob bosses. I'm no competitive killer, just a regular guy with a serious appetite for organised crime."
Looks nothing like the guy.
Found a lame fbi agent
Underrated comment
What show is this from again??😂
@@bernieee12 A food show can’t remember what it was called. It had Adam Richmannin it
All-in-all, I appreciate this mans insight into the wprld that he saw/ experienced. I wish him whatever joy that may be possible for him.
I love how they’re constantly killing each other 😂
Hi is their a way to keep the memory? Anoying setting sound bass etc every time lol thanks
Likes the way he talks , speaks very clearly and makes his points very clearly and shows pics and videos along with his statements. A lot of guys just sit there and talk which is great but the pics and videos along with comments makes video much much better with exceptions of Michel fransese , Sammy and alite. Those three are amazing story tellers and talk with style
Franzese is great
You understand he's not showing pictures or videos right? He's just talking, then insider edited it and put the pictures and videos in
Especially Alite is a great story teller, wish at least half of it was true tho
the Mafia are racist fascists. got it.
"He talk good good, small ape like"
I rewatched that episode with Tony and Ralphie and the horse. The importance of that episode really flew over my head when I was younger. Great writing
His wig comes off 😂
It was a fuckin horse! 100 grand a piece? What are you a fuckin vegetarian? You eat beef and sausage by the carload!
I'm still convinced Paulie torched that horse to this day!
@@zman2241 Paulie!? How on earth did u come to that conclusion?
@@atlebakke Little details. Watch the episode again and you'll pick up on it. I do not think Ralph did it
appreciate your story.
A fabulous speaker. A dangerously brilliant man.
"Once you limit moneymaking and moneyearning, you're taking away power because money brings power." This, coupled with his admission that drug money is still lucrative for mob families, is another reason among many why the War on Drugs is hurting this country more than helping.
Yep, that's absolutely bang on.
Just like with alcohol. Put the stuff in the stores behind the counter or have specialty stores. The stores can decide what they want sell or if they want to sell. The states and counties can regulate it as they see fit. You can expect to see a rise in other crimes (not that it is not happening now), however this would start to drop as police will have more resources from not having to deal with finding drug dealers and the added tax revenue. You would be solving problems in our country and also Mexico.
The mob has to change with the times. Mobsters need to be educated in order to infiltrate the area where the money really is. That being crypto and Tech sectors. You cant steal the money if you dont know how the game is played. There is more money out there than ever,the question is will the mob develope a modern gangster that has the necessary skills to be innovative and crafty enough to infiltrate sectors that havent been compromised. There are always new industries or niches that can yield big money. The question is will the the quality of mobster evolve to to a modern day earner. The life has to be truly believed in and the mafia has to be willing to invest in its future with education and innovation. Big part depends on whether current leadership has the brains or patience to realize the future needs to be invested in right now.
Cosa nostra didn’t sell drugs, that’s a rule you get killed for it ! And the guys that did were eventually caught and killed, or doing it under the table !
@@ram0666 the mob needs to change with the times and get a job like the rest of us. If they have dirty money, they can make investments in crypto and stocks after laundering it. They can easily start businesses to become legit. But they dont want to because they like the life of crime. Its stupid to keep trying it. They all fail eventually.
Very good video! Very informative and interesting. You are well spoken and intelligent. This was great to watch!
How is this guy still alive? Good on him for coming forward and giving an incredible interview!
He suggests he is some form of witness protection.
Since its all about greed Im sure he paid them off
Always with the scenarios
There's some kind of strange irony going on here that he was accused of being an informant, said it isn't true, and here he is explaining the ins and outs of the mafia to a journalist for "Insider".
Actually most of everything he said is public information and widely known by people who even remotely know anything about the Cosa Nostra.
He’s a rat with no job and no future other than to rat some more. Who ever is taking guys like this guy seriously is also a rat!! RAATTTT LOOVERRRRSSSS
He's not ratting anybody out
@@mozes3280 sure nerd, like you know anything about that life
@@chrisreynolds2410 lol how are you gonna lie about something when everyone knows the truth
I've always had my doubts about the honor/loyalty thing. They'll screw each other out of money, sleep with incarcerated members' wives, deal drugs, etc. That thing about them not dealing drugs is bullshit. They'll find some way to profit from drug dealing.
Italian mob was the only one In New York. Besides them, Mexican mob, Russians, Albanians, Chinese are all In the City and region..
@@bryandelatorre7832 there is still police mob in the state 😂😂🤣xD
If a Made Guy/Connected Guy" Associate" was Aware He could make Big money Via Drug Trade Chances are gonna jump on that then can talk up the wall "I Don't do that" all Day & Invest that Dope Money in Legit Company's,(Construction Companies-Drywall-Demolition, Rebar Installation, Garage's, Restaurant's, Nightclub's, Car Washes Etc.)
It’s laughable that people think criminals and killers ever had honor
Facts. The families, many "classic mobsters" like from the Luciano, Lansky, etc. era, have been to known to have been into drugs while saying they didn't. They're gonna take those profits Everytime.
So sad for children born into these families. They have no choice but to go, when of age, and form a life without blood family or be a part of a crime family.
Could be worse tbh I was a foster kid and had to start a life with no blood family when coming of age and it hurts I don't have any family to fall back on and there was no alternative to join a crime family instead just no options and loneliness
Man this is fascinating
Really interesting listening to this; right now I'm reading Paoli Letizia's _Mafia Brotherhoods,_ and she outlines similar trends. Her book is focusing specifically on the Italian and Sicilian mafia, but US mafia also feature. One of the thing she talked about specifically was the increasing difficulty of recruitment, as well as how US families tend to be more commercially oriented, and how disillusionment led to increasing numbers of defectors in the 90s. Of course, the book's old enough to leave a lot of loose ends now that we're almost two decades away, but it's interesting to hear a similar story continuing down the line.
@Stellaluna Just wanted to let you know that for Letizia Paoli you should use she/her
@@Daniele1993Z Ach, thank you!
Can I join your team please
You lost all credibility at She lol like a fuckin woman knows anything about that life
The Hells Angels and Bloods alliance are planning to eradicate the Gambino, the Bonnano, the Lucchese, the Colombo and the Genovese families by summer 2023 by causing chaos in the hierarchy. I have access to informations from high ranked Hells Angels and Bloods. They will deny this until it is done but don't wait until it is too late to prevent what is coming. You must save your ancestors work by boycotting and killing your local Hells Angels and Bloods members and chapter leaders as soon as possible. They think that the Italians and the other races members will not realize and prevent their fall before it is too late then making their Hells Angels and Bloods alliance more influent. Do you part to not let this happen, prove your worth! For your ancestors hard work!
Truly fascinating and it is such an interesting thing to hear about. My family is Italian and they immigrated to West Philadelphia in the '50s so this kind of Italian-American culture has always interested me. The few who are able to get away alive are truly fortunate.
My family was involved in running booze back in the day, and then the numbers and some other stuff. My great uncle had a farm in Hammonton Nj, half way between Atlantic City and Philly. We are from South Philly, 9th and Christian, heart of the Italian market.
Fair comment.
I grew up in West Philadelphia. Born and raised. But then I got in a fight, and my mom moved me to live with my Aunt and Uncle in Bel Air.
Well spoken
Could watch this all day
Your discussions are helpful to understand the mystery and aura of the La Cosa Nostra , poverty among immigrants discrimination and natural tendencies of predatory behavior etc. Thanks for your honesty and methodical descriptions. Most appreciated. Thanks.
Just to clarify for you, the actual American “mafia” moniker is “Cosa Nostra”. The “La” is a misnomer.
@@coasterbrookie yeah with the Italian one too, just Cosa Nostra. Its like a name of a person, you wouldn't put an article (La) in front of it
we tried to open a model agency business at the 12 floor in a skyscraper on 53 street in new york a decade ago... security all over this place... 4 days after opening of our business , 2 mafia guys came into our office and we where forced to pay 9 grands a month for protection ... we closed 24 hours later ...
hopefully no wiseguys show up to Gulfstream TV-Studios trying to haggle you for cash!
This is what I'm always wondering. Why are the mafia blackmail/extorting money from other people and businesses? Didn't they start the mafia because they wanted to tackle the oppression they faced as immigrants? Why continue the cycle?
@@nl5455 like he said in the beginning, it’s no longer about protection or helping, or even guidelines, it’s just now every man for himself. Greed won out.
@@24fretsoffury You are very observant, I do remember him saying that.
I'd just call security. They get nuthin.
my husband worked in the prison with John Gambino. Said he was a nice guy and would threaten to run over people's feet with his wheelchair. He , of course , was joking and had a good sense of humor. Said his favorite thing to do was to sit at the cafes in Sicily and people watch.
You never hear about how the Italian mafia still exists just over the border. When the RICO arrests and FBI efforts ramped up in the 80's, mobsters fled to Canada and still run pretty large criminal empires up north. They're a lot more subdued and discreet than their American cousins, but they're also a lot more active. Likewise, you never hear about how extremely violent and widespread the mafia is in Italy. Over there they're more like cartels are in Mexico, committing horrendous acts of mutilation and torture regularly.
Canadian government is weak in terms of prosecution
Quebec is pretty much run by the mob. They’ve had several mayors and other politicians investigated and convicted with various corruption charges. Construction projects in the province take forever to get done and are almost always over budget with funds getting funnelled away to unknown persons. It’s all to benefit the mob.
La Gomorrah, some of the most brutal mafia families out of Naples.
The mafia in Italy Is not comparable to the cartels in Mexico, the mafia in Italy doesnt execute people on video and execute hundreds of civilians a year and expect ti get away with jt
@@normalgarlicbreadtm2854 well yea they have a bit of humanity to them unlike the Mehicans who think it’s Apocalypto out here
I grew up in Italy and I remember the news talking about a mafia leader being arrested somewhere near Naples. I was expecting a man in a well pressed suit and well groomed. It was some greasy slob in a baseball hate and a white t-shirt with a half naked playboy model on it. My nonno, who was a Carabiniere who investigated mafia crimes and even went undercover in the 70’s and 80’s, was not as shocked as I was, but it was still somewhat surprising to him how low the they sunk. The Mafia is not as organized as it use to be.
Why would he be well dressed when hiding in a bunker
American Mob and italian mob differ in many ways, that should be obvious to you as someone who lived in both places.
It's the consequence of the weakness and failure of Italian unification. Mussolini was the only Italian leader who effectively clamped down on the mafia. Not that I'm defending the fascist leader but he didn't have to worry about due process or anything. Just sent his boys down south to beat them senseless. Unfortunately they reemerged after the war.
@@chendaforest 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
@@luigibianchi5132 nice argument
The way he said my fatha at 0:59 damn. I really felt that.
I feel like John Gotti and Sammy started this trend of breaking the rules... Those guys break every damn rule all the way up the ladder and never paid the price.
John gotti didn't pay a price?!
trol Mct He paid the ultimate price. His life and his family. Never lost respect though. He was criticized for his arrogance but not disrespected.
Goes back actually to Vilacci who felt the Family didn't take care of his wife and kids when he went to jail for the boss. The boss actually tried to have him killed which turned Vilacci to turn state's witness. Of course I do agree with you that Gotti was the poster boy for the change but I kind of think it started chaning prior to that. Of course I could be all wet behind the ears too.
Ndrangheta is the biggest organized crime syndicate in the world. Responsible for 85% of the world's cocaine trafficking. Yes...it's still a thing.
@@gianniformica8235 And the Cammora.
love John's sitdown news channel, amazing content💯🔥🏴👍
Good documentary. He needs his own show. 🎉🍿
Thank you
I'm not glorifying what the mob has done over all these decades. But you can't deny that the mafia is an incredibly impressive and well crafted organization.
Except for the fact that they neither create nor produce anything of value, and thrive on exploitive, destructive behavior. The fact they were arbitrarily barred from stocks and bonds, which are legitimate means of acquiring wealth in a free market, says a lot.
Yea we are very impressed by their pathetic induction ceremonies😂😂
It’s actually a really bad crafted organisation because of its very unstable environment and high risk to pay off ratio, you almost always end up in prison or dead mainly because you cannot leave and establish legitimacy.
I also think there’s a line that the Italian mafia won’t cross that other organized crime syndicates won’t hesitate to. So in that sense there is some honor and I can respect that.
not so organized
We’ll here’s hoping we don’t see you on a news station in a couple months cause this was one of the realest interviews I’ve seen
My grandfather was under the gambinos during thier hay day over 30 years ago, it was strange being told “don’t ever step foot in that city” when we were 35 minutes at best away from NYC
These and the Wired videos are super cool
Excellent interview, very eloquent, and informative. No sugar coating, just fact, thank you
That's what his "Family" claimed. He's got a knack of being quite an "Informant". 😅
@@Super-Amigo Haha, very true
Excellent summary of the Mafia.
The original idea of the commission was that every family work together or benefits in some way, but they dedicated to battle each other
“You falsely accused me of being an informant, we guess what, that made me an informant”
He speaks so well. Very nicely explains how the Cosa Nostra operates in New York. So different from Sammy Gravano, whose every fourth word is an obscenity. He said he joined the Gambino family. He did not mention when and why he moved to the Luchese family. But, looking at his demeanour and the way he talks, it is hard to believe he was once part of the Mafia. So it is with Michael Franzese. Love listening to the two.
a lot of inmates read books when they serve long sentences. JP did 17 years for killing a rival, a lot of time to read, which helped him get notices when he linked up with the Lucchesse family. contrary to popular belief, except for an enforcer, you don't want all the brutes with limited vocabularies getting made left and right, you want articulate people that can connect with their crews, associates, the public, even law enforcement. JP also wasn't compromised by the FBI, they didn't flip him, so he "choose" to get out, sure being labeled a rat is a powerful motivator, but still, he consciously cut a deal with the feds.
Because Sammy is the real deal - the unfiltered projection of exactly what someone has to be like to be successful in that life
If you listen to Sammy's podcast "our thing" he will tell you how and why he ended up with the lucchese and Toddo Aurello. Is 4 or 5 seasons of podcast and he's an exellent storyteller with alot of deeper knowledge of the mob since he had a key position with John Gotti and beforehand.
Sammy ended up with the Gambinos, he started with the Colombos. He got "traded" I guess you could say.@kristoffernilsson6043
i grew up with a good friend that is a gambino, and his mom was our math teacher, and a couple friends who were lombardi. i was told to never bring up the business anywhere since my great uncle was a part of the family and told me you never know whos listening. i used to be scared to even pretend to mock the gambino name
Now you're writing it on a KZhead comment
@@pf6875 yea but it's not like how it used to be. They are still around but not as prominent as they were bask in the day. Reason why this guy is able to talk about it publicly
Yeahh the Italians now do the bidding of the cartel ...
@@biran03 omertà
My father once said a pint of blood costs more than an gallon of gold. Great video. Very allegorical.
I used to watch some documentary on the mob and more in detail. This video def brought back memories especially the 5 family. In Chicago, it is diff too.
wow he was a member until 2018 so his information is still relevant, i was expecting some guy that went into witness program like 20-30 years ago and decided to go public.
No stocks and bonds? "You’re supposed to push webistics!"
Howie t bro, bloods flayin on the mix
How was that? I mean, you sure you want a diet drink? You don’t want something with sugar in it?
Why there technology’s two years behind, your stocks a dog.
Webistics is our pick of the week
No There something called money laundering.....and gambling....
Wow he answered so many questions here
He’s on the biggest video platform and he’s talking about how he is careful of what he does to not get hit
“I didn’t choose the gang life, the gang life chose me” is never more truthful than here. Wow.
Still no excuse
@@G4x5da I wasn’t looking for one and neither was he, or any of the other members of the mafia.
The technicality of the choices that goes into the whole Cosa Nostra has fascinated me for years! To have such detail in such a short interview makes these videos the best!!!!
12:14 brother looks like Marty from Mafia 2 😂
Fascinating. How is he able to say this without them putting a hit on him though?
I agree that mafia or organizations like these hardly exist or barely a thing, at least in my country. The closest you can get for a mafia is the government.
They bought the franchise... most neighborhoods in my city have a non-profit "Community development corporation" where a bunch of unelected bureaucrats decide whats best for "The Community" ... same idea, less efficient.
don't forget corporations
GOVERNMENT is LEGALIZED MAFIA!
Mafia is the govt 😁
GOVERNMENT is LEGAL MAFIA!
If anyone cares, the man walking in front of John Gotti in the track suit, at the beginning of the video, is his brother Gene Gotti. He was also a made member of the Gambino Crime Family and was highly respected on the streets. He is, as far as I know, still alive after doing close to 30 years in prison. I'm not sure who the old guy Gotti is talking to, but if I had to guess I'd say it was Joseph "Piney" Armone.
Think he died recently sadly bro
@@danielmoore3602 The Italian mob is still around.. Im in South Florida and see them running around some underground clubs... Russians are the stronghold down here still..... But Italians are down here.
@@danielmoore3602 Peter died. Gene is alive and out of prison.
@@comeonmaaan4288 thanks bro forgot it was egor 😂
@@topteamvanderbilt4289 Florida has always been a mix of everything, even during the long reign of the Trafficante’s.
When you watch a video about the mafia and your next recommended video is about Black Rock. Really makes you think.
2 seconds in and I already love how this man speaks
What a nice way to educate your kid about the inner workings of Mafia
These guys are all losers
I like how he said when the organization doesn’t follow its own rules it weakens it. Reminds me of the US and Canadian governments
“You all know Joey Zasa. He is,I admit,an impressive man. His picture is on the cover of the New York Times Magazine. He gets the Esquire Magazine award for the best dressed gangster.” Can't imagine where the inspiration for Zasa's character came from.
As I listened to this guy, I couldn't help but think: So the mafia has PR people now. Denying that the mafia has cops, politicians and others on the payroll anymore (except maybe in rare circumstances) sounds like the sort of thing a PR guy for the mafia would say.
This guy is a total 🤡 do your research on him he lied in this very video about Jrs mom being Jewish her last name was Degeorgio and I've seen her Communion pictures this Guy knocked out a woman's teeth and lied in court sending four to prison for a murder they didn't commit read guilt for the Guiltless also....
@@KingDoms-Kingdom Although I didn't know all of that, I knew that he was lying about things. I know an old guy who actually did get out, he moved half a continent away and only rarely was willing to talk about anything.
that’s what i was thinking. not having influence in politics? not sure about that. they probably still do and just don’t want that to be a known fact to draw attention to them.
@Lokie Thunder I'm talking about Gotti's wife's Communion pictures from when she was like six years old Russian Jews don't have last names of Italians and get Confirmed
… are we not meant to trust him?
I'd like to do one on how real are roofing scenes in TV shows and movies. The best was the tv version of The Outsiders, they had all the installation and even the temporary installation of underlayment for handsplit shakes, I give them a 9.3
It was nice knowing you
I just happened to come across this. You were very fortunate to have John as a guest, he is extremely intelligent yet also humble. However he knows more about "The Life" and it's deceit and treachery than just about anyone out there to interview. It's very unfortunate what happened to him, but he got out of that life, thank God. Looking forward to the upcoming episode on Insider. If this is subject matter you enjoy, I highly recommend his blog and youtube channel sit-down news. Also Unlimited Substance is also a great blog and channel, very insightful into life and nothing really to do with the mob. May God always bless him and keep him safe.
I was going to say the exact same thing but you said it a whole lot better. Thank you, Daren :o)
so many people say the same thing coming out. michael franzese has really cleared up any misconceptions people outside of The Life may have. glad he is ok too. will check out unlimited substance.
Hes a nut case and mentally unstable to even do this...
Yes John's channels are about his experiences in that life but also he speaks alot about positive messages in life I think they did him a favor by this laying on him. If you watch his podcasts you'll see how so many things influenced his decisions God interfered.
@@BWIL2515 I am well aware of the entire situation. God definitely interfered.
Could listen to this guy for hours
I think you mean Hustle, Loyalty, Respect
Would luv to see ya do a vid on The DeCavalcante crime family aka the Jersey Mafia aka The north Jersey Crime family, which is what the DiMeo crime family on Sopranos was loosely based on
The Pygmy thing ?