Whimsical names of arrested Mafia bosses
US and Italian authorities arrested 80 suspected Mafia bosses in New York and Sicily on charges of murder, racketeering, loan sharking, conspiracy, drug dealing, and extortion.
My favorite part of the article is the silly names of the thugs:
Among those facing charges were top Gambino leaders including acting boss John D'Amico, also known as "Jackie the Nose," acting underboss Domenico "The Greaseball" Cefalu and consigliere Joseph "Miserable" Corozzo.Link (Via The Day the Tried to Kill Me)
the latest
latest episodes
but, but how could there be organized crime in New York? Surely the massive powers of the Patriot Act, the suspension civil liberties , the unlimited, warrantless wiretapping of the past seven years has made it impossible for any organized crime to operate in America! Something must be wrong with this report.
Anybody know of a website mafia-name-generator?
Historically, Italian crime families relied upon nicknames not just for street cred, but because Italian mothers would choose male names from those of the Christian Disciples. A lot of Giannis and Tomasos resulting, as you can imagine.
http://pages.prodigy.net/mlemus/mobnamegenerator.htm
Charges of "drugs"?
So I guess John Hodgman's services will not be required here....
One of these guys is probably part of the crew that robbed me in sicily.
I wish that they would get lots of the cronies too.
"Some call 'em the elites--I call 'em my base,' said George Bush--who added that he thought up the nicknames himself. ;>
Link (Via The Day thethey Tried to Kill Me)
Surely not 'Jackie the Nose' unless he's referred to by the Queen of England. 'Jackie da Nose' at the very least, I'd have thought and maybe 'Jackie da Schnozz'. (I'm English myself, so am not entirely sure which would work best in a Noo Joisey accent.)
@#1 Takuan
But these guys were caught. Apparently intrusive surveillance works sometimes.
How will this affect construction at the WTC site in downtown Manhattan. Oh wait, you mean it's 2008, the biggest construction boom in NYC and the site is basically still a dirt-hole despite it being one of the best known locations of an attack/rebuilding thanks to the attacks of 9-11? Never mind.
funny how the mob remains
Hence the "apparently" and the "sometimes". I usually qualify my statements to help prevent painful rebuttals. (Note the "usually" and the "help". Yes, I know how to write ad copy.)
ye sez? OK den, youse, me and Jimmy The Mole Rat is goin' down ta da river
I usually qualify my statements to help prevent painful rebuttals.
Hmmm. Why is it that weasel words get you flamed on Wikipedia and weasel words prevent you from getting flamed here? An odd paradox. I have definitely noted that if I'm terse, I sounds really snarky. If I insert lots of fluff words, not so much. And asking a string of questions is like tattooing a target on your own forehead.
Most of the links are dead but you can find more whimsical criminal nicknames here: http://www.kmoser.com/aliases.htm
Second guy from the left, bottom row... isn't that Ray Liotta?
Oops - right.
Nope. Armand Assante.
While an occasional flame war is expected on a site where anyone can post a comment, I find it rarely encourages actual thought. Most of my comments are intended to make people either think a little or smile a little.
On the other hand I do enjoy a good bit of snarkiness every now and then.
Okay true story -- I worked at Arby's in 2002-2003, and one of the managers was a former mafia guy. (Rochester, NY is well-known for its mafia history. Also we have some great local pizza joints.) He gave me the name "Gentleman Jim Teal, the guy that makes 'em squeal." Sadly, he was fired for taking more than his fair share of smoke breaks.
Oh yes, but they're forgetting "Bug Eye, The Notorious" ...........
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23603844@N04/2250326932/
The guy in the bottom left-hand corner.... Isn't that? No! It's Canadian actor and star of Growing Pains...Alan Thicke?! Alan! Whatta happened to you? You were sucha gooda boy!
#20, you killed me. I'm looking at the picture and thinking, "So what? Same damn thing." And then it hits me. I just about died. Thank you. I'll be smiling all day.
Crikey - middle top looks like Bobby Baccalieri with a beard, and top right looks like a fat Phil Leotardo.
The Sopranos have really let themselves go after the end of the series...
It would be great to have a complete list of their names to match each one with its face. I think "Jackie the Nose" is on the top row, the fourth from the left.
Here's a story and cool interactive map showing the Gambino crime family and their nicknames:
http://news.muckety.com/2008/02/08/jackie-the-nose-tommy-sneakers-other-mob-monikers/671
#14 Hmmm. Why is it that weasel words get you flamed on Wikipedia and weasel words prevent you from getting flamed here?
Here we express opinions and try to persuade people of our arguments. Weasel words are allowed, but so are the rebuttals to their use that can bite you back worse than being randomly flamed. (Of course, the rebuttals require the argumentative sharpness to pick out the weasel words in the first place - they can very successfully placate the ignorant.)
On Wikipedia, we aim towards objective truth (whether or not that actually exists), and weasel words are obviously not a step in that direction. Also, the people who flame you for using weasel words on Wikipedia are hardened informavores, usually with an academic degree or three under their belts.
My favorite mob name comes from Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold's 1994 radio comedy "J. Edgar: The Musical" where J. Edgar Hoover, played by Kelsy Grammer meets some mobsters at the horse track one of whom is named "Clownpants" Benedetto. "All the good mob names were taken", Clownpants explains.
It was hilarious with Kelsey as a very fey Hoover and John Goodman as Clyde Tolson, his 'life-time' assistant, plus Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Christopher Guest. It parody's a lot of musicals like "Phantom of the Opera" in places.
www.prx.org/pieces/19164
My mob name was "Johnny Two Shoes". Because I always wore "two" shoes.
I swear the guy in the top row, second from the right, is thinking "damn, I had a good run. Most guys didn't last half as long as me. Cut down in their youth. I'm awesome."
That bad-ass smile says a lot.
Who is the top most left guy? I think I know him...
Somebody's gotta make a game out of this-- match the nickname with the face, I think I see "Jackie the Nose" already.
extra points for guessing correctly how many they have killed
No. Best Mafia name ever:
Caption from a 1998 Gotti Case
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Appellant,
v.
JOHN A. GOTTI, also known as John, Jr., also known as Junior; MARIO ANTONICELLI, also known as Little Mario; GREGORY DEPALMA, also known as Greg, also known as Ron; VINCENT ZOLLO, also known as Vinny; LOUIS RICCO, also known as Louie Bracciole, also known as Louie Brash; CRAIG DEPALMA; MICHAEL SERGIO, also known as Mikey Hop, also known as Hop; DOMINICK LOIACONO, also known as the Butcher; LEONARD MINUTO, SR., also known as Cliff, also known as the Turtle; STEVEN FORTUNATO, also known as Guappo; PETER FORCHETTI, also known as Fat Pete, also known as Jonesie; ANTHONY PLOMITALLO, also known as Anthony the Carpenter; WILLIAM R. MARSHALL, also known as Willie; STEPHEN SERGIO, also known as *Sigmund the Sea Monster*; ROBERT SANSEVERINO, also known as Bobby Sans; CHRISTIAN BINNIE, also known as Chris; JOHN FORCELLI, also known as Bart; MARCO BARROS; MICHAEL ZAMBOUROS, also known as Michael Z.; SALVATORE LOCASCIO, also known as Tore; ANGELO PRISCO; JOHN SIALIANO, also known as Goombah Johnnie; DENNIS MCLAIN, also known as Denny, Defendants.
I win.
I lose
I thought putting *Sigmund the Sea Monster* in asterisks would make it bold, and it didn't.
Still.... SIGMUND THE SEA MONSTER does not an intimidating gang name make.