payoffs to, 51
Presto Pizzeria, 10, 12, 23, 38, 40, 132
Prisons, U.S. Bureau of, see Bureau of Prisons, U.S.
Profaci, Joe, 20
Prohibition, 30
Providence, R.I., Federal Hill in, 34
Puzo, Mario, 67
R
races, see horse races Rat Fink Room, 67
razor blades, hijacking of, 90
Rebel Cab Company, 25–26
Rebmann, Rolf, 186
Remo (Burke’s friend), 186
restaurants: “busting out,” 53
mobsters as silent partners in, 41–43, 53
tabs run up at, 52
Riesel, Victor, 147, 152
Rigaud, Eddy, 48, 109–10
Riker’s Island, 136–38
Rinaldi, Dominic, 8
Riviera Motel, 192
Rizzo, Danny, 183
Robert’s Lounge, 107, 108, 130
Batts’s release party at, 115
as hijackers’ hangout, 90, 92, 97, 183–84, 208
Remo buried at, 114
Spider murdered at, 119
Rodriguez, Anthony, 184, 200
Roger’s Place, 148
Romano, Vinnie, 90
Rosado, Casey, 108
death of, 142–43
Florida vacation of, 139–43
Rossano, Joey, 107
Ruggierrio, Fat Andy, 150
Russo, Joey, 31
S
Sanacore, Maria, 208
Santos, Jimmy, 142
Sauer (prison guard), 155
Savino, Johnny, 175
Scola, Bobby, 40, 41
seafood, hijacking of, 90
Sea-Land Service, 48
securities, stolen, 91
Senate, U.S., 67
Sepe, Angelo, 82, 108
Eaton murder and, 207, 257
in Lufthansa heist, 184–85, 193, 194, 200–01, 205
McDonald’s case against, 200–02, 205, 206
Siegel, Benjamin “Bugsy,” 30,
Sinatra, Frank, Jr., 82,
Sindona, Michele, 1
slaves, Haitian, 109–10
Sorace, Frank, 35
South Side, Chicago, Ill., 34
Spice of Life, 190
Spider (shooting victim), 119
Sports Illustrated, 258
Stabile, Anthony, 32, 108, 119, 148
Stabile, Tommy, 32, 108
Stage Delicatessen, 190
Steeplechase Amusement Park, 14
Stewart, Paul, 127–28
Strauss, Harry “Pittsburgh Phil,” 30
Suite, The, 107–09, 129, 145–46
Batts murdered at, 116–18
credit-card fraud at, 109
Karen Hill’s visits to, 132–33
Linda spotted at, 132–33
as mob hangout, 107–09
Superfecta races, betting on, 55–56
supermarkets, dummy registers in, 54
Sutter, John, 106
Sweeney, Jim, 174–77
T
telephones, wiseguys’ aversion to, 9, 225
Temple Terrace Lounge, 140–41
Tony the Baker, 45, 58
Torrio, Johnny, 30
Tramunit, Carmine, 237
Trans World Airlines (TWA), 95
Treasury Department, U.S., 1
trials, fixing of, 93–94
U
“under the limit” buyers, 46
unions, mob connections to, 49, 94
U.S. Customs Building, Queens, N.Y., 81
V
Valachi, Joseph, 67
Vanguard Childcare Agency, 84
Vario, Big Lenny (Paulie’s brother), 10–11, 22, 27, 194
Vario, Lenny (Paulie’s son), 39, 71
Azores job of, 41, 44
bricklaying job of, 40–41
in cigarette smuggling business, 74–75
as father’s favorite son, 40
Hill’s first arrest and, 26–27
restaurant tabs accumulated by, 51–52
as witness at Hills’ wedding, 65
Vario, Paul, Jr., 40, 71
Hill’s double-date with, 58–59
Vario, Paul, Sr. “Paulie,” 2, 8–10, 24, 37, 60, 92, 117
appearance and demeanor of, 9
Azores and, 41, 43–44
background of, 8
Bahamas vacation of, 133
boats owned by, 9
bookmaking activities of, 104–07
Don Pepe’s incident and, 120
drug dealing outlawed by, 172, 234, 237
family life of, 10–11
Hill as errand boy for, 9, 48–49
Hill give rearview mirror by, 38
Hill introduced as cousin by, 9
Hill’s army stint and, 28–38
Hill’s bricklaying jobs and, 22–23, 40
Hill’s drug arrest and, 233, 234, 237
Hill’s second wedding missed by, 71
and Hill’s takeover of The Suite, 107, 108
Hill’s testimony against, 256
illegal activities controlled by, 10–50
in jail on contempt charges, 27, 40, 71
Kennedy Airport operations and, 86–87
legitimate businesses controlled by, 8–9, 49–50, 52–53
Lenny as favorite son of, 40
in Lewisburg, 147, 148, 150–54, 157
Lufthansa heist and, 185, 194
marriage of, 72, 75, 78
police and politicians paid off by, 50–51
protection provided by, 31, 49–50
rigged basketball games and, 174–79
stolen credit cards used by, 18–19
and strong-arm work for Lucchese crime family, 31
telephone not used by, 9, 49, 225
thievery enjoyed by, 18
tribute paid to, 49, 103
unpaid restaurant tabs and, 51–53
Veralynn and Linda distrusted by, 126–27
violence as viewed by, 8
Vario, Peter, 40, 56, 71, 77, 126
De Simone murder and, 196
in Lufthansa heist, 185, 194
rigged basketball games and, 175
Veralynn dated by, 126, 129
Vario, Phyllis, 18–19
Vario, Salvatore “Babe,” 11, 19, 50
police and politicians paid off by, 50
Vario, Tommy, 11, 192
Vario, Vito, Jr., 12
Vario, Vito, Sr. “Tuddy,” 11, 44, 87
arson jobs and, 25–26, 51
Hill hired by, 12–13
Hill’s birthday gift from, 22
and Hill’s enlistment in army, 28
Hill’s first arrest and, 26–27
Hill’s food store job and, 18
Hill’s truancy and, 22–23
card and dice games run by, 11, 19–20, 108–09
counterfeit money operation of, 17–18
credit-card fraud and, 18–19
members of, 10–11
name traditions in, 71
policy racket run by, 14
Sicilian background of, stinginess of, 6–7
weddings in, 62
weekend gatherings of, 11
Veralynn (Linda’s friend), 126, 129
Villa Capra, 31, 41, 59, 100
Vincent’s Clam Bar, 27
violence: business hurt by, 8
Don Pepe’s incident and, 120
as natural to wiseguys, 133 see also murders
W
Walden, N.C., 65
Wekar, Milty, 104–05, 175
Werner, Beverly, 203, 204, 205
Werner, Louis, 181–82, 184, 195
McDonald’s case against, 202–06
Manri murder and, 210
trial and conviction of, 208–09
Whalen, Kerry, 185, 200
Wicks, Judy, 172, 215–18, 226
wiretaps, 200–01, 222–26
wiseguys: arrest as possibility for, 75–76
court appearances of, 92–
94
Friday as girlfriend night for, 78–79
Hill’s childhood fascination with, 12
Hill’s contemporaries as, 31–32
insular world of, 75
jail as viewed by, 149–50
Karen Hill on, 70–72
legal expertise of, 32
legitimate employment of, 31–32
Linda on, 130
murder enjoyed by, 114–15
police scrutiny of, 32
protection needed by, 49–51
as silent partners in restaurants, 41, 43, 52–53
steady girlfriends common among, 125–26
stolen goods preferred by, 18
violence as natural to, 33
“working guys” as viewed by, 32–33
witness program, see Federal Witness Protection Program
wives of wiseguys, 68–70, 75, 109–10
girlfriend night and, 78
Karen Hill’s views on, 68–70
murdered husbands of, 197
prison smuggling and, 167
About the Author
NICHOLAS PILEGGI is the bestselling author of Wiseguy, Casino, and Blye: Private Eye. He lives in New York.
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