From childhood mischief to rubbing shoulders with notorious figures, Carmine Imbriale's life experiences are a mix of daring heists, tense rivalries, and unexpected alliances. In this captivating interview, Carmine and interviewer Adrien Martinez peel back the layers of secrecy surrounding his life. WATCH THE INTERVIEW … [Read more...]
Enjoy a Slice of South Brooklyn—”Playing the Numbers”—By Author Craig McGuire
I grew up in the same neighborhood as Carmine Imbriale, the subject of my latest book, "Carmine & the 13th Avenue Boys: Surviving the Bloody South Brooklyn Colombo Mob." So one of the things I enjoyed most while writing this book was revisiting that time and place, but with a deeper dive into the dark side of Brooklyn in the 1980s. While Carmine was hustling down on 13th Avenue, I was growing up on the corner of 77th Street and 16th Avenue … [Read more...]
Narrator Tom Lennon Channels Michael Hardy in David Larson’s THE LAST JEWISH GANGSTER Trilogy
Award-winning narrator of more than 100 audiobooks, Tom Lennon, presents the first-person account of Michael Hardy, Bugsy Siegel's godson, as he devolves into a fearless gangster-all to win his mother's approval, in THE LAST JEWISH GANGSTER trilogy by David Larson. Volumes One-The Early Years-and Two-The Middle Years-are out now. Look For Volume Three-The Later Years-in 2023! Read the reviews on the author's website thelastjewishgangster.com … [Read more...]
THE LAST JEWISH GANGSTER
Volume One The Early Years In 1944 Brooklyn, newborn Michael J. Hardy is rejected by his mother so she can run with gangster Bugsy Siegel, Hardy's godfather. Shirley Rook rose to the top of the criminal ranks. As the Queen of New York City crime, she laundered Mob money, ran the city's largest bookmaking operation, and handed payouts to dirty cops, politicians, and judges. To win his mother's love and respect, Hardy became a fearless gangster. … [Read more...]
“Frank Swaps His Gun And Fedora For An Apron And Chef’s Hat” To Bring You FRANK CULLOTTA’S GREATEST (KITCHEN) HITS
INCLUDES OVER 40 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS! Frank Cullotta was best known for his exploits as an associate of the Chicago Outfit and his role as Tony Spilotro’s enforcer and street lieutenant in Las Vegas. However, he had another interest besides crime. He loved to cook. In this book, he shares some of his favorite recipes for your eating pleasure. Although Frank died on August 20, 2020, his memory will live on every time you prepare one of these … [Read more...]
Richie Salerno
In my young days back on the streets in Brooklyn, I never thought I could be a writer. My mind was always fixed on how to make a buck. Writing was for the guys in the news, and as for books, well, let’s just say I never had a thing for books. Now, playing horses and shooting craps, that was my game. The Made Men in the neighborhood never had to push me to it. Once I got horses up my nose there was no stopping me. Back then, the years I spent … [Read more...]
Richie Salerno Discusses Disrespect: “The Real Virus Eating Society”
So what makes me the big expert on Disrespect as a topic of conversation? Answer: the same thing that makes you one. It’s just like “Madge” told us on those old TV ads for Dawn liquid detergent: You’re soaking in it. You’re soaking in it and I’m soaking in it, and when we look at social media, we realize the whole world is soaking in it. It hit the actual world like a Tsunami not long after we all went online for the first time. Now we live in … [Read more...]
FROM THE MOB TO THE MOVIES: How Richie Salerno Escaped The Mafia And Became A Hollywood Actor
The public knows him as the character Tony Darvo in the movie Midnight Run, but Richie Salerno was born into the world of the Brooklyn Mafia during the heyday of the New York mob and for a time it looked like he'd get caught up in a life of crime. After all, some of the most notorious figures in the gangster world he knew as uncles, aunts, cousins and family friends. During a stint in prison for theft, Richie turned his life around using the … [Read more...]
Richie Salerno “I Learned Everything I Need To Know About The Lockdown In Solitary Confinement”
I’m an old guy now, but as a kid in Brooklyn I was, as my attorney once said, less than well-informed when it came to the nature of legal and illegal behavior. Nobody died because of me, but my work for the neighborhood mafia guys, who were people I simply knew as uncles, aunts, and friends of the family, often took me outside the law. Funny thing about stepping outside the law. People who do it usually stay there until they get caught. I … [Read more...]
Denny Griffin Looks Back On His Time With Co-Author And Friend Frank Cullotta
WildBlue Press author and former gangster, Frank Cullota died on August 20, 2020. Although he had a fearsome reputation from his days as a hitman for Mob boss Tony Spilotro, many others knew a different side--gentle, warm, engaging. Among them was his frequent co-author and friend Denny Griffin with whom he wrote the bestselling book, "THE RISE AND FALL OF A 'CASINO' MOBSTER: The Tony Spilotro Story Through A Hitman's Eyes." They were … [Read more...]
