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RIP Henry Hill

shakey0818

New Member
As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster!

I was always intrigued by it from hearing the stories from my dad who grew up in Brooklyn,NY in the 50's 60's and 70's>My dad is a good man and made a promise to his mom not to get too involved with them and they had much respect for him.He tells me i have met many of them as a child when we went back there to visit family and friends but i don't remember.

There is 2 stories i herd as a child and i will share them with you

12 years old or so my dad and a friend were offered money to take a package somewhere on their bicycles and my father refused cause of the promise he made to his mother that he had to be their for and support due to her being sick.Well it was a good thing he did.The other friend of his that got caught got busted with a package filled with drugs.

I don't know what age he was but after his dad was killed saving a man from a wrecking ball.He had to help support his mom and sister so he took odd jobs with the gangsters.He and a friend used to wash cars.This 1 person didn't pay him and his friend and they went and complained to one of the boss men.They took my father and his friend to see the guy to collet payment.They collected the monies due for washing his car,and right in front of my dad and his friend they torched the guys caddy.

MY dad eventually got in some kind of trouble as a teen and was given the choice to go to jail or enter the Marines.He chose the military but had to leave some time after some time due to his mother dying.The Marines made him into a wonderful man a loving, caring, protective, father.After his mother died he moved to RI where he got married and i was born.He had many many stories from seeing dead people in fields on the way to school executed in different styles of the families that did it.

I always respected the decisions and the honor he had for his mother.That lifestyle and the movies do interest me cause as i was growing up the movies i saw showed many of the things my dad had told me about .I am glad he chose the life he did and grateful for the life he has given me .

Those guys don't lay their head down and sleep as well as my dad.I used to envy them now i envy him.
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
It"s an actual quote from Goodfellas the movie!

Yes, I know. I've seen the movie probably a hundred times and read the book "Wiseguys" by Nicholas Pileggi a half dozen times. It's not just a quote from the movie nor book. Henry really did envy his father and said so on numerous occasions. I happen to like that part of the quote. It's rather ironic that he was who he was yet envied his fathers skills and admired his fathers hard work at life.
 

OldPaint

New Member
my mother was Italian. from Tuscan, turin, florence italy. my family(her side)came here 1890's and settled near pittsburgh. i know more of the "mafia" types was from sicilan, clabrazi, area of italy. but in the U.S. all italians was the same to most americans. we still had a lot of contact with them. we was all PI-ZANS. i knew a few of them and more then once was offered"familia" help. i came home one day in 1965, to the bar my mom owned and was concerned about my impending being drafted. these 3 guys sitting at the bar was old friends of my mom. one of em speaks up when i said i didnt want to go in the military. he said joey, we can fix it forya.........my mom shook here head no and told the guy, nicely, thank you but he is gona go in the military.....and give me look like YOU DONT WANT TO DO THIS!!!!!
1973 I came back home, after a nasty divorce. i went to the "italian" grocery store one day. have know the owners all my life. i walk in and one of the owners greets me italian fashion and language. he says in broken english........."i hear you get a divorce?" i said yea, not real happy with that. he says " she giva you trouble, you taka vacation, we fix it for you, ok?" i said thank you for the offer my friend, and its appreciated, but no need to do any more with it, let it be. we had a glass of home made vino instead.
one of the threats we used to make(in my teens)to people we didnt like......hey you make me mad, i make an 80 cent phone call youngstown OHIO........ and nobody will ever see you again))))))
 
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