Vo Remembered: Gay Activist and Hero Vo Rso - "Why We Fight"

Contents:

• HOW GAY IS VO OM THE SOPRANOS?
• BARRY’S NOHO HANK: JT ANOTHER A SERI OF GAY TELEVISN MOBSTERS
• WAS PHIL LEOTARDO GAY?
• GAY ‘SOPRANOS’ MOBSTER FDS A B OF FAME
• JOE GANNASLI DISCS HIS LIFE DURG AND SCE PLAYG GAY MOBSTER VO SPATAFORE ON ‘THE SOPRANOS’
• PRIDE – VO REMEMBERED: GAY ACTIVIST AND HERO VO RSO – “WHY WE FIGHT”
• LATT CSVO RSO2020 / 40 STORIAIDS QUILTVO RSO WAS A GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST, A FILM HISTORIAN AND AN THOR BT KNOWN FOR HIS BOOK, “THE CELLULOID CLOSET,” A GROUNDBREAKG CHRONICLE OF GAYS AND LBIANS FILM.A NEW YORK CY NATIVE, RSO GREW UP EAST HARLEM. AS A YOUNG BOY, HE WOULD SNEAK TO MANHATTAN TO GO TO THE MOVI. FROM AN EARLY AGE, RSO KNEW HE WAS “DIFFERENT.” A REMEMBERS HIM ALWAYS TALKG ABOUT ROCK HUDSON RATHER THAN AVA GARDNER. AFTER GRADUATG OM NEW YORK UNIVERSY, RSO JOED THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE. IN THE EARLY 1970S, HE STARTED REARCH FOR “THE CELLULOID CLOSET” (1981), WHICH ENTAILED WATCHG HUNDREDS OF FILMS THAT CLUD GAY NTENT AND STEREOTYP. WHAT ORIGATED AS A LECTURE WH FILM CLIPS BEME ONE OF THE MOST RMATIVE BOOKS ABOUT GAY PEOPLE AND POP CULTURE. DIAGNOSED WH HIV 1985, RSO WAS A EQUENT PROTTOR WH ACT UP. IN 1986, RSO LOST HIS LONGTIME PARTNER, JEFEY SEVCIK, TO AIDS. OUTRAGED BY THE MEDIA’S AQUATE AND ACCURATE VERAGE OF THE PANMIC, RSO FOUND GLAAD, AN ANIZATN THAT MONORS LGBT REPRENTATN THE MEDIA. IN HIS MEMORY, GLAAD CREATED THE VO RSO MEDIA AWARD TO REGNIZE OUT LGBT MEDIA PROFSNALS WHO HAVE MA A SIGNIFINT DIFFERENCE PROMOTG EQUALY.RSO APPEARED THE 1989 AMY AWARD-WNG DOCUMENTARY, “COMMON THREADS: STORI OM THE QUILT,” ABOUT THE LIFE AND ATH OF SEVCIK AND THE QUILT RSO MA FOR HIM. A YEAR LATER, RSO DIED OM AIDS-RELATED PLITNS.  IN 1996, “THE CELLULOID CLOSET” WAS MA TO A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS -PRODUCED AND NARRATED BY LILY TOML. IN 2012, “VO,” A FILM ABOUT RSO’S LIFE, PREMIERED ON HBO.“YOU N’T PLEAD TOLERANCE FOR GAYS BY SAYG THAT THEY’RE JT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. TOLERANCE IS SOMETHG WE SHOULD EXTEND TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.” – VO RSORELATED LKS• MAKG HISTORY GAY• WHY WE FIGHT• REMEMBERG VO, 25 YEARS LATER• POZ - VO RSO‍40 YEARS OF STORIWE SHARE THE IMPORTANT STORY OF AIDS --THE FEAR, STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN. WE SHARE THE STORI OF HOPE, URAGE, PASSN, AND LOVE.  AND, WE BRG TO LIGHT THE HARSH REALY THAT FOUR S LATER, THERE IS NO CURE AND THE RAT OF FECTN ARE ON THE RISE, PARTICULARLY MUNI OF LOR.VIEW STORIESLATT PROJECTS
• A TE TOUGH GUY: THE MAFIA, GAYS, AND MICHAEL SAM’S BOYIENDLOVG EMBRACEWHEN VO CAMMISANO KISSED HIS BOYIEND ONT OF THE ESPN MERAS, HE MT HAVE KNOWN THE WORLD WOULD FD OUT HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A NOTOR MOB BOSS—BUT HE WASN’T AAID.MICHAEL DALYSPECIAL CORRPONNTUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 3:34PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 15, 2014 5:45AM EDT @VAMMIF THE LATE MOB BOSS WILLIAM “WILLIE THE RAT” CAMMISANO WAS LIKE OTHER MAFSI—AND BY ALL ACUNTS HE MOST EMPHATILLY WAS—HE WOULD HAVE BEEN APOPLECTIC HAD HE BEEN TOLD HIS GRANDSON WAS DATG AN AIN AMERIN. BUT A MAFSO SUCH AS WILLIE THE RAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT AS THE GOOD NEWS BY PARISON WHEN HE HEARD THE RT.FOR HIS GRANDSON’S AIN-AMERIN LOVER ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A MAN, AS THE WHOLE WORLD ME TO LEARN WHEN VO CAMMISANO KISSED FOOTBALL DRAFT PICK MICHAEL SAM ONT OF THE ESPN MERAS.IN DOG SO, VO MT HAVE KNOWN THAT THE PRS WOULD QUICKLY REVEAL HIM TO BE THE GRANDSON OF A NOTOR MAFIA BOSS WHOSE NICKNAME WAS ONCE EXPLAED BY A WNS BEFORE A U.S. SENATE COMMTEE. “BEE HE KILLED PEOPLE AND STUCK THEM THE SEWERS SO THE RATS ULD EAT THEM,” SAID THE WNS, FRED BONADONNA.THE SPONTANEY AND GENUE AFFECTN OF THE KISS ON ESPN MA CLEAR THAT VO WAS NOT AT ALL AAID OF WHAT OTHERS MIGHT SAY ABOUT HIM OR HIS FAY. AND HOWEVER MUCH SOME PART OF WILLIE THE RAT MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO STICK HIS OWN GRANDSON A SEWER, THE LIFELONG GANGSTER ALSO MIGHT HAVE FELT A GDGG RPECT FOR VO.WH A LOVG EMBRACE RATHER THAN A VIC BEATG, THE CAMMISANOS HAD A TE TOUGH GUY. AND RATHER THAN BE SHAMED BY HIS FAY, HE HAD BROUGHT HONOR TO .HERE WERE THE VIRTU OF THE GRANDSON BEG VISED UPON THE GRANDFATHER, ALONG WH THE FATHER AND THE UNCLE. VO’S UNCLE WILLIAM CAMMISANO JR. IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN OVER AS THE MAFIA BOSS OF KANSAS CY WHEN WILLIE THE RAT DIED OF LUNG NCER 1995. THE UNCLE DID TIME AFTER A 2011 NVICTN FOR OVERSEEG A MULTILN-DOLLAR INTER GAMBLG RG THAT ED A SERVER COSTA RI. HE HAD PREVLY BEEN NVICTED 1978 OF OBSTCTN OF JTICE AFTER A WIRETAP UGHT HIM UNSELG HIS 17-YEAR-OLD GIRLIEND TO LIE ABOUT MONEY BEG PASSED UNR A TABLE TO PAY OFF A BET ON A LAS VEGAS GOLF TOURNAMENT.VO’S FATHER, GERLARMO (JERRY) CAMMISANO, PROVED TO BE A STANDUP GUY THE TRADNAL SENSE BACK 1992, WHEN HE SPENT EIGHT MONTHS BEHD BARS FOR REFG TO TTIFY A MONEY-LNRG SE.“I’D DO ALL AGA,” GERLARMO WAS QUOTED SAYG UPON HIS RELEASE. “THE PUNISHMENT THAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH WAS ELS, BEE I WOULD NOT ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM CHANGE MY BELIEFS.”HE SOUND ALTOGETHER OLD SCHOOL AND ADD, “I’VE SEEN THEM DO TO NE OTHER PEOPLE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IN MY OPN, IF THEY WANT TO DICT OR VTIGATE, I THK THEY SHOULD E THEIR OWN ROURC AND NOT E IENDS OR FAY TO TTIFY AGAST OTHER FAY.”GERLARMO ALSO WAS NVICTED THE INTER GAMBLG SE. BUT HE WAS OUT OF JAIL TIME TO ATTEND VO’S GRADUATN OM THE UNIVERSY OF MISSOURI 2013. A FACEBOOK PHOTO OM THE EVENT SHOWS THE MANIFTLY PROUD PAPA BEAMG BI HIS SON. THE SON LOOKS EQUALLY PROUD TO BE WH HIS DAD.THE HAPPIT NCLN YOU ULD DRAW OM THIS IMAGE IS THAT GERLARMO KNEW HIS SON’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND ACCEPTED AS AN TEGRAL PART OF A MAGNIFICENT YOUNG MAN.BUT EVEN IF GERLARMO WAS NOT YET AWARE THAT HIS SON WAS GAY, HE IS NOW. AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO MBLGS THAT VO IS ANYTHG BUT PLETELY FORTABLE WH HIMSELF AND WH HIS LOVER.WHATEVER THE PERSONAL REPERCSNS FOR VO, THE REVELATN THAT HE IS WILLIE THE RAT’S GRANDSON IS NOT WHOUT HISTORIL SIGNIFINCE. WILLIE THE RAT OPERATED OUT OF A BAR HE NAMED THE EL RENO TAVERN AFTER HIS FAVORE PRISON, BUT THE KANSAS CY MOB ALSO RAN MOST OF THE CY’S GAY BARS BACK THE BENIGHTED TIME WHEN BEG GAY WAS NSIRED A CRIME.THE SAME WAS TE OF THE MOB NEW YORK AND CHIGO AND A DOZEN OTHER CI. THE MOB WAS ABLE TO PAY OFF THE PS TO KEEP GAY BARS OM BEG RAID. THE PATRONS REPAID THE MOB BY BUYG CHEAP LIQUOR AT PREMIUM PRIC, ALONG WH BOOTLEG CIGARETT AND SOMETIM DGS.IN THE 1970S, WILLIE THE RAT SOUGHT TO TABLISH SOME NEW GAY BARS, ALONG WH STRIP CLUBS AND PEEP SHOWS, AN AREA LLED RIVER QUAY THAT A RIVAL MOB ASSOCIATE HOPED TO VELOP TO A PLACE OF LEGIMATE RTRANTS AND SHOPS.THE DISPUTE WAS SETTLED WH SO MANY BOMBS AND BULLETS THAT BOTH PLANS WERE SCUTTLED. THE AD CLUD DAVID BONADONNA, WHOSE SON HAD CLED TO HELP WILLIE THE RAT SECURE LIQUOR LICENS FOR HIS NEW GAY BARS AND STRIP JOTS.“[WILLIE THE RAT] TOLD MY FATHER THAT HE WOULD KILL ME. MY FATHER SAID HE’D HAVE TO KILL HIM FIRST,” FRED BONADONNA TOLD THE U.S. SENATE THE SAME DAY HE EXPLAED THE RIVATN OF THE ELR CAMMISANO’S NICKNAME.BY THEN, A REVOLUTN HAD BEGUN WH THE 1969 RT AT THE MOB-OWNED STONEWALL INN NEW YORK. THE PLACE WAS OWNED BY THE GENOVE CRIME FAY. AND STAGG THE RAID, THE PS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST AS TENT ON PUNISHG THE MOB AS THEY WERE ON HASSLG THE GAY PATRONS.THE MOB SELF REMAED ROLUTELY RISTANT TO THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT. JOHN D’AMATO, ONE-TIME BOSS OF THE DECAVALNTE CRIME FAY, WAS MURRED 1992 AFTER HIS GIRLIEND TOLD OTHER GANGSTERS THAT HE ALSO HAD SEX WH MEN.“NOBODY’S GOG TO RPECT IF WE HAVE A GAY HOMOSEXUAL BOSS STG DOWN DISCSG LA COSA NOSTRA BS,” THE TRIGGERMAN, ANTHONY CAPO, LATER TTIFIED.IN 2009, FORMER GAMBO FAY HMAN ROBERT MORMANDO ME OUT TO A BROOKLYN FERAL JUDGE THROUGH HIS LAWYER, MAKG CLEAR THE DANGER OF BEG GAY THE MAFIA.“HE WAS LIVG HIDG, NOT OM LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT OM LA COSA NOSTRA,” THE LAWYER TOLD THE URT. “HE HAS BEEN OPENLY GAY SCE HE LEFT THE MOB.”MORMANDO AGREED TO OPERATE WH THE ERNMENT BUT CLED TO GO TO THE WNS PROTECTN PROGRAM, REPORTEDLY BEE HIS LOVER CLED TO SIGN ON.THE CRIME FAY THAT ONCE RAN THE STONEWALL INN FELT THE FORC OF CHANGE 2012, WHEN THE DGHTER OF THE LATE GENOVE BOSS VCENT GIGANTE ME OUT A BOOK. RA GIGANTE SAID SHE HAD NEVER EXPLICLY DISCSED HER SEXUALY WH HER FATHER BEFORE HIS ATH 2006 BUT THAT HE HAD KNOWN SHE WAS A LBIAN. SHE FELT SURE HIS SPR APPROVED WHEN SHE MARRIED HER LOVER LAST YEAR. SHE NTUED TO BRISTLE AT BEG ASSOCIATED WH THE MAFIA BEE OF HER FATHER.“I’M NOT A PRCS! I WORK FOR A LIVG; MY FATHER’S AD, AND WE’RE NOT THE MOB ANYMORE,” SHE SAID.NOW WE HAVE VO CAMMISANO AND THAT PERFECT KISS WH WHICH HE BRAVED BEG SIARLY BRAND WH THE SS OF THE GRANDFATHER AND FATHER.A TE TOUGH GUY SHOWED THE WHOLE WORLD THE VIRTU OF THE GRANDSON. MICHAEL DALY
• MOB H MAN OUT OF THE CLOSET: ROBERT MORMANDO IS GAY AND REGRETS LIFE OF CRIME, HIS LAWYER SAYS

HOW GAY IS VO OM THE SOPRANOS?

In 2004, the Season 5 episo "Unintified Black Mal", is disclosed to viewers Vo is fact homosexual after he is seen performg fellat on a secury guard early one morng at the Esplana nstctn se by Meadow's boyiend, Fn De Trol. Later, that eveng while makg a llectn at a gay bar, two Lupertazzi Fay associat, one named Sal Iaccuzzo, saw Vo dancg provotively wh a gay man.

BARRY’S NOHO HANK: JT ANOTHER A SERI OF GAY TELEVISN MOBSTERS

The Iaccuzzo character was based on real-life Gambo Crime Fay po Matthew Lanniello, who was known to extort and own several nightclubs New York Cy that tered to homosexual clientele. Lupertazzi crime fay boss Phil Leotardo, a vilent homophobe, mand Vo's ath, so Tony quietly arranged for Carlo Gervasi to make a h on Vo.

It was later revealed that Vo was found wh a pool cue stick his rectum, a msage that he was killed bee of his homosexualy. Phil Leotardo later told Vo's wife, Marie, that her hband was probably killed by two homosexual transients Vo had picked up at a bar.

Gannasli dancg gleefully a biker’s p a leather bar, or gog on the lam to a gay Shangri-La ( this se, “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire) and fallg love wh the handsome mtached ok om the der—“Johnny Cak”—that have given TV viewers that rare feelg that they are watchg somethg new. Sure, there have been plenty of gay characters on televisn before: wacky Jack om Will & Grace, or David, the fsy unrtaker wh the hot p boyiend on Six Feet Unr.

WAS PHIL LEOTARDO GAY?

But the plight of Gay Vo has stirred up siar feelgs to those viewers felt when they first tuned on Sunday nights 1999 to see a Prozac-poppg Mafia boss spill his guts to his therapist. Gannasli’s character, Vo Spatafore, was revealed as a closeted gay man when, at the end of last season, viewers spied his head e bobbg up om the lap of a secury guard.

GANNASCOLI who had ially brought up the ia of a gay mobster to the show’s wrers durg the filmg of season three, after he’d read Murr Mache by Gene Mta and Jerry Capeci, about an openly gay member of the Gambo crime fay who was allowed to live bee he was a good earner.

Early this season, the stage for tragedy was set when Vo was spotted by mobsters as he gallivanted full leather regalia a gay bar.

GAY ‘SOPRANOS’ MOBSTER FDS A B OF FAME

Gannasli was recently asked to serve as grand marshal at an Atlanta Gay Pri para, and he’s received letters om openly gay and closeted men appldg his portrayal.

I gus wasn't too much of a surprise when NoHo Hank, an unsavory character om the h HBO seri Barry, was revealed to be gay.

He is also a thls killer, and while he across fun-lovgly, he's anythg revelatn that he was gay was treated as no big al by tle character Barry, played brilliantly by Bill Har, who also -created the show.

JOE GANNASLI DISCS HIS LIFE DURG AND SCE PLAYG GAY MOBSTER VO SPATAFORE ON ‘THE SOPRANOS’

Har's Barry is a hired h man, so his teractns wh Hank are not only edic but vlent, or rooted nfirmed my spicns -- my gaydar went off wh him season 1 -- that he was gay when he was outed the season 3 opener. His sexualy is prented wh a touch of flamboyance and sills, jt like the other attribut of his mob boss beg gay got me thkg about other mob, rtel, or gang members on other h televisn shows who are gay too and how their sexualy is more matter-of-fact and not sensatnalized.

Pacho, a Colombian portrayed the show by Argentian actor Alberto Ammann, was head of distributn and secury for the Cali dg also happened to be gay. The fact that Mickey is an obnox, cel jerk who, aga, happens to be gay, was part of what ma him so -- well, I'll jt say , shamels. They were villas first, and y, some episos of each seri voted storyl to the fact that they were gay, but at the end of the day, wasn't a big al.

However, what sets Gannasli's character apart om the others is that when Vo was outed as gay the seri almost 20 years ago, was not only a major twist on the show but was also big news pop culture.

PRIDE – VO REMEMBERED: GAY ACTIVIST AND HERO VO RSO – “WHY WE FIGHT”

"I started out as a chef and worked a bunch of rtrants New York Cy almost 30 years ago, and I worked wh a lot of gay people, and never bothered me at all, " Gannasli remisced. I was jt one of his crew, so my part was the background, and hey, I wanted more screen time, jt like any other actor, so I was tryg to figure out ways to make that happen, " he a break om the seri, Gannasli read a book that clud a gay mob character, so he had an ia. "Gannasli and the productn team of The Sopranos eventually realized that creatg a gay mob character would be revolutnary.

"It was also important for Gannasli, personally, for Vo to be gay sce prented him an opportuny to stretch his character beyond a mobster. ""Look, we all know now that beg gay is monplace, and gay people are every walk of life, om firemen to police to mobsters, " Gannasli said. It had nothg to do wh Vo beg gay and everythg to do wh that fact that Vo was hurtg Tony where he felt the most, his wallet.

LATT CSVO RSO2020 / 40 STORIAIDS QUILTVO RSO WAS A GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST, A FILM HISTORIAN AND AN THOR BT KNOWN FOR HIS BOOK, “THE CELLULOID CLOSET,” A GROUNDBREAKG CHRONICLE OF GAYS AND LBIANS FILM.A NEW YORK CY NATIVE, RSO GREW UP EAST HARLEM. AS A YOUNG BOY, HE WOULD SNEAK TO MANHATTAN TO GO TO THE MOVI. FROM AN EARLY AGE, RSO KNEW HE WAS “DIFFERENT.” A REMEMBERS HIM ALWAYS TALKG ABOUT ROCK HUDSON RATHER THAN AVA GARDNER. AFTER GRADUATG OM NEW YORK UNIVERSY, RSO JOED THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE. IN THE EARLY 1970S, HE STARTED REARCH FOR “THE CELLULOID CLOSET” (1981), WHICH ENTAILED WATCHG HUNDREDS OF FILMS THAT CLUD GAY NTENT AND STEREOTYP. WHAT ORIGATED AS A LECTURE WH FILM CLIPS BEME ONE OF THE MOST RMATIVE BOOKS ABOUT GAY PEOPLE AND POP CULTURE. DIAGNOSED WH HIV 1985, RSO WAS A EQUENT PROTTOR WH ACT UP. IN 1986, RSO LOST HIS LONGTIME PARTNER, JEFEY SEVCIK, TO AIDS. OUTRAGED BY THE MEDIA’S AQUATE AND ACCURATE VERAGE OF THE PANMIC, RSO FOUND GLAAD, AN ANIZATN THAT MONORS LGBT REPRENTATN THE MEDIA. IN HIS MEMORY, GLAAD CREATED THE VO RSO MEDIA AWARD TO REGNIZE OUT LGBT MEDIA PROFSNALS WHO HAVE MA A SIGNIFINT DIFFERENCE PROMOTG EQUALY.RSO APPEARED THE 1989 AMY AWARD-WNG DOCUMENTARY, “COMMON THREADS: STORI OM THE QUILT,” ABOUT THE LIFE AND ATH OF SEVCIK AND THE QUILT RSO MA FOR HIM. A YEAR LATER, RSO DIED OM AIDS-RELATED PLITNS.  IN 1996, “THE CELLULOID CLOSET” WAS MA TO A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS -PRODUCED AND NARRATED BY LILY TOML. IN 2012, “VO,” A FILM ABOUT RSO’S LIFE, PREMIERED ON HBO.“YOU N’T PLEAD TOLERANCE FOR GAYS BY SAYG THAT THEY’RE JT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. TOLERANCE IS SOMETHG WE SHOULD EXTEND TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.” – VO RSORELATED LKS• MAKG HISTORY GAY• WHY WE FIGHT• REMEMBERG VO, 25 YEARS LATER• POZ - VO RSO‍40 YEARS OF STORIWE SHARE THE IMPORTANT STORY OF AIDS --THE FEAR, STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN. WE SHARE THE STORI OF HOPE, URAGE, PASSN, AND LOVE.  AND, WE BRG TO LIGHT THE HARSH REALY THAT FOUR S LATER, THERE IS NO CURE AND THE RAT OF FECTN ARE ON THE RISE, PARTICULARLY MUNI OF LOR.VIEW STORIESLATT PROJECTS

One tertg theory floatg around the The Sopranos “universe” is that Lupertazzi boss Phil Leotardo was gay or bisexual. Sce the 1960s, people have been g the phrase “hidg the closet” to scribe those who choose to nceal their homosexualy. One theory is that Phil engaged homosexual acts while he was servg his lengthy prison sentence and that he now loath that part of himself.

”Drsed appropriate leather bar attire, Vo Spatafore — the heretofore closeted gay mobster — was sighted by a uple wiseguys who me by the sweaty S&M jot to llect their protectn money. )Now that the gay story le is heatg up, the 47-year-old Brooklyn-born actor is immensely pleased, part bee was his ia to make Vo homosexual.

A TE TOUGH GUY: THE MAFIA, GAYS, AND MICHAEL SAM’S BOYIENDLOVG EMBRACEWHEN VO CAMMISANO KISSED HIS BOYIEND ONT OF THE ESPN MERAS, HE MT HAVE KNOWN THE WORLD WOULD FD OUT HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A NOTOR MOB BOSS—BUT HE WASN’T AAID.MICHAEL DALYSPECIAL CORRPONNTUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 3:34PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 15, 2014 5:45AM EDT @VAMMIF THE LATE MOB BOSS WILLIAM “WILLIE THE RAT” CAMMISANO WAS LIKE OTHER MAFSI—AND BY ALL ACUNTS HE MOST EMPHATILLY WAS—HE WOULD HAVE BEEN APOPLECTIC HAD HE BEEN TOLD HIS GRANDSON WAS DATG AN AIN AMERIN. BUT A MAFSO SUCH AS WILLIE THE RAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT AS THE GOOD NEWS BY PARISON WHEN HE HEARD THE RT.FOR HIS GRANDSON’S AIN-AMERIN LOVER ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A MAN, AS THE WHOLE WORLD ME TO LEARN WHEN VO CAMMISANO KISSED FOOTBALL DRAFT PICK MICHAEL SAM ONT OF THE ESPN MERAS.IN DOG SO, VO MT HAVE KNOWN THAT THE PRS WOULD QUICKLY REVEAL HIM TO BE THE GRANDSON OF A NOTOR MAFIA BOSS WHOSE NICKNAME WAS ONCE EXPLAED BY A WNS BEFORE A U.S. SENATE COMMTEE. “BEE HE KILLED PEOPLE AND STUCK THEM THE SEWERS SO THE RATS ULD EAT THEM,” SAID THE WNS, FRED BONADONNA.THE SPONTANEY AND GENUE AFFECTN OF THE KISS ON ESPN MA CLEAR THAT VO WAS NOT AT ALL AAID OF WHAT OTHERS MIGHT SAY ABOUT HIM OR HIS FAY. AND HOWEVER MUCH SOME PART OF WILLIE THE RAT MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO STICK HIS OWN GRANDSON A SEWER, THE LIFELONG GANGSTER ALSO MIGHT HAVE FELT A GDGG RPECT FOR VO.WH A LOVG EMBRACE RATHER THAN A VIC BEATG, THE CAMMISANOS HAD A TE TOUGH GUY. AND RATHER THAN BE SHAMED BY HIS FAY, HE HAD BROUGHT HONOR TO .HERE WERE THE VIRTU OF THE GRANDSON BEG VISED UPON THE GRANDFATHER, ALONG WH THE FATHER AND THE UNCLE. VO’S UNCLE WILLIAM CAMMISANO JR. IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN OVER AS THE MAFIA BOSS OF KANSAS CY WHEN WILLIE THE RAT DIED OF LUNG NCER 1995. THE UNCLE DID TIME AFTER A 2011 NVICTN FOR OVERSEEG A MULTILN-DOLLAR INTER GAMBLG RG THAT ED A SERVER COSTA RI. HE HAD PREVLY BEEN NVICTED 1978 OF OBSTCTN OF JTICE AFTER A WIRETAP UGHT HIM UNSELG HIS 17-YEAR-OLD GIRLIEND TO LIE ABOUT MONEY BEG PASSED UNR A TABLE TO PAY OFF A BET ON A LAS VEGAS GOLF TOURNAMENT.VO’S FATHER, GERLARMO (JERRY) CAMMISANO, PROVED TO BE A STANDUP GUY THE TRADNAL SENSE BACK 1992, WHEN HE SPENT EIGHT MONTHS BEHD BARS FOR REFG TO TTIFY A MONEY-LNRG SE.“I’D DO ALL AGA,” GERLARMO WAS QUOTED SAYG UPON HIS RELEASE. “THE PUNISHMENT THAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH WAS ELS, BEE I WOULD NOT ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM CHANGE MY BELIEFS.”HE SOUND ALTOGETHER OLD SCHOOL AND ADD, “I’VE SEEN THEM DO TO NE OTHER PEOPLE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IN MY OPN, IF THEY WANT TO DICT OR VTIGATE, I THK THEY SHOULD E THEIR OWN ROURC AND NOT E IENDS OR FAY TO TTIFY AGAST OTHER FAY.”GERLARMO ALSO WAS NVICTED THE INTER GAMBLG SE. BUT HE WAS OUT OF JAIL TIME TO ATTEND VO’S GRADUATN OM THE UNIVERSY OF MISSOURI 2013. A FACEBOOK PHOTO OM THE EVENT SHOWS THE MANIFTLY PROUD PAPA BEAMG BI HIS SON. THE SON LOOKS EQUALLY PROUD TO BE WH HIS DAD.THE HAPPIT NCLN YOU ULD DRAW OM THIS IMAGE IS THAT GERLARMO KNEW HIS SON’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND ACCEPTED AS AN TEGRAL PART OF A MAGNIFICENT YOUNG MAN.BUT EVEN IF GERLARMO WAS NOT YET AWARE THAT HIS SON WAS GAY, HE IS NOW. AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO MBLGS THAT VO IS ANYTHG BUT PLETELY FORTABLE WH HIMSELF AND WH HIS LOVER.WHATEVER THE PERSONAL REPERCSNS FOR VO, THE REVELATN THAT HE IS WILLIE THE RAT’S GRANDSON IS NOT WHOUT HISTORIL SIGNIFINCE. WILLIE THE RAT OPERATED OUT OF A BAR HE NAMED THE EL RENO TAVERN AFTER HIS FAVORE PRISON, BUT THE KANSAS CY MOB ALSO RAN MOST OF THE CY’S GAY BARS BACK THE BENIGHTED TIME WHEN BEG GAY WAS NSIRED A CRIME.THE SAME WAS TE OF THE MOB NEW YORK AND CHIGO AND A DOZEN OTHER CI. THE MOB WAS ABLE TO PAY OFF THE PS TO KEEP GAY BARS OM BEG RAID. THE PATRONS REPAID THE MOB BY BUYG CHEAP LIQUOR AT PREMIUM PRIC, ALONG WH BOOTLEG CIGARETT AND SOMETIM DGS.IN THE 1970S, WILLIE THE RAT SOUGHT TO TABLISH SOME NEW GAY BARS, ALONG WH STRIP CLUBS AND PEEP SHOWS, AN AREA LLED RIVER QUAY THAT A RIVAL MOB ASSOCIATE HOPED TO VELOP TO A PLACE OF LEGIMATE RTRANTS AND SHOPS.THE DISPUTE WAS SETTLED WH SO MANY BOMBS AND BULLETS THAT BOTH PLANS WERE SCUTTLED. THE AD CLUD DAVID BONADONNA, WHOSE SON HAD CLED TO HELP WILLIE THE RAT SECURE LIQUOR LICENS FOR HIS NEW GAY BARS AND STRIP JOTS.“[WILLIE THE RAT] TOLD MY FATHER THAT HE WOULD KILL ME. MY FATHER SAID HE’D HAVE TO KILL HIM FIRST,” FRED BONADONNA TOLD THE U.S. SENATE THE SAME DAY HE EXPLAED THE RIVATN OF THE ELR CAMMISANO’S NICKNAME.BY THEN, A REVOLUTN HAD BEGUN WH THE 1969 RT AT THE MOB-OWNED STONEWALL INN NEW YORK. THE PLACE WAS OWNED BY THE GENOVE CRIME FAY. AND STAGG THE RAID, THE PS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST AS TENT ON PUNISHG THE MOB AS THEY WERE ON HASSLG THE GAY PATRONS.THE MOB SELF REMAED ROLUTELY RISTANT TO THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT. JOHN D’AMATO, ONE-TIME BOSS OF THE DECAVALNTE CRIME FAY, WAS MURRED 1992 AFTER HIS GIRLIEND TOLD OTHER GANGSTERS THAT HE ALSO HAD SEX WH MEN.“NOBODY’S GOG TO RPECT IF WE HAVE A GAY HOMOSEXUAL BOSS STG DOWN DISCSG LA COSA NOSTRA BS,” THE TRIGGERMAN, ANTHONY CAPO, LATER TTIFIED.IN 2009, FORMER GAMBO FAY HMAN ROBERT MORMANDO ME OUT TO A BROOKLYN FERAL JUDGE THROUGH HIS LAWYER, MAKG CLEAR THE DANGER OF BEG GAY THE MAFIA.“HE WAS LIVG HIDG, NOT OM LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT OM LA COSA NOSTRA,” THE LAWYER TOLD THE URT. “HE HAS BEEN OPENLY GAY SCE HE LEFT THE MOB.”MORMANDO AGREED TO OPERATE WH THE ERNMENT BUT CLED TO GO TO THE WNS PROTECTN PROGRAM, REPORTEDLY BEE HIS LOVER CLED TO SIGN ON.THE CRIME FAY THAT ONCE RAN THE STONEWALL INN FELT THE FORC OF CHANGE 2012, WHEN THE DGHTER OF THE LATE GENOVE BOSS VCENT GIGANTE ME OUT A BOOK. RA GIGANTE SAID SHE HAD NEVER EXPLICLY DISCSED HER SEXUALY WH HER FATHER BEFORE HIS ATH 2006 BUT THAT HE HAD KNOWN SHE WAS A LBIAN. SHE FELT SURE HIS SPR APPROVED WHEN SHE MARRIED HER LOVER LAST YEAR. SHE NTUED TO BRISTLE AT BEG ASSOCIATED WH THE MAFIA BEE OF HER FATHER.“I’M NOT A PRCS! I WORK FOR A LIVG; MY FATHER’S AD, AND WE’RE NOT THE MOB ANYMORE,” SHE SAID.NOW WE HAVE VO CAMMISANO AND THAT PERFECT KISS WH WHICH HE BRAVED BEG SIARLY BRAND WH THE SS OF THE GRANDFATHER AND FATHER.A TE TOUGH GUY SHOWED THE WHOLE WORLD THE VIRTU OF THE GRANDSON. MICHAEL DALY

”Gannasli’s suggtn was spired by the book “Murr Mache, ” about the Gambo fay, which had an openly gay member also named Vo.

The likable, energetic gadfly who emerg here would have been a great voice to have on hand today, providg an rmed perspective on the sweepg chang Amerin culture has seen the last few wasn’t an stigator at the Stonewall uprisg of 1969, but he immersed himself gay-rights issu soon after, beg a proment voice on the New York scene. “I don’t know what was different about the way I was raised or the way I reacted, ” he says, “but I never once, not for a send, believed that was wrong to be gay, that was a s, that homosexualy was evil. “He was fully equipped wh ias and arguments, and he was ready to take you on, ” David Ehrenste, a wrer and fellow member of the Gay Activists Alliance, rells the ’s versn of gay liberatn wasn’t one that mastream Ameri uld endorse, then or now, but was of urse a pre-AIDS view.

” His telligence and fearlsns put him at the center of the gay-rights movement, but he was also by tablishg himself as a televisn host and a film scholar, creatg a popular lecture which he showed how surprisgly open movi before Hollywood’s Productn Co were about homosexualy and then how gay people were subtly monized the films that me after.

MOB H MAN OUT OF THE CLOSET: ROBERT MORMANDO IS GAY AND REGRETS LIFE OF CRIME, HIS LAWYER SAYS

Schwarz’s film is nothg fancy — the ual mix of historil imag and terviews wh acquatanc and experts — and Rso, perhaps, was not so different om other gay activists who were silenced by AIDS. But the smooth tellg of Rso’s story juxtaposed agast the prent day, when gay marriage is sanctned some stat and gay characters are all over prime-time televisn, driv home how different the cultural landspe is om the one Rso knew. Vo needg to get the "cufflks" guys phone number om Phil Per Tony's nversatn wh Melfi gay for the stay was ndoned and Phil spent a long time the n After Vo's murr, he was at Vo's home wh his wife and when a bodybuildg ntt popped up on TV he quickly asks for to be turned off He lerally me out of the closet jt prr to Vo's murr but didn't e out until Vo was gagged and uldn't reveal his secret.

20Obte1Wofford FanWtsi Bodymore YoMember sce Sep 201622263 posts Onle 90dclt145Member sce Jan 2021746 postsre: Was Phil Leotardo gay? 20Ace MidnightBetween sany and madnsMember sce Dec 200687666 postsquote:Per Tony's nversatn wh Melfi gay for the stay was ndoned "Condoned"? "One of the first thgs I did when I was g out was read The Celluloid Closet, " Rso's landmark 1981 book about gay and lbian imag was the late 1980s, but Schwarz had been aware of Rso for several years before that.

In 1982, when Schwarz was 12, he saw an episo of the movie-review show Sneak Previews, then hosted by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, about gay-themed films g out that year, and the crics mentned Rso and The Celluloid, after Schwarz had been through film school and fallen love wh the documentary form, he heard that Rob Epste and Jefey Friedman were makg a movie of The Celluloid Closet, and he asked to work on . Through archival footage and terviews wh fay members, iends, and a verable who's who of the morn gay rights movement, the film trac his love of movi along wh his anger over their negative portrayals of gays; his velopment as an activist; his outgog, outsize personaly; and his stggle wh AIDS, which eventually took his life, but not before he fought tirelsly for awarens and treatment as a member of the direct-actn group ACT UP. Rso's life is sentially a history of the gay movement om Stonewall through ACT UP, says one piece of archival footage, Rso says, "Everythg I've done I've chosen to do.