A Te Tough Guy: The Mafia, Gays, and Michael Sam’s Boyiend

Contents:

• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE
• WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS
• THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB
• HOW NYC’S GAY BARS THRIVED BEE OF THE MOB
• THE RISE OF THE GAY MAFIA, A POWERFUL CABAL THAT NEVER EXISTED
• HOW THE MAFIA HELPED ESTABLISH NEW YORK CY’S GAY BAR SCENE
• WHY THE MAFIA CONTROLLED STONEWALL AND THE OTHER GAY BARS 1960S NEW YORK
• WHEN GAY BARS WERE OWNED BY THE MAFIA
• GROUNDBREAKG BOOK DETAILS WHEN MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS
• HOW THE MAFIA MCLED AND CONTROLLED THE STONEWALL INNBULLY OF THE TOWNGREENWICH VILLAGE WAS THE GENOVE FAY’S BACKYARD, SO OF URSE THE MOB HAD A HAND EVERY EXTRA-LEGAL ENTERPRISE, STARTG WH BARS THAT TERED TO GAY PATRONS.RONALD K. FRIEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:42AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 29, 2019 10:18PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTAFTER THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE STONEWALL RTS, GRAFFI SCRAWLED NEXT TO THE BOARD-UP BAR SUMMARIZED THE FORC ALIGNED AGAST GAY BAR PATRONS NEW YORK 1969:PROHIBITIONCORUPT$ COPS$FEED$ MAFIA A PAMPHLET SOON APPEARED URGG GAY NEW YORKERS TO “GET THE MAFIA AND THE PS OUT OF GAY BARS.”  ITS THOR WAS CRAIG RODWELL, OWNER OF THE OSR WIL MEMORIAL BOOKSHOP GREENWICH VILLAGE, AND AN EARLY PROPONENT OF THE NEED TO STAND UP TO THE POLICE AND THE GENOVE CRIME FAY, WHICH AT THAT TIME NTROLLED MOST GREENWICH VILLAGE GAY BARS, CLUDG THE STONEWALL INN. IT’S A MEASURE OF THE URAGE DISPLAYED BY THE NIZENS OF THE STONEWALL AND THEIR SUPPORTERS THAT THEY WERE, EFFECT, TAKG ON TWO GANGS: THE MAFIA AND THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT’S BEE BACK THEN THE NYPD OFTEN FUNCTNED AS A LEGALLY SANCTNED GANG THAT HARASSED GAY MEN AND WOMEN.“IT WAS REALLY HEROIC,” SAYS ALEX HORTIS, THOR OF THE MOB AND THE CY, AN EXHSTIVELY REARCHED HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK MAFIA. “A LOT OF PEOPLE NEW YORK WERE TERRIFIED OF THE MAFIA. IMAGE BEG UP AGAST NOT ONLY THE LEGAL APPARAT, BUT ALSO THE UNRWORLD.” RUNNG GAY BARS WAS ACTUALLY AN IAL BS FOR THE MOB.“THE MAFIA DIDN’T PICK ON PEOPLE THEIR OWN SIZE,” SAYS HORTIS, WHOSE NEXT BOOK FOC ON THE MOB’S ROLE GAY BARS NATNWI. “THEY TEND TO PICK ON THE WEAK, PECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T GO NNG TO THE POLICE.” AND AS LATE AS 1969, THIS WAS CERTALY TE OF THE LGBT MUNY. DRAG QUEENS WERE PECIALLY VULNERABLE SCE WAS ILLEGAL FOR A NEW YORKER TO DRS AS A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSE SEX.  THE MOB’S DOMATN OF GAY BARS WAS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF S ROLE NNG SPEAKEASI DURG PROHIBN. THE 25TH AMENDMENT, WHICH END PROHIBN 1933, GAVE STAT “VIRTUAL RTE BLANCHE THORY TO REGULATE ALHOL,” SAYS HORTIS, A PRACTICG ATTORNEY WHO BRGS HIS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO HIS ANALYSIS OF MAFIA HISTORY. THE NSTUTNAL CHANGE HAND STATE ERNMENTS A TOOL TO CRACK DOWN ON HOMOSEXUALS.  WHAT FOLLOWED WAS WHAT HORTIS LLS, “GAY PROHIBN—A FORM OF ALHOL PROHIBN, EXCEPT THAT THE RTRICTNS WERE ON HOMOSEXUALS.” AT TIME OF THE STONEWALL UPRISG, SAME-SEX KISSG AND DANCG BARS WAS NSIRED “DISORRLY NDUCT” AND ULD RULT THE LOSS OF A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BAR.IN THIS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, GAY BAR OWNERS NEED PROTECTN OM THE POLICE—A SERVICE THAT THE MOB HAD FE-TUNED DURG PROHIBN. AND MANY MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEIR BARS OPEN WAS TO RELY ON THE MOB. AS HORTIS PUTS , THE MAFIA “KNEW HOW TO TURN THE REGULATORY STATE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.”THE STONEWALL WAS NOMALLY OWNED BY THREE MAFIA-NNECTED LOWLIF. THE REAL BOSS, HOWEVER, WAS GENOVE FAY PO MATTY “THE HORSE” IANNIELLO.  THE GANGSTERS WHO RAN THE STONEWALL REPORTEDLY PAID THE SIXTH PRECCT OF THE NYPD A MONTHLY STIPEND OF $1,200 TO KEEP THE CLUB NNG WH ONLY TOKEN POLICE TERFERENCE.  AND THE MOB KNEW HOW TO ELIMATE ANY PETN. “THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT THE RIGHT POLICE THEIR POCKET, THE POLICE ULD SHUT DOWN ANY BAR,” HORTIS SAYS. IF THAT FAILED, THREATS ALWAYS WORKED. A MEMBER OF “THE FAY” WOULD SHOW UP TO EHER SHUT DOWN A PETG GAY BAR OR JT TAKE OVER. “ULTIMATELY ’S THE THREAT OF VLENCE THAT BACKS UP EVERYTHG,” HORTIS STRS.AND, OF URSE, AS HISTORIAN DAVID CARTER TAILS HIS EXCELLENT STONEWALL: THE RTS THAT SPARKED THE GAY REVOLUTN, THE MOBSTERS WERE TERRIBLE BAR OWNERS WHO RED ONLY ABOUT MAXIMIZG PROFS. THE STONEWALL HAD NO FIRE EX. THERE WAS NO NNG WATER BEHD THE BAR. GLASS WERE NOT WASHED, BUT ONLY RSED SKS OF WATER THAT GREW CREASGLY FILTHY AS A NIGHT WORE ON. THE TOILETS ROUTELY OVERFLOWED. THE LACK OF HYGIENE WAS BLAMED FOR AN OUTBREAK OF HEPATIS AMONG THE BAR’S PATRONS.  THE STONEWALL HAD NO LIQUOR LICENSE. INSTEAD, FUNCTNED AS A “BOTTLE CLUB,” AND PATRONS WERE CHARGED A FEE JT TO WALK THE DOOR. THE MOB PROVID STOLEN LIQUOR THAT WAS THEN WATERED DOWN, AND THE DRKS WERE NOTORLY AWFUL AND OVERPRICED. THE CIGARETTE MACH AND JEBOX SI THE BAR WERE ALSO MOB-NTROLLED.  “'SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT.'”— ALEX HORTIS “OVER A WEEKEND, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKG AND DRKG,” HORTIS SAYS, “SO YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT VERY HIGH PROF MARGS.” ACRDG TO THE CELEBRATED LGBT HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN, THE OWNERS OF THE STONEWALL PAID A MERE $300 MONTHLY RENT AND ULD PULL AS MUCH AS $11,000 SH DURG A BY WEEKEND. AND THE MOB RRIED OUT ANOTHER ILLEGAL BS WH THE STONEWALL: DG ALG.  THEN THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR BLACKMAIL. NEW YORK CY SCHOOL TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THEY WERE ARRTED A POLICE RAID ON A GAY BAR OR WERE OTHERWISE PUBLICLY OUTED.FERAL EMPLOYE ALSO WERE VULNERABLE, AS WERE CLOSETED CELEBRI AND WEALTHY WALL STREET TYP.  IN RETROSPECT, WAS EVABLE THAT THE GENOVE CRIME FAY WOULD N THE VILLAGE’S GAY BARS BEE THE VILLAGE WAS THE GENOV’ HOME TURF.“THAT WAS THEIR BACKYARD,” HORTIS EXPLAS. “SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT—OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF .”THE GENOVE FAY WAS THE GAY BAR BS LONG BEFORE THE STONEWALL. IN FACT, VO GENOVE’S SEND WIFE, ANNA, WAS A PARTNER SEVERAL LEGENDARY LOWER MANHATTAN DRAG BARS OF THE ’30S, CLUDG THE HOWDY CLUB, THE 181 CLUB, AND CLUB 84, WHOSE PATRONS CLUD GRETA GARBO AND JUDY GARLAND. ANNA’S PARTNER WAS STEVEN FRANSE, ONE OF THE ONLY MOBSTERS THE PARANOID VO GENOVE TSTED. AND THERE LI A RELATED SORDID TALE.WHEN GENOVE FLED TO ITALY 1937 TO AVOID PROSECUTN ON A MURR CHARGE, HE TOLD FRANSE TO LOOK AFTER HIS BS TERTS AND KEEP AN EYE ON ANNA. BUT, AS HORTIS SAYS, “ANNA WAS HIGH MATENANCE, TO PUT BLUNTLY. SHE WAS A DIVA.”  DURG VO’S ABSENCE, ANNA, LONG MORED TO HAVE BEEN BISEXUAL, IS SAID TO HAVE BEDD MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. ACRDG TO HORTIS, “THERE ARE DRAG QUEENS OM THAT ERA WHO SAY THEY SAW HER PICKG UP SOME OF THE ENTERTAERS.” IN 1952, WHEN ANNA FILED FOR DIVORCE OM GENOVE, SHE REVEALED THAT HIS E OM THE ITALIAN LOTTERY ALONE WAS AS MUCH AS $30,000 A WEEK. THE OTHERWISE VIC GENOVE REPORTEDLY DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART TO HAVE ANNA MURRED, SO HE DID THE NEXT BT THG: HE ORRED THE 1953 MURR OF FRANSE FOR HIS SUPPOSED FAILURE TO KEEP ANNA UNR NTROL. AS PER VO’S ORRS, WAS A PARTICULARLY VIC BOUT: FRANSE WAS FIRST BEATEN AND THEN STRANGLED WH A CHA. THE GOME TAILS N BE FOUND THAT CLASSIC MOB TELL-ALL THE VALACHI PAPERS.THE MAFIA’S GRIP ON VILLAGE GAY BARS DID NOT END THERE.  AND NTUED EVEN AFTER THE MOB CLOSED THE STONEWALL, SHORTLY AFTER THE RTS.  FOR ONE THG, THE UPRISG BROUGHT PUBLICY, WHICH IS ALWAYS BAD NEWS FOR THE MOB.  (LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN GOTTI AFTER HE BEME FAMO.) “EVERYONE NOW KNEW THE STONEWALL WAS A MOB BAR,” DAVID CARTER EXPLAS. “THE STONEWALL WAS NOW AAID TO SERVE LIQUOR WHOUT A LICENSE. THEY TRIED TO MAKE AS A JUICE BAR, BUT CLOSED THREE MONTHS LATER.”SOON CRAIG RODWELL—A RELATIVELY UNSUNG HERO OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHO IS CREDED WH BEG THE FIRST PERSON TO PROPOSE THE GAY PRI PARA—BEGAN URGG A BOYTT OF MOB-OWNED BARS.  “HE WAS THE MA PROPAGANDIST OF THE UPRISG,” SAYS CARTER. “I N’T THK OF ANYONE WHO IS MORE CENTRAL TO THE HISTORY THAN CRAIG.” EVENTUALLY, GAY-OWNED GAY BARS OPENED AND RAN THEIR TABLISHMENTS, OFFERG AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAFIA-NTROLLED BARS. BUT THE MOB DIDN’T SIMPLY TURN AND N, SAYS THOR LUCIAN K. TSTT IV, WHO VERED THE STONEWALL RTS FOR THE VILLAGE VOICE.“DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THKG THAT THERE WAS A DAY THAT THE MOB LOOKED AT STONEWALL AND CID, ‘LET’S GET OUT OF THIS BS,’” TSTT SAYS. “THEY WOULDN’T GET OUT OF A BS WHERE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNY TO GOUGE PEOPLE AND MAKE AN UNREASONABLE PROF.”INSTEAD, THE MOB MCLED ON GAY BARS THE SAME WAY THEY TOOK OVER STRAIGHT BARS: BY GIVG UR LOANS TO BAR OWNERS WH TAX OR OTHER FANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SIMPLY G THE THREAT OF VLENCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE ACTN. OFTEN, TSTT SAYS, THEY WOULD TURN STRAIGHT BARS TO GAY BARS BEE THE PROF MARGS WERE HIGHER.AND THE MAFIA NTUED TO TER TO—OR EXPLO—THE LGBT MUNY OTHER WAYS, ACRDG TO ALEX HORTIS. ADAPTG TO A CHANGG ENVIRONMENT, THE MAFIA MOVED TO BATH HO, LEATHER BARS, AND GAY PORNOGRAPHY. HORTIS, WHOSE MOB AND THE CY DO A BRILLIANT JOB OF BUNKG MANY OF THE MYTHS ABOUT THE MAFIA, ARGU THAT THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MOB AND GAY LIFE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISG.   “WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THE MAFIA IS PARTICULARLY HOMOPHOBIC, THEY’RE LOOKG BACKWARDS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “THEY’RE LOOKG AT HOW THE MAFIA WAS THE ’80S AND ’90S—AND THE FICTNAL PORTRAYALS OF THEM—AND MORE BROADLY ITALIAN-AMERIN CULTURE. BUT WHAT THEY’RE FETTG IS THAT EARLIER ON, WAS VERY DIFFERENT. SAME-SEX ACTIVY WAS UNUALLY HIGH AMONG ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS BEE WASN’T NSIRED GAY OR HOMOSEXUAL, WAS JT SEXUAL RELEASE.” AND AS HORTIS POTS OUT THE MOB AND THE CY, MOBSTER “CRAZY” JOEY GALLO “TALKED ABOUT HOW ‘NORMAL, NATURAL, AND UNREMARKABLE’ HOMOSEXUALY WAS PRISON.”SO WHAT LSONS N BE DRAWN OM THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MAFIA AND THE GAY MUNY?"WHEN THE STATE FORCED GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO THE CLOSET,” HORTIS SAYS, “THEY WERE DRIVEN TO THE CLUTCH OF ANIZED CRIME. LGBT PEOPLE WERE FIGHTG NOT ONLY THE STATE, BUT EXPLOATN BY THE MAFIA. THE LSON IS THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GAY PEOPLE EVERY SOCIETY. WHEN THE STATE TRI TO SUPPRS THEM, THEY WON'T JT DISAPPEAR; THE HARMS TO THEM WILL ONLY BE POUND." RONALD K. FRIED
• 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
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• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

But between New York’s LGBT muny the 1960s beg forced to live on the outskirts of society and the Mafia’s disregard for the law, the two ma a profable, if uneasy, the gay muny blossomed New York Cy the 1960s, members had few plac to gather publicly.

Unr the guise of New York State’s liquor laws that barred “disorrly” premis, the State Liquor Authory and the New York Police Department regularly raid bars that tered to gay the law saw viance, however, the Mafia saw a goln bs opportuny. It was the only place where gay people uld openly dance close together, and for relatively ltle money, drag queens (who received a bter receptn at other bars), naways, homels LGBT youths and others uld be off the streets as long as the bar was open.

“Fat Tony, ” for one, paid New York’s 6th Precct approximately $1, 200 a week, exchange for the police agreeg to turn a bld eye to the “cent nduct” occurrg behd closed Photo<em>An NYPD officer grabs someone by their hair as another officer clubs a young man durg a nontatn Greenwich Village after a Gay Power march New York, 1970.

WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS

Sometim the ps even went to the extreme measure of sendg female officers to the bathroom to verify people’s get around laws that prohibed servg alhol to LGBT patrons, many gay bars—cludg the Stonewall—operated ostensibly as “bottle bars, ” private clubs where members would brg their own alhol. Apparently, too many high-powered dividuals—cludg Mafia members, police officers and big Hollywood nam—were implited as Stonewall Inn is a bar loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven the 1960s for the cy’s gay, lbian and transgenr muny. " This sign was wrten by the Mattache Society–an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay reportg the events, The New York Daily News rorted to homophobic slurs s tailed verage, nng the headle: “Homo Nt Raid, Queen Be Are Stgg Mad.

1 / 14: RxSome scholars have argued the famo Stonewall rts that sparked the natnwi LGBT movement were as much a ristance agast the mob’s exploatn of the gay muny as they were a stggle agast police harassment and discrimatory laws.

” Two of the ma gay-rights anizatns that me out of the rts, the Gay Activists Alliance and Gay Liberatn Front, actively champned gettg anized crime out of gay Mafia’s stranglehold on New York Cy’s nightlife bs took a huge h wh a seri of high-profile prosecutns the 1980s. Meticuloly documents how the mob once had a near-monopoly on gay bars for s New York and Chigo, and reli upon an extensive llectn of primary sourc cludg FBI fil many of which were not publicly available until acquired by the thor through the Freedom of Informatn Mafia and the Gays by Phillip Crawford Crawford illtrat how the gay bars historilly were tegrated to the Mafia rackets.

THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB

Among the powerful mobsters who oversaw vast terts LGBT nightlife were Gambo unrboss Aniello Dellacroce, Genove po Matty Ianniello, Colombo unrboss Sonny Franze New York, and Joseph DiVar who ran the Rh Street crew on the Near North Si for the Outf Mafia had ti to some of the most inic gay tablishments cludg the Contental Baths the Hotel Ansonia om 1969 to 1976 on the Upper Wt Si which received protectn om the Colombo fay exchange for stallg s vendg mach. Contental owner Steve Ostrow — a classilly-traed opera sger — veloped such close ti wh Joe Colombo that he was performg “The Star–Spangled Banner” at the June 29, 1970 Italian-Amerin Uny Day rally Columb Circle when the mob boss was LGBT muny once was married to the mob out of forced necsy but after gay bars beme legal the relatnship often ntued many tablishments out of mutual nvenience well to the 1980s. If a bar had a back room for anonymo sex, operated afterhours, or sold dgs or boys, then odds are was a Mafia jot, and that volved numero plac durg the 1970s and Mafia hijacked gay liberatn for polil ver and ed so-lled Auntie Gays — the Uncle Toms of the gay muny — as ontmen for their bars to eva spicn.

The wiseguys allegedly even filtrated the Christopher Street Liberatn Day Commtee and Christopher Street Ftival Commtee which ran New York Cy’s gay pri para and some related events for much of the 1970s and the s there has been a fair number of gay guys the mob’s ranks cludg cross-drsg Genove soldier David Petillo who once was a boy prostute; hman Vo Arena om Roy DeMeo’s Gambo crew; and DeCavalnte boss John D’Amato.

Was terviewed for VICE about The Mafia and the Gays, and Culture Trip clus the book on s list of 10 Books About the Mafia You Need to Read as “a surprisg but sential history of the mob’s ntrol over New York’s gay club scene well to the 1980s. “Sure, many mobsters had a homophobic bent and often exprsed their ntempt for gay patrons, but generally there was a benign tolerance for the LGBT+ muny based on fancial terts, and they separated their personal liv om bs affairs.

HOW NYC’S GAY BARS THRIVED BEE OF THE MOB

He and his associat regularly greased the palms of the NYPD exchange for turng a bld eye, and their monthly payoff of $1, 200 to the 6th Precct allowed the Stonewall Inn to thrive as one of the largt gay bars Ameri. The Stonewall was secretly owned by Matthew “Matty the Horse” Ianiello, a high-level poregime (pta) the Genove crime fay who held hidn terts a seri of gay bars and porn stor the Greenwich Village and Tim Square neighborhoods. The raid sparked a historic rt that’s creded wh tly igng the gay uprisg — yet Hortis poss that was really a crackdown on the Mafia and that the gay patrons bloodied that night by billy clubs were mostly jt the wrong place.

THE RISE OF THE GAY MAFIA, A POWERFUL CABAL THAT NEVER EXISTED

In his new book Homtern: How Gay Culture Liberated the Morn World, English amic Gregory Woods chronicl the rise of the “homtern, ” explorg how the longstandg fear of homosexual men spurred a century-long paranoia about an alleged gay mafia ntrollg areas of ernment, the arts and amia.

In the mid-19th century the pair rrpond about the threat of “perasts”—an antiquated term referrg to men who had sex wh younger men, sce “homosexual” did not yet exist as a label—to their goal of tablishg non-sexual raship between other men.

HOW THE MAFIA HELPED ESTABLISH NEW YORK CY’S GAY BAR SCENE

” This sire to study and fe sexual behavr further phed rearchers to “un-closet” the homosexual, all an effort to mystify a sexual inty that had long been ostracized and stigmatized but never really pned down through scientific quiry. Des later, “homtern” entered Cold War disurse, beg reappropriated by nspiracy theorists that exploed s munist associatn and claimed referred to a longstandg “ternatnal homosexual nspiracy” across the untry, whose one goal was to perate posns the Amerin ernment and urp tradnal Amerin valu of fay and heterosexualy. Wh Amerins fearful of the tonatn of an atomic bomb and a enzy about polics beg overtaken by munist fectors, the elive figure of the homosexual—known but never seen public; closeted but apparently everywhere—was ripe to explo to spire fear.

WHY THE MAFIA CONTROLLED STONEWALL AND THE OTHER GAY BARS 1960S NEW YORK

Woods says that the anxieti around homosexuals Cold War Ameri take some of their orig the social “cleansg” mpaigns enacted Nazi Germany and Soviet Rsia, mpaigns lnched to eradite homosexual men (and other “unwanted” dividuals) om society.

WHEN GAY BARS WERE OWNED BY THE MAFIA

The Mafia th was slowly troduced to a whole new dience who wanted to go to bars or clubs that tered to this margalized followed were years of fancial exploatn while the New York Police Department pletely ignored the LGBTQ+ muny’s ncerns, safety and the 1960s, the Mafia was well tablished this bs and 1966, a member of the Genove fay, Tony Lria, also known as “Fat Tony, ” purchased the Stonewall Inn then transformed om a bar and rtrant that only tered to straight clientele, to a gay nightclub. Dpe s ls-than-ial ndns, Stonewall remaed extremely popular as was the one of the only plac where gay people uld openly dance together, drag queens uld perform, and homels LGBTQ+ youths and others uld safely orr to operate s gay bars, the Mafia would bribe the NYPD. Many scholars have argued that the Stonewall Rts June of 1969 were as much a ristance agast the Mafia’s exploatn of the gay muny as they were a stggle agast discrimatory laws and nstant police harassment.

GROUNDBREAKG BOOK DETAILS WHEN MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS

Not only did a handwrten msage on a board-up wdow of the Stonewall Inn state “Gay Prohibn Corpt$ Cop$ Feed$ Mafia, ” but also the two ma gay rights anizatns that me out of the rts – the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberatn Front – actively champned gettg anized crime out of gay Activists Alliance, NYC, 1969.

HOW THE MAFIA MCLED AND CONTROLLED THE STONEWALL INNBULLY OF THE TOWNGREENWICH VILLAGE WAS THE GENOVE FAY’S BACKYARD, SO OF URSE THE MOB HAD A HAND EVERY EXTRA-LEGAL ENTERPRISE, STARTG WH BARS THAT TERED TO GAY PATRONS.RONALD K. FRIEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:42AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 29, 2019 10:18PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTAFTER THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE STONEWALL RTS, GRAFFI SCRAWLED NEXT TO THE BOARD-UP BAR SUMMARIZED THE FORC ALIGNED AGAST GAY BAR PATRONS NEW YORK 1969:PROHIBITIONCORUPT$ COPS$FEED$ MAFIA A PAMPHLET SOON APPEARED URGG GAY NEW YORKERS TO “GET THE MAFIA AND THE PS OUT OF GAY BARS.”  ITS THOR WAS CRAIG RODWELL, OWNER OF THE OSR WIL MEMORIAL BOOKSHOP GREENWICH VILLAGE, AND AN EARLY PROPONENT OF THE NEED TO STAND UP TO THE POLICE AND THE GENOVE CRIME FAY, WHICH AT THAT TIME NTROLLED MOST GREENWICH VILLAGE GAY BARS, CLUDG THE STONEWALL INN. IT’S A MEASURE OF THE URAGE DISPLAYED BY THE NIZENS OF THE STONEWALL AND THEIR SUPPORTERS THAT THEY WERE, EFFECT, TAKG ON TWO GANGS: THE MAFIA AND THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT’S BEE BACK THEN THE NYPD OFTEN FUNCTNED AS A LEGALLY SANCTNED GANG THAT HARASSED GAY MEN AND WOMEN.“IT WAS REALLY HEROIC,” SAYS ALEX HORTIS, THOR OF THE MOB AND THE CY, AN EXHSTIVELY REARCHED HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK MAFIA. “A LOT OF PEOPLE NEW YORK WERE TERRIFIED OF THE MAFIA. IMAGE BEG UP AGAST NOT ONLY THE LEGAL APPARAT, BUT ALSO THE UNRWORLD.” RUNNG GAY BARS WAS ACTUALLY AN IAL BS FOR THE MOB.“THE MAFIA DIDN’T PICK ON PEOPLE THEIR OWN SIZE,” SAYS HORTIS, WHOSE NEXT BOOK FOC ON THE MOB’S ROLE GAY BARS NATNWI. “THEY TEND TO PICK ON THE WEAK, PECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T GO NNG TO THE POLICE.” AND AS LATE AS 1969, THIS WAS CERTALY TE OF THE LGBT MUNY. DRAG QUEENS WERE PECIALLY VULNERABLE SCE WAS ILLEGAL FOR A NEW YORKER TO DRS AS A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSE SEX.  THE MOB’S DOMATN OF GAY BARS WAS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF S ROLE NNG SPEAKEASI DURG PROHIBN. THE 25TH AMENDMENT, WHICH END PROHIBN 1933, GAVE STAT “VIRTUAL RTE BLANCHE THORY TO REGULATE ALHOL,” SAYS HORTIS, A PRACTICG ATTORNEY WHO BRGS HIS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO HIS ANALYSIS OF MAFIA HISTORY. THE NSTUTNAL CHANGE HAND STATE ERNMENTS A TOOL TO CRACK DOWN ON HOMOSEXUALS.  WHAT FOLLOWED WAS WHAT HORTIS LLS, “GAY PROHIBN—A FORM OF ALHOL PROHIBN, EXCEPT THAT THE RTRICTNS WERE ON HOMOSEXUALS.” AT TIME OF THE STONEWALL UPRISG, SAME-SEX KISSG AND DANCG BARS WAS NSIRED “DISORRLY NDUCT” AND ULD RULT THE LOSS OF A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BAR.IN THIS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, GAY BAR OWNERS NEED PROTECTN OM THE POLICE—A SERVICE THAT THE MOB HAD FE-TUNED DURG PROHIBN. AND MANY MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEIR BARS OPEN WAS TO RELY ON THE MOB. AS HORTIS PUTS , THE MAFIA “KNEW HOW TO TURN THE REGULATORY STATE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.”THE STONEWALL WAS NOMALLY OWNED BY THREE MAFIA-NNECTED LOWLIF. THE REAL BOSS, HOWEVER, WAS GENOVE FAY PO MATTY “THE HORSE” IANNIELLO.  THE GANGSTERS WHO RAN THE STONEWALL REPORTEDLY PAID THE SIXTH PRECCT OF THE NYPD A MONTHLY STIPEND OF $1,200 TO KEEP THE CLUB NNG WH ONLY TOKEN POLICE TERFERENCE.  AND THE MOB KNEW HOW TO ELIMATE ANY PETN. “THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT THE RIGHT POLICE THEIR POCKET, THE POLICE ULD SHUT DOWN ANY BAR,” HORTIS SAYS. IF THAT FAILED, THREATS ALWAYS WORKED. A MEMBER OF “THE FAY” WOULD SHOW UP TO EHER SHUT DOWN A PETG GAY BAR OR JT TAKE OVER. “ULTIMATELY ’S THE THREAT OF VLENCE THAT BACKS UP EVERYTHG,” HORTIS STRS.AND, OF URSE, AS HISTORIAN DAVID CARTER TAILS HIS EXCELLENT STONEWALL: THE RTS THAT SPARKED THE GAY REVOLUTN, THE MOBSTERS WERE TERRIBLE BAR OWNERS WHO RED ONLY ABOUT MAXIMIZG PROFS. THE STONEWALL HAD NO FIRE EX. THERE WAS NO NNG WATER BEHD THE BAR. GLASS WERE NOT WASHED, BUT ONLY RSED SKS OF WATER THAT GREW CREASGLY FILTHY AS A NIGHT WORE ON. THE TOILETS ROUTELY OVERFLOWED. THE LACK OF HYGIENE WAS BLAMED FOR AN OUTBREAK OF HEPATIS AMONG THE BAR’S PATRONS.  THE STONEWALL HAD NO LIQUOR LICENSE. INSTEAD, FUNCTNED AS A “BOTTLE CLUB,” AND PATRONS WERE CHARGED A FEE JT TO WALK THE DOOR. THE MOB PROVID STOLEN LIQUOR THAT WAS THEN WATERED DOWN, AND THE DRKS WERE NOTORLY AWFUL AND OVERPRICED. THE CIGARETTE MACH AND JEBOX SI THE BAR WERE ALSO MOB-NTROLLED.  “'SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT.'”— ALEX HORTIS “OVER A WEEKEND, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKG AND DRKG,” HORTIS SAYS, “SO YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT VERY HIGH PROF MARGS.” ACRDG TO THE CELEBRATED LGBT HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN, THE OWNERS OF THE STONEWALL PAID A MERE $300 MONTHLY RENT AND ULD PULL AS MUCH AS $11,000 SH DURG A BY WEEKEND. AND THE MOB RRIED OUT ANOTHER ILLEGAL BS WH THE STONEWALL: DG ALG.  THEN THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR BLACKMAIL. NEW YORK CY SCHOOL TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THEY WERE ARRTED A POLICE RAID ON A GAY BAR OR WERE OTHERWISE PUBLICLY OUTED.FERAL EMPLOYE ALSO WERE VULNERABLE, AS WERE CLOSETED CELEBRI AND WEALTHY WALL STREET TYP.  IN RETROSPECT, WAS EVABLE THAT THE GENOVE CRIME FAY WOULD N THE VILLAGE’S GAY BARS BEE THE VILLAGE WAS THE GENOV’ HOME TURF.“THAT WAS THEIR BACKYARD,” HORTIS EXPLAS. “SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT—OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF .”THE GENOVE FAY WAS THE GAY BAR BS LONG BEFORE THE STONEWALL. IN FACT, VO GENOVE’S SEND WIFE, ANNA, WAS A PARTNER SEVERAL LEGENDARY LOWER MANHATTAN DRAG BARS OF THE ’30S, CLUDG THE HOWDY CLUB, THE 181 CLUB, AND CLUB 84, WHOSE PATRONS CLUD GRETA GARBO AND JUDY GARLAND. ANNA’S PARTNER WAS STEVEN FRANSE, ONE OF THE ONLY MOBSTERS THE PARANOID VO GENOVE TSTED. AND THERE LI A RELATED SORDID TALE.WHEN GENOVE FLED TO ITALY 1937 TO AVOID PROSECUTN ON A MURR CHARGE, HE TOLD FRANSE TO LOOK AFTER HIS BS TERTS AND KEEP AN EYE ON ANNA. BUT, AS HORTIS SAYS, “ANNA WAS HIGH MATENANCE, TO PUT BLUNTLY. SHE WAS A DIVA.”  DURG VO’S ABSENCE, ANNA, LONG MORED TO HAVE BEEN BISEXUAL, IS SAID TO HAVE BEDD MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. ACRDG TO HORTIS, “THERE ARE DRAG QUEENS OM THAT ERA WHO SAY THEY SAW HER PICKG UP SOME OF THE ENTERTAERS.” IN 1952, WHEN ANNA FILED FOR DIVORCE OM GENOVE, SHE REVEALED THAT HIS E OM THE ITALIAN LOTTERY ALONE WAS AS MUCH AS $30,000 A WEEK. THE OTHERWISE VIC GENOVE REPORTEDLY DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART TO HAVE ANNA MURRED, SO HE DID THE NEXT BT THG: HE ORRED THE 1953 MURR OF FRANSE FOR HIS SUPPOSED FAILURE TO KEEP ANNA UNR NTROL. AS PER VO’S ORRS, WAS A PARTICULARLY VIC BOUT: FRANSE WAS FIRST BEATEN AND THEN STRANGLED WH A CHA. THE GOME TAILS N BE FOUND THAT CLASSIC MOB TELL-ALL THE VALACHI PAPERS.THE MAFIA’S GRIP ON VILLAGE GAY BARS DID NOT END THERE.  AND NTUED EVEN AFTER THE MOB CLOSED THE STONEWALL, SHORTLY AFTER THE RTS.  FOR ONE THG, THE UPRISG BROUGHT PUBLICY, WHICH IS ALWAYS BAD NEWS FOR THE MOB.  (LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN GOTTI AFTER HE BEME FAMO.) “EVERYONE NOW KNEW THE STONEWALL WAS A MOB BAR,” DAVID CARTER EXPLAS. “THE STONEWALL WAS NOW AAID TO SERVE LIQUOR WHOUT A LICENSE. THEY TRIED TO MAKE AS A JUICE BAR, BUT CLOSED THREE MONTHS LATER.”SOON CRAIG RODWELL—A RELATIVELY UNSUNG HERO OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHO IS CREDED WH BEG THE FIRST PERSON TO PROPOSE THE GAY PRI PARA—BEGAN URGG A BOYTT OF MOB-OWNED BARS.  “HE WAS THE MA PROPAGANDIST OF THE UPRISG,” SAYS CARTER. “I N’T THK OF ANYONE WHO IS MORE CENTRAL TO THE HISTORY THAN CRAIG.” EVENTUALLY, GAY-OWNED GAY BARS OPENED AND RAN THEIR TABLISHMENTS, OFFERG AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAFIA-NTROLLED BARS. BUT THE MOB DIDN’T SIMPLY TURN AND N, SAYS THOR LUCIAN K. TSTT IV, WHO VERED THE STONEWALL RTS FOR THE VILLAGE VOICE.“DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THKG THAT THERE WAS A DAY THAT THE MOB LOOKED AT STONEWALL AND CID, ‘LET’S GET OUT OF THIS BS,’” TSTT SAYS. “THEY WOULDN’T GET OUT OF A BS WHERE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNY TO GOUGE PEOPLE AND MAKE AN UNREASONABLE PROF.”INSTEAD, THE MOB MCLED ON GAY BARS THE SAME WAY THEY TOOK OVER STRAIGHT BARS: BY GIVG UR LOANS TO BAR OWNERS WH TAX OR OTHER FANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SIMPLY G THE THREAT OF VLENCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE ACTN. OFTEN, TSTT SAYS, THEY WOULD TURN STRAIGHT BARS TO GAY BARS BEE THE PROF MARGS WERE HIGHER.AND THE MAFIA NTUED TO TER TO—OR EXPLO—THE LGBT MUNY OTHER WAYS, ACRDG TO ALEX HORTIS. ADAPTG TO A CHANGG ENVIRONMENT, THE MAFIA MOVED TO BATH HO, LEATHER BARS, AND GAY PORNOGRAPHY. HORTIS, WHOSE MOB AND THE CY DO A BRILLIANT JOB OF BUNKG MANY OF THE MYTHS ABOUT THE MAFIA, ARGU THAT THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MOB AND GAY LIFE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISG.   “WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THE MAFIA IS PARTICULARLY HOMOPHOBIC, THEY’RE LOOKG BACKWARDS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “THEY’RE LOOKG AT HOW THE MAFIA WAS THE ’80S AND ’90S—AND THE FICTNAL PORTRAYALS OF THEM—AND MORE BROADLY ITALIAN-AMERIN CULTURE. BUT WHAT THEY’RE FETTG IS THAT EARLIER ON, WAS VERY DIFFERENT. SAME-SEX ACTIVY WAS UNUALLY HIGH AMONG ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS BEE WASN’T NSIRED GAY OR HOMOSEXUAL, WAS JT SEXUAL RELEASE.” AND AS HORTIS POTS OUT THE MOB AND THE CY, MOBSTER “CRAZY” JOEY GALLO “TALKED ABOUT HOW ‘NORMAL, NATURAL, AND UNREMARKABLE’ HOMOSEXUALY WAS PRISON.”SO WHAT LSONS N BE DRAWN OM THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MAFIA AND THE GAY MUNY?"WHEN THE STATE FORCED GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO THE CLOSET,” HORTIS SAYS, “THEY WERE DRIVEN TO THE CLUTCH OF ANIZED CRIME. LGBT PEOPLE WERE FIGHTG NOT ONLY THE STATE, BUT EXPLOATN BY THE MAFIA. THE LSON IS THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GAY PEOPLE EVERY SOCIETY. WHEN THE STATE TRI TO SUPPRS THEM, THEY WON'T JT DISAPPEAR; THE HARMS TO THEM WILL ONLY BE POUND." RONALD K. FRIED

In San Francis, Sal Stoueman’s Black Cat Cafe (ma particularly famo by Jack Kerouac and Allen Gsberg) hand out “I’m A Boy” nametags to patrons, so unrver ps uld not arrt s drag performers, “gay screamg queens” (TM Gsberg), or even “gray flannel su typ” for female impersonatn wh tent to d or ceive someone to sex. In New York, a massive group of gay men staged a public prott of, sentially, “beg gay public” midtown until ps and policians basilly allowed bars to operate for a perd of time so they would go be queer out of sight. “Word of mouth that Stonewall (Cherry Lane Theater, Fifth Avenue Bar, etc) were ‘perdilly safe’ plac for gay people to drk and be gay public was ccial for the Mafia to keep their gay bars profable, particularly a plete dive like Stonewall for which the space was really the only attractn.

FORT MYERS, Fla., June 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebratg LGBTQ Pri this June when so much of the world has embraced equaly 's difficult to image that illic bars n by the Mafia once were one of the few gatherg plac for gays and lbians.

Meticuloly documents how the mob once had a near-monopoly on gay bars for s New York and Chigo, and reli upon an extensive llectn of primary sourc cludg FBI fil many of which were not publicly available until acquired by the thor through the Freedom of Informatn Act. The Mafia had ti to some of the most inic gay tablishments cludg the Contental Baths the Hotel Ansonia om 1969 to 1976 on the Upper Wt Si, which received protectn om the Colombo fay exchange for stallg s vendg mach.

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

Contental owner Steve Ostrow – a classilly-traed opera sger – veloped such close ti wh Joe Colombo that he was performg "The Star–Spangled Banner" at the June 29, 1970 Italian-Amerin Uny Day rally Columb Circle when the mob boss was LGBT muny once was married to the mob out of forced necsy; but after gay bars beme legal, the relatnship often ntued many tablishments out of mutual nvenience well to the 1980s. The wiseguys allegedly even filtrated the Christopher Street Liberatn Day Commtee and Christopher Street Ftival Commtee which ran New York Cy's gay pri para and some related events for much of the 1970s and the s there has been a fair number of gay guys the mob's ranks cludg cross-drsg Genove soldier David Petillo, who once was a boy prostute; hman Vo Arena om Roy DeMeo's Gambo crew; and DeCavalnte boss John D'Amato.

Was terviewed for VICE about "The Mafia and the Gays, " and Culture Trip clus the book on s list of 10 Books About the Mafia You Need to Read as "a surprisg but sential history of the mob's ntrol over New York's gay club scene well to the 1980s. After the first night of the Stonewall Rts, graffi scrawled next to the board-up bar summarized the forc aligned agast gay bar patrons New York 1969:PROHIBITIONCORUPT$ COPS$FEED$ MAFIAA pamphlet soon appeared urgg gay New Yorkers to “get the Mafia and the ps out of gay bars. ” Its thor was Craig Rodwell, owner of the Osr Wil Memorial Bookshop Greenwich Village, and an early proponent of the need to stand up to the police and the Genove crime fay, which at that time ntrolled most Greenwich Village gay bars, cludg the Stonewall Inn.

” At time of the Stonewall uprisg, same-sex kissg and dancg bars was nsired “disorrly nduct” and uld rult the loss of a liquor license for the this hostile environment, gay bar owners need protectn om the police—a service that the mob had fe-tuned durg Prohibn. “Ultimately ’s the threat of vlence that backs up everythg, ” Hortis, of urse, as historian David Carter tails his excellent Stonewall: The Rts that Sparked the Gay Revolutn, the mobsters were terrible bar owners who red only about maximizg profs.

THE MAFIA AND THE GAYS PAPERBACK – MARCH 9, 2015

”Instead, the mob mcled on gay bars the same way they took over straight bars: by givg ur loans to bar owners wh tax or other fancial problems or simply g the threat of vlence to get a piece of the actn.

McDarrah/Getty ImagAfter pourg their drks, a bartenr Juli's Bar ref to serve John Timms, Dick Lesch, Craig Rodwell, and Randy Wicker, members of the Mattache Society who were prottg New York liquor laws that prevented servg gay ctomers, 1966, three members of the Mattache Society, an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay rights, staged a “sip-”—a twist on the “s-” protts of the 1960s.

But between New York’s LGBTQ muny the 1960s beg forced to live on the outskirts of society and the Mafia’s disregard for the law, the two beme a profable, if uneasy, State Liquor Authory and the New York Police Department regularly raid bars that tered to gay patrons.

GAY BARS AND THE MAFIA

“Fat Tony, ” purchased the Stonewall Inn 1966 and transformed to a gay bar and operate the Stonewall and s other gay bars, the Mafia bribed the NYPD to turn a bld eye to the “cent nduct” occurrg behd closed doors. On the night of the Stonewall Rts, police barrid themselv si the Stonewall Inn is a bar loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven the 1960s for the cy’s gay, lbian and transgenr muny.

Five months after the rts, activists proposed a rolutn at the Eastern Regnal Conference of Homophile Organizatns Philalphia that a march be held New York Cy to memorate the one-year anniversary of the raid. The son looks equally proud to be wh his 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 even if Gerlarmo was not yet aware that his son was gay, he is now.

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 same was te of the mob New York and Chigo and a dozen other ci.

THE 5 BEST MOSW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MOSW

The patrons repaid the mob by buyg cheap liquor at premium pric, along wh bootleg cigarett and sometim 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 dispute was settled wh so many bombs and bullets that both plans were scuttled. “Nobody’s gog to rpect if we have a gay homosexual boss stg down discsg La Cosa Nostra bs, ” the triggerman, Anthony Capo, later 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. Provis ample evince to show that gay people, forced to society's margs, were also forced to al wh shady characters operatg outsi the law simply to receive proectn om the harassment of the police supposedly upholdg the law.

That said, they make some tertg pots about the relatnship between enomic ntrol and the opprsn of subcultural groups (gay people this se) a polished piece of lerature, but a valuable ntributn on an unr-rearched topic. Crawford did extensive rearch and supports his stori wh excerpts om Freedom of Informatn Act requts om FBI Bars and Frank CostelloFrank Costello associate and jebox kg Aled Miaci fund dozens of gay bars and other jots ntrolled by the Mafia the 1950s and 1960s cludg the Peppermt Lounge.

Matty the Horse Ianiello helped Genove get ntrol of gay clubs orr that they bee an tegral part of Genove nartics distributn ColumboIn the 1970s, a man named Steve Ostrow owned and operated the inic Contential baths. Crawford tells how Chigo Outf po DiVar ntrolled the Rh Street area and all gay bars paid him off for protectn agast the Chigo Not by Gary Jenks Support the PodstH me up on Venmo for a cup of ffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwireTo go to the store or make a donatn Click Here.

MOSW GAY BARS

Most gay bars and clubs New York at the time (cludg the Stonewall) were operated by the Mafia, who paid rpt police officers to look the other way and blackmailed wealthy gay patrons by threateng to “out” them.

Acrdg to David Carter, historian and thor of Stonewall: The Rts That Sparked the Gay Revolutn, the “hierarchy of ristance” the rts began wh the homels or “street” kids, those young gay men who viewed the Stonewall as the only safe place their liv.

June 29-July 1, 1969: Stonewall be gatherg pot for LGBTQ the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement. Though the gay rights movement didn’t beg at Stonewall, the uprisg did mark a turng pot, as earlier “homophile” anizatns like the Mattache Society gave way to more radil groups like the Gay Liberatn Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA). June 28, 1970: First Gay Pri para sets off om the first anniversary of the police raid on the Stonewall Inn, gay activists New York anized the Christopher Street Liberatn March to p off the cy’s first Gay Pri Week.

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

The enzy of activism born on that first night at Stonewall would eventually fuel gay rights movements Canada, Bra, France, Germany, Atralia and New Zealand, among other untri, beg a lastg force that would rry on for the next half-century—and beyond. >   Gay Rsia     Gay MoswThe gay scene Mosw still thriv behd closed doors spe the challeng experienced by the LGBT muny.BarsDance ClubsSnasCise ClubsServicCy GuiGay MapRsia InxWhere to DrkMosw has some welg plac for the muny.Central Statn, BoyZ Club and moreParty the night away Mosw.Mosw Gay Dance Clubs & PartiTime to party?

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