Mafia boss bbed out 'for beg gay' | World news | The Guardian

Contents:

• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE
• THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB
• THE MAFIA AND THE GAYS
• THE RISE OF THE GAY MAFIA, A POWERFUL CABAL THAT NEVER EXISTED
• WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS
• ADAM CAROLLA: THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL
• MAFIA ALLOWS GAY MEN TO JO AFTER EMERG MOB CHIEF'S SON IS LIVG AS DRAG QUEEN
• MOB H MAN OUT OF THE CLOSET: ROBERT MORMANDO IS GAY AND REGRETS LIFE OF CRIME, HIS LAWYER SAYS
• THE MAFIA, THE GAYS & THE MOVI
• MAFIA BOSS BBED OUT 'FOR BEG GAY'
• 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
• THE ITALIAN MAFIA HAS DROPPED THEIR ADLY “BAN” ON GAY MOBSTERS
• GROUNDBREAKG BOOK DETAILS WHEN MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS
• BEWARE THE GAY MAFIA
• GAY MAFIA
• 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

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. 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.

THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB

” 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. 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.

It's enlighteng to see how cluels the ever-vigilant State Liquor Authory seems to be, sce ni licens to those wh Italian last nam but rarely seems able to prevent anized crime bs om operatg succsfully for 9 books381 followersSeptember 22, 2015Mafia and the Gays by Philip Crawford, Jr. I thk there is a lot of potential and this is an tertg overlap US history I jt wish didn’t read like a this 16 books34 followersMarch 26, 2017A peratg revelatn of the Mafia's ownership of New York Cy gay bars, nfirmg what I and other patrons of the bars of long ago were well aware of.

Crawford's sourc are FBI fil now open to the public (wh letns), New York State Liquor Authory rerds, newspaper lumns and articl, and gay memoirs, and they lay out clearly how the Mafia took over the gay bars, cludg many Greenwich Village where I buted long ago, bars ntrolled by the Genove fay, whose domance was tolerated by the Italian immigrant muny of the South Village. I enjoyed learng om this book, but I don't thk I would seek out any of the thor's other 14 books123 followersOctober 12, 2015This suprisgly quick read offered tailed sight to the history of New York and Chigo gay bars, and the rptn they suffered unr the ntrol of the Mafia.

THE MAFIA AND THE GAYS

Even quot a uple sourc who claim that mob guys who spent too much time prison picked up the hab of suatnal homosexualy themselv, and were as apt to sample the war as to llect ltle envelop om fearful of "The Mafia and the Gays, " ncentrat on the New York cy nightlife between the 1950s and the 1970s, wh a short tour the book's nouement to Chigo. Also (and most importantly) we get to hear om the gay men (and some women) who were merely lookg for love or pannship, and stead found themselv exploed and harassed by crass and mostly homophobic hoods.

Crawford shi away om whatever pellg sights he might have about how this mt have felt to the prcipl at the time, and how society's unacceptance of gays ma the predatns that much easier for the mob to acplish. 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.

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

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. ” 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.

WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS

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.

ADAM CAROLLA: THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL

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.

MAFIA ALLOWS GAY MEN TO JO AFTER EMERG MOB CHIEF'S SON IS LIVG AS DRAG QUEEN

The backlash agast homosexuals was only pound by the growg visibily of gay men public life, pecially the arts and entertament dtri, which only pound the ia of an unrground nspiracy of a “gay mafia.

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

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.

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.

THE MAFIA, THE GAYS & THE MOVI

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.

MAFIA BOSS BBED OUT 'FOR BEG GAY'

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.

The source of the origal outcry was an Augt 2011 rant that clud mentary on gay marriage stemmg om Same Street‘s Bert and Ernie gay ntroversy, which Carolla said gay people should “get married and shut up.

Anti-mafia vtigator Nila Gratteri says Ndrangheta mafia is 'gog soft'It now allows gay men as emerg a mob chief's son is livg as drag queenGratteri claims gays 'n be accepted so long as they don't para public' He tercepted lls showg Italy's mafia members enjoy transvte bars Published: 01:52 BST, 9 December 2019 | Updated: 02:59 BST, 9 December 2019.

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

Prevly even mours of beg gay were punishable by ath, but now the son of a mob chief is livg as a drag queen lled Lady vtigator Nila Gratteri said: ‘It unrm their image of themselv as tough, virile guys. Throughout his reer Gratteri has tercepted lls revealg many members enjoy transvte bars and seen ‘passnate’ letters between a crime boss and a young litenant‘Gays n be accepted now, even as foot soldiers, so long as they don’t para public. Members of the Mafia do not accept a gay liftyle wh s ranks although there is no specific le that ducte mt accept, like the prohibn om havg an affair wh another gangster's DeCavalnte crime boss John D'Amato was whacked 1992 for beg gay.

The Mafia ntrolled many gay jots New York for s well to the 1980s, and was such an open secret that Hollywood even clud several referenc to this relatnship the example, the 1971 film Some of My Bt Friends Are... )Mafia-tied bars often served both hoodlums and gays as regular patrons, particularly before the 1970s, and his 1973 film “Mean Streets” Mart Srse shows them together jumpg to a r fleeg a Ltle Italy jot after a shootg. ”In an terview wh Billboard Cisg director William Friedk claims he was iends wh Genove mobster Matty the Horse Ianniello who ntrolled many gay jots the 60s, 70s & 80s supposedly cludg the Mhaft which partly spired the 1980 film.

The boss of the mafia fay on which the Sopranos seri is believed to be based was executed by one of his own soldiers bee he was gay and they feared that if news got out the fay would be ridiculed by the rt of the unrworld, a Manhattan urt has been told.

THE ITALIAN MAFIA HAS DROPPED THEIR ADLY “BAN” ON GAY MOBSTERS

"Nobody's gonna rpect if we have a gay homosexual boss stg down discsg La Cosa Nostra bs, " an rmer told the urt on "Johnny Boy" D'Amato, head of the DeCavalnte fay, the biggt the state of New Jersey, was shot ad 1992 after was moured that he was havg relatnships wh other a DeCavalnte soldier, Anthony Capo, heard the tale om D'Amato's girliend he was credibly angry. 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.

GROUNDBREAKG BOOK DETAILS WHEN MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS

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.

BEWARE THE GAY MAFIA

Naturally, he knew this wasn't legal, but exchange for $1, 200 a week, the NYPD let him n his strg of bars, which addn to Stonewall, clud the lbian Howdy th, a muny of gay bars and safe spac was created New York. Neverthels, even though the mafia had rpt motiv, they untentnally created some of the origal safe spac, and created a sense of pri and muny among gay youth New York Cy, at a time when this was very hard to exprs pri.

Y, there's a Black History Month and not a Whe History Month ›A Brief History Of Gay Pri ›Related Articl Around the WebAbout | Lgbt-Pri-Month | Library of Congrs ›The Origs Of Pri Month: What You Should Know About Its History ›Pri Month Rource K for Journalists | GLAAD ›Gay pri - Wikipedia ›Report this ContentThis article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ias and opns of the creator. Nila Gratteri — a 61-year-old anti-mafia vtigator Calabria, Italy (the toe of Italy’s “boot”) — has revealed that the ‘Ndrangheta fay, the richt crime fay Southern Italy, has bee more tolerant of gay members “so long as they don’t para public, ” he says.

Gratteri, who has lived unr police protectn for the last 30 years to shield him om var mafia assassatn attempts, preventg him om gog to a beach, movie theater, rtrant or even any of his children’s school plays over the last two s, says the crime fay’s acceptance of gay people is part of a softeng ntemporary mob culture. In 1992, John “Johnny Boy” D’Amato, head of the DeCavalnte crime fay of New Jersey — the fay that spired the HBO mod seri The Sopranos — was shot ad 1992 after mors of his gay affairs spread throughout the mob.

GAY MAFIA

“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. 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.

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

Wh days of the rts, activists were handg out leaflets nmng “the Mafia monopoly, ” and their fury was reflected the graffi on the Stonewall’s board-up wdows: “GAY PROHIBITION CORRUPT$ COP$ / FEED$ MAFIA”. 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. 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. One of the more cur mem to emerge (or, really, re-emerge) the wake of Brendan Eich’s rignatn om Mozilla last week is the notn of a “gay mafia, ” a shadowy group of power-queers that will, I don’t know, sk you off the Christopher Street Pier a bundle of stume jewelry if you n afoul of the movement.