Evil twks and gay gangsters: why we need to remember history’s horrid homosexuals | Culture | The Guardian

Contents:

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

INSI A PRISON CELL FOR GAY FORMER GANG MEMBERS EL SALVADOR

The prison director showed him an isolatn cell, where ne former gang members—om each of the untry’s three ma anized crime groups, MS-13, and two factns of Barr 18—had been moved after g out as gay. ” In this particular prison, San Francis Gotera, the east of the Central Amerin untry, gang culture was not the only source of vilent homophobia.

The state had effectively ced ntrol of daily life si Gotera to church lears, who preach that homosexualy is a s as grave as vlence. “But the tth is that they are already nmned: they’ve left the gang; they’ve lived wh former members of other gangs; and they’ve lived openly as gay people, ” she says.

EVIL TWKS AND GAY GANGSTERS: WHY WE NEED TO REMEMBER HISTORY’S HORRID HOMOSEXUALS

The homosexual is the same, ” says a pastor one terview laid over a scene of him preachg to rapturo crowds the prison urtyard. ) Martez says the film is not an attempt to reem the subjects “jt bee they’re gay, jt bee they n show love or tenrns. Much of the show revolv around Davor dog his bt to keep his homosexualy hidn om his fay… not to mentn his enemi.

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

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

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

Har's Barry is a hired h man, so his teractns wh Hank are not only edic but vlent, or rooted nfirmed my spicns -- my gaydar went off wh him season 1 -- that he was gay when he was outed the season 3 opener.

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

His sexualy is prented wh a touch of flamboyance and sills, jt like the other attribut of his mob boss beg gay got me thkg about other mob, rtel, or gang members on other h televisn shows who are gay too and how their sexualy is more matter-of-fact and not sensatnalized.

Pacho, a Colombian portrayed the show by Argentian actor Alberto Ammann, was head of distributn and secury for the Cali dg also happened to be gay.

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

The fact that Mickey is an obnox, cel jerk who, aga, happens to be gay, was part of what ma him so -- well, I'll jt say , shamels. They were villas first, and y, some episos of each seri voted storyl to the fact that they were gay, but at the end of the day, wasn't a big al. However, what sets Gannasli's character apart om the others is that when Vo was outed as gay the seri almost 20 years ago, was not only a major twist on the show but was also big news pop culture.

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

"It was also important for Gannasli, personally, for Vo to be gay sce prented him an opportuny to stretch his character beyond a mobster. ""Look, we all know now that beg gay is monplace, and gay people are every walk of life, om firemen to police to mobsters, " Gannasli said.

THAT GAY MOBSTER TOTALLY DID NOT MEAN TO COME OUT

It had nothg to do wh Vo beg gay and everythg to do wh that fact that Vo was hurtg Tony where he felt the most, his wallet. 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 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.

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. 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 mob self remaed rolutely ristant to the gay rights movement.

GAY ‘SOPRANOS’ MOBSTER FDS A B OF FAME

“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. Mob h man Robert Mormando stunned a veteran Brooklyn judge Monday when he renounced his membership La Cosa Nostra and - for good measure - acknowledged he was gay. 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 GAY MOBSTER ‘SOPRANOS’ WRERS USED AS THE BASIS FOR VO SPATAFORE

Mormando began operatg wh the feds shortly after the shootg, which wasn't fatal, and has left the mob to live "a peaceful workg life" wh his he me out open urt, and "gay mob hman" is a crazy story, and naturally newspapers ran wh .

"In other words, even though he apparently nsented to his homosexualy beg discsed the public fom of a feral urt, Mormando took numero affirmative steps to keep om beg discsed the prs—he thought the hearg would be effectively secret. And sounds like Mormando liv as an openly gay man his new secret life as an ex-mobster—what he's apparently worried about is the fact that his former mob pals now know he was still, newspapers generally tread lightly when to outg. " Thgs have obvly changed sce then, but the paper still hasn't reported affirmatively whether or not Ed Koch, for stance, is gay, and his name didn't e up the paper's review of Outrage, a documentary that claimed no uncerta terms that he, Robert Mormando is pretty much screwed, bee the Tim and the New York Daily News and a bunch of other papers reported what appears to be an accintal self-outg (and y, Gawker picked up).

”Drsed appropriate leather bar attire, Vo Spatafore — the heretofore closeted gay mobster — was sighted by a uple wiseguys who me by the sweaty S&M jot to llect their protectn money.

MAFIA BOSS BBED OUT 'FOR BEG GAY'

)Now that the gay story le is heatg up, the 47-year-old Brooklyn-born actor is immensely pleased, part bee was his ia to make Vo homosexual.

”Gannasli’s suggtn was spired by the book “Murr Mache, ” about the Gambo fay, which had an openly gay member also named Vo. Though Green sound terted, Gannasli didn’t hear anythg more about until the murr of a gay Jersey mobster splashed across headl.

Durg the trial of Jersey mobsters, a DeCavalnte soldier scribed murrg DeCavalnte boss Johnny Boy D’Amato for beg gay. 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. "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.

'GAY MOBSTER' ON 'SOPRANOS' SUED FOR NOT PROMOTG DIET PILL

"She told me John D'Amato and her were gog to sex clubs the cy, swappg partners and John was engagg homosexual activy, " he told the urt. As D'Amato sat the back of the r, Capo turned and shot him twice, and when he ntued to move, twice mafia culture there is a strict taboo agast homosexualy.

Gannasli, who played a closeted gay mobster on HBO's "The Sopranos, " is beg sued by the manufacturer of a diet maker of Stacker 2 filed a lawsu Thursday claimg Gannasli hasn't been dog enough to promote the product after receivg about $316, 000 om the pany over the last 2 1/2 years. Gannasli, 47, disputed the pany's claim, which me after a tough few episos for his character, Vo Spatafore, who was beaten to ath after his secret homosexual life was disvered.

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

"They didn't like I was dog the gay thg" his TV month, Gannasli signed wh another pany to endorse a petg diet pill.

There are many stereotyp of and assumptns about street gangs, jt as there are many stereotyp and assumptns about gay men.

‘BARRY’ STARS ANTHONY CARRIGAN AND MICHAEL IRBY ON PLAYG THE CUTT GAY MOBSTER COUPLE ON TV

In movi and televisn, some of the most regnizable gay characters have been portrayed as effemate or weak; they’re “fashnistas” or “gay bt iends. All were between the ag of 18 and 28; the majory were men of lor; and all lived or near Columb, Oh, which has been referred to as a “Midwtern gay mec.

GAYNGSTER

The experience, which took place over the urse of more than two years, allowed me to explore the tensns they felt between gang life and gay manhood.