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In this episode, I tell about the Civellas working on their Las Vegas skim while Joe Spero makes his first attempt to kill Tuffy DeLuna. This may have been better titled as the gang that could not detonate a bomb. Listeners will get an inside look at the difficulty in knowing a murder was about […]
Episode 4 The bomb Read More »
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In this episode I tell about the development of some informants. For example, one guy had worked for a mob owned used car lot and auto repair garage. He had been able to listen through a thin wall and hear some snippets of mob plans. When we approached him and asked about his work at
Episode 3 Informants Read More »
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As KCPD Intelligence and the FBI monitor Civella family soldiers and the Spero brothers, the war heats up. I will tell how law enforcement almost stumbled into the middle of a mob hit going down at a public place.
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In this exciting podcast, I will describe how the origins of the Civella/Spero war began. The murder of Nick Spero followed by revenge from his brothers.
Episode 1 Civella versus Spero Read More »
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This post marks the first of my podcast series, Gangland Wire -Crime Stories. After this first short explanation episode, the next 5 episodes will chronicle the 1970s gang war between the Nick Civella crime family and the upstart Spero brother’s faction. I hope this to be the beginning of a long lasting series of Kansas
Gangland Wire – Crime Stories Welcome Read More »
I was asked about former KC Mob boss and Nick Civella mentor, Tony Gizzo. Bill Ouseley reported Nick’s climb to boss included a stint as Gizzo’s driver. Nick’s constant companion and driver was Pete Tamburello. The Kefauver hearings provide much insight into KC mafia persons. An opening paragraph to these hearings: “Coates House enterprise which,
Anthony “Tony” Robert Gizzo Read More »
Here is a story I have not told. Not really about the Mafia, but about the River Quay. Back in 1972-73 a few of us started working for the River Quay Merchants Association. Ray Karnes, Doug Perry and I all were young police officers working out of Central Patrol. Somebody, Ray Karnes I think, made
I am going to explore the Kefauver Hearings in Kansas City in this blog. In April 1950, the body of Kansas City mobsters Charlie Gargotta and Charlie Binnagio were found in the Democratic Club at Truman and Charlotte. These assassinations intensified national concerns about the post-World War II growth of powerful crime syndicates and the
As this is my first experience with an app, I am learning all the time. I started looking into push notifications and location services. Push notifications appear on your smartphone’s screen without warning. The user has control of which push notifications they receive. I have inactivated several on my phone. This is done by accessing
Kansas City Mob Tour Read More »
I am preparing to take my film and road show to Las Vegas at the Clark County Library in January. In going back and looking at the events leading up to the Strawman prosecutions, I find the pivotal event was recorded by an F.B.I. wiretap. Carl “Tuffy” DeLuna was ordered by Nick Civella to go
