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Jimmy Fratianno and the Lawyer
Dennis McDonald was a civil lawyer who became fast friends with Jimmy Fratianno just before he went into witness protection. This is a rare interview with Dennis McDonald who gives listeners a rare insight into a member of the La Cosa Nostra. After a life of crime, the government was expending a lot of resources on nailing Jimmy Fratianno. As this was happening, he wanted to hire a civil lawyer to file a lawsuit in a business deal. He interviewed a San Franciso area lawyer named Dennis McDonald and hired him. this began a friendship that would last the rest of his life. Gary was asked to appear on another podcast as an expert on Fratianno and during his preparation, he located Dennis Mcdonald on his retirement ranch in Montana. This is an interview of Mr. McDonald’s remembrances of his time as Jimmy Fratianno’s confidant, friend, and advisor.
James Aladena Fratianno – Background
James Aladena “Jimmy the Weasel” Frantianno started his life of crime in Cleveland. As with most of these guys, he started stealing as a teenager. As a matter of act, he was being chased by a cop who exclaimed he looked like a Weasel as he ran away. Others picked up on that nickname and he was known by the sops and the press as Jimmy the Weasel the rest of his life. As with most young Italian immigrants, he did some time and never talked to the cops. He was released from a long robbery sentence right after World War II and again like many Americans, life in California seemed to hold opportunities he could not find in Cleveland. Older mobsters advised Jimmy Fratianno to find Johnny Roselli, the Chicago Outfit man in California for connections. He quickly fell in as an enforcer and collector for Mickey Cohn’s gambling operation. When the split came between Cohn and Jack Dragna, Fratianno chose his paisans in the Mafia. He orchestrated the murder of the Two Tony’s, Tony Brancato and Tony Trombino for holding up protected gamblers. Dragna rewarded him with his induction into that crime family. Jimmy Fratianno went on to own a successful trucking company and a roving fixer for other mob families throughout the United States. He will end his mob career as a co-boss of the Los Angeles Family with Tom Dragna. After he is asked to help murder his friend Frank “The Bomp” Bompensiaro, Dragna tries to discredit him with other mobsters. He learned he has significant government problems and about to be charged with a murder conspiracy with Frank Fertitta for the bombing murder of Cleveland racketeer Danny Greene. the final straw was when he noticed a couple of men in his neighborhood who he believed were sent to kill him. He will end up in witness protection after these events.
Show notes by Gary Jenkins
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Interesting. Jimmy lived in the small Pacific NW city where I live. Bellingham WA. He lived in three different houses while here in Witsec. It was kind of a secret he was here, but not much of a secret. It seemed like many people had stories about him. He and his son in law ran a company that left lots of debt. It was here where he was arrested in June 1989 for threatening his then wife Jean at their Sudden Valley home. The sheriff arrested him and a few days later the local newspaper was full of stories about Jimmy being a mobster in witness protection. I was in the news media at the time and knew Jimmy was amongst us maybe a year before it became public. He was going by the name James Thomas, his wife Jean Thomas. She even had her photo in the newspaper prior to his arrest, with her home address…they were not exactly secretive. He hired a lot of contractors to work on his houses, from painting to building, and they all knew exactly who he was. He paid in cash. One contractor let his kids hang out with Jimmy…drive them to the seaside candy store while the guy was painting the house. After his arrest here he was sent to prison for awhile, he was a felon with a gun for one thing. Jean dropped the charges. Then he must have moved to Oklahoma after he was released. Word was he had dementia for awhile before his arrest.
Great story thanks so much. I think he did have dementia before he died.
Thanks, great stories about Jimmy in Wit Sec