LEAVE THE GUN

LEAVE THE GUN

In the movie "The Godfather" Don Corleone's trusted caporegime "Fat" Peter Clemenza cemented his place in mob cinema history when he gave hitman Rocco Lampone, the sage advice "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." Not in the original script, late actor Richard Castellano improvised the now oft quoted legendary line. Tipping the scales at a deuce plus, the Sicilian bulldog looked like he had eaten more than his lion's share of those crispy sweet cream filled tubes.
http://youtu.be/yHzh0PvMWTI

SICILIAN CANNOLLI

One would hate to think what would have been the fate of hitman Rocco Lampone had he taken the gun and left the cannoli on the seat next to that dead strunz, Paulie Gatto. The Bronx bum soldato, who nearly got Don Corleone assassinated, defected to Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo. He deserved the three slugs Rocco Lampone put into his head. Had Rocco gotten confused in the heat of the moment and left the cannoli, he might've wound up like his paisan Luca Brasi sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the East River.

If you grew up Sicilian, you're born with the cannoli gene.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two big holidays that are synonymous with cannoli - wouldn't be complete without platters of Italian pastry and cookies. There was only one place to get the best: Veniero's Bakery on East 11th Street in NYC's east village. Thanksgivings my dad and I would leave the house early, get on the Northern Parkway to the Midtown Tunnel then shoot straight down Second Ave. If it was early enough we'd make it in about 40 minutes. By 9 the line was all the way up the block and around the corner no matter how early or how cold. It could be zero with a wind chill factor of -20, but if you tasted these cannoli, you'd gladly freeze your ass off. Same ritual to get into Radio City for the Christmas pageant where Michael and Kay were when Don Corleone was gunned down. That was always at least a two-hour wait to watch the precision kick line of the Rockettes, a movie and the nativity scene with real camels and donkeys on stage! 

Standing in the bakery line wasn't that bad if you pre-ordered as my mother was always smart enough to do. There were a couple of other pastries besides the cannoli worth waiting for...pastaciotti, flakey sfogliatelle, but cannoli was and still is king. Baklava, eclairs and linzer tortes, none can compare. With an espresso/cappuccinno, it's a life-changing cultural experience. Then there's only one cookie that takes the cake; pignoli, Italian macaroons. Sorry Manischewitz, your wimpy, sticky, coconutty approved-for-Passover, blessed-by-a rabbi parve version just doesn't cut it once you've taken a bite into a pignoli made with almond paste and topped

with toasted pine nuts. Follow this canolli recipe  from an authentic Sicilian bakery brought back from Palermo where they originated as a symbol of fertility. Once your gumad gets a taste, she'll greet you every time with, "Is that a cannoli in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?" You'll have your guests dropping their guns, dancing the tarantella and begging for seconds! A capisce? 

SCORZE (shell)

1-1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons lard (live dangerously except

if you live in NYC where trans fats are now banned.

You can substitute new Crisco w/o breaking the law,

or start a new business bootlegging Crisco)but don't

expect the same flavor.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Red wine (Moscato or Marsala are best)

Squirt of lemon

Salt to taste

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.

Add lard, lemon and gradually enough wine to

make a soft dough. Wrap dough in a cloth and

let rest in fridge, best overnight. When ready

to use roll into a very thin sheet and cut

into 3” squares. Lay a metal tube** (gun barrel

can be substituted or 4-1/2 lengths of iron piping,

the kind used for a turban*)diagonally on each square

and bring 2 corners together, wetting and pressing to

seal. Deep fry (screw the free radicals!) the pastry

with the tube in hot oil until golden. When cool,

remove the tube and let cool completely.

Save in air tight container in a cool place till ready to

be filled.

RIPIENO (filling)

1/2 lb.ricotta cheese

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla*** (the

real extract, not vanilla flavoring

if you don’t wanna a visit from Rocco

Put ricotta and sugar through a strainer

(sieve) 2x and add vanilla.

Fill the scorze when ready

to serve. If you fill before,

the cream will soften the shell

pistachio nuts. Some like to mix in citronella or chocolate chips with the cream mixture or substitute mascarpone for ricotta. Plate and dust each cannoli lightly with powdered sugar.

If you wanna gain favor with the Don, serve with espresso

(don't be a jabone and call it expresso). Add a shot of anisetta

with a twist of lemon peel and you'll understand why cannoli were the perfect Sicilian fertility food!

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Mafia Speak Glossary

strunz - stroonz - worthless piece of shit; That strunz Paulie got 

what he deserved.

soldato - soul-dah-toe - a mafia soldier who's a made

man. Vinnie G got whacked for mouthing off even though 

he's a soldato.

paisan - pies-on - a bro, homie - Hey paisan, get me another

cannoli cuz this one's as soft as your head.

jambone - jam-bone - asshole; That Johnny "Picks" is some jambone. 

He never picks up the tab when we go out.

turban - tur-ban - to crack someone's head open - Didja hear bout that Vinny G? He got caught skimming, and someone gave him a turban.

*The Godfather" script, Paramount, 3rd draft by Mario Puzo and Francis

**If you live anyplace where they say Eye-talian, gun barrels abound

as this is good-ole-boy, card-carrying NRA country, but in a pinch,

heavy duty doubled aluminum foil will work.

 ***Watkins Co. This is probably the best vanilla out there and "Door-to-Door"

salesman Bill Porter is the go-to guy on this: http://www.watkinsonline.com/billporter/

GUMBA GRAPEVINE: It's been rumored that since the NY ban on

 trans fats, local crime families are looking into bootlegging

 the stuff since cannoli sales have dropped off due to use

 of less flavorful substitutes and trans fat wannabees.

All content of "Dining with the Don" except for credited photos and

derivative credited works is an original work copyrighted by Allin

Milo. No portion may be copied or reprinted without permission of

the author.

You're Gonna Kill Yourself Smokin' 

Those

TODAY IN MOB HISTORY...AL CAPONE'S VAULTS REVEALED BY GERALDO RIVERA


The biggest news hype of the year. Geraldo looking for the sensationalism of scooping everyone with this stunt, gets left holding the sledgehammer!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I would like to thank my readers, paisans and followers for a fabulous year. A big thank you to my friends for your support and encouragement to get the engines revved up and going.

Due to all the tremendous feedback, Dining with the Don is not going away, however, it has morphed into a cookbook and will be published in 2013 serving up revenge with a side of ravioli.

Buon Anno Nuovo i salud!



Allin Milo

TO THE MATTRESSES AND BACK

HE MADE 'EM AN OFFER

I never met a "Godfather" fan who wasn't disappointed when Richard Castellano was a screen no show in "The Godfather II." Wha happened? Castellano, cousin to real Boss of Bosses, Paul Castellano, (see "The Meathead's Dead I/II" posting) made Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola an offer they hadda refuse. Castellano wanted complete autonomy over his script lines, something neither the studio nor the director would budge on. Also, he had dropped 50 lbs. in the two years since "TG" was shot, and Coppola wanted the actor to start piling the pasta back on his plate and pack on the weight he had shed to resume his role as Fat Clemenza. Chances are they were willing to pony up a hefty salary as Castellano had been the highest paid actor on "The Godfather!" In the end he still said no. So Castellano was out and Michael Gazzo was in as the new Corleone Family caporegime Frankie Pentangeli, at least in the movie, but the book sequel, The Godfather Returns tells a different story.

WISEGUY WISDOM
Clemenza was like the Yoda of the mob dishing out his wisdom on everything from how to make tomata sauce for 20 men fighting a mafia turf war: 

http://www.hark.com/clips/bdzlcypkhd-you-see-you-start-out-with-a-little-bit-of-oil

to how to woo your girlfriend:

http://www.hark.com/clips/wngcctbqrt-hey-mikey-why-dont-you-tell-that-nice-girl-you-love-her

to mafia bathroom etiquette:

http://www.hark.com/clips/kzdwgljxhw-mike-you-go-to-the-restaurant-you-eat

TO THE MATTRESSES

Who knew about going to the mattresses before Fat Clemenza uttered those famous words? MICHAELANGELO (Buonarotti) -  Mikey B., a true renaissance guy who was put in charge of protecting the Florentine bell tower of

 The Sistine Chapel, The Creation

San Miniato al Monte during the 16th century Italian city states wars. He came up with the idea to hang mattresses on the outside of the tower to buffer the canon fire. The rich left the city (new?!)and rented out their digs to the military who slept on straw mattresses on the floor.
                   
                   CLEMENZA

That Sonny's runnin' wild. He's thinking of going to the mattresses already*

                 

http://youtu.be/CKXoZFbpHWc

YOU LIVE BY THE GRILL, YOU DIE BY THE GRILL

In The Return of the Godfather we learn how Clemenza suffers his fatal heart attack. My take - Clemenza had an eating disorder and shouldha been in a 12-step program for his food addiction. "Hi my name's Peter C. and I'm a compulsive overeater. Hi Peter. Welcome," or a foodie in which case had he lived he would've had his own program on the Food Channel, "Cooking with Clemenza." Today we'll be making marinara for 40 guys holed up in a dump with mattresses. The fat capo had an insatiable appetite and was always ready to sit down and break bread the way he could go out and break bones, all in a days work. A snack might be a plate of antipasto, caponata (Italian ratatouille, a delicious appetizer served best on crostini or crusty Italian bread), a generous helping of linguine (always white) with clam sauce and a couple of loaves of Italian bread. With a cigar after his meal, he was set at least for a couple of hours. 

A born story teller, one morning Clemenza was in the kitchen of a westside diner owned by one of his paisans preparing peppers and eggs while relaying a tale of how one night he fingered a government stoolie at Sally Tesio's while watching the fights with a bunch of gumbas. Clemenza's got a rapt audience in the guys in his crew and his friend's men. He has them all in stitches, but seems he got so carried away, he spoke his last words, "Swear to God his nuts are on fire. His nuts,"** has a heart attack and collapses onto the heated grill. Faster than you could say take the cannoli, his skin was crackling against the hot grill and his nice silk suit jacket goes up in flames. So on that crisp November morn in 1958, the last of the old Corleone capos, crispy fried Peter Clemenza, dispensed his last pearls of wisdom: "Every law has a loophole."***

PEPPERS AND EGGS RECIPE

8 large eggs

Cubanelles

1/2 lb. Italian sweet peppers (cubanelles)
Cubanelles have a thin skin, not how you want your mafia hitmen 
2 loaves Italian bread 
Sea salt
Pepper
Grated fontina cheese
Mascarpone (optional)
Olive oil

Cut bread lengthwise, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle some fontina cheese on both sides of the bread. Wrap in foil and stick in a 200 degree oven just to warm the bread and melt the cheese.

Cut tops off the cubanelles and slice lengthwise leaving one side connected. Wash thoroughly to get all the seeds out. You don't want the Don getting any seeds stuck in his teeth or worse choking on one. You might wind up being the first to die by having a crushed torso due to an over zealous hitman administering the 'Heimlich Maneuver!' Do the same with the bell peppers, but cut in strips.

Beat the eggs in a bowl
Salt and pepper to taste. 
Add a dollop of mascarpone for extra flavor and creaminess
Heat the oil in a skillet. I always recommend a cast iron one as I mentioned in earlier postings: it's multipurpose doubling as a great weapon
Brown the peppers lightly, remove from pan and wipe off excess oil in the pan  
Add the beaten eggs to the skillet 
Throw in the fried peppers and scramble the eggs while cooking folding in a figure 8 motion with a spatula
Serve on heated bread and cut into sandwich size portions.
I guarantee your taste buds will be singing like a stoolie to the feds!

494 9th Ave.

New York, NY 10018
(212) 947-7325

This just in: A stoolie has just informed me that the best peppers and eggs hero sandwich in NYC can be found right in the heart of historic Hell's Kitchen at Manganaro's Hero Boy.




-------------------------------------------------------------------

Tips on Buying A Used Mattress

DON'T

http://www.ehow.com/how_2273000_buy-used-mattress.html 

Today in Gangster History

1939 - Leader of "Murder, Incorporated", Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, surrenders to columnist Walter Winchell who then turned him over to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. 

http://www.yourememberthat.com/medi/86/Walter_Winchell_Show_1956/

    *The Godfather script, Paramount, by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, 1971

  **The Godfather Returns by Max Weingarden
 ***ibid

All content of "Dining with the Don" except for credited photos and derivative credited works is an original work copyrighted by Allin Milo. No portion may be copied or reprinted without permission of the author.

 

THE MEATHEAD'S DEAD II

CHICKEN FEED

With his hands in the labor unions in both the meat and poultry  business, it was only natural that the King of Cluck, Frank-It-Takes-a-Tough-Man-to-Make-a-Tender-Chicken Perdue would come calling on Big Paulie when he was having some union problems in one of his factories.

Perdue wanted a meeting with The Don to ask his his help to "straighten out" his labor woes, a decision he sorely regretted later on. The grocery retailers got wind of Perdue's plan, and it rubbed the sympathetic butcher's union the wrong way. In retaliation they stopped advertising specials for Perdue products and began pushing rivals because they felt that Frank was running afoul by being associated with the mob. In the end The Don never interceded with Perdue’s labor force troubles.

Anyone crossing the 800 strong Gambino Family could wind up butchered, bagged and dumped in some land fill, fitted with a pair of cement shoes faster than they could say “I’ll see that in a slip on” or shot and stuffed in a car trunk and left somewhere in one of the bridge-and-tunnel boroughs. Castellano gave the kill orders on anyone who crossed him or the family.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME 

It was no more peanuts and Cracker Jack for
Godfather Carlo Gambino when he had a heart
attack and died while watching the Bronx Bombers clinch the AL Championship on TV with a 9^th inning homer off the bat of Chris Chambliss on October 15, 1976. Just before, he had dubbed brother-in-law Paul, not underboss Neil Dellacroce, the next head of the family. This was a decision that would not sit well with Dellacrocce nor his Brooklyn crew especially Lieutenant John Gotti. Johnny had several beefs with his new boss, one being that Castellano looked down on the money being brought in by the Brooklyn crew as it went against the new godfather's corporate image. He had a strict policy of no drug dealing but was more of a hypocrite than Gotham's Harvey "Two Face" Dent and greedier than a Hollywood agent demanding 15% over the standard 10 on drug deals where his underlings were involved. This was the beginning of the end for the new Boss of Bosses.

OPERATION MEATHEAD UNDERWAY

By 1983 the FBI was closing in on Castellano with "Operation Meathead" (aptly named for his lifetime roots in the meat business). After months of surveillance the FBI was able to plant a bug on a lamp over the kitchen table where the boss conducted his business. At the end of 3 months, the feds had more than enough taped evidence to build their case. Future hizzoner Rudy Giuliani had scored his dream job as Federal Organized Crime Czar and went after the 5 families with the zeal and vengeance of one of Michael Vick's pit bulls. Czar Giuli was on a mission to bring the mafia to their unbroken kneecaps. He had a personal agenda feeling that these mafia malignancies had besmirched the name of all Italian Americans, he being one. Under the RICO Act, Castellano was indicted along with members of all the NY crime families.

At 70 the boss was used to his comfortable lifestyle which included mistress in residence Gloria Olarte. By the '80s Paul's wife had had enough of her husband's billing and her maid's cooing throughout their mansion's 17 rooms and moved out. Gloria became the queen of the castle and the bocce court. She wound up spending even more time on her knees and that was not scrubbing floors!

John Gotti was on the warpath as there were rumors his crew was going to be disbanded and assigned to other operations as part of the don's plan to go legit. Castellano had been losing credibility by blatantly carrying on with Maid Gloria in front of "the family" and wife Nina. Mafia wives and mothers are held sacred by the organization even though having a gumada is a given for any respectable wiseguy - just don’t flaunt it in front of the long-suffering wives. Everyone was afraid Paulie would cut a deal and rat them out in exchange for staying out of prison so he could hold on to all his creature comforts. The penultimate straw was the boss not attending the funeral of Neil Dellacroce, a major breach of mafia etiquette. The last straw - naming his driver and “ear” Tommy Bilotti who was purported to not only be a classless street thug, but also not the sharpest tool in the shed and a polar opposite to the more reserved, business savvy godfather. They looked like a sight gag together - Paulie a hulking 6’3”/270 lbs.  and Tommy short and squat.

THE THIRD CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Two weeks after Dellacroce’s death, the ruthless Gotti and soon-to-be underboss and future rat, “Sammy the Bull” Gravano cooked up a plan to off their boss. A 5:30 meeting was set up by Frank DeCicco at Sparks Steak House on East 46^th Street in Manhattan for the don to pay his respects to Buddy Dellacrocce, Neil’s son.

Big Paulie always ordered his favorite at Sparks...third cut prime ribeye steak. He had a ritual before ordering. The steak had to be brought to his table for his inspection before grilling; a USDA prime slab of beef – nothing but the best for The Meat Baron. The third cut is the best of the 6^th to 12^th rib section. Although short on insulin, the boss musta been OK with his cholesterol.* Seems Gotti in cahoots with Gravano conspired to cancel Castellano’s reservation for what was to be his last meal. 

JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL SHOCK

Every step of the rub out plot was calculated to be swift and anonymous. The 3 assassins wielding semiautomatic weapons were all identically dressed in KGB/Cossack chic: light colored trench coats and black fur hats. The loud and foul mouthed new underboss, Bilotti, nosed the black Lincoln up to the curb in the no parking zone right in front of the canopy of the posh eatery. Tommy had preferred parking, whatcha get when you make a hefty donation to the PBA. In exchange one gets a window sticker to display prominently, something every mafia "fleet" car should have and a necessary convenience in NYC. As soon as Castellano opened his door, he was hit six times in the head and chest. Bilotti watched as his boss went down and when he got outta the car he took half a dozen bullets to his head, neck and chest. 

The ambush couldn’t have taken more than a minute or two. After the shooting both men were left lying in 2 pools of blood. 

Where There's Sparks There's Gunfire

The streets bustling with Xmas shoppers

http://youtu.be/itcMLwMEeMQ

provided easy camouflage for the identically and generically dressed hitmen to disappear into the sidewalk crowds as they worked their way toward a getaway car waiting for them on 2^nd Avenue. Eyewitnesses all said the same thing, "A few guys in trench coats and black fur Russian hats." And so it came to pass on the chilly night of December 16, 1985, both Paulie C. and Tommy B. were voted off the island, put into deep freeze and Lieutenant  Gotti became Don Gotti. As Napoleon had crowned himself emperor, the Dapper Don declared himself the new Gambino Family Boss of Bosses.

Don Bonaparte

WHAT TO KNOW & HOW TO COOK PRIME RIBEYE STEAK

If you're gonna be DWTD or cooking for him, you don’t wanna take the chance of serving him anything but the best. No choice or select grades, only prime cuts unless you’re willing to take the risk of winding up hung on a hook frozen to death in a meat locker somewhere around 14th St. and 12^th Ave. or the Hunts Point Market in the South Bronx.

Since only 2% of all prime rib is sold to the general public, this beef grade is saved for top restaurants. I suggest you buy from fine butchers as opposed to supermarkets. If you live in a city where there are no high-end meat dealers, go online to sites like allenbrothers.com or omahasteaks.com One of the best sites I found is thecitycook.com, a comprehensive website that explains everything you ever wanted to know about steak but were afraid to ask. There is also a side bar menu of assorted high quality meat purveyors. I called Schatzie’s from the list and spoke with the man himself. It was great just to hear the thick New York accent plus he answered all my questions - a real NYC whaddha guy!                   

The Man and the Meat

Schatzie could definitely stand toe to toe with Don Castellano with all his years of experience and expertise.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-rib-eye-steak
And this guy is just fun to watch with his grilling recipe for prime ribeye steaks:*

/frankie_the_butcher_makes_prime_rib_steak_with_chef_armand_at_cousin_jacks_bbq

TIPS FOR DINING AND DRESSING WITH THE DON

Be the smartest dressed wannabee hitman in your neighborhood – Men’s traditional London Fog trench coats and Russian Cossack sheepskin hats best buy (discounted at more than 50%) at Amazon.com. For the more politically correct, faux fur Russian Cossack hats and wider selection of real fur go to:

http://www.furhatworld.com/classic-winter-hats-c-42_44.html

*THE SKINNY ON THE FAT

12 ounce rib eye comes in at:

Calories: 668

Protein:  100-grams

%RDA fat: 36%

%RDA cholesterol: 88%

For the faint of fat or the HDL cholesterolly challenged, go with the champ; get yourself a George Foreman lean-mean grilling machine!

Since most of you won't be going into a diabetic coma by enjoying a  good wine with this fine cut of beef, the consensus on several websites is to go with a Shiraz. 

                                           Allin Milo

Mob Speak Glossary

RICO: Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
PBA - Police Benevolent Association 

Special thanks again to FBI Agents Joseph F. O'Brien (ret.) and Andris Kurins (ret.) for Boss of Bosses and John H. Davis for Mafia Dynasty both of which were invaluable sources for my research.

All content of  "Dining with the Don" except for credited photos are original works copyrighted by Allin Milo. No portion may be copied or reprinted without permission of the author.

THE MEATHEAD'S DEAD I

Paul Castellano on a Bad Hair Day

Today in mob history 12/15/85

START SPREADIN' THE NEWS

1985 was a good year for New Yorkers. The Dow was up on Wall St., a subway ride and a pack of smokes were still under a buck and "New York, New York" became the official song of the Big Apple. As for Paul Castellano, Capo di Tutti Capi of the most powerful Mafia family in the country, 1985 was a bust. 

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Ronald Reagan was in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and Gambino Crime Family Boss of Bosses Constantino Paul "Big Paulie" Costellano was ensconced in his own White House in the upscale Todt Hill section of Staten Island. A homebody at heart, he liked nothing more than lounging around in his 'uniform': ice blue silk PJs, red satin robe and black velvet slippers ala Hugh Hefner with one major difference...circa '85 Hef had a tall leggy blonde hanging on each arm and a bevy of bikini clad beauties fawning all over him as it's always been. Fast forward to the present and there's one addition - a pocketful of Viagra (allegedly) to keep HMH humpin'and pumpin'!


Hef-ty load

Pocketful of Miracles



DRESSING WITH THE DON

http://www.pajamashoppe.com/mnpajamas_11283.html

http://www.shoebuy.com/intimo-satin-striped-silk-robe/371183/792556?cm_mmc=nextag-_-none-_-none-_-none

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THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS*

While uber Playboy Hefner was cavorting with his bunnies at his Holmby Hills hideaway, “Meester Paul" was smitten with only one woman, Gloria Olarte, his short immigrant Colombian maid who was not particularly pretty and barely spoke English. Olarte was unskilled and had done a brief stint as a factory worker, long enough to know this was not what she had envisioned for her new life in America. When opportunity knocked in the form of a job as a maid for a wealthy Staten Island family through her sister's connections, she jumped at it. She saw one thing only...

                      Cha Ching!                                                Almost half the age of her boss/soon-to-be lover, Gloria set her sights on being the mistress of the manse upon arrival, and within what seemed like a NY minute, Mrs. Boss Nina Castellano became invisible and eventually moved out and Senorita Olarte took over. Besotted with Gloria, Don Castellano desperately wanted to get passed 3rd base with her and hit it outta the park. One major problem: the boss was playing with a broken bat. Being diabetic had left him with a limp dick. Not even a corrupt union operated fork  lift could help Big Paulie get the ole braciole up! At her sexual peak, Gloria most likely was persuasive enough to convince the Senor that he could recapture the virility of his youth. To make sure Maid Gloria had her much needed regular beef injections, at 68 the don decided to take a jaunt to Tampa for a penile implant, a decision which would make him look weak and foolish to his 'staff' and later became

Schwing Time

      
a contributing factor in his fateful demise. He came back raring to bring his gumada to new sexual heights. Packing a telescopically enhanced penis brought new life to his loins so he could happily oblige Little Gloria's every sexual need. Before this, he rarely wanted to leave the comfort of his domain earning him the moniker, "The Howard Hughes of the Mafia." With his new animatronic, and Gloria now the defacto lady of the house, Castellano had even more cause to be at home and keep Gloria nourished with  regular helpings of Italian American prime grade A tube steak.

THE KEY TO THE EXECUTIVE WASHROOM

Big Paulie honed his chops on the streets of Brooklyn where at 14 he was cutting meat and running numbers for his butcher father. By 19 he had already done 3 months behind bars for armed robbery. He secured his future at 22 when he married cousin and boss Carlo Gambino’s sister-in-law, Nina Manno. Nepotism helped him rapidly rise up through the ranks to caporegime. Castellano fancied himself a gentlemen who didn’t like dirtying his hands in the blue-collar crimes of gambling, extortion, theft, running numbers, loan sharking and street and muscle activity. He preferred the image of a CEO overseeing an empire of cement and construction companies, meat enterprises, labor unions, stocks, waste management and the business that would ultimately lead to his final arrest and untimely death - auto theft rings. He even entertained the notion that at some point he would be able to legitimize organized crime in the Gambino Family through these 'white collar' enterprises. Castellano could have added Chairman of the Board to the list as he saw himself more a captain of industry rather than a mafia capo.

ATTN. SHOPPERS: TODAY IN OUR MEAT DEPARTMENT

Prime Rib Steak for Food or Black Eye

The Boss always kept his hands in the meat business and by the 70s he managed to corner the NY metro area meat "market." 
He set his two non mafioso spawns, Joe and Paul Jr., up in the meat and poultry business and helped them establish several wholesale companies. Dial Poultry nee Blue Ribbon Meats rose to the top. The don knew every angle of the business and was well versed in how to pass off tainted, expired and mystery meat as USDA prime, choice and select grades through unsavory and toxic chemical methods. His son-in-law, Frank Amato became his protege and expert at making the goods saleable and appealing to customers. They all learned well from the maestro under the G.I. (Gambino Incentive) Bill. Any MBA candidate could’ve learned how to build a corporate empire from Big Paul. He had made his way from part-time butcher to just short of pulling off a total coup of the New York meat and poultry network, eventually having a near monopoly on the holy trinity of the entire industry: distribution, retailing and labor. His machine purred like a Fortune 500 company. He expanded this Gambino Family powerhouse by roping in two of the biggest NY supermarket chains of that era -  Waldbaum’s and Key Foods. 

    Braciole From the Lower Flank Area Near the Steer's, You Guessed It...Braciole!

Braciole - Capisce?

RECIPE FOR BRACIOLE

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 lb. flank steak

1 cup grated Peccorino Romano cheese (see note below)

1 cup shredded provolone cheese or a 4-in-1 cheese mix of Romano, smoked provolone, mozzarella and Asagio for a little added zest

1 small chopped onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 strips soft cooked bacon 

2 hard boiled eggs quartered

1 large can crushed tomatoes

5 or 6 pieces of butcher's string cut 12" + 1 15" pc.)

8 ozs. + a splash of red wine 

Extra virgin olive oil (Italian of course)

Sea salt and pepper 

Sprigs of fresh basilico

PREP

Sandwich the steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Take a meat mallet (a must have for doing a kneecapping job) or cast iron skillet (see previous post) and pound the steak like you're beating the crap outta one of those degenerate gambler 'clients' who had a hot tip on the 3rd race at Belmont that lost and is now behind on his "installment" plan (about 1/4" thick).  Remove the top layer of wrap. Mix breadcrumbs, chopped parsley and garlic together and drizzle a little olive oil to moisten mixture and bind ingredients. Spread over the inside surface of the steak. Lay bacon strips, cheese and last the eggs. Roll w/the grain of the meat pushing the stuffing in as you roll just like hitmen roll a body in a rug to stuff into the trunk of a car. Tie 5 pieces of string equally spaced over the width of the roll and 1 lenghwise. Not too tight like you're strangling that strunz who can't pay the vig on the loan he borrowed 2 wks. ago. Next week the left kneecap goes!

Put a little olive oil in a skillet and brown the roll 4-5 mins. per side. In a separate pot or dutch oven add a little more oil and cook the chopped onions 'til they're clear then add tomatoes. Add the meat and pour the wine over it. Season w/a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and braise for 1-1/4 hrs. Remove meat and plate on a dish with a couple of ladles of sauce on it. Let cool 10 mins. and slice against the grain. Make this the only time you go against the grain if you wanna gain favor with the don. Using the strings as a guide, cut about 2 slices per space between strings. Roll should getcha about 10 slices. Simmer remaining sauce a few more minutes adding more fresh basilico. Add another ladle of sauce over the top of the meat, garnish with a couple of more sprigs and serve remaining sauce over side of your favorite pasta.

Buon appetito and don't forget - tuck the dishtowel into that nice white Italian tuxedo!

Lucatelli Pecorino Romano is the best although a little more salty.

GOOMBA GLOSSARY
braciole: Bra-chee-ole - a big stuffed Italian roll of beef; slang for a man's dick. Hey, ya gonna be stickin' that braciole in your gumada tonight? Snooki loves Jersey Shore braciole. 
vig: rhymes with pig - interest on $$ owed to a loan shark or bookie. If Jimmy "Juiceman" Gambardella doesn't pay the vig on what he owes to his bookie, they're gonna do some Mafia dentistry on him.
Italian tuxedo - a wife beater T-shirt, tank top tee.  
       
                                                 Allin Milo

*Woody Allen upon being 'exposed' for his affair with lover Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, 21 at time of discovery. Soon-Yi became Mrs. Woody and the auteur was not prosecuted even though a cache of Polaroids he took was discovered from his bride's nymphet days. Woody musta passed them off as test shots for his latest movie! 

Special thanks again to FBI Agents Joseph F. O'Brien (ret.) and Andris Kurins (ret.) for Boss of Bosses and John H. Davis for Mafia Dynasty both of which were invaluable sources for my research.  

All content of  "Dining with the Don" except for credited photos are original works copyrighted by Allin Milo. No portion may be copied or reprinted without permission of the author.

NO MO MOMO

 Giancana Standing tall at 5'3"

Born 1908 in one of Chicago's armpits, Salvatore Gilorma "Momo" Sam Giangana (sp. changed) entered the world inauspiciously. His sadistic father continuously beat him bloody from age 6 until a teen when he threatened to kill Papa G if he ever laid a hand on Sam again. Sam made his way up the ladder of the Chicago mob machine  and graduated into a lifetime of murder and mayhem becoming legendary in the world of crime, entertainment and politics. Nicknamed Momo  (it was purported in the underworld that someone suggested Momo was short for more money) or "Mooney" because Sam was crazy as la luna howling at the moon as a kid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGMsAYgoL3Y

In his 67 years, Momo crossed paths with celebrities, kings, presidents, dictators, the CIA and the Shah of Iran. He bedded down the most gorgeous women - Monroe, Phyllis McGuire, Judith Campbell Exner and plenty of puttanas. Giancana once boasted to JFK who along with baby bro Bobby, that he had carried on a two-year plus affair with Marilyn and was the last one to play hide the salami with her before her death. 

Monroe - Sam Liked It Hot

Salami

The Rat Pack

The Kennedy Boys

"Outfit" boss Sam Giancana was the one who orchestrated the infamous Valentine's Day Massacre. He was a ruthless murderer who rose to power through brute force, killing most of those who got in his way. 

Momo bought it on June 19,1975 with a bullet to the back of the head and six more 22 caliber slugs pumped into his mouth and under his chin while frying up some sausage and peppers in his basement kitchen. There was no sign of a break in suggesting to the feds that it was someone Giancana knew. Speculation was that it could've been John "Johnny Handsome" Roselli on orders of Joseph "Joey Doves" Auippa, head of the Outfit, that Sam's testimony might divulge too much info about the "Big O."

Was It the Gun or the Gas
from Those Beans?

Sam was about to testify at a senate hearing about his part in a botched assassination attempt on Castro. Allegedly Sam was recruited by the CIA to snuff out the Cuban dictator around 1960.                          

Close But No Cigar

Giancana supposedly delivered the key votes in Illinois and W. Virginia to get JFK elected president. It has been said that old man Kennedy did everything in his power to have his son in the White House including turning to the Mafia.

                Ingredients

1-1/2 half lbs. Italian sausage

3-4 T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 bunch fresh escarole

1 can Great Northern beans/chi chi beans (chick peas or garbanzo beans, with juice

1 or 2 chili peppers

3-4 T. dry white wine/dry white vermouth

grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Prep the scarola washing thoroughly and removing stems and thick veins. Do not try to bypass this step as you risk having a wiseguy show up in your kitchen ripping out your veins and puncturing your jugular just to send a message! Add olive oil to a hot skillet and brown the sausages on both sides. Cast iron skillets are the best to cook with and they are multi-purpose. Besides lasting beyond a lifetime, when swung around with a good back-handed follow through, you can nail your assailant in the chops deflecting his bullets and rendering the goon stunad and powerless. They infuse your cooking with more flavor and give you a healthy dose of much-needed iron for those especially difficult 'jobs.'

 
Be sure not to prick sausages with a fork (tongs work well) while turning as it will let out the juices and you could find that fork jammed into your hand Luca Brasi style and your prick in the pan! Remove the sausage and add garlic. Sauté but don't brown. Ideal color is clear. Add the sausage back in along with the beans and their juice, and let cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes. Lower temperature to medium-low, add the greens and cover, simmering for about 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the pepper and wine. Let it simmer a minute or two, and then serve in bowls with grated cheese on top. A must - don't fuggedabout some warm, crusty Italian bread to sop up all the tasty juices.

*Escarole isn't always easy to find in which case Swiss chard or spinach can be substituted. Any white bean, such as cannellini, navy beans or garbanzos will work, as long as the juice isn't overly sweet. Chili peppers can easily be replaced with red pepper flakes or left out altogether. Top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese(salty. Never grate before serving as it dries out the cheese - a big mistake which could find you with your knuckles grated instead of the cheese. Keep hunk of cheese wrapped in a damp cheese cloth in a plastic container so as not to stink up your fridge.

Prep time is less than a 1/2 hour and you only dirty one pan. Good Italian cooks never measure - they cook by taste. Don't forget the dish towel bib so you don't get that nice baby blue velour jogging suit dirty!

Mangia, mangia and may this not be your last meal!

*Recipe is from Andrew Huff at Gapers Bloc who reprinted it from a New Yorker Magazine article (date unknown)from Sam's oldest daughter, Antoinette. She suggests a Valpolicella wine. Hint: Make sure it's the Valpolicella Classico.

                                      Allin Milo

Mafia Speak Glossary

scarola: - moo-la, $$$

stunad: - stoo-nod dazed and confused; stupid

puttana: poo-tah-na - whoah; whore; ho

Fact: yes, even Giancana was 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon

                        Giancana Bedded Monroe

                 Monroe and Eli Wallach in The Misfits

                   Wallach and Bacon in Mystic River

           

All content of  "Dining with the Don" except for credited photos and links are original works copyrighted by Allin Milo. No portion may be copied or reprinted without permission of the author.