“The notion that John Gotti — or any single mob figure — was some sort of omnipotent New York mafioso is ludicrous. The word 'Godfather' had a nice, Brando-esque ring, but the title itself is a fraud.”
“I’m scared,” says a Federal investigator of Brooklyn boss Meade Esposito. “We’ll work our ass off for the next six months to make a case. We’ll work 18 hours a day. But I admit it. I’m afraid of what happens after that. This guy Meade has more power than the Pope.”
"Joey loved the Village as only those who move here from some other where can. He spoke of his Brooklyn home as someone else might speak of Ashtabula."
"Gallo and company had been to the Copacabana earlier for Don Rickles's opening and to celebrate Joey's 43rd birthday. About 4 a.m. they hopped into Joey's 1971 Cadillac and drove to Little Italy for an early morning snack...."
"Hoffa's pending return to Teamster politics threatened to obstruct the Mafia's drain on the Union's multibillion-dollar holdings — or else, why would he have vanished?"