Former Hollywood stars who had Connections with the Mafia

What is your favorite mob movie? Do you like classics, like the story of the powerful Corleone family in The Godfather trilogy, or do you prefer something that delves into law enforcement efforts to end crime syndicates, like Donnie Brasco ? Maybe you’re intrigued by the rise and fall of mafia figures, which you can see in movies like Goodfellas, or maybe you’re eager to see the entire Soprano series again from start to finish. While watching the mob operate on screen can be captivating, especially if big stars like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and the late James Gandolfini tell the tales, there are a handful of famous people who have actually been involved in organized crime and their figures. bleak in real life.

Frankly, a mobster, John “Handsome Johnny” Rosselli, who passed him “[rise] through the ranks with Al Capone,” was tasked with “infiltrating [ing]” Hollywood, according to Vice . It was his job to act “as a mafia ambassador” and interact with “infamous gangsters, Hollywood merchants, stars and stars.” What is more, he was not the only one to establish relationships with the rich and famous.

From Las Vegas singers who got too close and personal with questionable characters to a beloved actor who actually witnessed an infamous mob hit, these old Hollywood stars who had connections to the mob and the movie, but true stories behind those ties.

While many stars deny being associated with organized crime, Wayne Newton was honest about the fact that he had met Guido Penosi, “a reputed member of the New York criminal family Carlo Gambino,” according to the Las Vegas Sun. However, the singer “insisted that he did not know that Penosi had alleged links to the mafia.” As the singer told Sol de las vegas in 2000, «It was ridiculous … What do I know about the mafia? That was the big question.

When reports were published in 1980 accusing Newton of using his co-ownership of the Aladdin Hotel (which later became Planet Hollywood) to act as the “leader” of the mob, there were also rumors that the star “was spilling the beans.” . about the mafia to law enforcement officials. ” Although Newton insisted that he ignored any wrongdoing, there was danger in the fact that, as he explained, “the mobsters did not know that I knew nothing about them.”

Things got even worse for Newton when he was “included … as a government witness in the trial of the reputed mobsters Guido Penosi and Frank Piccolo.” AP reported, resulting in a “mafia death threat.” The singer, who was given a bulletproof jacket by authorities to protect him from a blow, reportedly told his wife, “I am a dead man.” Fortunately for the star, he survived the ordeal, though it probably did reconsider any connection he may have had with organized crime.

Joe DiMaggio may not have been an actor or a singer, but the baseball player was certainly part of the Hollywood scene thanks to his marriage to Marilyn Monroe. And while he was known as a Yankees slugger, the International Business Times explains that DiMaggio may have had a dark side that hinted at gangster-like trends. In fact, some “believe Joltin ‘Joe was so obsessed with the idea that the Kennedys had killed his ex-wife Marilyn Monroe that there was a hitman or men killing the President for revenge.” While that claim is likely not provable, it turns out that DiMaggio also had a strong bond with one of the most famous mob families.

The DiMaggios were intimately connected to the Gambinos, who “practically dominated the world of organized crime in New York City,” according to The New York Times . As the Times Herald-Record revealed in 2002, families were united by “mixed marriages [that] began in Italy more than 100 years ago and continued when they arrived in America.”

Relatives even held a meeting that same year, which saw “[s] ix generations, and more than 150 people” join. During the event, the Times Herald-Record observed that “[s] Some of DiMaggio’s cousins were looking for possible types of mafia on the prowl”, or even the FBI. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like having cops around is the worst thing that could have happened.

James Caan has played a mob figure many times on screen, such as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, Spaldoni in 1990 Dick Tracy, and Frank Vitale in 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes . It turns out that his authenticity on the screen may be due to the fact that he knows real-life gangsters.

“Andrew ‘Andy Mush’ Russo, the alleged acting street boss of the Colombo family, has a ruthless and bloody reputation, but he has at least one great friend who defends him: actor James Caan.” Gothamist noted in 2011 when Russo was “arrested in [a] massive criminal sweep.” As the actor revealed to the New York Post , “My friendship with Andrew Russo dates back more than 35 years, and I have only known that he is as good a friend as anyone could be to me and my family.” What’s more, Caan also offered to pay Russo’s bail, writing a note to the court: “My son Scott is his godson. [Russo] has always been the first to call when a member of my family has been sick or in trouble, and has always looked after me like a brother.

Although Russo served his sentence behind bars, a judge ordered his release from prison two months in early 2013 when he was 78 years old, and told Russo’s granddaughter: “Your poppy will be home soon.” This was surely a development that pleased both Russo’s family and Caan.

Like Frank Sinatra and Wayne Newton, Tony Bennett is another Las Vegas singer with suspected ties to the mob. However, his connection to the world of organized crime is a little different. While the other stars knew several mafia men, Bennett encountered a woman who was connected to the criminal underworld.

According to Daily News , David Evanier, the author of All Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett , states that “The legendary singer had a close painful-type encounter with the Las Vegas Yellow Pages after he caused a jealous wise man saw red ». Hey? What does that mean exactly? Well, it turns out that while Bennett was separated from his second wife, Sandra Grant, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, “he inexplicably began to see Goodfella’s girlfriend Anthony Spilotro, who inspired the vicious character of Joe Pesci Nicky Santoro in Martin Scorsese Casino’s 1995 film «.

As expected, that relationship did not work. When Spilotro discovered what was happening, “he hit Tony over the head with a phone book and left him on the ground.” While that was undoubtedly unpleasant, let’s be honest: the result could have been much worse! Frankly, Spilotro himself ended up being “beaten in 1986 … Legend has it that he was buried alive.” Oh!

George Raft’s name may not be the most recognizable these days, but in Hollywood’s golden age, he was a well-known actor who appeared in classic movies like the 1932 Scarface , 1959, some like it hot with Marilyn Monroe, and 1960. Ocean’s 11 alongside Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

As a boy, Raft grew up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, where, as Turner Classic Movies notes, he “was a childhood friend” of gangster Bugsy Siegel, who went on to “build [d] an empire criminal through smuggling, gambling and ruthless murder before establishing a store in Las Vegas, “according to Biography . Raft was also friends with the boy who would grow up to be “New York’s Irish criminal boss,” Owney Madden.

Frankly, as “the oldest of nine children” and someone who grew up in a “difficult district,” if Raft had not entered show business, he might have followed his friends into the underworld as he “apparently came close to having a life of crime «. Instead, he followed in the footsteps of previous stars like Broadway and the silver screen sensation Ruby Keeler, as well as the “man of song and dance” Ray Bolger, whom Raft “would proudly point out” came from the “same block.” that he. . It may seem that choosing to be an actor was safer than becoming a mobster, however it is quite clear that the two worlds were intricately intertwined.