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Mob Wisdom 101

June 22nd, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

Anyone familiar with Facebook has come across the thousands of memes with a famous gangster pose and some intriguing advice about life. Most of this insight was not actually quoted by the mobster themselves it’s solely done to emphasize a point, play up the dramatics or for entertainment purposes only. So, with this in mind I decided to track down some of my favorite all time gangsters and their foresight, insight & gumption for life. (Not everyone on my list is considered a “traditional mobsters/gangster…” then again, my definition of a gangster sometime differs from others)

White Lines: Duran Duran – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 22nd, 2017

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Virginia Hill: The Mob’s Lady Associate

June 21st, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

Virginia Hill is best known for her relationship with Bugsy Siegel. She was given the nickname “Queen of the Mob” by Time Magazine in 1951 after the Kefauver Hearings. Virginia Hill who was born 1916 in Lipscomb, Alabama had a reputation for being promiscuous from the very beginning. In a day and age when it was rare for a female to use her sexuality for gain, Hill had no qualms about using her looks and sexual talents to conceal money, hide stolen goods or anything else the mob needed from her.

Nevertheless, Hill’s story begins when she started working as a waitress at a popular mob hang out for Al Capone associates. It was there the 17-year-old met a Chicago mobster and bookmaker by the name of Joseph Epstein who apparently, according to sources, wasn’t a very good looking character. Still, what he lacked in looks he made up for with money… Stacks of it!

Piano In the Dark: Brenda Russell -NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 21st, 2017

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Comic Bill Dana Dead at 92

June 20th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Bill Dana a very popular comedian and comedy writer for decades died at his home last week in Nashville at the age of 92. He rose to fame on TV with his most famous character, the bumbling, English-mangling José Jiménez that delighted audiences for years.

His death was confirmed by his friend Jenni Matz, who is working on a documentary about him.

Come On Eileen: Dexys Midnight Runners – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 20th, 2017

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The Curse Returns: Destination America’s Breakout Hit Series GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN Is Back for a Second Season

June 20th, 2017

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The first season of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN, a surge of 911 calls reporting what appeared to be supernatural activity in Shepherdstown, W.V., inspired Police Chief Michael King to enlist the help of paranormal investigators to figure out why the town had become such a hotbed for hauntings. Nick Groff, Bill Hartley, and Elizabeth Saint, with the help of local historian Dana Mitchell and psychic medium Lorie Johnson, uncovered clues linking the rash of mysterious incidents to Shepherdstown’s historic waterways and a woman murdered on accusations of witchcraft in the town’s early history. The first season finale culminated in a ceremony on the Potomac River to cleanse the town of its “Witches Curse,” which seemed to settle the ghostly activity… at least, within its own borders. Soon, Chief King began hearing from his colleagues in neighboring police jurisdictions that the mysterious happenings had spread to their nearby towns, suggesting that Shepherdstown is only one piece to a much larger paranormal puzzle. Groff, Hartley and Saint return for season 2 to follow new leads and attempt to solve the mystery once and for all, with eight all-new episodes of GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN premiering on Monday, July 10 at 10/9c on Destination America.

A Closer Look at the Top 5 Horrific Deaths in the Mob

June 19th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

Murder in the mob often comes in the form of those you trust. Its necessity helps to maintain control and reinforce a strong mandate… “Death before Dishonor.” Protecting the pride of its members and maintaining the integrity of the organization is a key component to the mob’s reputation and survival. Upholding the code of honor sometimes comes at a high cost. Listed below are my picks for the most shocking and appalling murders committed by the mob.

99 Red Balloons: Nena (English Version) – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 19th, 2017

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The Brutal Legacy of Griselda Blanco (1943-2012)

June 17th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

In order to have some claim to fame in the world of organized crime one must be calculating, cunning and above all brutal. Of all the names that could describe Griselda Blanco best no other word does her more justice than “brutal.” I got it admit, out of all the mobsters and gangsters I deem lower than a dog Blanco takes first, second and third place. It’s not that I dislike her ability to compete in a dominantly male profession, if you can call it that, which I confess she did better than most. I despise her callousness. To be fair, I do understand this type of harshness comes along with the lifestyle, however, when your raw tactics not only make you public enemy number one amongst all your contemporaries, cost you the lives of all, but one of your children, the question then becomes how beneficial is your strategy?

Father and Son: Cat Stevens – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 17th, 2017

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The Mafia Chronicles: Frank Sinatra’s Las Vegas

June 15th, 2017

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By Larry Henry

The “Rat Pack” publication by Life now on newsstands recalls, in pictures and words, the mid-century era in Las Vegas when Mafia figures, entertainers and elected officials hobnobbed together on the Strip, with the Sands hotel-casino as the neon nightlife’s glamorous ground zero.

The Strip was their private playground (and cash cow), with tourists in evening attire as amused witnesses. The Rat Pack, called “The Original Bad Boys” on the publication’s cover, were Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, JR. and a select few others.

Sinatra’s 1955 album “In the Wee Small Hours,” now considered a classic, helped establish a mood-song tone in the post-war years that, a little more than a decade later, would explode into a cultural fireball during the youth-fueled swinging ‘60s, parodied by Mike Myers in a couple of “Austin Powers” movies.

Sooner Or Later: The Grass Roots – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 15th, 2017

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NewzBreaker Brings You Scarface Trivia: True or False?

June 15th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

According to CNN entertainment Universal Studio is moving forward with the remake of “Scarface” utilizing “Straight Outta Compton’s” Jonathan Herman for the rewrite. With that in mind, let’s see how much you actually know about the 1983 version without looking up the answers, shall we?

1.) Howard Hawks came up with the idea behind the remake of the 1983 classic Scarface?

2.) John Travolta was considered for the role of Manny Ribera?

The Sinatra File: Cops, Lawyers, and Godfathers… The Movie Roles Francis Albert Turned Down or Were Cast with Another Actor

June 14th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

Let’s be clear: “Magnum Force” (1973) is not only my favorite of the “Dirty Harry” film series, but also stands next to films like “The Seven-Ups” and “The French Connection” as my favorite of all police films ever to come out of Hollywood. But who knows? If things had gone the way originally intended, maybe cinema audiences would have never had legendary actor Clint Eastwood thrilling them as no-nonsense Harry Callahan in films like “Magnum Force,” “Sudden Impact,” “The Enforcer,” or “The Dead Pool.”

Few realize that before Eastwood and longtime collaborator Don Siegel entered the picture, the role of Harry Callahan was intended for a good actor who made his bones, so to speak as a singer of American popular music. That man was Frank Sinatra.

Life In A Northern Town: Dream Academy – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 14th, 2017

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Pearce’s Picks: James Darren

June 12th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

An enthusiastic “thank you” came from James Darren when we took a picture together at the Chiller Theater convention held at the Morristown Sheraton in May of 2015. The thanks was in response to my telling him how much I enjoyed his two albums of standards music that he had released in previous years. It was shocking that I seemed to tower over him; having seen him numerous times on television both from present shows and rebroadcasts of his earlier series, I always thought he brought a great presence to his roles, and when you think that notion of an actor, you assume them to be larger than life when meeting them physically. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he signed my copy of one of his albums, and I walked away feeling pretty good. As someone who truly loves the Great American Songbook, it meant a great deal to tell one of the “keepers of the flame” how much joy his music had brought to me

Two Of Hearts : Stacey Q – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 12th, 2017

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Batman Actor Adam West Dead at 88 – Cause of Death Revealed

June 10th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Adam West, the man behind the bat mask in the campy 1960’s TV version of Batman has died at the age of 88.

West, who become part of pop culture after Batman debuted in January 1966, only to see his career fall victim to typecasting after the ABC show flamed out, died Friday night in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukemia, a family spokesperson said.

West died peacefully surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Kiss My Deadly: Lita Ford – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 10th, 2017

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The Mafia Chronicles: Mario Puzo, The Literary Godfather

June 9th, 2017

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By Larry Henry

Mario Puzo, a New York City native with bad eyesight who grew up poor in a rough neighborhood, wanted to be James Joyce, the Irish novelist and short story writer whose poetic use of language and deep insight into human nature have forever solidified his status as a literary titan.

Instead, with five children and a couple of serious novels that critics praised but very few readers purchased, Puzo needed to make money, and so he wrote and, at age 49, published “The Godfather,” based on Mafia tales he’d heard while churning out pulp stories for adventure magazines with titles like “Swank.”

Let Me Be Your Hero: Gregory Abbott- NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 9th, 2017

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Madame Queen: Stephanie St. Clair Rules Harlem & the Numbers Rackets!

June 8th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

The early story of Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queenie, life is a mystery. One thing we know for sure is she was born on the French east Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe on December 24, 1897. She was educated and could not only read and write, but spoke fluent French as well as Spanish, which was rare in those days especially for black women. St. Clair arrived in Harlem around 1912, and settled into the black community in Harlem on the northeast side of Manhattan.

She was known to be pretensions, sophisticated and educated. St. Clair could also hang with the best of them. She wasn’t afraid to give someone a piece of her mind in profanity while exhibiting her fierce nature in rage. St. Clair’s well-known temper was often present when dealing with her rivals such as the police and intolerant business owners that intruded on her turf. Around the age of 23, St. Clair started a numbers racket designed for the African-American community. While it made her rich beyond her wildest dreams it also made her a target for other mobsters and the police.

I Started A Joke and First Of May: The Bee Gees – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 8th, 2017

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The Sinatra File: The Best of Everything

June 7th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

Sinatra fanatics will most likely notice that the title of this week’s edition of “The Sinatra File” takes its name from the well-known second track of Frank’s 1984 (and final solo) album “L.A. Is My Lady,” a swingin, stompin’ arrangement by then-current musical director Joe Parnello of a song written by Fred Ebb and John Kander, two songwriters that Sinatra was happy to announce in concert were the “same two cats who wrote “New York, New York.” Indeed, over the years, Sinatra was fortunate enough to record “the best of everything” from the greatest songwriters of the day, individuals who were quite eager to hear the Chairman of the Board interpret their compositions to the sounds of musical arrangements written by the likes of, but not limited to, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, and Don Costa.