Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz signaled a bruising fight Thursday if the White House pushes ahead with the nominee for a coveted Caribbean diplomatic post who spread unfounded conspiracy theories about him during the 2016 campaign. As an ardent cheerleader for Donald Trump, beauty supply executive Leandro Rizzuto Jr. used Twitter to promote an unsubstantiated allegation that Cruz cheated on his wife, and other claims that Heidi Cruz herself was part of a cabal seeking to unite North America under one government. "I don't know the fellow. He seems to have unusual views," Cruz said Thursday through an aide. "I...

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame was created all the way back in 1936 and has 312 members that have been enshrined over the years. The process, which involves sports writers and even former players voting and requires a player to receive 75% to be inducted, is far from perfect. Sure, you have plenty of players that are deserving that make it into the Hall of Fame without problem. But sometimes, deserving players are left out for long periods—such as third baseman Ron Santo, who finally was selected following his death in 2011—and other times undeserving players are chosen....

MONTREAL — Time took care of crime boss Vito Rizzuto before his enemies could get to him. The 67-year-old died Monday morning of a lung ailment, ending his 35-year reign atop Canada's criminal underworld and throwing the Mafia into disarray. A source at Montreal's north-end Sacre-Coeur hospital confirms Rizzuto died Monday at 4 a.m. An ambulance transported Rizzuto to the hospital's emergency room on Saturday evening, with family members in tow. A source says he was confused and had a fever. Nicknamed "Montreal's Teflon don," Rizzuto ran a powerful organized crime syndicate for decades but was never convicted in Canada...

The 'Ndrangheta or Calabrian Mafia has emerged as the world's most powerful crime group due to its obscene profits from the cocaine trade in Europe, and it further has become entrenched in Australia, Canada and the United States with surprisingly little push back from law enforcement in those countries. Indeed, Nicola Gratteri, a top anti-Mafia prosecutor in Italy warns that "this mafia is quickly spreading in the United States, particularly in Florida and New York" as reported by Beatrice Borromeo for The Daily Beast: Gratteri's latest operations have led to the sentencing of 34 'Ndrangheta members and have uncovered a...

Reputed Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto will avenge the murders of son Nicola and father Nick upon his release from prison in October 2012 according to a jailhouse source as reported by Brad Hamilton for the New York Post: "he's been eating vegetarian, staying fit, sharpening his mind with games of pinochle — and plotting his coup, the source said." Vito Rizzuto currently is serving time at the supermax facility in Florence, CO on a 2007 racketeering conviction involving the 1981 New York City murders of three Bonanno capos during an internal power struggle, and during his incarceration all hell...

It's been a tough year for reputed Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto who sits in a prison cell at the federal penitentiary in Florence, CO following his 2007 racketeering conviction involving the 1981 murders of three Bonanno crime family capos in NYC. Earlier this month his 86-year-old father Nicolo Rizzuto was slain, and last December his 42-year-old son Nick Rizzuto Jr. was murdered. Mob watcher Antonio Nicaso says it's obvious the Rizzutos are being "exterminated," and the killings are an emphatic message to the imprisoned Vito "that his days as a crime boss are over" as reported by Chris Doucette...

Can you think of a better reason among innumerable ones to despise Osama bin Laden? “I can’t bear to look out there anymore,” said Phil Rizzuto to New York Daily News columnist Bill Madden, for the latter’s book Pride of October, from the kitchen of the New Jersey home that formerly afforded a splendid view of the World Trade Center until 9/11. “They’re gone and I feel as empty as my view.” After a couple of conversations plumbing Rizzuto’s Yankee career and memories, the former shortstop and broadcaster released to the sky a pair of silver birthday balloons and lamented...

About 25 or 30 years ago I stopped in at the legendary NYC pizza joint, Pizza City, on my way to visit Mom and Dad. Inside, I discovered lights, a camera crew and Yankee great Phil Rizzuto filming a TV commercial. Phil was about 60 at the time and still looked as if he could step out onto the field and play shortstop. When he got to the punch line he went into a pantomime baseball swing and then flashed that great Rizzuto smile straight into the camera. As he took his phantom swing I noticed his biceps and forearms,...

DEVELOPING STORY: Hall of Fame New York Yankee shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto has died. He was 89 and had been ill for more than a year. Rizzuto was one of the most influential and well-known figures in Yankees history. He played shortstop for the Bombers for 11 full seasons in a career interrupted by service in World War II. In 1950, he was named Most Valuable Player in the American League. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994 and was the oldest living member of the Hall. Later he became a broadcaster for the team, holding...

Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who overcame his diminutive size to become a key contributor to numerous New York Yankees championships and followed his playing career with a lengthy and entertaining stint in the team's broadcast booth, died Tuesday. He was 89.

Just a headline yet

A bank robber in suburban Chicago is being called the "Harry Caray bandit." Police in Palos Heights say the man who robbed a bank on Wednesday wore big glasses reminiscent of the ones worn by the late Chicago Cubs announcer. He also sported a baseball cap, perhaps a wig, shoes like police officers wear, and a patch that said "Emergency" on one sleeve.