[ETL]

They didn't call Carmine "The Snake" for nothing. He, like damn all of them, had very little to be admired for. Many decent hard working Italians were victimized by the mob. In fact, they were their first victims when the Italians came to America around the turn of the century. Store keepers, push carts, other various businesses.

[dp0622]

Agreed.

But they weren’t like blacks today, who are even nasty and dangerous to FRIENDS, no less Women.

My mom said they were all very respectful and generous before they went out and killed someone :)

I had some gangster friends growing up.

They were friends LONG before they were gangsters, just as all of the folks in these old neighborhoods.

Nothing to do with admiration.

Friends since 8 or 9 doesn’t change because of the life one chose.

At least it didn’t for me.

Or to be perfectly frank, I wouldn’t have been able to go to family parties either.

Those uncles and older cousins are all deceased now.