Uncle Manny

I thought I would write this week’s blog about Emmanuel "Manny" Garofalo or “Uncle Manny” as he is known to close friends.

Manny has been in the news a lot in the past year. I especially loved last week’s article in the New York Papers where Manny claimed  he was selling his house because of the notoriety of his Nephew’s wife Alicia Garofalo on the reality show Mob Wives.  Manny said he was putting his Seagate Brooklyn Palace on the market to move someplace where people had no idea he was connected with the Organized Crime likes of Alicia.

I will make a couple of observations about this joke of an excuse that Manny is making up. I have found written stories about Manny as far back as 1979 when he ran a Carting/Dumping/Demolition Company and here is a quote from the New York Times, "Commissioner Steisel identified two companies as ‘probably the worst’ offenders. He said they were both owned by Emanuel Garofalo."  He was written up again as an illegal dumper in the New York Times, February 1983.  Did it bother Manny? Apparently not, because in 1985, once more the New York Times reports Kevin Smyley, inspector general of New York City's Sanitation Department, refers to three brothers named Garofalo who operate waste hauling companies in Brooklyn as ''the James brothers of garbage.''  

In September, 1994, Manny again made the papers as a  known “Organized Crime Figure” who was around some of the legends of the underworld.  This time it was the Los Angeles Times his name was printed in.  A man named Harold Glantz was arrested for a massive scam where he bilked investors out of 30 million dollars in a "Prime Bank Note and Roll Program Scam."  I gave Harold the nickname "Scissors Man" after he got into an argument with Manny in Manhattan and Manny stabbed him in the leg with a pair of cheap scissors he bought at a near by store.  Manny told me that Harold owed him a Million dollars.  It really bothered Manny because he told me to go see Harold’s son who lived just off Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.  The good part is, I was wired up and when I went back to Los Angeles, the FBI was there to watch.  I just told the kid to have his father get in touch with Manny.  That is a Federal Crime, because Manny had me cross state lines to deliver a threat.  

Manny was next arrested by the FBI with a real upstanding crowd of people. John Gammarano; Salvatore Lombardi; Dominick Truscello; Barry Nichilo; Gaetano Vastola; Steven Long and Steven Crea.

I will start with John Gammarano aka Johnny G.  He was a member of Danny Marino's crew but he would be appointed to the Gambino Family Construction Panel which would include Cousin Eddie Garafolo, Delmonico, Frankie Fappiano,, Richie Gotti, Thomas Carbonaro, and Mikey Scars.  All the Crime Families in the area put together these panels to oversee their construction and Union Rackets in order to avoid problems.

The next upstanding citizen is Salvatore Lombardi , aka “Sally Dogs” a one time Genovese Capo who was heavily into drugs such as Quaalude and Heroin.  He is a also the Uncle of Big Ange on Mob Wives.  

Barry Nichilo was a Gambino associate who Sammy Gravano put away.  Steven Crea aka “Wonder Boy” would first be appointed to the Luchese Family Construction Panel and later became and is still the Boss of the family.  Dominick Truscello aka “Crazy Dom” was also on the Construction Panel for the Luchese Family and later he would become a Capo in charge of the Prince Street Crew.  

The last notable Felon in his close circle is Gaetano Vastola aka “Corky” Vastola, the Underboss of the DeCavalcante Family in New Jersey. He was a very big player in the record business and later in construction racketeering. He spent time locked up with John Gotti who was convinced he would flip, so he asked the Boss of the Family to kill him.  That blew up and they were charged with attempted murder.  Corky was locked up for a long stretch after that.

So all of these “friends” of his cannot be worse than being associated with Alicia Garofalo on Mob Wives.  Manny has even been in the papers five times since his last arrest, where he was crying about Sandy and his losses.

I used to meet him early and run around all day with him.  He is a user and a criminal, and the FBI has it all on tape, so why would the Judge release him with time served?  Community service?  This guy threatened my life, the lives of my family, stole money from me, but he is now free?  Maybe one day he will have his own TV show and run around Las Vegas and Hollywood.