In the book The Mafia Hitman's Daughter there is one chapter that gets lost in all the fascinating details of the inner workings of Colombo Capo Greg Scarpa’s life. This was the chapter when Greg’s daughter Linda marries Thomas McLaughlin aka Tommy, who has been sent away for dealing drugs.
Tommy was a kid that who was known as a tough street guy. He was quick tempered and had a cousin who was on the rise in the Colombo family. Tommy instead decided to go with Greg Scarpa’s crew. He used to run messages and collect debts, but he was very much part of the crew. He was always at the Scarpa home enjoying a meal or just watching TV.
When the Colombo war broke out and Vic and Wild Bill's men tried to murder Scarpa in front of his house, Tommy was the first one there with a 38 in his belt.
Tommy was a man a living on borrowed time when the war started. He had been dealing ounce quantities of cocaine all over Brooklyn. The cops were after him and had a wiretap on his phone in which they had him talking about selling some ounces to and undercover buyer.
They were set to arrest him but he went underground during the war. Tommy was shot while driving in his car in Bensonhurst. He escaped with another guy but a 16 year old was wounded in the shooting. Tommy was only grazed in the back by a bullet.
He was picked up one night in Dyker Heights and he ended up pleading out to one count of cocaine sales and tax evasion. The cops tried everything to get him to flip but he was no rat.
He ended up marrying Linda Scarpa while he was locked up. He told her that he was worried about something he did a long time ago. She told him to cooperate. He told her no way would he become a rat.
14 years is a long time to be off the street and things change. Tommy Gioeli who was Tommy’s cousin became the Colombo street boss and he carried out some high profile hits.
The murder of Colombo underboss Wild Bill Cutolo and a policeman Ralph Dol’s where some of them. One of Geoli’s guy’s capo Dino Calabro flipped and implicated Tommy in the murder of Frank (Chestnut) Marasa. So when Tommy finished his 14 year sentence had gotten remarried to another women and had a child he was looking at going back again.
He did his time and he was looking forward to enjoying the perks of being connected to the administration. The FBI had other plans so they convinced him to wear a wire.
People can say what they want about Tommy. The guy did his time and now was getting hung out to dry by a high ranking member. Tommy did what was right for him and his family.
He took down Big Anthony Russo who in turn flipped. He also testified about how his cousin ordered the Marasa murder. Tommy drove the car that night and later met with his cousin and Dino at a diner.
That life is over with so many guys flipped and still free. The Hitman’s Daughter is a great look back at how that life used to be. Read it for an inside look into a Mafia family.
