Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit. 

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit.  Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich https://www.asterlight.com/laterdayspodcast

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit.    The Westies reign of terror was largely built on the back of Mickey Featherstone‘s terrifying reputation. When strangers laid eyes on him in person the reaction was usually disbelief. That’s Mickey Featherstone? His larger than life notoriety often dwarfed his average physical stature. At 5‘7“ tall with wide blue eyes and a halo a blonde hair, Mickey looked more like an altar boy than one of the most feared men in New York City. Many people made the mistake of underestimating him and that only made him more dangerous. Mickey’s temper was infamous, even for an Irishman. He had a low boiling point to start with and if alcohol was involved, and it often was, Mickey had the potential to explode. Those who knew him in the neighborhood often crossed the street when they saw him coming their way. Yet to those closest to him, Mickey was kind, devoted and generous to a fault. This dichotomy was Mickey in essence. He was a man split down the middle constantly struggling to be both a good person and a good gangster. No one would’ve predicted but Mickey, perhaps the most dedicated member of the group, would eventually become the one to systematically dismantle their dynasty and put an end to the Irish Mafia in Manhattan once and for all.    Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich https://www.asterlight.com/laterdayspodcast

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit.  Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit. Hell’s Kitchen of the 1970s and 80s, the long impoverished Irish slum on Manhattan’s west side, under the gloomy shadow of the Vietnam war and an economic recession, the dreamy enthusiasm of the 1960s was met by the stark reality of the 70s. The neighborhood offered few opportunities. Those who lived there were trapped by generations of poverty and low level crime, loansharking gambling and even kidnapping. During the 70s and 80s the community was navigating a particularly dangerous period. Residents faced the highest crime rates in the city’s history and the influx of lethal strains of heroin and crack cocaine, the new drug on the scene. Generations of families had grown up among the same fourteen city blocks, a hardscrabble insular population where loyalty to each other and distrust of outsiders unified the criminals and blue-collar workers that called the place home. 

From an introduction made by his long time friend Tom Sheer, Joe Poletto was introduced to Art Ruffles, special agent in charge of the FBI’s organized crime unit in charge of the Gambino, DeMayo and Westies cases. Through his work in the Westies, Art secured Billy Beattie and another Westies member Mickey Featherstone into the witness protection program. Through Art, Joe was able to meet Billy. This podcast series explores Joe’s conversations with Art and Billy. Sadly, both passed earlier this year.  The Westies were the most notorious and final generation of Irish American gangsters to rule Hells Kitchen during the 70s and 80s. Unlike the deeply entrenched and invulnerable Omertà of the Italian Mafia, the Westies followed no rules. Their’s was an era of disorganized crime, a chaotic and violent reign of terror on Manhattan’s west side. Hells Kitchen had long been dominated by Irish hooligans, but the Westies fearless brand of terrorism gained them widespread notoriety that spread far beyond the neighborhood, eventually catching the attention of the media, the Italian Mafia and all levels of law enforcement, from the local police precinct to the FBI. Under the direction of Jimmy Coonan, the gang’s ambitious and ruthless leader, the Westies branched out from normal rackets to become serious players in the crime underworld of New York City. Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich https://www.asterlight.com

In this final part of the series, Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Larry Mazza, former Colombo family member, heavyweight bookmaker, and Greg the Grim Reaper Scarpa‘s right hand man. This is a dark story about a decent young man who loses his way, who gets seduced by a lifestyle that was the dream of most Brooklyn wannabes. Larry was a natural bookmaker and he became a Colombo hitman who plotted 25 murders and pulled the trigger on four of them.  Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich https://www.asterlight.com/laterdayspodcast

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Larry Mazza, former Colombo family member, heavyweight bookmaker and Greg the Grim Reaper Scarpa‘s right hand man. Greg Scarpa is quite possibly the most prolific killer in mob history. His trademark is to put one behind his ear to make sure the victim is finished off. Greg Scarpa marches to his own beat. Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich https://www.asterlight.com/laterdayspodcast

Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Larry Mazza, former Colombo family member, heavyweight bookmaker, and Greg the Grim Reaper Scarpa‘s right hand man. This is a dark story about a decent young man who loses his way, who gets seduced by a lifestyle that was the dream of most Brooklyn wannabes. Larry was a natural bookmaker and he became a Colombo hitman who plotted 25 murders and pulled the trigger on four of them.  Produced by Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich

Over the next four episodes Joe Poletto will be talking with Larry Mazza, a former Colombo family member, heavyweight bookmaker, loanshark and Greg the Grim Reaper Scarpa’s right hand man and closest confidant. Larry was seduced first by an older woman who was the second pseudo-wife of the Grim Reaper and then finally by the life itself. After serving a 10 year sentence, Larry went on to write a book called “The Life,” where he pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of La Cosa Nostra. Larry exposes the criminal society of the New York Mafia, a world based on deceit and greed and he gives insight into learning that his mentor Greg Scarpa was an FBI informant for over 30 years.  Produced by: Joe Poletto & Karl Derfler Engineered by: Karl Derfler Production Director: David Gross  Production Managers: Michelle Garramone & Kelsey Kirpich