“For better or for worse, meeting Russell Bufalino and being seen in his company put me deeper into the downtown culture than I ever would have gotten on my own. After the war, meeting Russell was the biggest thing that… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Russell had lost the thumb and index finger on his left hand when he was young. He moved the thumb he still had around like he was grinding something into the white tablecloth and said, “Dust to dust.” I” — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“You fat fuck,” I said and jumped up and decked him. I broke his jaw, and they expelled me permanently on the spot. Naturally,” — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Hoffa and Brennan formed a trucking company called Test Fleet. The “brains” and his partner put that company in their wives’ maiden names. Test… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“People in those days didn’t display affection like they do today. I’m still learning how to be affectionate to my grandchildren. I don’t ever… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Whispers was one of these short Italian guys in his early thirties that you’d see all around South Philly, just trying to get by… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“And under the contract, management couldn’t fire a Teamster unless they had certain grounds. They had none. Stealing was grounds only if they could… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“But back then we had to amuse ourselves, and fighting seemed to be all we had. Looking back, it was good for us. You… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Mary liked to arrange picnics with the kids, and we’d take them to the Willow Grove Amusement Park. I wasn’t always running. When they… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“And on the other side of the ledger, unions like the Teamsters often employed their own muscle, their own reigns of terror, including bombings,… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Only in the movies or comic books do people say they want you to go and hit somebody. All they ever say is that… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“As I learned the ropes I learned that for many good and sound reasons the bosses and the captains sent a guy to whack… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Russell had taken me with him to Cuba just when Castro was starting to kick everybody out and confiscate their casinos and racetracks and… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“You didn’t know who to trust, but you kept taking cabbies aside and persuading them to sign a card. For some reason there were… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“they wanted the guy left right there on the sidewalk as a message to those who needed to know the guy did not get… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
“Carlos Marcello and the war orphans did cross my mind during the drive, and I sat the whole way facing the driver. He was… — Charles Brandt Copy Share Image
