Posted on 02/10/2016 3:12:00 PM PST by TBP
Trump was building his eponymous empire of hotels, casinos, and high rises in the early 1980s in New York City and Atlantic City. In both places, the construction industry was firmly under the thumb of the mafia. And in both places there are literally concrete connections between La Cosa Nostra and Trump’s lavish projects. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, who has covered Trump for decades, has written a very useful list of questions for Trump. Many focus on his ties to the mob. In addition in his 1992 book, “Trump, The Deals and the Downfall,†author Wayne Barrett lays out a slew of suspicious dealings and associations.
The Atlantic City story starts with Trump’s purchase of a bar, at twice its market value, from Salvatore Testa, a made man in the Philadelphia mafia and son of Philip “Chicken Man†Testa, who was briefly head of the Philly mob after Angelo Bruno’s 1980 killing. Harrah’s casino, half owned by Trump, would be built on that land, and Trump would quickly buy out his partner, Harrah’s Entertainment, and rename the casino Trump Plaza.
Trump Plaza’s connection to the mob didn’t end with the land purchase from Testa. Nicademo “Little Nicky†Scarfo (who became boss after the elder Testa was blown up) and his nephew Phillip “crazy Phil†Leonetti controlled two of the major construction and concrete companies in Atlantic City. Both companies, Scarf, Inc. and Nat Nat, did work on the construction of Harrah’s, according the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation’s 1986 report on organized crime. In addition, Scarfo, whose reign as head of the Philly mob was one of the bloodiest in history, controlled the bartenders union, which represented Trump’s workers in Atlantic City, according to George Anastasia’s book, “Blood and Honor.â€
One more link to organized crime lurks in Trump’s past Atlantic City dealings. He had a close association with Kenny Shapiro, an investment banker for Scarfo. According to secret recordings of then Scarfo attorney Robert F. Simone, Shapiro was intimately involved with bribing Atlantic City Mayor Michael J. Matthews, whose term would end in 1984 with a conviction on extortion charges. On the tapes, in 1983, Simone, talking about Leonetti, states: “He’s a nice-looking boy…Nicky’s nephew, he can sit with the…mayor. Ah, and Kenny’s (Shapiro) got the mayor through this kid Phillip.â€
Trump is just never wrong, is he? How does he make it through the day being so aggravatingly faultless?
The bastard child of one of Al Capones mistresses.
Or not.
As a matter of fact, we’re riding high right now.
Cruz made an excellent showing in a state where he wasn’t expected to do well and will do better in the future.
It seems to be the Trump people who are terrified and there’s a reason for that.
I haven’t seen one substantive post defending the Don yet.
It’s all trying to be funny or hey, everybody consorts with Mobsters, didn’t you know?
Much ado about nothing.
Well, if he gets the nomination I hope he can beat the dem candidate.
Right now, I’m guessing that Biden will dip his aging toe into the water because Hillary is not making it.
But Trump has so many negatives, whether you Trump people want to admit it or not.
Plus, he has a huge Dislike factor. Not apparent here, but in the Real World.
Trump was not interested in politics to any extent until 2011.
Then he wanted something new to do besides pine over Lady Di and tested the waters.
All of a sudden he became a Republican. It is an open book that he held mostly liberal policies until 3 years ago.
The more apparent it becomes that Trump is on pace to actually get the nomination, the more people are looking into the seedy side of his history.
And there is more seedy there than at the local plant store.
“There are good people left.”
and then there are some who spread rumors that one of their rivals is quitting
If Trump has so many negatives why are his rally crowds 100x over any other republican?? Why did he blow out NH?? Why did he get one less delegate than Cruz in IA while spending 10% of what Ted did??
Apparently that lame story is all you people have.
It has been explained, clarified ...
It is over. It’s been put to bed, the covers pulled up, a bedtime story read and a lullaby sang.
Now you people want to wake it up and drag it out because... well, I guess it’s all you have.
I told a neighbor I thought Sanders was getting out and I just received word that he’s suing me.
I know. It happened to me last week. Not about politics.
Which mob?
Italian or democrat party?
That will leave a mark up on The Hill of Perfectness where Cruz worshippers recline in their hair shirts
I believe you are wrong about the spending thing but it’s obvious that he has a strong following.
No denying that.
I don’t think he’s the man for the job and we need to find that out now.
“Trump is just never wrong, is he? How does he make it through the day being so aggravatingly faultless?”
Come to think of it, you do have point. He’s MASSIVELY RICH and just TROUNCED a dozen career politicians in New Hampshire.
Hard to see any flaws there.
Read some of his books, he has been pretty consistent in his views.
I like you, BobL :-)
-JT
Here is the flaw in your argument. For months we have all read that the GOPe would do anything to stop Trump. You can bet they have done a lot of research so if they have all this dirt to use why haven’t they used it, why would they wait until all of their establishment favorites are dropping out.
When you want to hit someone you do it early on before they get any traction and certainly before you let them win New Hampshire. It’s too late now if they have anything.
Trump spent 225k in IA Ted spend 3M+.
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