Newz Breaker - - Page 24

The Brutal Legacy of Griselda Blanco (1943-2012)

June 17th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

In order to have some claim to fame in the world of organized crime one must be calculating, cunning and above all brutal. Of all the names that could describe Griselda Blanco best no other word does her more justice than “brutal.” I got it admit, out of all the mobsters and gangsters I deem lower than a dog Blanco takes first, second and third place. It’s not that I dislike her ability to compete in a dominantly male profession, if you can call it that, which I confess she did better than most. I despise her callousness. To be fair, I do understand this type of harshness comes along with the lifestyle, however, when your raw tactics not only make you public enemy number one amongst all your contemporaries, cost you the lives of all, but one of your children, the question then becomes how beneficial is your strategy?

Father and Son: Cat Stevens – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 17th, 2017

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The Mafia Chronicles: Frank Sinatra’s Las Vegas

June 15th, 2017

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By Larry Henry

The “Rat Pack” publication by Life now on newsstands recalls, in pictures and words, the mid-century era in Las Vegas when Mafia figures, entertainers and elected officials hobnobbed together on the Strip, with the Sands hotel-casino as the neon nightlife’s glamorous ground zero.

The Strip was their private playground (and cash cow), with tourists in evening attire as amused witnesses. The Rat Pack, called “The Original Bad Boys” on the publication’s cover, were Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, JR. and a select few others.

Sinatra’s 1955 album “In the Wee Small Hours,” now considered a classic, helped establish a mood-song tone in the post-war years that, a little more than a decade later, would explode into a cultural fireball during the youth-fueled swinging ‘60s, parodied by Mike Myers in a couple of “Austin Powers” movies.

Sooner Or Later: The Grass Roots – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 15th, 2017

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NewzBreaker Brings You Scarface Trivia: True or False?

June 15th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

According to CNN entertainment Universal Studio is moving forward with the remake of “Scarface” utilizing “Straight Outta Compton’s” Jonathan Herman for the rewrite. With that in mind, let’s see how much you actually know about the 1983 version without looking up the answers, shall we?

1.) Howard Hawks came up with the idea behind the remake of the 1983 classic Scarface?

2.) John Travolta was considered for the role of Manny Ribera?

The Sinatra File: Cops, Lawyers, and Godfathers… The Movie Roles Francis Albert Turned Down or Were Cast with Another Actor

June 14th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

Let’s be clear: “Magnum Force” (1973) is not only my favorite of the “Dirty Harry” film series, but also stands next to films like “The Seven-Ups” and “The French Connection” as my favorite of all police films ever to come out of Hollywood. But who knows? If things had gone the way originally intended, maybe cinema audiences would have never had legendary actor Clint Eastwood thrilling them as no-nonsense Harry Callahan in films like “Magnum Force,” “Sudden Impact,” “The Enforcer,” or “The Dead Pool.”

Few realize that before Eastwood and longtime collaborator Don Siegel entered the picture, the role of Harry Callahan was intended for a good actor who made his bones, so to speak as a singer of American popular music. That man was Frank Sinatra.

Life In A Northern Town: Dream Academy – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 14th, 2017

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Pearce’s Picks: James Darren

June 12th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

An enthusiastic “thank you” came from James Darren when we took a picture together at the Chiller Theater convention held at the Morristown Sheraton in May of 2015. The thanks was in response to my telling him how much I enjoyed his two albums of standards music that he had released in previous years. It was shocking that I seemed to tower over him; having seen him numerous times on television both from present shows and rebroadcasts of his earlier series, I always thought he brought a great presence to his roles, and when you think that notion of an actor, you assume them to be larger than life when meeting them physically. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he signed my copy of one of his albums, and I walked away feeling pretty good. As someone who truly loves the Great American Songbook, it meant a great deal to tell one of the “keepers of the flame” how much joy his music had brought to me

Two Of Hearts : Stacey Q – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 12th, 2017

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Batman Actor Adam West Dead at 88 – Cause of Death Revealed

June 10th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Adam West, the man behind the bat mask in the campy 1960’s TV version of Batman has died at the age of 88.

West, who become part of pop culture after Batman debuted in January 1966, only to see his career fall victim to typecasting after the ABC show flamed out, died Friday night in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukemia, a family spokesperson said.

West died peacefully surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Kiss My Deadly: Lita Ford – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 10th, 2017

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The Mafia Chronicles: Mario Puzo, The Literary Godfather

June 9th, 2017

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By Larry Henry

Mario Puzo, a New York City native with bad eyesight who grew up poor in a rough neighborhood, wanted to be James Joyce, the Irish novelist and short story writer whose poetic use of language and deep insight into human nature have forever solidified his status as a literary titan.

Instead, with five children and a couple of serious novels that critics praised but very few readers purchased, Puzo needed to make money, and so he wrote and, at age 49, published “The Godfather,” based on Mafia tales he’d heard while churning out pulp stories for adventure magazines with titles like “Swank.”

Let Me Be Your Hero: Gregory Abbott- NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 9th, 2017

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Madame Queen: Stephanie St. Clair Rules Harlem & the Numbers Rackets!

June 8th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

The early story of Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queenie, life is a mystery. One thing we know for sure is she was born on the French east Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe on December 24, 1897. She was educated and could not only read and write, but spoke fluent French as well as Spanish, which was rare in those days especially for black women. St. Clair arrived in Harlem around 1912, and settled into the black community in Harlem on the northeast side of Manhattan.

She was known to be pretensions, sophisticated and educated. St. Clair could also hang with the best of them. She wasn’t afraid to give someone a piece of her mind in profanity while exhibiting her fierce nature in rage. St. Clair’s well-known temper was often present when dealing with her rivals such as the police and intolerant business owners that intruded on her turf. Around the age of 23, St. Clair started a numbers racket designed for the African-American community. While it made her rich beyond her wildest dreams it also made her a target for other mobsters and the police.

I Started A Joke and First Of May: The Bee Gees – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 8th, 2017

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The Sinatra File: The Best of Everything

June 7th, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

Sinatra fanatics will most likely notice that the title of this week’s edition of “The Sinatra File” takes its name from the well-known second track of Frank’s 1984 (and final solo) album “L.A. Is My Lady,” a swingin, stompin’ arrangement by then-current musical director Joe Parnello of a song written by Fred Ebb and John Kander, two songwriters that Sinatra was happy to announce in concert were the “same two cats who wrote “New York, New York.” Indeed, over the years, Sinatra was fortunate enough to record “the best of everything” from the greatest songwriters of the day, individuals who were quite eager to hear the Chairman of the Board interpret their compositions to the sounds of musical arrangements written by the likes of, but not limited to, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, and Don Costa.

The Long And Winding Road: Peter Frampton – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 7th, 2017

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Fantasy: Aldo Nova – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 6th, 2017

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Time After Time: Cyndi Lauper – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 5th, 2017

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President Donald Trump – Lucky Luciano Connection? – Breaking News

June 4th, 2017

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Here is an interesting article about President Donald Trump and Mafia Legend, the late Lucky Luciano. Read HERE.

Scarred and Scared: Rod Stewart – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 4th, 2017

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Tomorrow People: Ziggy Marley – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 3rd, 2017

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Puttin’ On The Ritz: Taco – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 2nd, 2017

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I Don’t Wanna To Dance: Eddy Grant – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

June 1st, 2017

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John Gotti: The Last of the Mohegan’s

May 31st, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

John Gotti has been a controversial figure in the mob world since he stepped on the scene. Known for his vitality and brazen attitude, John Gotti was (and still is) loved, hated, respected and loathed. It’s hard to have a conversation about La Cosa Nostra and not include the name Gotti. To some, Gotti’s character embodies the very definition of a gangster. To others he’s the very reason for its downfall. At one point in time, I wrote a post that in this article I will elaborate on. For those who missed it, here’s what was said:

Why is it that John Gotti has become the fall guy for everything that’s wrong with the mob? Gotti’s critics will tell you he was a ruthless, dense, big mouth and my personal favorite “flashy dresser” lol. In reality, you can damn near make those claims about any mobster on this page. You want to talk ruthless, look up Nicky Scarfo or Rudy Sciarra. You want to call somebody dense, look up the Lucchese Cappo Anthony “Blue Eyes” Santorelli & his son Freddy Boy. And when it comes to loudmouth or talkative mobsters I got two words for you, Angelo Ruggiero. Btw, who can name me a boss who hasn’t been caught talking on wire taps in this modern day technology… Go ahead I’ll wait… Exactly!