This is "Sopranos" country.....really. In fact, when "The Sopranos" first began airing on TV in 1999, the area's crime syndicate thugs thought for sure the program was based on them. There were a number of similarities. The real life mob was the DeCavalante family, who had ruled the northern New Jersey area for years. Ironically, it was about this time that the Feds were very close to shutting that family down.
This program details the rise of this family to power in Elizabeth, which is just 14 miles from New York City. Elizabeth is a very industrialized town and City Confidential sure doesn't make it look attractive. The city looks as tough as many of its residents. Anyway, narrator Keith David tells us about Sam DeCavalante, the head of the mafia group, and then the switch in power to John Riggi and then the controversial rise of John D'Amato. What happened to D'Amato is the featured crime, although the story really is about the whole mob.
How D'Amato seized power, and his relationship to New York crime boss John Gotti, is very interesting. Comments from D'Amato's girlfriend are frank and interesting, too, as are all the statements made by others in here - from true crime writers to business people in Elizabeth. This show is packed with fascinating quotes, such as, "You know why New Yorkers are always depressed? They see the light at the end of the (Holland) tunnel.....and it's New Jersey!"
Whatever, after Gotti got arrested D'Amato was convinced he was next. He told his girl "Tina S.," that one night. That was the last anyone ever saw of "Johnny Boy." Was he off in South America hiding from the Feds? Did he "pull a Hoffa" and get whacked by a fellow made man? What was the deal?
What the deal was, was not what you expected. One day Tina S. saw Johnny having oral sex with a black man. Word got out and the mob, a very macho organization, was not going to be embarrassed with something like that - a gay Godfather - so hit-man named "Capo" was dispatched to kill his buddy. Capo had killed many, so this was no big deal to him.
In a nutshell, soon the Feds nailed about all of these guys. The amazing thing was how many of them - almost all - ratted on each other, something the "code" strictly forbids. I mean "no snitching" is like one of the first commandments in the crime world, but these guys - when facing a life term in jail - rolled over on each other with little hesitation.
After the sex angle on D'Amato came out, the newspapers called him "The Fairly Godfather." Overall, a fascinating story.
This program details the rise of this family to power in Elizabeth, which is just 14 miles from New York City. Elizabeth is a very industrialized town and City Confidential sure doesn't make it look attractive. The city looks as tough as many of its residents. Anyway, narrator Keith David tells us about Sam DeCavalante, the head of the mafia group, and then the switch in power to John Riggi and then the controversial rise of John D'Amato. What happened to D'Amato is the featured crime, although the story really is about the whole mob.
How D'Amato seized power, and his relationship to New York crime boss John Gotti, is very interesting. Comments from D'Amato's girlfriend are frank and interesting, too, as are all the statements made by others in here - from true crime writers to business people in Elizabeth. This show is packed with fascinating quotes, such as, "You know why New Yorkers are always depressed? They see the light at the end of the (Holland) tunnel.....and it's New Jersey!"
Whatever, after Gotti got arrested D'Amato was convinced he was next. He told his girl "Tina S.," that one night. That was the last anyone ever saw of "Johnny Boy." Was he off in South America hiding from the Feds? Did he "pull a Hoffa" and get whacked by a fellow made man? What was the deal?
What the deal was, was not what you expected. One day Tina S. saw Johnny having oral sex with a black man. Word got out and the mob, a very macho organization, was not going to be embarrassed with something like that - a gay Godfather - so hit-man named "Capo" was dispatched to kill his buddy. Capo had killed many, so this was no big deal to him.
In a nutshell, soon the Feds nailed about all of these guys. The amazing thing was how many of them - almost all - ratted on each other, something the "code" strictly forbids. I mean "no snitching" is like one of the first commandments in the crime world, but these guys - when facing a life term in jail - rolled over on each other with little hesitation.
After the sex angle on D'Amato came out, the newspapers called him "The Fairly Godfather." Overall, a fascinating story.
