Yesterday at breakfast, I was talking with two people who had Mafia stories. One lived in a town up north that was the hotbed of Mafia activity and another worked at a lounge in Tampa. At that time apparently the mob was also into the parking valet business in Tampa, they way they are now., They did a crappy job parking cars but because they were the mob, they could not be fired. The restaurant had to rent its knives from the mob and had to get them sharpened by a mob knife sharpener. The cook ran a kickback scheme and the bread man and other food suppliers had to pay him to get their food in the place.
So what's your mafia stories?
The definitive book on Tampa Mafia is "Cigar City Mafia" by Scott Deitchre
Spending as much time as I did in the restaurant business, almost everything in this area in the 80's was mobbed up. The knife rental/sharpening, linens, produce, meat, seafood... everybody had to get their vig.
ReplyDeleteI used to play at the old Act IV Lounge/Caesar's on N. Franklin (I believe that "Fly" is currently occupying that spot). There were always jokes regarding where the liquor in your drink was stolen from, or if you needed help "disappearing" someone, you knew where to go. Eventually Caesar and his pal "Johnny Boy" were arrested while carrying stolen liquor into the club.
And then there's Malio's..... what more do I need to say.
LOL how's about the Temple Terrace lounge huh Now there was a place for them.....woohoo.
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