in Brooklyn. Michael who would shorten his name to Mike Rizzi would
become the Mob's true killing machine. Mike was a big barrel
chested man with huge hands and forearms. Mike was a
paratrooper in the army, but he became a real solider on the street
in Brooklyn.
Mike left Brooklyn for Los Angeles, California when he was still a
young man. Mike soon landed a job as a bartender at the Hollywood
hot spot the Villa Capri. The job as bartender was only Mike's part
time job. Mike along with his partner Lefty committed armed
robberies and shakedowns all over Los Angeles. Mike even picked
up strongarm work from Joe Sica.
Joey Gallo thought so much of Mike's skills as a killer that he
came out to California to recruit Mike. Mike and Lefty were soon in
Brooklyn with the Gallo's on President Street. There was a full
fledged shooting war on in the streets of Brooklyn as the out gunned
Gallo's fought the Profaci's for a piece of Brooklyn.
Mike killed many men while the war raged, his partner Lefty was not
as cool as Mike. Lefty developed a bad back when Joey Gallo
asked him to do a piece of work. Mike handled the work and Gallo
never knew Lefty did not kill, if he did Lefty would have been next to
go.
Joey Gallo inducted soldiers into his Family and Mike was one of the
first. The only problem was that the Gallo Family was not
recognized by the ruling Cosa Nostra Commission, so Mike could not
be known as Amico Nostra or a friend of ours. The war ended when
Joey Gallo was given a long prison stretch in Attica for extortion.
The important thing was that Mike Rizzi was known by the bosses of
all five families. They all would have inducted him had he stayed in
New York, but the sunshine and fresh air of California called.
Th bad luck just seemed to follow Mike, he did prison time in
California for armed robbery and kidnapping. Mike's luck did not
change when he was inducted into the LA Family in a car by the
acting bosses and the Consigliere. The big moneymaking ventures
just never seemed to pay off and then when things began to turn
around, Mike was off to prison. Mike took a trip back East with then
acting boss Jimmy Frattiano to introduce him to the bosses. The
problem with Jimmy was he was an FBI informant. Mike could not
believe that Jimmy was bad and at first he stood by his friend. Then
it became clear that Jimmy went bad, Mike was given the contract to
kill Jimmy. Mike took a lot of heat for standing by Jimmy, but
because of Mike's juice with the bosses in New York he was given a
pass. Mike was doing a short sentence when Pete "Shakes" Milano
was made boss of the LA Family. Then Shakes made a bunch of
bookies and broken down suitcases into the family without even
informing his Capo Mike. Once out on the street Mike told one
associate, can you believe Shakes made a fucking Lounge Singer?
Mike traveled to New York, to the then unknown Ravenite
Social club to meet with Neil Dellacroce, the number two man in the
Gambino family. Neil sanctioned Mike to start his own family in Los
Angeles. Mike recruited the toughest and the best the city had to
offer, including the Animal Fiato. Mike was doing hits to raise money
while Fiato was raking in the cash running the city.
A man named Bob Kessler, who Mike brought to the Animal was
working for the FBI. The Animal and his brother were soon facing
four hundred years in prison, so they did the only smart thing. The
Animal threw in with the government. The Animal put away
something like eighty mobsters and associates, but he did not hurt
Mike. Mike must have felt unbalanced after two men he was close to
turned to the FBI. Mike was soon involved with some less than
desirable men in Orange County, California. Mike made a move to
take over the Mustang Ranch strip club, but despite firing three
shots into the head of the then owner Bill Carrol, Bill lived to tell the
FBI.
Mike has been locked away ever since and today Mike has lost all
semblance of the killing machine he once was on the streets of
Brooklyn.