The big myth that surrounds the Cosa Nostra is that they don't deal drugs. There are some
families where they do not deal and to do that means death. The Chicago Outfit is real big on the
no dope dealing edict. They also have gambling, burglary and high line robberies locked up, so
their soldiers never want for cash. The guys in the five families in New York all deal, its rampant
today amongst the made guys. There is a very long history of drug dealing in California. Charlie
Lucky was a heroin dealer and one of his best friends was Bugsy Siegel, who was also close to
Louie Lepke a huge heroin dealer. The Legend says that Bugsy Siegel was sent out to California
to oversee the racing wire. I would say he was sent out to California to oversee the flow of heroin,
that the Sica brothers were importing from Mexico. Bugsy was able to ensure a steady flow back
East, most likely smuggled by his girlfriend Virginia Hill on one of her many train trips.
The Sica brothers controlled a vast network of mules and dealers from Mexico to San Francisco.
They also employed many of the men who would be players in organized crime for decades to
come.
Mickey Cohen, Jimmy Frattiano, Mike Rizzi, The Animal and even Louie Gelfuso. The Movie LA
Confidential attributed the lost heroin to Mickey Cohen, but it would really have been Joe Sica.
The boss of the LA Family Pete "Shakes" Milano was even arrested for heroin distribution
along with a member of the Japanese Yakuza. Shakes also had his favorite Capo Louie Gelfuso
out on the streets moving cocaine along with John Vaccaro. The connection for the cocaine was
John Vaccaro and they used the code name Omar for the supplier. Jimmy Caci had his own drug
dealer, an Israeli named Sil. The LA Family on Shakes go ahead gave The Animal three kilo's of
cocaine to move. Then there was the family wannabee Fat Bobby Paduano who robbed cocaine
dealers and dealt cocaine on his own in Orange County, California during the nineteen eighties.
The whole Mustang Ranch Strip club in Santa Ana was an open air cocaine market that was even
supplied by one of Mike Rizzi's kids.
The LA Family had no problem taking money from drug dealers like Joey Ippolito, who was a full
Time job for Mike Rizzi and the Animal.
A person would have to wonder how committed Shakes is to the no drug ban, when he made a son
of one of the leaders of the Pizza Connection into the LA Family. Then there is Louie Caruso who
is very close with a Hells Angel biker.