Sunday, July 31, 2011

I Married A Mobster: Fama's Drug Infested Home




Barbara Fama is one of the mob wives on Investigation Discovery’s new show, “I Married A Mobster.” Her episode is entitled, “Meet The Famas” and it airs August 3rd. I wanted to get a little background information on Barbara before viewing the show and I came across a US Court of Appeals document that was argued in December, 1984 and ruled on in March, 1985.


The background to this case are as follows: in April, 1984 a search was done of the Fama home, with a warrant, and a large quantity of evidence was seized. The list is incredible and includes the following: 13 pounds of heroin, 2.5 pounds of cocaine, about 100 pounds of marijuana, over 3.4 million dollars in cash, over 25 firearms, large quantities of drug diluents and other drug related material. This discovery led to the arrest of Barbara, Joe, her husband, and all four of their children.

Barbara was released on bail in June, 1984 and then rearrested in September, 1984 on new charges having to do with a large drug trafficking ring. The ruling of the court stated that the search performed in April was valid, but the search done in September was reversed and the evidence seized at that time suppressed.

All this trouble was the result of greed. Joe was supposed to sell drugs for the mob until his gambling debts were paid off. But, Joe got hooked on all the extra money and the things that went along with it. He ended up continuing his work with the mob until, like it always does, it caught up with him and his family. By that time, the whole family was involved and arrested. It reminds me of Sammy Gravano’s ecstasy ring in Arizona, where his whole family was arrested. 

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Picture Credit: Investigation Discovery

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good show. What happened to the rest of the family? Are they in jail? Did they receive jail time?

Chiara Soprano said...

Anon, thanks for commenting. The information I found simply says Barbara and four children were arrested, but they do not specify if any of them did time except for Toni. I also don't have any of their names to check that out. This document refers to four children being arrested http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/758/834/63774/

I think the show was too short to get into all the details. That is the problem I find with all these shows. There is so much more to the story than they are able to tell in 30 mins.

namrac said...

All her children served sentences in prison and received life parole and deserved it, Joseph, Daniel, Gary and Lee and Toni Ann who is the only daughter were all guilty. Daniel actually after released became a mob associate for Sammy the bull gravano and committed murders for the Gambino family and is in jail again for life.

Anonymous said...

The 4 sons were all teenagers except for one 21, 19, 18, 15... When that were arrested for what " their parents had in the house."
Which is a shame!! They were young children. none of them ever did time for the Gambino crime family...and NONE of them are in jail for life. Get your facts straight!!
No children deserve to bear the responsibility for what the adults (parents) did!! Give me a break! think about it!

Chiara Soprano said...

This is a quote from the link I will supply also: The Fama case was the largest seizure of drugs and cash ever made up to that time in New York, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan Azrack, who prosecuted Fama, his wife, daughter and two sons. All were convicted and are serving lengthy jail terms.

http://articles.philly.com/1986-10-31/news/26058925_1_heroin-charges-prosecutions-drugs-and-cash

And you say 4 sons? What happened to the Daughter who was on the show? Our facts may be straighter than yours.

Anonymous said...

No my dear she has 5 children you can count 1daughter 4 sons. No your facts are not right. The parents are responsible for what happened in that house not those kids.

Would you sell drugs.?would you allow your husband to sell drugs in your home? Neither would I.
The kids got punished because of the mother& father ...they charged everyone who lived in the home!!

None of them are in jail for life!! I don't really care I just know the truth!, you actually think the kids were responsible?
They were kids at the time that is sad. She should have took her kids and left him!!!
These are facts...but whatever makes your blog!,seem more interesting.

Why would a parent what to bring something like that up anyway...when it was her and her husbands who caused such grief...oh I guess she wants to remind this generation...what see did to her family!, I don't see then point!

Anonymous said...

You should change the name of the show To:
:DISAPPOINTED MOB WIVES...LOL

Chiara Soprano said...

Anon, why are you so angry? They were on a television show to tell their story. Their criminal activity and criminal records have been reported in the news. Unless you have a personal involvement with the family, I cannot understand why you are so agitated. Maybe you can talk Mrs. Fama into writing a best seller and getting the truth out there for the record?

Anonymous said...

Hi! I am a family friend. No one is in jail anymore. Everyone is doing great! Still brooklynites! The law is far behind them :)

Anonymous said...

Danny Fama got 20 years for the case. He was released in July, 2009

Anonymous said...

Some of the facts are over looked here.... I too am a family friend and live close to Toni in Brooklyn stil. She did serve 5.5 years in prison and as she stated in the show SHE was selling, so she did "do the crime" not just the parents. They all moved on from this "brush with the law" but as stated above, Danny went on to different things as did Lee and Gary. The three of them served time for other cases not related to the parents drugs.

Anonymous said...

I personally knew one of the Fama boys. He was no saint! Pulled a gun on me just for saying "break a leg" He was good looking at the time and said something about acting and modeling, hence my comment to him as he was leaving a club.( He was on crutches and pins in his leg from getting shot.) As for all of them, what do you do? That is your way of life and it is normal as it was for me too. You don't realize how "normal" people live until you leave the neighborhood with no strings attached.

Anonymous said...

I was friends with Toni 33 years ago. Back then, she was a lot of fun. Danny was very good looking but he was younger and I didn't really know him. It was a different time, everyone got high. I didn't even know they were dealing but then I didn't know Sammy the Bull was a gangster. I was a young ignorant kid from the neighborhood. I would have liked to see the show. maybe they will show it again.

Unknown said...

Netflix has the whole 1st season

Anonymous said...

I just googled each kid & joseph fama is still in prison for the murder of a 16 year old boy. He got 30 years to life!! Up for parole in 2022!!!!

MarkAnthonyGiven said...

I was with Joe "The Boss," Fama in FCI Texarkana, Texas in the late eighties. See The Texarkana Don's for now, if you like. Joe was one of the best guys I ever knew. I spent over a year or so with him, he was in F Block right over me. He worked in UNICOR and looked just like "Joe The Boss," from Central Casting. DON CARLOS MARCELLO always had a look on his face of permanent surprise and open disdain and it he didn't want to talk to you he feigned hard of hearing but he always had a smile for me. When you walk into the chow hall at FCI Texarkana you got in line along either wall, usually whites on one side and blacks on the other with a few hold outs... I noticed them as soon as I got in line about three quarter's down the wall where we always sit by the front door in case shit jumped off we could be the first one's out. The Texarkana Don's table, me Don Carlos Marcello, Don Joseph Fama (link below) probably the best man I ever met in jail, the defrocked Texas Supreme Justice Don Yarbough (link) who was goofy as hell but we went easy on him....
RIGHT OUTSIDE the Chow Hall smack in the middle of the long East to West two story medium security prison was the mail room, and outside an ancient post office with a bank of mail slots with combination locks where you checked your mail after five in the afternoon. Right next to it was R&D, Receiving and Delivery anything coming in or out of the institution, and every weekday morning there would be a handful of Mexican looking immigrants sitting on the floor after breakfast and nearly all had the downcast look like they were heading to purgatory, not freedom... I think we were talking about exactly that when Don Joe says's
"Hey, Carlos? Your an Immigrant are you?"
I liked to fell out of chair thinking all hell would break loose but Don Carlos just smiled broadly like the thought of it brought back pleasant memories. The only reason I was at the table was, well other than being from New Orleans for a long time, was my ability to make them laugh their ass off for a few minutes every day with a story or two.
"Come on Carlos, what happened?" #THETEXARKANADONS
#MOBSTERSINMONTANA
#SCAREDSTRAIGHT #MARKANTHONYGIVEN #REALLIFEHEIST #COPONTHECOMPOUND #727BOURBONSTREET #ONLYNEWORLEANS #THEKINGOFMONTANA #NAGINSSURRENDER #MYTRUECRIME #ANOTHERHOTGRAND
#MYAPPOINTMENTWITHTHEDEVIL #DOPESICKANGEL #PARADISEMONTANA #HOMELESSINHEAVEN #NAGINSSURRENDER #MYKATRINA
http://www.reallifeheist.com/2016/01/mobsters-in-montana-by-mark-anthony.html

Anonymous said...

They're my family. Uncle Joe was one of the nicest men (and funniest). He'd do anything for us. My cousins and Aunt were great. Got mixed up in the life because if you grow up with it, you'll usually fall into it but I love them all-happy memories of growing up together, and such good looking kids . No one else in our family got mixed up in the business, Aunt Barbara's family was into it before she met my Uncle but I loved her too. Both gone now, Uncle Joey died in prison, broke my father's heart. Don't talk about my family or wonder, you won't ever understand the good in them.