Saturday, January 10, 2015

Mob Wives: What is "The Sammy Deal?"

Sammy's Biography, a compelling read

On episode 4 of Mob Wives there was a lot of talk about "rats," mainly Gnatalie and Junior. In one scene, at the end, Victoria Gotti meets with Big Ang to discuss the consequences of Junior's testimony. The long and short of it is this: there was a robbery that Junior participated in with Ang's cousin and another man. An innocent man was killed and Junior was the one  responsible for his death. Junior took a plea deal, wore a wire and testified in court. For his cooperation Junior got 11 years. The other two men, one being Ang's cousin, got 30 years. Ang needs Victoria's advice about how to approach Renee about this situation. What Renee has to do with this I don't know, ask Ang.

Now, during this discussion between the two women, the subject of "rats" comes up. And, because Junior took a plea deal and cooperated, he qualifies as a "rat." It must have hit a nerve with Victoria Gotti. Victoria made a comment that I took to be a cheap shot at Karen. She said Junior got, what "they" call, "The Sammy Deal." A sweet deal. Now I have done a lot of reading and watched plenty of videos and I have never heard of "The Sammy Deal" before. But I don't know everything, so I took to the internet and researched the term in case I missed something somewhere. Nope. Nowhere on the internet is the term, "The Sammy Deal," used except for the blogs written after Mob Wives episode 4 aired. I suppose it might be used among those in the lifestyle OR it might be something Victoria totally made up out of thin air to stick it to Karen. Not nice.

It's a very long story, but Sammy Gravano did not just wake up one day and decide to cooperate with authorities. It went against everything he believed. A lot of things happened to help him decide that was what he needed to do. The Feds had an overwhelming amount of information against John Gotti without Sammy's cooperation; and all their evidence was provided by John Gotti via wiretaps. The Feds played six hours of FBI recorded tapes for the jury. Tapes that were full of family secrets. It was Gotti's own arrogant and reckless attitude that was responsible for getting himself, Locascio and Sammy arrested. But, it was what happened during the year after their arrest, while they were in the Manhattan Correctional Center awaiting trial, that finally persuaded Sammy to cooperate. The Feds played tapes for Sammy where Gotti was saying things to throw Sammy under the bus. Gotti also picked the lawyers for both himself and Sammy and told Sammy he could not meet with his attorney unless Gotti was present. Gotti would not allow their cases to be tried separately. Sammy started to get a very bad feeling. These are Sammy's own words:

"All John had to do was come to me once during that eleven months we were together and say, 'Sammy, I'm sorry. My big f***ing mouth got you indicted, number one. Number two, let's try to get a severance for you, so you could fight your case. F*** the public. Let's try to fight this so that one of us, all of us, a couple of us, get out of this f***ing mess.'

"If he done that, I would have never cooperated with the government, not in a million years would I have cooperated."


"In addition to the fact that Gotti never apologized for mouthing off to the extent that he had dug a deep hole for Gravano, Sammy felt that the defense team, hand picked by John, was going to set him up for the fall."

(From Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, By Allen May, Chapter 19 "The Bull" Becomes "The Rat"). This is a 26 Chapter online source that you might find interesting.

*****

This is really is a very long and compelling story. Gotti and Gravano worked hand in hand for years. Gotti was not the "innocent" lamb and Sammy "the rat." After they were arrested Gotti told the FBI things like people would meet with Sammy and then disappear. He tried to make it seem as though Sammy acted on his own and not on Gotti's orders. His plan was to shift the blame on to Sammy. It was only then, and after agonizing deliberation, that Sammy agreed to a plea deal. I have read about crimes, arrests, plea deals, you name it. But, to my knowledge, I have never come across the phrase, "The Sammy Deal," anywhere.

And, I have to add, I was excited to see Victoria Gotti on the show, even though she made some critical remarks about it over the years. She is, after all, the daughter of a mob boss, and I thought she fit in very well with the show. However, that little "zinger" she threw in didn't sit well with me. I felt bad for Karen.When Karen addressed Renee's meeting with Victoria, I thought she handled it with class. She took the high road . She could have thrown in a jab herself on camera, but she didn't. It would be very interesting if Karen and Victoria had their own sitdown and the truth about what went down between their fathers all came out.

I'm sure Karen is still sitting alone in the "truth room" waiting for someone to step in for some real talk. Alicia? Victoria? Gnat? Unfortunately, no one wants to hear the truth.

13 comments:

Leigh said...

I do like Karen and I completely understand when she said 'People call my father a rat yet they don't care he was responsible for 19 murders' in other words its sick how people say its bad he ratted when really he did the right thing by the law but its apparently ok he murdered 19 people which is really not ok...everyone has got it twisted!
I read the book and he didn't take a lot of ppl down it turned personal when gotti was bagging gravano dis respecting him and was going to plant it all on him. Gravano finally put his own family first instead of that one.
I don't think Victoria was having a go at Karen at all it was a shot at sammy and surely u can understand that sammy put her father in jail and he died there. Anyone would feel some type of way about it. Let the woman have a say it was pretty mild given what she could have said.

Chiara Soprano said...

Hi Leigh, thanks for commenting. I guess I feel Victoria knows the whole truth and her father's part in it, so it kind of bothered me she said that and made it sound like it was common usage.

Anonymous said...

I love your blogs chiara! I think it could go both ways...u could see it as a shot taken towards Karen. Simply because was Sammy the only mobster to take a deal? I'm sure their were others. Also, I dont think Big Ang has any right to hold Renee accountable for Juniors actions! They have been over for a good minute. Hell he ratted on her own father! IDK, I am really irritated with the way Ang and Drita are acting toward Renee and Karen. I expect it from Drita but not Ang. Also, I am so tired of the tough act from drita! Did she not get her a** beat by Karen?? That black eye came from somewhere!! Anyways, those are my two cents!! Lol...good blogs as usual!!

Unknown said...

I love Karen Gravano & all mob wives...except Ratalie.
In Karen`s most recent book she talks about her father`s sweet deal(kill 19 people & only get a few lesser charges) which is what happened. Karen`s father never turned on Gotti until he heard the recordings in court about Gotti wanting to do away with Sammy.
If Sammy had not turned on Gotti, I believe Gotti would have killed Sammy Gravano.
(Scores of other mobsters went to prison because of Gravano's testimony and he was granted a sweet deal. He got a second life.)

maharet1965 said...

I have read Sammy's book and Karen's book. They seem to be honest I think for he most part. I have also read Victoria's book and do not feel she was honest at all. I think she was taking a shot at Karen too. She say's the children should not be held responsible for their fathers actions. But I don't think she follows her own advice. Also the feds had more than enough to put John Gotti away without Sammy for sure. Right out of his own mouth.

Just Another Fan said...

Excellent blog Chiara. I have 2 comments on this subject.
1. I am unsure if Victoria was trying to take a cheap shot at Karen with the "Sammy Deal" comment. I have never ever heard of that phrase until she said it. Only Victoria knows of her intentions. Karen seems to be a very strong woman who doesn't allow negative comments to have an effect on her so if it was a cheap shot it missed.

2. Ang is sounding not only ridiculous but hypocritcal regarding her comments about Junior. It has been said time and time again. You cannot blame a person for the action of their family member. Junior is Renee's EX husband. Renee has zero to do with the "alleged" crime so WHY attack her? Everyone agrees Junior is a "rat" but Ang's cousin committed a crime and is paying the consequences. So if Junior didn't cooperate then Ang's cousin would not be prosecuted for a crime he DID COMMIT. She should also be cautious throwing around the word "rat". Like a boomerang it will come back and tag her.

Chiara Soprano said...

Thanks for all the comments and interesting points. Just Another Fan, I agree with you that Karen isn't allowing negativity to rule her life and she is benefiting a lot from that way of thinking. Ang has a lot of never blaming Renee for anything Junior did. Renee's own father was a victim of his actions and Renee and AJ were also greatly affected. I can't wait to see how this develops because I am going to have a lot more to say!

Anonymous said...

I ran across this blog looking up for information on Mob Wives. I want to begin by stated you have some great and well researched blogs.

I have to say though, I do somewhat agree with your opinion on Sammy the Bull and what the term "rat" means. In my opinion, a rat is not just telling on someone. I mean if a you are an innocent victim and tell on someone who committed a crime, I don't consider that a rat. A rate is when you are involved in a crime with others and you tell on someone so you can get out of your punishment or at least ease it. So even if they had enough to convict Gotti without Sammi, IMO, he is a rat because he didn't man up and serve his time for killing people, instead he choose to tell so he didn't have to be punished like he should have been.

Chiara Soprano said...

Anon, welcome to the blog, I'm glad you found us. Sammy is considered a "rat" because he got a reduced sentence for his testimony. But, he was being set up to take the fall for Gotti by Gotti. Gotti was talking to the Feds well before Sammy said a word. Had Sammy not said anything he would have gotten life while Gotti got off with a slap on the wrist. I don't know if I can blame Sammy for not just sitting around waiting for the ax to fall.

Hey you said...

Well, I have not heard of this Sammy Deal till now. I do think it was a remark Victoria Gotti made against Karen, and I agree it wasnt nice. Im glad Karen carries herself well.

What happen between the men is between the men. I think Sammy Gravano was being set up by his boss, John Gotti. Why couldnt John Gotti take the blame himself, he ordered it all.
Better yet do his own work. Its unbelievable how he turned his back on his Underboss to flap in the wind.

Looking forward to Episode 5.

Anonymous said...

Excellent Chiara!! Im so glad you addressed this. Some just hate on Karen without thinking/knowing ,and go after her because of Gotti/Sammy the Bull.

Anonymous said...

I totally disagree! I think the family should stick together. If my father did something I would still stand by him 100%. I would not be friendly with the family that had a rat as their dad.

Also, Sammy is a not only a rat but he broke the whole Mafia code. You should NEVER speak bad about the Boss.

If Sammy was to take the fall then he should have. He killed 19 people so he should spend life in jail. Take the fall for the Boss in order to protect the family.

Sammy is the WHOLE reason the Mafia has fallen apart.

Now, I'm not saying I think the Mafia is good or bad. I'm just saying if I was in the life style or my father/husband/son/boyfriend/uncle or whoever was, you should live the by the oath and die by the oath.

Anonymous said...

It sounds to me that everyone was throwing each other under the spotlight. People only tell what they want known. They all did dirt, that was the game. I dont take Sammy as a rat but as a guy who was covering his ass as all the other bosses did. Gotti spoke to the law about Sammy's dealings with hits from the mob,....THAT'S RAT ACTIVITY!!!!!!!!