By Dan Murphy
Two things that most of us can agree about as we come upon one year of living through a pandemic: There are thousands of podcasts to choose from, and there is more that enough time for us to find a few that give us a temporary escape from reality.
As I spend my hours before going to bed, I frequently find myself going down a ‘Rabbit Hole’ of Youtube videos on any number of subjects. It could be golf, politics, history, or snipets from my favority movies and TV series. After one night of watching clips from the Sopranos, YouTube suggested that I watch a podcast from mobster Sammy “The Bull” Gravano.
Gravano became a witness against his former Gambino family crime boss John Gotti, and helped put the Dapper Don away for life. Gotti died in prison in 2002. Gravano spent five years in jail and now lives to tell about his life in the Mafia.
I never thought that Sammy Gravano would capture my interest for nights on end, but his stories are fascinating. Although I have watched only two podcasts, (I believe that is all that is currently available), I have watched almost 100 of Sammy’s short videos, which each tell a story about his life in the Mafia, life of crime, and anectodes along the way.
The videos are set like a fireside chat with Gravano, who sits in a leather chair in a brick -walled room and tells his latest tale, usually about 15 minutes long.
The “Our Thing” podcast, which Gravano is promoting through his videos, is more like an episode of a mini-series; 45 minutes long and with much more editing and time invested to create it.
Sammy the Bull has an unbelievable memory, and can recall names, and facts about the different parts of his life, which tells me that it was Sammy and not Gotti, who was the brains of the Gambino family and who tried to run things, quietly and in the ways of Cosa Nostra.
Gravano frequently returns to the theme of living his life based on the rules of Cosa Nostra. One may ask, isn’t Gravano hypocritical for talkng about Cosa Nostra when he turned into a rat against John Gotti.
But Sammy explains that Gotti wanted him to take the blame for one case, unfairly, and have Gotti walk away free. It was for that reason that Gravano turned into a government witness.
The stories that Gravano can remember in detail, and tell in a way that makes you want more, is a true talent. And the content that he has in his life story is unmatched, from the years with John Gotti, and Paul Castellano, another Gambino boss that Gravano helped kill in the middle of Manhattan during Christmastime in 1985, to the card games, night club, car chases, shootouts, it goes on and on.
Watching Sam for hours recently, I have also learned that he was the brains in the Gambino family, not Gotti during his heyday. I also learned that Gravano lived by the code of Cosa Nostra and to this day, was proud of this moral code.
He tells one story about allegations of homo sexuality made against another mafia member from another family, and how Gravano thought it should not be a killable offense. There are lines that even Sammy the Bull would not cross.
The bottom line is that Sammy the Bull is a lot deeper than what we all realilzed when we saw him on the front pages of the NY Post over the years.
If you like tales of the mafia, and realizing that you have hundreds of podcasts to choose from, check this one out, on YouTube or look for the “Our Thing” podcast, on Apple or wherever you watch them.
Note: This posting does not condone the actions of the Mafia, and all of the harm that it has caused its victims. I come from a law enforcement family and understand the wrongs that Gravano has committed.
