Mob Bosses of Yesteryear and Today: the Great American Shakedown #Trump #Cohen
How Much Has Changed, and How Much Has Stayed the Same ...
Last week the nation experienced ‘stormy weather’ in Manhattan - this coming week, I predict the weather will get even more turbulent. That is once Michael Cohen, former Trump attorney and “fixer” - someone who acted more like a mob lieutenant and consiglieri takes the stand.
In learning more about Trump, I reminisce, reflecting on the mob-bosses that used to dot the Boston landscape. As a native of the area, I can only envision what the victims - those still alive - will have to say about the Trump-Cohen relationship.
I also reflect upon the times when the Notorious mob-boss James “Whitey” Bulger, known to lead the Winter Hill gang that terrorized South Boston with racketeering, money laundering, shakedowns, threats, and “protection” schemes - were the order of the day. Armed with his own personal “hitman” Steve the Rifleman Flemmi not unlike Trump’s Michael Cohen - who took out those “disloyal” to the boss - dissenters and “rats” in different but meaningful ways - were all front and center in the news everyday.
Killing Dissent of the Disloyal
From the 1960’s to mid 1990’s Whitey was a source to be reckoned with, and those who crossed him, often didn’t live to see another day. There were also rumors of Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi being FBI informants, but like everything else, the “truth” was never made clear, coverups and subterfuge were placed in its stead. Here we have Trump, Cohen, and Pecker in their own catch-and-kill scheme, squashing would-be disloyal informants and “story-tellers’ - in a more nuanced way.
Good Ol’ Days
When I see Trump and Cohen, my reflections hearken back to the Bulger and Gambino crime family days, when “well-respected” mobsters had their own lawyers and protectors, ready to take a bullet for their don. Yet, if I recall correctly, Michael Cohen had actually stated that verbatim, being the good counselor, lieutenant and mob soldier that he was - all rolled into one. Now however, Trumps once avid and loyal protector, is now Enemy #1 - turned state’s evidence and poised to rat on his former mentor and boss. Cohen a man who once reveled in glory of pleasing his don, acting as intermediary as his lieutenant and capaoregime - had a “come to Jesus moment” after serving time in prison.
Breaking Legs or Breaking False Stories
As far as I know, Cohen was “threatening,” but never engaged in breaking legs, never personally brandished a gun, or engaged in actual violence to shut someone up. But with today’s technology hands on violence is hardly ever needed. Rubbing-out, discrediting or shutting-someone-up, can be accomplished in myriad ways: using AI, deep-fakes, hush money payoffs, and NDA’s (non-disclosure agreements) to “shut-down” any dissent and disagreement, by threatening lawsuits - where the traditional mafia enlisted their brood of soldiers and sharp shooters - to “take people out.”
There is no doubt, modern-day criminality uses the convenience of technology and social media. All readily available to cast aspersions on anyone offering information that could threaten the “boss” “the business” or “the family” - while retaining the same old fashioned inducements to cooperate: threats of financial ruin, disclosure, and intimidation - keeping their marks “off balance” as to what is to come, to instill dread, fear, and angst among “dissenters” - perceived “traitors,” deceptively coerced into submission. All of this echoes the bullying tactics of decades past with a new-age twist: media smears, doxxing, swatting, revenge porn and online posts to remove any impetus for any perceived “enemy” to move forward.
Misinformation on Steroids
Trump uses every trick marketing technique and social media ploy - including launching his own misinformation platform with its name as an oxymoron “Truth Social” - to fake his way through every scandal he creates or reposts. The purpose and intent of these fake posts is to reel his followers in closer, while separating their support and their cash donations from each other. All of this having the purpose and intent of keeping the cash flow coming in, while maintaining a reasonable degree of plausible deniability, while maintaining their loyalty and trust.
Like a skilled artist painting a mural, he skillfully paints public opinion to his liking, with stories of outrage, witch-hunts and persecutions with himself as the victim - stories of feigned outrage, complete falsehoods and mistruths. By feigning outrage over issues that are not real or have no merit, he fans the flames of “discord” and “doubt” among the American people who simply can’t figure it out. He does so while his minions and enablers in Congress double-down on his words, while the media and others enablers stand by and stand back, ready to make their own made-up stories work.
Not only does he get the media like Fox News to spread his lies about his rivals and perceived enemies - by his ready engagement, he makes sure everyone else is maligned that he sees as a threat. Trump single-handedly has broken-down the moral taboos about name-calling, race-bating and ridicule - normalizing bad publicity for his own personal benefit, while making his figurative “backstabbing” front page news. Yet, back in Whitey and the Gambino crime-family days, they had to take down people the old-fashioned way - breaking legs, or threatening entire families with lethal force, including the threat of being found wearing cement shoes.
When I heard of these mobsters, there was no such thing as “deep fakes” or “alternate facts” - there were only truth and lies, opinions and facts - the person standing in front of you brandishing a gun made it clear where you stood. That includes metaphorically laying all their cards on the table, in person - waiting to see what you said before taking you out. And if one should “ever” be disloyal to the boss - that person’s fate was permanently sealed. The reality of their decision was well-publicized to organization members to keep them inline, as their disloyalty always ended badly, with a fait de complete.
Good Soldiers and Incompetent Ones
I also reminisce when Rudy Guliani was a man in his prime - taking down five criminal families and their mafia dons - no one ever thinking he would cavort with them and maybe even aspire to be one. A man once admired and even revered for his work dismantling New York mob syndicates as US attorney of the Southern District of New York, and his role as New York Mayor after 9/11, in 2001. Now one can only wonder what inner demons he possesses taking him from revered justice advocate, mayor and politician - to reviled drunkard and scoundrel in just about twenty years. A man who couldn’t discern Four Season’s Total Landscape shop from the Four Season’s Hotel when holding a press conference on behalf of Trump speaks volumes - if not words that something is seriously amiss.
The taint of Donald Trump seems to be the common denominator - the factor that seems to bring everyone close to him down. A man who is vying to be a mob-boss and dictator all rolled into one - a man who puts hits on people by smearing their reputations, hitting them with lawsuits, and then saying he won. He calls them names to bully them into submission as a precursor to stiff them for money they’re owed, but doesn’t want to pay. A man who employs sycophants like Cohen as his lieutenant and minion to do his bidding alongside Congress and the biased media as a backup - something old-fashioned mobsters could only have dreamed of.
Motive of Their Own
Or could it be that Trump’s petulant nature is all just a ruse? Those in government supporting him and having his back - know full well they can manipulate Trump; using flattery to pay homage, while flying down to Mar-a-lago, and “kissing the ring.” Only then will they get what they want - without doing much if anything, except pretending to “suck up.”
Yet upon appearance, Trump seems to be the boss who beckons everyone to their feet, while they indulge him with revelry, flattery and obsequiousness right out of the gate. These servile warriors - know once they show fealty, they can do whatever they want. Rape and pillage the environment, demonize people who look different than them, lower wages for women and immigrants by thwarting unions, while claiming to be authoritarians for the benefit of the American people. The vendetta includes disallowing any paid time off - followed by eliminating Constitutional rights for those convicted, languishing on death row - those waiting for their legal right to be heard, while it makes its way through the system.
Doubling-Down
Nevertheless, it appears there are no repercussions for a man of Trump’s ilk, and short memories for for his supporters. Back in 1989, Trump took out full page ads in New York City newspapers, urging citizens and officials to bring back the death penalty, at least for five black men dubbed the Central Park Five. These men it tuned out, spent time in jail for rape and attempt to commit murder of a white woman after they were coerced to plead guilty, to a crime they didn’t commit. Only after several years in prison, it was proven by DNA evidence and the real culprit’s confession who was responsible for the crime. But that revelation didn’t stop Trump from doubling-down as usual, never admitting he was wrong about those he sought to condemn.
In fact, it was reported that Trump:
refused to recant his incorrect claims about the case when a reporter asked him about them in 2019, saying, "You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt."
Some if not many on death row have been proven innocent by the Innocence Project over the years - just like the innocent Central Park Five that Trump once called to execute. Even though these men were exonerated of any role in the crimes of which they were charged and served time - their lives and their reputations were purposely sullied and ruined, by Trump, his acolytes, and the complicit media.
New Victims
This is the same man who is proud to have put in motion, justices who would roll back rights for women of reproductive age, who takes pride in trying to dismantle democracy and the courts, while giving extensive tax breaks to large corporations and their money-grubbing CEO’s who offshore American jobs. They did so while giving them dominion over drilling for energy and harming the environment, looking to thwart the roll-out and popularity of electric vehicles, while looking to give his independently wealthy backers most if not everything they want.
Triad-of Dictators
Nevermind that Trump’s stated support of Vladimir Putin and Kim (Jong Un), and Xi Jinping agendas, not only make him look like a threat to the nation - a win for Trump would make him a member of an established triad of dictators poised to destabilize the US and the world. It couldn’t be more clear: Trump has stated repeatedly, he doesn’t want to support NATO anymore; yet what so many of his supporters on the right fail to see, is embracing his “stated” philosophies of the “strong man” “dictator” and “mob-boss” - from Hitler to Mussilini to Bolsonari - their reigns have never ended well for the people who support them, nor their countries as well.
Most importantly, Trump states he supports Israel, yet his former Chief of Staff John Kelly states Trump supports the accomplishments of Hitler - for doing some things very well.
Enlighten the Electorate
For the time being, we can only work to enlighten the electorate as to what is at stake: if Trump would take the reigns of government again, it would surely be a fait de complete. Just remember all those who died from Covid, who were told not to wear a mask, where people were told by Trump and his minions that it “will just go away” - suggesting maybe inject some bleach or disinfectant to clear it away. A man who let the tax code benefit big donor corporations at the top, while disseminating lies about the last election, and encouraging his followers to storm the Capitol. He also tried to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, weaken Social Security, strangeling those trying to subsist while telling his electorate he is the only one who will save them and the nation - and that “no one else” can do it.
No Integrity, No Morals, No Allegiance to the US
For a man with no integrity, no morals, and no allegiance to a country that has allowed him to benefit greatly - we only have to look to January 6 to really know who he is: a man with no integrity, no conscience, and no soul. He is blight on our nation, a man who looks to make tatters out of democracy - a man so insecure he seeks to protect himself from legal challenges, by becoming supreme leader, much like an omnipotent emperor and king. I can only say “wake up” America to those who still embrace him, because he will rip our tattered democracy to shreds if we let him.
He already led so much carnage in his wake four years before, it was only the dignity of Mike Pence who now refuses to endorse him that helped to keep our democracy intact. Like Pence or not, he was the only person standing in the way of a would-be tyrant - a man who would sell the nation down the river for some gold in exchange for secret document or anything of value. Surely the classified documents he took were not for posterity, but to be sold to the highest bidder. He is all about money and power - now with Mike Pence gone - all his minions scuttling court cases for him - only voters now standing in his way. Once again, it is up to the voters to keep this country intact, is a feat that must be undertaken seriously, we must continue to move forward and never look back.
Money and Power Corrupt Absolutely
With good reason, we learn that “Money and Power corrupt absolutely” - and for those seeking to casting their vote, remember this lesson well. Even the mafia was more honest than Trump - threatening protection, your money or your life. With Trump he will take your money, screw you over, ruin your reputation, and even abscond with your wife.
He is a man who feigns overt wealth - yet takes advantage of laborers and the common man: stiffing them out of money, yet hitting up his poor “uneducated” supporters to part with their money - claiming that only “he” can save them from the ravages of Biden, and that only “he” has their best interests at heart.
Here is a lesson for Trump, if he ever opened up “his” Bible:
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 19: 23-24 famously reads:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The Con is On - Courtesy of Don
Christians need to reflect upon the Bible to discern what Trump is about. A charlatan, a man who only “appears” to pay homage to the Creator while hocking Bibles, the Constitution, gold sneakers, his own mugshot, hats and trinkets and anything else. Just like he did with Trump University, he is once again playing the American people for suckers. Ironically, they are footing his legal bills, while he “claims” to have way more money and cash than anyone else.
As the Bible states, “Build up Your Riches in Heaven” - for those who build up their riches on Earth will see them wither and be destroyed. Hopefully American voters will see the facts and the truth - take heed of a ruthless would-be tyrant and con artist, a man who embraces history’s oppressors as recounted by several of his former advisors.
If we take pride in the rule of law, and keeping this democracy intact, we must vote like our lives, liberties and democracy depend upon it - because it does. Our democracy is fragile, time-tested just four years ago, but for a few patriots in government, we could have lost it all. But to hearken back to our founders and Ben Franklin, we must work hard to keep our democracy alive, and keep it from imploding from within. So if you value American democracy, Vote Blue in the next election, to keep the America we know, the America we love, and the American dream alive.