Welcome back to the original gangsters podcast. I'm your co-host Jimmy Buccellato aka the doctor here in studio with my intrepid Colleague and partner in crime Scott Bernstein.  Um So welcome to another show, please follow us subscribe to our video cast on YouTube and subscribe to our podcast, please follow us on social media Twitter Facebook and Instagram and please spread the word and we appreciate your comments and your feedback and your support So we have a pop culture episode today I think people have listened to us for a long time know that Scott And I really like to talk about movies and music and culture and how it relates to to gangland themes and Unfortunately in the last few months several legends have have passed And so we're gonna talk about their careers Some of our favorite lines some of our favorite movies, but also in some cases some some actual ties between the actors and In some cases they they weren't even you know Situations where were things dovetailed. I mean they were you know with so the four people were going to talk about Ray Leata James con Paul Cervino and Tony Serico When it came to Serico, I mean he was an actual mobster that became an actor, right? He wasn't just hanging out right pailing around with So I think what we're gonna do is just go person by person talk about How we admire them and name off our two or three favorite movies from that person and Discuss it and keep on moving down the list and that that that will be the show today. So pretty simple But pretty fun. I'm looking forward to breaking this down. I think we'll do it in chronological order I think Ray Leota if I'm not mistaken was the first gentlemen to To leave us died May 26th. Okay. Yeah, so very very recently. I Mean I can start it. I think we're all going to have this is like captain obvious here I mean good fellows is obvious, but I think what we should point out though that I think is most noteworthy is that Ray Leata when he was cast in good fellas Yes, he had been in field of dreams and he had been in something wild But he was not a household name by any You know in any way shape or form Scorsese tapped him to not just be in good fellas to not just be the main character, but To be the through line For the entire Two and a half hour Epic saga that you go on if he doesn't hit a grand slam with his performance That movie doesn't reach its potential and to have that all Riding on the shoulders of a guy who at that time hadn't really proved that he could do that Was a really gutsy move by Scorsese and it paid off and paid huge dividends and Ray Leata ended up having a great career But I just I can't get over especially that's a movie that I cannot not watch when it's on The perfect movie I mean really it's the perfect movie. There's nothing. There's no there's no parts of that film that I would go back and change And so much of that is a credit to really yeah And great point how he holds his own with Cervino De Niro and Pesci in every every scene He holds his own and that is pretty remarkable and he's likable I mean yeah, he he walked that tightrope between being believable as a criminal believable as an unscrupulous Underworld figure, but also you liked him you wanted to be riding shotgun with him for those two and a half hours Yeah, I mean I would say anyone else for Ray Leota's I mean you think are we all in consensus that that that's his best movie much much like Coppola did with the Godfather movies I think that Ray Leota like Scorsese was smart and He knew the guys that had to look really Italian And he knew the guys that kind of because I think if really older if that if Henry Hill look to Italian or to this that it would have ruined You know the studios wanted to play any hill, right?  I'm not a big fan even though. I'm like I like sports I'm not a big sports movie guy to me if I had to rank my top ten most overrated films of all time I would have field of dreams in my personal top five. I mean I like it I think it's corny if you'll pardon this so It's Oh my god, it's so Sacker and then Ray Liotta was in What was that one movie like domestic disturbance? That was good Yeah, that's a good move but to me his his two best roles that were not Good fellas were Copland. Copland, which is one of the most underrated movies of all time. I love them Yeah, and We're probably my number and then blow where he plays against He plays again. He plays against type.  I mean, but Robert De Niro I mean below that I mean then it gets like Michael Rappaport Robert Patrick a little lower than that even Tonya Supranos a nice Cathy Mori already you Everybody in there is famous. It's an amazing movie and talking about underrated performances Sylvester Stallone again playing against type played a very meek weak Police officer that had no balls that had to find his balls right in the end of the movie and it works and he is Outstanding it should have got nominated for an Oscar and I don't I don't know why I remember watching that I have to admit my expectations were low for his for him being the lead and and he he sells it It's he's really good. He's a lot better than you didn't man. Annabella. So look at how many surprise we're in that Chiora was in it Arthur Nascar Ella who played Carlo in the Sopranos is one of the so so for people They don't know Copland is about basically a group of police officers that were gangsters but war War the blue and they had their they had developed their own little town in New Jersey that they controlled and Sylvester Stallone was like their hand-picked sheriff who they could pup it And and I'm not going to give it away, but it's it's a great great movie great ending great Yeah, and then De Niro plays the internal affairs guy that's going after Harvey Kytell Who's like the kingpin of the cops the kingpin of the dirty cops and Leota is in the middle of all yeah He's one of the dirty cop and Leota plays up well He plays a dirty cop with a conscience right that has a bad cocaine problem because he was an undercover drug cop. Yeah, and and eventually you see how his bad fortunes Intermingle with with Kytell and what's going on with the murder of his partner that he blames on Kytell and and then his his girlfriend at the time dies in a fire that he might have set Yeah, it's I would say that that's one of my second That would be my second choice. I would say just a shout out. He's he doesn't have a major role in it But I like this film. I think it's an underrated film is Kill the messenger. Oh kill the message is great I think so too and I think that's under just an under reported story in general that the Gary Webb was forgot that he was in that Yeah, he Gary Webb was an investigative reporter He was investigating allegations that the CIA was either directly or indirectly involved in cocaine trafficking By the way, they they they were definitely they were they weren't definitely indirectly. It's just a question of where they directly and The story of that reporter and Ray Leota plays God, I don't even remember what he plays in the movie He has a small role in it, but it's worth watching He's I don't know he's somebody that Gary Webb was played by Jeremy Renner like confides in so it's a small role But it's still a good movie But but Copland he definitely has a more prominent a prominent Rollin he plays the dirty cop that's feeding Sylvester Stallone all the information that he needs to go after all the other dirty cops and I would say his most Understated a role and you know that he doesn't get credit for as many saints of Newark. Oh Hollywood Dick Mulder Well, let's finish up with just a quick new role minute or two on his performance I didn't I thought he was good. I didn't love the film as we've spoken about I thought Leata did a good job of evoking the proper mannerisms and and Just presence on screen of who that character was supposed to be I didn't love the fact that they had him playing twins. I didn't either or others not Italian looking enough not He was only in the movie. I mean not to give it away. He's only in the movie The Hollywood Dick Multi-City character is only in the movie for a half hour Yeah, no, I was very bad, but could have been worse But he was good in that and then what what was the one that I can't keep them all straight But he was was it red dragon? No Hannibal Hannibal that he was in where the cut is So should we move on to Jim Jimmy Khan. Yeah, James Khan was the second so July 6th James Khan died Obviously, everybody knows him as as Sonny in the Godfather. Yeah, no, but you know what? It's one of me and Jimmy. It's one of our favorite movies of all time. You know what I'm talking about One of the most underrated comedies comedies of the 90s.  Yeah, and he plays this kind of gambler mob guy that that Basically cons his way into a weekend with Nick Cage's fiance They came out in the same year Which is interesting, right? Yeah, but but Nick Cage that to me That's his best movie.  They're like almost unbeatable. It's not unbeatable Jerry Tarkin is it Jerry Tarkin isn't it? He's at the poker table with them and With he's like is it kappa or kappa You have to see it. These are you won't get these jokes, but Great, but he's even just at the airport with the woman who's Ben Stein. Yeah, who's taken all over and over the He's trying he's trying to book a flight and he needs to get out as quick as possible And he's got someone in front of him that's just talking Incessantly to the to the person that's booking the flights and his flight that he's trying to book is for like five months Yeah, and Nick. He's like you're not even flying today And then someone threatens him. What are you gonna do put me in airport jail? Yeah, which is funny when you watch that now like there is yeah, there is airport post 9-11 There actually is airport jail, but at the time that was funny We want so like not thinking of Godfather James con because you know if you say that name Yeah, first thing for me is honeymoon in Vegas Second would probably be the program. Oh, yeah Program first in my head. I I really like the program James James complies the head coach What do you say I'm wrong why I just thought about it would be the misery would be We forget that you know Stephen King movie Um, you know, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go kind of digging in the crates here thief is Outside of Godfather thief is his best role in my opinion. It's not even debatable very good I've said this before on the podcast if you're a fan of the movie heat thief is written and directed by the same person Michael Mann and the character that James con plays in thief which was shot in 1980 or 1981 is for all intents and purposes a younger version of Robert De Niro in the 1995 film heat He plays, you know a professional Safe cracker safe cracker takes down scores And in the movie heat the Robert De Niro character is supposed to be from Chicago and the movie Steve takes place in Chicago and he Goes to work for the mafia and then he goes to war with the mafia. It's it's it's such a great great great picture Willie Nelson's in it. Yeah, I'm looking at the cast right out Dennis Farina. Yeah, I'm embarrassed. I've never seen this Oh, that's amazing.  Yeah, and then another one 70s, which is great They actually remade this a couple years ago with Mark Wahlberg. It's called the gambler. I didn't see Wahlberg's version of it But I think it's terrible. I'm pretty sure if I've seen it in college Is it the gambler or something like 21 or something with Mark Wahlberg? That was a fish burn something I'll never forget me my friend will watch it and at the end he was like This is the worst movie I've ever seen and it ends it ends with Wahlberg running in the street Yeah, that's true. No that that was the gambler Vince Vince with Allie and invincible whatever now But the original gambler who by the way also had a guy that we're gonna talk about in a second Paul Sorvino You know he plays a a young College English professor in New York City Who's got a compulsive gambling problem and he can't not gamble like I remember one of the scenes He's he's driving home from his class and he sees a couple guys On the on the basketball court like in a park and he just stops in the park and starts betting on these two random people playing basketball And I think he got an Academy or either Academy Award nomination or a Golden Globe nomination for that Misery was great. Honeymoon in Vegas the program is seriously Misery to me I mean is one of those I can't even watch it. I mean Yeah, I'll watch it maybe once every ten years, but I'm so freaked out She breaks his legs. You let me get a sledgehammer to his legs a movie that you can't take the most infamous scene in that in the film It's tough to watch another kind of digging in the crates recommendation from my from me Mark Wahlberg and James Conn and Joaquin Phoenix and a movie called the Yards Written and directed by I believe James Gray who also did we own the night and some other Wahlberg movies, but I really like the Yards. It's kind of a No, our Crime gritty New York City labor corruption Mark Wahlberg just gets out of prison and his mom is dating James Conn who's kind of the shadowy Union boss gangster and Joaquin Phoenix plays his best friend and Wahlberg goes to work for this kind of new stepfather figure of his and gets Involved in corruption and that sounds sort of like we own the night kind of it. So yeah James Gray, you know, he has a formula He sticks to it con like right You know what I noticed you're looking online, you know, I forgot because I'm a sci-fi and horror film there He was an alien nation. I forgot about I like that I did I dig alienation which became a television show. I'm gonna get that. Yeah And then, you know, really what we should mention and we haven't mentioned this yet when we're talking about James Conn Because it's not really in our wheelhouse, but Godfather is the thing that Most people know him from but the second movie that most people know him from is elf. Oh Yeah, right with which was a huge movie with Will Ferrell. That's a funny I've never seen that. What's that? But he was it wasn't like rollerball rollerball. That's from the 70s And then someone told me I haven't seen this movie, but I want to see it It's difficult to track down But someone told me that the only movie that con ever directed was from 1980. It was called hiding in plain sight I believe he might have co-wrote it as well and So Paul Sorvina No, I'm sure I'm no I'm I'm trying to give him But it's about a man whose wife and kid go into witness protection and he can't find them And I believe some of the movie takes place in Michigan and gross point or not gross point in Grand Rapids, huh? So let's finish off with James Conn by talking about his real life connections to the Mafia and there were quite a few Yeah, and there was one story that I can relay a personal anecdote that I've been able to Get out into the public sphere to demonstrate How closely aligned James Conn was with with real life organized crime? But let's start with saying that he grew up in Brooklyn grew up with a lot of the Colombo crime family Very close friends with Andy mush Russo Who just passed away? I think preceded con in death by a month or two and Andy mush Russo was the longtime acting boss street boss of the Colombo crime family Was not was not a small Player he was a major major player his first cousin is was Carmine junior Persico who's the the godfather of the Colombo's until he died a year or two ago and and James Conn stood up as Andy mush Russo's best man in his wedding and Andy mush Russo Was the godfather to Scott Conn James's most well-known son who was in Hawaii 5-0 was in some good movies I was an entourage was in varsity blues boiler room Oceans 11 and And So he was very very tight with Andy mush Russo There's a there's a famous. I think a famous FBI surveillance photo of that wedding With Andy mush Russo and his bride coming out and being welcomed by like the bridal party and Jimmy Conn's right next to him And who was these that they've caught Jimmy Conn on surveillance in little Italy having dinner with people was that was that Those were the Colombo's and then he was also very close friends with a guy named Ronnie Lorenzo Who is allegedly a made member of the Bonanno crime family that runs or at one point ran Bonanno affairs in LA and He opened up a In the 80s he opened up a restaurant and club in Malibu called splash. It was a very popular Social venue for for Hollywood types. There's a lot of drugs going through there Ronnie Lorenzo ended up getting pop for wholesale cocaine trafficking through splash and Jimmy Conn testified as a character witness For Ronnie Lorenzo the the last thing I'll the last anecdote. I'll tell and this was something that I came across personally And it and it goes back to the movie thief. So when I was researching my book family affair, which is about the Chicago mafia and the real story behind the movie casino I interviewed over a dozen retired FBI agents and Chicago Police Department organized crime investigators and I came across one former pair of police detectives FBI agents that were partners and They told me of an interesting James Conn story that again I've written about you can find it online So Jimmy Conn was in Chicago preparing to play the character the main the main character in thief he was researching The role of what a real-life safecracker is someone who takes down scores And through I think through his connections in New York. I could be he could add connection to Chicago I'm not sure but he got hooked up with the Chicago outfit Chicago mob Got linked in with a south side Chinatown burglary crew run by Frankie Breeze Calabrese and Ronnie Jarrett doesn't seem like Wouldn't you say I mean, I'm not an expert But I get the sense that Chicago guys for mafia are way more involved in burglaries Yeah, shit like that in like the orca-detroit guys. Yeah Yes, I think that the theft raft the theft racket in Chicago has always been a staple Yeah of the outfit when in places like Detroit Chicago Philly not to say that that there aren't Burglary rings and units that are connected to the mob, but it's not as bread and butter. Yeah. It's a good point Okay, it's a good point. So the the feds and CPD OC unit are up on a wire in a Chinatown Chinatown and South Side of Chicago are synonymous in terms of when you're talking about the mafia When you say the Chinatown crew or the South Side crew you're talking about the same group or the 26th Street crew It's all the same guys because Chinatown's right in the middle of the South or is the part of the South Side where a lot of the mob activity has always taken place Khan was hanging out with these guys at a social club and the feds and CPD are up on a wire and They hear the plans for Khan to go on a job With this South Side burglary crew that evening. They're gonna go knock over some jewelry store and Harry carry And according to these law enforcement these retired law enforcement Figures, they said we intercepted him leaving the Drake Hotel the Drake Hotel At that point was the most those the fanciest hotel in Chicago Still it's still one of the invent of the cob salad still still one of still one of the premier You know hotel and in lodging Businesses establishments in Chicago and they intercepted them in the lobby of the of the Drake and they said Jimmy we know where you're going and We're gonna tell you right now to turn around go back up to your suite Because if you don't listen to us and you go on this job with the South Side crew You're gonna be on the cover of every Chicago newspaper tomorrow.  We're gonna perp walk you Did con tip them off so the guy burglars didn't go. I don't I don't I don't know about that I just know that he probably did he didn't end up going But they caught him on this wire discussing going on a job And maybe he went on a job before that maybe he went on a job meant on a job after that Yeah, but that that night he didn't listen his method act. Yeah, yeah, Johnny Russo never got that one So let me ask you something. Well, first of all one thing that's interesting about cons affiliation Is as far as I can tell he was always unapologetic Right about it. You know some guys are like, oh, it's not what you think or I don't really know that he was like Yeah, these are my buddies. They're my buddies like what like he's like a Chuck Z though He grew up with me and he legitimately grew up with these guys This wasn't a guy that became famous and then sought the company of mob. Yeah, right, right This was a guy that was surrounded by mob guys his whole life Yeah, and then became an actor known for playing mob Well, I've seen interviews with him when they talk about, you know, how could you when you play sense? Santino Corleone and and even though you're not Italian you for all intent and purpose you see him Italian And he was like because that's who I grew I grew up all around He's like like it wasn't much of a stretch as you would think because I was immersed in Italian culture growing up my friends my neighbors So and the fact that he was best friends with a boss. Yeah, that's different than being best friends with a mob guy Being best friends with it. Do you think James Conn ever met John Gotti? Yes, without question. I'm sure he met him. Yeah, probably because Gotti was friends with Mickey Rourke and Anthony Quinn Yeah, those guys are really they showed up at the trials. Yeah, let me one more thing about James Conn though And because I don't know if he watches I don't think I don't think Roberto watched it either But I don't love the series, but our audience may want to check it out. It was only two seasons was Magic City Yeah, you know, I had to watch that. I haven't seen it. My dad watching liked it He's he's in he he has a cameo in season one and he's he's a More of a major character in season two. It's like Miami in the 60s. Yeah, it had a lot of potential I think so James Conn plays like the Chicago like Jewish guy for the outfit who like kind of pulls the strings in in Florida And what I liked about it was sort of the Easter eggs They were putting out there, but the show got canceled so they didn't develop it But like there's one episode in season two where Jack Ruby shows up not a major party just shows up and then and then There would be references in season two to santo Which they didn't show them, but you knew that was you know, that was traffic So they're from for a geek like me. I'm like, oh, this is they're gonna they're gonna unpack this and develop this But it's it's mostly about the Jewish gangsters in Miami for bar. It's got any telephone. You want to make a phone? Oh That's a lefty guns and Donnie Yeah, the set right he's really friend of ours friend of yours. You see the irony. Yeah, right and go to the bow I say the star.  Yeah, and that yeah Spritzes in them See that's again, we like Michael Madsen we Roberto was saying he wasn't sold on him, but I Think he sells it I think he's a mafia guy in that movie So, okay, so the third one was no Tony Paulie Walnuts is the third. Yeah, so Tony Serico died July 8th two days after con You know known for playing Paulie Walnuts in the Sopranos as we said at the beginning of the podcast He was a real mob guy that became an actor later in life he did a Couple years in prison. I think he has a maybe more than a couple years He's got a rap sheet of like 25 and you had that story on him, correct? In a second his his connection to a very infamous Unsolved murder of an LA actress back in 1977 his fingerprints were found at the crime scene We can talk about that, but let's kind of just first honor him before we soil his reputation No, we love we love Paulie. I mean that Without and I don't even think you can argue that Paulie Walnuts was one of the greatest characters ever Birthed now, I wouldn't just say TV one of the greatest characters ever birthed in the mob movie or TV genre Even just TV in general like yeah to me. He's up there like Kramer. Yeah from like Seinfeld. Yeah, you know just Legend and and so I would say like with James con we were talking about all these other movies for me Obviously his best performances are the godfathers. So that seems obvious. So we were talking about other things With with with Tony Cerrico. I think it's Paulie Walnuts is obviously his his best role But he has been in he was in some other things I mean, I know he was in him. He had a small part of movie that the three of us love I don't know if Ben has ever seen it, but The three of us are huge fans of the film Gotti. Yeah, and we talked about we wrapped that I've seen it and I liked it a lot actually I liked it a lot Yeah, yeah, was that straight to TV it was HPL But it was on H. What was ever the theater who is the guy who played Gotti assante Armand assante. He did a great job About the rules is about parameters. I mean Travolta came close Yeah, right. Oh my god. I didn't even see the trouble for a friend You know either no it and I still to this day send clips from the Gotti film to Scott and Roberto because I know Because I know they'll get I know they'll get it. It's it's it's so good that I'm surprising that not many more people are aware.   Okay, Dominic Chiena's a junior place plays Joe piney Joe piney Angelo Ruggiero a quack quack quack. Yeah, yeah You know one movie I want to shout out. I was talking about this off-air with Ben his first major role Tony Serico's first major role in a movie was in a not very well-known Mafia film from 1978 Collegula no called fingers with Harvey Keitel as the lead and He actually plays a mob guy from Detroit really in the movie. Have you seen this? Yeah, it's really good.   I I enjoyed it Roberto didn't like it. I enjoyed it. I was in it, too Yeah, oh my pizzeria, but where can you even see that where you can even watch that season there? I don't know. You don't even know I Think I had it. I rented it once. I found it somewhere. You can I'm sure you can find it Not if it's straight the degree another great black Exploitation movie. I think I have a cross 110 street on DVD. Yeah, Jim Brown is in this movie Yeah, I'm with and Dominic Jean easy. I'm looking at the oh a lot of people in this. It's pretty good. Who directed it Frank still Oh The James to Jimmy towback James towback. Yeah, I see who also did the gambler and bugsy take me back Y'all remember rocket to ease the horse is the homeless guy. Yeah, tell me that that's great stone That is an outstanding song you want to talk about They taught me he's a great. He was a great singer the young talk about hype music I thought it was the the far from over song if you're a young in please go on your go in Download that song and then go work out.  Oh, yeah, yes sports fan edition It was the theme song. I remember we're going down. I used to watch that every Sunday night. I Remember watching sports final dish and every Sunday night No, and then and then the wrestler NWA would use it as a like a promo for promo music So then let's finish off with the real Tony Serico Just like James Kahn grew up in Brooklyn around the Colombo crime fam Unlike James Kahn who left went to Michigan State became a football player and then left for LA to become an actor Tony Serico became a gangster and Was affiliated with the Colombo crime family was affiliated with the persicos Yes, he did he did some some prison time. He was a member of the Clemenza crew Not Clemenza from the Godfather Joey Brown Guy named Joe Clemenza. They called Joey Brown and his sons Jerry Green eyes and Joey Joey Green eyes, I think Like excuse me if any New York mob aficionados are gonna pick this apart I believe those were the three guys but I know Joe Brown was the father and Jerry Green eyes was the son and that was those were Serico guys and those guys were at all of the soprano parties all of the cast parties and premieres Jerry Clemenza was there if there's a list of guys that were like mob associated guys before they came actors would be Steve Sharipa No, Serico Steve Sharipa. Oh, it was a doorman. I mean he was I'll tell you who the real former mobster who became a big actor is is Mo Green from the Godfather. Yeah. Yeah, I mean he didn't do was that guy's name His name is Al was his Al's row Al's row Rocco is You know why the first time I saw him? He was on golden girl. No, no, he was the first time I saw him He was on facts of life. He made Joe Polnichek But there's something very significant probably my favorite scene and Godfather one I'm Mo Green Oh, yeah, I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleader. Of course. Yeah, he's great But he also in addition to having a place in an iconic film he personally Started the Irish mob war in Boston. Yeah, that's why he left Boston and went to LA Yeah, the Irish mob war in Boston, which lasted like a long time seven years It lasted throughout most of the 60s Rocco into the 70s a lot of bodies and like, you know dozens of bodies Alex Rocco was at they it was like a Labor Day Barbecue where someone Disrespected his Girlfriend or the woman that he was with and he beat the guy up and that one incident at that one bar on Labor Day spawned an entire like decade of Warfare and then that guy's guys went looking for him Yeah, and they they whacked someone else instead and then it was a tit for tat I think his name. I think his name in the underworld was bobo bobo pedicone. Doesn't that connect to that? Oh, yeah, right here, but doesn't that connect to McLean and those boulder bulger? Well, yeah, though Directly into Dwighty boulder. Yeah, there's another guy that did that right David Ruffin well Temptations he was a these were some of the Motan artists that had some oh dark dark histories before I came I didn't know that. Yeah, you ever see the temptation movie. That's that's good Leon yes, Leon. Yeah With Leon's involved Tommy Shepard plays Tommy Shepard above the rim a shout-out to Tupac final final thing about Seriko and maybe the most interesting is the fact that he died a Person of interest or a top suspect in the 1977 murder of actress Krista Helm and From my research into it, I don't believe that he murdered Krista Helm but I Do believe that he was at the scene of the crime before the police That's why his fingerprints got at the scene of the crime and I do believe he probably knew who did it or Knew why it was done To give a little bit of background Krista Helm was a woman from Milwaukee who had dreams of being a Hollywood Starlet and she made her way to New York City and then to LA and was You know, I guess the term I would use would be ingenue She was someone that was amused to very powerful actors musicians heads of state she was In a party girl, but she was in relationships. You guys are saying it nicely She was in relationships with the very very very famous people and a lot of them she was a who We're trying to be woke so She dated the likes of Jack Nicholson Warren Beatty Joe Namath the Shove Iran Who was in exile at that point? No, no, no, he wasn't he wasn't this is not exiled at that before 79 right before She had the the ear of a lot of very powerful people she was a Staple on like the you know the social calendar In Hollywood, but the thing that made her most Dangerous was the fact that at a time when nobody was recording their sexual activity She was she had a whole library I guess of sex tapes both video and audio of all the famous people that she slept with and in addition to actors musicians and Businessmen and heads of state. She also kept the company of gangsters and she was known to have had Relationships with both junior Perceco and junior Perceco's brother alley boy Perceco who you know in the 1970s were ascending To the to the top of the of the Colombo crime family.  Yeah, and Bert Reynolds actually did an interview. I think it was it wasn't the tonight show It was another famous talk show in the 70s And he didn't drop Christa Helm's name, but he someone asked him who's the what's the craziest date you ever been on and Bert Reynolds says I was just with this woman recently and we get done in bed and I light up a cigarette and she pulls out a Paper a pad of paper and and I asked what she doing. She says I'm raiding your performance. Oh my gosh She said Dom Delouise was a three I Got Roberto is our Ed McMahon here. He's coming with And he was part of that crowd was around He's an overweight if people are audience younger audience Overweight he was Bert Reynolds sidekick. Yeah, Rick man was a five But so Shariko lands in LA and around 72 which was around the same time that Christa Helm came to LA from New York She had some what I would call benefactors guys that were, you know moguls or heirs to moguls that Kept her in the lifestyle that she was accustomed to and One of those guys was friends with a famous Hollywood costume designer Who was running a high-end? Escort service with the Colombo with the Colombo crime family and that was Tony Serico's Introduction to Christa Helm So they would run in some of the same social circles beat a lot of the same parties and then The day or two before Valentine's Day 1977 Christa Helm was stabbed to death in front of her West Hollywood home And Valentine's Day, I don't remember that and here's kind of the was that symbolic you think or there? There's the belief that this could have been done by a woman Because a female DNA was found underneath her fingertips Yeah, and she was someone that didn't discriminate in her sexual relationships We had a lot of relationships with with women and one of the women that she was in a relationship with the time was She was recording and a disco album for Casablanca Records at that point And Casablanca Records, which was a big disco big disco So Christa Helm was was recording a disco album and her backup singer Was I believe her name was Patty Collins and she was in a relationship with Patty Collins and some people have suspected that It might have been Patty Collins who killed her, but the thing that's maybe Not most significant, but what it's noteworthy to say is that Tony Serico's name Did not surface in this in the 1970s Tony Serico's fame as a member of the Sopranos brought him into End him in into the crosshairs of law enforcement get that role though Because you have to be kind of prominent and be sort of in the industry to get a role like to get well He wasn't the industry. He was known from Goodfellows. Yeah, and from the Gotti movie. He had just done the guy Yeah, because they loved all the guys from the guy. Yeah, a lot of those guys Got him in the Sopranos. Yeah, Dominic Cheney. Yeah, all those guys got it right away. So I think that was Yeah, yeah, so I think that was part of that story This is the last thing and then we'll move on to Paul Servino So it's 2004 or five at the peak of the Sopranos Popularity and there was like an a dateline NBC or a 48 hours that ran on like a Sunday and someone called an anonymous tip to The LA Sheriff's Department and said the guy that's on the Sopranos right now who plays Paulie Walnuts Was involved in in the Krista Hell murder or in Conspiracy and they had a bunch of finger sets of fingerprints that they couldn't match Mm-hmm, and because seriko was in the system because he had been arrested 28 times Right, they matched his fingerprints to fingerprints at the scene And they had a number of informants that didn't point the finger at seriko as a murderer But they said that seriko was instructed by the Colombo crime family to go into her Apartment or her house and remove all the incriminating And didn't her roommate confirm that seriko had yet that he was in that apartment the day after So some of these come some of these Colombo out if he never get questioned about it Well, they try they wanted to he never he wouldn't he wouldn't so Back then back then he wasn't on anyone's radar He they approached him to talk about it in 2004 2005 he refused to Can't just refuse You can't know if he's not a suspect. No, what do you mean if it's your suspect? You can refuse to talk anybody gonna. Yeah, but I mean he didn't he didn't they didn't bring him in though They brought him in and he said I'm not saying anything And then they're gonna be he's gonna say and his attorneys say well unless you're gonna charge him That's what I mean if he's not Enough to charge right we know your fingerprints were there I know you know something but there's not enough to I would say it sounds to me like And I I don't know as much as Scott, but I read Scott's reporting and some other things it sounds to me like it quite possibly was a crime of passion and The Tony's Rico part is just a cover-up thing to protect the Colombo's interest in case there's any What would you say like incriminating information? I don't think it doesn't seem to me like the Colombo's would have any really have anything to do with her actual murder It seems to me more likely was a crime of passion But a jaded lover ex-lover something like but the Colombo's would have an interest in getting their hands on those sex That's right a hundred percent for both extortion purposes.  Yeah, but she had it seems like she had any number of people would have been interested in Knocking her off. Yes, but but the the not to get was she an attractive woman very attractive But the the ask if you go, I don't think you could date all those type of people without being attractive I mean it's Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty got to waste their time with someone that isn't attractive True. Yeah, she's pretty hot, but I said honey. What you got right now is a lot of What's that from I don't get Off the rails The actual the the actual The killing of her is not my It's a it was a violent state was like Jack the Ripper more than like that's not the mobs Modus operandi, so I think it was a crime of passion, but Seriko being over there within hours of her death is certainly suspicious and seems to indicate that the Colombo's had an interest in Removing any incriminating information from her apartment, but yeah, he wouldn't talk about it So let's move on to Paulie. He didn't even know it, right? He was like, I don't know Yeah, he was like he did make some comments to somebody. He said I don't know what you're talking about and then this is a Recount a recounting of his interview was I don't know what you're talking about And then they like threw a picture of her in front of them and said oh this woman got killed in 1970s Oh, yeah, I kind of remember her being killed, but I don't know who she is Yeah, I don't know I don't want to talk to you if you got anything more talk to my attorney, right, right, so Let's move on to Paul Sorvino What what a great what a great actor and what a what a tremendous Kind of statesman for Hollywood and and in this the world of mob acting He was like a diplomat almost I feel I mean I I love Paul Sorvino and everything the guy's ever done ever did Dumb dumb. Dumb. He died on July 25 Yeah, he was on what was that show? Always on there. He was the second partner I think he was on it for two or three years. He was only on it for two years It started it started off Chris Knoth and George de Sonsa And then George de Sonsa got killed off and they brought Paul Sorvino on and then Paul Sorvino The character I think were tires and they bring on Jerry or back Lenny briscoe who's on for the next like who was who was that? Would Another actor that like to hang out with gangsters and with Joey Gallo when he got killed unlike unlike Frank Sheeran, right? He was actually there and Jerry or back was also in dirty dancing. We were talking about that off there. He played the dad He played yeah, yeah, nobody puts baby in the corner Play the doctor, right? I'm looking at Paul Sorvino's Obviously good fellas is is the you know, I think probably everyone's favorite, but what would you say? I'm actually not as familiar with his other Can I just say really quick before I leave I gotta go let me my favorite Paul Sorvino His money talk that I was I was about to say that you don't consider, you know comedies when you're talking about Paul Sorvino I'm not saying that I gotta money talks Everyone when they talk about I Printed be victim owns kid With Diane Carroll, that's why he was black No, but everyone knows Chris rock from the rush hour films, but money what I think sorry Everybody knows Chris Tucker from the rush hour films But he he would not have gotten rush hour if it hadn't had been for money talk I don't even remember that film And money money you guys talk and money talks to me is the is a superior film and a funnier film in both rush hours and he and Paul Sorvino plays the father of Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear are getting married and Paul Sorvino is Heather Locklear's dad they play like they actually played Charlie Sheen and how they have no they play a no, they play a okay, and and Chris Tucker plays a guy that is gonna give Charlie Sheen who's a reporter He's gonna give him a big scoop but he's got a Charlie Sheen's got to keep him hidden for like two days before the scoop can like hit the airwaves and He starts taking him around to all of his like pre-wedding festivities and Chris Tucker who plays this like criminal con man, you know is Easily ingratiates himself with Paul Sorvino and Heather Locklear's family It's just a very very Sorvino is he supposed to be a mob guy or no? No, it's supposed to be a father of a bride I'm trying. I'm trying to remember. He has another good film. He's in Do you have his discography and looking at it, but I don't I don't go down. Can you go down some of them? If you could he was in Reds, which I never saw but was an Oscar-winning film about the Bolshevik Oh, that's a great film. I it's a I don't know if other people would be like that about John Reed Right and But I don't remember him in there. I don't know. I don't who that's a great cast It was in the he was in the brings job with Peter Falk. He was in the gambler. Oh, he was in the the firm he That wasn't a great film though book was much better. Yes. Yes, I played a kiss and during the Nixon movie That's the only Grisham novel. I've ever read by the way is the firm the firm. Yeah money talks And then, you know by the 2000s, you know, honestly, he was he was just kind of getting paid to play, you know mail it in Marbles, he didn't kill the Irish me plays Tony Salerno, right, which is kind of a not that great of a film And then he was in bad blood, right? And he played old man No, no, no, which is I think I've recommended it out here. Yeah, it's you know, very very well done semi-fictionalized Recounting of what happened or what's been happening in Canada over the last 20. Yeah, I mean I when I was going through his You know filmography here, and I'm not trying to throw shade on the guy But you know, I think of him is so iconic old Paul Zorino. He's great. And then when I was looking at the filmography I was not there great. Yeah It seems like he was yeah, I thought he was in the movies. Yeah, he wasn't I think the lawn or I think the lawn order one Yeah, is Significant because he was only in there for two years. Yeah, but still he had a significant role. He was in 31 episodes But I don't recognize a lot of these other Films here, I mean I I recognize some of the films, but I don't remember him being in them like Nixon You know with Anthony Hopkins. I remember that really well All right, I got a question for you guys out of the four Who's the best actor? Khan? Suriko Jimmy Khan, I think for sure Ray Leota or Paul Savino. I Think it's not even close Jimmy Khan. I agree. It's not close. I'd say it's Khan, but I I think we Leota was You know could hold his own. Yeah, I mean he's not Leota's not Considered on the same plane as a denier or a Pacino and he shouldn't masterful performance in good fellas But I think he showed some he showed range. Like I said, I thought blow. I mean You know if I'm the casting director of blow I don't know if I'm thinking Ray Leota for for the dad who's like the straight arrow dad I might have been thinking Ray Leota for one of the Colombians. Yeah, that's right I remember watching blow when that came out another great movie gray movie shameless self-promotion listen to our Episode with George young we had him in studio. This is very building RIP George, but Boston George. I remember when that move Oh, I went to see it I was surprised to see Ray Leota because I was used to him either being a bad guy or a tough guy or whatever and I remember being surprised that he played this like fatherly nurturing dude and But he pulls it off. I mean he was a good actor, but I think when you look at how prolific James Kahn's Career was I would say he's far above and then Leota would be second and the other two guys Not to throw shade, but I and all I mean those are really the character actors, right, which is fine I'm not trying to be a prick, but I think Leota Different level if you look at the four of them, you're exactly right Yeah, I want you to stay away from the garbage. You know what I'm talking about. Oh, yeah, that's Paul, right? Yeah, well, he's I mean he's he's he's great. Don't make a jerk out of me Just don't do it and good foes now Cervino as far as we know he never had any like real mobbed up connections I mean we know Leota Would fuck with Henry Hill a lot for like but that was after the fact I mean Henry Hill was not was already not a gangster But just to learn about that role and Leota also had interacted with other Gangsters, I don't know if he ever disclosed who they were, but I know as he was making good fellas He talked about being around wise guys to like figure out how they act and talk their mannerisms But that was for the film that wasn't like he had a personal social relationship, but I don't know about Cervino Do we know what did he ever I know anything I know that that He put up some money for a movie again a Movie that not a lot of people know about but I recommend highly called amongst friends Which was his daughter's first starring role Mira Sorvino his daughter became an Academy Award winning actress Yeah, and there was a movie from 1993 I believe called amongst friends It's about a group of Jewish Teenagers that admire their gangster grandfathers and try to emulate them And they get in way over their head really quickly I think it's you know one of the best movies of that era even though it never really gained them Who else is in that stream and not not a ton of famous people Mira Sorvino is the most famous person in it. None of the other actors really made it big But Rob Weiss who wrote and directed it Eventually helped create entourage and ballers and and and all those HBO iconic HBO Shows and I I got to know Rob through the white boy Rick Right saga of trying to get that movie. Okay, a little siren. Yeah, all right Named Robin Well, this is the only reason I know this this backstory is because Rob told me Hollywood burn stain that's what they call them because I asked him. How did you get this money financed? There's no stars in it at the time Mira Sorvino nobody knew who she was and he said you know my dad and some of his You know Jewish mob associate friends put up half the money and he said the other half came from Paul Sorvino Wow, that you know, wow, he invested in his daughter's Career and put up half the money for that movie and that movie although I don't think it did great at the box office It was considered a real cult classic in the world of independent filmmaking He Rob ended up getting a deal with Miramax, I believe or New Line Cinema from the movie Had a when the movie came out. It had a lot of acclaim at you know Within the industry not no, yeah, no, no, no, yeah, I feel like I've seen this I'm gonna revisit this because I this sounds familiar, but I can't remember great music great soundtrack So at some point they interact with the Italians. Is that part of the plot? Yeah kind of okay, like They're supposed to be like the their grandfather or sorry They're fathers and their grandfather the main characters fathers and grandfathers were Jewish bookies that work for the Italian mom Okay, and they think well, we can just do whatever we want because of who our dads and grandfathers are and then they start doing stuff that Isn't looked upon kindly by the mob guys and they're like we don't care who your dad or who your grandfather is right? Yeah, and they end up becoming indebted to some of these mob guys and have to work kind of work it off Okay, which is actually somewhat unrealistic as I'm watching them I'm like oh these guys would all just be killed They would never have the opportunity to work anything off. No, but for this, you know, I can Extend or what's it called extend belief and relief because I really enjoy the movie suspend Yeah, suspend belief, right, but I know that he put up some money for that and then the other side of that Investment came from some, you know, maybe not so legitimate figures. So maybe that meant that he knew those guys I don't know. Yeah, I mean, I think that happens in Hollywood a lot or at least he used to yeah Well, yeah, this was fun. I mean and it's it's sad that four, you know classic actors are gone And three of them all died in July. Yeah. Yeah, they say these things happen in three, right? That's yeah, and myth or urban legend around it. So and Ray Leota was Probably the youngest out of the three, right? I mean those other three dudes were getting up there So Leota was the one that was a little bit more surprising And he was the one that was Coptive. Yeah, right. So he just was in a show on NBC with Jennifer Lopez about the dirty cops Yeah, and many saints was not that right many saints was a year or two years ago. Yeah James con was he had to be in his 80s. I was 82 servino James kind of Sirico. We're all in the 80s, correct Yeah, no, I think I think Sirico was 79. Okay, quite 80 almost but servino or sorry Move back up Sirico was 79 servino wasn't his 80s. Yeah, Rico was 79 and I know con was and con was 82 But Sirico on sadly had a battled early onset dementia and For the last two three years of Tony Stricco's life. He was an assisted living and didn't know his name. Oh, And that's why he didn't participate in a lot of the Motion for for many sense of Newark And he was not involved in the podcast that Sharipa and Imperially did or the book that they did and I remember talking to Jimmy when I first got the book and I'm like Oh, they must be in some type of feud with Sirico. Why isn't Sirico? Involved in this because it was all kept it was kept very quiet that Sirico had dementia. Yeah Yeah, I mean I the last you there's some interviews with him. You can see from the you know Not long before that you could tell he's I mean he looks different I mean and he was like a big dude, right? And you could tell you lost a lot of way and that happens again old, you know, I'm not trying to say anything but It's it's sad but I think I think the thing that should be that we should leave with with Tony Sirico was Everyone on that show Besides him was playing a character. Yeah And if you talk to anybody on that show and they said who's the guy that was most like the character They would be like it's not even it's not even a question. It's not a debate Tony. Sirico wasn't Playing Paulie Walnuts. Tony Sirico was playing Tony Sirico. Yeah, you know Jimmy Gandolfini and Michael Imperioli, they're nothing like their character. No, they were real actors, right? Yeah, do you think that? I've always been struck by the Authenticity of the Sopranos. I mean not not always but I think 99% yeah by and large they they had it pretty right and It's been whispered that they would they were consulting with real real gangsters I wonder if Tony Sirico was maybe one of those. Yeah, those liaisons the conduit. Yeah, well, and He had it in his contract that they could not make his character a cooperator, right? I know he was one of the few actors that had that pull Yeah, everyone else they could kill they could turn it to an informant. He was the only one that that insisted, right? I yeah, I remember that and Even though I know there's some other People on mob tube who consider the Sopranos to be cheesy and fake Come on. I don't I don't I don't entertain those Entertain those a piggy go down that round But anyone else if you haven't seen the Sopranos don't believe that it's outstanding and I think It's it's pretty authentic and and Paulie Walnuts a lot of people I talked to he's their favorite character. Usually I find a Paulie or junior My two favorites.  Yeah, that's good. I'm not telling anyone to binge watch But I think Sopranos is the type of show and I'm not saying you could come in in the fifth or sixth season but I think you come in in the second or third season and You you're not gonna feel like you lost anything. I mean when I watched in real time I I came in I came in in the middle I Because I came in I came in in the early I came into the start of the third season and I went back and been that's what I did I went bought the DVD sets and then caught up before the neck before the next season started if that makes sense But when I started watching in real time, I had there was there were certain things I didn't quite get I got hooked I got hooked on it by watching the first three episodes of season three I would say watch it in order, but yeah, I mean you could pick it up Yeah, there's a lot that the storyline changes after Olivia dies. Yeah, which is the start of season three. That's yeah That's the it does that that is me the show becomes a lot in my opinion a lot more of a show About organized crime Whereas the first two seasons is obviously organized crime, but it's a lot of fight family dynamic Him in a shrink. Yeah, I agree with you that that that definitely takes a backseat starting in season three by that By the end of the show the whole shrink Tony Soprano dynamic had been completely thrown up. Oh, yeah Yeah, they phased her cuz cuz what when did he stop seeing her? Like that was like a that what the end of season five or mid-season six when he just was like I'm done They somehow that Justify him going now a couple more times. Yeah, whatever reason, but yeah, he had stopped seeing her on a regular basis That's interesting to point out though cuz how that I mean that was the crux of Yeah, for David Chase, right? And by the end of the show that relationship didn't really exist. Yeah. Yeah, but But Paul Walnuts definitely one of the best characters in that show. So anyhow, this was fun. Thanks for listening and Again, please follow us on social media. Please subscribe and let us know what other kinds of episodes you'd like to hear I'm Jimmy Buccellato. Scott Bernstein and then Roberto's already gone. He left the building. So we'll see you next time. Thanks