When your mom say to you "My God, if I wasn't already married"

By 1985, Charles “Chuckie” English was a fading figure from the Chicago Outfit's old guard. Once one of the most powerful figures in the Chicago Outfit and one of Sam Giancana's closest allies, English had spent years attempting to regain influence after losing much of his power following the Outfit's leadership changes in the 1970s. On February 13, 1985, English had dinner at Horwath's Restaurant in Elmwood Park, Illinois. As he walked through the parking lot toward his Cadillac, he was approached by a gunman and shot at close range. The 70-year-old mobster died at the scene. No one was ever arrested for the murder, and the identity of the shooter remains unknown. Federal investigators believed the killing was not a freelance act but an Outfit sanctioned execution. Intelligence reports indicated that senior Chicago Outfit leaders, including Tony Accardo, Joey Aiuppa, and Jackie Cerone, approved the removal of several aging and troublesome figures during this period. According to investigators, English had become a source of frustration for the administration as he continued efforts to reclaim influence and involve himself in rackets that were no longer under his control. Law enforcement suspected the murder was carried out by experienced Outfit enforcers. The precision of the attack and the absence of useful forensic evidence pointed to a professional operation. Despite decades of investigation and speculation, no specific gunman was ever charged in connection with the killing. English's murder remains one of the many unsolved Outfit executions of the 1980s, a period marked by internal discipline, leadership transitions, and efforts to consolidate power within Chicago's criminal underworld.

86th Street in Bensonhurst was a mafia enclave and some spots still exist. On the corner of 14th Avenue and 86th once stood Christy Tick Funari's 19th Hole Bar and Social Club, a meeting place for the Luccheses. Across the street is Scarpaci's Funeral Home where many mobsters had their send off. Keep walking eastward past Romantique Limousines owned by Colombo mobster Teddy Persico. A little further down on the opposite side the street is a block virtually dedicated to the mob. 1432 is now a Laundromat but it used to be a small restaurant where Joe Colombo held meetings with his underlings. Next door at 1434 was Cantalupo Realty where Joe Colombo held a "job" as a real estate salesman to front his real position as head of his crime family. You can read all about that era in Joseph Cantalupo's book "Body Mike". At the other end of the block 1454 was another restaurant which was a hangout for the Colombos. Skip across Bay 8th to Tommaso Restaurant which was a fav of Gambino boss Paul Castellano. In fact there is still a picture of Big Paul in the entrance. Right next door to Tommaso's once stood the Friends and Veteran Social Club at 1468. Directly across the street from there now stands an Auto Zone, but back in the day it was Caplan Buick, in front of which, Gambino underboss Frank DeCicco was blown to bits in retaliation for the murder of Castellano. Further down the block was the 1717 club and probably several others. Lots of mob history within a few short blocks.

The New York Daily News front page headline for July 13,1979: ‘GODFATHER’ GALANTE SLAIN Mob chief & two others die; 4th is shot in Brooklyn rubout. Retirement, mob style…The bodies of reputed mob godfather Carmine Galante (right) and associate Nino Coppolla are strewn where they fell after a rubout in the backyard of Joe and Mary's restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn. A cigar still rests in Galante's mouth. The restaurant owner and his son were shot. Four hooded hit men escaped by car.

Genovese underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano (left) walk talking with associate Peter Savino (right) on Grand Street in New York's Little Italy across the street from Ferrara's Bakery and Caffé around 1989/90 about the "windows" racket. Genovese Family boss Vincent "The Chin" was warned not to trust Savino and he didn't listen. Mangano is ordering Savino not to mention Gigante by not saying his name or "The Chin." Savino was wearing a wire and resulted in an indictment of Gigante and others. Savino had terminal cancer and testified via closed circuit TV. He died just a few months after the trial.