To nickname or not?
Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn wants to elevate the coverage of the Family Secrets trial by not using the nicknames of the five men on trial.
So no "Joey the Clown" Lombardo or "Little Jimmy" Marcello.
Just straight Joseph Lombardo and James Marcello.
Zorn argues that using the nicknames glamorizes the mobsters, imbues their activities with a clubby feel and serves to diminish the allegations against them.
I understand where he's coming from — for the most part — but I think it's all a matter of context.
Their nicknames, after all, are an identifier. In some cases, it's what their friends and fellow mobsters called them. In many cases, it helps to know the nicknames because you can't understand the wiretaps in the case without them.
The accusations against the men on trial aren't diminished as along as the newspaper provides details of what they are accused of — so readers can have a clear picture of the brualitiy and the ruthlessness alleged.
And the allegations against the men only grow in seriousness when the media gives a voice to the victims' families. When you hear from those people, readers get a real sense of the ongoing cost of violence and brutality, from sleepless nights to shattered families.
I think if you provide those kinds of true, accurate details, all the nicknames in the world don't amount to much.
Thoughts?
It was my understanding that the press and the FBI gave most of the names. In the case of the FBI it was to PO these guys. Not many people called these guys to there face "Clown or Little Jimmy".
WARMBIR RESPONDS:
While I know of a few mob nicknames that came from the press, most come from within the Outfit, from what I've seen. And while mobsters might not call Lombardo "The Clown" to his face, they certainly call him that in conversations, as shown in the tape recordings the feds are introducing at trial.
Golly, sounds like somebody's looking for attention. Talk about a non-issue.
Since the beginning of time prominant people of every stripe have been referred to by their nicknames. Mayor Daley the First was "da Boss" until Bruce Springsteen arrived on the scene. Al Capone was "Big Al"; Billy was "The Kid" and Bill Hickcock was "Wild Bill" (and he was one of the "good guys"). Some of us are sad because "Tank" Johnson can't play by the rules and we even have a "Dr Death" who just got out of the slammer.
It would seem that anyone who has lived in the Chicago area for any length of time has been exposed to these references to these individuals like, perhaps, a million times by now and the monikers have leached deep into our collective subconscious where they've achieved nearly the same level of familiarity to us as our own names.
Hey! Wouldn't it be great if all of us had a little nickname which would serve as a sort of adjunct to help solidify our identities in the minds of our peers?
I'm thinkin' Eric "the Nitpicker" Zorn?
most wiseguys dont even know the last names of their fellow mobsters. they only know them by nicknames
How bout this for a nick name Eric " I always got beat up growing up " Zorn , or Eric "thats why I am a liberal " Zorn! , or the ever popular Eric "I was picked on relentlessly by guys like this growing up " Zorn! How do those grab you buttercup?
Joe Lombardo's friends called him "Coach"
On January 9, 1939 Irving "Knadles" Nitzberg was tried for the murder of Albert "Plug" Sherman. The prosecution's main witness was Abe "Kid Twist" Reles.
Jerry, Im pretty sure these guys know the last name of the other wiseguys....Im not sure where you get your facts but you are probably wrong. In fact quite a few of these guys grew up together.
As far as the question goes..who cares if they use the nicknames? If you need to fill space on the page use 'em if not we all know who they are at this point...dontcha think?
Mick: i'm sure you also know that 'kid twist' was involved with harry 'pittsburgh phil' strauss, allie 'tick tock' tannenbaum, charlie 'the bug' workman, and harry 'happy' maione, who were all in the employ of louis 'lepke' buchalter and jacob 'gurrah' shapiro.
Laura, let's not forget Louis "Tiny" Benson, Anthony "Duke" Maffatore, Abraham "Pretty" Levine, Frank "Dasher" Abbandando, Martin "Bugsy" Goldstein, Emmanuel "Mendy" Weiss, Vito "Socko" Gurino, Meyer "Mickie" Sykoff, Peter "Petie Spatz" LaTempa, Ferdinand "The Shadow" Boccia, Michael "Mirandi" Mirando, Tony "Tony Spring" Romeo, Morris "Dimples" Wolinsky, Phillip "Little Farvel" Cohen, Ben "The Boss" Tannenbaum, Louis "Pretty" Amberg, Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo and last but not least Max "The Jerk" Golob! All of these men were either members, associates or victims of Lepke's Murder Inc.
Jim, I notice you put the last names that "no one knows" up. I never said they didn't know thier nicknames ,merely that of course they know the last names too. and many of them grew up on the streets together so they'd know anyway.
Clearly they know one another by both and probably more names than you and i know of. I was responding to you saying they don't know the last names, of course they do.
Jim,
I'm not quite sure why you are pointing out the nickanmes to me, except to help me prove my point to Jerry, who stated "most wiseguys dont even know the last names of their fellow mobsters. they only know them by nicknames". I am very certain they know one anothers last names....I believe that many of them grew up on the streets together...and even if they didn't they KNOW who they're running with, beleive me.