Honestly, I will get back to the "serious" posts - it's still the holidays - so I thought it would be fun to talk about Mafia nicknames. The only other institution I can think of off hand in America that had a rich tradition in nicknames was Major League baseball (my favorite sport). Sadly, baseball has seen a decline in nicknames but perhaps in the off-topic section I will list some of those. In the Mafia, nicknames are alive and well. The following is a random sample of some of the more colorful nicknames I have uncovered through research. The list obviously cannot and will not ever be complete, but while this is a "fun" list, it will also introduce you to some quite interesting characters. Enjoy!

Louis "Louie HaHa" Attanasio Jr.: reputed captain (capo regime) in the Bonanno borgata. HaHa got his nickname for laughing everytime he heard of the death - natural or otherwise - of another mobster.

Willie "Two-Knife" Altieri: One of the more obvious nicknames, Altieri's preferred method of whacking others was by using two knives. Altieri apparently loved his two knives so much that he even slept wth them still on the belt and two scabbards which held them.

Frank "Fingers" Abbandando, Jr.: Earned his nickname by giving the bird to a Colombo family capo regime. Abbandando's offending middle finger was ordered cut off. It was placed in a jar of vinegar and sent to the Colombo family in New York as proof that the punishment was carried out.

Carmine "The Cigar", "Lilo" Galante: former acting capo of the Bonanno family, Galante was nicknamed The Cigar because he was rarely seen without one. "Lilo is Italian slang for a cigar. Galante was whacked on July 12, 1979. This is the hit that is referenced in the movie Donnie Brasco. Side note: The Catholic Church refused to give Galante a Catholic burial due to his notoriety in the mafia.

Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano: Yes, the very same Sonny Black in the film Donnie Brasco, Napolitano had blond hair. It later turned to a white and silver gray. To hide it, Napolitano dyed his hair black, hence the nickname. Napolitano was whacked on August 17, 1981. Thehit was ordered for allowing Donnie Brasco into the family and almost allowing Brasco (FBI agent Pistone) to be "made." Napolitano was tough to the end. Apparently, the first shots to kill him misfired and he yelled "Hit me one more time and make it good." For good measure, after the fatal shots did their work, Napolitano's hands were also cut off. Mutilation after a hit is not uncommon when the mob wishes to "send a message." Agent Pistone stated that he felt some remorse over Napolitano's death. He remarked that it was never his intention to get people killed, only jailed.

Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti: Nitti was Al Capone's chief strong arm man and took care of hits for Big Al as well as overseeing operations with a deadly penchant for enforcing the rules. Nitti committed suicide on March 19, 1943.

Benjamin "Lefty", "Two Guns Ruggiero: Innaccurately portayed in the movie Donnie Brasco, Ruggiero was a tall man described as having very intense eyes. He was a smart mobster and also had a reputation as a killer with a reported 26 hits to his credit. Sources who knew Ruggiero have stated that despite his 26 hits, he was not prone to violence; the hits were carried out as orders. The nickname "Lefty" apparently was given him due to his habit of playing craps left handed. He was known as Two Guns because on jobs, he liked to carry two guns. In the movie, the viewer is left with the impression that Ruggiero was whacked. However, it was Na;politano (see above) who was whacked. Ruggiero was arrested by the FBI before the mob could whack him. Ruggiero refused to believe that Brasco (Pistone) was an FBI agent. After Ruggiero found out that Donnie had testified against him, it is reported that Ruggiero said "I'll get that mother****** Donnie if it's the last thing I do. He didn't of course and died of lung cance at age 68 on November 24, 1994.

Until next time, remember, it's not personal, it's business.

Vlad