Wise~Guys

— Look Behind what's in Front of You ~ Make Good Choices —

Hey, So how you Doin'..!

Made~Men — Mobster Movies romanticise a distinctive, elegant appearance, impeccable attire style, along with the 'Families' expressive lingo. Making their 'Bones' gave them Panache — with vintage fedoras, tailored pin-striped suits, mirror-polished wing-tip shoes adorned with tassels; with their 'Gun Moll' gorgeous dates on their arms.

Favorites: 'Say hello to my little friend ~ Hey, you're a funny guy; you talkin' to me ~ Make them an offer they can't refuse ~ Never go against the family.' And of course, James Cagney's, "Come out and take it, you dirty yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!" I'm certain y'all have your favorite expressions, too. Of course, remarks that made lasting movie history were not only by those featured here, so FougeTaboutiT. A special one was from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. "You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

Our 'Family' Business included all of us growing up while going to school. Dad wouldn't allow us to prioritize work over school: Overly self- emasculting. "Do you want to end up a factory worker like me?" At one time or another, every family member, from cousins and even friends, worked in Dad's factories; he gave anyone a job who asked. But, 'Big Ed' only had (3) blatant rules that he often expressed. "Don't lie to me, don't steal from me, and never park in my parking place." Fond memories never dwindle.

Terrific memory: Mom could never have a Cadillac, her dream car. Pragmatic in all ways, Dad said employees would want more money if she were to drive a fancy car - those family members with expensive cars were made to park in the rear parking lot; no exceptions. So, Twin Lucky Larry, gifted her a Cadillac - an offer she couldn't refuse...!

Dad had huge factories in L.A., manufacturing pressed ashtrays out of melted sand, when Las Vegas just began: Not all successful fathers were Doctors or Lawyers. These actually became collector items with the artwork/logos imprinted onto them. His motto was: "The more they take, the more he makes," often seen in homes. Not a small business that the Gen Z's may never be familiar with.

Yes, ashtrays had to be placed in every room due to fire laws. The logos on them served as advertising tax credits for the hotels; a win-win. This was our family business, and these 'trays' were featured and spread to restaurants all over the country, along with logo'd dishes & mugs.

During these Las Vegas early days, hotels and concessions were generally run by 'Families' (Familias). Dad knew the guys that knew the guys and had no problem being their vendor. They paid on time, better than corporate-run entities. Just customers, nothing more. Saying if you don't play with fire, you don't get burned.

Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel was a Jewish-American mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip; then shot execution style. On the lighter Italian comments, such as "Leave the Gun, take the Cannoli," issues were generally handled by their families, and even though Vegas had a small police department, everything was dictated by them: From driving to embezzling - bringing swift justice.

All things were an adventure-experience with Dad. We went to Vegas often since he had his 'core' business there. At the time, there was NO speed limit when crossing the Nevada border (Seriously!) Casinos wanted visitors to get to them to make their contributions-donations $ as quickly as possible. Bellowing "Hold On," as he floored the Big-Powerful-Station Wagon and hit (+/-) 100 mph, Mom would instinctively press-down an imaginary brake pedal from the passenger seat while gritting her teeth! As the Bros grabbed onto whatever we could from the flat rear section.

Although when returning back across the California border, the CHP (Chips) were lined on both sides of the highway with their ticket book and pencil in hand, giving out costly speeding tickets — They probably weren't in any big-hurry to 'Quickly' have us back?

— As I KeepUp Appearances ~ So Do I Amuse You..? —

Jay Kantor, Chatsworth, California

'Senior' Vocal Author - Vocal Village Community -