The inside story on Gotti’s wheels
Fresh information has surfaced about one of the Mob Museum's flashiest acquisitions - John Gotti's red 1972 Jaguar convertible.
The inside information came from an impeccable source: Jack Garcia is regarded as the most successful undercover agent in the history of the FBI.
Garcia kicks off the Mob Museum's fall speaker series tonight, the first of three.
He stopped in midsentence when told, during a phone conversation a week ago, that Gotti's car was part of the museum's collection. The museum obtained it from Gotti's wife, Victoria, Garcia was told.
The Mob Museum explained: The information they had was John Gotti took possession of the car through the sale of a summer home in the Poconos.
Garcia knew otherwise, and he had it on tape from his two years of undercover work with Greg DePalma, a veteran gangster in the Gambino crime family. It was a gift to Gotti from DePalma, who saw it as an opportunity to curry favor with the "Teflon Don."
It was part of the art of survival in the mob.
"The more I give, the more they might overlook something down the line," Garcia said Tuesday during an interview in the Mob Museum basement.
Garcia had DePalma on tape talking about a dent in the car. Sure enough, when the museum checked, there was a dent, and the connection was confirmed.
Garcia shares his extraordinary undercover story and how it brought down the Gambino hierarchy at 7 tonight at the museum.
CRIVELLO BACK ON STAGE
Well, that didn't take long.
Anthony Crivello has landed a role in the 75th anniversary revival of Clifford Odets' "Golden Boy" at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York.
Crivello, a Tony Award winner who played the phantom in "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular," will play the role of gambler Eddie Fuselli.
Previews begin Nov. 8 at the Belasco Theatre, where Odets' Depression-era drama opened Nov. 4, 1937, and ran for 250 performances with a cast that included Lee J. Cobb, Elia Kazan, Harry Morgan and Karl Malden.
The 1939 film starred newcomer William Holden as a young violinist who risks injury to his hands by pursuing boxing.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Lorena Peril, featured singer of "Fantasy" (Luxor), made an emotional return to her hometown of San Francisco over the weekend. She sang the national anthem for the San Francisco 49ers-Detroit Lions game, and her performance had the stadium rocking.
SIGHTINGS
Nicolas Cage, reportedly a passionate collector of custom knives, was spotted Tuesday at Bonds House of Cutlery, 3540 W. Sahara Ave. ... Carlos Santana, with wife Cindy Blackman, having lunch at Vintner Grill on Tuesday. ... "Millionaire Matchmaker" host Patti Stanger, in a cabana with her boyfriend and friends at Marquee Dayclub on Sunday. ... Wayne Brady and family, and in another group, Hispanic TV sportscaster Fernando Fiore and family, at "Da Vinci - The Genius" at The Venetian on Monday.
THE PUNCH LINE
"It will be quite a night in Washington where they hold the Kennedy Center Honors. The 'Fire Dave' rally will be arriving by bus." - David Letterman
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
