THE FLIP SIDE OF THE UNDERWORLD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01208R000100160003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: February 8, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

~~ ~_... 1_. II 1 IL_ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 : CIA-RDP90-01208R000100160003-3
ARTICL3 12=L? `=~
G:; FAGZJ -l
.THE WASHINGTON POST
BOOK WORLD
8 February 1981
ground and the
`;barrio is in 'a dil
mob operative w
be examined in a more critical manner.
Although Fratianno lived by the sword, he refused
-'to die by it, making his decision to turn state's evi-
. dence against fellow mobsters after underworld as-
sociates targeted him for contract ki ling,.?In returm
for his cooperation with the?govemment--which has
proven to be invaluable in several prosecutions-
Fratianno has been given the. opportunity to receive
"safety and revenge."
Demaris has chronicled ''s 's highly colicated;`incredibly detailed''saga with.-great literary
style and organization..:A ' crime reporter by profes-
sion -and the author'of two best-selling books on or-
ganized crime-The -Green:-Felt: Jungle (with Ed
Reid) and Captive City Demaris is' on familiar turf
writing about Fratianno's violent career.
= iven .that, Demaris must have wrestled with his
,own-conscience while deciding how this. murderer
~tiuiied-informant should be portrayed. Unfortunate-
ly, he chose to glamorize Fratianno and even to place
him-in-aheroic context. That might play well with
those who have a roma`nticized.impressioa of -
gangsters; :but-not with others who -view or_-.
ganized. crime as. a serious threat to`Amer '
icasinstitutions:::'--: ~?_r:
To. Demaris, - Fratanno. 'was'. a complex'
`.human being: He was uneducated but intelli
gent enough to'talk with-you on:just about`
any level you chose; he could talk like'a hood=
or?like a gentleman; like a punk or a lawyer."
Although that'seems.to be a somewhat bal-;
arced observation: of Demaris'subject, it :is
sti i high praise fora cold-blooded
killer:.
Despite Demaris' expertise on.the mob; he: was-.essentially-.at the -mercy..of..Fratianrio's-
memory-which. the. author insists was `_'al "
:-solutely phenomenal" When ..Fratianno.told:
Demaris that he had made love to-a woman.
five times. in three hours while in>his:late six
ties, Demaris writes it as fact--with no harm
:.done in this instance
However;Ywhen.:Fratlanao'told `Demaris
that. :"Operation MONGOOSE'. which di--rectly involved- both President Kennedy and;
:Attorney General Robert'- Keiiiiedy.=was
really the code name for the CIA-MaSa plots
.'to as sinateFidel-Castro,.that:was damag.
'sing to historical truth and nothing less than
irresponsible journalism __-when-,T
,':
' Demaris should have known. : better, The
Church Committee clearly .stated ::.that.
"Operation MONGOOSE" was- designed in
.196-2. to infiltrate and ore nine the Cuban: . '
population to : incite -a counterrevolution; it.
had nothing to do with the CIA Mafia plots
against Castro==which began in _I960 under'
THE LAST`MAFIOSO-"The Treacherous World .of
:Jimmy Fratianno By Ovid Demaris Times Books. 463
t'y~"~~-- a ?-B DAi+fE.MOLDEA:
IVE ARS AGO, in a,suburban Detroit hotel, a
YE
F. crime-connected Teamster official pulled a revolver
with a-six-inch barrel out of: his-coat-and- rammed it
down . my - thrcaL-'? For -, the nest. half-hour-while he
watched with mixed emotions overwhat he had done to
me=I could do little more than walk around the room,
wiping tears from my eyes and spitting out blood and
pieces of teetli...He later apologized, saying that he had
been under enormous pressure and mistakenly thought I
was there to betray him. -
The incident 'occurred during my first interview with
..the man, who was convinced that his confederates were
'double-crossing him.-As a result of his anguish and para
noia, he had started talk ng privately-to government offi-
cials and reporters, telling of his associates' illicit deeds
while simultaneously and willingly placing his life in
jeopardy. Nevertheless, he continued to talk for the next
two years, sometimes openly, and proved to be a reliable
source of. information. Even after his violent act against
me, I couldn't help but admire him. Hewas a brave man
and sincerely sorry for his own . crimes- against society.
Few people were surprised, when he-was found shot to
:death in Dec ember?1977.:kz;2
Government: informants; particularly-.-those who =flip
from the underworld, are;ranl appreciated. for the ser-
vices they provide in the 7EIainst crime. 1'bey are
': damne&by-: fawner fnends,'''ofter taunted by; the
press, -and are always m fear for their lives. Even. if
their; cooperation'- is- part-o?' a plea-bargaining ,:de-
fense ' they std usuaI1y supply- investigators with
valuable.intelligence.,orr, even,.direct :evidence.which
-can help send more dangerous people to jail. Regard-
less 'of their motives for "tuming"seelf-serving or-
otherwise-informants . deserve :better--::treatment:
than being, called ;"cananes'_':.aid .-"stool pigeons,":
court.:- k :~'e . x
-:However; there "are real"dangers whenan inform
'of tie :orie'of tYie?riiiost"powerful.'i~rime chiefs 41
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ant's.peisonal:opinions, based=upon?little or no evi-
:.::..::.:.:...:
den e, are'accepted as absolute truths.":..
Jimmy Fratianno, aaunl~ely government inform=
antis.the:central character in Ovid Demaris' latest
book,.The Last Mateo. The mob's busiest assassin
on the. West.t CoastYmtr11977, and, fora short period.