Gambino Mafia Soldier Confesses To Life Of Crime, Relationship W Gotti, Becoming Government Witness

The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

Johnny Mitchell

True Crime

4.3 • 563 Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2024

⏱️ 175 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Anthony Ruggiano was quite literally BORN into the mafia. His father was Fat Andy Runggiano, one of the most notorious capos for the Gambino Crime Family. It didn’t take long for Anthony to follow his father’s footsteps and start earning for the mob. He came up with John Gotti and the two became close friends and associates. Living a life of extortion, burglary, murder, and drug addiction took its toll on Anthony landing him in and out of prison. Then one he was picked up by the FBI in a RICO indictment that eventually led to him becoming a federal witness, landed him in witness protection, and eventually turned his life around. Today, he is sober, legitimate, and coming to terms with the regrets and guilt of his prior life. He’s here to talk all about it! Go Support Anthony! Website: https://www.anthonyruggiano.com/ YouTube: @AnthonyRuggiano IG: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyruggianojr/ This Episode Is Brought To You By The Following Sponsor: Go to PrizePicks.com/connect and use code connect for a first deposit match up to $100! Support the show and get 50% off of Factor at https://www.factormeals.com/CONNECT50 and use code CONNECT50 Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The sun's shining, the birds are chirping.
0:02.5	I'm sitting on the bench.
0:03.7	And all of the sudden I hear, don't move you, motherfucker. And I open up my eyes and there's a gun right in my nose. He looks down to me and he asks me, so how long have you been an associate of the Gambino family? So I looked up in him and I said, since birth. What's up, guys? Today's guest is Anthony Ruggiano Jr. You probably seen him on the Get Gotti documentary out right now on Netflix.
0:24.6	Anthony was born into the Gambino crime family. His father was a Gambino soldier. He himself was an associate of the mob from a young age. He is from Brooklyn, New York. He was involved in hijackings, stolen merchandise, drug dealing, murders.
0:40.1	He was close associates with John Gotti during the 1980s.
0:43.3	He knew Sammy the Bull.
0:44.5	He was around that whole clique.
0:46.5	He went in and out of prison.
0:48.0	In 2005, he was arrested on federal RICO and murder charges.
0:52.1	He ended up cooperating, went into witness protection.
0:55.0	Years later, he is out. He's a free man. He is crime free. He has a tremendous podcast called
1:00.4	Reform Gangsters. Go subscribe to it on YouTube and check out his documentary, Get Gotti,
1:06.4	number one on Netflix. He is by far the most well-connected and mob-entrenched guests that we have had on the show.
1:13.3	And for a bonus episode with some wild stuff, go over to patreon.com slash the Connect show.
1:19.0	Without further ado, I give you an amazing episode with Anthony Ruggiano Jr.
1:23.9	Right here on The Connect with Johnny Mitchell.
1:26.2	And we walked in and we walked in, Frankie walked in ahead of me and I heard the door lock behind me and Tony grabbed the answer and said, wait, I want to talk to you. And I just kept on walking. And when I walked, I gave the nod to Dominic and took the pistol out and wanted the back and shot. That's when I see the lights behind me start to flash. And I didn't even think.
1:44.9	I just hit it.
1:45.5	I was driving like my life depended on. Then I parked the car, popped out, closed the door, and I started running. And he pulls out a burner, shang. It's like six inches. And he passes it to me. And he goes, here, that's yours. Don't ever leave the cell block without this. He was the reason I made it out of that place alive.
2:03.3	Anthony, thank you so much for coming out. Don't ever leave the cell block without this. He was the reason I made it out of a place alive.
2:03.3	Anthony, thank you so much for coming out here, man.
2:05.5	You're welcome.
	...

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