Post by The Social Introvert on Nov 20, 2017 13:48:21 GMT
In anticipation of Scorsese's The Irishman, I'm doing a little bio on each of the main characters. The last one was on Angelo Bruno.
Here is the link to the new video on Anthony Provenzano:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_DubJsL9g
If you prefer to read, here is a text version I wrote up:
Anthony Provenzano was born on May 7th, 1917 in Manhattan to Scicilian parents.. He is known for being a captain, or capo, in the Genovese crime family, one of the five major crime families of New York City and having links to President Richard Nixon and union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
If you’ve seen my video on Jimmy Hoffa, I mentioned that Hoffa, as President of the Teamsters Union, used to hand over funds to mobsters to strengthen his association with them. One of mobsters was Provenzano. Provenzano had also become vice president of the teamsters, but when evidence of corruption emerged both Hoffa and Tony Pro were arrested and sent to jail for their crimes. They were both sent to the same prison in Lewisburg and remained close, with Tony Pro using his position as capo to gain power within the prison and to provide protection for Hoffa. However, during this time, Provenzano wanted to open a restaurant using a loan from the Teamsters, and Hoffa, what with his control of the union dwindling in prison, was unable to secure the loan. This angered the Mafioso, and the two were no longer allies.
After both had been released from prison, it is thought that the two had a confrontation at an airport after having seen each other by chance. The argument got more and more heated, and eventually physical, with fists being thrown about and Hoffa breaking a bottle over Tony Pro’s head. Provenzano is thought to have threatened Hoffa’s grandchildren, and is quoted as saying “I’ll tear your heart out.”
It is believed a bribe from the mafia was given to President Nixon to secure the release of Jimmy Hoffa. Both Hoffa and Tony Pro were suspended from union activities upon their release for several years. Both men wanted to return to their old posts, Hoffa as president of the teamsters, and Provenzano as leader of the Local 560, and both were adamant that the other would not get to climb the power ladder again. Hoffa still had the hearts and minds of some of his old supporters before his imprisonment, but Tony Pro had the backing of the mafia.
In 1961, Local 650 Secretary Treasurer Anthony Castellito is thought to have met with a mafia connected loan shark Sallly Bugs, where Bugs killed him and put his body through a tree shredder, with it never being found to this day. Other reports say that mob enforcer Harold Konigsberg killed Castellito. Either way, the hit is thought to have been ordered by Anthony Provenzano, who returned to his post at the Local 560.
Around 2 months after Jimmy Hoffa famously disappeared, President Nixon made his first public appearance after being disgraced and resigning from his position. Interestingly, he was seen to be golfing with Frank Fitzsimmons, the man who succeeded Hoffa as President of the teamsters, and who else but Anthony Provenzano. Provenzano was named as prime suspect in the murder case of Jimmy Hoffa, and at the time the media had seemingly come to the conclusion that it was he who killed Hoffa.
3 years after Hoffa’s disappearance, Provenzano was convicted for the murder of Anthony Castellito and in 1978 he began another stretch in prison, one that he would never recover from as on December the 12th 1988, Anthony Provenzano died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
In the early days of The Irishman’s development, it is though that Tony Pro would be played by Harvey Kietel. Whether this was misinformation or roles were eventually swapped over, we now know this not to be the case, with Kietel instead playing mob boss Angelo Bruno. Provenzano will be played by Stephen Graham, who first made his name in films like Snatch and This is England. You may recognise him from the recent pirate of the Caribbean movies or his role as Al Capone in the TV series Boadwalk Empire, which is probably where Martin Scorsese hired him from, seeing as though he served as executive producer on the film. Thanks for reading.
Here is the link to the new video on Anthony Provenzano:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_DubJsL9g
If you prefer to read, here is a text version I wrote up:
Anthony Provenzano was born on May 7th, 1917 in Manhattan to Scicilian parents.. He is known for being a captain, or capo, in the Genovese crime family, one of the five major crime families of New York City and having links to President Richard Nixon and union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
If you’ve seen my video on Jimmy Hoffa, I mentioned that Hoffa, as President of the Teamsters Union, used to hand over funds to mobsters to strengthen his association with them. One of mobsters was Provenzano. Provenzano had also become vice president of the teamsters, but when evidence of corruption emerged both Hoffa and Tony Pro were arrested and sent to jail for their crimes. They were both sent to the same prison in Lewisburg and remained close, with Tony Pro using his position as capo to gain power within the prison and to provide protection for Hoffa. However, during this time, Provenzano wanted to open a restaurant using a loan from the Teamsters, and Hoffa, what with his control of the union dwindling in prison, was unable to secure the loan. This angered the Mafioso, and the two were no longer allies.
After both had been released from prison, it is thought that the two had a confrontation at an airport after having seen each other by chance. The argument got more and more heated, and eventually physical, with fists being thrown about and Hoffa breaking a bottle over Tony Pro’s head. Provenzano is thought to have threatened Hoffa’s grandchildren, and is quoted as saying “I’ll tear your heart out.”
It is believed a bribe from the mafia was given to President Nixon to secure the release of Jimmy Hoffa. Both Hoffa and Tony Pro were suspended from union activities upon their release for several years. Both men wanted to return to their old posts, Hoffa as president of the teamsters, and Provenzano as leader of the Local 560, and both were adamant that the other would not get to climb the power ladder again. Hoffa still had the hearts and minds of some of his old supporters before his imprisonment, but Tony Pro had the backing of the mafia.
In 1961, Local 650 Secretary Treasurer Anthony Castellito is thought to have met with a mafia connected loan shark Sallly Bugs, where Bugs killed him and put his body through a tree shredder, with it never being found to this day. Other reports say that mob enforcer Harold Konigsberg killed Castellito. Either way, the hit is thought to have been ordered by Anthony Provenzano, who returned to his post at the Local 560.
Around 2 months after Jimmy Hoffa famously disappeared, President Nixon made his first public appearance after being disgraced and resigning from his position. Interestingly, he was seen to be golfing with Frank Fitzsimmons, the man who succeeded Hoffa as President of the teamsters, and who else but Anthony Provenzano. Provenzano was named as prime suspect in the murder case of Jimmy Hoffa, and at the time the media had seemingly come to the conclusion that it was he who killed Hoffa.
3 years after Hoffa’s disappearance, Provenzano was convicted for the murder of Anthony Castellito and in 1978 he began another stretch in prison, one that he would never recover from as on December the 12th 1988, Anthony Provenzano died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
In the early days of The Irishman’s development, it is though that Tony Pro would be played by Harvey Kietel. Whether this was misinformation or roles were eventually swapped over, we now know this not to be the case, with Kietel instead playing mob boss Angelo Bruno. Provenzano will be played by Stephen Graham, who first made his name in films like Snatch and This is England. You may recognise him from the recent pirate of the Caribbean movies or his role as Al Capone in the TV series Boadwalk Empire, which is probably where Martin Scorsese hired him from, seeing as though he served as executive producer on the film. Thanks for reading.