The words you are about to read...are difficult. As difficult as they are to read, or to hear....it was worse to live them. I hope to not offend anyone, as I am merely writing from my own experiences. Some adult content is contained below.
What does it take to write a “thriller”? You know, those kinds of novels with various
sorts of mayhem, a bad protagonist, a good one…..and lots of crime drama? I don’t know if my blog would ever be
categorized as such, but it displays a journey.
One of good. And one of
evil. With a lot of criminal acts
dispersed throughout. There were even
mobsters, murders, rapes, and political corruptions. I just haven’t written all that yet. I’ve decided to disclose it all beginning now
- on here. More than I have disclosed in
prior entries. For the FBI and other
officials already were informed. A
thriller - has suspense. And now, in life, I can’t wait to see the
outcome of times changing.
In the last week, if you have listened to or read of the
current New York news….many politicians are being charged with various sorts of
criminal corruption. And as I read the
list of Bronx men, I checked off a few names to memory – Savino, Bruno, Spano….some
were caught in conspiracies, and some are just being charged. Good move, America. There is so much cleaning up to do –
especially linked to the Bronx.
I was born in the Bronx.
In Westchester Square Hospital to be precise. I lived on Pelham Parkway until I was 2 years
old. Many of my relatives lived there,
too. My grandfather owned many of the
buildings way back when…..It’s not that I have anything against the community
(and you can’t get a better Italian bread than on Arthur Avenue), but there are
some people connected to the Bronx who are just BAD. It’s time to tell you about them.
Exposing my personal information is a choice I make. Only after having disclosed all this to the
proper authorities first. I’m not
stupid. I know this may be dangerous. But I keep remembering something. An obligation I have – we all should
have. When we see that something is
wrong – we should try to right it. For
it is true, evil succeeds when good men do nothing. So after disclosing the following facts (and
some “hearsay” told to me by my ex husband Robert Levine), I do feel a bit of
protection. I have worked with FBI
special agents from the New York Field Offices ( Special Agent Caroline
Gilmore, Special Agent Michael A. Mazzuca), Assistant District Attorney Brian
Conway, Assistant District Attorney Barbara Eggenhauser, Former District
Attorney Jeanine Pirro, her assistant Clem Patty, our New York State Attorney
General’s office, Governor Mario Cuomo’s assistant Mary Kavaney….and more. Do they have my back? I hope so.
And I’ve been told to be patient – their investigations take time. When they charge people, they want to make
sure it “sticks.” With the confidence I
have in my local police force, I will now share with you what legal officials
have already been told. It’s all about
connections.
And I remember the time when some guy, saying his name was
"Bruno", left a voice message on my answering machine a few years
ago. It was in response to when I had
phoned Senator Spano - saying I was going to disclose the corruption. The message said that I should be quiet. That "this" could be handled. Well, it wasn't "handled." And I'm not going to be quiet anymore.
Not to take credit for any of this, it is not storytelling in
the pure form. I do not have a very
vivid imagination for that. What I do
have are journals, agenda books, phone books, and documentation that I
preserved. Proof of what I write can be
clearly exhibited. For now, I will try
to touch briefly on a few things I know.
In the future, with the assistance of reflecting on my documents, I can
elaborate on incidents more freely.
The Bronx. It’s all
over the news this week. My first
experiences with the Bronx, aside from being born there, were of a sense of
culinary delight. That was until I
became more involved with Robert Levine and his family in the year 1978.
My parents had a boat that was docked at the Castaways Yacht
Club in New Rochelle, New York. Not many slips (boat “parking spaces”) from our
boat, was the Levine family’s boat. That
is how a twenty year old Robert Levine and I connected in ’78, during my final
weeks of college. I’d come home and go
to the boat club. It was a great
facility – pool, restaurant, evening parties on the water – and I loved the
water! Boating was always in my
blood. My family enjoyed that for
years. Socializing at the club, the
Levine family introduced us to the Simone family. Matriarchs Pat and Selma Simone, their two
sons Donny (who liked to spell his name differently - sometimes Doni/Donni) and Joe…and eventually their daughterinlaw, Anna – Joe’s wife.
Robert Levine’s parents, Eileen and Donald, seemed to be
friendly with the Simones, but always talked about them behind their
backs. I was informed early on that Pat
was in the Mafia, and Selma was crazy.
Simple as that. As I became more
familiar to the Levines, I heard more and more talk about the Simone
family. Pat owned the Hunts Point Auto
Wreckers and some real estate. Donald
once said he was a slum lord. I still
don’t know what that means – but it never sounded good. Pat bought properties from people in bad
times. Not to be the focus on this part
of my blog entry….Robert raped me in July of ’78, and then I felt branded. Like I couldn’t breathe without him – and he
pretty much owned me. So I spent even
more time with the Levines at the boatyard.
Joe married his girlfriend, Anna, and we went out together as
couples. And Robert Levine started scamming and stealing with Joe Simone. A
side business was started. An illegal
one. They were called “chop shops” back
then. The Auto Wreckers would get in a
car from an accident or vandalism, use contacts and have people steal parts
they needed to put a car back together again for sale and profit. I am not sure if Joe’s younger brother, Donny, was involved in that or not. A lot of unkosher stuff went on with that
family of Simones. Donny was fatally
shot while in the office of the Auto Wrecking business. A bullet to the head. I was at the wake – and saw how you couldn’t
even see the hole in the open casket, his streak of white hair covering his
forehead. It was the first time I saw a
dead person. Robert and his family told
me that Pat Simone knew who shot Donny, a gruntled employee that Donny Simone
had a dispute with that day. Donny and
the guy had an argument , the guy came back with a gun and one shot to the head
was all it took to wipe out a young life.
Police caught the murderer. They
put him in jail. I remember Eileen Levine
talking about Rikers….And one night when we were all having dinner – Eileen
Levine announced that Pat Simone made
sure the guy got what he deserved in jail.
I asked Robert what that was about.
I was told that Pat Simone was in the Mafia and put out a hit on the guy
who killed his son. The hit was
completed while the murderer was in jail. Pat Simone got revenge. Okay, now
that was a bit scary….but I let it go back then. Just kept quiet, but kept my eyes and ears
open. Always.
For years, Robert’s mother Eileen would make fun of Selma and
talk behind her back. Always referred to
as “Crazy Selma”….I learned that the mother of Donny was unable to leave her
Mount Vernon home after her son’s death.
How even when purchasing other homes and moving physically, she held on
to the old Mount Vernon home in her son’s memory – never touching his
things. My heart went out to her – but
Eileen would laugh and say the woman was nuts.
After living together for a while, I married Robert Levine.
Joe Simone remained working at the Hunts Point Auto Wreckers after his
brother’s murder, not far from where Robert worked in the South Bronx’s Hunts
Point Cooperative Market. I listened to all the dealings between Joe Simone and
Robert Levine.
In the evenings, Joe would call our apartment and tell my
then husband if he had a car that was worth “flipping”….putting back together
from stolen parts and selling on the market.
I have always been a car lover- since I was a kid – cars are my
passion. So I remember some of those
cars and conversations. A yellow Rolls
Royce, a black BMW, a yellow Lincoln, a gold Mercedes, a blue Datzun Z 2+2, and
more. We would use some of the cars for
a while until they were sold. Or in one
case, the black 7 series BMW with red leather interior…well, when Robert
couldn’t sell that fast enough and he needed the money (it was during his
cocaine years)….he had the car stolen.
And collected the insurance money.
Insurance scamming was not new – for he did that quite often – through
his cohort Lester Resman, and insurance broker.
That’s for another blog entry!
When Robert got the phone calls from the Auto Wreckers, he
would get a list of the parts needed to put the cars back together. Then he would call his guy, literally named,
“Hot Stuff”, to go out and steal the parts from other cars in New York City, or
wherever he could get them! This was
before the days of serial numbers on parts….so eventually, this business ended
when a law was passed about serial numbers being checked related to car parts
and repairs. However, for years, the
scheming was profitable, though I never saw the money myself.
Joe and Robert continued to work in their separate locations
in the Bronx and talked often. My
husband always reminded me of the Mafia connections Joe had. Robert was very impressed with them. And through Joe, we were invited to all sorts
of illegal outings. Every January we
went to the illegal super bowl parties in an affluent White Plains restaurant,
run by the mob. You had to pay thousands
of dollars to go to it – and I was warned I could not tell anyone about
it. At the end of the lavish dinner they
served during the game, a few people walked out with brown paper bags full of
money. Until it got raided. So I went to that for maybe 6 years.
Working for his father and Uncle Paul, Robert soon ran the
food business of P & L Provisions. He later changed that name to Foodirect (and Foodproducts.net)--- doubling its size! He transferred their “3 sets of books” (one was for the
government, one was for the office, and one was for him – yes, all different),
to a computer system which he developed along with a computer whiz (Robert
called him “Magic”, Michael). Joe Simone
was impressed with Robert’s ability to use a computer program for inventories.
In 1985, Robert transferred Joe’s business (he was now running the Auto
Wreckers), into a computerized business.
Robert spent days going to Joe’s office, meeting him and Pat Simone
there. And I remember the summer day in
1985 when Robert came home from there – pissed as anything! He was screaming and throwing things around
the house – and I just managed to stay out of his way.
He was yelling about what a cheap f*&k Joe Simone was –
and Pat Simone. He didn’t mention the
woman who his mother always referred to as “crazy Selma.” Robert was pissed that with all the time he
put into switching Joe’s business over – the only thing they gave him in return
was A BUILDING! And Robert wanted
CASH! I never did get the exact address
of that building…it was somewhere in the Mount Vernon/Yonkers area. And of course, Robert did not disclose it
during our divorce proceedings. I later
found out from a witness, that Robert would take his Uzi to collect rent from tenants
at this secret building!
The friendship (or collaboration) between Joe and Robert
continued, though. Robert told me that
Joe was turning into a freak. Robert
told me that Joe was listening to this business gurus’ tapes like he was part
of a cult or something….and obsessed with this guy. The name is on the tip of my tongue – I’ll
try to remember that later. But this guy
that Joe was obsessed with was a real estate mogul – and gave lectures on how
to prosper. Just remembered the guru's name - TONY ROBBINS! - .....Robert borrowed Joe’s tapes
(a collection of Tony Robbin's lectures) one day – and called Joe and the lecturer assholes. Hah!
Joe Simone now runs Simone Development – super successful (from mob
ties, or learning from the lectures – who knows).
But before Joe focused on a real estate empire, which
remember his father did have a hand in…..Joe was offered a buy out from an auto
parts manufacturer – for Hunts Point Auto Wreckers. Joe asked Robert to go with him on a business
trip to try to explain the computerized inventory programming and possibly help
sell the business.
I think it was to Milwaukee…..my then husband and Joe left
for a 4 day trip. This was also in the
latter 1980’s. I had a four day
break! Home alone with my boys. And when Robert came home, he did not discuss
the business dealings so much as the following, which I still find very
strange. He said that he and Joe Simone
shared a room. And they talked a
lot. Robert of course repeated much of
their conversation to me.
Joe was very impressed by the size of Robert’s
testicles. Yes, you read that
correctly. Robert said Joe asked to
compare their “members”…..genitals. And
Robert was so proud that Joe told him he had never seen a guy with such huge
balls before, literally. My ex husband’s
balls were large…but I think that is because his “member” was small, making
them appear bigger than they really were.
Anyway, for days…all I heard from Robert was about Joe
Simone’s vanity. Joe got hair weaves/plugs,
plastic surgery, etc. Joe used to be
very fat and was obsessed with his newer slimmed down body image – all to the
point of making his wife Anna cry because her own weight tended to be on the
high side. Joe would offer his wife bribes to loose weight, and I didn’t need
to hear about it. Robert repeated this
all to me. I learned that my then
husband was incapable of having a friendship with anyone. There are some things you don’t repeat to
anyone. Guess he learned that from his
parents, who always spoke poorly of their friends Pat and Selma.
We attended parties that they gave. I sat with Mario Biaggi a few times, along
with his son. And many other shady
characters. Robert told me I wasn’t
friendly enough to Anna, that she didn’t like how removed I seemed. And that is how I remained after learning
what I did in 1994 at my son, Jason’s, Bar Mitzvah.
I had gotten my real estate sales person license and was
working part time in the office of Armonk Properties….Oh,there are stories
there, too. Like the time when Joe
Simone sent his buddy Castellano (yes, the Mafia guy) with a body guard to look
at some properties in the Armonk Bedford area! Oy! He ended up buying an estate
in Brookville on Long Island. Thank God.
When it came time to invite my friends to Jason’s Bar
Mitzvah, of course I invited my boss at the real estate office, along with some
co-workers (Robert did not check the guest list back then). The owner of Armonk Properties was Maggie
Ehrlich. I invited her and her husband,
Bernie, as our guests.
When I first met Maggie, I was told that her husband was
“away.” I didn’t learn all the details
until the day of Jason’s Bar Mitzvah in December of 1994.
It was a whirlwind of a time in my life. Robert had just plead guilty to FDA charges
of selling adulterated meats and some other felony violations. He did not allow me to go to court with him
in Washington, or New York. I was
prepared for him to spend a minimum of 2 years away in jail, he had requested a
location in Virginia….but at the last minute – October of 1994, Robert’s father
was able to pull some strings with the Mafia ties in the food business and
Robert got off from the jail sentence – to only a 2 year period of probation. During that time, I listened to more
phonecalls, registered more names to memory – Senator Nick Spano among them,
with the help of Carmine Pellegrino.
Even Mario Biaggi came up again……but Robert would say he had troubles of
his own to deal with.
So we moved forward with the Bar Mitzvah, with Robert free on
probation – but guilty! Of several crimes.
And in attendance at Jason’s Bar Mitzvah, was a sit down ready to
happen! A sit down was the term Robert
used when the Mafia people he knew wanted to hold a meeting…..Silly me – didn’t
put things together until the day of Jason’s reception.
I had Carmine Pellegrino seated near Pat and Selma Simone,
who were seated near Joe and Anna Simone, who were seated near my boss Maggie
Ehrilich and her husband Bernie (who had just “gotten home” from wherever he
was.)
As soon as everyone saw each other – I was dragged outside by
Maggie. She was literally white as a
sheet and gripping my dress. “Do you
know who those people are?,” she cried.
I told her that of course I did….and then she told me the story about
how her life was destroyed by Pat and Joe Simone.
Do you remember ever hearing about the scandal Wedtech? *
Please refer to my note below for a full description of this scandal. Well,
here was my son’s reception for a Bar Mitzvah, and after being beaten periodically
throughout the abuse I took from Robert – I also had to contend with this kind
of fiasco – the mob, murder, crime – I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Wedtech involved Pat Simone…..using Bernard
Ehrlich, an attorney, as a scapegoat.
Pat had told Bernie to take the fall for the crime – or his family would
“pay” for it. Terrified, Bernie went to
jail for years – and never ratted on the real guilty party – PATRICK
SIMONE. Bernie was a broken man. And Pat was MAFIA. All this came out on December 10, 1994, as
EJM entertained 80 children and 150 adults…at the Mamaroneck Yacht Club
extravaganza. What did I do?
I went into the ladies’ room and cried.
I handled it for my son’s sake. I
was used to getting hit during my marriage by Robert Levine. If I upset his “family” or
“friends/Simones”….I knew there would be hell to pay. Maggie and Bernie stayed for a short time,
then left the party very early. And I
truly believed now that I was involved with the mob.
Those times I attended talks behind a butcher shop, the
dinners I went to when the men went outside alone….sit downs. I went to them at different locations – and
know which places are owned by the Mafia.
The Surf Club in New Rochelle had the best food among them. Senator Nick Spano would probably agree. He sat with me at an affair once (a mob
member’s grandchild got married)….and I made the mistake of thanking the then
senator for all the favors he did for Robert (he got IRS to give Robert a huge
check, got my ex’s criminal charges erased, etc.). Boy, did Nick give me a look that could kill,
and he literally did that move like cutting his throat with his hand – a
message for me to shut up. So I
continued to sit there all night and talk with his newscaster sister in
law. Nick was too spooky.
Feels kind of like I’m writing a book – and perhaps this blog
entry is too long? I’ll have to save
more for another day – like the insurance fraud, counterfeit money scheme, etc.
The money laundering that Robert Levine did is still probably a daily
occurrence. He cashes people’s checks
for a percentage of the sum involved.
And he was always proud of how he could screw people.
Never scared or fearful, Robert even told me how he saw
someone shot only feet in front of him as he was walking in front of the “dock”
at the Hunts Point Market place of work.
Robert is never worried…he has too many connections and told me that he
paid for protection. Cocky as always, he
said he paid another provision company in the Bronx market to watch
over him. Robert also helped this other provision company
change their business over to that computer program design – and took it as
assurance for his protection. Mr. Levine told me often...how he despised the owner of this other provision company .
But between paying them every week and taking care of the company's
inventory programming, Robert said he had the assurance of safety. Personally,
I think Robert Levine talked too much.
When I filed for divorce the last time (remember it was the
third time I tried to escape the brutal domestic violence), Robert said he was
going to use the Simone connections to kill me in court. He also said he would do anything he had to
so I would never see my sons again. He
kept his word about both. A few months
ago, I called Joe Simone at his place of work….now Simone Development. He is a huge bigshot in the real estate
market – and has many connections as he supports the New York economy. I begged him to lay off of me….to stop
helping my now ex husband (my divorce was granted on cruel and inhuman
treatment…divorced since 2005). Joe was Joe – it was all about him and he
couldn’t be bothered listening to my situation.
He forgot where he came from – and how long we knew each other. I realize now that he is as much a narcissist
as Robert Levine is – and who knows what he does to his own wife in private.
I tried begging for these people to leave me be. For a little peace. But you know what they say ….married to the
mob…..
(I want to send a special thanks to our local Police Department for helping me to feel safe enough to write this.)
*from
wikepedia:
“The Wedtech Scandal was the name of an American political
scandal that came to light in the late 1980s involving the Wedtech Corporation.
The company had been founded in Bronx County, New York by a
Puerto Rican named John Mariotta, and originally manufactured baby carriages.
But after a number of years, Mariotta brought in a partner, Fred Neuberger, and
began focusing on contracts for the Department of Defense.
As a major employer in a depressed part of New York City
Wedtech enjoyed a strong local reputation, and was even praised by then U.S.
President Ronald Reagan for the jobs it provided for those who might otherwise
be forced onto welfare rolls.
But Wedtech had won many of its defense contracts under a
Small Business Administration program which allowed minority-owned businesses
to be awarded no-bid contracts, despite the fact that Fred Neuberger, not a
member of any minority, owned a majority of the company's stock, thus
disqualifying Wedtech as a minority-owned business. To keep Neuberger's
controlling ownership secret, the company committed fraud, forging papers that
claimed Mariotta was still the primary owner of the company.
When Wedtech went public, it gave shares of stock to law
firms (as payment for legal services), including Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent
& Sheinfeld. But many of the law firms employed members of the U.S. House
of Representatives, including Bronx Congressmen Mario Biaggi and Robert Garcia,
who would later be forced to resign their seats due to their roles in the
scandal.[1][2]
Another key figure in the scandal was Paul Castellano's first
cousin, Maj. General Vito Castellano[3] who occupied key capitol positions in Albany,
such as the former commander of the New York National Guard and Governor
Cuomo's former chief of staff.[4] Vito Castellano pleaded guilty to state
charges of tax evasion in connection with payments from the Wedtech
Corporation. Indicted on charges of bribing Mr. Castellano was Bernard C.
Ehrlich, whom Castellano had promoted to commanding officer of the 42d Infantry
Division of the National Guard.[5]”