In my young days back on the streets in Brooklyn, I never thought I could be a writer. My mind was always fixed on how to make a buck. Writing was for the guys in the news, and as for books, well, let’s just say I never had a thing for books. Now, playing horses and shooting craps, that was my game. The Made Men in the neighborhood never had to push me to it. Once I got horses up my nose there was no stopping me. Back then, the years I spent … [Read more...]
FROM THE MOB TO THE MOVIES: How Richie Salerno Escaped The Mafia And Became A Hollywood Actor
The public knows him as the character Tony Darvo in the movie Midnight Run, but Richie Salerno was born into the world of the Brooklyn Mafia during the heyday of the New York mob and for a time it looked like he'd get caught up in a life of crime. After all, some of the most notorious figures in the gangster world he knew as uncles, aunts, cousins and family friends. During a stint in prison for theft, Richie turned his life around using the … [Read more...]
Book Trailer for From the Mob to the Movies
True Crime Book Trailer for From the Mob to the Movies: How I Escaped the Mob and Landed in Hollywood by Richie Salerno. Available in ebook and paperback: wbp.bz/mobtomovies "Richie Salerno has an amazing story to tell and he does in From The Mob To The Movies, taking readers from the streets of Brooklyn to Hollywood. Truly a must read." - Dennis N. Griffin, award-winning author of A 'FAMILY' BUSINESS and THE RISE AND FALL OF A 'CASINO' … [Read more...]
Denny Griffin Looks Back On His Time With Co-Author And Friend Frank Cullotta
WildBlue Press author and former gangster, Frank Cullota died on August 20, 2020. Although he had a fearsome reputation from his days as a hitman for Mob boss Tony Spilotro, many others knew a different side--gentle, warm, engaging. Among them was his frequent co-author and friend Denny Griffin with whom he wrote the bestselling book, "THE RISE AND FALL OF A 'CASINO' MOBSTER: The Tony Spilotro Story Through A Hitman's Eyes." They were … [Read more...]
WRONG NUMBERS: A Gripping True Story Of Call Girls, Hackers, And The Mob In Las Vegas
"Wrong Numbers is an intriguing and well-researched crime story detailing the intersection of big money and quick sex in the city that contains a lot of both." - Jack Sheehan, author of Skin City Was a hacker diverting phone calls meant for Las Vegas escort services? The FBI wanted to know, and so did associates of a New York Mafia family. In one of the most unusual undercover operations ever, the FBI had an agent … [Read more...]
WRONG NUMBERS Photo Gallery
Check out the photos from Glen Meek and Dennis N. Griffin's new true crime book, WRONG NUMBERS! … [Read more...]
A ‘FAMILY’ BUSINESS: The Life And Times Of Joey ‘The Fixer’ Silvestri
Joe Silvestri was a tough kid from the mean streets of New York. He went from street brawler to wearing a tux at the glamorous Copacabana. He eventually provided “muscle” for the Mob, a highly respected and feared fixer—the guy you went to if you had a problem that needed to be resolved. He followed Mob protocol when having a sit down with an adversary: You never break bread with the enemy. Award-winning Mob author Dennis Griffin joins forces … [Read more...]
SHOTS IN THE DARK: The Saga Of Rocco Balliro
On a cold, winter's night in early 1963, mob enforcer Rocco Anthony Balliro and a pair of associates stormed a darkened apartment on the outskirts of Boston and engaged in a fierce gun battle with several assailants (police officers, it turned out) waiting in ambush for the ex-convict and recent prison escapee. In the aftermath, a young woman and her toddler son lay dead. The story of Rocco Balliro, a petty criminal and enforcer for New England … [Read more...]