Tuffy

LSJohn

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monett missouri
Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna was reputed to be a button man for the Organization in Kansas City. I met Tuffy in the late 70s when we'd ocasionally play poker in the same games; he was about 45-50 years old then. I don't know, of course, how he was when he was youger, but by age 50 he was a pretty mellow guy when away from "business," which I was never privvy to. He was a friendly, perfect gentleman when I was around him, and I think I told the story here of a time he just wrote off a debt that I think was about $5000 that a young "peckerwood" owed him, telling the guy to take the money and put it in a college fund for the debtor's young son. (By the way, as far as I could ever tell, "peckerwood" could be used derotgatorially, but it was usually just a descriptive term that meant "not Italian" for sure, and probably White... I heard the phrase more than once: "A good peckerwood." :) )

By the time I met him he had become (apparently) the head of the Kansas City "Family." This came as surprise to many, as former boss Nick Civella (who had gone to prison for gambling after being wiretapped discussing a $40,000 booking loss on Super Bowl IV between the Chiefs and Vikings) because Civella had two sons and a nephew in the organization, Carl "Cork" and Nick Jr. Word was that Cork was too hardheaded, but I don't know what hurt Nick's chances, if he even wanted the job. His nephew was Tony "Ripe," but he was bypassed too.

The Kansas City crew was an important cog in Chicago's operation skimming the Tropicana Casino, and Tuffy handled the communication and made the decisions about that role. The FBI got a few clues to it on an unrelated phone tap, and finally made a case convincing enough to a judge to authorize wiretaps on Tuffy's home phone and a bank of 4 phones at a motel near Tuffy's house that he was in the habit of using to communicate late at night. They nailed him good. They had him talking to Vince Agosto, the "manager" of the operation in Vegas, and Joey Aiuppa, the Chicago Boss. (The case they made nailed several others also. It had the nickname of "The Argent Corporation Case" if anyone is intersted enough to get further details via google or elsewhere.)

About this time two other guys I had played poker with were each found in the trunks of their cars. I doubt that it was connected in any way to Argent, but ya never know. "Curly" Metz was a well-known Tush Hog around Kansas City, but what his connection was, if any, to the Mob, I dunno. Felix "Phil" Farina was some kind of player in the Organization, but again, I don't know what. I thought he was well-liked and in a relatively high position (we poker players loved him because he always behaved like a gentleman and treated money like toilet paper.) Anyway, he took the gas-fume nap too.

This is not an endorsement, because I have no clue how brutal these guys might have been in business, but: 1) As much time as I spent with a dozen or so of these guys playing poker, I never saw one of them out of line, and; 2) In the only actual business dealings of theirs that I know for sure about, they look pretty good.

Tuffy's brother proposed that we make a partnership between their regular game and ours. We had a meeting to discuss it and decided that if they put the pressure on we'd just fold up and find another way to entertain ourselves. When our principal told "Frankie" we thought we were better off keeping our distance, given the obvious interest the Fibbies had in their activities, Frankie said, "No problem" and that was the last we heard of it.

While I was doing some football betting and booking I stayed clear of all those guys for the same reason. It didn't help. They got me for business I did with a peckerwood district manager for Pillsbury. :mad: :frus
 
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