In my first two articles on Writing the National Security Thriller, I addressed the importance of verisimilitude and people, places and things. But the heart of any espionage tale lies in spy tradecraft. If the writing is good, the plot appears true-to-life and you've populated your story with credible characters, places and things, and you've got the tradecraft nailed down, you at least have the makings of a winner.
When I worked as a diplomat in Cuba, that country's intelligence services were on me practically 24/7. They tailed me constantly, riffled through my belongings, slashed my car tires, bugged my phone calls and placed hidden videocams in my hotel rooms. In Vietnam, that country's intelligence service set up a clandestine surveillance post in a building just opposite my villa and kept watch on me and my family for four years. I was often tailed there as well. Same in China, Laos and Cambodia. The formerly communist Hungarian secret service tried to lure me into a so-called "honey trap." I got into a car chase with a Russian KGB agent who pissed me off, and required 24/7 armed bodyguards in face of Iranian threats to U.S. diplomats. State Department Diplomatic Security authorized me to carry a weapon at times like that after scoring top marks in shooting tests. I also had the privilege of once working with the Secret Service on a presidential protective detail. All great grist for my novels.
When you serve as a U.S. envoy in countries ruled by governments hostile to America, these types of things become almost second nature. I incorporate my real-life experiences with intelligence and security activities in my thrillers. But what if the Cuban Directorate of Intelligence hasn't been on your case? And what if the Iranians haven't issued a fatwa against you? What if (for you) "Walk-ins Welcome" means your hairdresser accepts customers with no appointments rather than (to me) political defectors are encouraged to join our side? If you're an insurance adjuster by day, but an aspiring thriller writer in your free time, what do you do to make your tales crackle with authentic action as opposed to lumbering under contrived artifice? Ask Tom Clancy. He pulled it off and the rest is history.
There's no easy route to enlightenment here. Research and more research is the answer. Before even thinking of setting fingertips to keyboard with your story, hit the books and gain an understanding of the arcane worlds of espionage, or the military, or politics, or law enforcement, or whatever niche in which you're writing. As for espionage, I recommend reading the works of the best spy thriller fiction writers: John LeCarre, Eric Ambler, Alan Furst, Daniel Silva, David Ignatius. Other spy tale writers may slap together entertaining yarns, but too many of them flunk the reality test. I'd avoid them as I researched for my own opus and stick to the masters.
On the non-fiction side, there are surprisingly few classic guides on spy tradecraft. Two that I recommend (if you can find them in print) are: The Craft of Intelligence by Allen Dulles and Without Cloak or Dagger: The Truth About the New Espionage by Miles Copeland. They provide the timeless basics of spy tradecraft in very readable form. Another good, but more up-to-date, introduction is Wikipedia. Start with their article on HUMINT, i.e., human intelligence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clandestine_HUMINT. And, as I stated in my last article on writing the national security thriller, read the many excellent nonfiction books, usually by journalists, on real spy cases -- the Walker spy ring, Aldrich Ames, Robert Hansson, Jonathan Pollack, Anna Montes, et al. They provide detailed accounts of how spies, traitors and counterspies work. Finally, another good source on tradecraft is the legal indictments against those caught spying for foreign powers -- all of the above cases plus the recent Russian sleeper agent ring cracked by the FBI. These documents can be found through the websites of the relevant U.S. Attorney offices which prosecuted the cases.
If you invest the time poring over all of these resources, you'll find yourself actually grasping the esoteric and twisted world of spies and how they operate. You'll also find yourself doing surveillance detection runs in your hometown just in case the Cuban DI is on your case. . .
See also:
Writing the National Security Thriller, Part I: Tips for the Lay Author
Writing the National Security Thriller, Part II: People, Places & Things
Writing About Spies: Some Observations
Why Spies Love My Books
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Interview With Washington Socialite Camilla Loomis: "Powerful Men Fascinate Me"
DIPLO: Camilla, thanks for taking the time for this interview. Most folks outside the Washington Beltway are unlikely to have heard of you. First, tell us what exactly is a "socialite"?
CAMILLA: I hate that term. It implies somebody who just flits from one party to another, or something flighty like that. I don't have a "job title." I see myself as someone who facilitates contact, who gets people together who should be talking to one another. In D.C., these are the policymakers, those who make decisions the entire world will have to live with, for better or worse.DIPLO: You're on the Democrat side of the equation. Can you describe your political journey?
CAMILLA: An old, departed friend, Vince Colletta, who was high up in the CIA, used to say, "When it comes to politics the Republicans are more treacherous. The Democrats get too conscience-stricken and commit suicide or write a book.” Ha. Ha. My journey started when I was young. Then I met Jared, my late husband. Jared was a force of nature in the Democratic Party. It was through him that I got involved.
DIPLO: You were quite the rainmaker in the last election. Scuttlebutt has it that you could have had any number of cabinet positions, but that you turned away from holding office. Care to comment?
CAMILLA: After serving as America's first woman ambassador to the Court of St. James, I decided to devote myself fully toward building the Democratic Party. That's all.
DIPLO: How's Obama doing, in your view?
CAMILLA: He's getting the job done in face of tremendous odds. The Republicans want to tear him down, pure and simple. They remind me of wolves viciously attacking a prey.
DIPLO: That's pretty strong language.
CAMILLA: But it's true. Barack is a sweet man. A good man. Also, brilliant. Just listen to his speeches.
DIPLO: So, you know him personally?
CAMILLA: Yes. I find him fascinating. Powerful men fascinate me.
DIPLO: I see. When did you first meet Pres. Obama?
CAMILLA: Oh, we met very early on, months before he made that incredible keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He was this inspiring, intense man I'd met at Party meetings in Chicago. He had my rapt attention. I urged the party leadership to give him a prominent speaking role at the convention. And voila! It happened.
DIPLO: So, you two hit it off?
CAMILLA: Oh, yes. He talked hours about how he would bring change to this country. We took long walks deep in discussion. And, oh! His obsession with basketball! When he talks about his favorite teams, his eyes light up…and these dimples form on his cheeks. And Barack absolutely adores Five Guys hamburgers and…uh, he, uh, he and, uh, Michelle, are such, uh, a handsome couple.
DIPLO: Well, your admiration for the president certainly shows itself.
CAMILLA: Sure. He's a great president.
DIPLO: Switching gears -- Billionaire Jared Loomis was over five decades your senior. Fifty-six years exactly. How would you describe your relationship?
CAMILLA: Jared was a pillar in 20th century history--
DIPLO: Uh-huh. In his book on Afghanistan in American politics, Tribe, author James Bruno quoted you as stating, "I’m not a golddigger. I know what people say. In a way, it’s what they think but don’t say that gets to me more. You can see it in their faces, the way they observe discreetly at a distance, their smarmy grins when introduced to me in Jared’s presence. ‘Oh, yes. The young social climber, the bimbo marrying Mr. Big Bucks.’ Well, damn it. I was determined to show them otherwise, and I have.”
CAMILLA: I'm not going to comment. My lawyers advise me not to. I'm considering filing a lawsuit against Mr. Bruno for slander.
DIPLO: Bruno is a veteran diplomat and graduate of the United States Naval War College. His books are all bestsellers and Tribe has been called by Readers Choice "a brilliant book." He has a sterling reputation.
CAMILLA: He's also very handsome, tall and charming. But that doesn't give him license to say what he wants about us -- I mean -- me.
DIPLO: Were you and Bruno an item?
CAMILLA: Of course not. I don't like the turn this interview is taking.
DIPLO: In his book, Bruno claims you were romantically involved with a CIA covert officer and whistleblower named Harry Brennan. Brennan exposed a play-for-pay scheme involving senior U.S. officials and Afghanistan.
CAMILLA: I can't comment. Can we change the subject please?DIPLO: Okay. But just one more item addressed in Bruno's book. He describes your origins as West Virginia trailer trash, that your original name was Cammy-Lou McGuthrie and that a New Jersey mob boss named Frank DeFalco rescued you from poverty, groomed you for polite society and introduced you to the high and mighty in Washington political circles--
CAMILLA: This interview is ended!
See also:
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Should We Fear Chinese Aircraft Carriers?
Following are excerpts:
The carrier "is of very limited military utility; it will serve primarily to confer prestige on a rising great power, help the Chinese military master basic procedures of naval airpower, and project a bit of military power—perhaps especially against the smaller neighbors on the periphery of the South China Sea. This is not the beginning of the end; it is the end of the beginning.
To realize its ambitions for the future, China had to start somewhere. Among the likely strategic benefits for China is enhanced regional diplomatic influence. A carrier group would offer immense diplomatic payoff in visible naval presence in the South China Sea and Southeast Asia, along key sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean, and in humanitarian missions throughout the region. Simply steaming aircraft carriers anywhere in the Asia-Pacific would send a strong signal to the region that China’s power is significant. Visiting ports in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in particular would send a powerful political message of expanding Chinese military might."
As I see it, it is important to watch China's development of its naval power in the coming two decades. The U.S. currently has 11 aircraft carriers at a cost of roughly $24 billion apiece. Italy has two. Russia, France, the United Kingdom, India, Spain, Brazil and Thailand each have one. China has announced plans to build four carriers by the 2020s. Thus, in ten years, China's fleet of carriers will surpass most of the world's blue-water navies. China's carrier fleet will be in a position to alter the Pacific geopolitical configuration, easily securing passage throughout the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, not to mention the Taiwan Strait.
China is decades away from putting into place the extremely complex and costly human, financial and logistical infrastructure needed to support aircraft carriers and associated weapons systems, something the U.S. has been developing for a century now. And once it does have a carrier group in place, the primary potential threat will be toward China's Asian neighbors more than the United States. But Beijing has taken the first step, an event which gives great concern to its regional neighbors. The latter are quietly clamoring for increased U.S. military presence, including former enemies such as Vietnam. China's growing naval power is a factor that requires rigorous study in U.S. strategic planning over the next three decades at least.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Hydra Publications Interviews Me On Writing and My Latest Thrillers
Interview with James Bruno by Hydra Publications
http://www.hydrapublications.com/2012/01/04/interview-with-james-bruno/
January 4th, 2012
Today I would like to welcome James Bruno to the site.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Twenty-five years in the federal government placed me in situations which made me say, “Fiction can’t rival this.” So, I cut short my diplomatic career to have more fun writing stories which encompass the chicanery and fecklessness of government. If you thought Washington was out of control, then don’t read my books. They’ll only confirm your worst fears about how things are done in our nation’s capital.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Rather short sentences. Plenty of dialogue. Close attention to detailed texture and sense of a place and of people. I want my characters to be three dimensional and my settings to have color, smell and sound.
How did you come up with the title?
“Tribe” refers not only to the ethnic groups of Afghanistan and Yemen which comprise part of the story, but also the political “tribal” groupings that constitute the various power centers in Washington. The epitaph of a deceased senior CIA officer in the book’s epilogue reads, Our Tribe Lost.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Following a moral course isn’t always easy.
How much of the book is realistic?
My background as a diplomat, military intelligence officer and journalist lend an authenticity to my books that the vast majority of my competition lacks. You are getting a dose of the real thing with James Bruno’s books, not contrived fantasies. I believe this has been a factor in all three of my thrillers becoming Kindle bestsellers and my getting national media exposure on NBC’s Today Show, in the Washington Post and other news outlets – also my landing Stieg Larsson’s agent.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I draw heavily on my two decades-plus of working in the national security arena. Characters and events are often slightly altered from real people I’ve known and real events I’ve experienced. It is due to this verisimilitude based on my experiences that I must submit to government security review and censorship of all of my writing.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Non-fiction books encompassing history, biography and travel influenced my chosen career.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
In my genre, probably Daniel Silva. In contrast to most of the competition, he writes intelligent and realistic espionage tales.
What book are you reading now?
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCollough.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I’m still exploring.
What are your current projects?
HAVANA QUEEN, an espionage thriller set in Cuba, where I’ve served, is due out in 2012 (after the Feds finish with it).
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Gloria Nagy, NYT bestselling author.
Do you see writing as a career?
As a three-book Amazon bestseller with steady and growing writing income, I view this as my career.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Probably to put yet more “kinetic” action between the beginning and end, because that’s what readers expect in this genre.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Yes. I started out as a journalist. But finding myself in so many unreal and surreal circumstances during a diplomatic career that inserted me in places like Cuba, Pakistan/Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and other exotic locales, often war-torn, I found myself stating repeatedly, “Fiction can’t rival this.”
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
HAVANA QUEEN posits an end-of-days scenario for the Castro regime, intertwined with an intricate and dangerous war of espionage between Cuba and the United States. I draw heavily from my service both inside Cuba and at Guantanamo Naval Base.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Joseph Conrad. I’m particularly struck by how this Polish-born man who didn’t start to learn English until he was 16 could become such a master of the language.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I front-loaded most of my travel in the course of over two decades traveling and living abroad as a diplomat, sometimes in war zones, often in communist countries.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Staying in the mental groove in the face of the distractions of daily life.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learn many new things from each of my books, ranging from the history of the KGB to the intricacies of weapons systems. From my Cuba thriller, I’m learning many fascinating things about Cuba’s burgeoning social network-based human rights and political activists.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
It’s a steep and l-o-n-g learning curve. Successful authors are those who never give up. Improve your craft; learn the business side. I would skip the legacy route altogether and self-publish. Life is too short.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
If you want to read political and spy thrillers that hew closely to the way things are really done as opposed to fantastical artifice, you’ll enjoy my books.
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
I’m a meticulous researcher. I researched for my Cuba thriller for nine months before setting finger to keyboard – even though I’ve served in Cuba and at GTMO. Another is the lengthy government security review process my books must undergo, which results in months of lost time and invariably text redactions and changes.
What books have influenced your writing?
Heart of Darkness, The Quiet American, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, among others.
What genre do you consider your book(s)?
Political and espionage thrillers.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Not really. Just writer’s uncertainty.
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
I keep a running outline that I fill out in more detail as I write the story.
Have you ever hated something you wrote?
Some passages maybe, but not any of my entire books.
What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Political-espionage-military thrillers. My recurrent theme is the difficult moral choices people often face in the service of their country as well as the fecklessness and cynicism that infuses government decision-making.
http://www.hydrapublications.com/2012/01/04/interview-with-james-bruno/
January 4th, 2012
Today I would like to welcome James Bruno to the site.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Twenty-five years in the federal government placed me in situations which made me say, “Fiction can’t rival this.” So, I cut short my diplomatic career to have more fun writing stories which encompass the chicanery and fecklessness of government. If you thought Washington was out of control, then don’t read my books. They’ll only confirm your worst fears about how things are done in our nation’s capital.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Rather short sentences. Plenty of dialogue. Close attention to detailed texture and sense of a place and of people. I want my characters to be three dimensional and my settings to have color, smell and sound.
How did you come up with the title?
“Tribe” refers not only to the ethnic groups of Afghanistan and Yemen which comprise part of the story, but also the political “tribal” groupings that constitute the various power centers in Washington. The epitaph of a deceased senior CIA officer in the book’s epilogue reads, Our Tribe Lost.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Following a moral course isn’t always easy.
How much of the book is realistic?
My background as a diplomat, military intelligence officer and journalist lend an authenticity to my books that the vast majority of my competition lacks. You are getting a dose of the real thing with James Bruno’s books, not contrived fantasies. I believe this has been a factor in all three of my thrillers becoming Kindle bestsellers and my getting national media exposure on NBC’s Today Show, in the Washington Post and other news outlets – also my landing Stieg Larsson’s agent.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I draw heavily on my two decades-plus of working in the national security arena. Characters and events are often slightly altered from real people I’ve known and real events I’ve experienced. It is due to this verisimilitude based on my experiences that I must submit to government security review and censorship of all of my writing.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Non-fiction books encompassing history, biography and travel influenced my chosen career.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
In my genre, probably Daniel Silva. In contrast to most of the competition, he writes intelligent and realistic espionage tales.
What book are you reading now?
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCollough.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I’m still exploring.
What are your current projects?
HAVANA QUEEN, an espionage thriller set in Cuba, where I’ve served, is due out in 2012 (after the Feds finish with it).
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Gloria Nagy, NYT bestselling author.
Do you see writing as a career?
As a three-book Amazon bestseller with steady and growing writing income, I view this as my career.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Probably to put yet more “kinetic” action between the beginning and end, because that’s what readers expect in this genre.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Yes. I started out as a journalist. But finding myself in so many unreal and surreal circumstances during a diplomatic career that inserted me in places like Cuba, Pakistan/Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and other exotic locales, often war-torn, I found myself stating repeatedly, “Fiction can’t rival this.”
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
HAVANA QUEEN posits an end-of-days scenario for the Castro regime, intertwined with an intricate and dangerous war of espionage between Cuba and the United States. I draw heavily from my service both inside Cuba and at Guantanamo Naval Base.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Joseph Conrad. I’m particularly struck by how this Polish-born man who didn’t start to learn English until he was 16 could become such a master of the language.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I front-loaded most of my travel in the course of over two decades traveling and living abroad as a diplomat, sometimes in war zones, often in communist countries.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Staying in the mental groove in the face of the distractions of daily life.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learn many new things from each of my books, ranging from the history of the KGB to the intricacies of weapons systems. From my Cuba thriller, I’m learning many fascinating things about Cuba’s burgeoning social network-based human rights and political activists.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
It’s a steep and l-o-n-g learning curve. Successful authors are those who never give up. Improve your craft; learn the business side. I would skip the legacy route altogether and self-publish. Life is too short.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
If you want to read political and spy thrillers that hew closely to the way things are really done as opposed to fantastical artifice, you’ll enjoy my books.
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
I’m a meticulous researcher. I researched for my Cuba thriller for nine months before setting finger to keyboard – even though I’ve served in Cuba and at GTMO. Another is the lengthy government security review process my books must undergo, which results in months of lost time and invariably text redactions and changes.
What books have influenced your writing?
Heart of Darkness, The Quiet American, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, among others.
What genre do you consider your book(s)?
Political and espionage thrillers.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Not really. Just writer’s uncertainty.
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
I keep a running outline that I fill out in more detail as I write the story.
Have you ever hated something you wrote?
Some passages maybe, but not any of my entire books.
What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
Political-espionage-military thrillers. My recurrent theme is the difficult moral choices people often face in the service of their country as well as the fecklessness and cynicism that infuses government decision-making.
Interview With ex-Mob Boss Al Malandrino: "I've Gone Legit"
AL: That's correct.
DIPLO: Bruno also wrote about your dealings with Secretary Dennison back then:
"You're a rich guy. Very rich, I would guess. You come from a nice old family . . . Why would a guy like you be on the take for cash? You don't need it. How much richer do you need to get?"
"Al, I'm not 'on the take.' You don't get it, do you? This cash that exchanges hands from you to me doesn't stay with me. I don't keep it."
Al looked at him quizzically.
"The campaign season begins, next year is an election year, remember? Congress has tied our hands on funding over the years to such an extent that they have undermined the Constitution's intent for fair and free elections . . . You're naive if you think that fifty million conscientious citizens marking the box on their tax return for a three-dollar contribution to the election fund is going to make everything democratic and peachy. This is not Plato's Republic, Al. It's America."
AL: Like I said earlier, the Borgias could've learned from these guys. In the end, I served my country and helped bring them all down. I've gone legit. Jack Abramoff was a bit player in this corruption. It's much, much bigger than guys like him. I love this country. It's made me what I am.
DIPLO: Do you feel Bruno treated you fairly in his book?
AL: That guy's ****ing brilliant! He used to be a reporter -- even covered mob trials in New York. Then he joins the Feds, trained by the Navy too. I love his books. They're all bestsellers. And he's a paisan' too. That's why he's so smart. You want to know about the real Al Malandrino, what makes me tick? Read his book.
DIPLO: Thanks, Al, for taking the time to meet. And good luck with your book.
AL: Thanks. I'm trying to get Jim Bruno to ghost write it for me.
See also: Interview With ex-East German Assassin Horst Fechtmann
 |
| Al Malandrino |
DIPLO DENIZEN: Al, thanks for agreeing to this interview. You've been out of the media's eye for some time now and people are wondering what you're up to.
AL: I'm writing a book.
DIPLO: No kidding. About what?
DIPLO: No kidding. About what?
AL: About my life. About a kid who grows up in New York to poor immigrant parents and how that kid did good for himself.
DIPLO: What's the title?
AL: I Never Slept With the Fishes.
DIPLO: Huh?
AL: Yeah. It's a play on that old mob expression. You know…like a made guy gets whacked and ends up sharing a co-op with some bass…
DIPLO: Ah, yeah. I get the picture. I saw The Godfather too.
AL: The book's loaded with my special sense of humor. Heh, heh.
DIPLO: Indeed. Well. So, Al, when did you start going wrong -- I mean, what led you into a life of crime?
AL: I grew up in Bensonhurst -- in Brooklyn. Them days, times were tough. There were too many temptations. I dropped out of school at 16 and got involved with a gang called the Fulton-Rockaway Boys. Anthony Ruggiero and Willie Boy Johnson took me under their wing. Then I joined Carmine Fatico's crew.
DIPLO: What did you do as an understudy, if you will, with those guys?
AL: Oh, hijacking cargo from JFK mostly. We were thieves, plain and simple. I was a dumb kid. Do anything for a thrill. And these guys, they made it happen. Tons of thrills.
DIPLO: Did you have one of those outlandish mob nicknames?
AL: Oh, yeah. You bet. Mostly, I was known as "Al Two Toes." Other times, people called me "Al Artichokes."
DIPLO: How did you get names like those?
AL: When I was eight, this kid, "Johnny Blow," and I were stealing a cement mixer from a construction site. This machine was obviously too big for two little squirts to handle. But we pushed with all our might. Well, this cement mixer goes and falls on me. But it only hit my left foot, crushing two toes. Since then I've walked with a limp. As for "Al Artichokes," I love eating Caccioli 'nto Tianu -- Sicilian stuffed artichokes. My grandmother made the best!
DIPLO: Got it. Now back to when you were under the wings of those gentlemen you mentioned. Were you ever arrested?
AL: I've been busted six-seven times. Small stuff mostly. I did eighteen months at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary after getting caught hijacking $50,000 worth of cigarettes from JFK. I was lucky -- very lucky -- never having done some long-term hard time in the joint.
DIPLO: I've got to ask this. Ever "whack" anyone, Al?
AL: Listen, I was brought up in a strict Catholic family. "Thou shalt not kill," says the Bible. Am I right? It's a mortal sin to kill people.
DIPLO: Uh, you didn't answer my question. Did you, or didn't you?
AL: Let me put it this way. If I did ever burn anyone, I'd be behind bars right now, wouldn't I?
DIPLO: Not necessarily. Not if you copped a deal with the authorities -- turned state's evidence -- like Sammy "the Bull" Gravano did.
AL: Sammy The Bull?! Oh, yeah? Where's he now? In ****ing prison. Had a good deal after testifying against his old boss, John Gotti. Witness Protection Program. Free as a bird. Then the ciucciamoke blows it and gets busted, along with his wife and kids, for running an ecstasy ring. That guy's dumber than a box of hammers. Deserved what he got.
DIPLO: They say you carried out the hit against Nicholas "Little Nicky" Cirillo, that it was a paid hit.
AL: That's a loada ****. I was cooperating with the Feds by that time. Besides, everybody knows his old man, "Quiet Dom" Cirillo whacked his son. That's an infammia -- even if his kid had it coming. Who would kill their own kid? Those Cirillos are all animals.
DIPLO: Changing subjects, you go from a caporegime in the Gambino crime family to boss, then next thing we know, you're playing high stakes political poker with senior White House officials. You had a Secretary of State in your hip pocket and basically paid off, if indirectly, the President's National Security Advisor. The Russian intelligence service is in this swirl as well as a host of other figures we've never seen mixed up with the Mafia before. How did you do it?
AL: It's a) a long story; and b) a lot of it is off limits -- part of the deal I cut with the court. But I can tell you this much: the Russian mob is taking over the crime sectors that the Italian mob used to dominate. That nobody in our government is beyond corruption -- ever. Money and power dominate how the pezzonovanti -- big shots -- in Washington think. Hasn't changed since the days of the Borgias. Different era. New players. Same base motives.
DIPLO: What did you do as an understudy, if you will, with those guys?
AL: Oh, hijacking cargo from JFK mostly. We were thieves, plain and simple. I was a dumb kid. Do anything for a thrill. And these guys, they made it happen. Tons of thrills.
DIPLO: Did you have one of those outlandish mob nicknames?
AL: Oh, yeah. You bet. Mostly, I was known as "Al Two Toes." Other times, people called me "Al Artichokes."
DIPLO: How did you get names like those?
AL: When I was eight, this kid, "Johnny Blow," and I were stealing a cement mixer from a construction site. This machine was obviously too big for two little squirts to handle. But we pushed with all our might. Well, this cement mixer goes and falls on me. But it only hit my left foot, crushing two toes. Since then I've walked with a limp. As for "Al Artichokes," I love eating Caccioli 'nto Tianu -- Sicilian stuffed artichokes. My grandmother made the best!
DIPLO: Got it. Now back to when you were under the wings of those gentlemen you mentioned. Were you ever arrested?
AL: I've been busted six-seven times. Small stuff mostly. I did eighteen months at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary after getting caught hijacking $50,000 worth of cigarettes from JFK. I was lucky -- very lucky -- never having done some long-term hard time in the joint.
DIPLO: I've got to ask this. Ever "whack" anyone, Al?
AL: Listen, I was brought up in a strict Catholic family. "Thou shalt not kill," says the Bible. Am I right? It's a mortal sin to kill people.
DIPLO: Uh, you didn't answer my question. Did you, or didn't you?
AL: Let me put it this way. If I did ever burn anyone, I'd be behind bars right now, wouldn't I?
DIPLO: Not necessarily. Not if you copped a deal with the authorities -- turned state's evidence -- like Sammy "the Bull" Gravano did.
AL: Sammy The Bull?! Oh, yeah? Where's he now? In ****ing prison. Had a good deal after testifying against his old boss, John Gotti. Witness Protection Program. Free as a bird. Then the ciucciamoke blows it and gets busted, along with his wife and kids, for running an ecstasy ring. That guy's dumber than a box of hammers. Deserved what he got.
DIPLO: They say you carried out the hit against Nicholas "Little Nicky" Cirillo, that it was a paid hit.
AL: That's a loada ****. I was cooperating with the Feds by that time. Besides, everybody knows his old man, "Quiet Dom" Cirillo whacked his son. That's an infammia -- even if his kid had it coming. Who would kill their own kid? Those Cirillos are all animals.
DIPLO: Changing subjects, you go from a caporegime in the Gambino crime family to boss, then next thing we know, you're playing high stakes political poker with senior White House officials. You had a Secretary of State in your hip pocket and basically paid off, if indirectly, the President's National Security Advisor. The Russian intelligence service is in this swirl as well as a host of other figures we've never seen mixed up with the Mafia before. How did you do it?
AL: It's a) a long story; and b) a lot of it is off limits -- part of the deal I cut with the court. But I can tell you this much: the Russian mob is taking over the crime sectors that the Italian mob used to dominate. That nobody in our government is beyond corruption -- ever. Money and power dominate how the pezzonovanti -- big shots -- in Washington think. Hasn't changed since the days of the Borgias. Different era. New players. Same base motives.
DIPLO: In his book, Permanent Interests, James Bruno wrote that your thinking was that "History had found out only a fraction of the nefarious deeds of our leaders. Politics was just another racket and the government just another gang to deal with."
AL: That's correct.
DIPLO: Bruno also wrote about your dealings with Secretary Dennison back then:
"You're a rich guy. Very rich, I would guess. You come from a nice old family . . . Why would a guy like you be on the take for cash? You don't need it. How much richer do you need to get?"
"Al, I'm not 'on the take.' You don't get it, do you? This cash that exchanges hands from you to me doesn't stay with me. I don't keep it."
Al looked at him quizzically.
"The campaign season begins, next year is an election year, remember? Congress has tied our hands on funding over the years to such an extent that they have undermined the Constitution's intent for fair and free elections . . . You're naive if you think that fifty million conscientious citizens marking the box on their tax return for a three-dollar contribution to the election fund is going to make everything democratic and peachy. This is not Plato's Republic, Al. It's America."
AL: Like I said earlier, the Borgias could've learned from these guys. In the end, I served my country and helped bring them all down. I've gone legit. Jack Abramoff was a bit player in this corruption. It's much, much bigger than guys like him. I love this country. It's made me what I am.
AL: That guy's ****ing brilliant! He used to be a reporter -- even covered mob trials in New York. Then he joins the Feds, trained by the Navy too. I love his books. They're all bestsellers. And he's a paisan' too. That's why he's so smart. You want to know about the real Al Malandrino, what makes me tick? Read his book.
DIPLO: Thanks, Al, for taking the time to meet. And good luck with your book.
AL: Thanks. I'm trying to get Jim Bruno to ghost write it for me.
See also: Interview With ex-East German Assassin Horst Fechtmann
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