Former Colombo crime family associate Larry Mazza addressed a wide range of topics during his weekly livestream, including the violent internal war that nearly destroyed the family, his criticism of John Gotti’s leadership style, and his ongoing film and documentary projects. Mazza, who served as one of the top shooters during the Colombo War of the early 1990s, reflected on the conflict and the loyalty that defined his crew during those dangerous years. On the subject of John Gotti, Mazza was blunt in his assessment. He said the late Gambino boss was “not his kind of guy” and that his flashy public image hurt Cosa Nostra, which traditionally prized a low-key approach.
He clarified that his criticism was not about toughness, noting he had been present for more hits than Gotti possibly was, but rather about leadership and discretion. He criticized Gotti for wearing expensive sharkskin suits and appearing on magazine covers, behavior Mazza said was counterproductive to the life. Mazza also repeated his claim that Gotti sometimes failed to pay his own bookmakers, saying he heard complaints firsthand from Gambino associates who came to collect from him while complaining they could not collect from their own boss. He maintained that Gotti did pay the Colombos because of the respect he had for Colombo boss Carmine Persico, but that other families were not treated the same way.
The conversation shifted to John Alite, a former Gambino associate and admitted killer who has recently faced legal trouble in New Jersey. Mazza argued that Alite should not be automatically treated as the villain, especially if the person he confronted had swindled him out of money. He said he does not blame Alite for defending himself or his property after being cheated, and expressed frustration that law enforcement often makes the person who took the money the victim rather than the person who stole from him. Mazza also suggested Alite’s foray into politics was a mistake, saying there are people in government who do not want former mob figures who have cooperated with authorities getting involved in public life.
On the topic of the Colombo War itself, Mazza provided details about the moment the conflict turned from a cold war into open violence in November 1992, when an attempt was made on the life of his mentor, Greg Scarpa Sr. Mazza described how rival faction leader Vic Orena had spent months consolidating power, promoting allies and demoting enemies, and that Scarpa knew a shooting war was inevitable. On the day of the assassination attempt, Mazza was at the gym rather than in his usual spot beside Scarpa. When he arrived at the crew’s pool room, he learned what had happened.
Scarpa’s car had been cut off by a truck and a van. Gunmen opened fire, and Scarpa’s men returned fire. Scarpa’s daughter-in-law, Linda, reportedly jumped on her baby to shield the child from the gunfire. Mazza said they later argued that the hit should have been called off because of the presence of women and children, but the response was that it was war.
He noted that one of the would-be attackers, a man nicknamed Peanuts, allegedly arranged to leave enough room for Scarpa to escape because he liked and respected him. Mazza dismissed suggestions the attack was staged, saying there was too much live gunfire exchanged for it to be fake. He also addressed conspiracy theories about the attack and the idea that Scarpa might have orchestrated it to escalate the war. Mazza said he could guarantee it was not staged.
Mazza also explained that after the failed hit, the conflict shifted into what Scarpa called “open season. ” He described how, as the war intensified, Scarpa trusted only him and another associate, Jimmy, and refused to involve anyone else in their operations. He described the strain of the war, including a tense moment in a Staten Island parking lot when he and his crew believed they were surrounded by enemy gunmen, only to realize the four approaching men were members of a bowling team carrying bags. Mazza also addressed a question about FBI agent R.
Lindley DeVecchio, Scarpa’s handler, who was accused of being corrupt. He said DeVecchio got a lucky break when the star witness, Linda Scarpa, gave conflicting accounts at different times. He suggested that Linda initially defended DeVecchio because she was still receiving payments from the FBI, and only later changed her story after the payments stopped. He also said the district attorney mishandled the case and could have addressed the contradictions on the witness stand.
Reflecting on the war’s broader history, Mazza said the documentary being produced about the conflict will use flashbacks to show earlier wars within the family dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. He also spoke about the planned movie or series based on his book, which he said has been praised by such figures as Nicholas Pileggi, De Niro, and “The Sopranos” writer Terry Winter, who wrote the screenplay. Mazza said he wrote the book himself and is proud that readers feel as though they are riding in the car with him rather than reading a dry history. He acknowledged that some of his dates and timeline details may be off by months, because so many events happened so quickly during the war.
He noted that his son was born in 1991 and was baptized a year later, and that the war was already underway by that point. Mazza also mentioned that the FBI helped remind him of details he had forgotten, noting that agents often knew more than he did about events he lived through. Asked about his memories of the Clinton election in 1992, Mazza said he doubted elections are predetermined but believes there is significant manipulation behind the scenes. He recalled Scarpa predicting that Bill Clinton would win even though George H.
W. Bush was a 40-to-1 favorite at the time, and said Scarpa likely got that information through his FBI contacts. Mazza was also asked whether his crew was involved in certain hits or only specific members. He explained that different crew members participated in different hits during the war, but that as the conflict worsened, Scarpa stopped trusting almost everyone except for him and Jimmy.
He told a story about digging a grave for Tony Frazetta, a man Scarpa liked but felt had to be killed. Mazza said the body was later dug up and the burial site is public knowledge. Asked about the crew’s habits, he described how they avoided their usual haunts and found obscure bars like one called the Bubble Nickel on Eighth Avenue to avoid being targeted themselves. On the subject of the television series “The Sopranos,” Mazza said he enjoyed the show and that the character Paulie Walnuts reminded him of real neighborhood figures.
He noted that Tony Sirico, the actor who played the role, grew up on 13th Avenue near where Mazza and his crew operated. He also discussed a subplot in the show that mirrored reality, in which an FBI agent banged his fist on a desk and declared, “We’re going to win this thing. ” Mazza said that scene was based on allegations about DeVecchio’s behavior during the war. Mazza also spoke about the attempted hit on Greg Scarpa Jr.
in prison on the same day his father was attacked. He said they were told the rival faction wanted to eliminate both father and son so the son could not come after them later. However, Mazza later heard from Greg Jr. himself that there was more to the story, possibly an internal dispute, and acknowledged there are different versions of events.
He said the war brought down the Colombo family and hurt the entire mob life, including innocent people who got caught in the crossfire. Mazza closed the show by thanking viewers for their questions and encouraging more audience-driven discussions in future episodes.