STEVEN SEAGAL AND THE MOB

It could have been a scene from The Sopranos except that it was for real. It took place on February 2, 2001, and the feds caught it all on audio tape. Two made members of the Mafia and an associate had met to discuss the shakedown of a Hollywood movie star. The actor was a martial artist who specialized in playing tough-guy heroes on the big screen. Throughout his career, the star had made several claims of real-life heroics, including black-ops jobs for the CIA and encounters with organized crime figures around the world. The actor also apparently had a fixation with urban Italian-Americans, claiming at one time to be half-Italian when in reality his mother was Irish and his father Jewish. In one of his films, he played an Italian-American detective with close ties to the old neighborhood and the hoods who infested it. In one scene, the hero sits down for espresso with the local boss, showing him the same respect that any of his soldiers would.

Perhaps this is why the real mobsters at the wiretapped meeting were having a good chuckle as they recounted a visit that a couple of them had paid on action-star Steven Seagal. On the FBI tape, they say that the tough-guy actor was "petrified." At this meeting Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone, an alleged capo in New York's Gambino organized-crime family, and his "right-hand man," Primo Cassarino, joked with Vincent Nasso about Seagal's less than heroic reactions to their shakedown attempts. The whole situation brought out the "Paulie Walnuts" in Cassarino. "I wish we had a gun on us," he says on the tape, "that would have been funny

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'PROTECTION' | 'Sopranos' actor Vincent says 'groups should have a better sense of humor'

Actor Frank Vincent from the former HBO mobster hit "The Sopranos" thinks his fellow Italian-Americans need to lighten up. The same, in his opinion, goes for brewing giant MillerCoors.

Vincent found out that the Miller Lite “Protection” ad campaign in which he stars was being pulled because of complaints from the Italian-American community when he received a Google alert about Wednesday’s exclusive Sun-Times story. He said he had not heard from either MillerCoors or DraftFCB about the decision

The axed Miller Lite campaign features Vincent as a mafioso thug trying to strong-arm a young clerk in a convenience store in one TV spot and do the same to a bartender in a bar in two other TV commercials, as well as in a number of radio spots. Vincent’s character in the commercials embodies many of the stereotypical tough-guy traits familiar from countless mafia portrayals in film and television, though in the Miller Lite commercials Vincent’s performance comes off as more of a spoof.

On Wednesday afternoon, Vincent said he was “absolutely surprised” by Italian Americans’ strong objections to his portrayal and by MillerCoors’ decision to pull the campaign so quickly.
After complaining to MillerCoors about the ads, Lou Rago, founder of the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago and Anthony Baratta, the Chicago-based national chairperson for the Commission for Social Justice, on Tuesday threatened to organize a boycott of MillerCoors by Italian Americans. By Tuesday afternoon, MillerCoors agreed to pull the campaign immediately, which would mean all ads will be gone from the air within a week.

“I think both of these groups should have a better sense of humor,” said Vincent, who has played a number of mafia characters over the years. He said he didn’t hesitate at all in taking on the role in the Miller Lite “Protection” campaign.

“The humor is there in the commercials, and a lot of people were enjoying the work,” added Vincent, who also said MillerCoors and its ad agency DraftFCB/Chicago spent “a lot of money” on the television and radio ad campaign that was slated to run at least through the summer.

The “Protection” campaign was the first big Miller Lite campaign to come out of DraftFCB since MillerCoors handed the agency the major account two months ago. DraftFCB also handles advertising for the “competing” Coors Light brand.

Movie actor was a real tough guy.

Robert Mitchum was a legitimate tough guy.. His macho mannerisms were a templet for Hoodlums everywhere ..They copied his swaggering walk, hell, others even smoked their cigarettes like him. .Mtchum's machismo didn't only extend to the silver screen, he became double-tough as a result of many bouts of barroom brawling. Mitchum regularly caught the Friday night fight card at the Olympic auditorium with his friend, mobster, Anthony "the Animal "Fiato . Mitchum and Anthony Fiato were both boxing buffs.. They would go toe-to-toe for hours calling each others favorite fighter a bum , or tomato can.. Fiato says Mitchum's love for boxing can best be described by this Quote from the movie"The Champion".. " Hell , I'm a sucker, I just cant help watching a couple of good boys in action"