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Mafia memoirs

How books changed a New York mobster's life

Dead man walking

The Italian author who blew the lid on the Naples mafia

Business Asks Australia to Ease Carbon Trade

CANBERRA - Environment groups demanded on Friday that Australia ignore the "greenhouse mafia" as major energy and mining companies met the government to demand greater compensation for a coming emissions trading regime.

Italian 'mafia boss' extradited

An alleged high-ranking mafia boss, believed to be a key player in drugs trafficking, is extradited to Italy from Canada.

It's Car Vs. Rickshaw on the Mean Streets of Delhi

City officials in Delhi are sparring with activists and transportation policy wonks over a ubiquitous site on the streets of India -- cycle rickshaws. The city banned the three-wheelers from many areas three years ago, and though the ban was recently overturned, everyone says the fight is far from over. Bureaucrats can tick off a long list of reasons for banning rickshaws. They're annoying and dangerous. They impede traffic, clog roads, cause pile-ups and occasionally nail pedestrians. City officials say there are 300,000 to 400,000 rickshaws on the streets of Delhi -- triple what is allowed -- and because they're considered an "ethnic mode of transportation" they can't be cited for violating traffic laws, which they do all the time. Officials also play the organized crime card, saying the rickshaw business is run by a shadowy rickshaw mafia that preys on the poor. Rickshaw mafia? Activists in India and beyond are fighting back hard. To give rickshaw drivers a voice, the  Institute for Transportation and Development Policy convened the Rickshaw Advocacy Group. the lobbying and support network offers several good reasons why banning rickshaws is a bad idea.  First off, yanking rickshaws off the street could throw tens of thousands of residents out of work -- many of them migrants with few possibilities for alternate employment. The Institute also points out something that should be painfully obvious: rickshaws work. They carry 100,000 people through Delhi each day, and they do it cheaply, quietly and with zero pollution. Thanks to the Institute, the rickshaw debate now includes phrases like global warming and clean transport. As it should be. In a country with so explosive an economy as India, anything that increases mobility while minimizing pollution should be embraced, not banned. But then, it might be India's economic ascendancy that is at least partially motivating the ban. India wants to be seen as a vibrant, modern country, and there may be concern that rickshaw-clogged streets paint the wrong picture. If that is the case, someone should remind Delhi's leaders there are rickshaws rolling down the streets of Paris, London, and Singapore. Thanks to the Institute's efforts, India's Supreme Court recently tossed out Delhi's ban, but no one thinks the city is ready to give up the fight. Should the city get its way, it might not matter anyway. One rickshaw driver told a newspaper in India that when the last ban was in place, he and his fellow drivers simply ignored it. Photo by Flickr user Yodod.

Italy arrest over German Mafia killing

Police in Italy arrest a senior member of a family allegedly linked to Mafia killings in the German city of Duisburg last year.

Mafia boss arrested when shopping

A leading member of one of the most notorious clans of the Naples mafia has been arrested while shopping in Rome.

Tory MP Nicholas Winterton accuses David Cameron's 'mafia' of trying to force him out

Sir Nicholas Winterton, criticised for his use of expenses, has accused David Cameron's "mafia" of trying to force him out of Parliament.

Savage to Media Matters : "I stand by my words"

After Media Matters for America documented comments made by Michael Savage on his July 16 radio show, on which Savage described autism as "[a] fraud, a racket," Savage said on July 18 of the organization he called "the homosexual mafia group Media Matters": "They're a fascist, homo-- goes out of their way to misquote me, take me out of context, and try to get me in trouble with people who love me. I stand by my words. Media Mat-- and that's it. And that's where I'm going to leave it." As Media Matters noted, Savage said on July 16: "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' " On July 21, The New York Times reported in a story posted on its website that "in a telephone interview Monday morning," Savage "stood by his remarks and had no intention of apologizing to those advocates and parents who have called for his firing over the matter." From the Times: "My main point remains true," Mr. Savage, whose radio audience ranks in size behind only those of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, said in an interview on Monday. "It is an overdiagnosed medical condition. In my readings, there is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism." [...] Asked Monday if he actually believed that 99 out every 100 cases of autism were misdiagnosed, Mr. Savage conceded that figure was "a little high." He added, "It was hyperbole." In addition, Savage posted the following statement on his website: My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic." Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed "ADD" and "ADHD" to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing "autism, for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis! Many children are being victimized by being diagnosed with an "illness" which may not exist, in all cases. Just a few weeks ago doctors recommended dangerous anti-cholesterol drugs for children as young as 2 years of age! Without any scientific studies on the possible dangers of such drugs on children, corrupt doctors made this controversial, unscientific recommendation. Increasingly, our children are being used as profit centers by a greedy, corrupt medical/pharmaceutical establishment. As the brother of a severely disabled person who suffered and died in a New York "snake-pit" of a "mental hospital," I know first-hand what true disability is. To permit greedy doctors to include children in medical categories which may not be appropriate is a crime against that child and their family. Let the truly autistic be treated. Let the falsely diagnosed be free. From the July 18 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation: SAVAGE: All right. We'll go to the callers now on The Savage Nation. You know where I am, philosophically and politically, and you certainly don't agree with everything I say, and I understand that. Certain things I say offend people, for obvious reasons. You know, it depends upon whose ox is being gored and why and what they have at stake and what's personally involved. And there are so many issues, you can't please all the people all the time, but you can try to please yourself all of the time. Because I believe in the adage "To thine ownself be true." Now, I don't know when it became illegal to be a skeptic, but apparently, it's illegal to be a skeptic in America today. For example, anyone who's skeptical of Al Gore's con with global warming -- when I started being skeptical of him two years ago because I'm actually trained in science -- I was called every name under the sun. And the big guns in global warming business started to attack anyone who dared attack their theory that all of global warming was induced by man and that we'd all die if we didn't stop it by giving up our life to Al Gore and his carbon machine. But as time went on, more and more scientists came forward and said, "Wait a minute, now. A, the threat is not that great, and B, we're not causing it." In fact, the founder of The Weather Channel has challenged Al Gore to a debate. He won't debate him. In fact, thousands of reputable scientists have now stood up to Al Gore and his machine. And you see a certain movement, a little bit teenier away from that global warming hysteria of even a year ago. There are other areas, and I don't want to go into them now, but when you gore someone's ox and you're the first one to do so, you're called every name under the sun. But I was trained in science. I'm skeptical of many claims, including claims about diseases that are tied into drug companies and tied into federal programs, and I think the overdiagnosis of certain diseases is an epidemic unto itself in this country. And it's all tied into treating children, in some cases, for illnesses that don't exist. For example, how many years have I told you -- for how many years have I told you that ADD is a faulty diagnosis in a large percent of cases? How many years have I told you that, in England, for example, the medical establishment rarely accepts ADD as a diagnostic criteria -- in other words, it doesn't exist. It was invented primarily by the drug companies who wanted to sell the dangerous drug called Ritalin to control children. Now, when I said these things, I was called every name under the sun. And of course, I wrote the book Healing Children Naturally to try to show you alternatives for -- to using drugs. Then I wake up two weeks ago and find out that the criminal pediatricians -- they're not all like this, but unfortunately, their guild, the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is a guild, is now pushing cholesterol-lowering drugs for children as young as 8. There's no science to show that lowering cholesterol, to begin with, reduces the actual number of heart attacks, let alone death. It lowers cholest-- they lower cholesterol for sure, but of course, there's some liver damage in adults, there's muscular damage in adults. What effect will lowering cholesterol -- using anti-cholesterol drugs in children have? Well, they don't know. All that matters is that the American Academy of Pediatrics, so-called, is now pushing more drugs for children. So now when I attack that, I'm called every name under the sun, primarily by the guilds involved in pushing the drugs by increasing people's fears. But I was raised to be a skeptical scientist. In 1982, I wrote a book called The Skeptical Nutritionist, where, even though I was trained in the field and have a first-rate degree in the field, I myself wrote a book called The Skeptical Nutritionist, published by Macmillan. It's actually still an excellent book. It's not available, nor am I trying to sell it to you. What I'm saying is, be careful before you let people diagnose your child with an illness. It may not be an illness, it may be a faulty diagnosis. And it may be guilds or doctors or pharmaceutical companies trying to push treatments upon you for your child. And nobody has personally suffered more from a sibling, in my case, my brother, who was born brain-damaged. So please, I don't want to hear that I'm insensitive from people who are making these false accusations, because many of them have no children of their own and they're connected with the homosexual mafia group Media Matters, none of whom have children of their own. They're a fascist, homo-- goes out of their way to misquote me, take me out of context, and try to get me in trouble with people who love me. I stand by my words. Media Mat-- and that's it. And that's where I'm going to leave it.

Levin attacks "Jon Leibowitz, a.k.a Jon Stewart": "I'm really tired of these phony intellectuals ... arrogantly looking down their sizable noses at our armed forces"

During the July 16 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Mark Levin said, "As you know, from time to time, we monitor Jon Leibowitz, a.k.a. Jon Stewart, as well as some of the other nudniks out there." Levin aired an audio clip from the July 15 broadcast of Comedy Central's The Daily Show in which Stewart said of the Transportation Security Administration's "terror watch list": "You know that expression, 'kick ass and take names?' Turns out this country is really good at one of those. We -- we take a lot of names." Levin responded to Stewart's comment, saying, "I'd say this country is pretty damn good at kicking ass when we have to. ... I'm really tired of these phony intellectuals -- and that's what they are, phony -- arrogantly looking down their sizable noses at our armed forces, at all the people who actually have to make an effort to save this -- this society, to liberate people, and to fight this enemy. I'm so sick and tired of it, you have no idea. We know how to kick ass, you little dwarf, you five-foot-seven phony." From the July 16 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks' The Mark Levin Show: LEVIN: As you know, from time to time, we monitor Jon Leibowitz, a.k.a. Jon Stewart, as well as some of the other nudniks out there. And yesterday, he said this, cut 5, go. STEWART [audio clip]: The terror watch list is hitting the big 1-0-0-0 -- LEVIN: All right, stop a second and cue it back. "The terror watch list." Is he sitting on a cucumber? Go ahead. STEWART [audio clip]: The terror watch list is hitting the big 1-0-0-0-0-0 ... 0! You know that expression, "kick ass and take names?" Turns out this country is really good at one of those. We -- we take a lot of names. It really is an incredible accomplishment. Let's try and put it in perspective if we can. A million people on the terrorist watch list. LEVIN: There aren't a million people on the terrorist watch list. STEWART [audio clip]: If you were to take all the people that our government suspects of terrorism and stack them one on top of the other -- that would be considered an acceptable method of interrogation according to the Justice Department. LEVIN: Very funny, but notice the line, "You know that expression kick ass and take names? It turns out this country's really good at one of those." Another put-down of the armed forces in this country. I'd say this country is pretty damn good at kicking ass when we have to. We don't look for fights. We don't look to go to war, but we don't shy from them if we must. I'm really tired of these phony intellectuals -- and that's what they are, phony -- arrogantly looking down their sizable noses at our armed forces, at all the people who actually have to make an effort to save this -- this society, to liberate people, and to fight this enemy. I'm so sick and tired of it, you have no idea. We know how to kick ass, you little dwarf, you five-foot-seven phony. Yeah, we really do. And your show's a joke, which is why we continue to monitor it. I don't mean funny, I mean you're a joke. Let's go to Cody, Fort Hood, Texas, the great WBAP, go. From the July 15 broadcast of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: STEWART: I couldn't think of a better time for this to happen because tonight is a night of celebration. Tonight is an exciting night. Tonight our country -- this great land that we live in has reached an exciting milestone in the war of terror. FOX NEWS ANCHOR [video clip]: Well, the TSA's terror watch list getting mighty long, adding its one millionth name. STEWART: By the way, if I tried to do this bit last night [no sound]. But tonight [horn blows]. The terror watch list is hitting the big 1-0-0-0-0-0 ... 0! You know that expression, "kick ass and take names?" Turns out this country is really good at one of those. We -- we take a lot of names. It really is an incredible accomplishment. Let's try and put it in perspective if we can. A million people on the terrorist watch list. If you were to take all the people that our government suspects of terrorism and stack them one on top of the other -- that would be considered an acceptable method of interrogation according to the Justice Department. And by the way, a million people on the list, but it is a tightly managed list. CNN ANCHOR [video clip]: Just this month, President Bush signed a bill that removes Nelson Mandela from the watch list. STEWART: Hey, that's good news. The 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, no longer considered a terror threat. Still on the list, of course, painter of light Thomas Kinkade, Elmo's friend Zoe, and Alan Alda. Apparently they had him now as a-Lan al-Da. The truth is, to be perfectly frank, the one million number is a bit inflated. FOX NEWS ANCHOR [video clip]: It turns out there are not a million names on the list. ... Federal officials say there are only roughly 400,000 names on the list. STEWART: It's only 400,000 people. The reason it's a million is because their aliases also count. So it works out to about two-and-a-half names per terrorist. Quite frankly embarrassing. You had a mafia watch list, you'd have a million names on that for only like 20 guys. Uh yeah, we're looking for Freddy Angelini a.k.a. Freddy Salad a.k.a. Freddy Apps a.k.a. Freddy Meat-a-Fish, a.k.a. Freddy Gelato also known as Freddy Four Course, Freddy Full -- Freddy Full Dinner and of course Fat Freddy, a.k.a. Tiny. With a million names on the list, how do find out if you were on the list, if you are a terrorist -- if you are being watched? It's very simple. Go online. Google the terrorist screening database and scroll down to the end and by the time you get to the end, you'll probably be on it. Obviously, though, there's more important things to talk about in this country than the hundreds of thousands of people who have sworn to destroy it. There's also cartoon depictions of said terrorists.