A Father's Belief

Based on the story of a Sicilian Immigrant in New York

De: BY Giacomo Amato

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

**Engaging and Insightful: Organized Crime Narratives in New York City** Nino Leno, a Sicilian fisherman by profession, moved to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, New York. On December 23, 1965, he worked at the Navy Yard and Docks. Don Nino Leno was a man of principles; he valued respect and loyalty and instilled these beliefs in his son, Gino. In January 1966, Gino, then twelve years old, was admitted to Brooklyn Middle School. He faced numerous challenges, including a language barrier and bullying from other children. Gino often found himself in fights at school, which ultimately prevented him from completing his middle school education. To seek a better life for the family, Don Nino Leno relocated them to Glendale, Queens, New York. There, he purchased a building and opened a pizzeria. The neighborhood was, however, controlled by Irish and German hoodlums, as well as the American Mafia. While working in the family pizzeria, Gino met Maria and fell madly in love with her. After three years of being in love, Maria, aged seventeen, became pregnant by Gino, who was twenty at the time. They married in March 1974. Gino then left the pizzeria to buy a lunch wagon route in Maspeth, Queens. He collaborated with Joe Massa and Sal Vitelli. However, Gino soon began to have disagreements with Joe Massa, who was an American street gangster. Over the years, Joe Massa moved up the ranks in the Bonanno crime family. While working on the lunch wagon route, Gino was shot twice in the stomach.