The Tanglewood Boys
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The Tanglewood Boys is an Italian-American gang from Yonkers, New York. They are named after the seedy shopping mall that they frequent, located in the Crestwood section of Yonkers. They have been around since the 1970s, as a "starter gang" or recruitment for the Italian Mafia, specifically the Lucchese crime family. Several members have gone on to other crime families as well, and they are usually the sons of mafioso. Famous members include Salvatore LoCascio of Eastchester and Pasquale Perello, Jr..
The Boys made the news in the late '90s, when their ranks were arrested for the murder of college student Louis Balancio at a Yonkers sports bar in 1994, and the subsequent cover-up by one of their mob fathers; one member, Darin Mazzarella, became an informant, resulting in the conviction of Anthony DiSimone on charges of second-degree murder in December of 2005.
[edit] Pop Culture References
In fiction, the gang has featured prominently in a pair of episodes of the series CSI New York, "Tanglewood" and "Run Silent, Run Deep." In 'Tanglewood', a murdered teen is discovered to have been a Tanglewood wannabe who was toyed with and then killed. In the end of the ep, one of the main characters, detective Danny Messer, is pointed out by the suspect as having ties to the gang. Later in 'Run Silent, Run Deep', a body found in Giants Stadium endzone is tied to the gang and Messer pinpointed as the killer because of a cigarette in the grave. He is ultimately cleared but it's discovered that his brother, Louie, was a Tanglewood member. Louie is not the killer either, but Tanglewood discovers that he has vital information about the killings and beats him nearly to death. The CSIs discover that Louie was an informant, and the wire he was wearing helps catch the real killer.
[edit] References
- New York Magazine - April 13, 1998
- The Journal News - December 3, 2005
