“The Accidental Gangster”, Ori Spado, tells the story of how he was sucked into a life of crime, dedicated his life to making a change, and emerged with a newfound purpose to prevent others from joining crime organizations.
I have always been attracted to characters, how they look, what they say, even their moral qualities.
They make you smile or look with astonishment, and they are scene stealers. Ori Spado is a true-to-life character who could have stepped into any part on the Sopranos or in The Godfather.
Ori went from small-town boy to solider, then a multi-million dollar insurance agent, to becoming the 'Hollywood Fixer,” a real-life Ray Donovan. People referred to him as the “Hollywood Mob Boss.”
Spado enjoyed a friendship with the legendary underboss Sonny Franzese of the Colombo family for more than 40 years. Ori came to know the “bosses” of several mafia families in the U.S., such as Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, Russell Bufalino, Carlo Marcello, and Joey Pyle from London.
And speaking of friends, Spado shares many stories in this podcast, including pats on the back from Ronald Reagan, having smokes with Frank Sinatra, and how Dean Martin bailed Frank out after a nasty gambling night.
In 2008, Spado was arrested at his home in Beverly Hills and was brought to Brooklyn on a Colombo crime family RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) indictment. He was convicted and served five years in federal prison.
After his prison sentence, Ori Spado chose a new path in life, writing his autobiography “The Accidental Gangster" and working on film projects.
As Spado says in the book description,” I lived it, I own it, and I take full responsibility for my actions of the past,” I hope that by releasing my book, I can keep just one person from entering a life of crime, it was well worth it.”
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