Part Three - WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS

Tell-tale rumors trail back to the Persico camp that Little Vic is stealing a portion of their cut of their burgeoning enterprises.   Even though Little Vic was turning in enormous amounts of money the families falsely believe Little Vic is siphoning off even more of the profit for his own personal power and gain and those rumors are so hostile distorting into stories of Little Vic politicking for the official spot. 

The slow burning embers of jealously and spite are triggered when Wild Bill Cutolo puts in a beef to Little Vic that Persico is acting like a mob “rat”.  Persico was going outside the rules and mores of the proper conduct for a “made man” – especially that of a boss - by acting as his own attorney and going public with an Interview on 60 Minutes.  Another damaging revelation comes to light that Persico is also pen paling with Jerry Capeci, an established reporter for a gangland column for the Daily News.  Cutolo manages to gain access to this inside info from Persico attorney, Stanley Myer.  Little Vic now had no choice but to pass this vital info on to Consgielari Carmine Sessa.

Known for being both maniacally meticulous and paranoid, Carmine’s roots grew from being a member of Greg Scarpa’s crew and a hit man for Scarpa.  By being given this information Sessa believed Little Vic was putting him in a compromising position with Persico.  In Sessa’s eyes Little Vic was acting like Pontius Pilate and washing his hands of the problem.  However mafia protocol dictated for the consiglieri to handle any complaints a captain brought against his boss.  Wild Bill is incensed at Persico for knocking him down from boss to an underboss postion and intends revenge for the wrong. 

Carmine Sessa now asks Vic’s permission to kill Wild Bill.  Little Vic  refuses.  He agrees to knock him down to Capo instead.  Wild Bill pressures Little Vic to lodge his complaint amongst all the captains realizing he’s already crossed the point of no return.  Conflict and tensions mount as the bad blood between Little Vic and Sessa begins to boil and ultimately explodes into the last full scale gangland war that will continue until the turn of end of the 20th century.