Wife of fearsome 'Grim Reaper' mafia boss seduced teen hitman with wine and M&Ms
A former Mafia hitman had an affair with his boss' wife - and then started killing for the mob.
Larry Mazza's boss, the fearsome Gregory Scarpa (nicknamed the Grim Reaper) knew about the fling and was fine with it, provided they kept it between themselves - otherwise they'd both be dead.
Scarpa was the chief enforcer and veteran hitman for Colombo boss Carmine Persico, when Mazza, then in his late teens, first met him, while sleeping with his wife Linda Schiro.
Talking this week in podcast Wide Awake Podcast, Larry recalled his affair with Linda started when he was 18 and she was 32, after meeting while working as a supermarket delivery boy.
Out of the blue, she asked him "do you fool around?" before inviting him over one night.
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Gregory Scarpa was described as a dangerous member of a New York underworld ‘family' (Bettmann Archive)Discussing the visit, Larry said: "She was wearing this one-piece, black jumpsuit.
"She had beautiful eyes, very Italian looking. She put a bottle of wine out and some M&M’s. We had a few glasses. The next thing you know we were on the couch getting hot and heavy."
As the affair continued, Larry believed Linda's husband was a travelling salesman, until she insisted the pair meet so he could find him some work.
"She started saying I should meet the husband, and I thought no there's something wrong here," Larry said.
"I can't meet your husband."
Gregory Scarpa, pictured with Linda Schiro, was a notorious members of New York's Colombo crime family (Polaris / eyevine)Persuaded by the possibility of work, Larry agreed to meet the husband.
He said: "A big black Fleetwood, like a Limousine, pulls up onto the drive.
"I've described his walk to the door, as I'm watching him, was a swagger.
"I thought this is not a doctor, this is not a travelling sales guy.
"I'd been in Brooklyn, I knew about mob guys, I knew about social clubs."
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That meeting began Mazza's gradual rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld. He was introduced as Scarpa's nephew and, little by little, he was taken along to jobs that make someone a "serious wiseguy".
Larry has published his memoirs in a book (larrymazzathelife/Instagram)
Linda had an affair with Larry after meeting by chance (NY Daily News via Getty Images)But with his work for Scarpa, Mazza said the affair he was having with his wife was eating him up inside.
"When I started I was a kid, even though it wasn't right I didn't know him.
"Then I knew she was married with kids, I still thought it was wrong, but made excuses for myself.
"After I met him, and it was still going on, now I'm really a bad guy.
"He's bringing me around introducing me, putting me in business.
"All of these things are starting to bother me, so I backed away.
"Greg called me and said 'where have you been, I've been worried about you, Linda's been worried about you'."
He continued: "And one day he finally saw I wasn't the same guy, and he said that to me, something's not right, you're off.
"I was paranoid because I thought he's going to have to kill me if he finds out.
"We get to his office and he says: 'I know about you and Linda'."
Gregory lived in Staten Island, the southernmost of New York City's boroughs (NY Daily News via Getty Images)However, Larry was stunned when Greg told him he was OK with the relationship, and even allowed it to continue.
Mazza said that Scarpa even facilitated the affair, as he had other family, children and girlfriends, and it meant Linda had company when he was out of town.
Scarpa did issue one warning to Mazza, however - if anyone outside of the three of them found out about it, they would both be killed.
"From that moment on he and I had this bond, and it grew," said Mazza.
"He liked having this secret with me, I liked knowing it was in the open."
Mazza's time in the mafia came to an end when his boss had his eye shot out during a gun battle. Mazza drove Scarpa to the hospital and fled to Florida, where the law caught up with him.
He served nine years in prison after striking a plea bargain to give evidence against an allegedly corrupt FBI agent and since his release, has written a memoir about his criminal lifestyle.
To see the full interview click here.
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