• Investing
  • Stock
Round Table Thoughts
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Home Economy Former mafia boss says he tried to do deals with former President Trump in the 1980’s
Economy

Former mafia boss says he tried to do deals with former President Trump in the 1980’s

by July 9, 2023
by July 9, 2023 0 comment
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

‘The Life We Chose, William ‘Big Billy’ D’Elia and The Last Secrets of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Family’ tells the story of a little-known Pennsylvania based Mob powerhouse and his behind the scenes life in organized crime.

The former president has gotten the brush off from a former reputed power in the Mafia: Billy D’Elia.

In the new biography about him, D’Elia says he did business with former President Trump when he owned Atlantic City casinos in the 1980’s, and that Trump shaved off $1 million from one real estate deal… by flipping a coin.

ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST MAFIA BOSS AFTER 30 YEARS ON THE RUN

The Feds say D’Elia, known as ‘Big Billy,’ ran the Buffalino Crime Family, based in Pennsylvania, for decades. He honed his profession at the side of the family’s namesake, the legendary Russel Buffalino, who Robert F. Kennedy called ‘one of the most ruthless and powerful leaders of the Mafia in the United States.’

D’Elia assumed the leadership of the family when Buffalino died in 1994. He is said to have been so trusted and respected throughout the nation’s mob families, that in the 1990’s he was asked to take over the Philadelphia crime family to quell the murderous infighting that left bloodstains on the streets of the city of ‘Brotherly Love.’ He declined.

D’Elia says he dealt with Trump when he owned flashy New Jersey shore casinos like the ‘Trump Taj Mahal,’ ‘The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino,’ and ‘The Trump Marina Hotel and Casino.’ 

‘(He’s) just like he’s on TV now, arrogant. He don’t keep his word.’

The revelations about Trump are in the new book about D’Elia, ‘The Life We Chose, William ‘Big Billy’ D’Elia and the Last Secrets of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Family,’ by veteran journalist Matt Birkbeck. Birkbeck covered D’Elia and the Buffalino Crime Family for decades in northeast Pennsylvania, and is the author the biography ‘The Quiet Don,’ about the crime family’s namesake, Russell Buffalino.

‘Trump, when he did deals, he didn’t want his lawyers doing it. He didn’t want anyone else doing it, he did it himself, and he did it with gangsters,’ says Birkbeck.

‘Billy did business with a lot of people, including Donald Trump,’ he says. ‘Trump knew exactly who he was, Trump knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what they were negotiating about.’

Birkbeck says in one negotiation that involved the selling of time-shares in Trump owned properties, the future president leaned on Billy to mass buy copies of his book, ‘The Art of The Deal’ as part of a deal.

‘They used to give out these rewards and gifts to timeshare people, and one of the gifts would be a copy of the book, only Billy had to buy the book. He had to buy 5,000 or 10,000 copies of the book which would raise the book up the best-seller charts. Basically, Billy would have had to put up $100,000.’

In another deal, D’Elia says Trump agreed to buy a piece of property involving his ‘Trump Plaza’ casino, but backed out of the agreement only for it be settled with the flip of a coin…for $1 million.

SYLVESTER STALLONE ON FINALLY PLAYING A MOB BOSS IN NEW SERIES: ‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’

D’Elia says he attended a meeting with Trump and the Philadelphia based real estate brothers Barry and Ken Shapiro, who owned the property, and had agreed to buy the land for $8 million, that is until Trump showed up and refused to pay the amount promised.

‘Trump said he couldn’t give him the eight million, that he only had seven,’ says D’Elia. ‘So now what do you do, wait?’

‘We’re at this meeting with Trump (says D’Elia) and Barry said, ‘Let’s flip a coin for the other million.’ Trump said fine, so they flipped a coin and Trump won.’

Barry Shapiro corroborated the story to Fox News about Trump flipping a coin to shave off the sales price.

Shapiro, who is now 85 years old, says that his group, including his later brother Ken, did indeed sell the Atlantic City property to Trump for $1 million less than the price Trump had agreed to, and that the coin toss decided it.

‘The sale price was actually $8 million, and Trump only paid 7 because he flipped a coin with my brother, Ken to save a million,’ Shapiro said.

‘We gave him a 15-year mortgage and he paid it off.’

The phone card and time share proposals never came to fruition.

Trump has never been charged with any criminal wrongdoing involving his casino dealings and he passed the legal requirements to own and operate Atlantic City casinos, which are regulated by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and its Division of Gaming Enforcement.

A Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung disputes D’Elia’s claims.

In a statement to Fox News, Cheung said that he is ‘not going to dignify a response to a book that belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section.’

But this was not the first time Trump has been said to have relied on a coin toss in a business negotiation.

In 2017 a Wall Street investment banker, Ken Moelis, told Business Insider that in the middle of a heated negotiation, Trump ‘looks at me and he goes ‘-we’re a million dollars apart -and he said ‘I tell you what, I’ll flip you for it.’ And he reached into his pocket and pulls out a coin’

Moelis says he examined the coin to make sure that it was legitimate, and when he flipped, ‘it flew across the table toward Trump, which he instantly knew was a mistake…but before he could catch a glimpse, Trump picked it up and said, ‘Heads. you lose.’’

Moelis is now a billionaire investment banker, who has been described as the businessman who ‘launched Trump’s casinos on the stock exchange’ and has had a long association with the former president.

JUDGE DISMISSES SUIT AGAINST CASINO MOGUL STEVE WYNN THAT CLAIMED HE LOBBIED TRUMP ON BEHALF OF CHINA

Besides relating his dealings with Trump, D’Elia’s book also delves into his representation of superstar singer Michael Jackson, along with manager Frank DiLeo, who was known as ‘Tookie.’’  D’Elia says Trump offered $1 million for the singer to perform at one of the Trump casinos in Atlantic City but Jackson refused to perform at a casino.

As for ‘Tookie,’ although he was a longtime music industry executive who worked with stars from Prince to Ozzy Osborne, he is best known by the public for playing the heavy-set mobster ‘Tuddy,’ in the classic film ‘Goodfellas.’ He died in 2011.

Today D’Elia has left his mob life behind and is enjoying a quiet retirement. He served five years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, conspiracy and witness tampering in 2009. He was never a mob informant and never testified against any suspected member of organized crime.

D’Elia sat for an exclusive interview for Fox Nation’s series about Jimmy Hoffa, ‘Riddle: The Search for James R. Hoffa.’  He is featured in the latest episode, number 6, ‘The Last Suspect,’ about the remaining FBI suspect in Hoffa’s disappearance, Gabe Briguglio.

Follow Eric Shawn on Twitter: @EricShawnTV

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
You Might Also Like
  • Biden admin’s closed-door briefing on Chinese spying blasted by top Republican as ‘unspecific, insufficient’
  • ‘Dangerous message’: Top Republican raises concerns over trading Americans for ‘actual Russian criminals’
  • Top US Army Garrison West Point officer suspended pending investigation
  • Progressive Democrat accuses Sinema of being funded by ‘deep-pocketed lobbyists’ despite own ties to industry
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

previous post
Justice Ketanji Jackson’s faulty claim in affirmative action case takes another hit as lawyers ‘clarify’ brief
next post
Baby boomers and their cash are driving the housing market right now

You may also like

Biden meets with Jordanian King Abdullah, calls for Israel to...

February 13, 2024

Biden campaign rips page from Trump playbook with name-calling strategy

March 25, 2024

Tuberville’s office hits back after Pentagon says it’s not subsidizing...

September 13, 2023

Haley campaign charges Nevada Republican presidential caucuses ‘rigged’ for Trump

February 6, 2024

Trump vows to create ‘Christian Visibility Day’ following Biden’s declaration...

April 3, 2024

Zuckerberg, expressing regrets, admits bowing to Biden administration pressure to...

August 28, 2024

Trump v US: SCOTUS likely to determine presidents get ‘some...

April 25, 2024

White House says Speaker McCarthy’s ouster is ‘shambolic behavior’ from...

October 5, 2023

Pence says he supports an impeachment inquiry by House Republicans

September 8, 2023

Anti-globalists crash Davos party, warn elites socialism endangers the West

January 22, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right Now

      May 31, 2025
    • Leadership Rotation Could Confirm Corrective Phase

      May 30, 2025
    • Run Your Stock Portfolio Like a Pro Sports Team

      May 30, 2025
    • U.S. foreign tax bill sends jitters across Wall Street

      May 30, 2025
    • Amazon taps Xbox co-founder to lead new team developing ‘breakthrough’ consumer products

      May 30, 2025

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be...

      June 27, 2024 2,765 views
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as...

      August 9, 2024 2,472 views
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese...

      June 25, 2024 2,451 views
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful...

      July 10, 2024 2,432 views
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility...

      August 29, 2024 2,308 views

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,106)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,581)

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be revived under new House GOP bill

      June 27, 2024
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

      August 9, 2024
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese businesses to Delaware: ‘Longtime friends’

      June 25, 2024
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful of Chinese spy threats

      July 10, 2024
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility that collaborated with ‘Chinese military company’

      August 29, 2024

    Latest News

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right...

      May 31, 2025
    • Leadership Rotation Could Confirm Corrective Phase

      May 30, 2025
    • Run Your Stock Portfolio Like a Pro Sports Team

      May 30, 2025

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,106)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,581)

    Disclaimer: RoundTableThoughts.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 RoundTableThoughts.com. All Rights Reserved.

    Round Table Thoughts
    • Investing
    • Stock
    Round Table Thoughts
    • Economy
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    PHOTOS: Trump pleads not guilty on...

    June 14, 2023

    Kamala Harris confirms 2024 presidential bid...

    July 21, 2024

    ‘Squad’ Democrats Cori Bush and Rashida...

    February 1, 2024
    Sign In

    Keep me signed in until I sign out

    Forgot your password?

    Password Recovery

    A new password will be emailed to you.

    Have received a new password? Login here