Johnny Unitas is one of the most iconic sports figures ever. The Hall of Fame quarterback, known as the “Golden Arm,” was a three-time NFL champion and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player three times over an 18-year career from 1955 to 1973, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. He was named NFL Man of the Year in 1970.
Unitas is perhaps the most revered athlete in Baltimore sports history. The stadium at Towson State University is called Johnny Unitas Stadium. His statue greets Ravens fans outside the entrance to M&T Bank Stadium.
Muhammad Ali’s impact on the 20th century transcended sports. A three-time heavyweight champion, Ali became one of the most recognized and revered figures on the international stage. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
President Bill Clinton presented Ali with the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2011, and President George W. Bush awarded Ali, who passed away in 2016, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
These historic figures have something in common — both did favors for a man once considered one of the country’s most powerful mob bosses, according to a book soon to be released.
“The Life We Chose — William ‘Big Billy’ D’Elia and the Last Secrets of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Family” by author Matt Birkbeck is a compelling tale about the close confidante of mob boss Russell Bufalino — Billy D’Elia — who rose to power after Bufalino’s passing to take over as boss of the influential crime family.
Bufalino — known as “The Quiet Don” (the name of a previous book by Birkbeck about Bufalino) — was among the most respected and most feared Mafia kings of his time. He organized the infamous Apalachin meeting of organized crime leaders in 1957. He ruled over the garment industry, bookmaking and many other mob businesses, operating out of his modest home in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Bufalino was influential in the content and casting of the film “The Godfather.” He was the mob boss most connected to the disappearance of former Teamster Union chief Jimmy Hoffa, and was a key character in the Martin Scorcese film “The Irishman,” with Joe Pesci playing Bufalino.
As a teenager, D’Elia met Bufalino in a pool hall in Pittston, Pennsylvania, and began working for him as his driver, among other duties. Bufalino came to think of D’Elia as his son, and his protege took over as head of the family when Bufalino died in 1994.
Like Bufalino, D’Elia was also a “quiet Don,” running operations without much scrutiny in Pennsylvania and New York. He was sentenced to prison in 2008 on charges of money laundering, conspiracy and witness tampering, and was released in 2013.
The book, which is scheduled to be released July 11 (William Morrow), reveals much of the business of the Bufalino family through the reign of both Bufalino and D’Elia. Those stories include their relationships with Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and other celebrities — including sports figures like Unitas and Ali.
Bufalino’s relationship with Unitas is particularly troubling since he was seen by FBI agents meeting with the Mafia boss while Unitas was still playing for the Colts.
According to the book, on May 7, 1971, FBI agents who were watching Bufalino followed him and some associates to a restaurant in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, where they were going to meet someone for lunch. “To the agents’ shock, they learned that the lunch guest was Johnny Unitas, the legendary quarterback of the Baltimore Colts,” the book states.
“The agents watched as Unitas left Aldino’s around 2 p.m., entered the front passenger side of a two-tone brown Cadillac Coupe DeVille with Maryland plates and registration, and was driven to a local barbershop,” he wrote. “There, a stocky man around 6 feet tall emerged and walked to the car and greeted Unitas. Following a brief, friendly conversation, the Cadillac took off again, this time for the Mack Novelty store, a vending machine company that Russell had a piece of. Three men came out of that store, approached the car, and all shook hands with Unitas.
“It appeared that Unitas was making stops and saying hello to people he knew, which left the agents completely flummoxed. Of more concern, Russell had been widely known for years to operate one of the largest gambling operations in the country.”
In his interview for the book, D’Elia tells author Birkbeck his boss’s dealings with Unitas had nothing to do with gambling.
“Russell wanted him to do a charity event for a peewee football team, to make an appearance to help raise money, and he said yes.”
Pee wee football or not, if this information had been made public, it’s likely Unitas, who retired in 1973 and who died in 2002, would have been suspended from the NFL.
The league’s rules not only prohibited players and employees from associating with gamblers or gambling activities, but they were also barred from associating with members of organized crime. Having lunch with Russell Bufalino under any circumstances would have been a keg of dynamite.
Ali’s connection with Bufalino was not as direct. Bufalino was involved in the boxing world — he owned the closed-circuit television rights to the second Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston bout – and knew Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee from their days of doing business in Miami.
Bufalino was facing charges in 1981 of conspiring to kill a witness in a previous extortion case against him. His associates were trying to keep Bufalino, 78 at the time, out of prison. D’Elia asked Dundee to go to Washington to meet with politicians to lobby them on Bufalino’s behalf. Ali accompanied Dundee on the trip to help the mob boss.
“Dundee takes Muhammad Ali with him to meet Ted Kennedy, who was crazy about him, especially the old Cassius Clay stuff,” D’Elia says in the book. “They tell him that they have a good friend who is facing a lot of time in prison who got set up by the FBI but he’s almost 80 years old and they need help to keep him out of prison.
“Kennedy says sure, he doesn’t want to see an old man go to prison,” D’Elia said. “He’ll see what he can do and asks for his name. They say it’s Russell Bufalino. Dundee said Kennedy got so angry he kicked him and Ali out of his office, but not before yelling, ‘Absolutely not! As long as there’s a Kennedy alive no one will ever lift a finger to help Bufalino!’ That had to do with the old s—- with the brothers, John and Bobby.”
There has always been speculation that the mob was behind the assassination of President Kennedy because of the prosecutorial battle his brother Robert, as attorney general, waged on organized crime.
The book is a revelation about the power and influence Bufalino and D’Elia quietly wielded from their small Pennsylvania town on American society — from the streets to the stage to the stadiums.
You can hear Thom Loverro on The Kevin Sheehan Show podcast.
Correction: In an earlier version of this column, the first reference to the title of Birkbeck’s new book contained a typo.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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