Howyoudoin'

I've always had a bizare affinity for the mob, and I think it's because of my Italian roots. From my great-uncle Joe's "candy store" that he had when I was a little kid in Rochester to episodes of "The Sopranos," I'm captivated by All Things Wiseguy.

Two of my friends have the misfortune of having very Italian surnames, and the amount of grief they catch from me is sick. One of the guys happens to be the veep of a trucking firm, and I've developed a whole ficiticous life about him..all based on the real-life cast of characters surrounding him including a sassy much younger wife and a son-in-law poised to take the reins of the family business. The other guy recently moved to Dallas to be closer to his parents, and jokes about working in waste disposal and his old man offing Kennedy just abound whenever we talk.

Chicago's had its share of mobsters...the Accardos, Spilotros, and of course dear old Alphonse Capone. This week, the FBI cracked down on the Chicago outfit, with a crowing US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald smiling as he talked about da capture of 13 of Chicago's finest dons and capos.

Jimmy Zooks and The Moose managed to avoid prosecution this time.