Mimosas, anyone?
Talk about burying the lead…
More evidence that the Kansas City Star reads KC Confidential comes in the form of a top of the page sports section story about Mizzou footballer Michael Sam’s significant other in today’s newspaper in an item written by FYI writer Liza Gutierrez.
“Sam’s partner ex-Hawklet swimmer” is the headline to a piece rehashing days old news reports about Vito Cammisano having swam competitively for the University of Missouri from 2009 to 2012.
However instead of just owning up to a lapse in reporting – as did the New York Daily News – Gutierrez buried the part about Vito’s ties to his family’s famous local crime ties in the final paragraphs at the end of her story.
Almost as an afterthought.
Unlike the Daily News that took a better-late-than-never approach and reported Cammisano’s family ties straight up:
“Michael Sam’s boyfriend Vito Cammisano comes from line of Midwest mobsters” its headline reads.
“The hunky 23-year-old is the grandson of the late Mafia boss William (Willie the Rat) Cammisano — who reportedly got his name for the way he disposed of bodies — and the son of Gerlarmo (Jerry) Cammisano, 60, who followed in the family’s shady business and ended up doing prison time for running a Kansas City-based gambling ring, according to records,” the Daily News story begins.
“Have a great week and Go Rams!” Vito Cammisano wrote in an email to the Daily News Monday, referring all questions to Sam’s agent Joe Barkett.
“There is no evidence that Cammisano has ever been involved with the Civella crime family of Kansas City like his grandfather.
“By all reports, he’s a stand-up guy. A 2013 graduate of the University Missouri with a degree in communications, Cammisino swam competitively for Mizzou from 2009 to 2012.”
Meanwhile back in the FYI section, columnist Jeneé Osterheldt weighed in with an 18 paragraph attaboy for the wet one Sam planted on Vito for all to see without so much of a mention of Cammisano’s KC ties.
Small town newspapering at its finest!
I wonder if Willie would have been more pissed off because his grandson is gay, or smooching on live tv with a black dude. Im betting there would have been one or two fresh holes dug in Pleasant Hill . He is probably spinning in his grave like the Hadron Collider.
Ouch…
Think you probably have a pretty “safe” point
Pleasant Hill is a mafia cemetery? Didn’t know that, Mark. Link? Or know where I could look?
Willie the rat lived west of p hill, 291 hwy, big house with a runway. The digging holes part was pure conjecture on my part.
You mean 7 Highway? Or more Harrisonville?
I knew about the mob having safe houses all throughout the Ozarks, but not as close as P Hill.
Interesting. In fact, know a good book about KC and the mob?
No its 291, not sure of the crossroad but its a place with big acreage not a safe house. The eastbound road leads to p hill.
as for books J.J. Maloney’s book, I speak for the Dead, is pretty good. Its about the old river quay stuff and when the mob here was in its heyday. Im sure Hearne could list a few as well.
Frank Hayde’s”The Mafia and the Machine” is pretty good on the general course of events. I always wanted to see “Blackhand Strawman”, It looked intriguing.
but hearne…you were late too.
you quoted another paper when if you saw the young mans name you would
have had a lighbulb go off in your head (which seldome happens anymore).
you should have been onthat.
You could havedressed up like a bookcase and been at the agents home..
and wislon could be hiding under the dashboard in the driveway
waiting for the big moment.
oh well..another missed opportunity to be somebody.
take care…wilward and hearnstein miss their big shot again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hahahaha
Hey, I got the tip the day
Before and was writing my story when the London tabloid came out 37 minutes before mine. So I gave them some notice and brought the story home to kc
hearne, don’t justify yourself to Harley. he doesn’t deserve the response.
You’re probably right. Oh well
no…you were late….,maître d at jaspaers….waiters…
knew long before you did.
so did I….only since it was not made public unitl shown
on tv…no one really spred the word.
you’re late again hearne.
maybe next time.
Yeah, the waiters kicked my ass. You’re right
The little guy cooking sausage and potatoes out front won the Pulitzer Prize last week, plus, according to Harley/JoJo, he will kick your azz.
It’s a “tough” crew. I have seen those guys in the kitchen come out a just wail. The maitre d dropped a guy in his tracks for skipping dessert.
Gawd …
what no jew hating/black hating/hsipanic
hating/ comments today chuck.
whats up…they take you off the anti depressants
or did a brick hit you in the head on the job?
what a low class article. You should be ashamed of yourself. What does Vito family have to do with this!! Shame Shame Shame
Judging by the fact that the Star, NY Times, Wash Post followed up I’m obviously not alone in thinking it was an interesting connection
Anytime there’s even a hint of a connection between gambling and and active sports figure it will, or usually will be investigated. In this case you have the notoriety of the story in-and-of-itself, the add in the public smooch and then the connection to the mob and the story is irresistable.
I took my usual glance at The Star after reading the blogs and KSHB this morning and saw the Gutierrez story and had the same reaction to it that Hearne had. Even had they beat him, it’s the usual failure to provide and accurate picture of the events at hand. While it did mention the grandfather’s ties to the mob, I don’t recall one word about the father’s misdeeds. Good job of providing the whole story regardless the sequence.
Incidentally, Hearne, that “good job” was for you.