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Rick's List
Ben Roethlisberger Suspended by NFL; Alleged Gambino Family Members Indicted; Where Is Elian Gonzalez Today?
Aired April 21, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: I just want to recap for you, if I possibly can, one of the most dramatic pieces of video that we have seen, because it happened during our newscast.
And I want to take you back through it. There's the picture of one of those window washers stuck on the 36th floor of a building, when a firefighter, one of several, actually, scaffolds down the building with one of those roofs that's not flat, by the way, which creates a bit of an obstacle for them, gets down to that scaffolding, pulls the guy out by putting a harness -- a harness around him connected to the harness that he's wearing.
Then the rope is pulled so they get him to the very top of the -- of the -- of roof, and then they continue to pull him through that green area that you see right there. And, finally, they were able to rescue him.
What a story, as we watched --
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: -- it unfold here, having a conversation with one of the PIOs from downtown Seattle.
And our thanks to our affiliates there, KOMO and KIRA -- KIRA -- KIRO, for helping us out with that.
All right, here's what is making THE LIST this hour. and this is a story that's intrigued so many of you, as it has us. Fourteen alleged members of the Gambino crime family have been indicted. This is the group walking into court this morning.
The group includes an alleged wise guy named Daniel Marino, who is said to be the boss. There he is. Charges include murder. They include racketeering. Among the charges, by the way -- and this is kind of a new low, when you consider the old rules of the mob -- prostitution of minors -- prostitution of minors.
Women and girls as young as 15 allegedly were recruited to be prostitutes and advertised on Web sites. This new low was addressed by a U.S. attorney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREET BHARARA, U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: And perhaps reflecting a new low for the Gambino family, today's charges also include interstate sex trafficking of women, including a minor.
Unfortunately, for New York City, as today's case shows, the rumors of the mafia's demise are greatly exaggerated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So, he's telling us the mafia's alive and well.
Joining me now is "In Session"'s Jean Casarez from our sister network truTV. She was in the courtroom.
What a story this is.
(CROSSTALK)
JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV: And what a sight to see in that courtroom today, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Take -- take it away.
CASAREZ: You know, it really was.
The defendants came en masse in that courtroom. They were shackled at their waists and down their legs. Their hands were handcuffed. They came in one by one.
Now, 14 were indicted. There are 13 that are now charged. Some are in custody. One is still at large they say is armed and dangerous. But the courtroom didn't have room for all of them, so they actually sat where the juries normally sit. Their attorneys sat in the well of the courtroom.
(LAUGHTER)
CASAREZ: And, in the gallery, where I was sitting, it was packed, Rick, with family members of these alleged mobsters. Some were crying.
But what I saw, they were --
SANCHEZ: Crying?
CASAREZ: -- were mouthing to each other.
SANCHEZ: Crying?
(CROSSTALK)
CASAREZ: Family members.
SANCHEZ: Did you say -- did you say crying?
CASAREZ: Crying. Families members --
SANCHEZ: The mobsters were crying?
CASAREZ: The family members were crying.
SANCHEZ: Oh.
CASAREZ: But, Rick, the mobsters -- allegedly mobsters -- were mouthing words to their families as they were sitting there in the jury seat. And the families were talking back.
I don't think I have ever seen such a relaxed courtroom. Now, this was before the judge took the bench, before the proceeding began. But there was a lot of communications.
SANCHEZ: How bad are these so-called bad guys?
CASAREZ: Well, you're talking about, in some cases, double murder. There was one man whose bail hearing was held today. That was Noel Modica.
The government is alleging that he was involved in a double murder in 1987.
SANCHEZ: Huh.
CASAREZ: He was driving the motorcycle. Somebody else was on board. They went into a crowded parking lot and shot different shots. The target was killed and an innocent bystander was killed. The whole reason was, it was an opposing gang member that they just needed to get out of the way.
SANCHEZ: What about this -- what about this charge that they may have been trying to traffic in underage women for sex?
CASAREZ: This is really --
SANCHEZ: That's a -- that's a hell of a thing, when you consider that everything I have ever read -- and, man, do I love reading books about mafia characters. And I will -- in fact, I'm going to interview one in a little bit here.
I'm going to interview a former mob boss on this show. And that's going to be coming up in just a little bit.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: And I can't wait to talk to him.
But I have always heard that there's -- there's an honor system. This is the kind of thing you don't do. You -- you certainly would not prostitute a little girl, right?
CASAREZ: Well, maybe wrong, because, in this indictment, which goes on for 23 counts, there is sexual trafficking of women and of a minor.
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
CASAREZ: But, more than that, there is a female charged in this indictment, which is highly unusual. You know, we just got off the phone with the FBI, and they're telling us that they truly cannot remember when a female was charged in an indictment.
Her name is Suzanne Porcelli. And she's been charged with four counts of sexual trafficking of a woman --
SANCHEZ: So, she was the one --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: So, she was the one who was in charge of this thing that I just asked you about where they were allegedly trafficking sex with a minor?
CASAREZ: According to the indictment, she helped transfer and transport. And she also got them to persuade and induce and entice and coerced these women to participate.
SANCHEZ: Wow.
Jean Casarez all over this story, as I expected you would be. And people, I'm sure, all over the country, who all watched "The Sopranos" and have watched "The Godfather" and have watched "Goodfellas" and all those movies are sitting here going, man, this is like the -- this is like the real thing that's going on here.
CASAREZ: It is.
SANCHEZ: Well, follow this thing for us and let us know how it develops, because I think it is a fascinating story. And I --
CASAREZ: It is.
SANCHEZ: -- thank you for the report.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: All right.
Take a look at this. We have been telling you about all the developments in this story. That is Ben Roethlisberger, easily one of the biggest and most talented quarterbacks in the NFL -- suspended.
Could he be kicked out of the Steelers roster for good? I got all the details. I got the -- the letter over here from the NFL. I'm going to read to you exactly what their -- what the law is that they're laying down. That's ahead.
Also, fiery oil rig explosion off the coast of New Orleans. And the Coast Guard has dramatic predawn rescues that are taking place. I was able to confirm on the air just a little while ago -- well, I didn't confirm it. CNN confirmed it -- he just happened to be doing an interview with me on the air -- that there are still 11 workers missing somewhere out there at sea, and they're still looking for them. So, you know, our heart goes out to them.
I know all of you are thinking about them as well. We have been all over that story throughout this newscast. And we will continue to stay on it. I'm going to be right back.
This is your national conversation, your list, RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Boy, there's a lot going on with the Ben Roethlisberger story, first of all, from the NFL. Let me share this with you.
This is what was released today by the NFL. And they're essentially saying that they are suspending him for six games for violating NFL personnel conduct, all right? Personal conduct. And, by the way, when I say six games, I don't mean four exhibition games and two regular season games. I mean six regular season games.
There are stories out there now that the -- the -- ESPN, as well as the NFL Network are both reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers are thinking about trading or moving him off the team, Roethlisberger.
And, moments ago, we got information from the -- as we follow tweets -- and we often get our news stories from folks who tweet in the NFL -- Greg Aiello tweeted that, in fact, there's a possibility it could be worse, that it could go up beyond six games.
He also tweeted that, if the NFL commissioner feels like Ben has been OK and meets with him, he could make it less. He can make it just four games. So, it could be four games that he's suspended for, six, or maybe even a little bit more. That's where it stands right now.
Now, we got this tweet just a moment ago. This is from Shawne Merriman. You know Shawne Merriman. He's a superstar in the NFL.
Hashtag -- "Ain't no way Ben Roethlisberger deserves six games. Ain't no way Ben Roethlisberger deserves six games."
So, here's an NFL player coming to his defense, coming to Roethlisberger's defense. Wow. By the way, in just a little bit, I'm going to be talking to one of the foremost experts NFL activities, who is going to be joining me to give us a lowdown on what is going on. Rick Horrow is going to join to talk about what is going on with Ben -- big Ben Roethlisberger.
Here's a few other stories on my LIST today.
Eleven people missing from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Something exploded there before midnight last night. Now, this is the only video that we have of the rescue operation so far. It shows one injured person being hauled up into a Coast Guard helicopter -- 126 people were on the rig when at -- when the explosion happened.
Nobody's sure yet what blew it up or why. And, as they told you on this show, 11 are still out there.
Follow-up list now: Remember the school district that took pictures of students through their laptops without their knowledge? Well, get this. We're talking about 56,000 pictures and screen shots -- 56,000. Well, this is the Pennsylvania Montgomery County, where a lawsuit accuses the school district of violating kids' privacy. School officials say, it did happen, that they should have notified students about the picture, but that they did nothing illegal. We're watching to see what happens in court.
And the pope talking publicly.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: We have got great graphics, don't we?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And the pope talking publicly today about the church's sex abuse scandal for the first time. He met with eight victims of abusive priests over the weekend. And, today, he promised them the church will take action. That's the strongest language he's ever used about accused priests. The victims' rights groups here in the U.S. says they're skeptical.
Give me something here, Rog, something.
All right. Elian Gonzalez may be the reason Al Gore lost the state of Florida, and George Bush became president. Where is he now? Where is Elian Gonzalez? What a story. That's coming up.
Also, the NFL makes an example of Ben Roethlisberger with a six-game suspension. Yes, but are they exhibition games? No, they are not. There's more on this. And, as it comes in, we will share.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
You land on THE LIST that you don't want to be on even when you haven't been charged with a crime. And that's also a rule in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger, star quarterback, reckless reputation, read his apology, but guess what? It didn't seem to work. It didn't convince NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
A Georgia prosecutor didn't charge him for a sexual assault allegation, but he did tell him to grow up. Today, the NFL went even further. Even though Roethlisberger isn't going to face a judge's bench, he will have to sit on the bench for at least six games this season -- no, not meaningly -- meaningless exhibition games, the first six regular season games of 2010.
That is a heavy price, not only for him, but for his team, which now may need to go out and look for another quarterback. Roethlisberger's attorneys aren't saying anything yet. The NFL wants Roethlisberger to -- quote -- "establish himself as a responsible individual." That's a quote. Character matters. That means all 6'5'', 241 pounds of this incredible NFL talent is paying a heavy price for his public behavior. And, for that, he also moves up to the very top of today's list that you don't want to be on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNES ABDULLAH MOHAMMED, REVOLUTION MUSLIM: In -- the Koran says very clearly in the Arabic language -- language (SPEAKING ARABIC). This means, terrorize them. It's a command from Allah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: "South Park" will be terrorized, offends a Muslim group, so radical that it -- it thought that they were wrong with the 9/11 attacks.
Now, are the show's creators being threatened at this point? This is one interesting story. It's ahead.
And then, where's Elian Gonzalez today? It's been -- well, it's an anniversary. I will tell you. I will show you. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Ten years ago, a little boy named Elian Gonzalez landed on the shores of South Florida. That little boy may have, according to some political experts, caused Al Gore to lose the presidency to George Bush by making that very tiny, slim vote in Florida go against the Democratic Party, and for the Republican Party.
What you're looking at on the top of the screen right there, that is the actual takeaway, the night that police went in and removed, forcibly, Elian Gonzalez and returned him to Fidel Castro, which was, to the Cubans, the Cuban community in South Florida, as if they had stuck a knife in their back.
Of course, they tried to take it out on Bill Clinton, eventually Al Gore. And some would argue they did.
So, where is Elian Gonzalez now? What is he doing? Well, there's a museum in his name. And we have got pictures of what he looks like now.
Do we have those, Rog? I think you will be able to see.
Let's --
(CROSSTALK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: It's pretty hard to believe it's been 10 years since federal agents stormed into this home here to grab Elian Gonzalez and -- and take him out of this house. And, you know, it looks pretty much like it did 10 years ago from the outside. But now the inside has been turned into a museum by Elian's uncle Delfin Gonzalez -- and, over here, some of the toys that Elian played with when he was here, the bicycles he rode outside, a lot of pictures up here.
There's all kinds of memorabilia on the walls. Look over here, a bunch of the -- the toys, again, that he played with, the trucks and the fire truck, and everything that was donated to him. And, you know, there is somebody here who was a reporter who was in this house a lot back in the days.
And -- and, Ruby Feria (ph), Ruby, how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you?
ZARRELLA: It's good to see you.
Take us through pretty -- because you spent a lot of time here --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.
ZARRELLA: -- as a reporter covering this story for a local radio station.
Take us through some of the rooms and what we're seeing here. I know this was the living room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was the living room. This is where they were all sitting around when everything took place. And, as you can see, there is a lot or plenty of memorabilia.
There's a lot of art that has been donated by local -- local artists. And when we walk through here, you will see --
ZARRELLA: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- for instance, in this room, this is the room where Elian's bed is at. This is the original bed.
ZARRELLA: Yes, that's that famous car bed, right?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The famous car bed --
ZARRELLA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- that was torn to pieces, and they pieced it together.
These are old presents and stuff that Elian had given to him by different people and things that he really cherished. This is where he used to pray every night, something his mother (INAUDIBLE) he used to say.
And, in here, you can see the closet with all of his clothing.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is all of Elian's clothing. This is his uniform from --
ZARRELLA: The Lincoln-Marti School.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Lincoln-Marti School, exactly.
This is clothes that he never even got to wear.
ZARRELLA: There's some here with tags on them yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some with tags on, yes, that he was supposed to be wearing.
ZARRELLA: So much of these things that he has were donated by people, right?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were all donated by people --
ZARRELLA: All donated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- presents from people.
This is the pinata that you can see that he had on his birthday --
ZARRELLA: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- that he very much loved. He was like such a happy child, when that pinata broke and -- and all this candy comes out.
ZARRELLA: Candy fell out, right, right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was like so amazed by it.
But, anyway, this is not the room where he was actually taken from.
ZARRELLA: That's another room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's another room. And, as I walk you through here, you can see that, right in here is where they came through. And this is the door that they tore to pieces to be able to get in.
ZARRELLA: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And, once they did, here is the closet where Donato was holding the child.
ZARRELLA: Right, Donato Dalrymple was holding the child right inside the closet here --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dalrymple was holding the child here.
ZARRELLA: -- hiding him from the federal agents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. As you can see from this picture here, this is the closet door. There he is with the child hi his panicking in his face. And this is like the famous picture called the date of infamy. That's what --
(CROSSTALK)
ZARRELLA: That's what they call it here in Miami, of course.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's what they call it here in Miami, the date of infamy.
ZARRELLA: Right. Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And everything here that you can see, it -- it's every moment in picture of Elian's state in freedom land.
The raft here is not the actual raft that he came on.
ZARRELLA: Correct, is symbolic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But this is pretty much -- right, symbolizes how he came in, how he was tied in to -- between ropes and stakes. And that's how he was able to hold on, and where his mother secured him before she drowned.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And there's a museum in Miami. There are museums in Cuba. The story has continued, like the legends continue.
And I promised you I would show you what Elian Gonzalez -- we all have that picture of that little boy in our head. That's what he looks like now. That's Elian Gonzalez 10 years later, in the typical Cuban uniform. Hasn't changed that much, has he? Just gotten a little bigger -- the Elian Gonzalez story.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And the story continues.
All right. Look at this now. Has the mob hit a new low? Alleged members of the Gambino crime family accused of child prostitution, among other things. I'm going to talk with a former mob boss about the arrests. That's coming up in just a little bit.
And then, an 850-foot plunge, you couldn't pay most people to do something like this. So, why did she take the leap?
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Did you know that yesterday was 4/20 day? If you know exactly what that means, then that probably reveals something about you. I, on the other hand, just had to ask my executive producer during the commercial what that means.
Let's do "Fotos."
Here's what it means. Thousands gathered in Denver, some to support legalizing marijuana, others to just take it all in, so to speak. The magic number for many pot smokers is 4/20, thus 4/20 day.
Yesterday, April 20, at 4:20 p.m., the clock counted down. The crowd lit up, and a smoky haze filled the air. There you go.
Now to a lower altitude, the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas. To go up, you just take the elevator, right? To get down, you gots to jump. That's right, you jump.
It's actually a new ride and a new record. Guinness certified it as the world's longest commercial decelerator jump, over 800 feet.
Oh, and what a view.
To Reno now, not far away, for a fall of a different type. A University of Nevada mascot had some great hits at the baseball game. Wolfie hit the stairs, guardrails and the players below. Ouch.
The good news is he's OK. Should we watch him one more time or would that be mean? Yes, let's be mean. Oh!
By the way, his job is to look foolish. Mission accomplished.
You can see all of our "Fotos," by the way, on CNN.com/ricksanchez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You do not have to be convicted or even charged with a crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The NFL commish has thrown the book at Ben Roethlisberger. And as you heard right there, you don't have to be convicted or even charged with a crime to have the book thrown at you.
He is being benched for six games, possibly fewer, possibly more. How's that going to affect the Pittsburgh Steelers? Will they try and get rid of him?
Important question, all the ramifications. Talking to a pro next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Ben Roethlisberger has been suspended from four to six games without pay. Now, without pay is interesting. In fact, I can tell you now what he would possibly lose.
He stands to lose $2.8 million. Could you imagine? Who among you who are listening to me right now actually makes -- could stand to lose $2.8 million for not being able to show up for work for four to six weeks. That's amazing.
He's a two-time Super Bowl winner. He's amazingly talented, easily one of the best quarterbacks in all of the NFL. But because of his public antics, the NFL has decided to punish him severely.
Rick Horrow is joining me now. He's a sports business analyst, knows as much about this kind of thing as anybody that we could possibly talk to, and he's going to take us through it.
I've got to tell you, I'm surprised that the NFL has come down this hard on him. Aren't you?
RICK HORROW, SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Well, remember, it's a process question, Rick, more than anything else because Roger Goodell is treading into the -- well, the justice system's not going to indict, but I'm going to suspend, ground. And a lot of civil libertarians might have some issues with it.
Roger Goodell is firm on it. It is consistent with others that he suspended as well. And he's sending a very, very, very strong message, Rick.
SANCHEZ: By the way, I should just mention that this is a story that's being reported by The Associated Press, ESPN, NFL Network. Everyone's running with it.
Do you have any reason to suspect the information that's gone out is different than what we're reporting?
HORROW: No, I do not. And I did a little bit of checking as well with some of the sources. And it is consistent -- and then, of course, your other question is, remember, this is the day before the draft. And Sam Bradford and those other big-time college quarterbacks are out there. And there is the rumor that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to trade this two-time Super Bowl champion who is 27 years old and, as you said, one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
So what's going to happen?
SANCHEZ: What a shame, too, really. I mean, look, it's easy to sit here and make fun of people who make mistakes. But you know what? I've made mistakes, you've made mistakes, Rick. The problem I think here -- and you tell me if I'm wrong -- it wasn't a mistake, it was a series of mistakes that seem to show a disregard. Possibly, the right word is a recklessness.
Is that what got him?
HORROW: Yes. Speak for yourself about the mistakes, pal. No, no. I agree. I think we're -- we go way back. You know that.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Mr. Perfecto.
HORROW: No, I understand. I get you.
The cumulative impact of it, which is why we have to be careful about suspensions -- but listen, the guy makes that $10 million, and that's why this affects him. If you won two Super Bowls, maybe a quarter of the season is worth $2 million as well. But Campbell's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Nike all are seriously invested in this guy.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
HORROW: And Big Ben's Beef Jerky, by the way, Rick, not only said you're going to be a sponsor anymore, but they're burning all of his inventory on the shelves. So he's not too popular in Pittsburgh as we speak.
SANCHEZ: Well, you know, the NFL is saying here character matters. Right? Isn't that essentially what they're saying?
HORROW: The NFL is saying character matters and corporate America may say character matters. You know, $12 billion of spokesman stuff, Rick. And we're on the heels of Tiger Woods as well. And I guarantee you because of this and other things, contracts are going to be shorter and smaller and easier to terminate as far as endorsements are concerned.
SANCHEZ: ESPN and the NFL Network are both reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers, his team, his organization, is shopping him around, essentially saying they want to get rid of him as a quarterback.
What's your take on that?
HORROW: Well, here's the first part of the take, is that he was in the top 10 in jersey sales. Now he's dropped out. Pittsburgh is wild about winners and skeptical about bad-character guys.
And what about some of those top teams that need quarterbacks? How about Cleveland in that same division? How about facing that guy twice a year? How about Oakland?
You know, there's a lot of people right before the draft that could trade those first couple of draft picks. So this is the time to do it, although, on the other hand, you want to be cautious about this, because this is a franchise quarterback with a team that's worth nearly a billion bucks. So you don't do this stuff overnight.
SANCHEZ: You know what they usually do in cases like this/ OK, we'll trade him, but we're not going to trade him to another team in our division. We'll trade him to somebody in the other league, maybe in the NFC or something like that.
That's the way it works, right? HORROW: Yes. Well, Cleveland needs a quarterback, remember? And they're in the division. So this will be a very interesting couple of days.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Rick, you're good. You know your stuff. And I thank you for joining us and taking us through this really sad story. And look, in the end, we hope that this thing works out for him, because he didn't break any laws. And I suppose that's important as well.
Let's go to this Greg Aiello (ph) tweet. He's with the NFL, and he clarified this for us on the air a while ago. This is why we follow people who are relevant to the news that we cover on Twitter. Watch this.
We learned this when we read this tweet. This is from the NFL. "The commish will review Ben's progress prior to season and consider reducing the suspension to four games. Failure to cooperate could lead to a longer suspension."
So, as it stands now at six, it could be four if he's good, it could be worse if he's not. What a story.
Look at this. A gag on "South Park" angers an extremist Muslim group. Was it bad enough to warrant vile images and threats on a Web site?
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We've got a ton of people in Pennsylvania who watch RICK'S LIST, and they're all commenting on the Ben Roethlisberger story. Just to show you a few of them, if we possibly could --
"As a Steeler fan, I'm happy the NFL is taking action. Ben has some growing up to do and doesn't learn from his mistakes.
And then look what Jay Feely writes. We reported to you just a little while ago that this is going to cost Ben Roethlisberger a whole lot of dough, something like $2.8 million. Right? Well, he says, "That's an expensive night out."
You know the cartoon "South Park"? It was created by these guys -- Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They call themselves equal opportunity offenders. That's what they say.
Well, they're not afraid to make fun of anything or anybody. But one group says that they should be.
After last week's episode, it put this on its Web site: "We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably end up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them."
Theo Van Gogh was a Dutch filmmaker. He was murdered while riding his bicycle to work because he made a documentary that criticized the way that some Islamic societies treat women. A picture of his body is posted with the "South Park" warning.
So, who would get that offended by a cartoon? Well, we're going to drill down on that in just a little bit. But first, what did "South Park" do that could make somebody that angry? Depict the Prophet Mohammed in a bear suit. That was it.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SOUTH PARK")
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've done this town a huge favor, Mohammed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on a second. Stop! There's some extremists threatening that if we give Mohammed to the celebrities, they're going to bomb us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's just a stupid threat. Come on, we don't want to piss off Tom Cruise again.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "SOUTH PARK")
SANCHEZ: Well, they apparently have made somebody angry. Who's behind this warning over a cartoon?
Drew Griffin's drilling down on that for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Revolution Muslim says, despite their provocative posting, complete with the photo of a murder victim, the group says it's only issuing a call to protest, not violence.
Contacted by CNN, the creator of the posting said Revolution Muslim only wants those offended to be able to voice their opposition by letters to the show's creators.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Certainly, the comment on this Web site is very ugly, but it is certainly not specific enough to get anyone arrested at this point.
YOUNES ABDULLAH MOHAMMED, REVOLUTION MUSLIM: Hi, Drew. How are you?
GRIFFIN (on camera): Good.
(voice-over): Last year, CNN interviewed one of the founders of this radical Muslim group on the streets of New York. Younes Mohammed chose his words carefully, telling us he saw nothing wrong with Americans dying in the 9/11 terrorist attack.
MOHAMMED: I don't think it was wrong. I think it was justified.
GRIFFIN: And then adding, he does not encourage any violence on U.S. soil. It's a word game, federal officials tell us, that allows Revolution Muslim to post support of terrorists, like the alleged Fort Hood, Texas, shooter, while the Web site itself is protected under free speech laws of the United States.
Younes Mohammed told us he doesn't see anything wrong with his messages. He dislikes the United States. He yearns for a Muslim world.
MOHAMMED: We're commanded to terrorize the disbelievers. And this is a religion, like I said.
GRIFFIN (on camera): You're commanded to terrorize the disbelievers?
MOHAMMED: The Koran says very clearly in the Arabic language -- language (SPEAKING ARABIC). This means, terrorize them. It's a command from Allah.
GRIFFIN: So, you're commanded --
MOHAMMED: To terrorize them.
GRIFFIN: -- to terrorize anybody who doesn't believe?
MOHAMMED: It doesn't mean -- you define terrorism as going and killing an innocent civilian. That's what your --
GRIFFIN: How do you --
MOHAMMED: I define terrorism as making them fearful, so that they think twice before they go rape your mother or kill your brother or go on to your land and try to steal your resources.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): The clip on the site ends with the warning on a graphic directed at Parker and Stone that the dust will never settle down.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADINE HAYS, ACCUSED OF HITTING TSA AGENT: The whole year I haven't been a mother or a wife or a grandmother. For the last year --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: It's a pretty simple rule, isn't it? The rule is that you can't take liquids on a plane. Almost all of us know that, or if we learn once we try to get on a plane, we say, well, I guess I have to throw this out. And we do.
Don't tell that to a woman who really was committed to her applesauce. This is one you've got to see for yourself. It's all video. I promise, it's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez, sharing the information with you and having a national conversation.
This is your list, RICK'S LIST.
At the top of our legal list, you know the rules, right? We've all been told by now, no liquids are allowed on planes. When you go through screening, TSA is going to take it away from you. Every single one of you has probably had something taken away if you fly a lot -- toothpaste, too much hair products, food. And then there's that really expensive bottle of champagne that my APM staff once gave me before I was leaving New York, which I watched a TSA throw into a garbage can.
Ouch. Nothing I can do. It's the rule.
But applesauce, now that's worth fighting about. Don't take this woman's applesauce.
What are we talking about? Let's start at the beginning. Here we go. I'm going to take you through this story because it's unbelievable video.
Last April, Nadine Hays tried to take a cooler full of ice and applesauce through security. I think we've got pictures. I'm going to try to put them up for you in just a little bit. Let's do that.
Upon arrival -- there she is right there -- agents told Hays that she had to surrender the contents, too much liquid. Now, remember, you're only allowed to take about three ounces. And she had a whole cooler full of applesauce and stuff.
So Hays starts yelling at the agent because she wants it. Hays snatches away the cooler -- you just saw her do that -- there she goes right there -- from the agent.
Now, apparently, you're not allowed to touch that stuff once the agent says you can't have it back, or sometimes they make provisions where they let you mail it to yourself. But anyway, police are called.
Remember, these TSA agents deal with thousands of people like her all day long. So they don't usually have a lot of sympathy. And they dealt with this one as such.
Now, most of us bite our lip when we're told by these folks, look, you just can't do it, that's the rules, sorry. Well, she says that she had some kind of prior approval for the cooler. And a judge finally said to her, you know what? Just stay out of trouble for six months and I will drop the charges for you. And so the judge did.
You can find that on the Internet, by the way. We'll try and put it up for you. You'll be able to see the whole thing in its entirety. It's almost interesting to watch. I didn't say comical. Suspected members of Gambino crime families charged with murder, racketeering, even child prostitution. I want to show you somebody. He's a former mob boss. His name is Michael, and he's going to take us through this story when we come back.
That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: I want to show you some video. This is video we've been talking about all day long.
Fourteen alleged members of the Gambino organized crime family have been indicted.
Roger, if you've got those pictures, see if you can put that shot of them as they're being walked.
The charges, by the way, include murder, racketeering, even prostitution of minors.
I'm joined now by a former mob boss. His name is Michael Franzese. He's the author of a book "I'll Make You an Offer That You Can't Refuse."
Catchy title, by the way, Michael. Thanks so much for joining us.
MICHAEL FRANZESE, FMR. MOBSTER: Thank you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: I can't -- you know, I read the headlines this morning, watched a little bit of the story last night. And I was surprised that this big an operation was being taken down having to do with Gambinos. A lot of people are thinking those are old stories from "The Godfather" days.
These groups are still out there, huh?
FRANZESE: Oh, they're still out there, still going strong. I was surprised, too, Rick, honestly.
I was on a plane this morning and heard about it a little bit later. And I knew Danny Marino pretty well, one of the major guys there.
SANCHEZ: You did?
FRANZESE: Oh, yes, back in the day.
SANCHEZ: Well, he's the biggest gun in this thing. He's the one who's getting hit with all the big charges of these 14 guys, alleged guys arrested.
FRANZESE: Yes, I'm pretty surprised. You know, the trafficking deal is something that certainly would have never been allowed in my day. I mean, we would pay some serious consequences for anything like that.
SANCHEZ: OK. Let me bring the viewers back to what you're talking about.
One of the charges is prostitution of minors, that they were trafficking in prostitution, including a minor girl. I mean, a little girl. And this is the kind of thing that in the past would have gotten a Gambino shot possibly by another Gambino, right?
FRANZESE: Oh, it would have gotten us killed. I mean, it's something we wouldn't have thought of. You know, we were always respectful to young children. And prostitution was off limits for us. I mean, so it's kind of shocking even for me to hear these charges.
SANCHEZ: What does that say about organized crime, or maybe in this case about the Gambino family in particular?
FRANZESE: Well, you know, it's -- government has had them on the run in New York for quite some time. And, you know, they've taken away a lot of the strongholds that used to be a mainstay for us -- unions and so on and so forth. So, apparently they're moving into other areas if the charges are true.
SANCHEZ: I guess what I hear you saying is that they're so desperate to be able to make money in some way, that they're going into areas that they wouldn't have considered going into in the past?
FRANZESE: Well, I don't know if it's out of desperation or just a change in mentality, you know, from the old school way of thinking. But like I said, this is something that would have never been tolerated 20 years ago. So to hear it now, it's pretty upsetting, number one. It's pretty shocking, too.
SANCHEZ: What's it like -- what's it like to be, Michael, in that world?
FRANZESE: Well, you know, look, it's a pretty treacherous life, Rick. Look, you're always on a pretty much of a tight rope. You've got to worry about people in your own life, and then you're always worried about law enforcement if you become a major target like I was and obviously like Danny is.
SANCHEZ: Were you scared?
FRANZESE: You know, I don't think fear is the word. You're just -- you're on edge. You're always trying to mind your Ps and Qs and make sure you don't violate any policies. You know, always trying to keep in good graces with the people you're supposed to be in graces with. But it's a tough life.
SANCHEZ: It almost seems like when I watch the portrayals -- and I think a lot of Americans -- and let's speak to this. Let's speak to "The Sopranos," to "Goodfellas," to "The Godfather," to "Donnie Brasco" or any of those other movies that we've seen.
I've watched them all. I think most Americans have.
Which one captures closest -- or is closest to the essence of what it's really like to be in organized crime as you would describe it? FRANZESE: Well, I would tell you this -- in "The Sopranos," if there was ever a mob boss visiting a psychiatrist, he'd probably be in the trunk of the car by the end of the week, along with the psychiatrist. So that blew it for me.
But "Goodfellas" and "Donnie Brasco" were pretty accurate portrayals of that life. I knew all those crews (ph) pretty well, and they got it down pretty good. When Scorsese does something and you've got an ensemble like Joe Pesci and De Niro, they get it pretty right.
SANCHEZ: But the way they portray them in many ways is they're just as much goofballs as they are murderers.
FRANZESE: Well, you know, you've got some that are very intelligent, very capable, and that you don't sell short. And there are other guys that, you know, are just in a different caliber, they're not quite as sharp. But I would never sell them short, because a lot of my former associates, had they not got into a life of crime, they probably would have been successful in the legitimate world.
SANCHEZ: It's amazing that I'm sitting here talking to a guy who actually worked with and knew the guys who were busted in this case that we've been reporting on today here at CNN.
A final question I have to ask you. How do you get out of the mob?
FRANZESE: Well, there's no blueprint for it, I'll tell you that.
SANCHEZ: Alive.
FRANZESE: I certainly had my struggles over the years, Rick. But I was very fortunate. Just about everybody that had it in for me is either dead or in prison for the rest of their lives. And I knew the life well, so I knew what I had to do to survive, and fortunately I'm still here.
SANCHEZ: What was your name in the mob? Did you just go by Michael Franzese, or did you have one of those mob names?
FRANZESE: No. They had some names behind my back, probably. But they tagged me as "The Yuppie Don," which is something I really didn't like.
SANCHEZ: Yuppie Don.
FRANZESE: Yes. I didn't like that.
SANCHEZ: What an interesting story. I'm glad you shared it with us.
Good luck with your book. And we'll hopefully talk to you once again.
FRANZESE: Thanks a lot, Rick. Appreciate it.
SANCHEZ: Michael Franzese, used to be in the mob. And he takes us through this unbelievable story coming out of the Northeast today.
Time to go now to "THE SITUATION ROOM." And guess who's hosting "THE SITUATION ROOM" today? Our favorite, Jessica Yellin.
