Steven Seagal & the Mafia

Steven Seagal rose to prominence in the early 1990s as an action film star and martial artist. In his movies he usually played a hero cop or decorated military man. In real life however, his dealings with the criminal underworld seem all too shady.

In 2003 it was reported that Steven Seagal was compelled to testify by court order against members of the Gambino crime family in New York for his role as the subject of an extortion attempt. Wire tapping tapes made by federal investigators captured members of the Gambino crime family and Seagal's once business partner, Julius R. Nasso, discussing a plan to extort $150,000 per movie from the actor.

Seagal came under further fire when it was reported that he allegedly met with a member of the Genovese crime family, apparent rivals to the Gambinos. It is alleged that the subject matter of that meeting was to seek aid from the Genovese family in dealing with the Gambinos. The member of the Genovese family which Seagal met with was in prison at the time, and Seagal offered to repay the imprisoned Genovese member by paying certain legal fees in the amount of $10,000 towards his defense.

Seagal was not charged with any criminal wrong doing in the matter of his extortion, but was more than hesitant about testifying against the Gambino family. Aside from the usual risk which comes with testifying against the Mafia, attorneys representing the Gambino clan planned on drilling Seagal about his character and the several allegations he had made about himself over the years while building up his "bad boy" persona. One among them being that he was once a secret agent for the CIA.

Seagal was suspected at one point, however, of criminal wrong doing in the case of two newspaper reporters being threatened and intimidated when they were writing stories about the Seagal/Mafia connection. Seagal denied any knowledge or wrong doing and, in fact, his name was eventually cleared after the arrest of an ex-con was made for the crimes.

The ex-con claimed that he was hired by Private Investigator to the stars Anthony Pellicano to make the threats against reporters. Pellicano was later arrested when a police search of his office turned up grenades and other military grade explosives. No definitive link between the ex-con, Pellicano, and Seagal was ever made by law enforcement and criminal charges against Seagal were never filed in that matter either.

All in all, it seems that the Seagal/Mafia connection is luke warm at best. Seagal has been accused by some as being a "Mob nut" who just like to brush up against the criminal underworld every once in a while, perhaps to further fuel his bad boy image. It seems that the biggest role Seagal ever played for the Mafia was that of potential patsy to an extortion attempt that never seemed to go through.

Sources:

Paul Lieberman. Seagal Sought Rival Mob's Help, Feds Say. The Los Angeles Times.

Josh Grossberg. Seagal Out for Justice...in Court. E! Online.

Gary Susman. Hard to Kill. Entertainment Weekly.

Rachel F. Elson. Seagal Under Siege in Federal Case. People.

Dan Collins. Wiretapper to the Stars? CBS News Entertainment.