This blog continues the discussion that we began with Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2009).The latest book in this series is Divided We Stand: The 2020 Elections and American Politics.
A new video raises questions about President-elect Donald Trump's relationship with Joseph "Joey No Socks" Cinque, who once reportedly survived a mob hit and was associated with the infamous mob boss John Gotti.
The video shows Trump ringing in the new year on stage with Cinque at his Mar-a-Lago hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. The Secret Service told CNN everyone who attended the party was subject to screening via a metal detector.
Cinque was convicted in 1989 of criminal possession of stolen art, a felony. He was sentenced to "conditional discharge" in 1990, according to records provided by a New York Supreme Court clerk. CNN was told the actual indictment was destroyed in a fire.
Cinque did not serve jail time. While there is no record of how long the conditional discharge sentence lasted, a lack of further court records in the case indicates that he did not violate the discharge, the clerk told CNN.
In a 1995 profile in New York magazine, Cinque noted his former friendship with Gotti. The article also reported Cinque was "shot three times and left for dead" in a 1980 incident he called a "robbery," while "officials" described as "more likely a hit." The article also detailed Gotti's criminal record.
Cinque is the president and CEO of the American Academy of Hospitality Services, an organization that over the years has listed Trump as "ambassador extraordinaire." His children also served as honorary trustees on the board, which is made up of several Trump friends and business associates.
