Lindsey Mastis

FBI Agent George Gabriel and columnist Jerry Capeci (who also runs GanglandNews) sat down together at the Newseum to talk about the infamous John Gotti case. Mr. Gabriel and a team of agents spent years investigating Gotti, and Capeci spent years writing about it.

From a viewer’s standpoint, it is hard to know that a mafia “Don” like Gotti could walk the streets and meet publicly with his crew while law enforcement “investigated.” What took so long? According to Gabriel and Capeci– it’s just like the movies. Those in the Gambino family walked around the block, covered their lips, they used code words, and never spoke specifically about crimes. But, both Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Capeci agree, vanity and laziness became Gotti’s downfall.

I learned about the FBI’s frustration with Gotti– and Mr. Capeci. Mr. Capeci had solid contacts. He says even the Gambino crime family would read his columns to find out what was happening with the other four crime families in New York. The FBI disliked media coverage of Gotti because it made him a star; glamorizing murder and organized crime. But Mr. Capeci pointed out that it was Gotti’s fame that led to his downfall.

“They love me,” is what Mr. Gabriel says the crime boss would claim. He says Gotti thought of himself as untouchable. In fact, Mr. Gabriel says Gotti made the FBI’s job easy. He says the FBI only knew about 30 percent of the players in the Gambino crime family. Because of Gotti’s decision to meet in public and in large groups, the FBI was able to identify about 90 percent of the players.

Mr. Gabriel also says the FBI soon learned about an apartment where Gotti and his top men would meet. Mr. Gabriel said the FBI monitored the apartment for an entire year. In that time, he said there were only five conversations of any use. Mr. Gabriel says the only reason any of these conversations existed on tape is because Gotti got lazy. He says it was winter, and Gotti didn’t want to go outside or walk around the block.

In one conversation, Gotti talked about a murder involving Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. Mr. Gabriel says that conversation sealed Gravano’s fate. After sitting in jail for an entire year, Gravano was able to talk with Gotti, one-on-one. Mr. Gabriel says the two argued. After that, Gravano cooperated with the FBI.

I wanted to know how the mafia treated a journalist who made a living off of writing about the mob. Mr. Capeci says during Gotti’s trial, some of Gotti’s men would sit behind him. He says there were no direct threats. Instead, Mr. Capeci said the men would ponder–loud enough for him to hear–about how far Mr. Capeci’s head would go if it were hit with a baseball bat. But like law enforcement, Mr. Capeci says journalists are off limits to the mob. I asked Mr. Capeci if he ever had to back off a story because of threats. He said yes.

After the program ended, I was able to meet both Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Capeci. Mr. Capeci also signed his book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to The Mafia.” Gotti is on the cover.

It’s so hard to believe that in a couple of weeks, I’ll be living in Washington, D.C. Patrick and I are moving there at the end of the month. We are going because Patrick got a great job at a television station there. I’ll be looking for work once we settle in town.

Patrick and I will be celebrating our five year anniversary on August 1st. And for five years, I’ve been making the two hour drive to St. Louis on weekends. We just bought our dream home in January 2007, and it’s been sad to see the for sale sign go up.

I’m also going to miss Southern Illinois. I’ve called the area my home since going to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2002. I still drop by every so often to see my professors or just hang out in the journalism building.

I’ve been at WSIL since January 2005, and have held numerous positions including weekend assignment editor, crime reporter, and morning show anchor. I’m extremely proud of my work with the Spark Your Health series. To date, we have 1350 members of the online team. And because of the message boards and blogs, many people have found the support they need to lose weight and get fit. I’m going to miss hearing the stories of success and discovering new ways to work out in the area. I’ll never forget the amazing feats of members who lost more than 100 pounds, those who started changing their lifestyle and made their families lives better, and the interesting ways to keep motivated (like the man who opened a gym in his garage.) I hope the team continues to grow in my absence and that I may still get updates.

I wish I could thank everyone personally for making me feel at home and for allowing me to share their stories– both heartfelt and hard. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to be the person who experienced the pain and hardship instead of the people who became victims. I’ve always felt my calling in life was to share people’s stories so that others may help. I’m so proud that many of the people affected by disasters and tragedies received the support and prayers they’ve needed to make it through.

I hope to find a job in D.C. where I can continue to do what I love, and that’s report the news. I’ve enjoyed anchoring and being the person people have relied on to get them going in the morning. I have to admit– I’m a night owl, but the joy of this experience has made me a morning person. I just wish I could give each and every one of you a hug to let you know how much you’ve meant to me. I hope I’ve been able to make your lives easier.

I want to share just a small handful of my favorite memories:

My first day as a reporter, we were on the road and pulled up to channel 12. We actually drag raced down route 13. WSIL won!

The second time I reporter, a giant dog jumped in our vehicle and wouldn’t get out. Later, we drove a little fast a hill hoped. It was kind of scary.

My first big on-air report was on the closing of some armories. I traveled down to Cairo (which became one of my favorite towns– gotta love Shemwell’s) and stood in front. I tripped on my words, and my voice was shaky but I got through it. Later on, I was told I needed a hair cut. I agreed.

When we received word that Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price died in Iraq, we went to his home in Woodlawn. I’ll never forget knocking on the door and meeting one of the most loving families. They let me into their home and shared their memories of Kyle. Later in the week, I was driving home to St. Louis, and I’ll never forget the pride I felt for America as I saw Kyle’s family and a long line of police escorting his body home. Everyone flashed their lights in respect.

The first time I was live on air was during a large protest at SIU. The Jonesboro Baptist Church was on one side, and hundreds of students were on the other. I was not prepared. I fumbled my words and it was awful. I learned so much that day.

My first big story was about prisoners in love. I went into prisons and interviewed murderers about finding love through pen pals. One was even engaged to a woman on the outside.

My first series about about homeless families in Southern Illinois. I was able to spend a day following families at a shelter in Herrin. After the story, some of the families received help from the community.

After we decided to do a series on missing sex offenders, I decided to see if we could actually track one down. It took two days and a four-hour drive to Lebanon, Missouri, but we were able to work with police and get him arrested. He was a sexual predator and was living next door to young children. Neighbors told us he was trying to babysit the kids alone. We got there just in time.

Everyone was able to follow Jodi, Bobbi, and Kim on their journey to lose weight and get fit through the Spark Your Health series. These brave women volunteered to share intimate details about their weight and lives to help others. And they have. We’ve received comment after comment about how the series has helped.

Recently, I spent some time in the Williamson and Saline county jails. We heard Williamson needed a new one, but we wanted to be convinced. I was able to use the perspective of an inmate to show just how dangerous it is for the staff and community. Now, the new jail is being planned.

There are endless stories of heroism and I’ve been fortunate to share some of those stories through the Unsung Heroes series. I’ve always been overwhelmed by the stories of people giving everything they have to help others.

I’ve barely begun to mention the stories that have touched mine and others lives. I just want to say thank you for those who have been willing to share. I’ve enjoyed my time at WSIL and am thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given. I hope that by moving to Washington, D.C., I may be able to help even more.

I want to first thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement throughout my marathon training. As many of you know, I have been training for the Las Vegas Marathon in December. But because of a leg injury, I will not be able to run in the marathon. This is the first time I’ve tried running long distances and I’ve really enjoyed the training. Many of you have read my marathon blog and know I’ve learned a lot about running, nutrition, and pacing. I approached every run like a race, and I did not stretch properly or enough. As soon as my leg gets better, I’ll be focusing on running again and I plan to complete an official half marathon next year. I just wanted to share some of my favorite moments with all of you:

(My running shoes… Running at Murphysboro Lake… indulging at Shemwell’s in Cairo )