Surviving the Mob - Dennis Griffin [43]
As Andrew accepted his situation, it didn’t seem as bleak as it did on the day he was convicted. He felt serving five years wasn’t the end of the world. Friends on the street would keep an eye on Dina and his son and make sure they were taken care of.
And he had the promise of Gerbino and Yannotti that Sammy Karkis would be dealt with. He knew it would be awhile before that happened, because an immediate hit would draw a lot of suspicion and heat. But it was something to look forward to.
On October 13, Andrew was shipped out of Brooklyn to Riker’s Island for one night, then on to the state prison system and a whole new world.
12
... and Tribulation
To the average person, the thought of the clanking noise as the steel bars of a prison gate closes behind them is terrifying. The uncertainty of what awaits him and not knowing exactly how long he’ll be locked up can drive some first-time prisoners to the point of suicide.
But Andrew wasn’t the average person when he entered the New York State penal system on October 13, 1989. He was a tough young man and his experiences had made him better suited to handle whatever was thrown at him behind bars than those who were less streetwise. He walked through the barred gate with a swagger in his step and the smirk still on his face.
“On the outside, I was acquainted with plenty of guys who had done time, so I had a basic understanding of what I was in for,” Andrew says. “Unlike a lot of first-timers, I went into the state system knowing how quickly my back could be up against the wall. I knew that when I got inside, who I’d been on the street meant nothing. Prison inmates only respect toughness and your willingness to commit violence and inflict harm. I knew I might have to kill in order to protect myself. And I was mentally and physically prepared to do whatever I had to do to stay alive.”
Andrew’s first stop was at the Downstate Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison located in the village of Fishkill, New York, about 70 miles north of New York City. Downstate serves primarily as a classification center for new inmates entering the New York State prison system. New inmates typically remain at Downstate for a few weeks before being assigned to a permanent facility. He wasn’t impressed with his temporary home.
“This place was totally designed to break the inmate from his street mentality. It reminded me of what I’d heard about military boot camps, that they play with your head. The first thing they did when I got there was delouse me. Then they shaved my head. They try to strip the new arrivals of their identity.
“After that come the interviews to gather information that will determine what facility you’re assigned to next. Your criminal history and current charges are considered too. I was classified as a maximum-security inmate and told I’d be going to a place where there were other guys like me—guys prone to violence with lengthy maximum sentences. It was funny to see some of the guys I’d been in the House of Detention with, guys who had been actin’ pretty tough suddenly playin’ like altar boys because they were so fuckin’ afraid of ending up in places like Attica, Dannemora [Clinton Correctional Facility], or Comstock [Great Meadow Correctional Facility].”
After about three weeks, Andrew was told that he was being moved to Sing Sing. Other than Alcatraz, Sing Sing is probably the most iconic prison in the United States. It’s located 30 miles or so north of the Big Apple in the village of Ossining, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River and for years it was the home of New York’s electric chair. Believing he’d arrived at his final destination, Andrew was somewhat concerned about what he saw shortly after arriving.
“I’d only been there a little while and