Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history with his unique perception of the mafia. In this episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins dives into the thrilling story of Louie, “Louis the Coin” Colavecchio, a mob associate from Providence, Rhode Island, with guests Andy Thibault, the author of the book “You’d Think It Was More,” and retired Connecticut State Police officer Jerry Longo, who arrested Louie. The book delves into Louie’s life as a master thief and counterfeiter, providing intriguing stories about the Rhode Island mob. After reading a column that Andy and Jerry had published together, Louie approached Andy with his manuscript. With the help of their friend Franz Dusky and Jerry, they worked on the manuscript for several years and got it published. The book is set to be released next June. Jerry shares his experience as a Bureau of Criminal Investigations member and his involvement in catching the individual responsible for counterfeiting casino tokens. They collaborated with law enforcement in New Jersey and Connecticut, employing a unique approach to track the suspect’s presence in the casino using the inventory system. The suspect was eventually caught with evidence of counterfeiting tokens for various casinos. The conversation continues with discussions about Louie’s connections to the Providence mob and the involvement of the Patriarca crime family in his operations. The main speaker reflects on Louie’s charismatic personality and how he maintained a presence in the casinos despite being banned by many. Louie’s criminal activities ranged from insurance scams to counterfeiting money, and he had various professions, including being a metallurgist and reverse engineer. The conversation concludes with discussions on the gaming industry, Louie’s preferences for playing slot machines for perks, and his involvement in other illegal activities.

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Transcript

[0:00] Welcome all you guys back here to the studio Gangland Wire. This is Gary Jenkins, retired Kansas City, Missouri, police intelligence detective turned radio show host, or in this case, podcast host. And I really appreciate y’all listening.

And I have a pretty interesting story about the Providence, Rhode Island, Patriarcha a mob or a mob associate guy named Louie, the coin.

Colavecchio. And he was right next to Patriarcha.

I read this book called, you’d think it was more. And this guy was a master thief, a master criminal, and he could counterfeit anything.

It’s just, it’s a crazy story, I think. And it’s really well written by our guest here, Andy Thibault.

And we have Jerry Longo, retired from the Connecticut State Police, who actually arrested Louis the Coin at the end.

So we’ll get to hear about that and the relationship he developed with this guy, because all these kinds of really good criminals, they always have really good personalities, I’ve noticed. Do you ever notice that, Jerry?

[1:00] Huge personalities. I mean, they’re good. I tell you, this book, it sounds interesting.

I haven’t really got a chance to read it all, but I read enough of it to make notes that it’s got some great stories in it about the Rhode Island mob.

Here’s what an assistant U.S.