This episode is pretty remarkable. I interviewed author and publisher, Mick Prodger, alongside Vito Cellini — who has lived a TV-series-worthy life. Vito was born in New York City and raised in Italy. He became street tough as a gangster by the time World War II kicked off and was conscripted into the Italian Army. Upon learning the Italians would fight against the Americans, Vito had deserted, and went to join the now legendary Tito’s Partisans in Yugoslavia to fight against the Nazis.
Towards the end of the war, Vito worked as a fixer for the Office of Strategic Services or OSS — the precursor to the CIA — as well as the British Special Operations Executive or SOE. During this period, Vito says he carried out “dirty work” — which meant taking out criminals operating the sophisticated black markets that stole and resold war supplies like weapons, vehicle parts, medicine from Allied shipments near Italian ports.
After the war, Vito moved back to the US, where he became a prolific inventor and gun manufacturer with 19 patents to his name, including Cellini Stabilizers, which according to Vito, “made shooting a .45 feel like shooting a .22.” His clients and friends were Army Delta Force legends like Walter Shumate and Dick Meadows.
Vito has been involved in some pretty crazy and shady events throughout history.
In the 70s and 80s, Vito’s life reads like a spy novel. He was embroiled in the assassination of a high profile journalist while advising Nicaragua's President; he negotiated deals with the Italian Mafia in Naples on behalf of the US government; and he carried a machine gun on hunting trips to Mexico alongside Ruben Zuno, a very powerful member of the Guadalajara cartel who was later believed to be involved in the murder of a DEA agent.
Vito turns 99-years-old on August 14th and Mick tells me he is still driving — like an Italian — plays poker and goes hunting.
We couldn’t possibly cover everything in this interview. So treat this next hour or so to hear the man himself share his story. And if you’re curious in the finer details, you can read about Vito’s extraordinary life in his book Cellini: Freedom Fighter
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