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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anthony Ruggiano Jr. Live at The Mob Museum
(Photo courtesy of The Mob Museum)

THE MOB MUSEUM ANNOUNCES LIMITED-TIME SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT WITH
FORMER MOB ASSOCIATE ANTHONY RUGGIANO JR., AUG. 7-12

Reformed Gangster, Son of Gambino Crime Family Caporegime to Share
Firsthand Account of Mob Life, Path of Redemption

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LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2025) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces a limited speaking engagement featuring reformed gangster Anthony Ruggiano Jr, the son of notorious Gambino family caporegime Anthony “Fat Andy” Ruggiano. 

From Thursday, Aug. 7 to Tuesday, Aug. 12, Ruggiano Jr. will deliver a rare, firsthand account of growing up in the Mob, descending into addiction and crime and choosing a path of redemption. Talks will take place in the Museum’s historic courtroom, have limited capacity and are included with Museum admission. 

Born into organized crime in 1953 New York, Ruggiano Jr. was raised in Ozone Park, Queens where his father’s crew operated within the Gambino crime family. “Fat Andy,” made under infamous boss Albert Anastasia, and later played by Mafia Cop Louis Eppolito in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” ran one of the most powerful crews in New York. At age 16, Ruggiano Jr. knowingly followed in his father’s footsteps, forming his own crew and engaging in acts of burglary, extortion and drug use. By his early twenties, he had been arrested, incarcerated and entrenched in the Mob world.

Over the next two decades, father and son alternated stints in prison. Faced with the mounting toll of addiction and violence, Ruggiano Jr. eventually broke away from criminal life. Now, after years of working in addiction counseling, himself 35-years sober, Ruggiano Jr. joins The Mob Museum to share his incredible life story, detailing his encounters with larger-than-life figures like John Gotti, partying at the Copacabana as a teen, the murder of his own brother-in-law and the price he paid for choosing a life in the Mob. 

“Anthony Ruggiano Jr.’s story doesn’t just recount the history of organized crime, it reveals its deep and lasting imprint on families, communities and individual lives,” said Claire White, director of education, The Mob Museum. “Inviting him to share his experience supports our mission by turning headlines into human stories and helping the public better understand the true consequences of the Mob’s falsely glamourized legacy.”

Ruggiano’s powerful journey was also featured in season two of “Inside the Life,” the Museum’s award-winning podcast that explores the gripping, high-stakes world of organized crime and law enforcement, but this appearance at the Museum promises to create a new level of authenticity and engagement which fans and history buffs can only experience in person at The Mob Museum. 

Space at Ruggiano’s talks is available on a first come, first serve basis. For a schedule of Ruggiano’s half hour talks, visit themobmuseum.org/events. To purchase general Museum admission, visit themobmuseum.org.

ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of Tripadvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums” and a 2025 “Travelers’ Choice” Award recipient; one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” of 2021, 2023 and 2024; Vegas Magazine’s “Best Historical Museum” of 2024; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021 and 2022, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app. 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
www.Facebook.com/themobmuseum
www.Twitter.com/themobmuseum 
www.Instagram.com/themobmuseum

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Erika Pope/Vanessa Thill
The Vox Agency
erika@thevoxagency.com, vanessa@thevoxagency.com
(702) 249-2977, (469) 226-4723

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