My mobster friend

Joe has a colorful past: enforcer for the Pittsburgh mob

Joe had the palest and coldest leg I had ever encountered in decades of practice as a vascular surgeon. He had no pulses in his leg and was virtually insensate from the knee downward, clearly the result of a sudden blockage of the major artery. An emergency operation was necessary, but I told Joe I was unsure if we could save his leg.

“By the way,” I asked him, “what kind of work do you do?”

“I’m a wise guy” he explained. “They called me ‘the dangler’ because I dangled people out windows if they owed money, but I don’t do that no more.”

I operated on Joe within the hour. He had blockage of an aneurysm of the superficial femoral artery in the thigh, a highly unusual location for an aneurysm and a subject about which, fortuitously, I had published a paper.

Immediately after bypassing the blockage, I needed to decompress his calf because of the massive swelling that occurred after restoring blood flow — a procedure called a fasciotomy, which mandates leaving the surgical incision open. Even at that, it was a few days before I could assure him that he would not need an amputation.

“You’re my man, doc! Let me take you to Vegas some time.” I thanked him, but declined.

He gave me a book by Sal Greco, “Left for Dead,” describing his previous life in the mid 1960s as a debt collector for the Mafia.

Joe Bellante had been shot three times in the face at age 32 and given last rites before a six-hour multi-specialist operation. He knew who shot him, but never told the police, nor the FBI, despite an offer of protective custody.

Years later, he forgave the man who had shot him. The book had changed the names of many of the people involved to maintain anonymity, but, after many complained about receiving incomplete recognition, the book was revised and reprinted with the correct names.

Because of fears that the murder attempt on Joe would be consummated, the hospital tried to keep his identity secret and changed his room several times. A cousin advised him that he might still be at risk while unprotected in the hospital, so Joe escaped down the hospital’s back staircase and flew to Florida to allow the situation to cool off.

Joe’s grandfather had been a Mafia don in Sicily, so he had a step-up on credibility in the Pittsburgh underworld. He was expelled from four grade schools by sixth grade and committed his first robbery at age 10. He played football in high school and admitted that his athletic prowess was a major factor in allowing him to graduate. He later played semi-pro football for several local teams and was eventually elected to the Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame

As a young man, Joe had been able to bench press more than 350 pounds, using manhole covers as weights. He developed a reputation for toughness and was recruited at age 20 as a mob collection man. He was motivated by wealth and power.

Sal Greco’s book contains many anecdotes, some hilarious, some frightening. Joe was never one to ignore a challenge or pass on a wager. He once fought a circus orangutan for $5 a second, and won $60. Orangutans are strong, fast and have very long arms. Joe was severely beaten and bruised but returned a day or two later with a new strategy, was beaten and bruised again, but won $80. He talked a police officer out of a speeding ticket by wagering he could lift the police car off the ground.

A Mafia wannabe in upstate New York was told that Joe was a made man and sold territorial pinball and juke box rights for $10,000 cash. The territory never existed.

Various innovative methods, some of which would make a good script for “The Sopranos,” were used to collect money from recalcitrant individuals. One was kept in a trunk for three days. Several had guns placed in their mouths. As Joe explained once, “I do things to people.”

All this changed after his long post-operative rehab from his gunshot wounds. He began a new life, remarried and was allowed to “retire” from the mob — a rare happening. He became a volunteer and high school football coach, a counselor, motivational speaker and an ordained minister.

Joe’s reputation as a tough mob enforcer generated respect among troubled teenagers whom he helped represent in court. His athletic prowess earned him cachet with local football coaches. He sponsored football camps for young men, many of whom were recruited for college teams.

After I operated on Joe, a number of hospital personnel thanked me for taking care of someone who had helped rehabilitate their brothers and friends from drugs, crime problems and school problems. Several graduated from college, one became a Navy chaplain, another a running back for the San Francisco 49ers.

Joe remains grateful to me for saving his leg and still comes to my office for follow-up 10 years after his emergency arterial bypass. I am grateful to him for demonstrating that people can turn their lives around and make dramatic, positive contributions to their communities.

Fredric Jarrett is a general and vascular surgeon practicing in the Pittsburgh area and the author of “To Fruit Street and Beyond: The Massachusetts General Hospital Surgical Residency” (Archway 2016). Mr. Bellante approved Dr. Jarrett’s release of this information about his medical procedures.