Billy D’Elia, a powerful figure in the Buffalino Crime Family, claims that he engaged in business with former President Trump during the 1980s when Trump owned Atlantic City casinos. D’Elia’s assertions are detailed in the newly released biography, “The Life We Chose, William ‘Big Billy’ D’Elia and the Last Secrets of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Family,” written by veteran journalist Matt Birkbeck. The book sheds light on D’Elia’s extensive criminal career and his encounters with Trump.

According to D’Elia, Trump, known for his flashy demeanor, was arrogant and untrustworthy.

“(He’s) just like he’s on TV now, arrogant. He don’t keep his word,” he says.

D’Elia alleges that during one real estate deal, Trump reduced the price by $1 million through the flip of a coin. However, it remains unclear whether this account is entirely accurate or a colorful anecdote from D’Elia.

D’Elia assumed leadership of the Buffalino Crime Family after the death of its namesake, Russell Buffalino, in 1994. Renowned for his ruthless nature, Buffalino was described by Robert F. Kennedy as one of the most powerful leaders of the Mafia in the United States. D’Elia’s credibility and influence within the national mob families were so significant that he was reportedly approached in the 1990s to take over the Philadelphia crime family, aiming to quell the violent internal conflicts that stained the streets of the city.

Author Matt Birkbeck, who extensively covered D’Elia and the Buffalino Crime Family in northeastern Pennsylvania, asserts that Trump was well aware of the people he dealt with, including D’Elia. Birkbeck contends that Trump personally handled negotiations with gangsters, bypassing his lawyers and other intermediaries.

“Trump, when he did deals, he didn’t want his lawyers doing it. He didn’t want anyone else doing it, he did it himself, and he did it with gangsters,” says Birkbeck. “Billy did business with a lot of people, including Donald Trump. Trump knew exactly who he was, Trump knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what they were negotiating about.”

In one particular deal involving the sale of time-shares in Trump-owned properties, D’Elia claims that Trump pressured him to purchase thousands of copies of his book, “The Art of The Deal,” as part of the agreement.

Barry Shapiro, a Philadelphia-based real estate investor, corroborated D’Elia’s account of Trump’s business practices, specifically recounting a meeting where a coin toss decided the final price of a property related to Trump’s “Trump Plaza” casino. Shapiro affirms that Trump agreed to buy the land for $8 million but reneged on the deal, leading to the coin toss in which Trump emerged victorious, saving $1 million.

Notably, Trump has never faced criminal charges related to his casino dealings, having complied with the regulatory requirements of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and its Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump’s campaign, dismisses D’Elia’s claims, saying that the book belongs in the fiction section.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Trump has been associated with resolving negotiations through a coin toss. In 2017, investment banker Ken Moelis recounted a similar incident during a business negotiation with Trump.

Having left his criminal past behind, D’Elia now enjoys a peaceful retirement. He served a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and witness tampering in 2009. Although D’Elia never became a mob informant or testified against suspected organized crime members, his story provides a captivating glimpse into a life intertwined with the dark underbelly of the Mafia.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)