Inspired by a real FBI surveillance operation targeting mobster Carmine Galante and his crew, the FBI had tapped the phones at the Rosina Costume Company, where they overheard frequent, cryptic conversations about “the meatballs.” Phrases like “Are the meatballs ready?” and “When will the meatballs arrive?” led agents to suspect that “meatballs” was a code for narcotics distribution. After thorough investigation, they concluded that Galante had no legitimate reason to be concerned with actual meatballs—prompting the belief it was criminal code.
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