Red has suspected that Donald Trump’s affinity for all things Russian and Vlad Putin in particular may stem from his prior dealings with the Russian mob.  Is it possible that Trump is deeply in debt to the Russian mob?  It is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility given the far flung reach of the Trump brand.  And what else explains his man crush on Putin or his apparent desire to placate the Russian strongman?  Did Trump turn to the Russians when other financing was unavailable?  We don’t know and probably never will unless Trump comes clean on his financial dealings for the last 30 years.  The tax returns would go a long way towards unraveling the many strands of the Trump empire to determine who Trump might need to favor.  And we will get those as soon as the IRS finishes the audit. Right!

Meanwhile, Trump’s proximity to former mob figures at home is easier to trace.  Convicted felon and rumored Mafioso Joe Cinque presented Trump with a bronze eagle statue at his New Year’s Eve bash in Florida.  Yahoo News has the full story.