It’s apparently hard to teach an old mobster new tricks — especially if they’re legitimate ones.
Vincent “Vinny Ocean’’ Palermo, an old-style New Jersey Mafioso à la Tony Soprano, flipped and entered the witness-protection program more than a decade ago — only to fall back into his shady ways and bilk a Texas woman out of $1.3 million, the alleged victim has charged.
In a lawsuit filed in Harris County District Court in Houston, Lisa Hansegard said she was the operator of Baby Dolls, a strip club, at the same time Palermo was running its arch-competitor, The Penthouse Club, directly across the street.
Palermo, former acting boss of the DeCavalcante crime family — the model used for “The Sopranos” — had turned to the old mob standby of running a strip club after becoming a rat for the feds, being given a new identity and relocating to Houston. And, with the daily battle for cleavage-seeking customers taking a toll on Baby Dolls’ bottom line, Hansegard said, she soon struck a deal with Palermo to buy her out.
She claims that at the time, she didn’t know that Palermo — who now uses the name James Cabella — was an infamous ex-wise guy.
Palermo’s real identity came out a few years ago, when his cover was blown during zoning issues regarding his strip club.
Hansegard said Palermo wound up making only two payments on Baby Dolls, stiffing her to the tune of $1.3 million.
Baby Dolls eventually folded, while The Penthouse Club is dancing on.
Hansegard’s lawyer, Brent Perry, said Palermo’s motives were clear.
“We think he set this up in order to shut down my client’s business,” Perry said of the failed deal.
Palermo did not return a call for comment.
Meanwhile, while most former wiseguys fear mob retaliation for breaking omerta, the Mafia code of silence, and try to stay under the radar while in hiding, Palermo bizarrely “hasn’t chosen a real low profile down in Houston,’’ Perry said.
Palermo eschews typical Texas duds such as cowboy boots and a Stetson hat.
“He still speaks with a strong New York accent,” Perry noted.