Gangsters Back in Gotham? Wiseguys Whack Cruelty to Animals in PETA Super Bowl Ad Series

For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Wiseguys are back in the Big Apple courtesy of PETA and its first-ever three-part Super Bowl ad series—and these made men are far more enlightened than typical mobsters. “Is that real leather? You know a cow got whacked so you could wear that jacket?!” That’s what mob boss Frankie demands of novice gangster Johnny as they prepare to dump a body in the woods.

The spots—which include a tense, Quentin Tarantino-inspired scene in the back of a blood-splattered ‘70s Chevy Impala—follow Johnny as he learns harsh lessons from “Mindful Mobsters” Frankie and Joey about the violence inflicted on cows and sheep in the leather and wool industries, which is too much even for them.

“Even tough guys can’t stomach the cruelty and abuse that goes into leather jackets and wool sweaters,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “PETA encourages everyone to fuhgeddaboud wearing animals’ body parts and stick to vegan materials.”

Cows have friends and mourn when a loved one dies, but those killed for leather may be skinned and dismembered while still conscious. Sheep can remember 50 different faces and leap with excitement when they see their family, yet at sheep farms in New Zealand—one of the world’s top wool producers—workers drag sheep across the floor and sew up their bloody wounds without painkillers—abuses captured on video at shearing sheds all over the world.

“Mindful Mobsters” follow PETA’s hit Super Bowl ad last year starring The Sopranos’ Edie Falco. The spots are running on Fox 5’s Good Day New York, as well as on BarstoolSports.com, Barstool Sports YouTube, and YouTube.com through February 9. Viewers can also visit MindfulMobsters.com to check out PETA’s vegan mobster style guide, which includes information about the best faux leather wallets for hiding hush money and cruelty-free jackets to help conceal a “stain.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.