[Kyra Phillips, Cnn Anchor:] All right. It's 10:00 a.m. now on the East Coast, 7:00 a.m. out west. Here are some of the stories that have us talking this morning besides football. We have an update on the woman who reunited with her biological family after discovering she was stolen as a baby. Police are not naming a suspect in the 1987 abduction but "The New York Post" says the FBI is looking for Ann Pettway. She is the woman who raised Carlina White. This is a mug shot of Pettway from another arrest of an unrelated case. China's president on the last stop of his U.S. visit. Today he is in Chicago, he'll visit Chinese-owned businesses and a Chinese cultural center at a local prep school. And long-time film critic Roger Ebert showing off his new face. It's actually a silicone prosthesis that took two years to make. Ebert lost much of his jaw to cancer. He'll wear that prosthesis on his new PBS show which premieres this weekend. Well, the FBI said it was a very bad day to be a good fella. Agents carried out one of the largest single-day strikes against the mafia in FBI history. Those raids hold in more than 120 people from New Jersey to Italy, names read like an episode of "The Sopranos" Tony Bagels, Vinny Carwash, Junior Lollipops and the charges range from bookmaking to murder. The feds say, don't believe Hollywood, the mafia is as powerful and ruthless as ever.
[Eric Holder, Attorney General:] The reality is, it's an ongoing threat, a major threat to the economic well-being of this country in addition to being the violent organization that it is.
[Phillips:] Our next guest knows just how violent of an organization it is. In fact, Michael Franzese was once called the prince of the mafia. He was considered a rising star of the Colombo crime family before going to prison, he then turned his mob life into a new livelihood. He shares his experiences in print and in person. And he's joining us today by phone. So Michael, it used to be that no one walked away from the mob and lived. Does it say something about today's state of the mafia, just the fact that you're speaking out publicly?
[Michael Franzese, Fmr. Mafia Member:] Well, I don't know. You know, there were so many circumstances involving my walking away and so I don't know if you can judge the strength of the mob based upon my leaving. You know, one of the things that saved me, I did have a rough time for several years when they thought that I was going to be testifying against people. When that didn't happen, things kind of relaxed and, you know, a lot of guys that are either dead or in prison that I ran with during that time. So I just got very fortunate. I don't want you to look at that as any kind of sign of weakness in the life.
[Phillips:] Well, the feds say the mob is as ruthless and powerful as ever. I mean, how ruthless were you?
[Franzese:] Well, you know, I got to tell you this, the feds say that but you know, over the past 25 years they have learned to use the laws that they've been given, the racketeering law, that they'll reform at. They've used these laws very effectively to really develop so many informants on the street. You I tell people back in my day, just before these laws came into effect, if you got 10 or 15 years you made parole in seven or eight, any mob guy can do that. You do that standing on your head. But today when you have a racketeering indictment that can go back to crimes that were committed 20, 25 years ago, you lock a guy up, and you say "hey, get comfortable, you're going to spend the rest of your life here unless you want to cooperate with us." That became a very, very powerful tool. It's really the informants that have hurt the life. It's not so much the work of the feds, it's the laws they've had at their disposal that have really turned this thing around. And you know, no matter how many wiretaps they have or anything else, the way you defeat this life is from within. You got to develop informants from within. The government has been effective in doing that based upon the laws that they have now.
[Phillips:] Interesting. So you're saying the government has become more effective by utilizing the laws, doing well with informants. But when you look at a bust like this, is the mafia getting sloppy?
[Franzese:] Well, you know, it's not a question of getting sloppy. It's just that everywhere they turn there's somebody there. You know, again, I don't think people realized the arsenal of laws that government has at their disposal. For some reason, there's a perception out there that they're not effective or that people get away with these crimes. Organized crime guys don't get away with anything. I mean, they've got everything against them and the government has used it effectively. And I'll tell you this, as ruthless, as powerful as ever, I don't believe so. In the last 25 years the government has taken major control of the unions which was a very big strong point for us. They've really devastated the mob in areas that we really had strength.
[Phillips:] Go ahead, Michael.
[Franzese:] I don't think we'll see its demise in my lifetime but if they keep up this kind of onslaught, they're going to seriously jeopardize the existence of that life.
[Phillips:] Really? Now, there's reports that members of the Colombo family were arrested. Is that your family?
[Franzese:] Yes, that was my family.
[Phillips:] Really? Do you can you give us any specifics, have you been able to talk to any other family members or do you not go there? Are you able to talk to them?
[Franzese:] Well, I've been in touch. Obviously my dad, I don't know if you're aware of it, but my dad at the age of 94 was sentenced to eight years in prison last Friday on a racketeering indictment that he got. As a matter of fact I was joking with people, while my father won't be lonely after today, in prison because I'm sure there will be a lot of guys there. Andrew Russo, who is the acting boss of that family, he was my first captain when I was made and came into the life in '75. I was made around the time that two of his sons were made. So one of them has passed away now. But I know Andrew very well. I know his family very well. And you know, I still have guys there I would say. I'm not active. I don't get involved and I'm certainly away from that life but you know, I grew up there. Some of the people I still know.
[Phillips:] So bottom line, when you talk with your family members and you know who has been arrested now, do they feel, do you feel, that this bust is actually going to make a dent in mafia crime?
[Franzese:] Well, yes, because you know, you've got to understand. There's a big difference today with the people that are running that life. They don't even have time to develop into effective leaders. You know, back in my day we had I don't want to mention Gotti. Because she didn't do a great job, obviously, brought a lot of attention but guys like Joe Colombo and Carlo Gambino and even my dad at that time, Vincent Gigante, these men developed into real strong leaders and they were effective in leading their families in the right direction. Today these younger guys, they don't have experience. They didn't grow up with that tradition and by the time the minute they get in the life they're targeted. They don't have time to develop into effective leaders. And I think that's a major, major problem. You know, to run a crime family and to be as effective as they have been over the past hundred years, because remember the mob, they prospered and they thrived on very difficult conditions, and that's all because of the leadership. You just don't have that today. These young people cannot develop into effective leaders to run a crime family. It's not an easy job.
[Phillips:] Michael Franzese, it's always interesting interviewing you. That's for sure. Appreciate you calling in, Michael.
[Franzese:] OK. Thank you.
[Phillips:] You bet. Young woman, Carlina White solves her own kidnapping, finds the real family she hasn't seen since she was about three weeks old. The focus of this remarkable story now, finding the woman who snatched baby Carlina from a New York hospital in 1987. Here she is. This is the woman the FBI is believed to be looking for right now, Ann Pettway. The woman, Carlina, says raised her. "The New York Post" reporting that Pettway lives in North Carolina. This is a mug shot from another arrest not related to the kidnapping case. We've talked a lot about Carlina's reunion with her shocked and overjoyed birth parents, the one so distraught and so haunted for all these years. What about the other family members and friends, the ones who had no idea, that their niece, their friend wasn't who they thought?
[Kapell Pettway, Thought He Was Carlina's Uncle:] I'm mad and fed up, I'm hurt. I'm disappointed. Simple as that.
[Unidentified Female:] I have mixed emotions. It was shock, it was anger. It was fear that someone could do this and then go on for so many years as if this didn't happen.
[Phillips:] Authorities aren't making any official comments about the investigation at this point. Less than two weeks after suffering a gunshot to the head, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords enters the next phase of her recovery. About an hour from now, she will actually leave her Tucson hospital and travel to Texas. Her first stop will be a new hospital in Houston for more treatment and evaluation. Then she'll be transferred yet again. A rehabilitation center that specializes in severe head injuries. Now, yesterday, another milestone. Her medical team was able to take her outside of the hospital for the first time so she could actually do her physical therapy.
[Mark Kelly, Gabrielle Giffords' Husband:] I'm extremely hopeful that Gabby is going to make a full recovery. I've told her that. She recognizes it. She's a strong person, a fighter. I mean, she is a fighter like you know, nobody else that I know. So I am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon.
[Phillips:] Well, doctors say that Giffords is making remarkable progress but they warn of the tough fight ahead. CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen in Houston. Elizabeth, let's begin with the positive. What signs of progress is Gabby showing?
[Elizabeth Cohen, Cnn Senior Medical Correspondent:] She's really showing pretty incredible signs considering it's less than two weeks, Kyra, since she had that bullet go through her head. For example, doctors say that she's scrolling through an iPad. They say when they give her a sheet with colors and point to blue, that she can, you know, point to the right colors. And a doctor here in Houston told me something really interesting that she did. She reached out and adjusted her husband's tie. Now, Kyra, to you and me that doesn't really sound like much. But think about the cognitive process that goes through that. You have to think oh I see something I want to change. You have to direct your hand to change it. You have to move it. That actually takes a fairly high level of thinking. So doctors are quite excited about the progress they're seeing. Here's her trauma surgeon from Arizona, Dr. Rhee who spoke to reporters yesterday.
[Dr. Peter Rhee, Medical Director, Umc Trauma Center:] We were able to take her to the helicopter pad today, outside, and show her, give her some fresh air and also give her some sunshine. She was able to see the Arizona mountains, so hopefully before she comes back from Houston. But we did the physical activity out there. We did a physical rehab out there where we assisted her in her standing and help her get her balance and so on like that. She's able to stand now with assistance. She's not independent at this stage. She can't walk at this point. But we feel that she'll be able to do some of those activities in the future.
[Cohen:] Now, Dr. Rhee also mentioned, Kyra, that seeing those mountains really lifted Giffords' spirits and talking to neurosurgeons and rehabilitative medicine specialists they say your spirits are so important. That's a crucial part of recovery, if your spirits are high, your chances of making a full recovery go way, way up Kyra.
[Phillips:] I tell you what, her husband is right there telling her every single second she's going to do better and better. It doesn't get much better than that. So when is she actually expected to arrive, Elizabeth?
[Cohen:] She's expected to arrive here local time in Houston at around 1:15. I have to say that her doctors when I talked to them yesterday, they're really quite cautious, they're pretty conservative when they talk about her recovery. For example, her office, Giffords' office said she was going to be brought to the hospital behind me which is a rehabilitation hospital. It's a hospital where you go when basically you're doing OK and what you need to be able to do is learn how to walk and dress yourself again and what not. But then the doctors here said no, that's not true, she's not coming to the rehabilitation hospital. She's actually going to the main hospital because she's got medical issues that need to be addressed. I spoke yesterday with her doctor, Don King.
[Phillips:] Why isn't she going right to the rehabilitation hospital?
[Dr. Dong H. Kim, Chief Of Neurosurgery:] Well, there are concerns about ongoing medical issues. I don't want to be more specific about that. But she's not quite ready for rehabilitation yet. So we're going to be coming here, doing a thorough assessment. Once we then able to do that, we'll be able to tell you more.
[Cohen:] Now Dr. Kim will be her neurosurgeon when she gets to Houston. He really wouldn't specify as you heard what medical issues need to be addressed before she starts rehab. But he said in general, at this stage, they worry about infection and swelling of the brain Kyra.
[Phillips:] Elizabeth Cohen live from Houston. Elizabeth, thanks. President Obama announcing a new effort to get Americans back to work. He's setting on the president's council on jobs and competitiveness. Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric will head up the new board. The council will focus on new ways to attract the best jobs and businesses to the U.S. The council replace the economic recovery advisory board. Well, the Midwest digging out from some more snow. Check out these pictures. Indianapolis got hit pretty hard yesterday. Three inches. It seems more like five inches in some places, blowing snow and frozen roads, causing hundreds of accidents in that area. Also a deep freeze has locked itself in over Chicago and Wisconsin. And then New England is about to get it again. There's another winter storm headed that way. Jacqui Jeras over at the Severe Weather Center with all the details Jacqui.
[Jacqui Jeras, Ams Meteorologist:] Hey, we got a lot going on out there today. We start out with the shocking. How about that? Which is just the cold that's been out there, across the upper Midwest. These are the low temperatures this morning from places like International Falls, Minnesota, 46 degrees below zero. That was a record for you. The old record was 41 below. Grand Rapids, minus 34, minus 33 in Brainerd, Superior, Wisconsin, 26 degrees below zero. And Duluth at 24 degrees below zero. Now, your skin can freeze in 10 minutes or less in those kind of conditions. And it's still wicked out there, minus 36 in Fargo, as it feels like temperature. And you can see minus 18 there in Chicago and high temperatures today going to be tough to recover. Other weather story is the storm system into the northeast which, you know, was very high impact but short- lived for you in places like Philly, into D.C. as well as New York City. It's done now. But you're getting the heavier snow up towards Providence, Boston and Portland. And snowfall totals here are going to be about four to seven in Boston. We can see more than that as we head into Providence and even up to a foot in east Maine. There you can see how much we've had in the New York City area, about four inches. So travel issues out there because of this storm, Kyra. And you mentioned the other big storm which is going to be headed probably starting in the south, and then moving up the coast, toward the middle of the week. So that is going to be an ugly storm. Everybody enjoy your weekend because things are going to be changing.
[Phillips:] All right. Thanks, Jacqui. Well, a new team show that might be too hot for MTV or heck, it might be too hot for U.S. child porn laws. We're talking about the new show "Skins" in 20 minutes. Keep your shirt on. Well, it isn't exactly Shakespeare but you can add Snook" from that other MTV show, the "Jersey Shore" to the list of, can you believe this, best-selling authors?