Snap Judgment: "The Christmas Tree Mafia – Snap Classic" (Dec 25, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this cinematic and musically charged episode, Snap Judgment unpacks the hidden, gritty world behind the glimmering façade of New York City’s Christmas tree business. Through the eyes of Scott Lechner and his crew, listeners get a rare glimpse of the turf wars, organized crime, and impromptu morality plays that prop up the city’s most exclusive tree stands. It’s a tale of ambition, mafia dealings, holiday magic, and hard choices—told with humor, nostalgia, and a sharp New York edge.

Main Story: The Rise and Reign of the "Pontiff of Soho"

1. The New York Christmas Tree Tradition

• Host Glynn Washington sets the scene by sharing his own family’s chaotic journey to buy a real tree, highlighting the sentimental and sensory importance of this tradition.
• Families shell out “enormous sums of money in cash,” never card, to burly tree vendors.
• Washington calls the hustle and bustle a "Christmas miracle":

  “Where once stood just a piece of wood, now a glorious bejeweled tree emerges, more magnificent than ever.” (04:00)

2. Meet Scott Lechner: From Wise Guy to Tree Tycoon

• We’re introduced to Scott Lechner, the short, hard-boiled manager of Soho Trees, NYC “Pontiff of Soho.” (06:22)
• His stand is legendary for its extravagance—celebrities buy trees for up to $6,500.
• "We're talking Trees. It’s Christmas. We're talking trees. Look at my baby." – Scott (06:22)

3. Backstory: Mob Taxes and Turf Wars

• In Brooklyn in the 1980s, Scott got his start selling trees outside a bowling alley, paying a mafia “tax” for protection—like many local businesses.
  • "We paid the mafia tax. The capo rumored to control the Christmas tree industry was nicknamed ‘Piney.’" (08:28)
• Scott teams up with “Little Scott,” the muscle to his brains.
• The business is cutthroat; night guards fight off thieves and even sabotage (like trees sprayed with urine to ruin their scent—10:30).

Notable Quote:

“It’s a cutthroat business. You gotta make all your money in a very small window.” – Little Scott (10:03)

4. Clashes and Escalations

• Scott and crew expand fiercely, provoking turf wars—even against a stand run by an out-of-town Missouri sheriff.
• The sheriff goes berserk, ramming his truck through the lot and threatening violence (13:05):

  “I’m going to get you out of here. I’m going to rip you into pieces with my bare hands.” – Missouri Sheriff (13:05)

• Scott calls in the mafia for help:

  “I instructed some people to let them know they had to leave town tonight; that tomorrow wouldn’t be accepted. And if they were in town by tomorrow night, nobody would find them.” – Scott (14:24)

5. Deeper Ties: Working for the Mob

• The mafia “helps” him but expects favors in return—Scott’s recruited as a casino pit boss in the off-season.
• He’s tested for loyalty, aware that “in their lexicon, that means I’m an earner.” – Scott (15:28)
• As Manhattan real estate booms in the ‘90s, Scott sees his chance and moves uptown:

  “He saw the opportunity to be this big shot he always wanted to be.” (16:50)

6. Building a Team, Building an Empire

• Scott recruits a motley crew: mountain climbers, actors, travelers—and the “crazy” ones always come back (“Except vegans. I hated hiring vegans.” – Little Scott, 18:51).
• He inspires workers with a classic speech:

  “We’re New York City tree men. We don’t get cold. We have this tradition to hold up for the city.” – Scott, via Russ (19:01)

• Together, they transform ordinary city corners into winter wonderlands.

7. From Mobsters to Mariah Carey: Growing the Business

• The business flourishes, growing to 15 locations across four boroughs.
• "This Christmas tree industry in New York, it's a half a billion dollar industry—all in only a couple months." (20:54)
• The clientele shifts from mobsters to celebrities—Mariah Carey, Bradley Cooper, Kelly Ripa.
• Scott’s premium approach changes the market:

  “Scott was literally the first person probably in the world to get more than $100 for a Christmas tree.” – Russ (22:14)

• His workers dub him “the Pontiff of Soho”:

  “I am the pontiff of Soho.” – Scott (22:45)

Conflicts, Crossroads, and Choices

8. Facing the (Fake) Mafia

• Trouble brews when someone attempts to shake Scott down for $2,000 to “operate on Carmine’s turf.”
• Little Scott, a NYPD officer in the off-season, confronts the would-be mafioso:

  “I pulled out my shield and said, well I’m in a gang too... about 50,000 of us, all wear blue.” – Little Scott (25:55)

9. The Offer He Can’t Refuse

• The real mafia proposes:

  “They wanted me to lead the entire five borough New York City tree distribution. They said, ‘No one will ever stand in your way.’” – Scott (27:02)

• The lure: 10x the current earnings and ultimate street power. Scott fantasizes about "having 10 thugs at my beck and call." (28:07)

• Moral Reckoning:

  "My dad... told me, you know, one day you end up dead from them, because there’s no morality to them." – Scott (28:48)
  "It’s a devil’s deal. Eventually the devil gets paid." – Little Scott (30:21)

• Beyond tree-selling, Scott realizes involvement means laundering and drug dealing at stands.

10. Saying No to the Mafia

• Scott refuses to pay the mafia tax any longer, risking retaliation:

  "They said, 'Well, I think you better rethink about that.' ... I said, I've been in this business for quite some years, but I'm willing to not be in the business anymore if that's what it takes." – Scott (32:03)

• At a tense “mandated” mafia meeting, Scott stands up for his business’s independence.
• Ultimately, he escapes deeper criminal entanglement, earning a reluctant mafia pass—“One more year… but Vinnie and his family get a tree…” (32:36)

11. Legacy, Loss, and Tradition

• Scott debates the meaning of power—To be loved or feared?—quoting The Bronx Tale (33:27).
• After a quick, devastating illness, Scott dies in 2020 at 64 (34:46).
  • "He was a mensch. He really, really just loved everything about [Christmas].” – Little Scott (35:22)
• Russ and crew keep the tradition alive, delivering Scott’s annual “tremen” speech each new season:

  "We are about to uphold the New York City tradition. You are New York City tremen from this point forward." (37:04)

Notable Quotes

• On the business:

  “There’s some really disgusting riff raff out there.” – Scott (10:10)

  "It was almost like being in a war." – Little Scott (12:43)

• On legacy:

  "Scott's life is the legacy of Christmas trees. It's a beautiful one." – Russ (35:04)

  "Christmas trees is absolutely a natural aromatherapy. Put people around a Christmas tree in their home, they feel better. Case closed." – Scott (35:54)

• On morality:

  "It's a devil's deal, and eventually, the devil gets paid." – Little Scott (30:21)

  "It’s a much stronger man that derives his power from love." – Scott (33:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Scott’s introduction and reputation: 06:22
• Mob involvement and sabotage: 08:28–10:47
• The Missouri sheriff incident: 12:28–14:04
• Casino days and mafia deepening: 15:28–16:09
• Big break into Soho: 16:50
• First celebrity customers: 21:50–22:35
• Confronting the fake mafioso: 25:11–26:05
• The mafia power offer: 27:02
• Scott’s moral crisis and refusal: 28:48–32:36
• Scott’s philosophy on love vs. fear: 33:27
• Scott’s illness and legacy: 34:21–36:40
• Tradition continues: 37:04

Thematic Takeaways

• The NYC Christmas tree trade embodies both the joy and ruthlessness of the city: tradition collides with cutthroat capitalism, and “miracles” are built on streetwise negotiation and occasional violence.
• Morality and legacy outlast short-term power—Scott chooses love, community, and memory over fear and mafia money.
• The power of place and person: under the extravagance, the “Pontiff of Soho” leaves a human imprint, now carried on by his “tremen.”

Memorable Moments

• Mafia-turfed tree stands, sabotages with hatchets and urine, and a sheriff’s wild rampage by truck.
• The “tremen” speech, repeated every season—an improbable mythmaking ritual for temporary workers and old hands alike.
• Scott’s choice to walk away from the mafia, reclaiming his business and his name.

“Case closed. They're just happier, nicer. And, you know, they feel better. They don't know why... it’s the olfactory system making them feel reminiscent of their childhood, their youth, and the people they shared Christmas with.” – Scott (36:17)

Dedication

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Scott Lechner, Pontiff of Soho and emperor of the New York City tremen, and to all those who keep holiday traditions alive in the city’s coldest months.

End original podcast content summary. This captures the heart and grit of Snap Judgment’s “The Christmas Tree Mafia” for anyone who missed the episode.