Genovese crime family
Encyclopedia
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families
" that dominates organized crime
activities in New York City
, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia
(or Cosa Nostra). The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League
" and "Rolls Royce
" of organized crime. They are rivaled in size by only the Gambino crime family
and Chicago Outfit
and are unmatched in terms of power. They have generally maintained a varying degree of influence over many of the smaller mob families outside of New York, including ties with the Patriarca
, Buffalo
and Philadelphia
crime families.
Finding new ways to make money in the 21st century, the Genovese family took advantage of lax due diligence
by banks during the housing spike with a wave of mortgage frauds. Prosecutors say loan shark
victims obtained home equity loan
s to pay off debts to their mob bankers. The family found ways to use new technology to improve on old reliable illegal gambling, with customers placing bets through offshore sites via the Internet
. The modern family was founded by Lucky Luciano
, but after 1957 it was renamed after boss Vito Genovese
. Originally in control of the waterfront on the West Side of Manhattan (including the Fulton Fish Market
), the family was run for years by "the Oddfather", Vincent "the Chin" Gigante
, who feigned insanity by shuffling unshaven through New York’s Greenwich Village
wearing a tattered bath robe and muttering to himself incoherently.
Although the leadership of the Genovese family seemed to have been in limbo after the death of Gigante in 2005, the family still appears to be the most organized family and remains powerful. The family, now named after Vito Genovese
, has endured like no other. Unique in today's Mafia, the family has benefited greatly from members following the code of Omertà
. While many mobsters from across the country have testified against their crime families since the 1980s, the Genovese family has only had five members turn state's evidence
in its history.
of East Harlem, the first Mafia family in New York City. The Morellos started arriving in New York from the village of Corleone, Sicily around 1892, when only a few thousand Italians lived in New York. The first incarnation of what would become the Morello crime family was the 107th Street Mob, established by Giuseppe Morello
, later joined by associate Ignazio "the Wolf" Lupo. Morello's lieutenants were his half brothers Nicholas
, Vincenzo
and Ciro
. By the early 1900s, the Morello family was involved with counterfeiting, extortion
, kidnapping, and other traditional Mafia activities in Manhattan.
As the Morello family increased in power and influence, bloody territorial conflicts arose with other Italian criminal gangs in New York. Their new rival was the Neapolitan Camorra
organization, which consisted of two small Brooklyn gangs run by Pellegrino Morano
and Alessandro Vollero
. Unlike the Sicilian Morellos, the Camorra was composed of immigrants from Naples, Italy. Initially the Morellos and the Camorra collaborated to divide up criminal activities in Manhattan. However, when Giuseppe Morello and Lupo went to prison in 1909 for counterfeiting, Morano decided that he could kill the remaining Morello leadership and take the family's more lucrative rackets. Morano's move resulted in the bloody Mafia-Camorra War
from 1914 to 1918. By 1918, law enforcement had sent many Camorra gang members to prison, decimating the Camorra in New York and ending the war. Although the Morellos had won this gang conflict, they had suffered losses also, including the 1916 assassination of boss Nicholas Morello. The Morellos now faced stronger rivals than the Camorra.
With the passage of Prohibition
in 1919 and the outlawing of alcohol sales, the Morello family regrouped and built a lucrative bootlegging
operation in Manhattan. However, by the early 1920s, the Morello family no longer existed. A powerful Sicilian rival, Salvatore D'Aquila
, had declared a death sentence on Giuseppe Morello and Lupo, both recently released from prison, forcing them to flee to Italy for safety. When the two men returned to New York, they relied on Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria
, a new Morello ally, to kill D'Aquilla. However, the price of Masseria's help was to essentially take over the Morello Family.
During the mid-1920s, Massaria continued to expand his bootlegging, extortion, loansharking, and illegal gambling rackets throughout New York. To operate and protect these rackets, Massaria recruited many ambitious young mobsters. These mobsters included future Cosa Nostra powers Charlie "Lucky" Luciano
, Frank Costello
, Frankie Yale
, Joseph "Joey A" Adonis, Vito Genovese
, Albert Anastasia
and Carlo Gambino
. Masseria was willing to take all Italian-American recruits, no matter where they had originated in Sicily or Italy.
Masseria's strongest rival in New York was Salvatore Maranzano
, leader of the Castellammare del Golfo Sicilian organization in Brooklyn. A recent arrival from Sicily, Maranzano had strong support from elements of the Sicilian Mafia and was a traditionalist mafiosi. He recruited Sicilian mobsters only, preferably from the Castellammarese clan. Marangano's top lieutenants included future family bosses Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno
, Joseph Profaci, and Stefano Magaddino
. By 1928, the Castellammarese War
between Masseria and Maranzano had begun. By the late 1920s, more than 60 mobsters on both sides had been murdered. On April 15, 1931, Masseria was murdered in a Coney Island
, Brooklyn, restaurant, reportedly by members of Luciano's crew. Angry over broken promises from Masseria, Luciano had secretly conspired with Maranzano to plot Masseria's assassination. On the day of the murder, Luciano was allegedly eating dinner with Masseria at a restaurant. After Luciano went to the restroom, his hitmen arrived and murdered Masseria. With Masseria's death, the Castellamarese War had ended.
Now in control of New York, Maranzano took several important steps to solidify his victory. He reorganized the Italian-American gangs of New York into five new families, structured after the hierarchical and highly disciplined Mafia families of Sicily. Maranzano's second big change was to appoint himself as the boss of all the families. As part of this reorganization, Maranzano designated Luciano as boss of the old Morello/Masseria family. However, Luciano and other mob leaders privately objected to Maranzano's dictatorial role. Maranzano soon found out about Luciano's discontent and ordered his assassination. Discovering that he was in danger, Luciano plotted Maranzano's assassination with Maranzano trustee Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese
. On September 10, 1931, Jewish gangsters provided by Luciano ally Meyer Lansky
shot and stabbed Maranzano to death in his Manhattan office. Luciano was now the most powerful mobster in the United States.
After Maranzano's murder, Luciano created a new governing body for the Cosa Nostra families, the Commission
. The Commission consisted of representatives from each of the Five Families, the Chicago Outfit
and the Magaddino crime family
of Buffalo, New York
. Luciano wanted the Commission to mediate disputes between the families and prevent future gang wars. Although nominally a democratic body, Luciano and his allies actually controlled the Commission throughout the 1930s. As head of the new Luciano family, Luciano appointed Vito Genovese as his underboss, or second in command, and Frank Costello as his Consigliere
, or advisor. With the new structure in place, the five New York families would enjoy several decades of peace and growth.
In 1935, Luciano was indicted on pandering
charges by New York district attorney Thomas Dewey
. Many observers believed that Luciano would never have directly involved himself with prostitutes, and that the case was fraudulent. During the trial, Luciano made a tactical mistake in taking the witness stand, where the prosecutor interrogated him for five hours about how he made his living. In 1936, Luciano was convicted and sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison. Although in prison, Luciano continued to run his crime family. His underboss Genovese now supervised the day-to-day family activities. In 1937, Genovese was indicted on murder charges and fled the country to Italy. After Genovese's departure, Costello became the new acting boss of the Luciano family.
During World War II
, federal agents asked Luciano for help in preventing enemy sabotage on the New York waterfront and other activities. Luciano agreed to help, but in reality provided insignificant assistance to the allied cause. After the end of the war, the arrangement with Luciano became public knowledge. To prevent further embarrassment, the government agreed to deport Luciano on condition that he never return to the United States. In 1946, Luciano was taken from prison and deported to Italy, never to return to the United States. Costello became the effective boss of the Luciano family.
During the reign of Frank Costello
, the Luciano family controlled much of the bookmaking, loansharking, illegal gambling and labor racketeering activities in New York City. Costello wanted to increase the family involvement in lucrative financial schemes; he was less interested in low grossing criminal activities that relied on brutality and intimidation. Costello believed in diplomacy and discipline, and in diversifying family interests. Nicknamed "The Prime Minister of the Underworld", Costello controlled much of the New York waterfront and had tremendous political connections. It was said that no state judge could be appointed in any case without Costello's consent. During the 1940s, Costello allowed Luciano associates Meyer Lansky
and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
to expand the family business in Southern California and build the first modern casino resort in Las Vegas. When Siegel failed to open the resort on time, his mob investors allegedly sanctioned his murder.
While serving as boss of the Luciano family in the 1950s, Costello suffered from depression
and panic attack
s. During this period Costello sought help from a psychiatrist
, who advised him to distance himself from old associates such as Genovese and spend more time with politicians. In the early 1950s, U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver
of Tennessee
began investigating organized crime in New York in the Kefauver hearings
. The Committee summoned numerous mobsters to testify, but they refused to answer questions at the hearings. The mobsters uniformly cited the Fifth Amendment
of the U.S. Constitution, a legal protection against self-incrimination
. However, when Costello was summoned, he agreed to answer questions at the hearings and not take the Fifth Amendment. As part of the agreement to testify, the Special Committee and the U.S. television networks agreed not to broadcast Costello's face. During the questioning, Costello nervously refused to answer certain questions and skirted around others. When the Committee asked Costello, "What have you done for your country Mr. Costello?", he famously replied, "Paid my tax!". The TV cameras, unable to show Costello's face, instead focused on his hands, which Costello wrung nervously while answering questions. Costello eventually walked out of the hearings.
. On May 2, 1957, Luciano family mobster Vincente "Chin" Gigante
shot Costello in the side of the head on a public street; however, Costello survived the attack. Months later, Mangano family boss Albert Anastasia, a powerful ally of Costello, was murdered by Gambino's gunmen. With Anastasia's death, Gambino seized control of the Mangano family. Feeling afraid and isolated after the shootings, Costello quietly retired and surrendered control of the Luciano family to Genovese.
Having taken control of what was now the Genovese crime family in 1957, Vito Genovese
decided to organize a Cosa Nostra conference to legitimize his new position. Held on mobster Joseph Barbera
's farm in Apalachin, New York
, the Apalachin Meeting
attracted over 100 Cosa Nostra mobsters from around the nation. However, local law enforcement discovered the meeting by chance and quickly surrounded the farm. As the meeting broke up, Genovese escaped capture by running through the woods. However, many other high-ranking mobsters were arrested. Cosa Nostra leaders were chagrined by the public exposure and bad publicity from the Apalachin meeting, and generally blamed Genovese for the fiasco. Wary of Genovese gaining more power in the Mafia Commission, Gambino used the abortive Apalachin Meeting as an excuse to move against his former ally. Gambino, former Genovese bosses Lucky Luciano
and Frank Costello
, and Lucchese crime family
boss Tommy Lucchese
allegedly lured Genovese into a drug distribution scheme that ultimately resulted in his conspiracy
indictment and conviction. In 1959, Genovese was sentenced to 15 years in prison on narcotics charges. Genovese, who was the most powerful boss in New York, had been effectively eliminated as a rival by Gambino. Genovese would later die in prison.
The Genovese family was soon rocked by a second public embarrassment: the United States Senate
McClellan Hearings
. While incarcerated at a federal prison in Atlanta, Genovese soldier Joseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi
believed he was being targeted for murder by the mob on the suspicion that he was an informer. On June 22, 1962, Valachi brutally murdered another inmate with a pipe. Valachi told investigators that he thought the victim was Joseph "Joe Beck" DiPalermo, a Genovese soldier coming to kill him.
To avoid a capital murder trial, Valachi agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors against the Genovese family. He thus became the first Cosa Nostra mobster to publicly affirm the organization's existence. With information from prosecutors, the low-level Valachi was able to testify in nationally-televised hearings about the Cosa Nostra's influence over legal enterprises in aid of racketeering and other criminal activities to make huge profit. Valachi also introduced the name "Cosa Nostra" as a household name. Although Valachi's testimony never led to any convictions, it helped law enforcement by identifying many members of the Genovese and other New York families.
After Genovese was sent to prison in 1959, the family leadership secretly established a "Ruling Panel" to run the family in Genovese's absence. This first panel included acting boss Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli
, underboss Gerardo "Jerry" Catena
, and Catena's protege Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo
. After Genovese died in 1969, Lombardo was named his successor. However, the family appointed a series of "Front Bosses" to masquerade as the official family boss. The aim of these deceptions was to confuse both law enforcement and rival crime families as to the true leader of the family. In the late 1960s, Gambino boss Carlo Gambino
loaned $4 million to Eboli for a drug scheme in an attempt to gain control of the Genovese family. When Eboli failed to pay back his debt, Gambino, with Commission approval, murdered Eboli in 1972.
After Eboli's death, Genovese capo and Gambino ally Frank "Funzi" Tieri was appointed as the new front boss. In reality, the Genovese family created a new ruling panel to run the family. This second panel consisted of Catena, Michele "Big Mike" Miranda
, and Lombardo. In 1981, Tieri became the first Cosa Nostra boss to be convicted under the new Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(RICO). In 1982, Tieri died in prison. After Tieri went to prison in 1981, the Genovese family reshuffled its leadership. The capo of the Manhattan faction, Anthony Salerno
("Fat Tony"), became the new front boss. Lombardo, the defacto boss of the family, retired and Vincent "Chin" Gigante
, the triggerman on the failed Costello hit, took actual control of the family. In 1985, Salerno was convicted in the Mafia Commission Trial
and sentenced to 100 years in federal prison.
After the 1980 murder of Philadelphia crime family
boss Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno, Gigante and Lombardo began manipulating the rival factions in the war-torn Philadelphia family. Gigante and Lombardo finally gave their support to Philadelphia mobster Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo
, who in return gave the Genovese mobsters permission to operate in Atlantic City in 1982.
After Vincent Gigante
took over the Genovese family, he instituted a new "administration" structure. Former Salerno protègé Vincent Cafaro
had turned informer and identified Gigante as the real boss to the FBI, so the use of front bosses no longer protected the real leader of the family. In addition, Gigante was unnerved by Salerno's conviction and long sentence, and decided he needed greater protection. Gigante decided to replace the front boss with a new street boss position. The job of the street boss was to publicly run the family operations on a daily basis, under Gigante's remote direction. To insulate himself even further from law enforcement, Gigante started communicating to his men through another new position, the messenger. As a result of these changes, Gigante did not directly communicate with other family mobsters, with the exception of his sons, Vincent Esposito and Andrew Gigante, and a few other close associates.
Another Gigante tactic to confuse law enforcement was by pretending insanity. Gigante frequently walked down New York streets in a bathrobe
, mumbling incoherently. Gigante succeeded in convincing court-appointed psychiatrist
s that his mental illness was worsening, and avoided several criminal prosecutions. The New York media soon nicknamed Gigante "The Oddfather". Gigante reportedly operated from the Triangle Social Club in Greenwich Village
in Manhattan. He never left his house during the day, fearing that the FBI would sneak in and plant a bug. At night, he would sneak away from his house and conduct family business when FBI surveillance was more lax. Even then, he only whispered to keep from being picked up by wiretaps. To avoid incrimination from undercover surveillance, family members were forbidden to speak Gigante's name under penalty of death. When necessary, mobsters would only point to their chins when referring to him. In this way, Gigante managed to stay on the streets while the city's other four bosses ended up getting long prison terms.
While the public and media were watching Gigante, other family leaders were running the day-to-day operations of the family. Underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
operated out of Brooklyn and ran the family's Windows Case rackets. Consigliere Louis "Bobby" Manna
, who operated out of the New Jersey
faction of the family, as well as supervising four captains
around that area during the 1980s.
In 1985, Gigante and other family bosses were shocked and enraged by the murder of Paul Castellano
, the Gambino family boss. An ambitious Gambino capo, John Gotti
, had capitalized on discontent in that family to murder Castellano and his underboss outside a Manhattan restaurant and become the new Gambino boss. Gotti had violated Cosa Nostra protocol by failing to obtain prior approval for the murder from The Commission
. Ironically, as mentioned above, Gigante had been the triggerman on the last unsanctioned hit on a boss—the hit on Costello. With Castellano dead, Gigante now controlled the Commission and he decided to kill Gotti. Gigante and Lucchese crime family
boss Vittorio "Vic" Amuso
and underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
hatched a scheme to kill Gotti with a car bomb. On April 13, 1986, a bomb exploded in Gambino underboss Frank DeCicco
's car, killing DeCicco. However, Gotti was not in DiCicco's car that day and escaped harm. Although Gigante eventually made peace with Gotti, Gigante remained the boss of the most powerful crime family in New York. The Genovese family dominated construction and union rackets, gambling rackets, and operations at the Fulton Fish Market
and the waterfront operations. During this period, Gigante used intimidation and murder to maintain control of the family.
During the early 1990s, law enforcement used several high profile government informants and witnesses to finally put Gigante in prison. Faced with criminal prosecution, in 1992 Gambino underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano
agreed to testify against Gotti and other Cosa Nostra leaders, including Gigante. Philadelphia crime family underboss Phil Leonetti
also became a government witness and testified that during the 1980s, Gigante had ordered the murders of several Philadelphia associates. Finally, Lucchese underboss Anthony Casso implicated Gigante in the 1986 plan to kill John Gotti, Frank DeCicco
and Eugene "Gene" Gotti
. While in prison, Gigante was recorded as saying that he'd feigned insanity for 40 years. In 1997, Gigante was convicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges and sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. While Gigante was in prison, the Genovese family was run by acting bosses Ernest Muscarella, Dominick Cirillo, and Gigante's brother Mario
. On December 19, 2005, Gigante died in prison from heart disease
.
Since the 1990s, infamous mobsters in top positions of the other Five Families of NYC have become informants and testified against many mobsters, putting bosses, capos, and soldiers into prison. The most prominent government witness was Bonanno crime family Boss Joseph "Big Joe" Massino, who started cooperating in 2005. Genovese Underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
, Consigliere Louis "Bobby" Manna
, capo James Ida
("Little Jimmy") and street boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
received lengthy prison sentences on murder, racketeering and conspiracy convictions. During the last decades, US law enforcement systematically broke down the Genovese crime family, as well as the other Mafia families. Despite these indictments the Genovese family remains a formidable power with as approximately 250 made men and 14 active crews as of 2005, according to Selwyn Raab.
, who was apparently running the day-to-day activities of the Genovese crime family by 2006. In 2006, Genovese underboss and former Gigante loyalist, Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
was released from prison. That same year, former Gigante loyalist and prominent capo Dominick Cirillo
was allegedly promoted to consigliere in prison. By 2008, the Genovese family administration was believed to be whole again. In March 2008, Leo was sentenced to five years in prison for loansharking and extortion. Underboss Venero Mangano
is reportedly one of the top leaders within the Manhattan faction of the Genovese crime family. Former acting consigliere Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico
was leading the New Jersey
faction of the family until convicted of racketeering in 2006. Dentico was released from prison in 2009. In July 2008, one-time Gigante street boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
was paroled from prison after serving 12 years. What role Bellomo plays in the Genovese hierarchy is open to speculation, but he is likely to have a major say in the running of the family once his tight parole restrictions are over.
A March 2009 article in the New York Post claimed Daniel Leo was still acting boss despite his incarceration. It also estimated that the family consists of approximately 270 "made" members. The Genovese family maintains power and influence in New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City and Florida. It is recognized as the most powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States. Since Gigante's reign, the Genovese family has been so strong and successful because of its continued devotion to secrecy. According to the FBI, many family associates don't know the names of family leaders or even other associates. This information lockdown makes it more difficult for the FBI to gain incriminating information from government informants.
According to the FBI, the Genovese family has not had an official boss since Gigante's death. Law enforcement considers Leo to be the acting boss, Mangano the underboss, and Cirillo the consigliere. The Genovese family is known for placing top caporegimes in leadership positions to help the administration run the day-to-day activities of the crime family. At present,capos Bellomo, Ernest Muscarella, Cirillo, and Dentico hold the greatest influence within the family and play major roles in its administration. The Manhattan and Bronx factions, the traditional powers in the family, still exercise that control today.
exposed this scam in 1988, the Genovese family still found this way of dividing authority useful. So, in 1992, the front boss position was replaced by that of "street boss". From 1998 to 2006, a committee of capos known as the "administration" conducted decision making for the family.
Front boss
Street boss
- Also known as an advisor or "right-hand man," a consigliere provides counsel to the boss of the crime family. The consigliere ranks just below the boss in the family power structure, but does not have any family members reporting to him. Each family usually has one consigliere.
was credited with inventing the messaggero position to avoid law enforcement attention.
Manhattan faction
Brooklyn faction
Queens faction
with five crews. According to the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation, several other New York based Genovese family members run criminal activities in New Jersey. The family's power has traditionally been base in New York, but in recent years some of the New Jersey faction members have risen to acting positions within the family's hierarchy.
New Jersey
Florida
Five Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
" that dominates organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
activities in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
(or Cosa Nostra). The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
" and "Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
" of organized crime. They are rivaled in size by only the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
and Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
and are unmatched in terms of power. They have generally maintained a varying degree of influence over many of the smaller mob families outside of New York, including ties with the Patriarca
Patriarca crime family
The Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
, Buffalo
Buffalo crime family
The Buffalo crime family, also known as the Magaddino crime family and The Arm, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Buffalo, United States. As part of the American Mafia the family operates throughout Western New York and Canada.The Buffalo crime family, gained power during the...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
crime families.
Finding new ways to make money in the 21st century, the Genovese family took advantage of lax due diligence
Due diligence
"Due diligence" is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations...
by banks during the housing spike with a wave of mortgage frauds. Prosecutors say loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
victims obtained home equity loan
Home equity loan
A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in their home as collateral. These loans are useful to finance major expenses such as home repairs, medical bills or college education...
s to pay off debts to their mob bankers. The family found ways to use new technology to improve on old reliable illegal gambling, with customers placing bets through offshore sites via the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The modern family was founded by Lucky Luciano
Lucky Luciano
Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
, but after 1957 it was renamed after boss Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
. Originally in control of the waterfront on the West Side of Manhattan (including the Fulton Fish Market
Fulton Fish Market
The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in The Bronx, New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce...
), the family was run for years by "the Oddfather", Vincent "the Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
, who feigned insanity by shuffling unshaven through New York’s Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
wearing a tattered bath robe and muttering to himself incoherently.
Although the leadership of the Genovese family seemed to have been in limbo after the death of Gigante in 2005, the family still appears to be the most organized family and remains powerful. The family, now named after Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
, has endured like no other. Unique in today's Mafia, the family has benefited greatly from members following the code of Omertà
Omertà
Omertà is a popular attitude and code of honour and a common definition is the "code of silence". It is common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations defined as Mafia such as the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Sacra Corona Unita, and...
. While many mobsters from across the country have testified against their crime families since the 1980s, the Genovese family has only had five members turn state's evidence
Turn state's evidence
To turn state's evidence is when an accused or convicted criminal testifies as a witness for the state against his associates or accomplices. Turning state's evidence is occasionally a result of a change of heart or feelings of guilt, but more often is done in response to a generous offer from the...
in its history.
Origins
The Genovese crime family originated from the Morello crime familyMorello crime family
The Morello crime family is the direct ancestor of the Genovese crime family, the oldest of New York City's Five Families.-From Corleone to America:...
of East Harlem, the first Mafia family in New York City. The Morellos started arriving in New York from the village of Corleone, Sicily around 1892, when only a few thousand Italians lived in New York. The first incarnation of what would become the Morello crime family was the 107th Street Mob, established by Giuseppe Morello
Giuseppe Morello
Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello , also known as "The Old Fox", was the first boss of the Morello crime family and later top adviser to Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He was known as Piddu and his rivals the Castellammarese knew him as Peter Morello...
, later joined by associate Ignazio "the Wolf" Lupo. Morello's lieutenants were his half brothers Nicholas
Nicholas Morello
Nicolo Terranova , also known as Nicholas "Nick" Morello, was one of the first Italian-American organized crime figures in New York City...
, Vincenzo
Vincenzo Terranova
Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova was a gangster and an early Italian-American organized crime figure in the United States. He served as boss and underboss of the Morello crime family, today known as the Genovese crime family, the oldest of the Five Families in New York City.Terranova was born in...
and Ciro
Ciro Terranova
Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova was a New York City gangster and one time underboss of the Morello crime family.-Early life:Ciro Terranova was born in the town of Corleone, Sicily...
. By the early 1900s, the Morello family was involved with counterfeiting, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, kidnapping, and other traditional Mafia activities in Manhattan.
As the Morello family increased in power and influence, bloody territorial conflicts arose with other Italian criminal gangs in New York. Their new rival was the Neapolitan Camorra
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
organization, which consisted of two small Brooklyn gangs run by Pellegrino Morano
Pellegrino Morano
Pellegrino Morano was a leader of the Neapolitan Camorra gangs in Brooklyn, New York. He operated from his Coney Island gang and is considered the American "Grand Master" from roughly 1907-1917.-Background:...
and Alessandro Vollero
Alessandro Vollero
Alessandro Vollero was a New York mobster and a high ranking member of the Brooklyn Camorra crime organization. Vollero served as a lieutenant to gang boss Pellegrino Morano during the Mafia-Camorra War of 1916....
. Unlike the Sicilian Morellos, the Camorra was composed of immigrants from Naples, Italy. Initially the Morellos and the Camorra collaborated to divide up criminal activities in Manhattan. However, when Giuseppe Morello and Lupo went to prison in 1909 for counterfeiting, Morano decided that he could kill the remaining Morello leadership and take the family's more lucrative rackets. Morano's move resulted in the bloody Mafia-Camorra War
Mafia-Camorra War
The Mafia-Camorra War was a gang war in New York City during the World War I era. One side was the Sicilian Morello crime family of Manhattan, the other side was Camorra, an ancient Neapolitan gang with a subgroup in the vicinity of Navy Street in Brooklyn, and the Coney Island gang...
from 1914 to 1918. By 1918, law enforcement had sent many Camorra gang members to prison, decimating the Camorra in New York and ending the war. Although the Morellos had won this gang conflict, they had suffered losses also, including the 1916 assassination of boss Nicholas Morello. The Morellos now faced stronger rivals than the Camorra.
With the passage of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in 1919 and the outlawing of alcohol sales, the Morello family regrouped and built a lucrative bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
operation in Manhattan. However, by the early 1920s, the Morello family no longer existed. A powerful Sicilian rival, Salvatore D'Aquila
Salvatore D'Aquila
Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila was a New York City mobster from the Mustache Pete-era and the first boss of the Gambino crime family....
, had declared a death sentence on Giuseppe Morello and Lupo, both recently released from prison, forcing them to flee to Italy for safety. When the two men returned to New York, they relied on Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria
Joe Masseria
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria was an early Mafia don in the United States. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.-Early days:...
, a new Morello ally, to kill D'Aquilla. However, the price of Masseria's help was to essentially take over the Morello Family.
The Castellammarese era
Lucky Luciano
Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
, Frank Costello
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
, Frankie Yale
Frankie Yale
Francesco Ioele , better known as Frankie Uale or Frankie Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster and original employer of Al Capone before the latter moved to Chicago...
, Joseph "Joey A" Adonis, Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
, Albert Anastasia
Albert Anastasia
Albert Anastasia was boss of what is now called the Gambino crime family, one of New York City's Five Families, from 1951-1957. He also ran a gang of contract killers called Murder Inc. which enforced the decisions of the Commission, the ruling council of the American Mafia...
and Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino
"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. Masseria was willing to take all Italian-American recruits, no matter where they had originated in Sicily or Italy.
Masseria's strongest rival in New York was Salvatore Maranzano
Salvatore Maranzano
Salvatore Maranzano was an organized crime figure from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss in the United States. He instigated the Castellammarese War to seize control of the American Mafia operations, and briefly became the Mafia's "Boss of Bosses"...
, leader of the Castellammare del Golfo Sicilian organization in Brooklyn. A recent arrival from Sicily, Maranzano had strong support from elements of the Sicilian Mafia and was a traditionalist mafiosi. He recruited Sicilian mobsters only, preferably from the Castellammarese clan. Marangano's top lieutenants included future family bosses Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno
Joseph Bonanno
Joseph Charles Bonanno, Sr. was a Sicilian-born American mafioso who became the boss of the Bonanno crime family. He was nicknamed "Joe Bananas," a name he despised.-Early life:...
, Joseph Profaci, and Stefano Magaddino
Stefano Magaddino
Stefano Magaddino was an Sicilian mafioso who became the boss of the Buffalo crime family in western New York. His underworld influence stretched from Ohio and Southern Ontario as far north as Montreal, Quebec...
. By 1928, the Castellammarese War
Castellammarese War
The Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American Mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
between Masseria and Maranzano had begun. By the late 1920s, more than 60 mobsters on both sides had been murdered. On April 15, 1931, Masseria was murdered in a Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, Brooklyn, restaurant, reportedly by members of Luciano's crew. Angry over broken promises from Masseria, Luciano had secretly conspired with Maranzano to plot Masseria's assassination. On the day of the murder, Luciano was allegedly eating dinner with Masseria at a restaurant. After Luciano went to the restroom, his hitmen arrived and murdered Masseria. With Masseria's death, the Castellamarese War had ended.
Now in control of New York, Maranzano took several important steps to solidify his victory. He reorganized the Italian-American gangs of New York into five new families, structured after the hierarchical and highly disciplined Mafia families of Sicily. Maranzano's second big change was to appoint himself as the boss of all the families. As part of this reorganization, Maranzano designated Luciano as boss of the old Morello/Masseria family. However, Luciano and other mob leaders privately objected to Maranzano's dictatorial role. Maranzano soon found out about Luciano's discontent and ordered his assassination. Discovering that he was in danger, Luciano plotted Maranzano's assassination with Maranzano trustee Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese
Tommy Lucchese
Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese , also known as "Tom Brown" or "Three-Finger Brown", was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City...
. On September 10, 1931, Jewish gangsters provided by Luciano ally Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
shot and stabbed Maranzano to death in his Manhattan office. Luciano was now the most powerful mobster in the United States.
Luciano and the Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
. The Commission consisted of representatives from each of the Five Families, the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
and the Magaddino crime family
Buffalo crime family
The Buffalo crime family, also known as the Magaddino crime family and The Arm, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Buffalo, United States. As part of the American Mafia the family operates throughout Western New York and Canada.The Buffalo crime family, gained power during the...
of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Luciano wanted the Commission to mediate disputes between the families and prevent future gang wars. Although nominally a democratic body, Luciano and his allies actually controlled the Commission throughout the 1930s. As head of the new Luciano family, Luciano appointed Vito Genovese as his underboss, or second in command, and Frank Costello as his Consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
, or advisor. With the new structure in place, the five New York families would enjoy several decades of peace and growth.
In 1935, Luciano was indicted on pandering
Procuring (prostitution)
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. Examples of procuring include:*trafficking a prostitute into a country for the purpose of soliciting sex...
charges by New York district attorney Thomas Dewey
Thomas Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey was the 47th Governor of New York . In 1944 and 1948, he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. He led the liberal faction of the Republican Party, in which he fought conservative Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft...
. Many observers believed that Luciano would never have directly involved himself with prostitutes, and that the case was fraudulent. During the trial, Luciano made a tactical mistake in taking the witness stand, where the prosecutor interrogated him for five hours about how he made his living. In 1936, Luciano was convicted and sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison. Although in prison, Luciano continued to run his crime family. His underboss Genovese now supervised the day-to-day family activities. In 1937, Genovese was indicted on murder charges and fled the country to Italy. After Genovese's departure, Costello became the new acting boss of the Luciano family.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, federal agents asked Luciano for help in preventing enemy sabotage on the New York waterfront and other activities. Luciano agreed to help, but in reality provided insignificant assistance to the allied cause. After the end of the war, the arrangement with Luciano became public knowledge. To prevent further embarrassment, the government agreed to deport Luciano on condition that he never return to the United States. In 1946, Luciano was taken from prison and deported to Italy, never to return to the United States. Costello became the effective boss of the Luciano family.
The Prime Minister
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
, the Luciano family controlled much of the bookmaking, loansharking, illegal gambling and labor racketeering activities in New York City. Costello wanted to increase the family involvement in lucrative financial schemes; he was less interested in low grossing criminal activities that relied on brutality and intimidation. Costello believed in diplomacy and discipline, and in diversifying family interests. Nicknamed "The Prime Minister of the Underworld", Costello controlled much of the New York waterfront and had tremendous political connections. It was said that no state judge could be appointed in any case without Costello's consent. During the 1940s, Costello allowed Luciano associates Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
Bugsy Siegel
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was an American gangster who was involved with the Genovese crime family...
to expand the family business in Southern California and build the first modern casino resort in Las Vegas. When Siegel failed to open the resort on time, his mob investors allegedly sanctioned his murder.
While serving as boss of the Luciano family in the 1950s, Costello suffered from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
s. During this period Costello sought help from a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, who advised him to distance himself from old associates such as Genovese and spend more time with politicians. In the early 1950s, U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver
Estes Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
began investigating organized crime in New York in the Kefauver hearings
Kefauver hearings
The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was a special committee of the United States Senate which existed from 1950 to 1951 and which investigated organized crime which crossed state borders in the United States...
. The Committee summoned numerous mobsters to testify, but they refused to answer questions at the hearings. The mobsters uniformly cited the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
of the U.S. Constitution, a legal protection against self-incrimination
Self-incrimination
Self-incrimination is the act of accusing oneself of a crime for which a person can then be prosecuted. Self-incrimination can occur either directly or indirectly: directly, by means of interrogation where information of a self-incriminatory nature is disclosed; indirectly, when information of a...
. However, when Costello was summoned, he agreed to answer questions at the hearings and not take the Fifth Amendment. As part of the agreement to testify, the Special Committee and the U.S. television networks agreed not to broadcast Costello's face. During the questioning, Costello nervously refused to answer certain questions and skirted around others. When the Committee asked Costello, "What have you done for your country Mr. Costello?", he famously replied, "Paid my tax!". The TV cameras, unable to show Costello's face, instead focused on his hands, which Costello wrung nervously while answering questions. Costello eventually walked out of the hearings.
The return of Genovese
Costello ruled for 20 peaceful years, but that quiet reign ended when Genovese was extradited from Italy to New York. During his absence, Costello demoted Genovese from underboss to capo and Genovese determined to take control of the family. Soon after his arrival in the United States, Genovese was acquitted of the 1936 murder charge that had driven him into exile. Free of legal entanglements, Genovese started plotting against Costello with the assistance of Mangano crime family underboss Carlo GambinoCarlo Gambino
"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. On May 2, 1957, Luciano family mobster Vincente "Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
shot Costello in the side of the head on a public street; however, Costello survived the attack. Months later, Mangano family boss Albert Anastasia, a powerful ally of Costello, was murdered by Gambino's gunmen. With Anastasia's death, Gambino seized control of the Mangano family. Feeling afraid and isolated after the shootings, Costello quietly retired and surrendered control of the Luciano family to Genovese.
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
decided to organize a Cosa Nostra conference to legitimize his new position. Held on mobster Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
's farm in Apalachin, New York
Apalachin, New York
Apalachin is a census-designated place within the Town of Owego in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,126 in the 2000 census. It is named after the Apalachin Creek. Apalachin means From where the messenger returned in the Lenape.Apalachin is in the southeast part of the...
, the Apalachin Meeting
Apalachin Meeting
The Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...
attracted over 100 Cosa Nostra mobsters from around the nation. However, local law enforcement discovered the meeting by chance and quickly surrounded the farm. As the meeting broke up, Genovese escaped capture by running through the woods. However, many other high-ranking mobsters were arrested. Cosa Nostra leaders were chagrined by the public exposure and bad publicity from the Apalachin meeting, and generally blamed Genovese for the fiasco. Wary of Genovese gaining more power in the Mafia Commission, Gambino used the abortive Apalachin Meeting as an excuse to move against his former ally. Gambino, former Genovese bosses Lucky Luciano
Lucky Luciano
Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
and Frank Costello
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
, and Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
boss Tommy Lucchese
Tommy Lucchese
Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese , also known as "Tom Brown" or "Three-Finger Brown", was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City...
allegedly lured Genovese into a drug distribution scheme that ultimately resulted in his conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
indictment and conviction. In 1959, Genovese was sentenced to 15 years in prison on narcotics charges. Genovese, who was the most powerful boss in New York, had been effectively eliminated as a rival by Gambino. Genovese would later die in prison.
The Valachi Hearings
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
McClellan Hearings
McClellan Hearings
The Valachi Hearings, or also commonly known as the McClellan Hearings, investigated organized crime activities across America and investigated leading mafia figures of the era such as Sam Giancana of Chicago. The hearings were initiated by Arkansas Senator John L. McClellan in 1963...
. While incarcerated at a federal prison in Atlanta, Genovese soldier Joseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi
Joe Valachi
Joseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi , Italian American, also known as "Charles Chanbano" and "Anthony Sorge" was the first Mafia member to publicly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia. He is also the person who made Cosa Nostra a household name.-Career:Joseph Valachi was born in East Harlem, New York...
believed he was being targeted for murder by the mob on the suspicion that he was an informer. On June 22, 1962, Valachi brutally murdered another inmate with a pipe. Valachi told investigators that he thought the victim was Joseph "Joe Beck" DiPalermo, a Genovese soldier coming to kill him.
To avoid a capital murder trial, Valachi agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors against the Genovese family. He thus became the first Cosa Nostra mobster to publicly affirm the organization's existence. With information from prosecutors, the low-level Valachi was able to testify in nationally-televised hearings about the Cosa Nostra's influence over legal enterprises in aid of racketeering and other criminal activities to make huge profit. Valachi also introduced the name "Cosa Nostra" as a household name. Although Valachi's testimony never led to any convictions, it helped law enforcement by identifying many members of the Genovese and other New York families.
Front bosses and the ruling panels
Thomas Eboli
Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli was a New York City mobster who eventually became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.-Early life:...
, underboss Gerardo "Jerry" Catena
Gerardo Catena
Gerardo "Jerry" Catena was a New York mobster and a top member of the Genovese crime family during the 1950s and 1960s, along with Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo and Michael "Big Mike" Miranda....
, and Catena's protege Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo
Philip Lombardo
Philip Lombardo also known as "Benny Squint" and "Cockeyed Phil", was the boss of the Genovese crime family from the late 1960s until the beginning of the 1980s....
. After Genovese died in 1969, Lombardo was named his successor. However, the family appointed a series of "Front Bosses" to masquerade as the official family boss. The aim of these deceptions was to confuse both law enforcement and rival crime families as to the true leader of the family. In the late 1960s, Gambino boss Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino
"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
loaned $4 million to Eboli for a drug scheme in an attempt to gain control of the Genovese family. When Eboli failed to pay back his debt, Gambino, with Commission approval, murdered Eboli in 1972.
After Eboli's death, Genovese capo and Gambino ally Frank "Funzi" Tieri was appointed as the new front boss. In reality, the Genovese family created a new ruling panel to run the family. This second panel consisted of Catena, Michele "Big Mike" Miranda
Michele Miranda
Michele "Big Mike" Miranda was a longtime member and eventual consigliere of the Genovese crime family and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
, and Lombardo. In 1981, Tieri became the first Cosa Nostra boss to be convicted under the new Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
(RICO). In 1982, Tieri died in prison. After Tieri went to prison in 1981, the Genovese family reshuffled its leadership. The capo of the Manhattan faction, Anthony Salerno
Anthony Salerno
Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was a New York mobster who served as front boss of the Genovese crime family to family boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante from the 1970s until his conviction in 1986...
("Fat Tony"), became the new front boss. Lombardo, the defacto boss of the family, retired and Vincent "Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
, the triggerman on the failed Costello hit, took actual control of the family. In 1985, Salerno was convicted in the Mafia Commission Trial
Mafia Commission Trial
The Mafia Commission Trial was a criminal trial in New York City, USA. Using evidence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, eleven organized crime figures, including the heads of New York's so-called "Five Families," were indicted by United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani under the...
and sentenced to 100 years in federal prison.
After the 1980 murder of Philadelphia crime family
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
boss Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno, Gigante and Lombardo began manipulating the rival factions in the war-torn Philadelphia family. Gigante and Lombardo finally gave their support to Philadelphia mobster Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo
Nicodemo Scarfo
Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Domenico Scarfo is a member of the American Mafia who eventually became the Boss of the Philadelphia crime family after the death of Angelo Bruno and Phil Testa...
, who in return gave the Genovese mobsters permission to operate in Atlantic City in 1982.
The Oddfather
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
took over the Genovese family, he instituted a new "administration" structure. Former Salerno protègé Vincent Cafaro
Vincent Cafaro
Vincent "Fish" Cafaro was a mobster and protegee of Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, a top lieutenant in the Genovese crime family until becoming a government informant and witness.-Labor racketeer:...
had turned informer and identified Gigante as the real boss to the FBI, so the use of front bosses no longer protected the real leader of the family. In addition, Gigante was unnerved by Salerno's conviction and long sentence, and decided he needed greater protection. Gigante decided to replace the front boss with a new street boss position. The job of the street boss was to publicly run the family operations on a daily basis, under Gigante's remote direction. To insulate himself even further from law enforcement, Gigante started communicating to his men through another new position, the messenger. As a result of these changes, Gigante did not directly communicate with other family mobsters, with the exception of his sons, Vincent Esposito and Andrew Gigante, and a few other close associates.
Another Gigante tactic to confuse law enforcement was by pretending insanity. Gigante frequently walked down New York streets in a bathrobe
Bathrobe
A bathrobe, dressing gown or housecoat is a robe. A bathrobe is usually made from towelling or other absorbent textile, and may be donned while the wearer's body is wet, serving both as a towel and an informal garment...
, mumbling incoherently. Gigante succeeded in convincing court-appointed psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s that his mental illness was worsening, and avoided several criminal prosecutions. The New York media soon nicknamed Gigante "The Oddfather". Gigante reportedly operated from the Triangle Social Club in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
in Manhattan. He never left his house during the day, fearing that the FBI would sneak in and plant a bug. At night, he would sneak away from his house and conduct family business when FBI surveillance was more lax. Even then, he only whispered to keep from being picked up by wiretaps. To avoid incrimination from undercover surveillance, family members were forbidden to speak Gigante's name under penalty of death. When necessary, mobsters would only point to their chins when referring to him. In this way, Gigante managed to stay on the streets while the city's other four bosses ended up getting long prison terms.
While the public and media were watching Gigante, other family leaders were running the day-to-day operations of the family. Underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
Venero Mangano
Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
operated out of Brooklyn and ran the family's Windows Case rackets. Consigliere Louis "Bobby" Manna
Louis Manna
Louis Anthony "Bobby" Manna , is a New Jersey mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.-Genovese family:...
, who operated out of the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
faction of the family, as well as supervising four captains
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
around that area during the 1980s.
In 1985, Gigante and other family bosses were shocked and enraged by the murder of Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
, the Gambino family boss. An ambitious Gambino capo, John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
, had capitalized on discontent in that family to murder Castellano and his underboss outside a Manhattan restaurant and become the new Gambino boss. Gotti had violated Cosa Nostra protocol by failing to obtain prior approval for the murder from The Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
. Ironically, as mentioned above, Gigante had been the triggerman on the last unsanctioned hit on a boss—the hit on Costello. With Castellano dead, Gigante now controlled the Commission and he decided to kill Gotti. Gigante and Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
boss Vittorio "Vic" Amuso
Victor Amuso
Vittorio "Little Vic" Amuso is a New York mobster and, as of 2011, the reputed Boss of the Lucchese crime family. Amuso is currently serving life at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas on murder and racketeering charges....
and underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
hatched a scheme to kill Gotti with a car bomb. On April 13, 1986, a bomb exploded in Gambino underboss Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
's car, killing DeCicco. However, Gotti was not in DiCicco's car that day and escaped harm. Although Gigante eventually made peace with Gotti, Gigante remained the boss of the most powerful crime family in New York. The Genovese family dominated construction and union rackets, gambling rackets, and operations at the Fulton Fish Market
Fulton Fish Market
The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in The Bronx, New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce...
and the waterfront operations. During this period, Gigante used intimidation and murder to maintain control of the family.
During the early 1990s, law enforcement used several high profile government informants and witnesses to finally put Gigante in prison. Faced with criminal prosecution, in 1992 Gambino underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano
Sammy Gravano
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is a former underboss of the Gambino crime family. He is known as the man who helped bring down John Gotti, the family's boss, by agreeing to become a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant and turn state's evidence.Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime...
agreed to testify against Gotti and other Cosa Nostra leaders, including Gigante. Philadelphia crime family underboss Phil Leonetti
Phil Leonetti
Philip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti is a Philadelphia gangster who became the underboss of the Scarfo crime family under his uncle, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo before becoming a government informant. At the time, he was the highest-ranking member of the American Mafia to break his blood oath and turn...
also became a government witness and testified that during the 1980s, Gigante had ordered the murders of several Philadelphia associates. Finally, Lucchese underboss Anthony Casso implicated Gigante in the 1986 plan to kill John Gotti, Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
and Eugene "Gene" Gotti
Gene Gotti
Eugene Gotti is a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker.-Background:Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: deceased Gambino boss John Gotti, Peter Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti...
. While in prison, Gigante was recorded as saying that he'd feigned insanity for 40 years. In 1997, Gigante was convicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges and sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. While Gigante was in prison, the Genovese family was run by acting bosses Ernest Muscarella, Dominick Cirillo, and Gigante's brother Mario
Mario Gigante
Mario Gigante is a New York City mobster who served as caporegime for the Genovese crime family...
. On December 19, 2005, Gigante died in prison from heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
.
Since the 1990s, infamous mobsters in top positions of the other Five Families of NYC have become informants and testified against many mobsters, putting bosses, capos, and soldiers into prison. The most prominent government witness was Bonanno crime family Boss Joseph "Big Joe" Massino, who started cooperating in 2005. Genovese Underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
Venero Mangano
Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
, Consigliere Louis "Bobby" Manna
Louis Manna
Louis Anthony "Bobby" Manna , is a New Jersey mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.-Genovese family:...
, capo James Ida
James Ida
James Ida also known as "Little Guy" is a New York mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.James was born to first generation immigrants from Lombardy, Italy. Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Ida was inducted into the Genovese crime family in...
("Little Jimmy") and street boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
Liborio Bellomo
Liborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
received lengthy prison sentences on murder, racketeering and conspiracy convictions. During the last decades, US law enforcement systematically broke down the Genovese crime family, as well as the other Mafia families. Despite these indictments the Genovese family remains a formidable power with as approximately 250 made men and 14 active crews as of 2005, according to Selwyn Raab.
Current position and leadership
When Vincent Gigante died in late 2005, the leadership went to Genovese capo Daniel "Danny the Lion" LeoDaniel Leo (mobster)
Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:...
, who was apparently running the day-to-day activities of the Genovese crime family by 2006. In 2006, Genovese underboss and former Gigante loyalist, Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
Venero Mangano
Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
was released from prison. That same year, former Gigante loyalist and prominent capo Dominick Cirillo
Dominick Cirillo
Dominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
was allegedly promoted to consigliere in prison. By 2008, the Genovese family administration was believed to be whole again. In March 2008, Leo was sentenced to five years in prison for loansharking and extortion. Underboss Venero Mangano
Venero Mangano
Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
is reportedly one of the top leaders within the Manhattan faction of the Genovese crime family. Former acting consigliere Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico
Lawrence Dentico
Lawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
was leading the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
faction of the family until convicted of racketeering in 2006. Dentico was released from prison in 2009. In July 2008, one-time Gigante street boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
Liborio Bellomo
Liborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
was paroled from prison after serving 12 years. What role Bellomo plays in the Genovese hierarchy is open to speculation, but he is likely to have a major say in the running of the family once his tight parole restrictions are over.
A March 2009 article in the New York Post claimed Daniel Leo was still acting boss despite his incarceration. It also estimated that the family consists of approximately 270 "made" members. The Genovese family maintains power and influence in New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City and Florida. It is recognized as the most powerful Cosa Nostra family in the United States. Since Gigante's reign, the Genovese family has been so strong and successful because of its continued devotion to secrecy. According to the FBI, many family associates don't know the names of family leaders or even other associates. This information lockdown makes it more difficult for the FBI to gain incriminating information from government informants.
According to the FBI, the Genovese family has not had an official boss since Gigante's death. Law enforcement considers Leo to be the acting boss, Mangano the underboss, and Cirillo the consigliere. The Genovese family is known for placing top caporegimes in leadership positions to help the administration run the day-to-day activities of the crime family. At present,capos Bellomo, Ernest Muscarella, Cirillo, and Dentico hold the greatest influence within the family and play major roles in its administration. The Manhattan and Bronx factions, the traditional powers in the family, still exercise that control today.
Boss (official and acting)
- 1890s–1909 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" MorelloGiuseppe MorelloGiuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello , also known as "The Old Fox", was the first boss of the Morello crime family and later top adviser to Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He was known as Piddu and his rivals the Castellammarese knew him as Peter Morello...
— imprisoned in 1910 - 1910–1916 — Nicholas "Nick Morello" TerranovaNicholas MorelloNicolo Terranova , also known as Nicholas "Nick" Morello, was one of the first Italian-American organized crime figures in New York City...
— murdered in 1916 during the Mafia-Camorra WarMafia-Camorra WarThe Mafia-Camorra War was a gang war in New York City during the World War I era. One side was the Sicilian Morello crime family of Manhattan, the other side was Camorra, an ancient Neapolitan gang with a subgroup in the vicinity of Navy Street in Brooklyn, and the Coney Island gang... - 1916–1920 — Vincenzo "Vincent" TerranovaVincenzo TerranovaVincenzo "Vincent" Terranova was a gangster and an early Italian-American organized crime figure in the United States. He served as boss and underboss of the Morello crime family, today known as the Genovese crime family, the oldest of the Five Families in New York City.Terranova was born in...
— stepped down becoming underboss - 1920–1922 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" MorelloGiuseppe MorelloGiuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello , also known as "The Old Fox", was the first boss of the Morello crime family and later top adviser to Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He was known as Piddu and his rivals the Castellammarese knew him as Peter Morello...
— stepped down becoming underboss to Giuseppe Masseria in 1922 - 1922–1931 — Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria — murdered in 1931 during the Castellammarese WarCastellammarese WarThe Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American Mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
- 1931–1946 — Charles "Lucky" LucianoLucky LucianoCharlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
— imprisoned in 1936, deported to Italy in 1946- Acting 1936–1937 — Vito GenoveseVito GenoveseVito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
— fled to Italy in 1937 to avoid murder charge - Acting 1937–1946 — Frank "the Prime Minister" CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
— became official boss after Luciano's deportation
- Acting 1936–1937 — Vito Genovese
- 1946–1957 — Frank "the Prime Minister" CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
— resigned in 1957 after assassination attempt - 1957–1969 — Vito "Don Vito" GenoveseVito GenoveseVito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
— imprisoned in 1959, died in prison in 1969- Acting 1959–1962 — Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo — disappeared in 1962
- Acting 1962–1965 — Thomas "Tommy Ryan" EboliThomas EboliThomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli was a New York City mobster who eventually became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.-Early life:...
— became front boss - Acting 1965–1969 — Philip "Benny Squint" LombardoPhilip LombardoPhilip Lombardo also known as "Benny Squint" and "Cockeyed Phil", was the boss of the Genovese crime family from the late 1960s until the beginning of the 1980s....
— effectively became the official boss
- 1969–1981 — Philip "Benny Squint" LombardoPhilip LombardoPhilip Lombardo also known as "Benny Squint" and "Cockeyed Phil", was the boss of the Genovese crime family from the late 1960s until the beginning of the 1980s....
— retired in 1981, died of natural causes in 1987 - 1981–2005 — Vincent "Chin" GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
— imprisoned in 1997, died in prison in 2005- Acting 1990–1992 — Liborio "Barney" BellomoLiborio BellomoLiborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
— promoted to street boss - Acting 1997–1998 — Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
— suffered heart attack and resigned 1998 - Acting 1998–2005 — Matthew "Matty the Horse" IannielloMatthew IannielloMatthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello is a New York mobster with the Genovese crime family mobster who specialized in vice operations. He was acting boss of the family from 1998–2005 and is the owner of numerous nightclubs in the New York City area.-Little Italy:Ianniello got the nickname "Matty the...
— resigned when indicted in July 2005
- Acting 1990–1992 — Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
- 2005–present — Unknown
- Acting 2005–2008 — Daniel "Danny the Lion" LeoDaniel Leo (mobster)Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:...
— imprisoned in 2008, his projected release date is January 25, 2013
- Acting 2005–2008 — Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo
Front boss and street boss
After Philip Lombardo replaced Thomas Eboli as effective boss in the mid-1960s, Lombardo decided that Eboli should continue to perform the outward functions of the boss while Lombardo secretly made all the decisions. Lombardo created this deception so as to divert law enforcement attention from himself to Eboli. The family maintained this "front boss" deception for the next 20 years. Even after government witness Vincent "Fish" CafaroVincent Cafaro
Vincent "Fish" Cafaro was a mobster and protegee of Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, a top lieutenant in the Genovese crime family until becoming a government informant and witness.-Labor racketeer:...
exposed this scam in 1988, the Genovese family still found this way of dividing authority useful. So, in 1992, the front boss position was replaced by that of "street boss". From 1998 to 2006, a committee of capos known as the "administration" conducted decision making for the family.
Front boss
- 1965–1972 — Thomas "Tommy Ryan" EboliThomas EboliThomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli was a New York City mobster who eventually became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.-Early life:...
— murdered in 1972 - 1972–1980 — Frank "Funzi" Tieri — indicted under RICO statutes and resigned, died in 1981.
- 1981–1992 — Anthony "Fat Tony" SalernoAnthony SalernoAnthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was a New York mobster who served as front boss of the Genovese crime family to family boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante from the 1970s until his conviction in 1986...
— imprisoned in 1987, died in prison in 1992.
Street boss
- 1992–present — Liborio "Barney" BellomoLiborio BellomoLiborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
— imprisoned from 1996–2008.- Co-Acting 1998–2002 – Ernest Muscarella and Frank Serpico – in 2002 both were indicted, and Serpico died of cancer.
- Acting 2003–2005 — Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
— imprisoned in 2006 - Acting 2005–2008 — Mario GiganteMario GiganteMario Gigante is a New York City mobster who served as caporegime for the Genovese crime family...
Underboss (official and acting)
Underboss - the number two position in the family (after the boss). Also known as the "capo bastone", the underboss ensures that criminal profits flow up to the boss. The underboss also oversees the selection of caporegimes and soldiers to carry out murders and other crimes for the family. When the boss dies, the underboss normally assumes control until a new boss is chosen (which in some cases is the underboss).- 1903–1910 — Ignazio "the Wolf" Lupo — imprisoned 1910
- 1910-1916 — Vincenzo "Vincent" TerranovaVincenzo TerranovaVincenzo "Vincent" Terranova was a gangster and an early Italian-American organized crime figure in the United States. He served as boss and underboss of the Morello crime family, today known as the Genovese crime family, the oldest of the Five Families in New York City.Terranova was born in...
— became boss - 1916-1920 — Ciro "The Artichoke King" TerranovaCiro TerranovaCiro "The Artichoke King" Terranova was a New York City gangster and one time underboss of the Morello crime family.-Early life:Ciro Terranova was born in the town of Corleone, Sicily...
— stepped down - 1920-1922 — Vincenzo "Vincent" TerranovaVincenzo TerranovaVincenzo "Vincent" Terranova was a gangster and an early Italian-American organized crime figure in the United States. He served as boss and underboss of the Morello crime family, today known as the Genovese crime family, the oldest of the Five Families in New York City.Terranova was born in...
— murdered on May 8, 1922 - 1922-1930 — Giuseppe "Peter the Clutch Hand" MorelloGiuseppe MorelloGiuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello , also known as "The Old Fox", was the first boss of the Morello crime family and later top adviser to Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He was known as Piddu and his rivals the Castellammarese knew him as Peter Morello...
— murdered on August 15, 1930 - 1930-1931 — Joseph Catania — murdered on February 3, 1931
- 1931-1931 — Charles "Lucky" LucianoLucky LucianoCharlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
— became boss April 1931 - 1931-1936 — Vito GenoveseVito GenoveseVito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
— promoted to acting boss in 1936, fled to Italy in 1937 - 1936-1936 — Frank "Chee" Gusage
- 1937-1951 — Guarino "Willie" MorettiWillie MorettiGuarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Life:...
— murdered in 1951 - 1951-1957 — Vito GenoveseVito GenoveseVito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
— second time as underboss - 1957-1972 — Gerardo "Jerry" CatenaGerardo CatenaGerardo "Jerry" Catena was a New York mobster and a top member of the Genovese crime family during the 1950s and 1960s, along with Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo and Michael "Big Mike" Miranda....
— also boss of the New Jersey factionGenovese crime family New Jersey factionThe Genovese crime family New Jersey faction is the group of mobsters who control the interests of New Jersey rackets in the Genovese crime family. The New Jersey faction has maintained a strong presence in the Northern New Jersey area since the prohibition era...
; jailed from 1970 to 1972. - 1972-1974 — Frank "Funzi" Tieri — promoted to front boss in 1974
- 1974-1975 — Carmine "Little Eli" Zeccardi
- 1975-1980 — Anthony "Fat Tony" SalernoAnthony SalernoAnthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was a New York mobster who served as front boss of the Genovese crime family to family boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante from the 1970s until his conviction in 1986...
— promoted to front boss - 1980-1981 — Vincent "Chin" GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
— promoted to official boss - 1981-1987 — Saverio "Sammy" SantoraSaverio SantoraSaverio Santora , also known as "Sammy Black", was a New York mobster with the Genovese crime family who briefly served as family underboss....
— died of natural causes - 1987–present — Venero ManganoVenero ManganoVenero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
— imprisoned in 1991, released December 2006- Acting 1990-1997 — Michael "Mickey Dimino" Generoso — imprisoned in 1997
- Acting 1997-2003 — Joseph Zito
- Acting 2003-2005 — John "Johnny Sausage" BarbatoJohn BarbatoJohn "Johnny Sausage" Barbato is a New York City mobster and reputed captain in the Genovese crime family.- Career and NJ exclusion :...
— imprisoned in 2005
Consigliere (official and acting)
ConsigliereConsigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
- Also known as an advisor or "right-hand man," a consigliere provides counsel to the boss of the crime family. The consigliere ranks just below the boss in the family power structure, but does not have any family members reporting to him. Each family usually has one consigliere.
- 1931-1937 — Frank CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
— promoted to acting boss in 1937 - 1937-1957 — "Sandino" — mysterious figure mentioned once by Valachi
- 1957-1972 — Michele "Mike" MirandaMichele MirandaMichele "Big Mike" Miranda was a longtime member and eventual consigliere of the Genovese crime family and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
— retired in 1972 - 1972-1975 — Anthony "Fat Tony" SalernoAnthony SalernoAnthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was a New York mobster who served as front boss of the Genovese crime family to family boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante from the 1970s until his conviction in 1986...
— promoted to underboss in 1975 - 1975-1978 — Antonio "Buckaloo" Ferro
- Acting 1978-1980 — Dominick "Fat Dom" Alongi
- 1980-1981 — Dominick "Fat Dom" Alongi
- 1981-1990 — Louis "Bobby" MannaLouis MannaLouis Anthony "Bobby" Manna , is a New Jersey mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.-Genovese family:...
— imprisoned in 1990- Acting 1989-1990 — James "Little Guy" IdaJames IdaJames Ida also known as "Little Guy" is a New York mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.James was born to first generation immigrants from Lombardy, Italy. Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Ida was inducted into the Genovese crime family in...
— promoted to official consigliere
- Acting 1989-1990 — James "Little Guy" Ida
- 1990-1997 — James "Little Guy" IdaJames IdaJames Ida also known as "Little Guy" is a New York mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.James was born to first generation immigrants from Lombardy, Italy. Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Ida was inducted into the Genovese crime family in...
— imprisoned in 1997 - 1997–present — Lawrence "Little Larry" DenticoLawrence DenticoLawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
— imprisoned from 2006–2009- Acting 2006–2009 — Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
- Acting 2006–2009 — Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo
Messaggero
Messaggero – The messaggero (messenger) functions as liaison between crime families. The messenger can reduce the need for sit-downs, or meetings, of the mob hierarchy, and thus limit the public exposure of the bosses. Boss Vincent GiganteVincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
was credited with inventing the messaggero position to avoid law enforcement attention.
- 1957-1970s - Michael "Mike" Genovese - he was Vito Genovese's younger brother.
- 1981-1997 - Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
- 1997-2003 - Andrew Gigante
Administrative capos
If the official boss dies, goes to prison, or is incapacitated, the family may assemble a ruling committee (or panel) of capos to help the acting boss, street boss, underboss, and consigliere run the family, and to divert attention from law enforcement.- 1997-1998 — (eight-man committee) — Frank "Farby" Serpico, Ernest "Ernie" Muscarella, Pasquale "Patsy" Parello, Lawrence "Little Larry" DenticoLawrence DenticoLawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
, John "Johnny Sausage" BarbatoJohn BarbatoJohn "Johnny Sausage" Barbato is a New York City mobster and reputed captain in the Genovese crime family.- Career and NJ exclusion :...
, Alan "Baldie" LongoAlan LongoAlan "Baldie" Longo is an alleged Brooklyn mobster and acting caporegime in the New York Genovese crime family who became heavily involved in stock fraud schemes.-Stock scams:...
, Federico "Fritzy" Giovanelli and Daniel "Danny the Lion" LeoDaniel Leo (mobster)Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:... - 1998-2001 — (seven-man committee) — Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
, Ernest Muscarella, Pasquale Parello, Lawrence Dentico, John Barbato, Alan Longo and Daniel Leo - 2001-2002 — (five-man committee) — Dominick Cirillo, Ernest Muscarella, Lawrence Dentico, John Barbato and Alan Longo
- 2002-2003 — (four-man committee) — Dominick Cirillo, Lawrence Dentico, John Barbato and Daniel Leo
- 2007–2010 — (three-man panel) — Tino "The Greek" FiumaraTino FiumaraTino "T" Fiumara , also known as "The Greek", was a major figure in the Genovese crime family. Since the 1980s, he had been the leader of the Genovese New Jersey faction in northern New Jersey...
(died 2010) the other two are unknown.
Administration
- Boss Vacant
- Acting Boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" LeoDaniel Leo (mobster)Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:...
- belonged to the Purple GangEast Harlem Purple GangThe East Harlem Purple Gang was a semi-independent group of Italian American hit-men and heroin dealers who according to Federal prosecutors dominated heroin distribution in East Harlem and the Bronx during the late 1970s in New York City...
of East Harlem in the 1970s. In the late 1990s, Leo joined Vincent Gigante's circle of trusted capos. With Gigante's death in 2005, Leo became acting boss. In 2008, Leo was sentenced to five years in prison on loansharking and extortion charges. In March 2010, Leo received an additional 18 months in prison on racketeering charges and was fined $1.3 million. Leo is currently in prison.
- Street Boss Liborio "Barney" BellomoLiborio BellomoLiborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
- became Street boss in 1992 under boss Vincent Gigante. Bellomo was imprisoned from 1996 until July 2008.
- Underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" ManganoVenero ManganoVenero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
- became underbossUnderbossUnderboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
in 1986 under boss Vincent GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
. A Gigante loyalist, Mangano belonged to the West Side Crew. Mangano was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the 1991 "Windows Case". He was convicted of extortion and attempting to manipulate the bidding process of window replacements within municipal housing projects. Released from prison in November 2006, Mangano is reportedly still a Manhattan faction leader.
- Consigliere Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
- former capoCaporegimeA caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
and trusted aide to boss Vincent GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
. Cirillo belonged to the West Side Crew and was known as one of the Four Doms; capos Dominick "Baldy Dom" CanterinoDominick CanterinoDominick "Baldy Dom" Canterino was a Caporegime in the Genovese crime family.A Genovese captain from Bensonhurst who ran the family's Greenwich Village Crew, Canterino was a regular at Sullivan Street's Triangle Social Club, the defacto headquarters of the Genovese family...
, Dominick "The Sailor" DiQuarto and Dominick "Fat Dom" Alongi. Cirillo served as Acting Boss from 1997 to 1998, but resigned due to heart problems. In 2003, Cirillo became acting boss, resigned in 2006 due to his imprisonment on loansharking charges. In August 2008, Cirillo was released from prison. Law enforcement believes that Cirillo is still active in the family.
- New Jersey Faction Boss - Unknown - was Tino FiumaraTino FiumaraTino "T" Fiumara , also known as "The Greek", was a major figure in the Genovese crime family. Since the 1980s, he had been the leader of the Genovese New Jersey faction in northern New Jersey...
until his death on September 16, 2010.
New York
Bronx faction- Liborio "Barney" BellomoLiborio BellomoLiborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
– capo and current Street Boss. In the early 1990s Bellomo served as acting boss for Vincent Gigante. Bellomo controls one of the most influential crews in the crime family, the Manhattan East HarlemItalian HarlemItalian Harlem was the name that was given to East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, when it was largely inhabited by an Italian American population....
and Bronx-based 116th Street Crew. He was released from prison in July 2008 and is a top candidate to become the new official boss.
- Joseph "Joe D" Dente Jr. – capo operating in the Bronx. In December 2001, Dente and capos Rosario Gangi and Pasquale Parrello were indicted in Manhattan on racketeering charges. Dente was released from prison on April 29, 2009.
- Pasquale "Patsy" Parello – capo operating in the Bronx, he owns a restaurant on Arthur Ave. In 2004, Parello was found guilty of loansharking and embezzlement along with capo Rosario Gangi. Parello was released from prison on April 23, 2008.
Manhattan faction
- Matthew "Matty the Horse" IannielloMatthew IannielloMatthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello is a New York mobster with the Genovese crime family mobster who specialized in vice operations. He was acting boss of the family from 1998–2005 and is the owner of numerous nightclubs in the New York City area.-Little Italy:Ianniello got the nickname "Matty the...
– capo and former acting boss for Vincent Gigante, Ianniello is a longtime Manhattan faction leader who also operates in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. Iannello was imprisoned on extortion and racketeering charges and released on April 3, 2009.
- Rosario "Ross" GangiRosario GangiRosario "Ross" Gangi is a New York City mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family who became involved in labor racketeering and white collar crime.-Biography:...
– capo operating in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. Gangi was involved in extortion activities at Fulton Fish Market. He was released from prison on August 8, 2008.
- John "Johnny Sausage" BarbatoJohn BarbatoJohn "Johnny Sausage" Barbato is a New York City mobster and reputed captain in the Genovese crime family.- Career and NJ exclusion :...
– capo and former driver of Venero ManganoVenero ManganoVenero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
, he was involved in labor and construction racketeering with capos from the Brooklyn faction. Barbato was imprisoned in 2005 on racketeering and extortion charges, and released in 2008.
- James "Jimmy from 8th Street" Messera – capo of the Little Italy Crew operating in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In the 1990s, Messera was involved in extorting the Mason Tenders union and was imprisoned on racketeering charges.
Brooklyn faction
- Alphonse "Allie Shades" MalangoneAlphonse MalangoneAlphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone is a New York City mobster and caporegime in the Genovese crime family. Malangone controlled a good portion of the Genovese interests in the Fulton Fish Market, while dabbling in pump and dump stock scams on Wall Street and controlling Brooklyn's garbage hauling...
– capo operating from Brooklyn and Manhattan. Malagone was very powerful in the 1990s, controlling gambling, loansharking, waterfront rackets and extorting the Fulton Fish MarketFulton Fish MarketThe Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in The Bronx, New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce...
. Malangone also controlled several private sanitation companies in Brooklyn through Kings County Trade Waste Association and Greater New York Waste Paper Association. Malagone was arrested in 2000 along with several Genovese and Gambino family members for their activities in the private waste industry.
- Anthony "Tico" AnticoAnthony AnticoAnthony "Tico" Antico is a New York mobster and a reputed captain in the Genovese crime family.In 2005, Antico was indicted on federal racketeering charges and racketeering conspiracy, which included murder conspiracy, extortion, loansharking and witness tampering...
– capo involved in labor and construction racketeering in Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 2005, Antico and capos John Barbato and Lawrence DenticoLawrence DenticoLawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
were convicted of extortion charges. In 2007, Antico was released from prison. On March 6, 2010, Antico was charged with racketeering in connection with the 2008 robbery and murder of Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
jeweler Louis Antonelli. He was acquitted of murder charges, but found guilty of racketeering.
- Frank "Punchy" IllianoFrank IllianoFrank "Punchy" Illiano is a Brooklyn capo with the Genovese crime family. During the 1960's and 1970's, he served as a top lieutenant to the Gallo brothers in their two wars with the Colombo crime family leadership.-Biography:...
– capo operating in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Illiano was a high-ranking member of the Gallo crew in the Colombo crime familyColombo crime familyThe Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
before switching to the Genovese family in the mid-1970s.
- Charles "Chuckie" TuzzoCharles TuzzoCharles "Chuckie" Tuzzo is a New York mobster who is a capo with the Genovese crime family.- Criminal career :A reputed captain in the Genovese crime family upon the takeover by Vincent "Chin" Gigante in the 1980s, Tuzzo's criminal activities were mostly white collar crimes in Manhattan, Queens...
– capo operating in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Tuzzo was involved in pump and dumpPump and dump"Pump and dump" is a form of microcap stock fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements, in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price....
stock schemes with capo Liborio "Barney" Bellomo. Tuzzo and acting street boss Ernest Muscarella infiltrated a International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) local in order to extort waterfront companies operating from New York, New Jersey and Florida. On February 2, 2006, Tuzzo was released from prison after serving several years on racketeering and conspiracy charges.
Queens faction
- Anthony "Tough Tony" FedericiAnthony FedericiAnthony "Tough Tony" Federici is a Queens, New York City resident who has been identified as a captain in the Genovese crime family...
– capo in the Queens faction with alleged money launderingMoney launderingMoney laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, bribery and loansharking activities. Owner of a Queens restaurant, Federici was honored in 2005 by Queens Borough President Helen MarshallHelen MarshallHelen M. Marshall is the 18th Borough President of Queens, first elected in November 2001, to succeed the term-limited Claire Shulman...
for his community service.
New Jersey
The Genovese crime family is operating in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
with five crews. According to the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation, several other New York based Genovese family members run criminal activities in New Jersey. The family's power has traditionally been base in New York, but in recent years some of the New Jersey faction members have risen to acting positions within the family's hierarchy.
- (Acting) Stephen Depiro – acting capo of the "Fiumara crew". Depiro was overseeing the illegal operations in the New Jersey Newark/Elizabeth SeaportPort Newark-Elizabeth Marine TerminalPort Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is a major component of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Located on the Newark Bay it serves as the principal container ship facility for goods entering and leaving New York-Newark metropolitan area, and the northeastern quadrant of North America...
before Fiumara's death in 2010. It is unknown if Depiro still holds this position.
- (In prison) Angelo "The Horn" PriscoAngelo PriscoAngelo Prisco , also known as "The Horn", is a New Jersey mobster who became a caporegime in the Genovese crime family.He stands at 5'7 and weighs 165 pounds with brown eyes and gray-black hair. With the 1988 murder of Genovese caporegime John DiGilio, Prisco assumed control of the Genovese family...
– capo of a "crew" operating in Hudson County waterfronts citys of Bayonne and Jersey City; Monmouth County and Florida. In 2009, Prisco was sentenced to life and is currently imprisoned in Florida.
- Ludwig "Ninni" Bruschi – capo of a "crew" operating in South Jersey Counties of Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, and North Jersey Counties of Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Union. He was indicted in June 2003 and paroled in April 2010.
- Unknown – after the death of capo Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto in April 2010 it is unknown who is controlling the old "Gatto crew" operating in Bergen and Passaic Counties.
- Silvio P. DeVita – capo of a "crew" in Essex County.
- Lawrence "Little Larry" DenticoLawrence DenticoLawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
– capo operating in South Jersey and Philadelphia. Dentico was acting consigliere from 2003 through 2005, when he was imprisoned on extortion, loansharking and racketeering charges. Released from prison on May 12, 2009.
Soldiers
New York- Salvatore "Sammy Meatballs" Aparo – a former acting capo. His son Vincent is also a made member of the Genovese family. In 2000, Aparo, his son Vincent, and Genovese associate Michael D'Urso met with Abraham Weider, the owner an apartment complex in Flatbush, BrooklynFlatbush, BrooklynFlatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
. Weider wanted to get rid of the custodians union (SEIUService Employees International UnionService Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
Local 32B-J) and was welling to pay Aparo $600,000, but Aparo's associate D'Urso was an FBI informant and had recorded the meeting. In October 2002, Aparo was sentenced to five years in federal prison for racketeering. On May 25, 2006, Aparo was released from prison.
- Ralph Anthony "the Undertaker" Balsamo (born in 1971) - Bronx and WestchesterWestchester County, New YorkWestchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
soldier who works closely with Liborio Bellomo. Runs a funeral parlor where family meetings are held and is known as "the Undertaker". Pleaded guilty in 2007 to narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking, extortion, and union-related fraud and sentenced to 97 months in prison. Currently imprisoned in a low security prison facility in Petersburg and is set to be released on March 9, 2013.
- Louis DiNapoliLouis DiNapoliLouis DiNapoli is a New York City mobster and soldier in the Genovese crime family. DiNapoli grew up in the East Harlem section of Manhattan and became a made member of the Genovese family in the early 1980s, joining the 116th Street Crew, which was headed by his older brother Vincent DiNapoli. ...
- soldier with his brother Vincent DiNapoli's 116th Street crew.
- Vincent "Vinny" DiNapoliVincent DiNapoliVincent DiNapoli is a New York mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family, involved in labor racketeering. DiNapoli is best known for creating a cartel in the 1970s that controlled the price of drywall in New York City.-Early years:...
- soldier and former capo with the 116th Street Crew. DiNapol is heavily involved in labor racketeering and has reportedly earned millions of dollars from extortion, bid rigging and loansharking rackets. DiNapoli dominated the N.Y.C. District Council of CarpentersN.Y.C. District Council of CarpentersThe N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters maintains jurisdiction over all carpentry work and exhibition work in the New York City area. The council is under UBC Trusteeship, after the firing of the current Executive Secretary-Treasurer, which is the highest position in the union, Michael J Forde...
and used them to extort other contractors in New York. DiNapoli's brother, Joseph DiNapoliJoseph DiNapoliJoseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli , is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, holding the rank of caporegime or captain, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel, controlling the day-to-day operations since 2003, along with Aniello "Neil" Migliore and Matthew Madonna...
, is a powerful capo in the Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime familyThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
.
- Albert "Kid Blast" GalloAlbert GalloAlbert "Kid Blast" Gallo, Jr. was a New York mobster for the Profaci crime family, later called the Colombo crime family. Gallo led his crew in challenging the Colombo leadership during the Second Colombo War.-Biography:...
– acting capo of the Illiano crew in the South Brooklyn neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, and Cobble Hill. Gallo runs gambling and loan sharking operations in BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Manhattan and Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
. In the mid-1970s, Gallo transferred from the Gallo crew of the Colombo crime familyColombo crime familyThe Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
to the Genovese family and became a made member.
- John "Little John" Giglio - soldier involved in loansharking.
- Federico "Fritzy" GiovanelliFederico GiovanelliFederico "Fritzy" Giovanelli is a Caporegime in the Genovese crime family.Giovanelli is the typical New York mafioso, a small time criminal who had participated in loansharking, bookmaking, and illegal gambling. As a Capo in the Genovese crime family, one of the country's most powerful families,...
- soldier who was heavily involved in loansharking, illegal gambling and bookmaking in the Queens/Brooklyn area. Giovanelli was charged with the January 1986 killing of Anthony Venditti, an undercover NYPD detective, but was eventually acquitted. One known soldier in Giovanelli's crew was Frank "Frankie California" Condo. In 2001, Giovanelli worked with soldier Ernest "Junior" Varacalli in a car theft ring.
- Alan "Baldie" Longo – acting capo of the Malangone crew, he was involved in stock fraud activities and white-collar crimeWhite-collar crimeWithin the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
in Manhattan and Brooklyn. He was imprisoned on loansharking and racketeering charges, sentenced to 11 years, released in June 2010.
- Ernest "Ernie" Muscarella – former acting capo of the 116th Street crew in the Manhattan faction. Muscarella served as acting street boss for Vincent GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
and Dominick CirilloDominick CirilloDominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
in 2002 until his racketeering conviction. He was released from prison on December 31, 2007, and is still active in the family.
- Joseph Olivieri - soldier, operating in the 116th Street Crew under Capo Louis Moscatiello. Olivieri has been involved in extorting carpenters unions and is tied to labor racketeer Vincent DiNapoli. Was convicted of perjury and was released from Philadelphia CCM on January 13, 2011.
- Daniel "Danny" PaganoDaniel PaganoDaniel Pagano is a New York mobster and a caporegime in the Genovese crime family who was involved in a famous gasoline bootlegging racket of the 1980s....
- former acting capo of the Westchester County-Rockland County crew. Pagano was involved in the 1980s bootleg gasoline scheme with Russian mobsters. In 2007, Pagano was released after serving 105 months in prison.
- Charles Salzano - A soldier released from prison in 2009 after serving 37 months on loan sharking charges.
- Joseph Zito - soldier in the Manhattan faction (the West Side Crew) under capo Rosario GangiRosario GangiRosario "Ross" Gangi is a New York City mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family who became involved in labor racketeering and white collar crime.-Biography:...
. Zito was involved in bookmaking and loansharking business. Law enforcement labeled Zito as acting underboss from 1997 through 2003, but he was probably just a top lieutenant under official underboss Venero "Benny Eggs" ManganoVenero ManganoVenero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
. In the mid-1990s, Zito frequently visited Mangano in prison after his conviction in the Windows Case. Zito relayed messages from Mangano to the rest of the family leadership.
New Jersey
- Anthony Palumbo - former acting capo in the New Jersey faction. Palumbo was promoted acting boss of the New Jersey faction by close ally and acting boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" LeoDaniel Leo (mobster)Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:...
. On February 2, 2009, Palumbo was released from prison.
Florida
- Albert "Chinkie" FacchianoAlbert FacchianoAlbert Joseph Facchiano , also known as "Chinkie" and "the Old Man", was a Miami mobster with the New York Genovese crime family who was involved in loansharking and extortion in South Florida...
- operated in South Florida until his 2007 arrest, is now considered retired.
Other territories
The Genovese family operates primarily in the New York City area; their main rackets are illegal gambling and labor racketeering.- New York City - The Genovese family operates in all five boroughs of New York as well as in Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, and Orange Counties in the New York suburbs. The family controls many businesses in the construction, trucking and waste hauling industries. It also operates numerous illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion,,and insurance rackets. Small Genovese crews or individuals have operated in AlbanyAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, Delaware County, and UticaUtica, New YorkUtica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
. The BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, RochesterRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and Utica crime families or factions traditionally controlled these areas. The family also controls gambling in Saratoga Springs.
- Massachusetts - Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
has been a Genovese territory since the family's earliest days. The most influential Genovese leaders from Springfield were Salvatore "Big Nose Sam" Curfari, Francesco "Frankie Skyball" Scibelli, Adolfo "Big Al" BrunoAdolfo BrunoAdolfo Bruno , also known as "Big Al", was a Massachusetts mobster with the Genovese crime family who ran an organized crime operation in Springfield, Massachusetts.-Criminal career:...
, and Anthony Arillotta (turned informant 2009). In Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, the most influential capos were Frank Iaconi and Carlo Mastrototaro. In Boston, Massachusetts, the New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
or Patriarca crime familyPatriarca crime familyThe Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
from Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
has long dominated the North End of BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, but has been aligned with the Genovese family since the ProhibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
era. In 2010, the FBI convinced Genovese mobsters Anthony Arillotta and Felix L. Tranghese to become government witnesses. They represent only the fourth and fifth Genovese made men to have cooperated with law enforcement. The government used Arillotta and Tranghese to prosecute capo Arthur "Artie" Nigro and his associates for the murder of Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno.
- Connecticut - The Genovese family has long operated trucking and waste hauling rackets in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. In 2006, Genovese capo Matthew "Matty the Horse" IannielloMatthew IannielloMatthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello is a New York mobster with the Genovese crime family mobster who specialized in vice operations. He was acting boss of the family from 1998–2005 and is the owner of numerous nightclubs in the New York City area.-Little Italy:Ianniello got the nickname "Matty the...
was indicted for trash hauling rackets in New Haven and Westchester County, New York.
- Las Vegas - The state of NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
legalized gambling in 1931, but Sin City was without a doubt turned into a gambling mecca and paradise by the American Mafia. Once again, Genovese crime family members such as Frank CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
, Vincent AloVincent AloVincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo was a New York mobster and member of the Genovese crime family who set up casino operations with mob associate Meyer Lansky in Florida and Cuba.-Early years:...
and associates Meyer LanskyMeyer LanskyMeyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel realized the opportunities that Las Vegas offered. Bugsy Siegel was one of the first New York mobsters sent out west in the 1930s to oversee the expansion of the Mob's race wire operations. By the mid 1940s various American Mafia crime families, mainly New York's Genovese crime family and the Chicago OutfitChicago OutfitThe Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
were looking to invest heavily in new, swanky casinos and hotels. Soon other crime family leaders from Cleveland, Detroit, New England, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh came together in hopes of obtaining hidden ownership of a casino. This was always done through front men they chose to oversee the casino skim, usually Jewish associates or syndicate money men such as Morris "Moe" Dalitz and Joseph "Doc" StacherJoseph StacherJoseph "Doc" Stacher was a Jewish syndicate leader who helped bring together the Jewish and Italian Mafia into a national organized crime syndicate....
. The Genovese crime family was one of the first to invest in Las Vegas casinos and the crime family maintained those investments through Lansky and his Jewish syndicate associates. By the 1960s the Chicago Outfit and the Cleveland Syndicate carried the most influence in Las Vegas, maintaining their casino investments well into the 1980s. To this day Las Vegas is recognized as an open city where all Cosa Nostra. crime families can operate, but today their interests are focused outside of the casino count room and not on casino ownership. The crime families still generate a great deal of profits from gambling, loansharking, extortion and narcotics rackets. They also invest in legitimate businesses such as nightclubs, strip-joints and restaurants, along with food and service industry operations such as pizza and sandwich shops, and catering companies.
Family crews
- 116th Street Crew - led by Liborio "Barney" BellomoLiborio BellomoLiborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
(crew operates in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx) - Greenwich Village CrewGreenwich Village CrewThe Greenwich Village Crew is a crew within the Genovese crime family, active in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan. Original controlled by Don Vito Genovese from the early 1920s up until his arrest in the late 1950s. In the early 1980s Capo Vincent Gigante, was made the new boss of the...
- (former crew of Vincent GiganteVincent GiganteVincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
) (crew operates in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan) - Broadway MobBroadway MobThe Broadway Mob was a New York bootlegging gang during Prohibition. Although headed by Joe Adonis, the gangs day-to-day operations were handled by Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello as well as financially backed by Arnold Rothstein...
- (operated in Manhattan)
Former members
- Dominick "Fat Dom" Alongi – former member of Vincent Gigante's Greenwich Village CrewGreenwich Village CrewThe Greenwich Village Crew is a crew within the Genovese crime family, active in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan. Original controlled by Don Vito Genovese from the early 1920s up until his arrest in the late 1950s. In the early 1980s Capo Vincent Gigante, was made the new boss of the...
. - Dominick "Dom The Sailor" DiQuarto – former member of Vincent Gigante's Greenwich Village Crew.
Hearings
| Boss | Vito Genovese Vito Genovese Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante... note: Genovese is the successor to Frank Costello Frank Costello Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia... and Charles Luciano Lucky Luciano Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission... |
| Acting Boss | Thomas Eboli Thomas Eboli Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli was a New York City mobster who eventually became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.-Early life:... note: Eboli is the successor to Anthony Strollo Anthony Strollo Anthony C. Strollo , aka "Tony Bender", was a New York mobster who served as a high ranking member of the Genovese crime family.-Early years:... |
| Underboss | Gerardo Catena Gerardo Catena Gerardo "Jerry" Catena was a New York mobster and a top member of the Genovese crime family during the 1950s and 1960s, along with Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo and Michael "Big Mike" Miranda.... |
| Consigliere | Michele Miranda Michele Miranda Michele "Big Mike" Miranda was a longtime member and eventual consigliere of the Genovese crime family and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:... |
| Messenger | Michael Genovese |
| Coppola Crew | Capo: Mike Coppola note: Coppola is the successor to Ciro Terranova Ciro Terranova Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova was a New York City gangster and one time underboss of the Morello crime family.-Early life:Ciro Terranova was born in the town of Corleone, Sicily... ---- Soldiers: Charles Albero, Alfredo Cupola, Anthony DeMartino, Benjamin DeMartino, Theodore DeMartino, Pasquale Erra, Anthony Ferro, Joseph Lanza, Frank Livorsi, Philip Lombardo Philip Lombardo Philip Lombardo also known as "Benny Squint" and "Cockeyed Phil", was the boss of the Genovese crime family from the late 1960s until the beginning of the 1980s.... , Felix Monaco, Louis Pacella, Joseph Paterra, Joseph Rao Joseph Rao Joseph "Tough Joey" Rao , also known as Joie Rao and Joseph Cangro was a New York mobster who was both a rival and an associate of mobster Dutch Schultz... , Al Rosato, Anthony Salerno Anthony Salerno Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was a New York mobster who served as front boss of the Genovese crime family to family boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante from the 1970s until his conviction in 1986... , Anthony Salerno, Ferdinand Salerno, Angelo Salerno, Dan Scarglatta, Giovanni Schillaci, Frank Serpico, Joseph Stracci, Joseph Tortorici, and Joseph Gagliano |
| Eboli Crew Greenwich Village Crew The Greenwich Village Crew is a crew within the Genovese crime family, active in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan. Original controlled by Don Vito Genovese from the early 1920s up until his arrest in the late 1950s. In the early 1980s Capo Vincent Gigante, was made the new boss of the... |
Capo: Pasquale Eboli note: Eboil is the successor to: Dominick DiQuarto ---- Soldiers: Dominio Alongi, Joseph Bruno, Michael Barrese, Edward Capobianco, Steve Casertano, John DeBellis, Joseph DeNegris, Cosmo DiPietro, Alfred Faicco, Anthony Florio, Mario Gigante Mario Gigante Mario Gigante is a New York City mobster who served as caporegime for the Genovese crime family... , Vincent Gigante Vincent Gigante Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful... , Michael Maione, Vincent Mauro, Peter Mione, Pasquale Moccio, Gerardo Mosciello, Sabastian Ofrica, Joseph Luco Pagano Joseph Luco Pagano Joseph Luco Pagano was a New York mobster and member of the Genovese crime family.Born in New York, Pagano and his brother Pasquale Pagano joined the Genovese family in the late 1940s. With an arrest record dating back to 1946, Pagano has been charged with robbery, assault with a deadly weapon,... , Pasquale Pagano, Armando Perillo, Girolamo Santuccio, Fiore Siano, John Stopelli, and Joseph Valachi |
| Miranda Crew | Capo Mike Miranda Michele Miranda Michele "Big Mike" Miranda was a longtime member and eventual consigliere of the Genovese crime family and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:... note: Miranda is also the current Consigliere ---- Soldiers: John Ardito John Ardito John Gregory "Buster" Ardito was a caporegime in the Genovese crime family who worked in the Bronx borough of New York.... , Lorenzo Brescia, Anthony Carillo, Frank Celano, Salvatore Celembrino, Alfred Criscuolo, Peter DeFeo Peter DeFeo Peter DeFeo , also known as "Philie Aquilino", was a New York mobster who became a caporegime with the Genovese crime family.-Rise to power:... , Joseph DeMarco, Joseph Lanza Joseph Lanza Joseph A. "Socks" Lanza was a New York labor racketeer and a member of the Genovese crime family.Born in Palermo, Sicily, Lanza immigrated to the United States and settled in New York working as a handler in Lower Manhattan's Fulton Fish Market... , Alfonso Marzano, Barney Miranda, Carmine Persico Jr., David Petillo, Mathew Principe, Frank Tieri, Eli Zaccardi, Joseph Agone, Philip Albanese, Ottilio Caruso, Mike Clemente, George Filippone, Joseph Lapi, George Nobile, Michael Spinella |
| Alo Crew | Capo: Vincent Alo Vincent Alo Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo was a New York mobster and member of the Genovese crime family who set up casino operations with mob associate Meyer Lansky in Florida and Cuba.-Early years:... note: Alo is the successor to Joe Adonis Joe Adonis Joe Adonis , also known as "Joey A", "Joe Adone", "Joe Arosa", "James Arosa", and "Joe DiMeo", was a New York mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families.-Early years:Adonis was born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in the small town of Montemarano,... ---- Soldiers: Nicholas Belangi, Joseph Bernava, Lawrence Centore, Francesco Cucola, Aniello Ercole, Frank Galluccio, Angelo Iandosco, August Laietta, Gaetano Martino, Aldo Mazzarati, Louis Milo, Sabato Milo, Thomas Milo Sr., Rocco Perrotta, James Picarelli, Louis Pardo, Rudolph Prisco, Nicholas Ratenni, Satisto Salvo, George Smurra and Gaetano Somma |
| Boiardi Crew Genovese crime family New Jersey faction The Genovese crime family New Jersey faction is the group of mobsters who control the interests of New Jersey rackets in the Genovese crime family. The New Jersey faction has maintained a strong presence in the Northern New Jersey area since the prohibition era... |
Capo: Richard Boiardi Richard Boiardi Richard Boiardo , also known as "Ruggiero Boiardo" and "Richie the Boot", was a caporegime in the Genovese crime family who ran mob operations in the Newark, New Jersey area.-History:... ---- Soldiers: Settimo Accardi Settimo Accardi Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi was a New Jersey mobster who served as capo in the Lucchese crime family's Jersey crew... , Albert Barrasso, Anthony Boiardi, Paul Bonadio, Thomas Campisi, Antonio Caponigro, Charles Tourine Sr., Peter LaPlaca, Ernest Lazzara, Andrew Lombardino, Paul Lombardino, Anthony Marchitto, Anthony Peter Real, Salvatore Chiri |
| Angelina Crew | Capo: James Angelina note: Angelina is the successor to: Rocco Pelligrino ---- Soldiers: Louis Barbella, Joseph Barra, Morris Barra, Earl Coralluzzo, Tobias DeMiccio, Mattew Fortunato, Paul Marchione, Michael Panetti, John Savino |
| Greco Regime | Capo: Thomas Greco ---- Soldiers: unknown |
| Former Capo's | John Biello, Generosos Del Duca, Gaetano Ricci, Willie Moretti Willie Moretti Guarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Life:... , Anthony Carfano Anthony Carfano Anthony Carfano , also known as "Little Augie Pisano", was a New York gangster who became a caporegime, or group leader, in the Luciano crime family under mob bosses Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello.... and John De Noia |
In popular culture
- In the 1969 novel The GodfatherThe Godfather (novel)The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family based in New York City and headed by Don Vito Corleone, who became synonymous with the Italian Mafia...
by Mario PuzoMario PuzoMario Gianluigi Puzo was an American author and screenwriter, known for his novels about the Mafia, including The Godfather , which he later co-adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola...
, the Corleone familyCorleone familyThe Corleone family is a fictional Sicilian Mafia family settled in New York City. The family was created by Mario Puzo and appears in his 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as the acclaimed film trilogy of the same name directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The family was founded by Vito Corleone , who...
may be based on the Genovese family. Just like Corleone family patriarch Vito CorleoneVito CorleoneVito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
, the Genovese family's original founders came from the village of CorleoneCorleoneCorleone is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy....
as were many of its members. The Corleone family also has a strong presence in areas like Little Italy and the BronxThe BronxThe Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
and is described as the most powerful crime family in the country.
- The 1971 film The French Connection (film)The French Connection (film)This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
is about smuggling narcotics (heroin) from MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France to New York City. In the real French ConnectionFrench ConnectionThe French Connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Turkey to France and then to the United States. The operation reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it provided the vast majority of the illicit heroin used in the United States...
, the heroin was shipped from Sicily to France, then to New York City. Top members of the Genovese family, and the others four families in New York controlled the heroin trade in the United States.
- In the 1991 film MobstersMobstersMobsters is a 1991 crime-drama film detailing the creation of the The Commission. Set in New York City, taking place from 1917 to 1931, it is a semi-fictitious account of the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.-Plot:This highly dramatized...
, Genovese boss Charlie "Lucky" LucianoLucky LucianoCharlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
was played by Christian SlaterChristian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
. Patrick DempseyPatrick DempseyPatrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
played Meyer LanskyMeyer LanskyMeyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
, Costas MandylorCostas MandylorCostas Mandylor is a Greek Australian actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny in Picket Fences, and for portraying Mark Hoffman in the Saw films.-Early life:...
played Frank CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
), and Richard GriecoRichard GriecoRichard John Grieco, Jr. is an American actor and former fashion model.-Early life:Richard Grieco was born in Watertown, New York, the son of Carolyn and Richard Grieco. He is of Italian and Irish descent. Grieco played football for Central Connecticut State University.-Career:Grieco worked as a...
played Bugsy SiegelBugsy SiegelBenjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was an American gangster who was involved with the Genovese crime family...
). The film was about the formation of the Mafia Commission in the United States.
- In the 1991 film BugsyBugsyBugsy is a 1991 American crime-drama film which tells the story of mobster Bugsy Siegel. It stars Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, Bebe Neuwirth, and Bill Graham....
, Genovese boss Lucky Luciano was played by actor Bill GrahamBill Graham (promoter)Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
. Warren BeattyWarren BeattyWarren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
played Bugsy SiegelBugsy SiegelBenjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was an American gangster who was involved with the Genovese crime family...
) and Ben KingsleyBen KingsleySir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
played Meyer LanskyMeyer LanskyMeyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
.
- In the 1999 film Bonanno: A Godfather's Story, Genovese boss Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was played by actor Vince CorazzaVince CorazzaVincent Corazza is a Canadian-born actor known for playing the role of Alden Jones in the television series Braceface....
and boss Vito GenoveseVito GenoveseVito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
by Emidio Michetti.
- The 2010 to present HBO U.S. television series Boardwalk Empire takes place in 1920s Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. Mobster Charlie "Lucky" Luciano is played by actor Vincent PiazzaVincent PiazzaVincent Piazza is an American film, television and stage actor best known for his roles in the television series Boardwalk Empire and the 2007 film Rocket Science.- Biography :...
.