Lucchese crime family

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Lucchese crime family
In Flag of the United States New York City
Founded by Gaetano Lucchese
Years active 1931-present
Territory Various neighborhoods over NYC
Ethnicity Italian, Italian-American
Membership 130 - 160 made members, 600 associates approx
Criminal activities Racketeering, conspiracy, loansharking, money laundering, murder, extortion, gambling and hijacking
Allies Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo, and Genovese crime families
Rivals Various gangs over NYC including their allies

The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). Their illict activities includes profiting from labor and construction racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, hijacking, fraud, fencing and murder for hire. [1]

Contents

[edit] History of the Lucchese crime family

[edit] The two Tommys

With the creation of the "Five Families" as the pillars on which the strength of the American Mafia was based, the new head of the branch previously led by Gaetano "Tom" Reina and then Joseph "Fat Joe" Pinzolo, was Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano, with Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese as his Underboss. The pair led the family into profitable areas of the trucking and clothing industries. [2] [3]

When Gagliano died in 1953, Lucchese, who had been loyal to his boss from beginning to end, took over as Boss, and carried on the traditions Gagliano had established, making the family which now bore his name one of the most profitable in New York. Lucchese further developed the family's interests by controlling Teamsters unions, workers' co-operatives and trade associations, and racketeering at the new Idlewild Airport. He also developed close relationships with politicians and members of the judiciary, which aided the family on numerous occasions. All this while keeping the low profile for which he became lauded in Mafia circles. Lucchese spent 44 years in the mafia without receiving a single criminal conviction. [4]

Toward the end of his life, Lucchese suffered various health problems and his heart finally gave up July 13, 1967. The man who took over at the head of the family was Carmine "Gribbs" Tramunti. At the time, Tramunti was almost 70 years old and himself suffering from ill health, but with boss-in-waiting Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in prison, Tramunti was chosen as caretaker boss while Corallo served out his sentence. Tramunti faced a number of criminal charges during his time at the head of the family and was eventually convicted of financing a large heroin smuggling operation. This also included the arrests and convictions of Vincent Papa and Anthony Loria Sr. in the infamous French Connection. This scheme was responsible for distributing millions of dollars in heroin up and down the East Coast during the early seventies, which in turn led to a major NYPD corruption scheme. The scope and depth of this scheme is still not known, but officials suspect it involved a corrupt NYPD officer/officers who allowed access to the NYPD property/evidence storage room, where hundreds of kilograms of heroin lay seized from the now-infamous French Connection bust, and then replaced the missing heroin with white baking flour. The substitution was only discovered when officers noticed insects eating all the bags of heroin. By that point an estimated street value of approximately $70 million worth of "smack" had already been taken. The racket was brought to light and arrests were made. Certain plotters received jail sentences, including Papa. (Papa was later assassinated in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia; several conflicting reasons why have been suggested). These were the times of Frank Serpico and the DEA's Knapp Commission. Corallo took over upon Tramunti's incarceration in 1974. [5]

[edit] Tony Ducks & the Jaguar

After the incarceration of Carmine "Gribbs" Tramunti in 1974, the Lucchese crime family received a powerful Capo by the name of Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo from the Queens faction as their new leader. Corallo, nicknamed "Tony Ducks" from a reputation of 'ducking' criminal convictions, was a Boss squarely in the Tommy Lucchese mold. He was heavily involved in union control and worked closely with Jimmy Hoffa, the international president of the Teamsters Union, during the 1940s and 1950s. Corallo, who had close ties to the Painters and Decorators Union, the Conduit Workers Union, and the United Textile Workers, put Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro as the Underboss and supervisor of all labor and construction racketeering operations in New York, and Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari as the reputed Consigliere. The family prospered under Corallo's leadership, particularly in the trafficking of narcotics, as well as union racketeering and major illegal gambling operations. As Corallo never discussed business during sitdowns, fearing US government were monitering the conversatiions, he bought a new Jaguar with a phone in it, and reportedly drove around New York while on the phone discussing business. Salvatore "Sal" Avellino and Aniello "Neil" Migliore swifted as Corallo's chaffeurs during the 1970s and 1980s. [6] [7]

Corallo, a huge fan of the New Jersey faction of the family, reputedly inducted and promoted Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo and Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta into the organization and put them in charge of the Jersey Crew, which reportedly controlled most of the loansharking and illegal gambling operations in Newark, New Jersey at the time. [8]

But as Corallo maintained a strong leadership of the Lucchese Family, the FBI had managed to plant a bug in Corallo's car in the early 1980s, where he conducted most of his businesses over the car's phone, and he was duly overheard talking at great length about mob affairs, all from illegal gambling and labor racketeering, to drug trafficking and murder. Corallo was arrested and put on trial along with all the heads of the Five Families at the time. This trial became legendary as the Mafia Commission Trial, and saw Corallo to be convicted on numerous charges and sent to prison, where he would spend the rest of his life (he died in 2000). Corallo's second choice as successor was, after the disappearing of acting boss Anthony "Buddy" Luongo in 1986, Vittorio "Vic" Amuso. [9]

[edit] The iron fists of Amuso and Casso

The period that followed was one of the most turbulent the Lucchese family had ever seen, given the relative calm under previous bosses. Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and his fierce Underboss, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, seized control of the Lucchese family in 1986, and promoted a powerful and notorious regime at the top. Both Amuso and Casso were heavily involved in labor racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking and especially murder activities, as they were recognized as strong rivals of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti during the mid 1980s, but strong allies of Genovese crime family boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante, who together conspired to murder Gotti, and on April 13, 1986, a car-bomb meant for Gotti, instead killed his Underboss Frank DeCicco. The assassination-plot was in retaliation for the unathourized murder of former Gambino boss Paul Castellano. This, however, sparked a long and confusing 'tension' between these three crime families, as there was reported multiple deaths on all sides of the families. [10] [11]

Later, during the late 1980s, Amuso questioned the share of profit he received from the Jersey Crew and reportedly demanded 50% of the crew's total profit, however, New Jersey faction leaders Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo and Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta refused, and Amuso gave the order to "Whack Jersey", meaning that the entire New Jersey faction should be eliminated. Summoned to a meeting with Amuso in Brooklyn, New York, nobody showed up in fear of being massacered. Taccetta and Accetturo were later put on trial in 1990, as both Amuso and Casso were implicated in a case involving the fitting of thousands of windows in New York at over-inflated prices, and the pair went into hiding of that same year, ruling the family from afar and ordering the execution of anyone they deemed troublesome, either they were considered rivals or potential informants. [12] [13]

What followed next was a series of botched hits, which led some members of the family turning informants to save their own lives. The planned executions went as high as Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco, the acting boss while Amuso was in hiding, who had little choice but to turn himself over to the authorities to spare him and his family from Amuso and Casso and their increasingly erratic demands. Amuso also ordered the slaying of captain Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo, who along with Casso was in charge of the Windows Case operation, but as he was shot 12 times and survived, he also turned state's evidence and provided the entire windows operation that eventually controlled $150 million in window replacements, sold in New York City. As Amuso also sanctioned the hit on Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo, who was on trial in 1990, he also cooperated with the government. [14] [15]

On July 29, 1991, the FBI captured Amuso in Pennsylvania, and two years later Casso was caught in New Jersey. Amuso had resisted all attempts by the police to turn on the mob, but Casso wasted little time in doing so. Unfortunately for Casso, his testimony proved so inconsistent that he was ultimately accused of having gone back on his deal to help the authorities and refused leniency in sentencing for his various crimes. Amuso was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1991, as well as Casso in 1994, who had been a fugitive for over four years, and reportedly conspired with reputed Consigliere Frank Lastorino and Brooklyn faction leaders George Zappola, George Conte, Frank "Bones" Papagni and Frank Gioia, Jr. into murdering Steven "Wonderboy" Crea, Amuso's acting underboss of The Bronx, as well as Gambino crime family acting boss John "Junior" Gotti, son of the imprisoned John Gotti, along with members of the Genovese crime family once again. But due to massive indictments, none of the plots were committed. [16] [17] [18]

[edit] Acting bosses

Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede was chosen as the acting boss of the Lucchese family, though Amuso continued to pull the strings from behind bars throughout the mid 1990s. DeFede, who supervised the powerful Garment District racket, reportedly earned more than $40,000 to $60,000 a month, and when placing Steven "Wonderboy" Crea in charge of the family's labor and construction racketeering operations, the Lucchese family earned something between $300,000 and $500,000 every year. But as US law enforcement kept pressuring the organized crime actvities in New York, DeFede was arrested and indicted on nine counts of racketeering in 1998, and pled guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Angry at his guilty plea, Amuso became uncertain of DeFede's loyalty, and promoted Crea as new acting boss of the Lucchese family. [19]

Crea, a powerful Bronx faction leader, raised the family's profit enormously, which convinced Amuso that DeFede had been skimming off the profit, and decided to put out a 'contract' on his life in late 1999, but on on September 6, 2000, Crea and seven other Lucchese members were arrested and jailed on extortion charges, mostly to the supervising of the construction sites with various capos Dominic "Crazy Dom" Truscello and Joseph "Joey Flowers" Tangorra. Crea was eventually convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 5 years in prison. [20] [21]

To complete a fairly hapless trio of acting bosses, the fierce Consigliere of Queens, Louis "Lou Bagels" Daidone, who had been a prominent member of the Lucchese family since the 1980s, seized control of the family upon Crea's conviction in 2001, and kept running the family. However, with the releasement of Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede, whom Amuso had ordered to be killed earlier, DeFede turned state's evidence while fearing for his life, which was enough to convict Daidone of murder and conspiracy. This was also the result of the testimony from Alphonse D'Arco in September 2004. [22]

[edit] Mafia cops

In April of 2006, it was revealed that two respected New York City police detectives were also working as hired hitmen and informants for Anthony Casso during the 1980s and early 1990s before they both retired from local law enforcement. They were determined to be Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, who had spent much of their combined 44 years with the NYPD committing murders and leaking confidential information to the Lucchese crime family. They participated in eight murders between 1986 and 1990, and over a period of six years, they were paid $375,000 by Casso in bribes and as payments for murder 'contracts'. It is proven that Casso used Caracappa and Eppolito to put preasure on the Gambino crime family by murdering several of their members, because Casso, along with the imprisoned Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and Genovese crime family boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante, wanted their rival John Gotti out of the way. Caracappa and Eppolito are now seen as two of the most important reasons for why the 'tension' between these three families during the late 1980s and early 1990s, continued so long. [23]

Among their contracts was putting James Hydell into the trunk of a car and handing him over to Casso for torture. Hydell's body has never been found. They also shot Bruno Facciolo, who was found in Brooklyn in the trunk of a car with a canary in his mouth. After having been pulled over for a routine traffic check, Gambino crime family captain Edward "Eddie" Lino was killed on a freeway in his Mercedes-Benz. In 2006, Eppolito and Caracappa were convicted of murdering James Hydell, Nicholas Guido, John "Otto" Heidel, John Doe, Anthony DiLapi, Bruno Facciolo, Edward Lino and Bartholomew Boriello on the orders of Casso and the Lucchese crime family. That year, they were reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment. [24] [25]

[edit] Current position and leadership

Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, 73, remains the official Boss of the Lucchese crime family despite serving a life sentence. It is unclear how much influence he has over the family from his prison cell. In the last few years, a three man ruling panel, Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli, 71, Aniello "Neil" Migliore, 73, and Matthew Madonna, 72, has been running the family. All three are long time capos in the family, but Migliore is believed to have the final say on things. Migliore has been a major player in the family for more than 30 years and is said to have huge respect on the street. Recently in 2006, former acting boss Steven Crea was released from jail after serving five years in prison. [26] Still, under parole restrictions, it remains to be seen what role Crea will play for the Lucchese crime family in the future. In the last few years, after suffering greatly from turncoats, federal prosecution, and internal conflicts due to bad leadership, the Lucchese family has avoided further dramatic federal indictments. Arguably, recognized Underboss Migliore has managed to bring some stability to the Lucchese family. [27]

[edit] Bosses of the Lucchese crime family

  • 1920–1930 — Gaetano "Tommy" Reina (murdered February 26, 1930 during the Castellammarese War by the Masseria faction. * some believe his murder sparked the shooting war between the Masseria and Maranzano factions, others believe the war truly started with the murders of Castellammarese Clan leaders in Detroit and Chicago the following May and October.)
  • 1930– — Bonaventura "Joseph/Fat Joe" Pinzolo (murdered September 5, 1930 by the Gagliano/Lucchese faction of the Reina crime family.)
  • 1931–1953 — Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano (allegedly semi-retired due to ill health sometime in 1951, died February 16, 1953. * others speculate he died in 1951.)
  • 1951–1953 — Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese (acting boss) (official underboss and the long the acknowledged successor to Gagliano.)
  • 1953–1967 — Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese (by 1966 he was basically incapacitated and semi-retired due to terminal illness, died of brain tumor on July 13, 1967.)
  • 1966–1967 — Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti (acting boss) (he became commission substituto and an intern boss for a year when Lucchese was unable to continue as an active leader, stepped down for a short period of time.)
  • 1967– — Ettore "Eddie" Coco (acting boss) (he was Luchese's second choice as successor, but like Lucchese's first choice Coco was imprisoned in 1967 and had to step down.)
  • 1967–1973 — Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti (due to Coco's imprisonment Tramunti was once again chosen as an acting leader until Luchese's first choice was released from prison. Tramunti himself was imprisoned in October of 1973 and died in prison October 15, 1978.)
  • 1973–1986 — Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo (he was Luchese's first choice for successor, but at the time of Luchese's death Corallo was on trial, soon convicted in 1968 and sentenced to 2 years in prison. indicted in the famous commission case on February 15, 1985, convicted on November 19, 1986 and on January 13, 1987 he was sentenced to 100 years in prison, died in prison August 23, 2000.)
  • 1986– — Anthony "Buddy" Luongo (Luongo was named Coralla's successor soon after the verdicts of the commission case were rendered in late 1986, but sometime in December of 1986, Luongo, a Bronx faction leader was murdered by Brooklyn faction leaders Vic Amuso and Tony Casso.)
  • 1987–present — Vittorio "Vic" Amuso (former Brooklyn faction leader and consigliere Chris Furnari convinced Tony Corallo to make Furnari's proteges Vic Amuso and Tony Casso the new bosses in early 1987. Former Bronx faction leader and underboss Tom Santoro advised against it knowing the succession of Amuso and Casso would be the biggest mistake in the crime family's history.)
  • 1990–1991 — Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco (street boss) (a caporegime who was promoted by Amuso, held the position from May 1990 - January 1991, then promoted once again.)
  • 1991– — Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco (acting boss) (held the position from January 1991 - September 1991, he was then demoted by Amuso, but held a position within the crime family's ruling panel/committee until he defected to the government on September 21, 1991.)
  • 1991–1993 — 4 Man Ruling Panel/Committee, with help from the family consigliere, various capos, Salvatore "Sal" Avellino, Anthony "Bowat" Baratta,Steven "Wonderboy" Crea, Domenico "Danny" Cutaia, and consigliere, Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
  • 1993–1998 — Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede (acting boss) (a caporegime and close associate who was promoted by Amuso and was eventually jailed in 1998. DeFede defected to the government soon after being released from prison in early 2002 fearing Amuso had sanctioned his murder.)
  • 1998–2001 — Steven "Wonderboy" Crea (acting boss) (the official underboss who was promoted by Amuso and eventually indicted and jailed on September 6, 2000 on extortion charges. Crea was eventually convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 5 years in prison.)
  • 2001–2003 — Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone (acting boss) (one of the last violent supporters of Amuso, he was arrested in March of 2003 and sentenced to life in prison January of 2004)
  • 2003–2006 — 3 Man Ruling Panel/Committee , top capos Aniello "Neil" Migliore , Joseph DiNapoli , Matthew Madonna (street bosses) (allegedly after the new acting boss was chosen sometime in 2006 it was decided that the 3 man ruling panel/committee would be substituted for the official underboss position for the time being and act as street bosses in assisting the acting boss.) [28]
  • 2006–2007 — Steven "Wonderboy" Crea (acting boss) (released from prison August 24, 2006 under strict parole restrictions.)
  • 2007–2008 — Vittorio "Vic" Amuso (imprisoned boss), Steven "Wonderboy" Crea (acting boss), Aniello "Neil" Migliore, Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli, Matthew "Matt" Madonna (street bosses/top caporegimes in place of official underboss, reports to Crea), Joseph "Joe C." Caridi (imprisoned consigliere)
  • 2008–present — Vittorio "Vic" Amuso (imprisoned boss), Steven "Wonderboy" Crea (acting boss), Aniello "Neil" Migliore (underboss), Joseph "Joe C." Caridi (consigliere) (present regime-hierarchy 2008) [29] [30]


[edit] Further reading

  • Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
  • Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016357-7
  • Jacobs, James B., Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: The United States Vs. Cosa Nostra. New York: NYU Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8147-4230-0
  • Maas, Peter. Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. ISBN 0-06-093096-9
  • Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
  • Eppolito, Louis. Mafia Cop: The Story of an Honest Cop Whose Family Was the Mob. ISBN 1-4165-2399-5
  • Lawson, Guy and Oldham, William. The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia. ISBN 978-0-7432-8944-3

[edit] External links

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The Five Families of New York City
Bonanno • Colombo • Gambino • Genovese • Lucchese