Theodore Persico
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Theodore "Teddy" Persico, Sr. (b. 1937), is a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family. Teddy served as acting boss in the Colombo Committee/Ruling Panel for his boss and older brother, Carmine "Junior" Persico.
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[edit] Early life
Born in 1937 in Brooklyn, New York, Teddy was the youngest of three brothers. The Persico boys all went into criminal careers, with Carmine and Alphonse Persico joining the Profaci crime family in the 1950s.
[edit] Junior takes over
[edit] Promoted
After two internal wars, and three different bosses, Carmine Persico became the Colombo boss in the early 1970s. Both Alphonse and Teddy had become were recognized as "made men" or full members, of the family under boss Joseph Profaci and Joseph Colombo. By 1973, with Carmine's increased role in the family, both Teddy and Alphonse had become caporegimes, leading their own crews.
[edit] Illegal activities
In the early 1980's, Teddy became involved in a variety of criminal operations, including racketeering, loansharking, extortion, [illegal gambling]], money laundering and hijacking. Teddy would eventually be indicted on conspiracy and illegal gambling charges.
[edit] Loyal to Persico
In 1986, Carmine was sentenced to life in prison in the famous Mafia Commission Trial. To rule in his absence, Carmine appointed Brooklyn capo Vittorio "Vic" Orena as acting boss in 1988. However, Orena refused to be controlled by Carmine. In 1991, Carmine ordered Teddy, Carmine Sessa, and John Pate to organize the Orena's murder. However, Orena escaped death and a bloody feud ensued between him and the Persicos.
[edit] Orena's fall and the Ruling Panel
In 1992, Orena was sent to prison. With Orena gone, the internal battle within the Colombo family ended in 1993. The Colombo War, which cost 12 mobsters their lives, was over and the Persicos were the winners. In early 1993, Teddy was promoted to the Colombo Committee/Ruling Panel, the group set up by the imprisoned Carmine to rule the family. Teddy's fellow panel members included also included caporegimes Joseph Baudanza and Joseph "Joe T." Tomasello. On April 20, 1993, Teddy was indicted on charges of harboring a fugitive. In this case, the fugitive was Colombo consiglieri Sessa, who would become a government witness several months later. In 1994, the federal government put Teddy under house arrest.
[edit] Caporegime
Persico kept on as a capo under his brother's leadership, as he has been indicted several times during the last decade, on extortion, loansharking, illegal gambling and murder and conspiracy charges along with Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico, Carmine Persico's son and Teddy's nephew, who were both considered the most powerful members of the Colombo crime family during the late 1990s.
[edit] Imprisonment
Teddy, Alphonse, and former underboss John "Jackie" DeRoss pleaded guilty to several loansharking, extortion and conspiracy charges from 2000 to 2004, and were sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.
As of November 2007, Teddy Persico, at age 69, is still on trial for murder charges from the Colombo War. Teddy is currently serving time at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Massachusetts, undergoing treatment for cardiac problems. His projected release date is 10-09-2013, unless he is found guilty of murder and conspiracy, as he will be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted.
Teddy Persico's son Theodore, Jr., a member of the Colombo crime family, is serving time in the United States Penitentiary-Canaan in Pennsylvania.
