The Third Colombo Family War, which lasted from 1991 through 1993, pitted Carmine Persico and his faction against Vic Orena and his faction. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts in organized crime history, and its effects still reverberate today.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, much of the Colombo Family’s membership was living on Long Island, having moved from Brooklyn and Queens years earlier.
A realistic count of the Long Island membership would have been approximately 30 to 40 inducted members and many more associates residing between Nassau and Suffolk counties. If you add in Queens, probably half the borgata lived out that way.
From 1980 through 1986, the borgata had suffered several major law enforcement assaults on the membership resulting in many convictions and imprisonments of the entire official top family administration.
Boss Carmine (Junior) Persico, Underboss Gennaro (Jerry Lang) Langella, and Consigliere Alphonse (Allie Boy) Persico were each off the streets serving what amounted to life sentences. Additionally, many important captains and key soldiers were also behind bars including such iconic figures as former underboss John (Sonny) Franzese, John (Jackie) DeRoss, Dominick (Donny Shacks) Montemorano, Anthony (Scappy) Scarpati, Hugh (Apples) McIntosh, Dominick (Little Dom) Cataldo, Alphonse (Little Allie) Persico, and others.
But in their place, Junior Persico had appointed a very capable “Acting Administration” consisting of Victor (Little Vic) Orena as the acting boss, Benedetto (Benny) Aloi as acting underboss, and Vincent (Jimmy) Angellino as the acting consigliere. Each had proven their mettle.
Orena was a distant Persico cousin and a huge earner. Aloi, the son of a highly respected founding member named Buster Aloi was another solid pick. Both lived on Long Island where a good percentage of members and associates now resided and operated.
Jimmy Angellino hailed from their Brooklyn base and was considered another loyal soldier. Each were highly trusted and had previously followed Persico’s orders to the letter.
As the FBI once observed, “Although we have jailed their entire official hierarchy, the Colombo network of LCN is so well structured, that there appears to be little disruption to their daily racket operations. The remaining soldiers and associates are so well insulated that they conduct business as usual, despite a leadership vacuum from above.”
