Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone: The Sweetheart Of Construction

Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone's greed blinded him to the point of arguing for the death of his brother George and ultimately led to one of his sons testifying against him in federal court. He had made his sons' union officials years before, and once they were indicted, his son, Basil, Jr., testified to gain leniency.

Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone was born in 1914. He was a longtime Genovese “associate” and labor union racketeer in the NYC construction industry.

He lived for many years in the Astoria/Long Island City sections of Queens. Eventually, he settled in Nassau County at 141 Bay Blvd., Atlantic Beach, a very wealthy and exclusive enclave. In later life, he moved to the five towns area of Woodmere.

Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone

He was the “power” in Local #13 - Mason Tenders Union of the Laborers of America - a Genovese-controlled local that was the personal domain of Michael (Mike) Miranda, the Genovese consigliere for many years. This local was a pivotal piece in the mob’s mosaic for iron-clad control of the industry.

A violent struggle for power took place in the late 1950s between Bobby and his brother George, a union official for control of the local. After several failed attempts, George was successfully murdered and total control passed to Bobby. Although brothers, they had been at each other’s throats for years.

Basil Cervone was a very greedy guy and pilfered the local every chance he got.

Although indicted through the years on corruption charges, it was not until the late 1980s, with the federal government's move to purge the union, that Cervone was finally removed after his conviction on RICO charges of extortion, coercion, bribery, and conspiracy.

But Bobby had one hell of a run!

Under his stewardship, in the local, he operated a gambling operation, shylock loans, embezzlement, and vast shakedown rackets. If any construction firms wanted to operate free of labor problems, they paid Bobby under the table. “Sweetheart contracts” were his stock in trade.

As business agent of Local #13 - Mason Tenders (Independent), his activities also included shylocking, all types of labor racketeering, and securities fraud, etc.

For over 40 years, Cervone served his Genovese superiors, lining his own pockets in the interim.

His greed blinded him to the point of arguing for the death of his brother George and ultimately led to one of his sons testifying against him in federal court. He had made his sons' union officials years before, and once they were indicted, his son, Basil, Jr., testified to gain leniency.

Both he and his son Joseph, who had been president, were both convicted. So much for family loyalty.

Cervone's arrests over the years included assault, securities act violations, income tax evasion, extortion, and eventually multiple RICO counts that led to his conviction and expulsion from the labor movement.

As a side note, Bobby had been a close associate and friend of Vincent (Vinny the Sicilian) Siciliano, an old-line Astoria hood whose father had been a hood before him. He had served several jail terms for robbery and extortion. Somewhere along the line, Siciliano also became one of the most notorious of “stool pigeons” in the Queens area.

He operated openly and defied his fate, spitting in the eye of the mob as his informant status was an open secret. Physical assaults and several murder attempts where he was wounded did nothing to deter him from ratting.

The 1950s through the 1960s was a volatile time for this Local #13 and all connected with it. Mike Miranda has been “eating” off that local since the late 1930s, and he wasn’t about to let anybody or anything interrupt that.

As a side note, George Cervone was ultimately shot four times and killed as he slept on a porch at his father-in-law's Long Beach summer cottage at 37 Maryland Ave., after at least three previous murder attempts on him.

Cervone’s father-in-law was an old-time soldier in the Family and was ordered to set up his son-in-law for his killing.

Eventually, Bobby Cherry faded from the scene and passed at 77 or 78 years old.

But for over half a century, he was a power in the NYC construction industry and a loyal minion of the Vito Genovese Family that is LCN.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone: The Sweetheart Of Construction

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Basil (Bobby Cherry) Cervone: The Sweetheart Of Construction

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You May Also Enjoy

Genovese Soldier & Waterfront Rackets Boss: Philip “Philly Katz” Albanese

Genovese Capo Frank Iaconi and His Worcester, Massachusetts Regime

Frank (Farby) Serpico

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