Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo: Highly-Respected Genovese Capo

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo started out as an enforcer for Murder Inc., which was active in his East New York neighborhood at the time. He was a longtime, highly respected capo in the Genovese Family and a confidante of Mike Miranda. See The infamous Mike Miranda and His "Little Italy" Regime and Michele (Big Mike) Miranda: Ruthless and Feared Mafioso for more information.

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo was born 1902 in Naples (San Giuseppe Vesuviano), Italy. He immigrated to the USA in possibly 1920. After coming to America, Carillo lived in the East New York section of Brooklyn at 97 Sackman Street.

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo

In later years, he relocated to 68-37 Yellowstone Blvd. in Forest Hills, Queens, to live close to his “comare,” Miranda.

He also had a brother, Salvatore Carillo, who was a Family member as well.

FBI # 333810 NYCPD # B-87742

Carillo was believed to have been active since the 1920s and was a longtime, highly-respected “capo di decina” and confidante of consigliere Michele Miranda.

Tony the Sheik was a real old-time Camorrista and carried himself as such. He was well-known for draping his topcoat over his shoulders and smoking his cigarette from a long cigarette holder. And although razor-thin at around 5 feet,5 inches tall, he cut a figure straight out of central casting as a mafioso. Nobody was mistaking Tony for a working stiff!

Tony the Sheik started out as an enforcer for Murder Inc., which was active at that time in his East New York neighborhood.

He was a senior figure and power in the “Napolitano” faction of the Genovese Family and, for lack of a better word, an “aide” and “buffer” for Miranda. Tony the Sheik served as Miranda’s “shadow” all his life.

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo

Carillo's activities included jukebox/vending machine rackets, gambling, shylocking, extortion, labor rackets, and murder. And as “overseer” for Miranda and Genovese, he was active in virtually all racket operations the various regimes dealt in.

Although active throughout the city, Carillo’s home base was always the East New York/Brownsville sections of Brooklyn and the Ozone Park area of Queens.

One of his main hangouts was Ciro’s Luncheonette at 698 Liberty Ave., run by his aide, Ciro Perrone. Tony the Sheik was well known as Mike Miranda’s righthand man. And in turn, Family soldier Ciro Perrone was always Carillo’s right-hand man and confidante.

Additional associates over the years included Vito Genovese, Michael Genovese (Vito’s brother), Michael Perrone (Ciro’s brother ), Salvatore Carillo (Tony’s brother), Thomas (Tommy Ryan) Eboli (one-time acting underboss), Peter DeFeo (top downtown capo), Lorenzo (Chappy) Brescio (key soldier), Barney Miranda (Mike's nephew), and Joseph (Staten Island Joe) Riccobono (Anastasia capo).

Tony Carillo

Carillo's criminal record included arrests for burglary, felonious assault, armed robbery (three times), possessing a gun, robbery, consorting with known criminals, vagrancy, and disorderly conduct.

In 1965, he was one of seven arrested in a Lower East Side restaurant described by police as a “Little Apalachin” meeting of top Genovese figures and Phil (Farvel) Kovolick (a Meyer Lansky operative and member of his Jewish “crew”).

In 1966, Carillo was among 13 of the top mob bosses in the country picked up at a Commission meeting at La Stella, a popular Queens restaurant. Among them were Santo Trafficante, Carlos Marcello, Joseph Marcello, Carlo Gambino, Aniello Dellacroce, Joe N. Gallo, Joe Colombo, Thomas Eboli, Mike Miranda, Dominick Alongi, Anthony Carollo, and Frank Gagliano.

Law enforcement noted that the arrested represented key areas across the country including Florida, New Orleans, and New York City and was the most significant arrest since the Apalachin meeting in 1957.

During the early 1970s, Carillo was identified in an extensive newspaper expose on mob infiltration of the food industry.

He and Perrone were exposed as having muscled in on a sausage-making distribution firm that hired each as $250 a week truck “spotters." It was evidenced that the positions were actually “no show” jobs and business infiltration.

Carillo listed his employment over the years variously as:

Dulce Motor Sales -45-07 63rd St., Queens (salesman)

Sun Oil Co., of 745 Liberty Ave., Brooklyn (partner)

A jukebox-vending machine firm in Rego Park, Queens

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo died in 1974 at the age of 72.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo: Highly-Respected Genovese Capo

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Antonio (Tony the Sheik) Carillo: Highly-Respected Genovese Capo

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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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