During his lifetime and extensive underworld career, Tony Romeo became widely known throughout the law enforcement community and local media as Binghamton’s “gambling czar.”
Initially, Tony Romeo seemed to know almost everyone within Binghamton’s underworld.
Yet, the New York State Police and Binghamton Police Department generally viewed Romeo as an influential “independent” type gambler who was not “connected” to any Mafia Family, per se.
It was only after a deeper investigation into his affairs and through the use of several well-placed police informants that Federal and State law enforcement authorities learned that Antonio (Tony) Romeo was, in fact, a key operative and top criminal “associate” of the Barbara/Bufalino Family, who operated under the guidance and protection of then-underboss Rosario (Russ) Bufalino.
Continue reading to learn more about the life of Binghamton gambling kingpin, Antonio (Tony) Romeo.
Tony Romeo – Early Life
Antonio (Tony) Romeo – aka Anthony Romeo and Anthony Romero – was thought to have been born May 2, 1883, in the town of Solano in Southern Italy.
He immigrated to the United States as a young man on April 10, 1904, settling in Upstate New York.
During those early years, Romeo was known to have moved around various upstate cities and towns where he lived in such places as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Endicott, and Watkins Glen.
Early photographs of Romeo show a short full-faced man of medium weight, with a full head of dark jet-black hair, brown eyes hidden behind round dark-tinted glasses, and a swarthy olive complexion.
By the 1940s, Romeo had gotten married. He and his bride and family were then living in an apartment house he had purchased 33 Leroy Street in Binghamton, New York.
By the early 1960s, he had relocated once again. The FBI documented this next home address as 10 Serrell Avenue which was also located in Binghamton.
FBI #879813
Gambling Czar
During his lifetime and extensive underworld career, Tony Romeo became widely known throughout the law enforcement community and local media as Binghamton’s “gambling czar.”
Initially, Tony Romeo seemed to know almost everyone within Binghamton’s underworld.
Yet, the New York State Police and Binghamton Police Department generally viewed Romeo as an influential “independent” type gambler who was not “connected” to any Mafia Family per se.
It was only after a deeper investigation into his affairs and through the use of several well-placed police informants that Federal and State law enforcement authorities learned that Antonio (Tony) Romeo was, in fact, a key operative and top criminal “associate” of the Barbara/Bufalino Family who operated under the guidance and protection of then-underboss Rosario (Russ) Bufalino.
His first known arrest took place on November 12, 1932, at the age of twenty-six years old for an armed robbery he committed in the Town of Cortland, NY of which he was accused of heisting $4450 in cash.
Over the next three decades, Romeo would add to his anti-social register with additional arrests and indictments. His New York State Police “yellow jacket” reads as follows:
1932 – First-degree armed robbery (disposition unknown.)
1935 – Bootlegging, transporting untaxed liquor. The Federal Alcohol Tax Unit of the U.S. Treasury Department brought the case. Romeo pled guilty in September 1935. (Fined $100 and given a three-month suspended sentence in the county jail. Also placed on 3-years criminal probation.)
1940 – Gambling investigation at Syracuse. He was charged after being picked up by the Syracuse PD (disposition unknown.)
1942 – Common gambler Binghamton (Paid a small fine.)
1943 – Gambling at Binghamton (paid a fine.)
1945 – Promoting gambling at Binghamton, common gambler (paid a $25 fine.)
1947 – Maintaining a dice game in Binghamton ($100 fine.)
1950 – Binghamton (Broome County). Charged with 46 counts of bribery, 38 counts of unlawful fees, and 2 counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice. (On June 10, 1954, he was convicted and sentenced to serve 1-year in the Onondaga County Jail.)
An Illegal Fraternity
After dabbling in robberies and bootlegging during the Prohibition years, by the late 1930s, Romeo was now focusing and concentrating most of his criminal efforts on establishing himself within Binghamton’s illegal gambling fraternity.
By the early 1940s into the 1950s, Tony Romeo had become deeply immersed within Binghamton as a top horse and sports bookmaker and was now being viewed as a gambling boss.
By the late 1950s, he was also reputedly operating a large football pool and policy-numbers racket in the nearby City of Utica and its outer environs.
Dating back as early as the week of April 8, 1946, a multipart expose’ series of articles first appeared in the “Binghamton Press,” a daily newspaper in Binghamton.
The investigative series aroused considerable discussion as to whether there was indeed a “kingpin” in control of gambling in Binghamton, New York. Tony Romeo was repeatedly mentioned as being that kingpin.
In 1950, Chief Criminal Deputy Sheriff John Perhach of Broome County in Binghamton informed FBI Special Agent Patrick A. Munley that in early 1947 a continuous investigation of gambling conditions in the Binghamton-Endicott-Johnson City area had been conducted by the Sheriff’s Office with the cooperation of the New York State Police.
They were endeavoring to ascertain the person responsible for the murder of a man named Martin Agricola, who was found strangled to death on March 8, 1948.
A small-time gambler, Agricola was an active police informant for the Sheriff at the time of his killing.
Sheriff Perhach told reporters that it was his personal belief that ringleaders of the area’s gambling rackets had been responsible for Agricola’s murder.
He named those ringleaders as Tony Romeo, Joseph Barbara Sr. (host of the notorious Apalachin meeting of November 14, 1957,) and Barbara Family soldiers Charles Barbara (Joe’s brother,) and Salvatore (Sam) Galante.
Perhach further stated that the men were the top gamblers in the area who booked all the dice games and other gambling activities and that they had extensive gambling connections in various parts of upper and western New York State.
In connection with underboss Russell Bufalino, the records of the Broome County District Attorney reflect that on March 5, 1945, Romeo and Bufalino were among those arrested in Binghamton while attending an illegal gambling parlor operated by their subordinate Joseph (Bingo Joe) Banovic.
Romeo and Bufalino were suspected of being the actual financial “backers” of this particular crap game.
An “Interesting” Conversation
Side Note: Some years later on July 27, 1962, an interesting conversation was picked up on an FBI “bug.”
The conversation, which took place in Buffalo, NY between Buffalo Family boss Stefano (The Old Man) Magaddino and several of his subordinates including Syracuse-based mafioso Anthony (Tony Whispers) DeStefano, regarded the gambling activities of several hoodlums in the Syracuse-Utica area.
DeStefano complained to Magaddino that Tony Romeo was engaged in operating “football pools and policy rackets” in the Utica, New York area.
This was a clear violation of protocol because the City of Utica was recognized as being under the jurisdiction and control of Magaddino Family “capo di decina” Joseph Falcone.
So, Magaddino instructed DeStefano to warn Romeo to stay in his own territory.
DeStefano also complained to Magaddino that he could not get a “piece” of Romeo’s gambling operations because technically Romeo was “with” Russ Bufalino.
At that time, Vincent Scro, another top Magaddino Family soldier who was also present that day for this discussion, suggested moving in on the gambling operations of Arnoldo (Lalla) Rondina of Auburn, instead.
Magaddino gave DeStefano his approval and tacit permission to do just that, to go after Rondina. Magaddino further stated that DeStefano was to tell Rondina that he should give DeStefano a piece of his action or Rondina would wind up in the lake.
Such is the day-to-day trials and tribulations of being a mafioso and racketeer.
The Overseer
It seems that Romeo was also tasked by his Mafia superiors to look after the Barbara/Bufalino Family’s floating dice and card games.
During those years, various mob informants and numerous subsequent police investigations uncovered evidence that Tony Romeo was indeed the overall “kingpin” and gambling “czar” in Binghamton who oversaw various lesser gamblers and criminal minions as they opened up and ran various crap games, card games, and other forms of illicit gambling across the city.
Authorities stated that Tony Romeo and his gambling partners were also suspected of sometimes operating “crooked” dice games to help increase their profits accordingly.
Among the top racketeers and Mafia figures Romeo was known to interact with were Binghamton-based “capo di decina” Anthony (Gov) Guarnieri, who was generally considered the “onsite” overseer of all family soldiers and associates based within the Upstate New York area; especially those active around Binghamton and its surrounding territories.
Another known mafioso Romeo was said to sometimes interact with was Guarnieri regime soldier Louis Marconi.
The FBI later also documented that Tony Romeo was well regarded enough to attend the wake and funeral and subsequent burial on April 28, 1962, of noted Syracuse-based mafioso Salvatore (Sam) Scro, who had died at age 69.
Three days later on April 25, 1962, FBI agents observed and recorded individuals at Scro’s funeral and the various cars in attendance, including one bearing New York State license plate TX-9759, which was later determined to be registered to Antonio Romeo of 10 Serrell Avenue, Binghamton, NY.
On October 23, 1962, in a follow-up investigation of Romeo, FBI agents interviewed a local gambler named John (Shimer) D’Angelo who told them he was well acquainted with two racketeer brothers named “Jumbo” and “Lalla” Rondina.
D’Angelo told the FBI he had even driven them down to Miami Beach, Florida that previous February. He also advised the agents that Tony Romeo of Binghamton drove down with them and stayed at the same Waikiki Hotel in Miami Beach as the Rondina brothers.
On July 27, 1962, FBI Agents also learned through Confidential Informant #AL-T2 that Romeo had a friendly relationship with Buffalo soldier Vincent Scro and that the two of them had discussed utilizing a professional arsonist they knew to burn down several buildings in order to collect on the insurance policies.
This same informant advised that he had learned directly from Vincent Scro that Romeo knew of someone who would commit arson for $2000 per arson job.
An Unhappy Stefano Magaddino
It was also learned that boss Stefano Magaddino was somewhat annoyed at some of the racket enterprises Romeo was then bringing into the City of Syracuse.
This came to light after Magaddino was approached by his Syracuse-based soldier Tony DeStefano about his desire to go into arson rackets to make some money.
Magaddino immediately disapproved but allegedly did give DeStefano permission to hire an arsonist to burn down a clubhouse in Canandaigua with the understanding that there was nobody living in the building and that DeStefano would exercise extreme caution.
Another informant told Federal Investigators that Syracuse gambler Frank Bagozzi located another building whose owner wanted it burned down to collect on the $130,000 policy insurance on the structure. Bagozzi was allegedly in for a “25% finders fee” of any profit derived from the arson scheme.
Around this same time period, Investigator Frank Fiegel of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation had documented a series of fires around Syracuse and its neighboring towns.
Fiegel said there had been a number of fires in Fulton and Oswego Counties in the recent past, and he suspected DeStefano of being responsible for at least some of them.
Fiegel also said he had received information that DeStefano could get a “torch” man for hire.
During FBI physical surveillance of Anthony DeStefano over a five-day period from November 26, 1962, to November 30, 1962, FBI agents determined that he traveled to Binghamton several times where he had repeatedly been in touch with Tony Romeo.
Criminal Associates
Among other hoodlums with whom Romeo was known to be most closely associated with and partnered with in gambling operations included most of the active members of Binghamton’s gambling underworld.
These included such documented “KGs” or “known gamblers” as:
• Demetrius (Nemo) Saraceno
• Bruno Saraceno
• John (Shimer) D’Angelo
• Joseph (Bingo Joe) Banovic
• Al Decker
• Fred DiFilippo
• Louis Dimbro
• Arnoldo (Lalla) Rondina
• Orlando (Jumbo) Rondina
• Martino (Marty) Mondolfi
• James Morello
• Louis (Lob) Fiato
• Sidney (Shimmy) Goodsite
• Martin Agricola
• Joseph (Joe Cap) Capalaces
• Frank Busino
• Patrick Busino
• Harry (The Greek) Koutoukas
• Keiser (The Nigger) Joseph
• James Formato
• John (Chink) Formato
• Felix A. (Tickie) Julien
• John (Tops) Mandarino
• Michael Cordisco
• Charles (Red) Melious
• Frank Bagozzi
• Anthony (Bobo) Runeare
• Pasquale (Pat) Paccio
• Leo Lampo
• James Morello
• James (Jimmy Flip) DeFilippo
• Michael Minnow
• Lorenzo L. (Larry) Palombi
• Joseph J. Steve
• John (Babe Duffy) Prell
• Gabriel (Gabe) Galante
• John Maloney
The men named above were among the most active professional gamblers and known hoodlums in that upstate region.
Over the years, nearly every one of them had been friendly and intimately involved with one another in various criminal activities such as bookmaking, floating crap games, Ziganette games, numbers lotteries, thefts, etc.
But among these gamblers and hoodlums was quite a large number who were walking a double-edged sword by also being undercover informants for the New York State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In fact, I was quite shocked by the large percentage of so-called “street guys” I discovered had been out and out rats. They worked right alongside their buddies operating illegal gambling and other rackets. But in between all that, they met regularly with their law enforcement “handlers” for debriefings.
A Slew of Informants
I uncovered the following informants and stool pigeons while researching various Mafia Families operating in Upstate New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The following list of names were all informants and most were clearly identified in secret internal FBI files. These internal reports listed the informant’s code name, which particular FBI Field Office handled the informer as well as the informant’s real name.
Side Note: Keep in mind that this is an ongoing project of mine and as more and more information is uncovered about other such stool pigeons, I will release their names in future articles.
The following twenty hoodlums were thought to have worked as federal and local informers over the years. Some were full-time informants. Others cooperated part-time only when they got into a jam with police. But all those listed had informed on their underworld brethren at one time or another.
Those listed generally operated as bookmakers, gamblers, numbers racketeers, ran dice games, shylocks, bootleggers, and thieves. FBI “confidential informant” code symbols are placed next to each cooperator where known. An asterisk next to a name indicates that the person was later murdered.
• Martin Agricola*
• Frank Bagozzi – PCI NY T-7
• Joseph (Joe Cap) Capalaces – AL T-129 (Albany)
• James (Jimmy Flip) DeFilippo*
• Louis Dimbro – NY T-2
• Charles A. Dominick – PCI BU T-2 (Rochester)
• Thomas Ellis – PCI T-6
• Anthony Falzone – BU PCI T-5 (Rochester)
• Louis (Doc) Farone – AL PCI T-62 and AL 2990-C (Albany)
• Louis (Lob) Fiato
• James Formato
• John (Chink) Formato – PCI NY T-60
• Anthony (Tony) Gance*
• Julius Ginsberg – BU T-4 (Rochester)
• Felix A. (Tickie) Julien – AL T-46 and T-15 (Albany)
• Ellis Klepfer – PCI NY T-16
• Max Kremer – PH-526 (Pittston)
• William Masucci – PCI BU T-3 (Rochester)
• Lucien Procino – PCI T-12
• Arnoldo (Lalla) Rondina – PCI NY T-11
Underworld-style justice caught up to some of these rats through the years.
Agricola, DeFilippo, Gance, and Lampo were each murdered gangland-style after their cooperation or informant status was discovered or strongly suspected by their associates. But as you can see, many men listed continued operating in the streets for years to come without ever being discovered.
Unwanted Exposure
In June 1950, after a three-and-a-half-year investigation, a major criminal case was developed which led to the arrests and state indictments of several dozen local hoodlums on gambling, police bribery, and corruption charges.
Also indicted were a string of corrupt policemen as well as higher-ups in the Binghamton Police Department. Tony Romeo was featured most prominently in these indictments as a key rackets overseer and gambling boss.
Among the law enforcement officials arrested in the probe included Police Chief Michael J. Hanifin; Patrolman Raymond O’Keefe, who was later also Chief of the Vice Squad; Vice Squad Detective Lawrence V. Wilcox; Patrolman Paul Whittaker; and Patrolman Philip Vanderbeck.
Each was accused of accepting numerous bribes for a number of years from underworld gamblers to overlook dice games and other gambling violations and warning gamblers of any ongoing investigations, undercover surveillance, or impending arrests.
Following all the unwanted media exposure Romeo and the others endured during the gambling and bribery investigation of the early 1950s, Romeo seems to have faded from public view.
By that time, Romeo was already pushing seventy years old anyway, and I’m sure the intense law enforcement scrutiny didn’t help his gambling rackets and earning power.
There was no date of death that I could ascertain for him. So, the end his life remains a bit of a mystery of sorts about how he spent the last years of his life.
But one thing’s for certain. During his lifetime, Antonio (Tony) Romeo became one of the biggest gambling figures in Upstate New York.
He was an intimate of and worked hand-in-glove with some of the biggest names in the America Mafia.
Until next time…”The Other Guy”
