Carmine Persico – “A Dyed In The Wool Hoodlum”

Carmine Persico, better known as “Junior” to his close friends, and “The Snake” to the press and his enemies, was one of the toughest and most deadly mafioso to ever walk the streets of New York City, and, for that matter, the entire United States and the world. Starting his criminal career as a teenager, Persico rose up the ranks to become the boss of the Colombo Family and became one of the most powerful gangsters in organized crime.

Carmine (Junior) Persico was born in 1933 at 587 Carroll Street in the Red Hook-Gowanus Canal section of South Brooklyn. He was aka “The Snake.” He later moved to 144 Sunset Drive in Hempstead out in Nassau County. After several years of intensive law enforcement scrutiny, he chose to relocate back to the exclusive Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn where he, his wife, and children would reside for decades to come.

Carmine Persico

Since the mid-1960s, he also owned a beautiful ranch-style estate on hundreds of acres in Upstate Saugerties, New York which he had named the Blue Mountain Riding Academy in Ulster County. He loved to retreat up there on weekends for large family gatherings with his sons, brothers, and close friends.

Carmine had two brothers, several sons, many cousins, and nephews who would join him in the life in one capacity or another.

His activities included policy, hijacking, credit card rackets, shylocking, extortion, strong-arm and enforcer, auto theft rings, stolen securities, labor union racketeering, and narcotics.

Carmine Persico

He had held personal ownership or hidden interests over the years in bars, carpeting firms, automobile sales companies, a limousine service, bagel stores, and numerous other legitimate businesses. And by proxy, in many other legitimate businesses and labor unions, concrete pouring firms, construction companies of every type, etc.

As boss of a borgata as powerful as he was, they had a piece of nearly any business or industry of which you could possibly conceive.

His criminal record of over 30 arrests started as a young teenager:

Murder (first degree)

Lottery

Gun possession (twice)

Policy (5 times)

Hijacking and conspiracy

Disorderly conduct (3 times)

Assault (5 times)

Vagrancy (3 times)

Usury and conspiracy

Extortion (3 times)

Bribery and conspiracy

Obstruction of justice

Parole violation (twice)

Racketeering (twice)

Under RICO: racketeering conspiracy (twice)

murder conspiracy

federal labor law violations

wire fraud

mail fraud

attempted extortion

narcotics conspiracy

...... with convictions for lottery (3 months), hijacking (15 years), bribery (5 years), “Colombo Family” racketeering conspiracy (39 years), and “Commission Case” (100 years).

By my count, Carmine had actually served over 45 years of his life behind prison bars.... that’s a long, long time! And he stayed tough as nails every day of those 45 years! Never a whimper, never a crack in his armor. Now THAT’S a tough guy!

Carmine John Persico..... better known as “Junior” to his close friends, and “The Snake” to the press and his enemies, was one of the toughest and most deadly mafioso to ever walk the streets of New York City, and, for that matter, the entire United States and the world.... a big statement to make you say? .... Read on!

At a mere 5-foot 7-inches tall and all of 135-pounds soaking wet, with a small frame and unassuming looks, Persico was not what people, or his nickname, would conjure up when imagining what a mobster would look like -- and especially a top mob boss at that!... but make no mistake. Because many people did and paid with their lives.

At his core, Carmine Persico was everything that people think of when envisioning a mafioso, and a whole lot more!

Born and reared in the South Brooklyn area, down near the Red Hook waterfront and docks, Junior and his older brother Alphonse (Allie Boy) were tough Italian street kids from the jump, joining a street gang in the early 1950s, which was a common practice among tough kids in that era.

Italians, Irish, Blacks, and Spanish, among other ethnicities, rallied amongst their own, banding together as much for mutual protection against other gangs as for anything else.

“The South Brooklyn Boys”, a name which came about as several smaller gangs of mutual buddies melded together, became a powerhouse in their time. In future years, many of these young hoodlums would go on to Mafia “stardom”, becoming big names in organized crime.

The likes of Gennaro (Jerry Lang) Langella, Dominick (Donny Shacks) Montemorano, Anthony (Scappy) Scarpati, Hugh (Big Apples) McIntosh, and many others all started out in this street gang.

And although most of them towered over Junior in physical height and presence -- as many others would all his life -- they all looked to Junior as their fearless leader....and fearless he was!

Starting as a young teenager, he was always the one leading the charge against the opposition. Whether it was another street gang, an armed hijacking, robbery, doling out a beating, or going to shoot a guy, Junior had a set of balls the size of coconuts, and didn’t fear or give a fuck about anybody or anything! THAT is who he was all his life. And everybody, friends and foes alike, knew it!

Carmine Persico and Hugh McIntosh

During one major rumble one night in Prospect Park, a large green space in the center of this concrete jungle, Carmine stabbed another kid to death during the wild melee. The cops brought a tremendous amount of heat investigating the murder, and Junior's older brother Allie ended up taking the weight for his kid brother.

Sentenced to life in jail, he stood up like a major, with his chin up, allowing Junior to go free. Alphonse would end up serving over 20 years in state prison in some of the worst hellholes known to mankind.

Junior Persico would go on to become a major force in Brooklyn, under the auspices of Joseph Profaci and the borgata he ran with an iron fist. He would see and be a central figure in the Gallo-Profaci War of the late 1950s to the early 1960s era.

Truth be told, Junior Persico would be tapped by Don Peppino to lead the troops in the effort to annihilate the entire Gallo gang. Assigned as the main executioner and a first among equals, Persico would earn his more notorious nickname -- “The Snake” -- by his duplicity, treachery, and sheer viciousness in the extermination of Larry and Joey’s followers, many of whom he had been the closest of friends with.

Dominick Montemorano

But when the boss of your Family gives the order, you do it! And to prove his fealty, he did his very best to make sure the streets ran red with the blood of the Gallo gang.

And over the next 60-plus years, he would keep on in this singular vision as he rose up within the hierarchy of the Family. First becoming one of the youngest and deadliest “capo di decina” of the entire borgata, until ultimately catapulting to become the undisputed “Capo” or “Representante”, (or formal representative as they say in Italian), over the whole Family, in approximately 1978.

And even though he had fallen on a federal truck hijacking case in the early 1960s, he was able to drag it out for almost 10 years, successfully first getting a hung jury, then a retrial, and eventually getting convicted and receiving a 15-year federal prison term for which he started serving in 1971.

But Persico was able to keep his control over the Family through his personal regime or crew -- a crew comprised of many of his old boyhood buddies from their street gang. Their loyalty to Junior and each other was undisputed, as was their capabilities and capacity for violence.

Nobody but nobody dared disobey Junior’s edicts and dictates lest they be insane or hold a death wish for themselves.

In 1971, the previous Family Boss Joseph Colombo had been shot and totally incapacitated that infamous day at the Italian-American Unity Day Rally at Columbus Circle, and the Family was in total disarray. Around this time, the other four New York Families were also very unstable, reeling from intense law enforcement pressure.

A very large and tight-knit crew to begin with, in this atmosphere, the “Persico Regime” was able to grab and maintain the power.

And as an added “ace in the hole”, Alphonse Persico, Carmine’s older brother, had finally been paroled from prison and he was tough like his brother! You’d think they’d been cut from the exact same mold. He was nobody to trifle with either.

So, even as Carmine reported to prison to begin his own sentence, between Allie Boy and others close to him, he was able to lead from behind bars.

His key criminal associates, most of whom were directly with Junior in his personal crew over the decades were:

Alphonse (Allie Boy) Persico - Carmine’s older brother. Having served over 20 years for a murder rap in his youth, he was immediately made and elevated to underboss upon his parole in the early-1970s. He would later die in prison on another case.

Theodore (Teddy) Persico - his other brother who would rise to the hierarchy of the Family in the early 1980s, served a long jail term, and died shortly after being paroled.

Alphonse (Little Ally) Persico - Carmine’s son and potential successor, has served in various capacities over the years. Serving a life term.

Michael Persico - younger son of Junior, important Family associate, handled legitimate business for his father. Presently in jail.

Dominick (Donny Shack) Montemarano - longtime boyhood pal and running mate, very, very, intimate and trusted aide to Junior.

Gennaro (Jerry Lang) Langella - another dear friend and trusted sidekick from boyhood, would rise to consigliere position, died in jail.

Salvatore (Sally D) D’Ambrosio - top torpedo during the Gallo-Profaci war years side by side with Junior, disappeared in 1969, has not been seen since.

Alfonse ( Funzi D ) D’Ambrosio - Sally’s twin brother, Family soldier, and Persico confidante.

Thomas (Shorty) Spero - Family soldier and hijacker, later killed by the hierarchy.

Hugh (Big Apples) McIntosh -- he may have been Irish and not Italian, but Junior loved him like a brother. And he was as loyal as they come;

Andrew (Mush) Russo - his loyal cousin and lifelong partner. Highly trusted by Junior to be his eyes and ears on the street. Another tough and knowledgeable individual.

Joseph (Jojo) Russo - Andrew’s oldest son and himself a top second generation Family figure. He would lead the Persico faction troops during the third-Colombo war. Tough and smart. Unfortunately, he would get a life sentence for war crimes, dying young behind bars of cancer..... a well-liked guy!

Anthony (Chucky) Russo - another capable cousin and War “general” who would also receive a life term. Currently behind bars.

Joseph (Joe T) Tomasello - a loyal follower, crew member, and later capo who served at the helm as asked of him to hold the Family together.

Theodore (Skinny Teddy) Persico Jr. - another key nephew. After having served his own 20-year bid, hit the streets ready to make up for lost time. And very loyal to his uncle!

........ and there were many, many others. All old friends and close blood family who pulled together for the common cause.

Even during the late-1980s, with the advent of the third Colombo war - an insurrection of malcontent members led by Victor (Little Vic) Orena who wanted to dethrone Carmine and end the Persicos decades-long reign over the borgata.

Carmine Persico

And even though Carmine had been imprisoned for so long, he still had the tenacity, drive, and guts to “hit the mattresses” again, directing this major gang-war, that claimed over a dozen lives and wounded a dozen more, from 3000 miles away while sitting in a California jail cell.

Carmine (Junior) Persico died this past year (2019) at 85 years of age.

His infamous legacy will not soon be forgotten. And I dare say, that you will not ever see the likes of a mafioso like him again!

He was from a bygone era of the Cosa Nostra. A time when gangland was truly gangland and this underground shadow government some call the Mafia or The Brotherhood truly was...

...A government within the government!

A true believer in a way of life that is no more. He breathed and lived every moment of his life as a true gangster with every fiber of his being... to the core!

Until next time...The Other Guy!

Carmine Persico – “A Dyed In The Wool Hoodlum”

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Carmine Persico – “A Dyed In The Wool Hoodlum”

Unlock This Door to the Underworld

Take the Journey!

You May Also Enjoy

Racketeer Snapshot: Connecticut’s Frank (The Cigar) Piccolo

The Anthony Strollo Regime of NY/NJ

The Day Charlie (the Bug) Workman Saved a Horse

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