Joseph (Joe Bikini) Brocchini – Lucchese Family Soldier

Part of the charm of “Joe Bikini”, was that in addition to the porno business which in and of itself was very profitable, Joe would, on more than one occasion, “bust out” (bankrupt) his existing distributing company, leaving huge debts to creditors who had actually produced the dirty books and magazines that he sold in his stores, thereby reducing his overhead to zero!

Joseph (Joe Bikini) Brocchini was born in 1933 at 57-42 Penrod Street in Corona, Queens. He was raised in Corona as well. By the early 1960s, he moved to the neighboring town of Flushing.

Later with his success as a racketeer, he relocated up to Harrison in Westchester County (Polly Park Road).... a multi-million dollar area.

FBI #622595A, NYCPD #B-295791

A “key” associate of the Queens (Corona) regime of the Lucchese Family, he served directly under (Joe Brown) Lucchese - co-capo of that regime with (Joey Narrow) Laratro.

By the time of his death in 1976, he had been identified by the FBI as a newly inducted “soldier” in the Lucchese Family.

Side Note: The Corona “crew” was the base for the Queens regime of the Lucchese Family. They, of course, had various crews throughout all the boroughs, but “Corona” was ground zero and their “stronghold” outside of Harlem and the Bronx, which was their original base. They also had many other crews in other areas.... the Little Italy, Brooklyn, and NJ crews among them.

Arguably one of the “tougher” guys to come out of that neighborhood, he had a reputation early on as an enforcer, utilized by the “Two-Joeys” to quell any trouble or discipline issues for the regime.

His known criminal activities, included:

>> Shylocking

>> Strong-arm enforcement

>> Floating dice games

>> Thefts (stolen auto-parts)

>> Gambling

>> Pornography rackets

>> Suspected narcotics (cocaine)

His known associates, included:

• Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese

• Joseph (Joey Narrow) Laratro

• Stefano (Steve) LaSalle

• Frank (Frankie Bell) Campanello

• Alfred (Sonny) Scotti

• James Scotti

• Ralph Borello

• Vincent Borello

.......among many others.

Any LCN members emanating from Corona today, originally “cut their teeth” under Lucchese. The exception being the Serpico Family.

In 1950, a 17-year-old Brocchini was among five young Corona hoods picked up for operating a burglary/safecracking ring that ransacked eight various businesses along the Queens north shore for $26,000 during a one-week spree.

Law enforcement believed that the gang was responsible for approximately 20 such burglaries in Nassau and Queens before being apprehended.

Brocchini started out as a local shylock, which was his main endeavor, augmented by crap games and other rackets.

Law enforcement reported during either the late 1950s or early 1960s, that Joe Bikini was managing a large weekly dice game in the Little Italy area of Manhattan for Joe Lucchese.

He had done such a good job earning money for the game, that Lucchese had gifted Joe $1,000 cash (a fairly large sum for that era) as a reward for a job well done.

In approximately 1967, Brocchini went into the porno business.

He knew a Jewish porno dealer who he partnered with, and ventured into the dirty book trade..... he hit a complete “home run,” making a huge amount of money in a very short amount of time.

By 1968, the State Investigating Commission said his three porno firms were grossing $1,500,000 a year

Once he saw the potential, he quickly expanded his retail book stores (Blackjack Books), securing leases on some of the most desired locations along 42nd Street (the porno capital of the world), and also expanded his activities into the actual filming and production of his own films, magazines, and books instead of previously just buying them wholesale for resale.

By 1971, he had become one of the largest and most important of “porno” racketeers in the New York City area.

All Five Families were active in the trade, but Brocchini was definitely one of the major players, and certainly the main Lucchese member in the pornography racket.

Side Note: He always made a good “living”, but once he invested in the dirty book business, his wealth soared as never before. Within two years of going into porno, he bought property and built his own mansion up in exclusive Harrison, New York (Westchester County). In 1972, it was valued in excess of $250,000.... a huge amount for that time period.

Brocchini was always a very aggressive guy.

Part of the charm of “Joe Bikini”, was that in addition to the porno business which in and of itself was very profitable, Joe would, on more than one occasion, “bust out” (bankrupt) his existing distributing company, leaving huge debts to creditors who had actually produced the dirty books and magazines that he sold in his stores, thereby reducing his overhead to zero!

One such transaction left $159,000 in unpaid debt to a book manufacturer/supplier in the wake of Brocchini shutting down one of his companies.

In 1971, he was one of many arrested on obscenity charges by the NYPD Vice Squad for the operation of pornography shops and peep shows in the Times Square theatre district.

In 1972, an article on the NYC pornography rackets identified Brocchini as working directly under Stefano La Salle, by that time underboss for Carmine Tramunti.

Joe Lucchese had been demoted back to soldier and he was allegedly reporting to La Salle.

Side Note: This was after Tommy Lucchese’s death in 1967. Laratro relocated to Florida several years later, and Joe Lucchese was eventually demoted to soldier, and semi-retired.

Pornography related firms allegedly owned or controlled by Brocchini, included:

Wholesale distribution firms

>> Cad-Publications, Inc.

>> Bark Books, Inc.

>> B & H Distributors, Inc.

>> Blackjack Book Stores

Book shops and peep show locations

>> 220 W. 42nd St.

>> 136 W. 42nd St.

>> 227 W. 42nd St.

>> 257 W. 42nd St.

>> 711 Seventh Ave.

Peep shows galore.

Parliament Auto Sales, Inc., at 69-11 Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, Queens (large used-car lot) was his daily base of operations.

It was close to Corona and other areas he was active in, but only a few miles out of midtown Manhattan’s “Times Square” district where he maintained his porn businesses.

All was looking up for Joe Bikini. He was at the top of his game, and a well-respected guy on the streets.

The next thing anyone heard, Joe was shot to death in his office at the Parliament used car lot.....Nobody knew why it happened or who had done it. Only that Joe was dead.

This stayed a complete mystery (to both law enforcement and the mob) for years to come.

Roy DeMeo

Only in later years, with certain informant testimony, did a “reason” and “suspects” emerge.

It seems that Brocchini had had a verbal argument with the notorious Gambino member Roy DeMeo, and subsequently had a physical altercation where Brocchini punched out DeMeo, giving him a black eye among other injuries.

This was enough for DeMeo to plot Joe’s murder.

But since Brocchini was with another crew, DeMeo had to “cop a sneak” on him (not putting it on record or seeking permission from higher ups).

The killers made it look like a simple robbery gone bad. After walking into the car lot office, they pulled guns, ordering Brocchini and several workers to freeze.

As they walked Brocchini to an upstairs office, they shot Joe five times in the head, killing him instantly....Then fled.

The year was 1976. Joseph “Joe Bikini” Brocchini was only 43 years old....... RIP “Joe Bikini”!

End Note: Sonny Scotti and the Borello brothers took over Brocchini’s operation after his death - they operated under the auspices of mob higher-ups who gave them the okay.

Joseph (Joe Bikini) Brocchini – Lucchese Family Soldier

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Joseph (Joe Bikini) Brocchini – Lucchese Family Soldier

Unlock This Door to the Underworld

Take the Journey!

You May Also Enjoy

The Anthony Strollo Regime of NY/NJ

The Day Charlie (the Bug) Workman Saved a Horse

Racketeer Profile – San Francisco’s “Jimmy the Hat” Lanza

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