Joseph Di Palermo – The Dean of Dope Dealers

In all the years Joe Beck DiPalermo was active, he was never known to have engaged, or have cared to engage, in any legitimate business! He was strictly a “hoodlums hoodlum” from the womb!

Joseph (Joe Beck) DiPalermo - aka "Joe Becky" and "Joe Palmer" - was born in 1907. He was born, raised, and operated all his life from his base in the “Little Italy” section of Manhattan at 246 Elizabeth Street.

He later moved to the “4th ward” to the “Monroe Houses” at 80 North Moore St., a mob stronghold.

DiPalermo was one of five brothers, all formally “inducted” into the Gagliano/Lucchese Family of LCN. Joe allegedly rose to “capo di decina” status by the late 1940s and headed the clan.

His brothers Joseph, Anthony, Steve, Peter, and Charles, ("The Beck Brothers") operated within his crew.

FBI # 1519166, NYCPD # B-203135

“Joe Beck” DiPalermo is arguably one of the most significant members in the history of the Lucchese Family and considered the “dean” of dope dealers nationwide.

He was one of the most notorious heroin merchants for over 60 years, both in smuggling and wholesale, and even retail distribution of heroin.

Over the years, he also dealt in large quantities of cocaine, barbiturates, and any other drug he deemed worth his effort.

His activities included bootlegging, narcotics, counterfeiting, large-scale thefts, smuggling, extortion, strong-arming, murder...and any other racket available.

DiPalermo’s “yellow jacket” is 14 pages long, and started in 1925 for:

1925 - (state) selling narcotics

1928 - possession of weapon (knife)

1937 - transporting alcohol (one year)

1938 - operating illegal still (15 months)

1938 - transporting untaxed alcohol

1939 - possession untaxed liquor

1941 - homicide by gunshot

1943 - unregistered alcohol still (two years)

1943 - OPA violation (one year and a day)

1943 - sale-counterfeit gas coupons

1947 - Internal Revenue laws (one year)

1947 - alcohol tax/still parts

1950 - transportation of counterfeit Amex travelers checks (seven years)

1950 - transport forged securities (6.5 years)

1951 - possession counterfeit money

1956 - customs service - questioned and released

1958 - heroin conspiracy

1958 - (federal) narcotics (15 years/$20,000 fine)

1958 - accessory to a felony

1958 - aiding and abetting a fugitive

1958 - parole violation

1960 - accessory to a misdemeanor

1986 - narcotics conspiracy and sale

Side Note: Knowing Joe Beck as I do, he most certainly had arrests between the late 1960s through the 1985 period, but I could not pull them up. I’m almost positive he was arrested for drugs again in the late-1970s for a quaalude conspiracy with several other mafiosi. And, of course, again in 1986 with his brother Charlie.

In all the years he was active, he was never known to have engaged, or have cared to engage, in any legitimate business! He was strictly a “hoodlums hoodlum” from the womb!

DiPalermo's longtime base of operations was a candy store and social club along Prince and Elizabeth Streets.

At 120-pounds and approximately 5-feet 5-inches tall and with a face and physique of a classic “nerd”, Di Palermo could easily have been mistaken for a “bookworm” or “drug store clerk”.

But his appearance belied his true nature... that of an extremely vicious, cunning, and voracious heroin merchant, contract killer, and dedicated mafioso of the first order!

He dressed as a top hoodlum, too, always completely color coordinated and jeweled up.

A common outfit might be an all “electric blue” suit, tie, blue fedora, and blue snakeskin shoes, with a diamond watch and ring with a huge “blue” sapphire stone....and driving a “blue” Cadillac!

Another day he would be dressed in all “canary yellow”, with matching a ring and stone....driving a “canary yellow” Caddy!

I kid you not!!! As a young boy, I had seen him myself numerous times in the neighborhood dressed this exact way with a young “chippy” on his arm, no less! LOL...Joe Beck was a character indeed!

His associates (he has known most of the important mafiosi across NYC and the nation) included his brothers (Tony, Petey, and Charlie) who were his partners, and:

Vito (Don Vitone) Genovese - a close friend and confidante.

Carmine (Lilo) Galante - Bonanno underboss, top international heroin trafficker, and close lifelong buddy.

Vincenzo (Vic) Cotroni, and

Giuseppe (Pep) Cotroni - two of the most important Canadian-based international heroin smugglers and a top supply source for Di Palermo.

Angelo (Little Angie) Tuminaro - a sometime partner of Beck's and top heroin smuggler of “The French Connection” infamy.

John (Big John) Ormento - a top and four-time convicted international heroin trafficker.

Anthony (Torty) Tortorello - a soldier in his regime.

Dominick (Crazy Dom) Truscello - a longtime soldier in his crew.

Vincent (Jimmy Jones) Potenza - a soldier and possibly a crew member.

Florio (Flo) Isabella - a Bonanno soldier and top heroin dealer and friend of Di Palermo.

Other associates included:

Cosmo (Carlie) DePietro - a young Genovese protege and drug distributor who was later murdered.

Giorgio (Georgie Gillette) Gigliotti - a prolific bootlegger and counterfeiter, brother-in law-of Joe Adonis, and partner of Di Palermo.

Ralph and Carmine Polizzano - a young Genovese, DiPalermo proteges, and key heroin mixers who hid drug stash.

Angelo (Little Moe) Presinzano - an old Bonanno member and close associate.

Alfred (Al Walker) Embarrato- an old time 4th ward hood, friend, and drug dealer.

Anthony Mirra - a young protege, drug dealer, and vicious killer.

Ralph (Raffie) Cuomo - related by marriage and highly trusted minion.

John (Johnny Brody) Sorrentino- nephew by marriage and trusted aide.

Salvatore (Sally Dogs) Lombardi - a Genovese capo and qualuude trafficking partner.

Di Palermo and his partner and buddy, Carmine Galante, were suspected in the contract killing of anti-fascist editor and writer Carlo Tresca in NYC in 1944.

It was a highly-publicized murder and hit the front pages of every newspaper across the world. Di Palermo was the suspected getaway driver while Lilo was the suspected actual shooter.

They were never prosecuted for this killing.

Carlo Tresca

In 1958, Di Palermo, Genovese, Ormento, and many other top mob figures went on trial, were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for the “infamous” heroin trial of that era.

“Joe Beck” received 15 years, serving it in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary with Genovese, Valachi, and many others.

This was the precursor to Joe Valachi turning informant after he slugged an innocent inmate with a steel pipe, killing him, thinking it was Joe Di Palermo he was attacking.

Of course, this series of events was monumental in the history of the American organized crime underworld.

The “Honored Society” would never be the same!.... and would never fully recover to its “glory days” of the post-WWII era through the 1950s, arguably the greatest period of stability and financial strength ever enjoyed by Cosa Nostra in this country!

Joseph “Joe Beck” Di Palermo was, without a doubt, the most conscientious of drug kingpins ever to walk the streets of New York City.

He operated at the highest levels of the mob, both domestically and internationally, continuously for over six decades! ...... only prison walls would occasionally interrupt his devilish heroin dealings!

Even at 85 years of age, he was still “at it”..... smuggling, mixing, diluting, packaging, and selling his “powdered death in a bag” through his many minions, to unfortunate souls all over this city and beyond!..... until his dying day!

“Joe Beck” died at the age of 85 in 1992.

New York’s “Little Italy” and the Lucchese Family will never be the same.

Until the next time..."The Other Guy!"

Joe Beck's Story Comes to Life on Mob Fireside Chat

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Joseph Di Palermo – The Dean of Dope Dealers

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Joseph Di Palermo – The Dean of Dope Dealers

Unlock This Door to the Underworld

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You May Also Enjoy

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

The Anthony Strollo Regime of NY/NJ

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