Joseph (Joe Babes) Bendenelli

Joseph Bendenelli was a soldier in the Lucchese Family, active in gambling and narcotics. He got his nickname from an unfortunate incident with a baby.

Joseph (Joe Babes) Bendenelli was born in 1910 and raised at 442 E. 115th St., in East Harlem, New York City. By the mid-1950s, he had moved to the exclusive Malba section of Queens at 144-11 Tenth Ave. but still operated in Harlem.

Joe Babes was an imposing figure at over 6 feet 2 inches tall and a narrow 185 pounds with grey hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion.

Joseph Bendenelli

The stoop-shouldered Bendenelli could typically be found daily at whatever afternoon crap game was being run or racetrack where the ponies were running.

FBI #296870, NYCPD #B-80775

He was never known to engage in any legitimate business. By the time he was a teenager, Bendenelli was already pulling armed robberies.

By 1930, he had been picked up and arrested seven times on robbery and theft charges. In 1930, he was arrested for robbing an A&P at 1258 Madison Ave. He also had multiple arrests for gambling (dice games and policy).

In 1931, he was one of three young men picked up for a daytime shooting in front of a pool hall in which a baby was shot to death, and four additional innocent civilians were injured. It was front-page news for weeks, and the public outcry forced police to crack down on the prohibition liquor racketeers and narcotics dealers.

Joe Babes

“Joe Babes” got his nickname from the shooting incident in which the “baby” was killed. The killers were alleged to be Trigger Mike Coppola and Bendenelli, and the third man driving the death car was only known as Paul.

Police said it was a gang war between the Dutch Schultz mob and Vincent (Mad Dog) Coll for control of the East Harlem drug rackets and speakeasies. The intended target was said to be Anthony Trobino.

The prevailing theory was that the war started when Tough Joey Rao and One-Eyed Tocco broke away from the Coll gang and challenged Coll for supremacy. Bendenelli and his associates were badly beaten during questioning by the cops, but no charges stuck.

By 1939, Joe Babes was already an inducted member of the Lucchese mob. In that year, he was one of several men grabbed by detectives at a pastry shop at 2246 First Ave. and charged with vagrancy and consorting with criminals (each other).

Several top figures in the underworld were among the men, including (Tough Joey) Rao, Joseph (Joe Stretch) Stracci, Charles Argurola, Carmine Peduto, and Bendenelli.

He was a close associate of Joey Rao, Frank (Farby) and Ralph Serpico, (Big Nose) Nick Tolentino , Louis (Louie Dome) Pacella , Joe Marone, Steve Puco, and Anthony (Tony Nose) Mancuso.

Big Nose Nick Tolentino

In 1956, US Treasury agents raided an after-hours “bottle club” and arrested 40 men at the “44 Club” at 126 E. 44 St., alleging that the club was a den for top narcotics traffickers and hoodlums.

Raiders found Bendenelli seated at a table with John (Buster) Ardito, Angelo (Cheesecake) Urgitano, and John (Jumbo) Maiorino. The papers referred to Bendenelli as “Joe the Book” and claimed he was Rao’s bodyguard. By now, Joe Babes had racked up over 11 arrests since 1930 but was never convicted.

By the early 1960s, he was living in the wealthy enclave of Malba, Queens, at 144–17 South Dr. He had a partnership in a large profitable crap game and dealt in wholesale quantities of heroin.

A heavy gambler who frequented area race tracks, in 1962, while betting the ponies one evening at Yonkers Racetrack, Joe collapsed at a table at the track's clubhouse and died almost immediately of a massive heart attack.

Joe Babes was 52 years old! I imagine he got too excited watching his horse's performance in a race I wonder if his pick won or lost?

In 1962, Joe Babes's career was cut short, but at least he was doing what he most enjoyed -- gambling on games of chance!

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

Joseph (Joe Babes) Bendenelli

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Joseph (Joe Babes) Bendenelli

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Tour the Underworld with Button Guys

Dive Deeper into the Underworld

The Joseph (Joe Beck) DiPalermo Regime: “The Prince Street Crew”

Stephen Oddo: The Undertaker

Marc Antonio Orlandino: The Regular Joe Who Wasn’t

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