Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro: Corona Numbers King

Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro was identified as an attendee at the infamous mob summit at Apalachin in 1957. During the Valachi hearings, Joe Valachi identified Laratro and Joseph Lucchese as top gambling figures and crime captains.

Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro was born on February 7, 1916, at 108-57 Fiftieth Ave. in the Corona section of Queens and raised at 35-20 108th Street. He later moved to 264-11 60th Ave. in Queens.

Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro

By 1965, he had migrated out to 12 Bouton Road in the exclusive Lloyd Harbor section of Suffolk County on Long Island.

FBI #263439A, NYCPD #E-11494

Laratro was a longtime soldier, who by the late 1950s, was elevated to a position of “capo di decina” in the Lucchese Family of Harlem. Born and raised in the Corona section, it's where he based his operations for many years.

His activities included policy, bookmaking, shylocking, floating dice games, and extortion. He was a partner in LoBosco Scrap Metals, Inc., of Corona, one of whose members was a member of the $1,000 club of the Suffolk Republican Party.

He started out as a kid in the 1930s as a numbers runner and graduated to a policy “controller” for the Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights areas.

Laratro befriended Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese, the brother of the underboss Gaetano Lucchese. Lucchese’s blood family had moved from East Harlem to Corona by the early 1930s, so they became neighborhood friends. They became partners, and with the blessing of “Tommy Brown”, the “two Joeys” took over control of the entire area’s gambling rackets (bookmaking, dice and card games, and policy).

Laratro had a brother named Donato (Danny Narrows), who also became a bookmaker affiliated with his brother and Lucchese.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Laratro was the head of a $15,000,000-a-year gambling operation based in Corona. They were said to have 69 runners.

He utilized soldier, Aniello (Neil) Migliore, as his “right-hand” man.

Laratro was arrested many times over the years, all gambling-related. He had arrests since 1939 for policy (5 times), bookmaking (3 times), and possession of wiretap equipment.

He was convicted for policy (4 times), and bookmaking (twice), but was never jailed.

Federal authorities named Laratro as “the overlord of gambling operations under the Lucchese jurisdiction”.

He was identified as an attendee at the infamous mob summit at Apalachin in 1957. During the Valachi hearings, Joe Valachi identified Laratro and Joseph Lucchese as top gambling figures and crime captains.

The public exposure from those two events brought tremendous law enforcement scrutiny on them.

He numbered among his associates most of the top mobsters in the NYC area, if not the country, including:

Thomas Lucchese

Joseph Lucchese

Neil Migliore

Anthony Grio

Anthony Lucchese

Carmine Tramunti

Frank Arra

Hugh Mulligan

Frank Campanello

Donato Laietta

Joseph Brocchini

Carlo Gambino

.... and many more.

In 1967, police raided the homes of Laratro and Migliore, seizing betting slips and records of $70,000 for the prior week's “play”.

They also confiscated illegal “eavesdropping equipment” in Laratro’s home.

With the death of Gaetano Lucchese in 1967 of brain cancer, and the heavy policy and grand jury investigations looming over the Lucchese Family operations, Joey Narrows decided to sell his Lloyd Harbor mansion, sell his interest in LoBosco Scrap Metals, and relocate down to South Florida.

There, he settled into the Sunshine State and purchased a garbage carting business and other property holdings.

He also purchased a luxurious home at 543 Palm Drive in wealthy Hallandale. He kept a very low profile in the following years, never again being charged with any crime. Laratro had several strokes and passed away in 1989.

Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro lived a very charmed life as a top “capo” in the Family, never served any jail time, and earned millions of dollars in his lifetime.... I dare say, a successful Mafioso career by anybody’s measuring stick!

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Joseph (Joey Narrows) Laratro: Corona Numbers King

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You May Also Enjoy

Michael (Charlie Monti) Fiermonti: Lucchese Family Associate

Corona, Queens Lucchese Soldier: Eugene (Little Gene) Giannone

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