Big Leo Carlino: Joe Profaci's Secret "Consigliere"

Leo Carlino operated for years as a shadowy member of the old Joseph Profaci crime family. In fact, he was one of the least-known members of the family. Yet, he was believed to have risen to serve in a caporegime post by at least the early 1950s and quietly maintained a crew of soldiers for the borgata.

Big Leo was reportedly so well regarded by Profaci that he was also often chosen to represent the boss in dealing with other elements of the underworld, particularly in settling internal disputes among various Profaci members and other crews. It seems that in that regard, Leo served as a sort of unofficial “consigliere” or family counselor among the troops. *Newly Revised & Expanded*

Leonardo (Big Leo) Carlino -- aka Leo Carlino, Leonard Carlino, and Liborio Carlino (true name) — was born back on August 10, 1897 in the little town of Burgio, Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy. His parents were Liborio and Francesca Carlino.

At the age of only sixteen, he sailed to the United States on the ship San Guglielmo, leaving from the Port of Palermo, Sicily on September 25, 1913, and arriving at Ellis Island in New York Harbor one month later, on October 18.

Leonardo (Big Leo) Carlino

At the time of his entry, on immigration documents, Carlino stated he was en route to a relative named Domenico Carlino who was living in Johnstown, Illinois. Intake records also show he arrived with $21 in his possession.

It is not known if he ever actually traveled to Illinois, or how long he stayed, but if he did go to Illinois at some point, the young mafioso was known to be residing in New York City. In 1924, he was living in a tenement building in Lower Manhattan at 97 East 3rd Street.

On May 20, 1930, at the age of 32, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States in the Eastern District Federal Court of New York.

By the early 1920s, while living in Lower Manhattan, he met a young Sicilian-born woman in the neighborhood by the name of Giuseppa (Josephine) Fundaro. They soon fell in love and decided to get married, which they did on June 28, 1925. Leo was 27, Josephine was just 20.

The newlyweds moved into a rented apartment at 1961 W. 7th Street, Brooklyn, and soon decided to start a family of their own, eventually having two children together, both sons. They named one Frank, and the other, Liborio (Leo) Jr., after his father and grandfather.

Side Note: Born in 1927, Leo Jr. would attended Niagara University, a private Catholic college, and later entered dental school, eventually becoming a licensed dentist. Dr. Leo Carlino opened up a practice in the neighborhood. But, unfortunately Leo Jr. died in 1968 at age 41.

Through the years, Leo, Josephine and the boys rented a number of different apartments and houses within Kings County, including 1714 76th Street and 6610 Duryea Court. By 1940, Leo had purchased a private two-family home for his family at 1819 83rd Street. This house is where the Carlinos would reside for decades to come.

By the early 1950s, FBI agents noted in their files that Carlino owned another home in South Florida at the Brittany Apartments, Unit #7, 4015 Royal Palm Avenue, Miami Beach, which he regularly used as a winter retreat.

1819 83rd Street, Brooklyn

By Any Other Name, He’s Still Leo

Dating back to at least 1930, members of the New York City Police Department were listing Liborio Carlino, Leo Carlino, alias “Big Leo,” as NYCPD #B-117290. By that point in time, they knew him to be an active Brooklyn-based hoodlum who dabbled in strong-arm work and other gangster activities.

FBI #699393, NYCPD #B-117290, Jersey City-PD #B-4971, INS #154817

Although he was arrested once or twice during his early career as a racketeer, which brought him some attention from local police, over the next 30 odd years of Carlino’s life in the underworld, he largely remain a mystery. It appears that Leo was a shadowy and elusive fellow who law enforcement was able to gather very little information about.

Yet, despite his efforts at anonymity, by his later years, Carlino had gained the well-deserved reputation by both federal and local authorities as a top-ranked mob elder statesman

Early police records describe Carlino as standing 5 feet 10 inches in height, with a stocky build at 210 pounds — hence his nickname Big Leo. He had brown eyes and hair, with a fair complexion. Police also noted he had a scar running along his right cheek and mouth.

He reputedly operated for years as a low-key member of the old Joseph Profaci crime family. In fact, Carlino was one of the least-known members of the family. Yet, he was believed to have risen to serve in a caporegime rank by at least the early 1950s, and quietly maintained a crew of soldiers under his command.

Carlino was reportedly so well regarded by Profaci that he was sometimes chosen to represent the boss in dealing with other elements of the underworld, particularly in the settling of internal disputes among Profaci Family members and between New York’s other borgatas. It seems that, in that regard, Leo filled in as a sort of “consigliere” or counselor.

In spite of his low-key profile and persona, over the years, Carlino seems to have been a very active Cosa Nostra member.

And in addition to whatever nefarious criminal activities he may have involved himself in, through the years, Leo was smart enough to also make it a priority to involve himself in a few legitimate business ventures as well.

For instance, during the 1920s, he was believed to be involved in a grocery business. In 1930, he listed his employment as a salesman for a macaroni company. By 1940, he was listing himself as the owner and “proprietor” of a dress-contracting factory in Brooklyn.

Shakedowns and Shylocking

Agents with New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation considered him to be an important garment industry racketeer and shylock.

Over the years, they noted his ownership interests in several lucrative dress manufacturing firms. One of his longtime partners in two particular garment companies was a dangerous Profaci Family soldier and gunman named Vincenzo (Jimmy) Sabella.

Vincenzo Sabella

Another garment company partner of Leo’s was Giuseppe (Joe) Buffa, who was reputed to have served as the Family consigliere for boss Joe Profaci.

Like Carlino himself, Sabella and Buffa were also said to be very low-keyed characters who lived their lives in the shadows. Subsequently, law enforcement authorities were never able to gather any type of significant background information about either of them. In fact, Buffa was such a low-keyed guy that for the better part of his life and career, he remained a virtual “unknown” to law enforcement.

Another close ally of Leo’s, with whom he reportedly worked hand-in-glove for years in the garment rackets, was another old-time Profaci Family soldier named James (Jimmy Brown) Clemenza .

Clemenza was an important mob figure in New York’s garment industry who served as a top “official” of the Greater Blouse, Skirt, and Neckwear Contractors Association, an industry trade group that represented over 300 garment manufacturers in their dealing with various locals of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (AFL-CIO).

James Clemenza Sr.

Jimmy Clemenza also held sway in the garment industry through his hidden control of ILGWU Union Local #25, which represented over 6500 garment workers, such as blouse craftsmen and waist makers.

The two mafiosi were said to be the best of friends who worked closely through the years to facilitate their joint financial goals, as well as those of Joe Profaci and their other underworld allies.

“Rag Trade” Racketeer

One key garment firm Carlino was registered as a partner of was Miss Smart Frocks Inc., located at 501 Seventh Avenue, Manhattan — situated smack dab in the heart of the “Garment District.”

Incorporated back in 1955, its principals were listed as Herman Klein, who served as President; Max Roseman, as Treasurer; Leo Carlino, as Vice President; and Joseph Buffa as the firm’s Secretary.

Miss Smart Frocks also operated a subsidiary company named the C. & S. Dress Company, located at 1742 86th Street, Brooklyn. Originally registered in 1947, C. & S. was established by Carlino and Jimmy Sabella to serve as the primary “sub-contractor” for Miss Smart Frocks.

This dress contracting factory reportedly operated upwards of 60 to 70 sewing machines and garment “operators” that worked each day stitching together most of the “piece work” provided by their Manhattan alter ego.

From the design room, to the cutting table, to the sewing machine operators, and back to the showroom, Leo and his associates made sure to stay in control over every aspect of the business.

By the 1950s, each of the above-listed mafiosi had decades of business experience in the garment manufacturing industry under their belts.

Separately, and together, through the years, these men had operated various garment firms on behalf of their own interests as well as those of the Profaci Family at large — helping to maintain the borgata’s garment racket interests for the boss.

A Brief But Serious “Yellow Jacket”

Although he was knee-deep in the underworld and suspected of having been a fully inducted mafioso for nearly 50 years, Leo had a very limited arrest record to show for it — with only three known recorded arrests on his “yellow jacket.”

His first known arrest came on December 3, 1930, when Carlino was arrested by Jersey City Police for carrying concealed weapons. Once out on bail, Carlino quickly returned to New York City while his defense lawyer dealt with the case. And, apparently, Leo’s trust in his attorney was well placed because the lawyer successfully postponed the matter for nearly four years, until he eventually got the entire case dismissed in January of 1934.

His second arrest came on August 25, 1933, when Carlino, then 31-years-old, and a 44-year-old criminal accomplice named Alberto Cacioppo were picked by Brooklyn police and charged with orchestrating a $1,000 extortion plot against a local businessman.

Brooklyn authorities accused the suspects of having extorted an initial sum of $480 from the owner-operator of a neighborhood beer garden located at 5 Morton Street, after they threatened to kill him and bomb the business if he failed to pay.

The extortion victim, Anthony Marrotta, paid them $480 as a down payment and promised to come up with the rest of the money shortly. But instead, Marotta with to the police and told them about the shakedown.

Brooklyn detectives quickly started an investigation into the matter and decided to set up a trap for the suspects.

When Carlino and Cacioppo returned to the beer garden the following week to collect the remaining $520, detectives were hiding inside the business waiting for them. As soon as Marotta handed them the other $520, the police moved in and placed both men under arrest.

After spending the night in jail, the following morning Carlino and Cacioppo were both arraigned before Brooklyn Magistrate Earl A. Smith, who held them each on $25,000 bail on charges of extortion, attempted extortion, and making terroristic threats.

At the time of their arraignment, the district attorney told Judge Smith the authorities believed the pair were also behind numerous other recent shakedown plots of beer garden operators in Lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village section.

For their part, Carlino and Cacioppo both denied any knowledge of extortion or criminal intent, declaring they had merely visited Marotta’s bar to relax over a few glasses of beer.

Death and Taxes

According to his police record, Carlino’s third and last known arrest occurred some thirty years later, on April 23, 1962, when the United States Internal Revenue Service brought an indictment against him for federal income-tax evasion.

This criminal tax case stemmed directly from Carlino’s involvement in garment industry activities and his ownership interest in the C. & S. Dress Company.

One of Leo’s three partners, Herman Klein, was also indicted in this case.

Big Leo

Tax agents accused the two men of hiding the gross annual sales volume generated by the dress factory, which ultimately led to them under reporting the gross and net income on their personal annual tax returns.

Although we know that Carlino’s lawyers won repeated delays of this criminal case based on Leo’s health issues, no exact final disposition could be determined. But it’s not believed that the wily old mafioso was ever convicted of tax crimes or served any jail time.

What is known is that during his later years, Leo had permanently relocated down to the Miami area where he continued to keep a low profile for the remaining years of his life.

Retiring to Area Code 305

By the mid 1960s, the FBI and local police (who still kept an occasional eye on the old mafioso) largely viewed Carlino as being semi-retired and inactive.

But despite any such designation to the contrary, although now basking in the sun and sand at Miami Beach, among his Cosa Nostra brethren, “Big Leo” was still considered to be a highly regarded and respected original.

Liborio Leonardo (Big Leo) Carlino died in Miami on July 4, 1969. He was just shy of celebrating his 72nd birthday.

Carlino was flown back up to New York and waked at the well-known Scarpaci Funeral Chapels, at 1401 86th Street, Brooklyn. He was then given a Requiem Mass of Christian Burial at Saint Finbars R.C. Church and interred at Ocean View Cemetery on Staten Island.

He left behind his devoted wife Josephine, one surviving son, and three grandchildren.

Josephine would go on without Leo for another nine years.

Giuseppa (nee’ Fundaro) Carlino, born March 17, 1905, at Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, died in 1978. Jo was 73-years-old.

Until next time…”The Other Guy”

Big Leo Carlino: Joe Profaci’s Secret “Consigliere”

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