Michael (Mike Rosie) Maione: Counterfeit Kingpin

For approximately 6 to 7 years, Michael (Mike Rosie) Maione was a soldier in the Genovese Family who served in the regime of Patsy Eboli and Chin Gigante. He had been arrested numerous times for policy and lottery gambling and garnered the nickname "Policy Mike” because of his notorious reputation in that area. To learn more about the mob's gambling rackets, see The Gambling Rackets and The Loansharking Racket .

Michael (Mike Rosie) Maione - aka "Policy Mike," "Uncle Mike," and "Mikey Rosa" - was born on November 25, 1911. He was raised in the Harlem/Bronx area and resided in the Bronx for many years at 4027 Carpenter Ave. and 10 Orchard Place in New Rochelle.

Michael (Mike Rosie) Maione

In the early 1930s when he was 24 years old, Mike Rosie moved to Congdon Place up in Binghamton, New York. He operated a large policy racket for several years there.

By the early 1960s, Maione relocated again to 217-28 73rd St., in Bayside, Queens County where he would reside for the rest of his life.

He operated out of the Williamsbridge and Wakefield sections of The Bronx.

FBI # 182756, NYCPD # B-81408

Michael Maione was an old-time, veteran member of the Family since at least the mid-1940s. He was identified during the 1963 Valachi Hearings, and on every government chart since then, as an (inducted) soldier in the Genovese Family. He served in the Downtown Westside regime of Eboli/Gigante.

His activities included policy-numbers lottery, alcohol bootlegging, counterfeiting (US currency and postal stamps), floating dice games, after-hours clubs, extortion, and business infiltration.

His criminal arrest record starts in 1928 and includes arrests for suspicion, burglary, armed robbery (twice,) possessing a revolver, robbery, vagrancy (twice,) policy (six times,) contriving a lottery, bail jumping, alcohol tax violations and conspiracy, counterfeiting conspiracy, forgery, and perjury and conspiracy (stock fraud case.)

Criminal associates through the decades included Morris (Mickey Morris) Barra, Joseph (Gigio) Barra, Rocco Barra, Dante Forzano (his brother-in-law,) Thomas Milo, Pasquale (Patsy Ryan) Eboli, Vincent (Chin) Gigante, Dominick (Cockeyed Dom) Alongi, Joseph Pagano, Freddy (Fritzie) Giovanelli, Joseph Zito, Dominick (Baldy Dom) Canterino, James (Jimmy Ward) Massi, Vincent (Vinny Bruno) Mauro, and John (Buster) Ardito.

Policy Mike

In 1928, he was arrested for burglary and received a two-year suspended term.

In 1930, he was among four arrested on assault and robbery for a string of holdups in Manhattan and the Bronx. Maione, who was 19 at the time, was apprehended as part of a gang that robbed drug stores, groceries, and other small businesses over several weeks. He served 18 months in jail. One of his co-defendants was future Bonanno capo Vito DeFilippo.

In 1933, he was arrested for excessive speeding in the Bronx.

In 1934, he was charged with robbery in the Bronx with several other young hoodlums after assaulting and robbing Mike Adelman at his 107th Street Harlem apartment.

In 1936, he was extradited from Binghamton by NYC police and charged with a gun robbery. Maione, who was 26 at the time, was arrested with two women accomplices working a variation of the old “badger” game. Also in 1936, he was listed as a top Binghamton racketeer and head of a policy operation in that city.

For approximately 6 to 7 years, he had been arrested numerous times for policy and lottery gambling. He garnered the nickname "Policy Mike” as a result of his notorious reputation in that area.

In 1937, Mike was again charged with policy. He was extradited from NYC and returned up to Binghamton for not paying a woman $2,800 on a “lottery ticket” she hit while playing policy tickets with Maione’s policy ring at 500 to 1 odds. He later pled guilty to gambling conspiracy, got a suspended sentence and was ordered to leave the city! He also faced bail-jumping charges for having fled the city after making bail.

In all, Mike had been arrested eight times in the city, six times for possession of either lottery tickets or policy slips.

In 1940, Maione was one of 72 racketeers indicted for a huge multi-million dollar liquor tax fraud conspiracy for the operation of multiple alcohol stills over several years in the greater NY metropolitan area. Mike was specifically charged with the wholesale purchase and distribution of untaxed liquor to nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. Others indicted in the case were Tommy and Louis (Babe) Milo, Antonio (The Fox) Caruso, and Anthony Navarra. They served 15 months in prison

In 1949, Maione, who was 38 at the time, was indicted as the eastern head of a huge nationwide counterfeiting ring that forged US currency as well as postal stamps. They were alleged by the Secret Service to have passed over $1,000,000 in $10 and $20 notes in that past year alone. Maione was also alleged to be the “guiding spirit” in the passing of $500,000 in forged three-cent stamps.

Described as the suave, well-dressed leader, ex-convict, and jukebox operator, 38-year-old Maione was said by authorities to have been the “top dog” on the East Coast. He was working with a top counterfeit syndicate out of the Chicago area that included some of the top racketeers in the nation.

Under observation for over a year by the Secret Service, Maione was alleged to be the controlling head of a gang of 28 henchmen who flooded the New York and East Coast area with phony $10 and $20 notes in unprecedented quantities. The bills were said to be “masterful” and almost perfect!

Maione would sell $100 in counterfeits for $20 or 20% of face value to “passers” who in turn would circulate the bills in commerce. He also sold wholesale at 8% to 15% in large quantities to other mob guys.

Maione drew a three-year federal term for the stamp case. He additionally had the separate counterfeit currency case as well. After the initial arrests, several Bronx youths playing in a playground discovered 2,000,000 bogus three-cent stamps “dumped” in a lot by the counterfeit gang when the “heat” was on.

Uncle Mike

In 1973, he was among many mafiosi, including Joey Pagano, Tony (The Sheik) Carillo, Joseph N. Gallo, Frank (Frankie Butch) Guglielmini, Neil Dellacroce, James (Fat Jimmy) Cavera, and Francis (Frankie Dell) DeSisto, investigated for their involvement in a stock fraud extortion case in the SDNY. Frank Sinatra and his sidekick Jilly Rizzo also figured in this investigation.

“Computer Fields Expressway” was the stock name touted, and Joseph “Joe Paris” Guarnera (an alleged relative of a Gambino member) bought $100,000 of the stock reportedly with money fronted by Carlo Gambino, Sinatra, and Rizzo.

Shortly after the investment, the stock's value quickly dropped from $12.00 to 75 cents per share nearly overnight. Clearly a blatant fraud, and one against Gambino affiliates, no less. And that's when the Genovese and Gambino families had a “beef” involving many of the above-named hood and the attempted strong-arm extortion to recoup the $100,000.

Before it was all over, the FBI got wind of the events which led to indictments against six of the above-named hoodlums, Maione and Pagano among them. The men were indicted on interstate transportation in aid of racketeering extortion counts.

L-R: Vincent DiSalvio, Carmine DeNoia, Mike Maione, and Joseph Pagano.

In his later years, Mike Rosie was well-traveled throughout the NYC area and a “fixture” in restaurants and nightclubs around the city. He pretty much knew everybody there was to know in the underworld, having been active for over 80 years as a mafioso and racket guy -- an extraordinary feat!

Maione was also a mentor, of sorts, and friend to many an “up and coming” hoodlum. Hence, another nickname he garnered in later life based upon his demeanor, “Uncle Mike.”

Side Note: He had a piece of a major catering house in NY that I will not name because it’s owned by a very nice guy and friend who shall remain nameless. But he took great care of Mike in his later years. Mike wanted for nothing!

A very well-liked mafioso, and friend to many, Mike died on February 9, 2008, at the ripe old age of 96!

He fell backward down the stairs in his home after a night of clubbing and drinking on the town, believe it or not! If that unfortunate accident hadn’t happened, who knows how much longer he might have lived!

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Mike Rosie on Mob Fireside Chat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipmpbdCtOpw

Michael (Mike Rosie) Maione: Counterfeit Kingpin

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