Michelino (Mike) Clemente: Corruption on the Waterfront

Michelino (Mike) Clemente was a highly respected Genovese Family soldier active in waterfront rackets, including cargo/pier theft.

Michelino (Mike) Clemente - aka Mike Costello and William Clemente - was born August 29, 1908. He resided at 7520 Colonial Road in Brooklyn and 36 Beech Street in Point Lookout, which was a summer home. He previously resided at 7243 Shore Road in Brooklyn.

Mike had a solid, heavy build at 5 feet 7 inches tall and 200 pounds with black hair and blue eyes.

Michelino (Mike) Clemente

He was a highly respected hoodlum who was active in waterfront rackets including cargo/pier theft, extortion, floating dice games, and bookmaking on the docks.

Later, he expanded into the shylock business, supplying the money to several associates to pay off money borrowed from Nicholas (Jiggs) Forlano, a “shylock's shylock.” Clemente then became the partner of those associates, receiving a healthy share of all “vigorish” paid into the new partnership.

FBI #2675935 NYCPD #B-321975

He typically frequented the ILA headquarters daily at 148 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan, at one time serving as its secretary. His dominion was all the Lower East Side dock area.

Clemente was the business agent and "power" in Local #856 - International Longshoremen's Union and was appointed to his post as caretaker of the ILA local by the Genovese administration to fill the shoes of Joseph (Socks) Lanza, who was imprisoned on corruption charges (extortion, etc.) Eventually, the Waterfront Commission also ordered Clemente off the docks.

He was a close associate of Saro Mogavero, Ottilio Caruso, Ignazio (Joe Curly) Agone, Joseph (Joe Shep) Schipani, Gaetano (Toddo) Marino, Joseph (Joe Beck) Lapi, Harry Bonsignore, and most hoodlums on the Lower East Side. He also coordinated with the Gambino Family's Alex (The Ox) DeBrizzi, overlord of the Staten Island docks for that respective Family.

For many years, Mike Clemente, although a major power, was a subordinate of Calabrian mafia leader Rocco Pellegrino and used his position as overlord of the East Side piers to help facilitate the smuggling of narcotics into the United States.

Federal narcotics agents alleged that he utilized one of his strong-arm enforcers, Rosario (Saro) Mogavero, to personally handle these narcotics transactions. Clemente then became the "rep" for a Detroit equipment company that supplied machinery to stevedores on the waterfront. He also had a piece of a travel agency that specialized in boat and plane trips to the Mediterranean.

Michelino (Mike) Clemente

Clemente had a lengthy arrest record for assault (60 days,) disorderly conduct, conspiracy to violate tax laws, operating a 28,000-gallon alcohol still (3 years in federal prison,) extortion (twice,) perjury (2.5 to 5 years,) and violating state tax laws.

In 1980, he was charged in the federal UNIRAC investigation which exposed ILA corruption from the NY to FL docks. Union leaders Anthony Scotto and Tino Fiumara were among the multitude of defendants charged.

Clemente served a significant federal term, and, by that time, he was already in his late 70s and faded into retirement.

Michelino (Mike) Clemente died on December 22, 1987.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

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Michelino (Mike) Clemente: Corruption on the Waterfront

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