Nicholas (Big Nose Nick) Tolentino

Nick Tolentino was a notorious Lucchese soldier who was active in narcotics. He worked directly under Lucchese capo Big John Ormento dealing in wholesale heroin in the East Harlem section of Manhattan.

Nicholas (Big Nose Nick) Tolentino - aka “Nicholas Tollantino” - was raised in East Harlem and later operated nearly his entire underworld career from that same neighborhood. Born back on February 10, 1909, he was one of six children of Antonio and Rose Tolentino (nee’ Canzoni.)

Big Nose Nick Tolentino was a tough Harlem kid from the get-go. About the time he was getting himself well established within the local Italian mob, he married a local girl named Mary Avalino. They eventually rented a small apartment (Apt. #9), at 350 Pleasant Avenue.

Big Nose Nick Tolentino

Long recognized as an East Harlem Mafia stronghold, Pleasant Avenue ran from E. 114th Street, through E. 120th Street, and was considered ground zero for the Italian Mafia in Upper Manhattan.

Tolentino stood 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed in at about 165 pounds. He gained his underworld moniker because of his large prominent nose.

Big Nose Nick had a medium build and a rough complexion. He sported a nearly bald head and had brown eyes hidden behind the thick eyeglasses he always wore.

FBI #1352699, FNB #11777, NYCPD #B-68336, New Haven-CT PD #1087, NJPD #56015

A Proud Hoodlum

During his long criminal career, Big Nose Nick Tolentino was never known to ever hold ownership or to work at any legitimate job or business. He was strictly a hoodlum through and through, and proud of it too!

His local police record started in 1920 at the tender age of only eleven years old.

Nick’s rap sheet listed at least eight arrests for such serious offenses as armed robbery (7.5-15 years in Sing Sing,) assault and robbery (5-10 years Sing Sing,) disorderly conduct, possession and sale of heroin (2 years,) conspiracy to sell narcotics (5 years,) and being a fugitive from a federal narcotics indictment.

He had at least four narcotics-related arrests over the years. In 1959, he was charged as a fugitive from justice after the junk agents nabbed him and his buddy Ormento hiding out in a nondescript apartment house after going “on the lam” to avoid capture.

Big Nose Nick Tolentino was named by infamous mafia informant Joe Valachi at the 1963 U.S. Senate Hearings on Organized Crime as an inducted “soldier” of the old Gagliano-Lucchese family headquartered in East Harlem.

Labeled as a longtime sidekick and direct subordinate of notorious narcotics kingpin and Lucchese capo, Giovanni (Big John) Ormento, Tolentino reputedly worked hand and glove with Ormento dealing kilograms quantities of heroin to both local and out-of-town distributors for many years.

He was long considered one of “Big John’s” most trusted men.

Big Nose Nick Tolentino most often hung around and dealt out of various neighborhood social clubs and restaurants including the Parnell Social & Athletic Club, 224 E. 112th Street; Square Deal Pet Shop (owned by soldier Sam Cavalieri), 2133 First Avenue; and Mollie’s Restaurant, 2126 First Avenue.

The FBN (Federal Bureau of Narcotics) listed Nick in their files stating, “Tolentino is a wholesale dealer in the interstate traffic and is closely associated with Mafia traffickers in the East Harlem section of Manhattan.”

Among the known drug merchants named as Nick’s closest associates and partners in Harlem’s narcotics trade were such dedicated mobbed-up “junk” dealers as Harry (Blackie) Tantillo, Charles (Charlie Mouse) Curcio, Samuel (Big Sam) Cavalieri, Arnold Barbato, Frank (The Hawk) Borelli, Theodore (Teddy) Orzo, Joe Foti, and Salvatore (Sally the Blond) LoProto.

After a lifetime of unapologetic mayhem, Lucchese soldier Nicholas (Big Nose Nick) Tolentino passed away in 1972 at only 63 years of age.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Nicholas (Big Nose Nick) Tolentino

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Nicholas (Big Nose Nick) Tolentino

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