Paul (Paulie Ham) Correale

Paul Correale was arguably one of the most important capos and a Tommy Lucchese favorite. He was reputed to have been in line to succeed Lucchese, but Paulie died very young. During his lifetime, Paulie Ham was heavily engaged in the policy racket, controlling a multi-million dollar volume in Harlem.

Paul (Paulie Ham) Correale was born in 1911 in East Harlem. By the late 1950s, he had moved to 38 Olive Street in Lake Success, Long Island.

He was a top “capo di decina” in the old Lucchese Family. A solidly built 5-foot 11-inches and 185 pounds with dark brown hair and eyes, Correale was known as an expensive dresser. He was married to his devoted wife, Anna, for many years. They had one adopted son together.

Paulie Ham enjoyed the nightlife, frequenting all the finest restaurants and nightclubs of Manhattan, including the famed Copacabana and the Pygmalian.

But he also felt equally comfortable at several East Harlem private social clubs he and the Family operated on 112th Street and First Avenue as well as on the infamous Pleasant Avenue section of the neighborhood.

FBI #177910, NYCPD #B-71983

A Most Important Capo

Correale was arguably one of the most important capos and a Lucchese favorite. He was reputed to have been in line to succeed Lucchese, but Paulie died very young.

He passed away suddenly in approximately 1962 while on a trip to Florida. He was in his early 50s.

Correale was a very astute underworld power and very well-liked by the membership.

He ran a private social club called The Jefferson Major Club at 242 E. 112th Street for many years as his base. His crew also operated another private social club called the 72 Club located off the corner of 2nd Avenue and 72nd Street in Manhattan.

He was heavily engaged in the policy racket, controlling a multi-million dollar volume in Harlem. He also ran floating dice games - the so-called "Harlem game."

His close associates includedVincent Rao, Joey Rao, Pasquale Zaccaro, Carmine (Gribbs) Tramunti (a childhood friend and lifelong partner,) Gaetano Lucchese, Louis (Louie Beans) Foceri, Joseph (Socks) Lanza, (Trigger Mike) Coppola, and Jimmy Blue Eyes Alo , among many more of the NYC underworld elite.

Arrest Record and Businesses

His arrest record starts in 1924 for truancy, robbery, felonious assault, and parole violation.

Correale held interests in the Gay Lady Dress Mfg., Co., in the Bronx and was suspected of having a hidden interest in several midtown Manhattan bars and nightclubs including The Golden Door (with Vinny “Bruno” Mauro) and The Bazaar Room. He was also suspected of being a silent partner in the Late Edition Club at 2nd Avenue and 43rd Street.

His activities included policy, shylocking, dice games, and suspected high-level heroin trafficking.

Side Note: His brother Jimmy served a long prison term for a murder charge, and Tommy Lucchese himself, got involved to try to get Jimmy parole. It was said Jimmy had taken the fall for Lucchese in the case...maybe that was another reason why Paul Correale was favored by Tommy Lucchese.

In 1959, narcotics detectives raided a mid-town apartment, thinking it was a drug stash house. It wasn’t!

But it was the “bank” of Correale’s policy network. They nabbed a huge amount of policy slips, ribbons, $30,000 in cash (an enormous amount in 1959), and what was believed to be shylock records alleging a $60,000-a-day volume,

Several underlings were arrested, and Correale was charged and released. He was pulled in on a conspiracy count that didn’t hold up (he was not on the scene).

Classy Mob Figure

Members in his regime were said to include Teddy Orso (his cousin and a convicted narcotics dealer), Louis Foceri, Jacob (Jack Mace) Maislich (a top NYC fence), Joseph (Joe Babes) Bendenelli, James (Pat Patty) Reger, and Frank Petrella, among others.

In 1941, Correale was charged with felony assault for shooting at a cop so a partner could escape. It was said that the person was his “compare” Tramunti.

In closing, it was common underworld knowledge that Correale was a big-spending, generous, and classy mob figure - a rarity in the mob!

He died very young from lung cancer. The Lucchese Family might have taken a different historic turn if Correale had lived and succeeded to the boss position.

Until next time..."The Other Guy!"

Paul (Paulie Ham) Correale

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Paul (Paulie Ham) Correale

Often Imitated. Never Duplicated. Button Guys of The New York Mafia...There's Only One!

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Dive Deeper into the Underworld

BG Presents: Jimmy Doyle Plumeri Documentary

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