A Rising Star No More – The Tragic Story of Samuel (Hank) Perrone

He said his fear began after he had once seen Samuel (Hank) Perrone repeatedly strike an acquaintance in the face, already knew of his mafia reputation, and had also seen Perrone carry a gun in his waistband on more than one occasion.

Samuel (Hank) Perrone - aka “Salvatore Perrone” (TN) - was born in 1928 and raised in the Italian section of Greenpoint in North Brooklyn. By at least 1963, he had relocated with his wife Frances and their young children out to Suffolk County on Long Island, residing at 287 Peterson Street in another largely Italian neighborhood called Brentwood.

Samuel (Hank) Perrone

Sam Perrone was a short, stocky hood with a dark-olive complexion. He had a full head of dark brown wavy hair, and dark, deep-set eyes. He was a neatly dressed mafioso, whose one bad habit seemed to be chain-smoking cigarettes. When nervous, he was known to knock out three-packs-a-day of Chesterfields.

He generally had a friendly and outgoing disposition, but like many mafiosi, could turn vicious and dangerous at the flip of a coin.

Among several other businesses he was suspected of being a partner in, Perrone was the registered owner-operator of the Bingo Trucking Co., a local freight-trucking firm that operated out of a small office and warehouse on a quiet side street in Williamsburg at 140 Leonard Street.

He first came to the attention of the local Greenpoint police station in the late-1950s as a mob associate and neighborhood gambler.

By the early-1960s, law enforcement and several mob informants had identified him as a suspected inducted “soldier” in the Bonanno crime Family.

Rising Star

By 1966, with tensions rising between rival factions of their borgata, Perrone was being described by the FBI as the regular bodyguard and a constant companion of Family Boss Joseph Bonanno’s son Salvatore, more commonly known as Bill. Perrone was also considered a trusted “rising star” in their Family.

He was reputed to be active in varied gambling rackets, shylocking, truck hijacking and the fencing of stolen loads, strong-arm tactics, and extortion. Additionally, once the “Banana War” had started, underworld informants started reporting that Sam Perrone was an “active” combatant.

He would eventually be named as a prime suspect in several gangland murders, attempted murders, and shootings. The FBI suspected Perrone as the gunman who pumped four bullets into 68-year-old rebel faction underboss, Pietro Crociata, in front of his home.

He had also been the suspected gunman who machine-gunned and wounded Sciacca faction capo Frank (Frankie T) Mari in broad daylight on a Brooklyn street.

The Peace Pow-Wow

The “Banana War,” as it would come to be called by the press and police, officially began on January 28th of 1966 on Troutman Street in the heavily Bonanno mob-dominated section of Ridgewood in Brooklyn.

Originally organized as a peace “pow wow” between dissenting factions of their borgata, it turned out to be a potentially deadly bloodbath after rebel camp “shooters,” backed by their dissident leader, acting boss Gaspare Di Gregorio, used the mob meeting as a “set up” to try and end any potential conflict before it even started.

Dozens of shots were pegged at Bill Bonanno and his mob contingent (said to have been four to five key mob figures,) as they walked down dark, quiet Troutman Street in this largely residential neighborhood.

It was a near miracle that nobody was hit as both camps traded gunfire back and forth, running for cover between parked cars and darkened doorways as they unloaded their handguns at one another, turning this quiet neighborhood into a shooting gallery.

As all this was happening in 1968 during the heart of the gang war, Perrone, Bill Bonanno, and soldier Peter Notaro were federally indicted for mail fraud, fraudulent use of a credit card, conspiracy, and extortion.

The accusations were that Hank Perrone had taken (strong-armed really), a Diners Club credit card from Don A. Torrillo, a mob groupie, travel agent, and real estate dealer he dealt with from Elmhurst, Queens. Torrillo later testified in open court that he was so afraid of Perrone that he seldom ever questioned the charges later placed on the card by Sam or his friend Bill Bonanno.

He said his fear began after he had once seen Perrone repeatedly strike an acquaintance in the face, already knew of his mafia reputation, and had also seen Perrone carry a gun in his waistband on more than one occasion.

Fast forward to 1968.

Holding Their Own

By February 1968, five mafiosi had already been killed and nine more wounded. And although both sides had suffered casualties, Joe Bonanno’s faction seemed to be holding their own. They had slaughtered several important mafiosi in the rebel faction and had seriously wounded several more key decision makers in their camp.

The civil war also taking its toll on members of the Bonanno mob's rackets - including Hank Perrone's gambling operations. So much so that he wasn't able to give his trucking partner Bill Bonanno his share of profits. So instead Perrone gave Bonanno a Diner's Club card he obtained from a Queens real estate salesman and associate of his by the name of Don Torrillo who apparently gave the card willingly to Perrone who in turn gave it to Bonanno. So, he'd have something to cover his life expenses. At least that's the version according to Bill Bonanno in Gay Talese's 1971 book Honor Thy Father.

But in late 1968, authorities claimed that Bonanno had ordered Perrone to get a credit card for him to use so that he could travel anonymously and Perrone had forced Torillo to hand over his diner's club card. But we'll get to that shortly.

Back in 1966, Torillo had taken over the mortgage on Bill Bonanno's house after Bonanno ran into some legal trouble and his house was in jeapardy. And according to Bonanno - Perrone had later used Diner's Club Card to pay for a trip he took to California with Bonanno.

So Bonanno thought nothing of it when Perrone handed him the card in February 1968, using it freely as he traveled cross country to Arizona to face a tax case - and to escape assassins gunning for him back in New York.

He and his two travel which included Bill's uncle as well his father's bodyguard Peter Notaro made several pitstops in several states, paying for hotels and dinners with the ill gotten card and signing Don Torillo's name along the way.

And he never ran into any trouble using it … until one fateful day that March.

With the growing tensions and danger of the “Banana War” now in full swing, Perrone as well as most others in the Family in both factions of the conflict had either made themselves scarce, were packing “heat” daily, or had “hit the mattresses,” living together in safe houses while they went out nightly in “wolf packs” looking to gun down the opposition.

After many violent incidents and the murders of combatants on both sides, the end would come for this Bonnano enforcer one quiet evening in his old-boyhood neighborhood in the Williamsburg section of North Brooklyn.

Tragedy on the Way Home

On March 11, 1968, Perrone, his brother-in-law John Solivan, and his trucking company partner Philip Notaro had just closed up their trucking business.

They walked across the street to Rosa’s Superette, so Hank could pick up a pack of cigarettes before they headed home.

As Perrone walked out of the store and headed to his car, two unidentified Sciacca gunmen quickly ran up on him and opened fire. He was repeatedly hit dead-center in the chest and arms by six .38 caliber slugs that tore right through him leaving him crumpled in the gutter.

His assassins disappeared into the night just as quickly as they had appeared. They were believed to have jumped into a getaway car idling down the block and manned by a third accomplice.

Notaro told police he heard the shots, ran outside and saw Perrone laying bloody in the street and ran back inside to call the cops.

For his part, John Solivan told police he couldn't identify the suspects either because it was too dark - plus the fact that he narrowly escaped death by diving behind a car when the killers stepped out of their car and opened fire on perrone.

There were also many other eyewitnesses that admitted seeing the two assailants but said that it happened so quickly, coupled with the fact that it was dark out, that none of them were able to get a good look at either killer’s face for positive identification.

After dozens of interviews by detectives of eyewitnesses who were alleged to be at the scene of the murder, a Puerto Rican bartender by the name of Maria Febus came forward saying she got a good look at the killers

Where Hank Perrone lost his life.

She worked at Bruno's Bar, right down the street from Rosa's Superette and ran outside after she heard gunshots. She told police she saw two men firing at Perrone and she knew it was Perrone because he apparently visited her bar often to use the public telephone.

After intense questioning by the cops, Maria was able to pick out the two alleged gunmen from an array of photos police showed her.

The alleged gunmen were never identified publicly by the authorities only that it was suspected they were in the rival Sciacca faction of the Bonanno Family. But it didn't matter anyway.

By the time Maria appeared before a Kings County grand jury, she apparently acquired amnesia and quickly recanted her story.

Angry prosecutors immediately held her as a material witness, ordered her jailed, and held her on $75,000. bail. They claimed she wanted to flee to her native Puerto Rico because she feared for her life and she was jailed for 30 days while her case was reviewed.

Eventually, Maria Febus was released because the prosecution's murder case fell apart and nobody was arrested from her earlier identification of the reputed gunmen.

Days after Perrone was gunned down, two Bronx-based, minor Bonanno associates by the names of William Gonzalez and Al Rivello were shot at by would-be assassins in an apparent case of mistaken identity.

Police reported that Gonzalez who had been employed by Perrone, and Rivello who was a sometimes bodyguard of Bill Bonnano, were driving Bonanno's Cadillac when they were shot. Both survived.

Looking for Answers

Other close associates of Perrone would end up receiving subpoenas to testify before the Nassau or Kings County grand juries about what they knew about his murder as well. These included:

• Steven Menna - A Bonanno soldier, convicted hijacker, close friend, and very close associate of his. He was a former prize-fighter who grew up with Hank in Williamsburg and had also moved out to Brentwood with him.

• Frank Mistretta - A little-known Bonanno soldier, and boyhood friend who resided in Greenpoint. Mistretta had served time up at Sing Sing for several armed robberies earlier in his career.

• James (Jimmy Legs) Episcopia - Another Greenpoint native and boyhood friend of Perrone’s. Jimmy Legs was a known soldier in their borgata. He would figure into the major FBI/Donnie Brasco undercover investigation of the early-1980’s.

• Francesco (Frank) Crociata - An old-time “sleeper” soldier active in running card games and gambling. Virtually an unknown until the breakout of gangland violence in the Family. Crociata later figured into several gangland attempted murder conspiracy investigations involving Perrone that were exposed after his death.

Timing

Perrone's murder happened only a few hours after Bill Bonanno had run into trouble with Don Torillo's credit card. He was trying to buy some clothes and cologne at a Tuscon department store when store clerks called Diner's Club, they learned the card was being fraudulently used and took it away.

Bonanno had apparently called Perrone to tell him about the situation and Perrone said he'd sort it out. Hours later, he was dead.

In December 1968, Bill Bonanno and Peter Notaro were federally indicted for mail fraud, fraudulent use of a credit card, conspiracy, and extortion. Perrone was named as a co-conspirator.

Torillo later testified that Perrone had stolen the Diner's Club card and was warned not to report it stolen - or else.

He knew Perrone meant business. He had once seen Perrone repeatedly strike an acquaintance in the face, already knew of his mafia reputation, and had also seen Perrone carry a gun in his waistband on more than one occasion.

And he was so fearful that he seldom ever questioned the charges later placed on the card by Perrone or his friend Bill Bonanno.

Bonanno and Notaro were later convicted at trial and sentenced to 4 years and one year in jail, respectively.

A Turning Point

Samuel (Hank) Perrone had never been publicly named by authorities as a “Capodecina,” “consigliere,” or “street boss” for Joe and Bill Bonanno. As far as can be ascertained, he officially held no higher rank than that of a soldier.

But his killing is generally looked at as a pivotal moment in the fighting and a turning point where the tide decidedly turned against Family boss Joseph Bonanno.

Perrone had been a key operative of theirs and upon reflection, had most probably organized several surgical strikes against their enemies. I suspect he acted more in the capacity of a “street boss” or “war general” than he is given credit for in mob history.

He served as their trusted “eyes and ears” on the streets. And he was a very trusted minion among many of the Family rank and file who could no longer be fully trusted, so his death was a big loss for them!

The “Banana War” would continue for another year or so, eventually petering out on its own.

Joseph Bonanno and his son Bill, as well as approximately twenty or so of their more loyal, old-time veteran Sicilian soldiers, chose to permanently relocate from New York City out to Tucson in Arizona. His old “soldati” joined their beloved “Representante” in retirement.

Perrone died a year too early. The war basically ended by mid-1969 and things simmered down. Perrone might have gone on to live a long life and have an extensive underworld career, but I guess it was not to be!

Had he simply chosen not to go buy that stupid pack of smokes at that corner bodega that fateful night, he might have survived all the carnage. He certainly would have made it back home to Long Island and to his beloved young wife and small kids that evening.

Sam Perrone was only 39 years old.

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

A Rising Star No More – The Tragic Story of Samuel (Hank) Perrone

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A Rising Star No More – The Tragic Story of Samuel (Hank) Perrone

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