Many mob aficionados, and the less-aware mob guys themselves, don’t realize the harsh “reality” of a life and career spent within the underworld; especially if that life and career were during the past 40 to 50 years or so.
To clear the air and to better educate our fanbase, Button Guys has compiled a short list of many of the top leaders of the New York/New Jersey underworld. And let me tell ya, it’s a real eye-opener!
The betrayals…The murders…And all the years spent behind bars. In the end, was it really worth it? We’ll let the reader decide that for themselves.
And remember, these were just the top bosses and hierarchy figures. Generally speaking, the picture didn’t get any rosier as we reviewed the lower-echelon membership: the capos, the soldiers, and the associates.
These are the dismal statistics and the reality of just how the various bosses of the New York/New Jersey underworld ended up. And numbers don’t lie. It’s pretty much black and white.
Note: Some jail term totals are approximations based on available data.
Genovese Family
Boss – Salvatore Lucania | Sentenced to 50 years in jail. Served 10 years before being deported to his native Sicily.
Acting Boss – Frank Costello | Sentenced to 5 years. Retired and lived luxuriously until his death from natural causes at age 83.
Boss – Vito Genovese | Sentenced to 15 years in prison. Died behind bars.
Acting Boss – Gerardo Catena | Served 5 years in prison. Retired and lived luxuriously until his death from natural causes in 2000 at 98 years old.
Acting Underboss – Thomas Eboli | Assassinated.
Boss – Frank Tieri | Sentenced to 10 years, but died before beginning jail term.
Underboss – Anthony Salerno | Sentenced to 100 years in jail. Died behind bars.
Consigliere – Eli Zeccardi | Disappeared and presumed murdered.
Acting Underboss – Pasquale Macchiarole | Assassinated.
Boss – Vincent Gigante | Served 7 years for narcotics. Later, sentenced to another 12-year prison term. Died behind bars.
Underboss – Venero Mangano | He served approximately 15 years in jail before being paroled. Died in 2017 at 95 years old.
Consigliere – James Ida | Life in prison (no parole). Currently in jail. Has served over 30+ years.
Consigliere – Louis Manna | Life in prison (no parole). Currently in jail. Has served over 30+ years.
Gambino Family
Boss – Vincent Mangano | Disappeared and presumed murdered.
Boss/Underboss – Frank Scalice | Assassinated.
Boss – Albert Anastasia | Assassinated.
Boss – Carlo Gambino | Served 2 years in jail. Died of natural causes in his own bed at 74 years old.
Boss – Paul Castellano | Assassinated.
Underboss – Thomas Bilotti | Assassinated.
Consigliere – Joseph N. Gallo | Served 10 years in jail.
Underboss – Joseph Armone | Served over 30 years in jail. Died behind bars.
Boss – John Gotti | Life in prison (no parole). Died behind bars
Underboss – Salvatore Gravano | Faced life in prison, turned Federal informant, but still served 20 years for drug sales while he was an informant.
Consigliere – Frank Locascio | Life in prison (no parole). Died behind bars.
Bonanno Family
Boss – Salvatore Maranzano | Assassinated.
Boss – Joseph S. Bonanno | Deposed 1966. Retired. Served approx. one year in jail. Lived comfortably. Died at 97 years old.
Underboss – Frank Garofalo | Deported to Sicily. Jailed there for a short period, but lived comfortably for the rest of his life.
Consigliere – John Tartamella | Never jailed. Died in 1966 of natural causes.
Boss – Gaspare DiGregorio | Never jailed. Died in 1970 of natural causes.
Boss – Paul Sciacca | Never jailed. Died of natural causes.
Boss – Natale Evola | Served 10 years in jail. Died a free man in the early 1970s.
Boss – Carmine Galante | Served several lengthy prison terms totaling approximately 25 years. Came home and was soon assassinated.
Boss – Philip Rastelli | Served over 25 years in jail during his lifetime. Died behind bars
Underboss – Nicholas Marangello | Served 15 years in jail
Boss – Joseph Massino | Served 10+ years in jail. Later, while facing a life sentence, he turned FBI informer. In witness Protection.
Underboss – Salvatore Vitale | Facing prison, he turned informant. Currently in Witness Protection.
Consigliere – Louis Tartaglione | Facing jail time, he turned undercover FBI informant. Currently in Witness Protection.
Boss – Vincent Basciano | Sentenced to life (no parole). Currently serving out his sentence.
Boss – Michael Mancuso | Served over 25 years in prison. Currently facing another jail term.
Colombo Family
Boss – Giuseppe Profaci | Never jailed in the U.S. Died of natural causes at age 62 years old in 1962.
Underboss – Giuseppe Magliocco | Never jailed. Died of natural causes at age 65 years old, in 1963.
Consigliere – Salvatore Mussachio | Never jailed. Died of natural causes at age 65 years old, in 1972.
Boss – Joseph Colombo Sr. | Assassinated in 1971.
Underboss – John Franzese | Sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison during his lifetime (for over 8 convictions). Served almost 40 years behind bars. Died destitute in a nursing home.
Soldier/Rebel Boss – Joesph Gallo | Served 14 years in jail. Assassinated in 1972.
Boss – Carmine Persico | Sentenced to a total of almost 165 years (for multiple convictions) during his lifetime. Served nearly 50 years behind bars. Died in prison.
Acting Boss – Alphonse Persico | Sentenced to life in jail. He served almost 30 years. Died in prison
Underboss – Gennaro Langella | Sentenced to 165+ years in jail. Served over 30+ years. Died in prison
Acting Boss – Victor Orena | Sentenced to life (no parole). Currently serving out his prison term. Has already served over 30+ years.
Acting Underboss – Benedetto Aloi | Served 20 years in prison. Came home and died.
Acting Underboss – Pasquale Amato | Sentenced to life in prison (no parole). Served over 25 years. Died behind bars.
Acting Consigliere – Vincent Angellino | Assassinated.
Acting Underboss – William Cutolo | Assassinated.
Boss – Alphonse T. Persico | Sentenced to life (no parole). Currently serving out his term.
Underboss – John J. DeDeRoss | Sentenced to life (no parole). Currently serving out his term.
Boss – Andrew T. Russo | Served over 25 years in jail. Died while awaiting another major RICO case.
Lucchese Family
Boss – Gaetano Lucchese | Served 2 years in jail. Died of natural causes, in his own bed, at age 67.
Underboss – Stefano LaSalle | Never jailed. Died of natural causes.
Consigliere – Vincent Rao | Served 5 years in jail. Died of natural causes.
Boss – Carmine Tramunti | Served over 25 years in jail. Died behind bars.
Acting Boss – Andimo Pappadio | Assassinated.
Boss – Anthony Corallo | Sentences totaled 115 years (no parole). Died behind bars.
Underboss – Salvatore Santoro | Sentences totaled 125 years (no parole). Died behind bars.
Consigliere – Christopher Furnari | Sentences totaling 140 years (served over 40). Finally released, but died shortly thereafter.
Chosen Boss – Anthony Luongo | Assassinated.
Boss – Victor Amuso | Sentenced to life (no parole). Currently serving out his term.
Underboss – Anthony Casso | Turned FBI informer, but still served over 30 years in jail. Died behind bars.
Acting Boss – Alphonse D’Arco | Served 8 years behind bars. Turned informer. Died while in Witness Protection Program.
Acting Boss – Joseph DeFede | Turned FBI informer. Died while in Witness Protection Program.
Acting Boss – Louis Daidone | Sentenced to life in jail (no parole). Currently serving out his sentence.
Acting Boss – Matthew Madonna | Served over 35 years in jail. Now currently serving life behind bars (no parole).
Underboss – Steven Crea | Sentenced to life in prison (no parole). Currently serving out his prison term.
Consigliere – Joseph DiNapoli | His sentences have totaled 40 years behind bars. Currently released.
DeCavalcante Family
Boss – Samuel DeCavalcante | Served 5 years in jail. Retired to Florida. Died peacefully in his own bed with his shoes off.
Boss – John Riggi Sr. | Served over 30 years in jail before being released. Died at home, of natural causes, in 2015.
Underboss – Luciano Larasso | Disappeared and presumed murdered
Boss – Vincent Palermo | Turned FBI informant. Now living in the Witness Protection Program.
Underboss – Vincent Rotondo | Assassinated.
Consigliere – Stefano Vitabile | Served over 30 behind bars.
Acting Boss – John D’Amato | Assassinated.
Consigliere – Frank D’Amato | Served over 30 years in jail. Currently free.
There are others, many others, not named here, who served in various hierarchy capacities over the last fifty years and also ended up very badly. Since at least the early 1980s, Cosa Nostra has certainly not been a cakewalk for most. On the contrary, it’s been a very delicate walking of a dangerous “tightrope” at best! And it could be argued that it’s been a virtual “hell on earth” for many of the men listed above, at its worst.
This is just one small vignette of a much larger composite profile that Buttton Guys researched and created about literally hundreds of mobsters and racketeers in the New York/New Jersey area.
What they earned. Who was wealthy? Who was broke? How much jail time did they do? Who got killed? Who disappeared forever? Etc., Etc.
Coming soon…Only at Button Guys of The New York Mafia!
Postscript
Of all the so-called “bosses” we listed, most of them have long since passed away. They’ve moved on to the next life. But among the guys still remaining, the fellas still standing upright and breathing, here are their current standings and “batting averages” as of today;
GUYS BURIED UNDER WHEELBARROWS OF TIME…WHO WILL MORE THAN LIKELY DIE BEHIND BARS:
Genovese Family
Louis (Bobby) Manna
James Ida
Lucchese Family
Steven (Wonder Boy) Crea
Matthew Madonna
Louis (Crossbay Louie) Daidone
Victor (Little Vic) Amuso
Bonanno Family
Vincent (Vinny Gorgeous) Basciano
Colombo Family
Victor (Little Vic) Orena Sr.
Alphonse T. (Little Alley Boy) Persico
John (Jackie) DeRoss
GUYS WHO ALREADY SERVED DECADES IN PRISON, FACING PRISON AGAIN
Bonanno Family
Michael (Mike the Nose) Mancuso
GUYS FACING LIFE IN PRISON WHO WEASELED OUT FROM UNDER BY TURNING RAT, NOW HIDING IN THE WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM
Bonanno Family
Joseph (Fat Joey) Massino
Salvatore (Good Looking Sal) Vitale
James (Big Louie) Tartaglione
Gambino Family
Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano
DeCavalcante Family
Vincent (Vinny Ocean) Palermo
CURRENTLY FREE AS A LARK
DeCavalcante Family
Frank D’Amato
Lucchese Family
Joseph (Joe D) DiNapoli
So of those mob figures still alive, only two of them are currently free and unencumbered from either arrest, prison stripes, or looking over their shoulder while hiding out somewhere in Butte, Montana. And even they spent most of their adult life locked up. D’Amato also lost a brother to gangland violence.
On review, it would seem that the last few decades have not been kind to fellas of the bent-nose set. I’ll let readers decide for themselves if it was all worth it!
Until next time…”The Other Guy”
