This crew is best known publicly for their infamous exploits as the robbery gang that pulled off the daring $5.8 million-dollar Lufthansa heist at JFK International Airport in Queens, New York in 1978. But they were so much more than that.
The historical introduction and hierarchy chart that follows documents the life and times of legendary Lucchese Family caporegime Paul Vario. It also identifies his crew of deadly soldiers and associates, including his notorious Irish sidekick, “Jimmy the Gent” Burke.
Born and raised in East New York, and later operating from nearby Canarsie, Brooklyn, by their late teens, Paul Vario and his brothers were quickly becoming a notorious bunch.
By the late 1950s, the Varios, led by Paul and Salvatore (Babe), were becoming one of the largest organized crime factions in Kings County. By the time the 1960s rolled around, they were branching out even further into Queens County and onto Long Island.
Born in 1913, the most notorious of the brothers was Paul Vario Sr.
