Considering the criteria listed to determine the “best” overall capo, I believe the most logical answer would have to be Joseph Laratro.
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Because, although all five men were capos in their own right, with varying degrees of power in their chosen “fields” of criminal endeavor, not all meet the benchmarks in the other categories considered. For instance;

A) Paul Vario Sr. was a very powerful capo. He ran a huge crew. Yet, he had over 35 arrests on his record and served many many years in prison. He died in jail. And during his years outside of prison he didn’t exactly live a wealthy lifestyle of comfort and luxury.

B) Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese was the boss’ brother. So he had it very cushy to say the least. With the exception of a few minor gambling arrests on his record, he basically flew under the radar his entire career. He also never served a day in jail. He supervised Queens County gambling rackets (along with Laratro) for his brother Tommy. He lived in wealthy Malba, Queens (a prestigious neighborhood), and was partners in several legitimate businesses. But after his brother’s death in 1967, he was quickly sidelined by the administration, demoted to a soldier post, and lost his influence.

C) Anthony (Tony Higgins) Castaldi was an East Harlem-Bronx guy and well respected. But he was mostly known as a heavy narcotics trafficker. He also had a lengthy arrest record and served several prison terms during his career. He was mostly a street racket guy who was never into legitimate business, per se. He is not known to have ever accumulated any major major assets or wealth to speak of, and was not considered one of the most important capos of that family.

D) Joseph (Joe Narrow) Laratro was from Queens. For decades he was considered the gambling “specialist” and general overseer of the Family’s gambling rackets, especially in the Queens County areas of Corona, Rego Park, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Bayside, and many other county neighborhoods. He lived in a sprawling 2-acre estate in prestigious Lloyd Harbor, L.I. (valued today at over $3.5-million dollars). He had a string of arrests (but only for gambling) and never served one day behind bars. He held partnership in a multimillion-dollar scrap metal company based in Queens, and later, after he semi-retired to South Florida, bought into a major private garbage-carting company that held lucrative hauling contracts with Broward County. He retained his “capo” position well into his senior years. His Florida residence was another expensive home in one of the area’s most prestigious communities. He lived a good life.

E) Ettore (Little Eddie) Coco was another Harlem guy. And quite possible the most respected and powerful, overall, among the five candidates listed. But he served multiple jail stints during his lifetime (included “life” for murder). Essentially he was a gritty street guy, active primarily in rough rackets such as narcotics, robbery, strong-arm, etc. He controlled the fight game in conjunction with Frankie Carbo and others. But again, he had a lengthy record, served many years in prison, and was never known to have accumulated the wealth and assets of Laratro and others in the Family.
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So there ya have it folks! My breakdown and statistics for these five men, and why I chose Laratro over the other four.

Last edited by NYMafia; 03/30/23 09:40 AM.