I´m sure Carmine Persico loves the guy. Langella is molded in the same form as Persico. Tough and ballsy. Langella had by age 24 been picked up as a prime suspect in a number of killings but never served any time for murder. During the second Gallo/Colombo war, Langella served as Alphonse Persico´s bodyguard. After the assassination of two honest business men in a Manhattan restaurant in 1972, newspapers speculated in who the actual intended targets were. According to NY Police Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy they were Alphonse Persico (Carmine´s brother), Alphonse Persico (Carmine´s son) and Gerry Langella. A fourth man was mentioned also as being part of this group but was never identified.

Langella was made in 1976, or 1977, made a captain not long afterwards, served as acting consigliere in 1980, made underboss in 1981, functioned as acting boss between 1981 and 1985 when he was indicted in the Commission case. (Carmine Persico was jailed 1981 to 1984, and fled another indictment in 1985.) In 1987, Langella was sentenced to 65 years in prison.

Here is a pretty rare photo of Langella, taken while being questioned by a police officer in a murder case in the early 1960s.