There was a famous war between the Gallo brothers and the Profaci family in the early Sixties. Eldest Gallo brother Larry went to a sitdown at the Sahara Lounge in Brooklyn and was garroted--almost killed--by the Profaci "peace" delegation until a cop wandered in (that scene was replicated in Godfather II with Frank Pentangili as the garroting victim). Some say Persico was one of the would-be killers.