The Joseph Colombo Family - Circa 1980 - 1990

The Joseph Colombo Family hierarchy and all inducted membership, circa 1980-1990, before the outbreak of war and the destabilization it would later cause.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/colombo-family-chart/

Don't want to make a new thread as it's probably already covered.( But I can't see it).

Who the funk is SONNY PINTO?

there's a guy FRANK DIMATTEO whose done one of them ama's on Reddit. Son of a Colombo guy/associate. He's got a couple 'of books out. He definitely sounds legit.

But when asked who shoot Joey Gallo, he says JG's bodyguard Pete the Greek said SONNY PINTO.

Never heard of him. Anyone?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mafia/comments/gqyxby/my_name_is_frank_dimatteo_i_grew_up_and_spent/

It was his nick name. He had a tattoo that read Pinto 1949. Real name Carmine DiBiase, he was a Colombo associate and feared hitman for the family. Alphonse Sonny Red Indelicato took the rap for the murder of Mikey Evans that he took part in with DiBiase in 1956. DiBiase also killed Joey Gallo bodyguard Ali Waffa in 1963. The shooters in the Gallo shooting were Phil Gambino, Carmine DiBiase, Joseph Visconi all associates of the Colombo crime family, along with an unidentified associate from the Patriarca family that was in New York City visiting relatives, and was at the hangout at the time Joseph Luparelli a Colombo associate came running in to inform them that Gallo was at Umbertos. He went on the run late 1973. Many people and sources close to Colombo family say he was killed on the run since the family felt he was too much of a drunk and act first kind of guy. Hope that helps dsd.

Luparelli actually went on the run soon after the Gallo shooting, in April 72. They were at the hideaway apartment in Nyack N.Y. just after the shooting when Luparelli became sick. Suspecting that he was poisoned, he took off and went to Kennedy airport, where he caught a flight to Los Angeles. There, he turned himself in to the FBI. I have a NY Times article from 1977 that references the 'Luparelli Tapes', and quotes him at that time. If the article is accurate then he was alive and well around the time of the interview.

I was talking about Carmine DiBiase going on the run after Carmine Persico and Joe Russo had a mistrial, but Joe Yacovelli and Carmine DiBiase were both on the run, Joe till 1974.

Joseph Luparelli lived for a long time.

An interesting fact on the shooters of Gallo. Joseph Visconi was ripping people off and had stolen from Joe Yacovelli brother, Carmine DiBiase was ordered to kill him. Carmine DeBiase is murdered on the run. Phillip Gambino returned to Florida but was arrested for parole violations two months after Joe Gallo was killed, became made after his release. Unknown what became of the Boston associate.

I understand now, Giacomo. Thanks for clearing that up. Very interesting info.

Giacomo, who the heck is "Joseph Visconi"? I am extremely familiar with the whole Sonny Pinto, Joe Pesh, Gallo shooting and subsequent fallout. Yet, I've never heard of any Joe Visconi?

And NOBODY knows for certain whatever happened to DiBiase, He went "on the lam" after he shot Gallo and that was that. Did he die naturally? Did he get clipped? Do he ride off into the sunset and lived out his days quietly?.... even wiseguys don't know that answer.

There had been conjecture that he was killed later on. But again as I say, its purely speculation.

What is certain is that Sonny Pinto was a hot headed guy, very prone to violence. A bit of a screwball as well. Guys from the neighborhood who actually knew him all say that. Not a guy who you could talk quietly and sensibly to. SO who knows, maybe he did get himself clipped afterwards.

I am curious though about Visconi. What is his background? and how does he fit into this while scenario?

I mixed up the Joe's. Joe Visconi was a Colombo associate that was killed by DiBiase in the late 1960s. Joseph Visconti was a friend of Gambino and was a backup shooter with the Boston member. Visconti was most likely killed by Phil Gambino and dumped along the trip down to Florida, for freezing during the shooting. The Boston guy got out of the car that Phil was driving but Gallo was already finished. The actual shooters were Carmine DiBiase, Benny and Frank Lociciero, they rode with Joe Luparelli.

Carmine DiBiase, the story is that he went on the run to New Heaven Connecticut and stayed with a Colombo associate Little Richie. While there he was pissing off people, it is said that Genovese soldier Tommy the Blonde, Thomas Vastano of Stratford advised DiBiase that Hartford rackets were practically open and that Nunzio Squillante was not a force there, as the Gambino Connecticut crew was weak after Anastasia and Scalise were killed in the 50s and never regained their strength and power. Not long after that Carmine disappeared, Gambino soldier Thomas DeBrizzi and Gambino associates Joey Rabbitt and Louis Spetrino are rumored to have been involved, after a meeting between Nunzio Squillante, Nick Patti, Thomas DiBrizzi, and Frank Piccolo. Nick Patti was most likely the Capo around this time.

If I may ask, where in the world did you get all of this information? Because many of the guys you mention are real names that were active in CT or NYC, yet I have NEVER read anywhere about any of what you are saying took place. And I happen to personally know several of the people you just brought up.

I have read literally 99% of any data or government sources out there over the last fifty years or so (I'm a pretty old guy - lol). Mob sources as well. And none of this connects, or has ever been even put forth as a "theory". Anywhere!

Joseph Visconi, Joseph Visconti, Joey Rabbitt, and Louie Spetrino I've never even heard of. If they were even real players back then, NONE of them were significant enough to have been connected in even a minimal way with Joey Gallo's killing I assure you.

Cisco and Benny (the Lo Cicero's) were actually related to a very dear old friend of mine in Brooklyn. Funghi and Sonny went into Umberto's, with Joe Luparelli and the brothers waiting outside. One was laying chicky (lookout) off the side door. 5 guys period! NO more. NO less!...... Joe Pesh shit afterwards, getting paranoid at a safehouse up in Nyack where Joe Yak told em to go immediately after the hit.

Pesh took off after a day or two and became a rat. Pinto disappeared and was never seen again. and that was that.

The feds couldn't make a state murder case with just the 1 witness (Luparelli). So Funghi, the Locicero's, Yak and Vinny Aloi sweated it out but in the end were safe because of that.

Thats they way I've always heard it went down.... from pretty good sources if I may add.

LE pretty much said the same thing (pretty close anyway)

you peaked my curiosity about those fellas after I read them. So I looked them up. I noticed that a Joe Visconi is alleged to have been killed by Pinto. He was a bartender at the Wagon Wheel Lounge in NY? and this Joey Rabbit and Louis Spetrino were guys active in Connecticut with a few Gambino guys?

I imagine they are the ones you are referring to? I see that they are mentioned in several articles, but no reference per se to the Joey Gallo incident at all.

Cosmo Sandalo, an old time zip supposedly ran a game in CT with one of them. It came from the LCNBios site that I have a lot of confidence in. He's a pretty good researcher.

The other source was "Wikipedia" about Visconi which as I'm sure you know and agree is less than reliable as a source. Anyone can modify that info. So I'd be less sure of anything written there.
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One more thing Giacomo, for what its worth. Joe Yak and Vinny Aloi were both "there" always for years. I do believe that Benny and Cisco had also been made years before. But it's believed that Funghi got straightened out a few years later when the books opened up. I'm sure that his "work" that evening must have helped him in getting his button. That was a huge hit. Lot of props to the guys who pulled the Gallo killing off.

Funghi was never a big earner per se. And I don't know that he moved mountains after getting straightened out. But just that piece of work gave him a lot of respect from guys afterwards ya know. How could it not right?

DiBiase and Yacovelli were on the run, not for the Joey Gallo hit, but for their involvement with the Charles Shepard and Shirley Green Murders which Joe Russo killed both on New Years eve 1970, which actually took place after midnight so the 1st of 1971, at a party at Joe Russo's house. Carmine Persico who was helping both DiBiase and Yacovelli hide was acquitted along with Joe Russo in the case. Russo was tried twice. DiBiase and Yacovelli were both fugitives.

Joe Visconi was actually a bounce at a couple of clubs run by Colombo and Genovese families, he was not a bartender, but did serve drinks when the Wagon Wheels bar closed up and some of the regulars were there for one for the road. He robbed Frank Yacovelli brother to Joe Yacovelli which sealed his fate. He was killed in an apartment on Elisabeth street in Little Italy, by Carmine DiBiase, Alphonse Indelicato, and two unidentified men, under the pretense of buying stolen American Express cheques.

Phil Gambino was the driver in one of the car, inside were Joe Visconti and the Boston guy. Joe Luparelli was the other driver. Carmine DiBiase and the Lociciero brothers were the shooters with one of their guns jamming. There were seven men. Only Luparelli, DiBiase, Gambino and the Lociciero brothers went to the safe house. Lociciero brothers were actually close to Richard and Salvatore Fusco who had displayed dissatisfaction with Luparelli working with them, Sally anyway. The Lociciero brothers were the ones whispering to Carmine and Phil at the safe house that made Luparelli paranoid and flee.

Frank was the only made member there, both Phil Gambino and Benny were made when the books reopened. Gambino was not a heavy nor a high earner like you said, but he kicked up a steady income to the top guys on what was owed. If you know Frank and Benny, then you know who their father was.

Joe Yacovelli and Vincent Aloi were always there relaying the messages and orders. It was Aloi who had to sitdown with Matty the Horse and it was a costly but the Colombos felt it was worth the price for peace.

I have no ideal if Cosmo Sandalo was involved but the Connecticut info comes from an associate of Victor Tramaglino, and another associate of Alphonse Sonny Red Indelicato. Both Indelicato and Tramaglino were good friends of DiBiase who looked into him until they were told to stop. Both associates are now dead, one went legit in the 1980s, and the other one retired at the turn of the century.

That makes sense to me. Who was this CT guy?

And Charlie the Sidge was NOT a liked guy. At all. He was a cheap prick and looked to double-bank everybody. Hence the reason he ended up getting clipped in 68'. They think he might have even clipped his own grandson. Bad guy. Thats why they broke him to begin with years back.

He was a real gavone too. Most old timers weren't educated guys but many still had a bit of savvy or class. LoCicero was devoid of any of that. Low class zero of a guy.

CT guy? The associate was Jimmy Tramaglino, nephew to the Tramaglino brothers. Gene Tramaglino was a soldier in the Bonanno family, Victor Tramaglino was a soldier in the Genovese family. They had good connections to the Armone crew in the Gambino crime family, going way back even Indelicato did after WW2. It was Joe Armone or someone close to him who filled in some of the gaps and told them to stop asking or he would get in trouble. The Colombos did oked the hit. Are you asking who Little Richie is? Cause I don't know his full or real name. Tommy Vastano told Victor as much as he knew.

Ok.

On that note, Connecticut is a very weird place for OC. There are so many varied crews from all over the place. But always fractured and fucked up. NO cohesion through the years. Jealousy, splintered crews, etc.

I am very surprised that there isn't, and wasn't one or two dominant regimes to declare it their territory alone. It's made for a very spotty and unstable underworld in the Nutmeg State.

I actually just did a big expose on them and was very surprised at what I found. I always knew they were disjointed, but after I really reviewed and thought about there plight, it is a joke... A bad joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Too many half-assed guys. Too many crews. It should have been an easy split decades back when things were formed initially. Much the way most other states were. Especially since CT is so small.

Very surprising.

In a way Connecticut was split, Boston had more territory, but the Genovese and later on the Gambino crime families has the biggest operations there. New Heaven is the most unique in that you could have put a crew together but it was split between four families.

Yes I understand that. But what I'm trying to put across is for such a small state and territory to begin with, Connecticut should have had only ONE resident borgata just the way Zerilli had all of Michigan, Trafficante had most of Florida with the exception of South Florida which was always "open territory", Marcello had all of Louisisana, Patriarca had virtually ALL of New England (EXCEPT CT), etc.

If you've got a gigantic state or territory with adjoining crews licking at your heals I can understand an overlap. But little CT? Lol..... IMO, no reason for it!

Except maybe that because the NYC crews were so strong the NE crew couldn't keep em out, ya know?

If you really think about it, essentially Connecticut was an "open state" although never technically declared that.

Las Vegas and Miami were always recognized as "open cities"...Connecticut was never called that. But in reality that was exactly what it was!!

NYCMafia based on your theory that CT should have only one family due to it's size, NJ is the same, Newark at one time had the 5 NYC families, Philly and NJ family all represented making money. Its not the size of the state but rather the money that can be made. With Ct close to a few major of cities in any direction, I95 commerce running thru it and its proximity to NYC I can see why its the way it is.

I agree. But there was no "resident" family per se. But a lot of individual guys, and crews per se. NOT 1 family. That was my point. No one family had dibs on the state.