East Harlem Purple Gang

Hello,

In my search I saw topic was mentioned briefly but I'd like to set up an area for much deeper discussion into this topic as I believe these were some pretty powerful guys (and some really interesting stories). I know a little about the guy Leo brought into the scene - he set up the Purple Gang guys with Heroin. But I hope to learn much more than the little I know

Blue Thunder

This was one of their Heroin brands they sold. It was powerful because it was high purity and, unfortunately for those who used it, because it contained Fentanyl.

The Heroin was brought in from the Chinese.

There was a big federal case over the Blue Thunder heroin (I'm having touble finding this case online) in, I think, the early 90's. The guy who set this all up (Leo's apprentice) got pinched in '86 and the feds tried to link him in with the Blue Thunder case but he lucked out.

It seems like, from my recent research, that many of the Purple Gang (especially Leo) went on to bigger and better things (if they didn't get shot or Life)

This article states that Meldish was the co-leader of the Purple Gang?
http://www.cosanostranews.com/2013/11/whacked-former-boss-of-purple-gang-got.html

Maldish was in his late-20's when Daniel Leo and his buddies formed this group.

I wonder if Maldish is said to be the leader in order to take heat off of the others who were really heading the gang?

I just have a hard time believing it was Meldish this whole time that ran the crew. Now perhaps after the '86 bust he may have been put in charge during the 90's while the top guys were doing time or evading conviction.

Thoughts?

I highly doubt he was a co founder as that crew had some major hitters . Probably just a member , if that .

I'm not even sure they made it that far into the 80s, most either died , went to prison or into the 116th street crew and I think some might have ended up with the Luchesse.

I'd consider them more like high level associates that killed and sold dope in Harlem and the Bronx

I could be wrong but that's what I was told

Has anything ever leaked out on that Meldish hit late last year , that was actually a pretty big hit . Without his brother around , I'm sure he became pretty exposed .

Never happened. The Meldishes hurt A LOT of people, and they were very feared (they were also both bullies). But they were always subservient to the Priscos and the other Italians from 116th.

And the Purple Gang was LONG GONE by the '90s. That's when the life passed the Meldishes by. Their old running buddies were either dead, jailed, or made into the Mob.

Thank you for the responses.

My uncle-in-law was the guy Leo introduced to the families. He never had to bump up any cut, and he made sure his uncle who ran book never had to bump up either. That was the pull Leo Daniel had (it appears).
My uncle started off doing numbers and hits for the friends he made in jail in the late 50's (he killed a guy). Then he went on to dealing coke. He said the Colombians were the cheapest of all; and that that got the better of him. Then he did a small favor for some Chinese guys at a restaurant and ended up getting heroin from them. That made him THE heroin guy for the 3 families he hung around. He told me he got the Purple Gang started. He went away in '86. I met him in 2009. For 3 weeks I heard his stories.
He wouldn't tell me any murder stories (since he was still alive) and would only identify those who are already dead.

Learned some amazing things:
-Mafia talked about killing JFK but said no.
-Bobby, that's a different story (as he said). He said there was a LOT of talk about it but 'I never heard what the final decision was' ;-)
-Sometimes being an independent was better than being part of one of the families
-You can't be a criminal today


He used to eat dinner with Fat Tony, Carmine Galente, lot's of the big guys. Tony and Galente both Proposed him to join their respective crews. But my uncle-inlaw had a horrible father so he would never take orders from somebody - always a lone wolf in that sense. He was real close friends with Thomas DeSimone. He said DeSimone had murder in his eyes; and that his wife was uncomfortable around DeSimone.

I don't remember ever reading anything as to suspects or who was responsible for when they found this guy in the car last year

Maybe the cops don't care as long as this guy got what was coming to him?