Did Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo have any rivals?

I was wondering; Did Tony Ducks have anyone in his family in his 13-14 year run as boss; try to take the family away from him or form a opposition. I haven't heard anything.... He must have been feared where no one dared try to make a move on him. He's in rare territory..

We hear about Castellano not being liked by the blue collar faction of his family.... Gotti took over....; Etc...

Phil Rastelli; The 3 Capo murder; Carmine Galante acting as boss but wanted full control... Rusty had opposition...

Carmine Persico; Vic Orena tried to take the family away from Persico with the numbers on his side. See how that turnt out; etc (FBI; Greg Scarpa)


Vincent Gigante and Anthony Corallo are the only two bosses I know who were never opposed during their time as bosses


My question is; Was there any guys who plotted against Tony Ducks?? I read something about Andimo Pappadio being killed because he was trying to take over.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I know Tony Ducks didn’t like Gotti even before he became boss

I would think so; Think when Ducks was on trial; He ordered Amuso and Casso to get rid of Gotti.


@JCrusher

Was there anyone in the Lucchese family who tried to plot against Corallo? I've never heard anyone try to take over the family while he was boss.

Never heard of him having rivals, just jealousy when he was bumped up to Capo.

Regarding Gigante, has it ever been posited that he was acting as a front for Benny Lombardo, Frank Tieri, or someone else? I could've sworn I read that somewhere before.

The Genovese leadership has been and is so deliberately labyrinthine, it can be hard to know what's what regarding who is the real power.

A lot of people thought Tony Salerno was the main answerable guy in that family until Gigante's power became known.

Never heard him having rivals either. That's very rare... He ruled 13-14 years without a plot on his leadership.

Why was there jealousy when he became a captain?? Wasn't he and Tom Lucchese close?


@Giacomo_Vacari

Don't think Gigante ever fronted for anyone; I did read he was Consigliere but I'm skeptical about that.

Fat Tony Salerno. Frank Tieri; Thomas Eboli; Catena; Lombardo; Miranda. I never know any of their positions. It's confusing.

Tony ducks murdered all his rivals. These guys are mafia bosses that’s how he made it to the top.. Tony Pappadio was a rival,Tony had him gunned down in front of his home
And his other rivals like Johnny Dio and Carmine went to prison and out of the way
Joe palisades would have been a rival in his younger years but a lot of these guys were extremely wealthy. Ducks was making millions in the 1950s with his paper locals w Jimmy Hoffa.so it was easy for him to be diplomatic,like only asking for a Xmas tribute from New Jersey.. Casso and Amuso had every right to take out Acceturo,he refused to pay the tribute that was demanded of him(wonder how Anthony would have reacted had Michael tacceta tried to do that to him).... I think everyone should understand that for the old timers, the thing they valued and respected most was the ability to kill...praise for murder was really the highest accolade you could have received...

I've never read that Gigante was fronting for Lombardo or Tieri, but I'm sure Angelo Lonardo said he was consigliere at some point. Fratianno also says Gigante was there at a meeting with the leadership of the Genovese family. However, Cafaro never mentions him in an admin position prior to becoming boss.

Dio was in prison so nothing he could say, and Tom Mix was Tony Ducks underboss so that appeased the Bronx and Jersey members. Louiebynochi, Tony Pappadio was jealous when Tony Ducks became Capo, but got over it when he was promoted Capo not long after. Pappadio murder I chalk up to Carmine Galante like John Ormento settling old scores. Never heard of any Pappadio plotting to take on the leadership, just buck ever once in awhile when a ruling was against him and the soldier he was representing, or an order that would jeopardize lots of money. Carmine Tramunti picked him to skipper his old crew, so why keep him around after Lucchese was dead if he was a rival. Tony Ducks rivals were Johnny Dio who was locked up, Nick Martello who disappeared in the late 1950s, and Ben Indiviglio who was killed in the mid 60s.

Angelo Lonardo said Vincent Gigante was Consigliere after 1977 when Carmine Zeccardi disappeared. Jimmy Fratianno said Vincent Gigante was at a meeting with Tony Salerno, Frank Tieri, and Carmine Zeccardi, when they were asking Jimmy to hit a guy on the west coast for them. He did not know why The Chin was there but all four members said hit and the only time Gigante spoke, he knew Frank Tieri as the Boss, Tony Salerno as Underboss, and Carmine Zeccardi as Consigliere. He knew Gigante was a Capo, but for a high level meeting it baffled Fratianno. More than likely he was serving as a messenger for Phil.

Carfaro was with Tony Salerno so he did not have much interactions with Greenwich Village and New Jersey. The Genovese family was cautious. Gigante really limited the places he frequented. Fat Tony had nothing ill to say about The Chin, only Tieri and Zeccardi. You would think Carfaro would know the administration, but like most of the family, you know who the boss is and his number 2 man.

I’m with you on this one Moe. I feel Salerno truly wasn’t a front for anyone. His power was equal to Chin’s and Salerno probably had double Chin’s money. I don’t think it gets talked about enough how Chin’s guys would whisper privately about his act. It was embarrassing for a lot of them.

In Vincent Cafaro's affidavit given to the senate hearing on organized crime, he says that after Salerno had a stroke in 1981, Lombardo, Gigante, Manna and Santora "pulled down" Salerno. Then Lombardo retired and Gigante became the boss. Gigante then allowed Salerno to come back and "front as boss" so Gigante could stay in the background.

I interpret that not as Gigante forcing Salerno to be the fall guy, rather Gigante letting Salerno play the big shot.

When's duck become boss 73 74? IMO he did have a smooth unchallenged boss run. He steps down as boss after the commission case. Think they were found guilty around Thanksgiving 86

@Jshov

I agree with you; Fat Tony had alot of power; he was not a figurehead figure. His power was equal or only 2nd to Gigante's. Any one have more insight into their relationship??? Fat Tony was way older then Chin; Think Chin deffered to Fat Tony sometimes?? It's certainly possible.

@MightyDR

It's been said; Others could go to Salerno; Gigante or Lombardo when it came to business. It was like a power-sharing arrangement; By the way; Who is Sammy Black? He was Gigante's Underboss but there's nothing on the guy.

@Pmac

Corallo definitely had a smooth run as boss until the commission trial. No wars; no one trying to take his position.... I believe he was better then Castellano as boss and maybe only second to Gigante/Salerno.

Salerno still had power and he still had his rackets. It's not like he was just a patsy, but Gigante was the boss after 1981. Cafaro's info and wiretaps from the time period make it pretty clear. Cafaro even said "Chin ain't going to make anybody tell him what to do with his brugad". The Gigante/Salerno relationship sounds like it was all business to me.

I haven't found much about Sammy Black, just that he was a captain of the East Harlem crew before becoming underboss.

Saverio Santora was one of the first members made when the books opened back up in the 1970s. He was a protege of Antonio Ferro. Antonio Ferro became official Capo of the crew when Fat Tony was bumped up to Consigliere in 1972. Fat Tony's brother Cirino felt he should have been capo, but was appeased when he would be direct with his brother. Saverio Santora was made along with Vincent Cafaro in 1974. Ferro was acting Consigliere on two occasions, first in 1975, and again right before he retired. Saverio Santora served as acting Capo in 1977 to 1978, before officially becoming Capo. 1975 to 1978 has Antonio Ferro as official Consigliere, but was only acting on two different occasions. Santora was involved in traditional rackets, as well as narcotics which he was chiefly responsible for recruiting members of the Purple Gang into the family. Unknown when Santora became affiliated with the Genovese crime family but by the time Michael Coppola was released in 1963, Santora was hanging around Ferro.

@Giacomo_Vacari

Thanks for the info; There's not much said about Sammy Black. Real low-key... Wonder why he was chosen as Underboss?? Was he one of the more powerful captains in the family in 1981 when Gigante took over?? Phil Lombardo prolly had input also??


How was Corallo and Castellano's relationship? I know Corallo and Salerno were good buddies.

My guess is that they went along since business was good for everybody at the time but Tony Ducks was heard bad-mouthing Castellano in the Sal Avellino car audiotapes.

He also was caught on tape bad mouthing Salerno after a commission meeting. "Fat Tony was being a jerk, he's always a jerk"