Joe Colombo's reign as boss from 1963 to 1971

Joe Colombo ran his family from 1963 until he got shot in 1971. I've been trying to figure out more about his reign during that 7-8 year period....Many say he was a puppet for Carlo Gambino; but how can you run that family for all them years and not have an opposition (Yes I know about Joe Gallo); or people trying to undermine him; If he was a puppet boss.

He didn't throw himself under the bus until the American Civil Rights League; So I'm guessing he was a good boss; and was respected by the commission as an equal? All we hear about is the American Civil Rights League; Nothing about his reign as Boss.

My question is; Who were his captains during that time period?? Didn't he demote the majority of the Profaci/Maglicco captains? It's been said that he was close with Carmine Persico who ironically took his position after the shooting along with Tom DiBella.

Also; Who was he close to on the commission besides Carlo Gambino?

Colombo was probably close to Lucchese as well - Lucchese was one of the guys who backed Colombo's ascension to head the Profaci family. Not sure about Carmine Tramunti - it's very likely Tramunti or Gambino ordered Paul Vario to withdraw his membership from the Italian-American Civil Rights League because they felt the League was attracting attention from the FBI.

Colombo didn't get along with Bonanno for obvious reasons (re: Banana Wars). Not sure what Colombo's relationship to Vito Genovese, Steve Magaddino, Angelo Bruno, Joe Zerilli or Paul Ricca was or whether he got along with the other Commission bosses.

You're right, Z: The Italian-American Civil Rights League, his cooperation with (and censorship of) the Godfather film, and the shooting so dominate what's written about Colombo that it's hard to find anything else on him. Selwyn Raab, in his book, "The Five Families," says that some of the old-timers were unhappy about him being made Don at age 41--Sam the Plumber was recorded on an FBI wiretap complaining that Colombo was "nothing more than a bust-out guy," and the guy at the other end saying, "He was always hanging on Gambino's shoulder."

My favorite anecdote about Colombo: He and his League bullied the New York Times into dropping Cosa Nostra and Mafia in its organized crime coverage. But, after the shooting, they went back to the old ways--and zeroed in on Colombo's crime career. Colombo's legitimate front was as a real estate agent working for the Cantalupo Realty Company in Brookyn. Anthony Cantalupo, Colombo's nominal "boss" (and a family associate) told the Times reporter: "Mr. Colombo has the sincerest group of clients--nobody ever tries to cheat him out of a commission."

On the Commission he was close to Carlo Gambino, Tommy Lucchese, Stefano Magaddino until Carlo and Tommy told him to stay away from him, and Angelo Bruno. Bosses he did business with but not sure if he was close enough were Joe Zerilli, Russell Bufalino, Tommy Eboli, Raymond Patriarca Sr, and Santo Trafficante.

He did demote some of Profaci and Magliocco capos, but also split crews. During his reign as boss in no particular order, these are the Capos under him.
John Franzese, Dominick Scialo, Joe Brancato, Salvatore Mineo, Carmine Persico, Salvatore Mussachio, Ambrogio Magliocco, Sebastian Aloi, Vincent Aloi, Enrico Fontana, Nicholas Forlano, John Oddo, Charles Panarella, Greg Scarpa Sr, Nicoline Sorrentino Sr, John Misuraca, Simone Andolino, Vincent Randazzo, Ralph Trupiano, Thomas DiBella,Salvatore Badalamenti, Cosmo D'Amico, Alessandro Debenedetti, Larry Gallo. I know people say Joe Gallo took over the crew when Larry died, but he never gave Joe Colombo the respect and Colombo refused to grant Joe Gallo the rank of Capo, but Gallo did take control of the remaining crew members.

Guys that undermined Colombo or plotted to kill Colombo other than Joey Gallo, were Salvatore D'Ambrosio, Dominick Scialo, Charles LoCicero, John Franzese. D'Ambrosio and LoCicero are the only other members that might have been plotting to kill Colombo.

Are we certain that Joe Gallo was even made ? There's no question he was a powerful guy with plenty of followers but I have never read any evidence suggesting that he was made. I 'd be interested in any details you may have on his induction.

Joey Gallo was definitely made. He's identified as such in the Scarpa files you can find in the FBI vault. When he got out in 1971, Scarpa thought it was likely that Colombo would asssign Gallo to report directly to him as a member of his own (Colombo's) personal crew

Was Gallo that much of a hothead or could the whole Gallo war been avoided if he was given everything that was owed to him? From the outside it seems as be constantly got Fucked over. They should've just killed him instead of pissing on the hornets nest and running away.

If you want to learn more about Joe Colombo as boss, check out Scarpa's FBI files and also "Body Mike" by Joey Cantelupo.

He sounded like a decent guy as far as mob bosses go. Then he went nuts with the League. To say he was Gambino's puppet might be too much, but he owed his position as boss and earned a lot of money because of Gambino so would have been loyal to him.

Giacomo, how did Sonny Franzese undermine or plot to kill Joe Colombo? Not doubting you, just not familiar with this. I always pictured him as a loyal guy. Sort of a Neil Dellacroce type of figure.

Franzese did not plot to kill Colombo as far I can tell. He undermined Colombos orders not to get involved in the Genovese crime family affairs, but he committed or ordered two members associated with the Genovese crime family to be killed as a favor to Tommy Eboli or another top Genovese member. During the Bonanno war of the 1960s, he was talking to both factions which was the right thing to do to try and bring peace to the family, Colombo felt he was getting to close to the Bonanno faction and ordered him to stop. He had no respect for Bill Bonanno, but for Joe Notaro and Peter Magaddino. He did obey that order to an extent, but he was still seeing members of the Bonanno crime family but coincidence so to speak. Him going to prison most likely saved him cause Colombo was fearful and did not completely trust Sonny. LoCicero was in the same boat and was killed by Carmine Persico and Greg Scarpa.

Sam the plumber who this is widely researched said according to his own wiretap joe was a puppet for gambino. Then there was alot of hostility between those 2 family's because of how sam characterized joe Colombo on the tapes at his place. Colombo wanted him dead in later years

But joe was a commission member. Sam decav never he was only sent or orderd to do there bidding

How the decav became a second class family in today I think is bullshit. They just aren't no longer part of the NYC 5 that's it. They can strive on there own piece of the pie I think.

pmac, do you know where I can find the Sam The Plumber tapes or transcript? Thank you. It's interesting about Joe being a puppet for Carlo, considering Vic Orena became a puppet for Gotti later on.

Mary Ferrell website. Sam The Plumber also said Colombo sits like a baby(on the Commission) next to Carl.

Decavalcante tapes are funny when he talks about Colombo.

What rackets did Colombo "inherit" from Profaci/Magliocco? With all the problems, How wealthy/Powerful were the Colombos during this time?

What did the other bosses think of Colombo privately?

I am sure Bonanno had the last laugh when Colombo got shot.

Actually, Bonanno had the last laugh when Rudy Giuliani, who was US Attorney for the Southern District of NY, used Bonanno's description of the Commission in Bonanno's autobio, "A Man of Honor" [sic] as the basis for the famous Commission case.

Michael Franzese says that Colombo was a Godfather script advisor and was the one who persuaded FFC to drop Mafia from the film.

There is nothing concrete that other bosses thought as the Decav tapes did, but tidbits of info pretty much agree with that assessment. Of course the Gambino and the Lucchese family were happy with that fact. The Genovese and Greenwich Village faction had a friendly relationship with the Gallo crew. They also had a friendly relationship with the 3 capos in the Bonanno Family in the late 70s power play also. It was a very complex web of duplicity between multiple factions of all 5 families of NYC mainly and to the other families by proxy..

The crazy thing;

Joe Colombo ratted on his boss Magliocco; and on another boss in Joe Bonnanno.

Wouldn't you think the remaining commission members would want to get rid of him for being a perceived snitch?

@Dob_Peppino

I may be wrong; but the Profaci/Colombo's had a bunch of killers; and vicious guys. More so then any other family during that time period. They weren't the most powerful though.

Was Joe's brother-in-law Mike Savino made guy?

In April two months before he was shot, there was the arraignment of Colombo in Federal Court, in Brooklyn, on charges that he controlled $5‐million‐a‐year gambling operation. Nineteen other persons were arrested and warrants were issued for the arrest of 20 others. Savino was one of them.

I forgot about Michael Savino. He was a made member and brother in law to Colombo. He was a capo during Colombo reign but was sidelined after. He was an inefficient capo and demoted. His small crew was split between Persico and Brancato crews.

Thanks the Colombo's seem to depend a lot on relatives. Maybe because they are a smaller family.

Many families were like that.