suffolk county

Who and where in Suffolk was there a presence? Did it go past Patchogue? Bellport or Shirley? What rackets controlled by what family? Seems like a lot of money out there no one tried getting a piece? I suspect the trash industry and maybe sea food?

The entire Island, both Nassau and Suffolk Counties were completely saturated with the exception of the Hamptons or North Fork where there was no action. From the Queens/Nassau border throughtout Suffolk to Riverhead you had (and have) tons of knockaround guys operating.

It was traditionally always Colombo Family territory. They had the largest foot print by far. But every crew operated there. The Lucchese had a strong presence, as did the Bonanno's. To a lesser degree the Genovese and Gambino crews. Even Sam the Plumbers boys were out there.

The Profaci/Colombo Family was so very powerful out on Long Island that by at least the early 1960s they actually had at least five major "capo di decina" both living and in operation out there. And remember that boss Giuseppe (Joe Malyoko) Magliocco himself lived on a sprawling estate in East Islip, Suffolk County.

Their five capos operating out there were:

Sebastiano (Buster) Aloi
John (Sonny) Franzese
Salvatore (Sally the Sheik) Mussachio
Carmine (The Snake) Persico
Enrico (Harry) Fontana

These five oversaw a formal inducted membership of at least several dozen more mafiosi including such notorious members as:

Vito (Little Vic) Orena Sr.
Benedetto (Benny) Aloi
Anthony (Tony the Gawk) Augello
Vincent (Peg-Leg Jimmy) Giordano
Michael (The Silk Gloved Kid) Belvedere
Anthony Peraino
Andrew (Andy Mush) Russo
Robert (Bobby Green) Falvo
Theodore (Teddy) Persico Sr.
Vincent (Big Lou) Russo
Thomas (T.O.) Ocera
Vincent (Jimmy Brown) Muce
Frank (Frankie the Bug) Sciortino
Albert (Kid Blast) Gallo
Anthony (Kid Chocolate) Ricciardo
..... to name but a few of many flying the Colombo flag. This list also goes on and on and is seemingly unending.

Important associates included:
Felice (Philly Cigars) Vizzari
Anthony (Fat Tony) Regina
Salvatore (Sally Fish) Maniscalco
Nicholas (Nicky Iron-shoes) Botta
Louis (Lou Curry) Arcuri
Paul (Porkchops) Flammio
The Garofalo brothers
Rocco (Rocky the Rug) Lauria
Louis (The Mole) Morra
Dominick Santoro
Vincent (Rocco) Prisco
John Malizia
The Carione brothers
....They literally had hundreds more "associates" of various importance and stature. They were by far the most significant threat to local law enforcement, as well as the dominant mafia force on the Island.

A close second were both the Lucchese and Bonanno Families. For the Lucchese Paul Vario was THE man. He ran a huge regime numbering in the hundreds.If anyone ran a close second to the Franzese regime, it was the Vario regime. There were several other Lucchese capos like "Joey Narrow" Laratro and "Tommy Noto" Pappadio, but they mostly operated within the confines of NYC and only hung their hats on LI.

The Bonanno Family on the other hand both lived and operated extensively on Long Island.

Nicholas (Nick the Battler) Di Stefano
Gaspare Di Gregorio
Paul Sciacca
Michael (Mikey Adams) Adamo
Frank (Frankie T) Mari
Michael (Mike the Sailor) Casale
Michael (Mimi) Sabella
Giovanni (Johnny Bennett) Petrone
Salvatore (Bill) Bonanno
Gaetano (Smitty) D'Angelo
Joseph (Jimmy) Genna
Samuel (Hank) Perrone
Steven Menna
Vincenzo (The Old Man) Morsellino
Frank Bonomo
Sereno (Bobby T) Tartamella
Giovanni (John) Tartamella
..........the list goes on and on! It was almost never ending as far as their presence on the Island.

Of course the Genovese, Gambino, and even the DeCavalcante crews had men on the Island as well. But proportionately speaking the above named borgatas and those men listed were the dominant underworld forces in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, era.

In recent decades the tide shifted a bit. With the destabilization and warfare faced by both the Colombo and Bonanno crews, the other Families gained traction on Long Island, most notably the Gambino's.

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And as far as rackets operated? From the late 1950s the Colombo's had a near lock on garbage collection, restaurants and bars, trucking, labor unions, and most other legit businesses one could imagine.

Rackets? Horse and sports bookmaking, as well as several small policy-number rings running in the black areas like Riverhead (run by Rocco Prisco), Freeport, etc. They were huge into shylocking. Truck hijacking and major jewelry and diamond heists, labor union extortion, business infiltration and bankruptcy frauds, etc.

The FULL county of Nassau (west, east, north shore, south shore) and mostly Western Suffolk at first. By the mid-1970s eventually Mid-Suffolk - both on the North and South Shore as well. As stated earlier only the East End, with the exception of Riverhead didn't have a big mob presence. For obvious reasons. No "action"


The policy rackets were the one particular gambling racket that although out on LI was still mostly governed by Jimmy Nap of the Genovese. Nick the Battler of the Bonanno's also held a piece of a numbers bank in the Babylon section on the South Shore.

Wow, I had no idea how much was going on. Thanks anymore info? As usual nymafia you came through. Great job thanks

Thank you for the compliment! Glad I could be of service. And that you enjoyed the quick overview