Whenever he saw how treacherous The Life was, Crazy Joey Gallo didn't run crying to the feds about how disillusioned he was with mob life like a spineless little weasel, and he nor his crew were rats. Instead, he lived up to the oath he solemnly swore to in his initiation ceremony: live by the gun and the knife, and die by the gun and the knife. Rather than running like a little bitch boy banging on the doors of the FBI, crying about how he was betrayed by his boss and didn't get what was promised to him, he and his crew took it to the mattresses. Now that's the stuff real gangsters are made of, not these fucking jokes we see today with their whiny podcasts.

DillyDolly you're a cross dressing dancing lady boy so stop living in a virtual reality world where you are a stand up guy. You wear lipstick and walk around in a dress so stop acting like you wouldn't roll on everyone in 10 seconds to get out of a $500 dollar traffic fine.

Neo, quit talking about yourself like that, you're projecting again. Besides, when did this become a platform for personal attacks we're here to discuss gangsters as the name of this website suggests, take your personal incestuous issues to Jerry Springer.

Also, I don't have to prove that I'm a stand-up guy, I never swore an oath, so let's keep this narrowed down to people who did. You know, people like you, so stay loyal to your husband, you goddamn queer.

Lmfao it all makes sense now. That is why he would enjoy it and he isn’t scared of prison.

Mobsters go to soft ass federal prisons like Bernie Madoff and Martha Stewart, you've been watching too many state prison shows on the Discovery Channel, turn off the TV. Everyone thinks every prison is the same, they're not. If Persico could've played a part in a mob war on the streets of NYC from a prison in California imagine how relaxed it was for him. You're all just pissy because I mentioned someone who did the complete opposite of what your heroes did, like Alite, Calandra, Gravano, D'Arco, DeFede, Massino, and Chiodo. You all grew up praising snitches so it's no surprise you'd get your bloodstained PMS panties in a bunch when someone says anything derogatory about your superheroes. You just drool over every rat podcast rubbing your clits anticipating the next episode, fucking pathetic, but amusing too.

A couple suspensions have been handed out, and if you guys don't cut the crap w/ flaming/insults/etc, I'll close the entire Real Life forum down. How about that? If you don't like someone, ignore them! If you don't like a specific topic, ignore it! If you don't agree with someone, respectfully counter or ignore them! Cut the shit already!

Dilly, on one hand, I somewhat agree. At least he wasn't a rat.

You know a person is pure human garbage when the best thing you can say about them is that they weren't a rat. At least that we know of.

He was a schizophrenic, psychopathic, murderer. He would cut your mother's throat in front of her children if it stood between him and anything. You respect that?

He went to prison for trying to extort a cafe owner. What if that cafe owner was you or someone you cared about? Oh right. He was just sticking up for the neighborhood and helping people out. What a great human being. He was scum of the earth.

Does anyone have any more on that particular extortion? I can't find much. Sounds like Gallo was desperate and tried to extort a straight citizen who went right to the cops.

I believe I've followed the Don's orders with this post.

He also save childrens from a house that was on fire.
Would know why is so respected?
Because had the ball to went against his greedy boss kidnapping the underboss and some capos and start not one but 2 wars for become the Colombo boss. Maybe was used by Gambino for close the mouth to Colombo but until the end he prefer to fight and die that surrender.
He was a John Gotti that failed.

That was his brothers and some guys from their crew. Joe was in prison for trying to extort the deli owner when the fire happened. Shit, they were probably the ones who lit it, as an insurance scam or who knows what. I'm just talking here, but would it shock you if that were the case?

I can understand gangsters respecting him. I'm a straight citizen, I have no respect for any mafioso. They'd kill me in a second. My life means nothing to them.

Joe Gallo was hated by many of his fellow mafia members and associates, he double crossed Joe Columbo, talked to the media all the time and even gave interviews openly (The same people who say Gotti was guilty of talking to the media love Gallo despite this fact) and seemed to always in a feud. His brothers seem to the ones respected. Gotti barley spoke to reporters aside from a quick comment, Gallo gave long interviews and hung out with them. His brother and others did a brave thing saving that family from the fire. A lot of men criticize the mafia or wise guys would stand there with a thumb up their butt screaming for the fire department, the Gallo crew (Minus Joe) took action and saved lives. Joe seems to have been a creep, the rest of them who knows for certain.

I don't like him, but to say things like he would cut a mother's throat in front of her kids (Or not in front of them) is way over the top. Also if you have no info on him extorting a cafe owner and have to ask us, maybe it never happened? Where did you see that story, if you recall. Thank you,

While he didn't go running to the Feds he went out like a sucker. His crew killed virtually no one of importance in the First or 2nd War while they got picked off like flies, when Joey was whacked his crew shot 4 legitimate meat salesmen in revenge. Then instead of righting that wrong they split amongst themselves. Mooney remained with the Colombo's and gets whacked. Blast and Punchy and a few other hangers on like Preston Geritano went with the Genovese(the best move they ever made). The rest of the younger ones like Bobby Bullshit Boriello went to the Gambino Family.

John Cutrone and Jerry Basciano refused to stop fighting and didn't allineate with no family so was killed in 1976.
Jerry Orbach that was a friend of Joey and was in umberto's clam house had a part in a movie inspirated to Gallo crew called the Gang that can't shoot straight.

Anyone else been?

CNOTE I was in the original Umbertos in the late 70s, never in current one at current location

. Well Said!!!

Technology is amazing, I just texted my Mom about Crazy Joe. She grew up in Carroll Gardens and helped me get into the neighborhood many years later. This is her response.

He was a schizophrenic, psychopathic murderer. And in the mafia. If me or some straight citizen happens to be in the terrible place of being a witness to something, we're going to be executed 99 times out of 100, if not 100 out of 100.

Re the deli owner. That's the only story I saw on a quick google search for why he went to prison. I saw no other reasons or versions given.

"Here's the info on the extortion case:
With the same sneering aplomb, Gallo last week went on trial in Manhattan on charges of trying to muscle in on a Brooklyn restaurant owned by one Theodore Moss. Not only did Gallo try to sell him $48,000 worth of stolen liquor, testified Moss, but he had demanded a cut of the business. As a persuader, said a detective, Gallo had threatened: "I'll put you in the hospital for a couple of months if you don't cut me in."

Throughout the three-day trial, Gallo refused to say a word in his defense, although he did allow himself a Cagney-like snarl at a haggle of assistant district attorneys. "Ya dirty rats!" he observed. The jury quickly found Gallo guilty of attempted extortion and conspiracy. The finding, his first major conviction, could get Gallo up to 14½ years in Sing Sing when he is sentenced next month."
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,828836,00.html

Agreed. Your last couple sentences are very truthful and well said!!

Thanks for that.

$48,000 in those days, that's a lot of booze!
Gotta wonder though if that's typical cop math.

Ok, 6 and a half bottles of Canadian Club, and a place like the Waldorf can get $16 per drink with 1.5 shots...so yeah, street price that's about $48,000.

Or typical gangster math...take the 6 and a half bottles of Canadian Club, give me $48,000, which is fair, and a part of the business, or I break you into 100 pieces and ya got nothing.

Awesome ^^^^

I wonder if she remembers the restaurant guys name Theodore Moss? Or the restaurant.

Be interesting to know if this guy was into something and thus targeted by Gallo, or it was just a case of Gallo miscalculating his mark. Sounds like the guy went straight to the cops and then testified. And people say gangsters got balls...

LMFAO…. PERFECT.

Very cool, must have drove & walked past it thousands of times but never went in.

We went to Pugliese’s down the block or la mela.

Went there several times in the late 80s early 90s. Last time I went there about 99 or so, it changed. The food wasn't as good and the service was shitty.

Ralph Salerno | Organized Crime Seminar (1976)

Orbach wasn't in Umberto's Clam House. It was Joey, Sina, Lisa, Joeys sister, Pete the Greek and Edith Russo

Joey was in jail when the fire of that Puerto Rican family happened

My Mom was born in '34 so she was 24 in '58, the same year Crazy Joe appeared before the McClellan Committee and visited Bobby Kennedy's office.

Joe Gallo was just a soldier that tried to climb the ranks but failed,he was a john gotti or a joey merlino of the 1960s.
But after his death Bob Dylan made his song Joey and in 1974 Carlo Lizzani made his movie Crazy Joey and the legend was born.
I think that Gallo was a loyal soldier that come under a greedy boss and tried to kill him but failed tried again maybe thinking that Gambino would help him but failed again and died like a man.