HEROIN RAIDS SAID TO BREAK VAST CITY RING


By Peter Kerr
April 11, 1986

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Leaders of a drug network that distributed almost all the heroin sold on the Lower East Side and one-third of the heroin in the New York metropolitan area were among 38 people arrested yesterday in early morning raids, authorities said.

The arrests, in New York City and on Long Island, culminated a two-and-a-half-year investigation that traced street sales of more than $2 billion worth of heroin annually to a handful of Mafia leaders, law-enforcement officials said.

Authorities described the investigation as an undercover counterpart to ''Operation Pressure Point,'' a large-scale police operation begun in 1984 to clear the Lower East Side of blatant drug trafficking on the streets and in tenements.

''This is the first case where we can see a pyramid rising out of the Lower East Side,'' Police Commissioner Benjamin Ward said. ''The street dealers are not independent contractors. They are part of a major network.''
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Enough Heroin for 90,000 Addicts

According to Robert M. Stutman, the head of the New York field division of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the nine organizations involved were selling enough of the drug to supply 90,000 to 100,000 addicts a year, or one-sixth of the heroin sold in the United States.

He said the operation, involving more than 300 city and state police officers and Federal agents, constituted the breakup of the largest drug distribution network since the arrest of Leroy Barnes, the Harlem-based drug dealer, in 1977.

''We believe we have disrupted an entire organization from bottom to top,'' Mr. Stutman said.

Among those at the top of the network, investigators said, were 78-year-old Joseph DiPalermo and his brother Charles, 61. Both have long records of involvement with drug trafficking and are reputed to be associated with the Luchese and Genovese crime families.

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Charles DiPalermo was arrested yesterday, but Joseph DiPalermo was still being sought.

At a news conference yesterday, Mr. Stutman, Mr. Ward and Rudolph W. Giuliani, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said they believed that the arrests would be a major blow to heroin trade in the state.

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However, law-enforcement officials acknowledged that despite this and similar investigations over the years, they expected New York to continue to be a major market for heroin and other drugs, since the demand was great and a new generation of dealers was always ready to enter the business. A Convicted Drug Dealer's Son
For example, one of those arrested yesterday and identified as a major figure in the heroin network was Gus Sperling, 22, the son of Herbert Sperling, a major heroin dealer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1973 for drug dealing.

Starting with street-level purchases on the Lower East Side, officials said, they were able to establish that dozens of seemingly separate sales organizations had common links and were selling more than 1,000 kilograms of heroin a year on the East Coast. An estimated 5,800 kilograms of heroin is consumed annually in the United States, about half of it in New York City.

Those arrested yesterday at 22 locations included ''mid-level'' dealers who commanded organizations that sold $35,000 to $100,000 worth of heroin a day, the authorities said. More than a kilogram of heroin was seized, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and a large number of weapons.

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Over the years, investigators spent $300,000 to buy heroin and reach the higher-level suppliers, authorities said.

Investigators identified the leading wholesalers as the DiPalermos; John Sorrentino, of 299 Pearl Street, identified as Charles DiPalermo's son-in-law; Mr. Sperling, of 40 Monroe Street; Gaetano Recupero, 33, of 2089 Schenectady Avenue, Brooklyn, and Frank Sanchez, 38, of 535 Stacks Place, Baldwin, L.I.

Any opinions or comments on this? Surprised it’s not mentioned more in pop culture like the Pizza Connection is....

I'd say a lot more money is poured into the coffers of the 5 Families than we realize.

That's an Interesting article
thanks !

NYMafia wrote a great piece on Joe Beck and Charlie Brody DiPalermo that mentions this particular article. They were major H pushers on top of other rackets they were involved in. I am curious to know more about Petey Beck the oldest brother since he's not listed in the federal inmate locator. I don't believe he ever did federal time, where both brothers are listed and also another Charles DiPalermo must be a son.
1
Name: CHARLES DIPALERMO
Register Number: 03854-055
Age: 78
Race: White
Sex: Male
Released On: 01/25/1996
2
Name: CHARLES DIPALERMO
Register Number: 12590-054
Age: 96
Race: White
Sex: Male
Released On: 12/23/1993

So, my question is what happened with Petey Beck was he not a major player or just under the radar? Did these three brothers have any sons that followed their fathers footsteps, with the exception of Charles Jr?

Charles dipalermo was in prison with Valachi and after Genovese gave him the death kiss,Valachi killed an innocent inmate think that was DiPalermo that was trying to kill him.

---
T2T, Petey was NOT the oldest brother. Joe was older than Petey and Charlie. They actually had two older brothers named Stevie and Anthony who died. Petey became the skipper for awhile. He was indeed very active but Joe was the most notorious by far. They were five brothers who were dyed in the wool hoodlums to the core. True tough guys.

Sorry was going off this 1940 census report

Or find other results in the 1940 census for
Sarah Dipalermo

Age 52, born abt 1888
Birthplace Italy
Gender Female
Race White
Home in 1940
Elizabeth Street
New York,
New York, New York
Household Members Age
Head John Dipalermo 58
Wife Sarah Dipalermo 52
Son Peter Dipalermo 25
Son Anthony Dipalermo 23
Son Charles Dipalermo 15
Not the Sarah Dipalermo you were looking for? View more results from the 1940 Census.