i guess if those associates of the genovese family new he was a fbi or police informant they were trying to be smart farming it out to a black gang. thats the death penalty for them and whoever there genovese boss was. i know this sounds nuts but think it was cia who had colombo shot working threw back channels also believe they thought jerome johnson would have gotten away not immeditely killed on the scene

“For all we know, Colombo was shot because his phonied-up Rights League was dominating the media while more-deserving movements were spinning their wheels,” Nash added.

Founded in April 1970, the Italian American Civil Rights League was a political group aimed at combating the widespread stereotypes about Italian-Americans, frequently portrayed as crime figures by the media and discriminated against by the authorities.

“Of course, it was all just smoke and mirrors,” Nash asserted. “A plot that either Colombo or his superiors believed could distract prosecutors, give the feds a black eye, and potentially consolidate Italian-American political power.”

But ultimately, the Mafia expert added, all Colombo did for the Italian-American community was contribute to popularizing the erroneous stereotype he railed against publicly.