Anthony Corallo
Anthony Corallo | |
---|---|
Born | Antonio Corallo February 12, 1913 East Harlem, New York City, U.S. |
Died | August 23, 2000 Springfield, Missouri, U.S. | (aged 87)
Other names | "Tony Ducks" |
Occupation | Crime boss |
Predecessor | Carmine Tramunti |
Successor | Vic Amuso |
Allegiance | Lucchese crime family |
Conviction(s) | Racketeering (1986) |
Criminal penalty | 100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000 (1987) |
Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo (February 12, 1913 – August 23, 2000) was an American
Biography
Corallo was born in New York City on February 12, 1913, and grew up in the
Corallo was a quiet, unassuming man who enjoyed gardening, opera, and pasta. In his later years, Corallo owned a luxurious home in Oyster Bay Cove, New York. Corallo was married and had a son and a daughter.[1]
Criminal career
East Harlem gang
In the 1920s, Corallo joined the 107th Street Gang in
By 1935, Corallo had become a member of the Gagliano crime family, the forerunner of the Lucchese family. Underboss
In 1941, Corallo was arrested after police found him in possession of a narcotics cache valued at $150,000. He was later convicted of narcotics violations and sent to the city jail on Rikers Island for six months.[2]
Rise to power
In 1943, Corallo was appointed as a
From 1941 to 1960, Corallo was arrested at least 12 times for various crimes. However, none of the cases even made it to trial. Lucchese was amazed at Corallo's ability to avoid, or "duck", convictions. After one of these many dismissals, Lucchese mused, "Tony ducks again." From then onward, Corallo was known as "Tony Ducks".
In 1951, longtime boss Tommy Gagliano died of natural causes and Lucchese took over the family.
On August 15, 1959, Corallo testified before the
On December 7, 1961, Corallo was indicted on charges of trying to bribe
Family boss
On July 13, 1967, Lucchese died of a brain tumor.[7] By nearly all accounts, Corallo was Lucchese's choice to succeed him.
However, on December 18, 1967, Corallo was indicted on charges of receiving a
With Corallo in prison, the Commission designated Carmine Tramunti as interim Lucchese boss. Some historians have speculated that Corallo became boss immediately upon his 1970 release from prison, and that Tramunti was only an "acting" or "front" boss for the next three years. On May 7, 1973, Tramunti was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.[11] Corallo then became the indisputable boss of the Lucchese family.
One of Corallo's first moves as boss was to take over
Mafia Commission Trial
In the early 1980s, Corallo unwittingly provided the government with evidence that would all but end his career. Over the years, Corallo and
In 1983, members of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) installed an electronic surveillance device inside the dashboard on Avellino's
On February 25, 1985, Corallo and other mob leaders were indicted in the Mafia Commission Trial.
Awaiting trial, a meeting was held at Furnari's home, where Corallo told Furnari that he wanted the capo of Furnari's old crew, Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, or Furnari's aide-de-camp, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, as his successor. Furnari, Amuso and Casso met in a separate room, and ultimately it was decided Amuso would take the mantle. Though Corallo reportedly preferred Casso, he agreed to make Amuso acting boss later that year, and it was understood he would formally become boss when Corallo, Santoro and Furnari were expected to be convicted and sent to prison.
On November 19, 1986, Corallo and the other defendants were convicted of all racketeering charges.[16] On January 13, 1987, Corallo was sentenced to 100 years in prison and fined $240,000.[17][18]
Death
On August 23, 2000, Anthony Corallo died of natural causes at the Federal Medical Center for prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Feuer, Alan (September 1, 2000). "Anthony Corallo, Mob Boss, Dies in Federal Prison at 87". New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ a b c "Silent Racketeer: Anthony Corallo" (PDF). New York Times. August 16, 1957. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ a b c Volkman, Ernest. Gangbusters: The Destruction of America's Last Great Mafia Dynasty. 1998. (pg. 128)
- ^ Ranzal, Edward (December 8, 1961). "STATE JUSTICE, RACKETEER AND EX-U.S. AIDE INDICTED IN FEDERAL COURT FIX CASE". New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ "News Summary and Index" (PDF). New York Times. June 17, 1962. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ Evans Asbury, Edith (August 3, 1962). "KEOGH SENTENCED TO 2-YEAR TERM IN COURT FIX CASE; Kahaner and Corallo Draw Same Penalty". New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ^ Bruno, Anthony. "The Lucchese Family: Three Finger Brown". TruTV Crime Library. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Reeves, RichardD (December 19, 1967). "MARCUS, EX-LINDSAY AIDE, HELD WITH CORALLO, A MIAFIA LEADER, IN KICKBACKS ON CITY CONTRACT". New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Collier, Barnard L. (July 20, 1968). "Corallo, Fried, and Motto Convicted in Marcus Case" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Tolchin, Martin (July 27, 1968). "CORALLO IS GIVEN 3 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MARCUS BRIBE" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Perlmutter, Emanuel (May 8, 1974). "Tramunti, Called 'Dangerous', Gets 15 Years on Drug Charge" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-312-30094-8.
- ^ "TWO ON MOB TRIAL TAPE SAY TO KILL DRUG SELLERS". The New York Times. September 23, 1986.
- ^ Feuer, Alan (September 1, 2000). "Anthony Corallo, Mob Boss, Dies in Federal Prison at 87". New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (February 27, 1985). "U.s. Indictment Says 9 Governed New York Mafia". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "U.S. JURY CONVICTS EIGHT AS MEMBERS OF MOB COMMISSION" (PDF). New York Times. November 20, 1986. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ Federal Government's Use of Trusteeships Under the RICO Statute. Vol. 4. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1989.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1987). "JUDGE SENTENCES 8 MAFIA LEADERS TO PRISON TERMS". New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2011.