Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante | |
---|---|
Saint John's Cemetery, Queens | |
Other names | "Lilo", "The Cigar", "The Heroin Don". |
Occupation | Crime boss |
Spouse |
Helen Marulli (m. 1945) |
Children | 5 |
Allegiance | Drug trafficking (1962) |
Criminal penalty | 20 days' imprisonment 20 years' imprisonment |
Carmine Galante (Italian:
Background
Camillo Carmine Galante was born on February 21, 1910, in a tenement building in the East Harlem section of Manhattan. His parents, Vincenzo "James" Galante and Vincenza Russo, had emigrated from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, to New York City in 1906, where Vincenzo was a fisherman.[1][2]
Carmine Galante had two brothers, Samuel and Peter Galante, and two sisters, Josephine and Angelina Galante.[2] On February 10, 1945, Galante married Helen Marulli,[2] by whom he had three children; James Galante, Camille Galante, and Angela Galante. For the last 20 years of his life, Carmine Galante lived with Ann Acquavella; the couple had two children together.[1] He was the uncle to Bonanno crime family capo James Carmine Galante.[3]
While in prison in 1931, doctors diagnosed Galante as having a
Galante owned the Rosina Costume Company in
Criminal career
Early years
At the age of 10, Galante was sent to
In August 1930, Galante was arrested for the murder of police officer Walter DeCastilla during a payroll robbery. However, Galante was never indicted.
By 1940, Galante was carrying out "
In 1943, Galante allegedly murdered Carlo Tresca, the publisher of an anti-fascist newspaper in New York. Genovese, living in exile in Italy, offered to kill Tresca as a favor to Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Genovese allegedly gave the murder contract to Galante. On January 11, 1943, Galante allegedly shot and killed Tresca as he stepped outside his newspaper office in Manhattan, and then got in a car and drove away.[6] Although Galante was arrested as a suspect, no one was ever charged in the murder.[7] After the Tresca murder, Galante was sent back to prison on a parole violation. On December 21, 1944, Galante was released from prison.[4]
Later years
In 1953, boss
In October 1957, Bonanno and Galante, now a
In 1958, after being indicted on drug conspiracy charges, Galante went into hiding. On June 3, 1959, New Jersey State Police officers arrested Galante after stopping his car on the Garden State Parkway close to New York City. Federal agents had recently discovered that Galante was hiding in a house on Pelican Island off the South Jersey shore. After posting $100,000 bail, he was released.[11] On May 18, 1960, Galante was indicted on a second set of narcotics charges; he surrendered voluntarily.[12]
Galante's first narcotics trial started on November 21, 1960; one of his co-defendants was
Power grab
In January 1974, Galante was released from prison on parole.[16] Following his release from prison, Galante allegedly ordered the bombing of the doors to the private mausoleum of his enemy Frank Costello in St. Michael's Cemetery, who had died in 1973.[17]
On February 23, 1974, at a meeting at the
During the late 1970s, Galante allegedly organized the murders of at least eight members of the
On March 3, 1978, Galante's parole was revoked by the United States Parole Commission for allegedly associating with other Bonanno mobsters, and he was sent back to prison.[21] However, on February 27, 1979, a judge ruled that the government had illegally revoked Galante's parole and ordered his immediate release.[16]
Assassination
The New York crime families were alarmed at Galante's brazen attempt to take over the narcotics market.[20] Genovese crime family boss Frank Tieri began contacting Cosa Nostra leaders to build a consensus for Galante's murder, even obtaining approval from the retired Joseph Bonanno.[22] In 1979, they received a boost when the official boss, Rastelli, sought Commission approval to kill Galante. Joseph Massino, a Bonanno soldier loyal to Rastelli, relayed the request to the Commission, which swiftly approved a contract on Galante.[23][24]
On July 12, 1979, Galante was killed just as he finished eating lunch on an open patio at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant at 205 Knickerbocker Avenue in
Aftermath
The
In 1984, Bonventre was found murdered in a New Jersey warehouse, allegedly to guarantee his silence in the Galante murder.[28] On January 13, 1987, Anthony Indelicato was sentenced to 40 years in prison, as a defendant in the Commission trial, for the Galante, Coppola, and Turano murders.[29]
Galante is depicted in the first episode of the UK history TV channel Yesterday's documentary series Mafia's Greatest Hits.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b Raab, Selwyn (July 13, 1979). "Galante's Image Belied Role He Played in Life" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Carmine Galante Part 1 of 12". FBI Records - The Vault. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- New York Times. Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Carmine Galante Part 2 of 12". FBI Records: The Vault. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ISBN 0-312-30094-8
- ^ "Assassin Slays Tresca, Radical, In Fifth Avenue". New York Times. January 12, 1943.
- ^ Franks, Lucinda (February 20, 1977). "Obscure Gangster Emerging as Mafia Chief in New York" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ Auger and Edwards The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime p.63.
- ISBN 1-59257-305-3. Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005. Page 112
- ^ Ranzal, Edward (June 4, 1959). "Fugitive is Seized in Narcotics Case" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ "Galante Gives Up" (PDF). New York Times. May 18, 1960. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
- ^ United States of America, Appellee, v. William Bentvena et al., Defendants-appellants, 319 F.2d 916 (2d Cir. 1963)
- ^ "Mistrial is Ruled in Narcotics Case" (PDF). New York Times. May 16, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "13 Are Sentenced in Narcotics Case" (PDF). New York Times. July 11, 1962. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Judge Orders Release of Galante from Jail" (PDF). New York Times. February 28, 1979. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ISBN 9781610695947. Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-470-83500-5.
- ^ Seigel, Max H (April 24, 1976). "U.S. Convicts Reputed Leader of Crime Group in Shakedown" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
- ^ a b Raab, pp. 203–205
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H (March 4, 1978). "Commission Revokes Galante's Probation" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ Sifakis, Carl (2005). p. 443.
- ISBN 0-312-36181-5.
- ^ Raab, pp. 607–608
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 13, 1979). "Galante and 2 Shot to Death in Brooklyn Restaurant" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8050-8659-1. Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 16, 1979). "Archdiocese Denies Request for Galante Funeral Mass" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
- ^ Sifakis, Carl (2005). p. 53.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1987). "JUDGE SENTENCES 8 MAFIA LEADERS TO PRISON TERMS". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
Books
- Pistone, Joseph D.; & Woodley, Richard (1999) ISBN 0-340-66637-4.
- Pistone, Joseph D.; & Brandt, Charles (2007). Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-2707-8.
- DeStefano, Anthony. The Last Godfather: Joey Massino & the Fall of the Bonanno Crime Family. California: Citadel, 2006.