Victor Orena
Victor Orena | |
---|---|
Born | Victor J. Orena August 4, 1934 New York City, U.S. |
Other names | Little Vic |
Occupation | Crime boss |
Allegiance | Colombo crime family |
Conviction(s) | Racketeering, murder |
Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment plus 85 years (1992) |
Victor J. Orena[1] (born August 4, 1934),[2] also known as "Little Vic", is a New York City mobster who became the acting boss of the Colombo crime family.[3] A challenge by Orena to boss Carmine Persico triggered one of the bloodiest Mafia wars of the late 20th century, and the last major mob war in New York City to date.
Early life
Born in New York City, Victor Orena's father died when he was a child. Orena spent time in a reform school and eventually dropped out of high school. According to his son, Orena entered the mob life because the wiseguys he knew had risen from humble beginnings and had become big figures in his neighborhood.[4]
In the early 1970s,
Acting boss
In 1985, Persico and several leading Colombo figures were convicted of racketeering charges. In 1987, Persico and underboss Gennaro Langella were each convicted in the Mafia Commission Trial and sentenced to 100 years in prison.[5] In the separate Colombo Trial, Persico was sentenced to 39 years' imprisonment, Langella 65 years' imprisonment, and Alphonse Persico to 12 years, on November 17, 1986.[6] To run the family in his absence, Persico named his son, Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico, as acting boss. Persico had named his brother, Alphonse, as acting boss previous to his arrest. Persico then named a three-man ruling panel to run the family. In 1988, he dissolved the panel and named Victor Orena, a loyal capo from Brooklyn, as temporary acting boss.
When John Gotti became boss of the Gambino family in 1986, Orena was able to expand his criminal dealings with the Gambinos. He became a top earner in the Colombo family, and increased his influence with Aloi and his brother Vincenzo, leaders of the Colombo Brooklyn faction.
In November 1989, Orena allegedly ordered the murder of Colombo mobster Thomas Ocera, who allegedly skimmed mob profits, had let police seize the Colombos'
In 1990, Orena was accused of conspiring to poison a racehorse named Fins, a son of the famed
Third Colombo War
By early 1991, Orena felt that Persico was keeping the family from making money, and that he himself should become boss. In addition, Persico had been negotiating for a television biography. Orena and several others, remembering how federal prosecutors had used
On June 20, 1991, a five-man hit team including Sessa, Pate, and Hank Smurra laid in wait near Orena's Long Island home. As Orena was driving down his street, he recognized several men in the parked car. Realizing they were waiting to kill him, Orena drove away. By the time the gunmen spotted Orena, it was too late to act.[9][10]
The Colombo conflict soon spiraled out of control. On November 18, 1991, Orena allegedly sent a team to murder Scarpa, who was ambushed as he was driving with his daughter and granddaughter; Scarpa and his family escaped unharmed. In retaliation, Persico loyalist Smurra, a member of the June assassination team against Orena, was shot dead later that day. On November 29, Sessa survived a murder attempt while driving his car.[11] On December 3, Scarpa sent a team to kill Orena soldier Joseph Tollino. Tollino escaped, but his companion, Genovese family mobster Thomas Amato, was killed accidentally. On December 5 and 6, William Cutolo sent teams that killed Persico loyalists Rosario Nastasa and Vincent Fusaro. On December 8, Orena supporter Nicky Grancio was killed. Soon after, Matteo Speranza, an innocent employee of a shop owned by Persico associates, was murdered by a young Brooklyn underling Anthony Libertore and his father, who were trying to make a name for themselves with the Brooklyn faction of the Colombos.[11] The Libertores cooperated with the FBI once imprisoned, but were not found credible.
By this time, the Colombo warfare was receiving a great deal of public attention. On December 16, 1991, the Brooklyn
Imprisonment
On December 22, 1992, Orena was convicted of racketeering, the 1989 Ocera murder, and other related charges.[7] He received three life sentences plus 85 years in federal prison.[12] By late 1992, the shooting war had petered out and Persico remained in control of the Colombo family.
On March 10, 1997, a judge refused to overturn Orena's conviction. The appeal was based on an alleged conspiracy between Scarpa and his FBI handler, Lindley DeVecchio, against Orena during the war.[13] On January 16, 2004, a judge denied Orena's appeal for a new trial.[14]
As of November 2021, Orena is serving a life sentence at the
References
- ^ "United States of America, Appellee, v. Victor J. Orena, Also Known As Little Vic, Defendant-appellant, 32 F.3d 704 (2d Cir. 1994)". Justia Law. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ "Vito Orena". Division of Gaming Enforcement Exclusion List. State of New Jersey. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ The Colombo Family: Junior's War by Anthony Bruno (trutv.com)
- ^ a b Smith, Greg B (September 21, 2002). "Family wants retrial for 'different' man". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1987). "Judge Sentences 8 Mafia Leaders to Prison Terms". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
- ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (November 18, 1986). "Persico, His Son and 6 Others Get Long Terms as Colombo Gangsters". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Lubasch, Arnold H. (December 22, 1992). "Acting Crime Boss Is Convicted of Murder and Racketeering". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ Nack, William. "Blood Money". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ISBN 0-312-36181-5.
- ^ Lubasch, Anrold H (September 1, 1991). "Prosecutors Tell of Colombo Family Murder Plot". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ a b c McFadden, Robert B (December 17, 1991). "Brooklyn's Mob War Interrupted With a Quiet Day in Court". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-425-22986-6.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Fried, Joseph P (March 11, 1997). "Federal Judge Refuses to Dismiss Murder Convictions of 2 Mobsters". New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
- ^ Cornell Smith, Katie (January 16, 2004). "NO RETRIAL FOR WISEGUY KILLER". New York Post. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- ^ "Victor Orena". Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Ailing ex-Colombo family boss Victor Orena, 86, could be released from prison: lawyer Noah Goldberg, New York Daily News (April 29, 2021)
- ^ Engelhart, Katie (August 11, 2023). "I've Reported on Dementia for Years, and One Image of a Prisoner Keeps Haunting Me". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ Engelhart, Katie (August 11, 2023). "I've Reported on Dementia for Years, and One Image of a Prisoner Keeps Haunting Me". Retrieved August 13, 2023.
External links
- La Cosa Nostra – State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation 1989 Report – The Colombo/Persico/Orena Family
- Post-Gazette.com Switching sides Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine by Bill Moushey
- Former FBI agent goes on trial in mob-tied murders By SCOTT SHIFREL