Michael Clemente (August 29, 1908 – December 1987), (also known as Mike Costello or Big Mike), was a New York
mobster in the
Genovese crime family who became a major force in controlling the
East River waterfront of
Manhattan from the 1940s to 1979. His principal territory was between piers 36 and 42. In 1943, Clemente, who was a
Caporegime of
Joseph Lanza, took over his boss's waterfront rackets at the
Fulton Fish Market on the East River when "Socks" Lanza went to prison for 7½ years for
extortion.
Biography
Born in New York City, Clemente lived in
Brooklyn. He married Josephine Tresonte and was the father of three daughters. His official jobs included labor organizer, secretary, and business agent for Manhattan Local 856 of the
International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). Clemente's criminal record included
rape,
assault
An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
,
disorderly conduct,
extortion, conspiracy to violate federal liquor laws, and
perjury.
Originally a lieutenant in a crew of Rocco Pellegrino, Clemente used his power at the waterfront to extort money from shipping companies and the companies that loaded and unloaded cargo. At one point, the president of a company managing
stevedores
A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes.
After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number o ...
paid Clemente $11,000 for one of his daughter's weddings. In 1953, Clemente was convicted of extortion, removed from office at the ILA local, and sent to prison for five years. After his release, he exercised control at the ILA through his surrogates.
In 1977, the government gained the cooperation of William Montella, a shipping company employee, and planted undercover
surveillance devices
Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...
in his office. Over the next two years, law enforcement recorded meetings there in which Clemente received payments from Montella. In 1979, Clemente was convicted on
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges including extortion and
tax evasion and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
On February 21, 1987, Clemente was released from prison. Clemente died in December 1987.
In popular culture
Clemente was reportedly the inspiration for the character of waterfront boss "Johnny Friendly", played by
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...
, in the 1954 film ''
On the Waterfront
''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, and Eva Marie Saint in her film debut. ...
''.
"On the Waterfront"
Film Notes
Further reading
*
References
External links
1908 births
1987 deaths
Genovese crime family
American gangsters of Italian descent
American people convicted of tax crimes
{{US-crime-bio-stub