Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and

Italian-American Mafia The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its mem ...

crime families. The underboss is second in command to the

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

. The underboss is sometimes a family member, such as a son, who will take over the family if the boss is sick, killed, or imprisoned. However the position of street boss has somewhat challenged the rank of underboss in the modern era. The position was installed within the

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the Ame ...

since at least the mid-1960s. It has also been used in the Detroit crime family and the Chicago Outfit. The power of an underboss greatly varies; some are marginal figures, while others are the most powerful individual in the family. Traditionally they run day-to-day affairs of the family. In some crime families, the appointment is for life. If a new boss takes over a family with an existing underboss, that boss may marginalize or even murder the underboss appointed by his predecessor. On the other hand, if a boss is incarcerated, the underboss may become acting boss. As bosses often serve large periods of time in prison, an acting boss will often become the crime family's effective boss. Even with the boss free, sometimes the underboss will gain enough power to become the effective head of the organization, and the boss will become a figurehead. An underboss likely has incriminating information about the boss, and so bosses often appoint people close to them to the underboss position for protection. In most families, the underboss arbitrates many of the disputes. Depending on the seriousness of the problem, he might consult with the boss. Some conflicts are immediately bucked up to the boss. In those cases, the underboss usually sits in and offers his opinion. In either event, the ultimate authority rests with the boss. This sometimes chafes the ego of an ambitious underboss and can lead to problems. An underboss receives monetary compensation in various ways. For example, he may be a partner in several rackets and thus get a cut. In addition, several capos may pass their envelopes through the underboss, who takes a percentage and passes the remainder to the boss. However he makes his illegal earnings, it is a significant enough amount to make his position one of envy, especially when prestige and the possibility of additional advancement are weighed. Sometimes an underboss will have his own crew. Just like the boss of a family, an underboss may also have a right-hand man. This right-hand man may speak in place of an underboss or carry out additional tasks for the underboss.

Notable underbosses

Aniello Dellacroce Aniello John "Neil" Dellacroce (March 15, 1914 – December 2, 1985) was an American mobster and underboss of the Gambino crime family. He rose to the position of underboss when Carlo Gambino moved Joseph Biondo aside. Dellacroce was a mentor ...

(

Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as th ...

) * Salvatore Gravano (

) *

Venero Mangano Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano (September 7, 1921 – August 18, 2017) was the underboss of the Genovese crime family. In 1991, Mangano was convicted of one count of extortion and a related conspiracy count for rigging windows contracts, and i ...

(

) * Frank DeCicco (

) * Anthony Casso (

Lucchese crime family The Lucchese crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, in the United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon know ...

) * Salvatore Vitale ( Bonanno crime family) * Vincenzo Terranova ( Morello crime family, currently known as

) *

Anthony Zizzo Anthony Zizzo (August 3, 1935 – disappeared August 31, 2006), also known as "Little Tony" and "Little Toes", was an American mobster who was the underboss of the Chicago Outfit The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, ...

( Chicago Outfit) *

John DeRoss John J. DeRoss (July 17, 1937), also known as Jackie or Jackie Zambooka, is a former underboss in the Colombo crime family. Capo and control over local 100 John DeRoss is the father of Colombo family mobsters Jack J. DeRoss and Jamie T. DeRoss. He ...

( Colombo crime family) * Steven Crea (

) * John Cerone ( Chicago Outfit) * Sonny Franzese ( Colombo crime family) *

Benedetto Aloi Benedetto "Benny" Aloi (October 6, 1935 – April 7, 2011) was a New York City mobster who became underboss of the Colombo crime family. Aloi was a main figure in the "Windows Case", Aloi was also a major figure in the Third Colombo War. Early y ...

( Colombo crime family) *

Gennaro Langella Gennaro Adriano Langella (; December 30, 1938 – December 15, 2013), also known as "Gerry Lang", was an American mobster in the Colombo crime family of New York City, and eventually became underboss and acting boss. Biography Background Langell ...

( Colombo crime family) *

Tommy Lucchese Thomas Gaetano Lucchese (born Gaetano Lucchese; ; December 1, 1899 – July 13, 1967), sometimes known by the nicknames "Tommy", "Thomas Luckese", "Tommy Brown" or "Tommy Three-Finger Brown" was an Italian-American gangster and founding member ...

(

) * Chuckie Merlino ( Philadelphia crime family)

References

* Maas, Peter, ''Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia''. NY: HarperCollins, 1997. *Capeci, Jerry. ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia''. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. {{Mafia Organized crime members by role American Mafia Sicilian Mafia

Notable underbosses

See also

References