Joseph Nicholas Gallo (January 8, 1912 – September 1, 1995) was a New York

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

who served as consigliere of the

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 ...

under three different bosses. Joseph N. Gallo was not related to Joe Gallo of the

Colombo crime family The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was duri ...

Biography

Joseph N. Gallo was born on January 8, 1912, in

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, but grew up in the

Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...

section of Manhattan. Gallo was married and was the father of Gambino associate Joseph C. Gallo. Joseph N. Gallo and his family lived in Mill Basin, Brooklyn and

Long Island City, Queens Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to t ...

. In the 1930s, Gallo was convicted in New York of

illegal gambling Gaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law, ...

. Over the years, Gallo built his power base in the New York garment industry. He owned a dress manufacturing company in Brooklyn and eventually controlled the Greater Blouse, Shirt, and Undergarment Association, a trade group. Gallo also had strong ties with the Trafficante crime family of

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough ...

, and the

New Orleans crime family The New Orleans crime family or New Orlean Mafia was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in the city of New Orleans. The family had a history of criminal activity dating back to the late nineteenth century. The family reached its height ...

boss

Carlos Marcello Carlos Joseph Marcello (; born Calogero Minacore ; February 6, 1910 – March 3, 1993) was an Italian-American crime boss of the New Orleans crime family from 1947 until the late 1980s. Aside from his role in the American Mafia, he is also n ...

. Gallo frequently represented their leaders at Cosa Nostra meetings in New York. In the early 1970s, Gallo replaced Joseph Riccobono as consigliere under boss

Carlo Gambino Carlo Gambino (; August 24, 1902 – October 15, 1976) was an Italian-American crime boss of the Gambino crime family. After the Apalachin Meeting in 1957, and the imprisonment of Vito Genovese in 1959, Gambino took over the Commission o ...

. Gallo was considered as a possible candidate to succeed the ailing Gambino. However, on February 21, 1974, Gallo suffered a severe

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. Gallo recovered from this illness, but decided that he did not have the will or stamina to be Gambino's successor. After Gambino's death in 1976, Gallo continued as consigliere for boss

Paul Castellano Constantino Paul Castellano (; June 26, 1915 – December 16, 1985), was an American crime boss who succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family. Castellano was killed in an unsanctioned hit on December 16, 1985. Early life Cast ...

. In 1986, after Castellano's assassination, new boss

John Gotti John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 (, ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American gangster and Crime boss, boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of ...

also kept Gallo as consigliere. On December 22, 1987, Gallo was convicted of

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was en ...

charges that included two counts of bribery and one count of illegal interstate travel to commit bribery. In February 1988, Gallo was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay fines totaling $380,000. Before his sentence, he was released on parole to spend a last

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

with his family, since at his age any sentence imposed on him would have assured he would die in prison. He became the oldest inmate in federal custody. In 1987, after Gallo's conviction, Gotti replaced him with capo

Sammy Gravano Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (born March 12, 1945) is an American former mobster who became underboss of the Gambino crime family. Gravano played a major role in prosecuting John Gotti, the crime family's boss, by agreeing to testify as a ...

at consigliere. In 1995, Gallo was released from prison. On September 1, 1995, Gallo died of natural causes in

Astoria, Queens Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeas ...

. He is buried in St. Michaels Cemetery in East Elmhurst, Queens.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallo, Joseph N. 1912 births 1995 deaths American gangsters of Italian descent Consiglieri Gambino crime family People from Mill Basin, Brooklyn People from Long Island City, Queens Italian emigrants to the United States

Biography

References

Further reading

External links