Robert Perrino
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Robert Francis Perrino, also known as "Bobby Perrino" (February 9, 1938 in
Fordham, Bronx Fordham is a neighborhood located in the western Bronx, New York City. Fordham is roughly bordered by East 196th Street to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, Burnside Avenue to the south, and Jerome Avenue to the west. The neighborhood's prima ...
– May 4, 1992 in
Port Richmond, Staten Island Port Richmond is a neighborhood situated on the North Shore of Staten Island, a borough of New York City. Port Richmond is bounded by Kill van Kull on the north, Jewett Avenue on the east, Forest Avenue on the south, and the Bayonne Bridge on t ...
) was the superintendent of deliveries at the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' from the 1970s until 1992, when he was murdered. He was a
Bonanno crime family The Bonanno 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, and in the United States, as part of the criminal phenomenon known as the A ...
associate of
Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...
descent. Perrino was the leader of "The Post Circulation Crew" (as referred to by
Manhattan District Attorney The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws ...
Robert Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...
in court) which allegedly existed to control the circulation department of (the now defunct) ''New York Post'' printing press and distribution center (located at 210 South Street) by means of extortion, coercion, the falsification of business records, larceny and bribery. The crew also became involved in
loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
ing,
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...
and the selling of stolen
firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s.


Biography

Robert Perrino was the son-in-law of Bonanno crime family
underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underbo ...
and former
consigliere Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel ''The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a c ...
Nicholas Marangello. He was born to American born parents of Italian immigrants from Gallo Matese,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and not to be mistaken as a relative of
Anthony Peraino Bryanston Distributing Company (formerly known as Bryanston Distributors and also traded as Bryanston Pictures) was an American film distribution company that was active during the 1970s. The company was founded by Louis Peraino and Philip Parisi ...
. Perrino was a former
New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
(NYPD) law enforcement officer policing the
Little Italy, Manhattan Little Italy (also it, Piccola Italia) is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, known for its large Italian population. It is bounded on the west by Tribeca and Soho, on the south by Chinatown, on the east by the Bowery and Lower ...
neighborhood during an unremarkable twenty-year career. His retirement from the NYPD and introduction to his subsequent career in organized crime remains a mystery to authorities. Perrino lived in
Knickerbocker Village Knickerbocker Village Limited is a housing development situated between the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge, in the Two Bridges section of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. Although the location was generally considered to f ...
, where his father-in-law Nicholas Marangello and other members of the Bonanno crime family resided. He maintained daily contact and worked alongside other crime family members at the ''New York Post'', a mere three blocks away from his home. Perrino was hired in the late 1960s as the Superintendent of Deliveries for the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' to replace Bonanno crime family mobster Anthony Michele. Later, he moved from Knickerbocker Village to a waterfront mansion on
Huntington Bay Huntington Bay is a village in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, on East Neck on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 1,425 at the time of the 2010 census. History Huntington Bay incorporated ...
in
Huntington, New York The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. ...
with his wife and children. After his disappearance, police discovered in his Huntington home a stunning arsenal of firearms, including some with erased serial numbers, plus $105,000 in loose currency. Months following his disappearance, Perrino's picture was broadcast on the television show ''
America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...
'', but the show elicited no tips. Law enforcement officials and most
Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union The Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union is an independent union for employees of newspapers based in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In 2009, for the first time in its history, The union affiliated with another, choosing the International B ...
(NMDU) workers assumed Perrino had been murdered. He was declared legally dead in 1997.


The Post Circulation Crew

The Post Circulation Crew was formed in the early 1960s before Perrino was hired at ''The Post'' by Albert Embarrato to replace Anthony Michele, another Post Circulation Crew member who had been promoted to Director of Circulation. Perrino led a double life as a powerful and influential associate of the Bonanno crime family for twenty years, unknown to his fellow "citizen" employees and family members. During his employment, Perrino allowed the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' labor force to be infested with button-men, or "sidewalk soldiers", from the Bonanno crime family. The Post Circulation Crew included three "made" soldiers:
Richard Cantarella Richard Cantarella (born 1944), also known as Shellackhead, was an American mobster who became a caporegime for the New York City-based Bonanno crime family and later a government witness. Biography Cantarella was born to Italian parents on the ...
,
Joseph D'Amico Joseph D'Amico (born 1955 in Little Italy, Manhattan), also known as "Joey The Mook," is an American mobster who was a made man in the Bonanno crime family before he turned government informant. " D'Amico was a long-time street soldier who worked ...
and Albert Embarrato. They among other members of the Bonanno crime family were all employed by ''The Post'' and received wages, some of which amounted to $50,000 a year. An estimated 51 crime family members were no-show employees while others were partially or wholly present at the newspaper distribution plant including Cantarella, D'Amico and Embarrato. For years, through the influence of
Joseph Massino Joseph Charles Massino (born January 10, 1943) is an American former mobster. He was a member of the Mafia and boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1991 until 2004, when he became the first boss of one of the Five Families in New York City to tu ...
and
Salvatore Vitale Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale (born September 22, 1947) is an American former underboss of the Bonanno crime family before he became a government informant. After his arrest in 2003, Vitale agreed to cooperate with the government and testif ...
, Perrino while leading The Post Circulation Crew organized the theft of thousands of newspapers every day and sold them to non-connected independent street vendors and stores in Manhattan and
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
at a rate of twenty to thirty cents each; the standard newspaper price at the time was fifty cents. Although Perrino helped the Bonanno crime family orchestrate many rackets at the newspaper they demonstrated no interest in the actual content that was printed by ''The Post'' and did not control its content. With Perrino's help the Bonanno crime family became entrenched at the newspaper – the mobsters organized loan shark operations to employees, sold small quantities of stolen firearms, ammunition and drugs. Perrino collected the loan shark debts by threatening his indebted employees with
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sticks. While the Bonanno crime family operation prospered under Perrino, the
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
State Marshals began probing
La Cosa Nostra 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 membe ...
infiltration of the ''New York Post'' and Perrino became the main target and focal point of a labor racketeering probe brought on by Manhattan
District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
Robert Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...
. As the investigation came to show promise, the U.S. Marshals planted a transmitter in Perrino's office at the distribution plant. While Perrino was Superintendent of Distribution, he employed The Post Circulation Crew that consisted of truck drivers,
Richard Cantarella Richard Cantarella (born 1944), also known as Shellackhead, was an American mobster who became a caporegime for the New York City-based Bonanno crime family and later a government witness. Biography Cantarella was born to Italian parents on the ...
, Paul Cantarella, Frank Cantarella,
Joseph D'Amico Joseph D'Amico (born 1955 in Little Italy, Manhattan), also known as "Joey The Mook," is an American mobster who was a made man in the Bonanno crime family before he turned government informant. " D'Amico was a long-time street soldier who worked ...
, Albert Embarrato, Vincent DiSario, Gerard Bilboa, Anthony Vitale, John Vispisiano (NMDU business agent for the ''New York Post''), Douglas LaChance (former NMDU president), Anthony Turzio, John Vispisiano (NMDU business agent for the ''New York Post''), Michael Diana (NMDU business agent), John Nobile, Armando DiCostanzo, Leo D'Angelo (general foreman at Metropolitan News Company),
James Galante James Galante (born January 5, 1953) is an American convicted felony, felon and associate of the Genovese crime family, owner of the defunct Danbury Trashers minor-league hockey team and a defunct racecar team fielding cars for Ted Christopher, a ...
, John Piervencenti (assistant foreman), Thomas Carrube (assistant foreman), Michael Alvino (NMDU President from 1989 to 1991), Joe Torre (Citiwide News Corporation business agent), Anthony Michele (Director of Circulation), Gerard Bilboa (newspaper foreman), Corey Ellenthal (newspaper foreman), Michael Fago (newspaper foreman), and for a short period of time, Salvatore Vitale's youngest son, and Anthony Vitale who worked as a delivery truck drivers.


Relationship with the Mafia

Richard Cantarella and Robert Perrino spoke freely in his office about racketeering matters. He was also a close friend of Bonanno crime family capo Albert Embarrato. A wire transmitter in Perrino's office caught saying to Richard Cantarella, as reported in ''The Village Voices article ''"The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union"'', ''"Al Walker's the smartest guy in the whole Bonanno family, and he's the toughest fuckin' guy"''. Perrino was in regular contact with Bonanno crime family underboss Salvatore Vitale to whom he handed over the weekly proceeds from their racketeering ventures. When law enforcement finally came down on the newspaper's crooked workforce, Perrino was not arrested or indicted although Bonanno crime family members and several others were caught in the sting operation – making Salvatore Vitale nervous. A secret video camera placed in Perrino's office in late 1991 caught Perrino discussing his important role in the Bonanno crime family. It also taped Perrino and other ''Post'' employees discussing the finer points of bootlegging, newspaper theft and passing around loaded pistols to admire. Perrino was heard advising truck drivers, ''"It's bad to carry a fuckin' piece in the car, you'll have to shoot everybody"'', as reported in ''"The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union"'' in ''The Village Voice''. Although Salvatore Vitale had not been named in the initial indictments, he thought that Perrino could become an
informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...
because of his immense involvement with the rackets at the ''New York Post''. Perrino's father-in-law, Nicholas Marangello, was incarcerated for racketeering as a result of the Donnie Brasco investigation at the time of his execution. Two of Perrino's executive co-workers, including his friend Director of Circulation, Anthony Michele, pleaded guilty to racketeering. A number of Bonanno crime family connected members of the Newspaper Mail Deliverer's Union later pleaded guilty to a variety of charges and were imprisoned at
Riker's Island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...
. Salvatore Vitale suggested that Richard Cantarella replace Perrino shortly before the racketeering investigation was revealed.


Botched execution

Richard Cantarella told Perrino that he needed to attend a meeting and discuss the case against the Bonanno crime family and the investigation of their infiltration of the ''New York Post''. He accompanied Michael "Mickey Bats" Cardella to a
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22nd ...
, social club owned by Bonanno mob associate Anthony Basile, a relative of
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
discothèque owner and
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 known as ...
associate Phillip Basile. As Perrino entered the club,
Baldassare Amato Baldassare Amato (born 15 December 1951) is a Sicilian gangster and a member of the Bonanno Mafia family in New York City. He was a cousin of Bonanno crime family capo Cesare Bonventre. At age 18, he emigrated from Castellammare del Golfo, Italy ...
, waiting inside the social club, shot Perrino several times in the back of the skull and immediately left with Cardello.
Frank Lino Frank "Curly" Lino (born October 30, 1938) is a Sicilian-American former caporegime in the Bonanno crime family who later became an informant. Biography Early life Lino was born in a house on West Eight Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York ...
was then notified of the completion of the execution and sent over a "clean up team" that consisted of his cousin Robert Lino, Frank Ambrosiano and Anthony Basile. Upon entering the club, the trio were shocked to discover that Perrino was still alive, and one of the team stabbed Perrino to death with an ice pick to the chest. Frank Lino, angered at the botched execution, would later tell Salvatore Vitale in ''Joey Massino: The Rise and Fall of the Last Godfather'', "Tell the guy that did the shooting to make sure that next time that the victim was dead". Perrino's car was later recovered nearby with a parking ticket in the windshield. According to ''The Last Godfather'', the men wrapped Perrino's corpse in a carpet and drove to a construction company, Commercial Brick, located at 98 Jewett Avenue in
Port Richmond, Staten Island Port Richmond is a neighborhood situated on the North Shore of Staten Island, a borough of New York City. Port Richmond is bounded by Kill van Kull on the north, Jewett Avenue on the east, Forest Avenue on the south, and the Bayonne Bridge on t ...
owned by Anthony Basile and buried him underneath the cement floor of the store. Several weeks later, one of his limbs was said to have risen up from the floor, making the mobsters dig a deeper grave. Years later, Anthony Basile was indicted on drug trafficking charges; Salvatore Vitale and
Joseph Massino Joseph Charles Massino (born January 10, 1943) is an American former mobster. He was a member of the Mafia and boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1991 until 2004, when he became the first boss of one of the Five Families in New York City to tu ...
feared Anthony would become an informant and reveal Perrino's gravesite. His remains were removed from the cement floor and buried again.


The ''New York Post'' labor racketeering investigation

After the disappearance and later confirmed murder of Perrino, only a handful of Bonanno crime family members and associates involved in the News and Mail Deliverer's Union were incarcerated for racketeering at
Riker's Island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...
. Many of those convicted in the
Robert Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...
probe went back to work at the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'', some elevated to management positions following their release. Albert Embarrato was recruited as a potential partner by former ''New York Post'' owner Steve Hoffenberg. Bonanno crime family mobster Armond DiCostanzo went on disability leave from the newspaper, but his allies retained influence when '' The Daily News'' moved its plant to
Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Joseph Massino Joseph Charles Massino (born January 10, 1943) is an American former mobster. He was a member of the Mafia and boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1991 until 2004, when he became the first boss of one of the Five Families in New York City to tu ...
was not indicted for involvement in Perrino's murder because he was in prison at the time. At the trial, Perrino's daughter, Nicola Langora, testified that on the night Perrino disappeared, that she ate pizza at their home and watched the movie ''
All Dogs Go To Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy adventure comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman (his directorial debut) and Dan Kuenster. It tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin (voiced by Burt Re ...
'' on television with his granddaughter. "I asked him why he was in a hurry, and he said he had to meet somebody in Brooklyn", Langora testified, "I asked him who he had to meet, and joking around he said, 'What's the matter-are you writing a book?'" That was the last time she saw her father.


Hit men convicted

After an eight-week trial on October 27, 2006, Bonanno crime family capo Baldassare Amato, a cousin of Bonanno crime family capo
Cesare Bonventre Cesare "The Tall Guy" Bonventre (January 1, 1951 – April 16, 1984) was a Sicily, Sicilian mobster and caporegime for the New York City Bonanno crime family. Biography Early life Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Bonventre was a member ...
, and Bonanno crime family mob associates Stephen Locurto and Anthony Basile, were convicted of murdering Robert Perrino, Joseph Platia and Sebastiano DiFalco along with
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. The government's case was tried by Assistant U.S. District Attorneys John Buretta, Jeffrey A. Goldberg and Andrea Goldbarg.


Trivia

After Perrino was indicted for fraud and racketeering, he was represented by the criminal attorney Matthew Marie. In 2004, Marie would represent Richard Cantarella, one of Perrino's accused executioners. During the Perrino murder trial Marie argued that his client had nothing to do with Perrino's murder – Cantarella was found not guilty.


Discrepancies in articles

Perrino is wrongfully labeled as being the son of former Bonanno crime family
underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underbo ...
Nicholas Marangello in ''The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino'' and several online articles, when this is impossible, Marangello and Perrino having two different last names. In Simon Crittle's book, he also mistakenly changes Perrino's name to "Anthony Perrino". Perrino is sometimes labeled as a
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 ...
with the Bonanno crime family, which is false because of his history working with law enforcement.


References

*"The United States Attorney's Office: Eastern District of New York Public Affairs Officer, July 12, 2006 *Crittle, Simon, ''The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino'' Berkley (March 7, 2006)


External links


The PEOPLE of the State of New York, v. Richard Cantarella, Frank Cantarella, Anthony Michele, Vincent DiSario, Corey Ellenthal, Michael Fago, Gerard Bilboa, Anthony Turzio


{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrino, Robert 1938 births 1992 deaths Bonanno crime family Deaths by stabbing in the United States Deaths by firearm in Brooklyn Male murder victims Murdered American gangsters of Italian descent People from the Bronx People murdered in New York City