Joseph Colombo

{{redirect|Joe Colombo|the Italian industrial designer with this name|Joe Colombo (designer)|other uses|Joe Colombo (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox criminal

|image=Josephcolombo.jpg

|caption=Colombo's March 6, 1970 mugshot

|birth_name=Joseph Anthony Colombo

|birth_date={{Birth date|1923|06|16|mf=y}}

|birth_place=New York City, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|1978|5|22|1923|06|16|mf=y}}

|death_place=Newburgh, New York, U.S.

|allegiance = Colombo crime family
Italian-American Civil Rights League

|resting_place=St. John's Cemetery, Queens

|occupation=Crime boss

|predecessor=Joseph Magliocco

|successor=Carmine Persico

|children=5

|spouse={{marriage|Lucille Faiello|1944}}

|conviction=Contempt of court (1966)

|penalty=30 days in prison

}}

Joseph Anthony Colombo Sr. ({{IPA|it|koˈlombo|lang}}; June 16, 1923 – May 22, 1978) was the boss of the Colombo crime family, one of the Five Families of the American Mafia in New York City.

Colombo was born in New York City, where his father was an early member of what was then the Profaci crime family. In 1961, the First Colombo War unfolded, instigated by the kidnapping of four high-ranking members in the Profaci family by Joe Gallo. Later that year, Gallo was imprisoned, and in 1962, family leader Joe Profaci died of cancer. In 1963, Bonanno crime family boss, Joseph Bonanno made plans with Joseph Magliocco to assassinate several rivals on The Commission. Magliocco gave the contract to one of his top hit men, Colombo, who revealed the plot to its targets. The Commission spared Magliocco's life but forced him into retirement, while Bonanno fled to Canada. As a reward for turning on his boss, Colombo was awarded the Profaci family. His only prison term would come in 1966, when Colombo was sentenced to 30 days in prison for contempt of court by refusing to answer questions from a grand jury about his financial affairs.

In 1970, Colombo created the Italian-American Civil Rights League. Later that year, the first Italian Unity Day rally was held in Columbus Circle to protest the federal persecution of Italians. In 1971, Gallo was released from prison, and Colombo invited him to a peace meeting with an offering of $1,000, which Gallo refused, instigating the Second Colombo War. On June 28, 1971, Colombo was shot three times by Jerome Johnson at the second Italian Unity Day rally in Columbus Circle sponsored by the Italian-American Civil Rights League; Johnson was immediately killed by Colombo's bodyguards. Colombo was paralyzed from the shooting. On May 22, 1978, Colombo died of cardiac arrest that resulted from his injuries.

Early life

Joseph Colombo Sr. was born into an Italian American family on June 16, 1923, in Brooklyn. His mother was from Naples, Italy and his father, Anthony Colombo, from Potenza, Italy, was an early member of the Profaci crime family, which would eventually be renamed after his son. In 1938, he was found strangled in a car with his mistress.{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|title=Colombo: The New Look in the Mafia |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/05/03/91282253.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 3, 1971}} Joe Colombo attended New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn for two years, then dropped out to join the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1945, he was diagnosed with neurosis and discharged from the service. His legitimate jobs included ten years as a longshoreman and six years as a salesman for a meat company. His final job was that of a real estate salesman.

Colombo owned a modest home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and a five-acre estate in Blooming Grove, New York. He married Lucille Faiello in 1944, and had five children including sons Christopher Colombo, Joseph Colombo Jr. (1946–2014){{Cite web|url=http://www.brooksfh.com/index.cfm/memsol.cgi?user_id=1448115|title=Brooks Funeral Home : Newburgh, New York (NY)|website=Brooks Funeral Home|access-date=2019-01-17}} and Anthony Colombo (1945–2017).{{cite web|title=Anthony Colombo, 71; helped get 'Mafia' out of 'The Godfather'|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2017/02/07/anthony-colombo-dies-helped-get-mafia-out-the-godfather/j2bs5GQdiaK67Ul0w7PIjM/story.html |access-date=2017-02-08|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=2017-02-08}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/nyregion/anthony-colombo-dies-at-71-helped-get-mafia-out-of-the-godfather.html|title=Anthony Colombo Dies at 71; Helped Get 'Mafia' Out of 'The Godfather'|work=The New York Times|date=January 24, 2017}}

First Colombo War

Colombo followed his father into the Profaci family. He became one of the family's top enforcers, and soon became a capo.

On February 27, 1961, the Gallos kidnapped four of Profaci's top men: underboss Magliocco, Frank Profaci (Joe Profaci's brother), capo Salvatore Musacchia and soldier John Scimone. Profaci himself eluded capture and flew to sanctuary in Florida.Cage, Nicholas (July 17, 1972) [https://books.google.com/books?id=yuYCAAAAMBAJ&dq=Joseph+Magliocco+kidnapped&pg=PA27 "Part II The Mafia at War"] New York pp.27-36 While holding the hostages, Larry and Albert Gallo sent Joe Gallo to California. The Gallos demanded a more favorable financial scheme in return for the hostages' release. Gallo wanted to kill one hostage and demand $100,000 before negotiations, but his brother Larry overruled him. After a few weeks of negotiation, Profaci made a deal with the Gallos.{{cite book|last=Sifakis|first=Carl|title=The Mafia encyclopedia|year=2005|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York|isbn=0-8160-5694-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgCpxTpPCPcC&pg=PA179|edition=3.}} Profaci's consigliere Charles "the Sidge" LoCicero negotiated with the Gallos and all the hostages were released peacefully.Capeci (2001), p.303 However, Profaci had no intention of honoring this peace agreement. On August 20, 1961, Profaci ordered the murder of Gallo family members Joseph "Joe Jelly" Gioielli and Larry Gallo. Gunmen allegedly murdered Gioilli after inviting him to go fishing. Larry Gallo survived a strangulation attempt in the Sahara club of East Flatbush by Carmine Persico and Salvatore "Sally" D'Ambrosio after a police officer intervened.Raab (2006), pp.321-324 The Gallo brothers had been previously aligned with Persico against Profaci and his loyalists; The Gallos then began calling Persico "The Snake" after he had betrayed them. The war continued and resulted in nine murders and three disappearances. With the start of the gang war, the Gallo crew retreated to the Dormitory.{{cite news|last=Cook|first=Fred J.|title=Robin Hoods or Real Tough Boys:Larry Gallo, Crazy Joe, and Kid Blast|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1966/10/23/90235682.pdf |newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 23, 1966 |access-date=November 17, 2011}}

In late November 1961, Joe Gallo was sentenced to seven-to-fourteen years in prison for murder.Capeci (2001) p.305 On June 6, 1962, Profaci died and was succeeded by longtime underboss Joseph Magliocco. In 1963, Joseph Bonanno, the head of the Bonanno crime family, made plans to assassinate several rivals on the Mafia Commission—bosses Tommy Lucchese, Carlo Gambino, and Stefano Magaddino, as well as Frank DeSimone.Staff (September 1, 1967) [https://books.google.com/books?id=UFYEAAAAMBAJ&q=Colombo&pg=PA18 "The Mob: How Joe Bonanno Schemed to kill – and lost"] Life p.15-21 Bonanno sought Magliocco's support, and Magliocco readily agreed. Bonanno was not only bitter from being denied a seat on the Commission, but he and Profaci had been close allies for over 30 years prior to Profaci's death. Bonanno's audacious goal was to take over the Commission and make Magliocco his right-hand man. Magliocco was assigned the task of killing Lucchese and Gambino, and gave the contract to one of his top hit men, Colombo. However, the opportunistic Colombo revealed the plot to its targets. The other bosses quickly realized that Magliocco could not have planned this himself. Remembering how close Bonanno was with Magliocco (and before him, Profaci), as well as their close ties through marriages, the other bosses concluded Bonanno was the real mastermind.{{cite web|last=Bruno|first=Anthony|title=Colombo Crime Family: Trouble and More Trouble|url=https://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/colombo/4.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914110850/https://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/colombo/4.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-09-14|work=TruTV Crime Library|access-date=2011-11-27}} The Commission summoned Bonanno and Magliocco to explain themselves. Fearing for his life, Bonanno went into hiding in Montreal, leaving Magliocco to deal with the Commission. Badly shaken and in failing health, Magliocco confessed his role in the plot. The Commission spared Magliocco's life, but forced him to retire as Profaci family boss and pay a $50,000 fine. As a reward for turning on his boss, Colombo was awarded the Profaci family.

At the age of 41, Colombo was one of the youngest crime bosses in the country. He was also the first American-born boss of a New York crime family. When NYPD detective Albert Seedman (later the NYPD chief of detectives) called Colombo in for questioning about the death of one of his soldiers, Colombo came to the meeting without a lawyer. He told Seedman, "I am an American citizen, first class. I don't have a badge that makes me an official good guy like you, but I work just as honest for a living."Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005. p. 187

On May 9, 1966, Colombo was sentenced to 30 days in jail for contempt by refusing to answer questions from a grand jury about his financial affairs.{{cite news|title=Mafia Figure Gets a Contempt Term|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1966/05/10/82790355.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 10, 1966}}

Italian-American Civil Rights League

In April 1970, Colombo created the Italian-American Civil Rights League. That same month, his son Joseph Colombo Jr. was charged with melting down coins for resale as silver ingots.{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/small-time-mob-boss-joe-colombo-great-civil-rights-crusade-article-1.806268|title=Small-time mob boss Joe Colombo's great civil rights crusade|work=New York Daily News|date=August 14, 2017}} In response, Joseph Colombo Sr. claimed FBI harassment of Italian-Americans and, on April 30, 1970, sent 30 picketers outside FBI headquarters at Third Avenue and 69th Street to protest the federal persecution of all Italians everywhere; this went on for weeks. On June 29, 1970, 50,000 people attended the first Italian Unity Day rally in Columbus Circle in New York City.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/30/archives/thousands-of-italians-here-rally-against-ethnic-slurs-thousands-of.html|title=Thousands of Italians Here Rally Against Ethnic Slurs|work=The New York Times|date=June 30, 1970}}{{cite news|title=Italo-Americans Press Unity Day|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1970/06/18/76769512.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 18, 1970}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ME82pxNlFpQC&q=italian+civil+rights+league+macy%27s+commercial&pg=PA214|title=The Journey of the Italians in America|year=2008|publisher=Pelican|author=Vincenza Scarpaci|isbn=9781455606832}} In February 1971, Colombo Jr. was acquitted of the federal charge after the chief witness in the trial was arrested on perjury charges.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/27/archives/colombo-acquitted-in-conspiracy-case-colombo-witness-held-on.html|title=Colombo Acquitted In Conspiracy Case|work=The New York Times|date=February 27, 1971}}

Under Colombo's guidance, the League grew quickly and achieved national attention. Unlike other mob leaders who shunned the spotlight, Colombo appeared on television interviews, fundraisers and speaking engagements for the League. In 1971, Colombo aligned the League with Rabbi and political activist Meir Kahane's Jewish Defense League, claiming that both groups were being harassed by the federal government.{{cite news|last=Kaplan|first=Morris|title=Kahane and Colombo Join Forces to Fight Reported U.S. Harassment|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/05/14/91283122.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 14, 1971}} At one point, Colombo posted bail for 11 jailed JDL members.{{cite book|last=Rosenthal|first=Richard|title=Rookie cop : deep undercover in the Jewish Defense League|year=2000|publisher=Leapfrog Press|location=Wellfleet, Mass.|isbn=0-9654578-8-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CzGfl-J3FBgC&q=%22Joseph+Colombo%22&pg=PA169}}

=''The Godfather''=

In the spring of 1971, Paramount Pictures started filming The Godfather with the assistance of Colombo and the League. Due to its subject matter, the film originally faced great opposition from Italian-Americans to filming in New York. However, after producer Albert Ruddy met with Colombo and agreed to excise the terms "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" from the film, the League cooperated fully.{{cite news|last=Pileggi|first=Nicholas|title=The Making of 'The Godfather: Sort of a Home Movie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/godfather-ar1.html|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 15, 1971}} The first meeting involved Ruddy, Colombo, Colombo's son Anthony and 1500 delegates from Colombo's Italian-American Civil Rights League. Ruddy would afterwards hold numerous meetings with Anthony, which led to assurance that the film would be based on individuals and would not defame or stereotype a group.{{cite news |last1=Pileggi |first1=Nicholas |author2-link=Nicholas Pileggi |title=The Making of "The Godfather"—Sort of a Home Movie |url=http://www.thestacksreader.com/the-making-of-the-godfather-sort-of-a-home-movie/ |access-date=May 28, 2024 |work=The New York Times Magazine |date=August 15, 1971 |issn=0028-7822 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211081245/http://www.thestacksreader.com/the-making-of-the-godfather-sort-of-a-home-movie/ |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |location=The Stacks Reader |format=Archive}}

Shooting

In early 1971, Joe Gallo was released from prison. As a supposedly conciliatory gesture, Colombo invited Gallo to a peace meeting with an offering of $1,000.{{cite news|last=Fosburgh|first=Lacy|title=Mafia Informer Says Aloi Ordered Gallo Killing|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1973/06/21/97442269.pdf|access-date=2011-11-03|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 12, 1973}} Gallo refused the invitation, wanting $100,000 to stop the conflict, which Colombo refused to pay. At that point, acting boss Vincenzo Aloi issued a new order to kill Gallo.{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|title=Colombo's Refusal to Buy Off Gallo for $100,000 Cited|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/07/05/79402463.pdf|access-date=2011-11-03|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 5, 1971}}

On March 11, 1971, after being convicted of perjury for lying on his application to become a real estate broker, Colombo was sentenced to two and half years in state prison.{{cite news|last=Ferretti|first=Fred|title=Corporate Rift in 'Godfather' Filming|newspaper=New York Times|date=March 23, 1971}} The sentence, however, was delayed pending an appeal.{{cite web|last=Bruno|first=Anthony|title=TruTV Crime Library|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/colombo/3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913194214/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/colombo/3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 13, 2008|work=The Colombo Family: The Olive Oil King|access-date=October 14, 2011}}

On June 28, 1971, Colombo was shot three times in the head and neck by Jerome A. Johnson, a 24-year old African American man at the second Italian Unity Day rally in Columbus Circle sponsored by the Italian-American Civil Rights League; Johnson was immediately killed by Colombo's bodyguards.

=Aftermath=

Colombo was paralyzed from the shooting. On August 28, 1971, after two months at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, Colombo was moved to his estate at Blooming Grove.{{cite news|last=Weisman|first=Steven R.|title=Colombo Leaves the Hospital Two Months After the Shooting.|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/08/28/79404189.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 28, 1971}} In 1975, a court-ordered examination showed that Colombo could move his thumb and forefinger on his right hand. In 1976, there were reports that he could recognize people and utter several words.

After the Colombo shooting, Joseph Yacovelli became the acting boss for one year before Carmine Persico took over.{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|title=Yacovelli Said to Succeed Colombo in Mafia Family|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/09/01/79150801.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 1, 1971}}

Although many in the Colombo family blamed Joe Gallo for the shooting, the police eventually concluded that Johnson was a lone gunman after they had questioned Gallo.{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|title=Grudges with Gallo Date to War with Profaci|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1972/04/08/79466327.pdf|access-date=November 25, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 8, 1972}} Since Johnson had spent time a few days earlier at a Gambino club, one theory was that Carlo Gambino organized the shooting. Colombo refused to listen to Gambino's complaints about the League, and allegedly spat in Gambino's face during one argument.{{cite news|last=Ferretti|first=Fred|title=Suspect in Shooting of Colombo Linked to Gambino Family|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 20, 1971}} However, the Colombo family leadership was convinced that Joe Gallo ordered the murder after his falling out with the family.{{cite book|last=Abadinsky|first=Howard|title=Organized crime|year=2010|publisher=Wadsworth/Cengage Learning|location=Belmont, Calif.|isbn=978-0-495-59966-1|url=https://archive.org/details/organizedcrime00howa|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/organizedcrime00howa/page/103 103]|edition=9th}} Gallo was murdered on April 7, 1972.{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|title=Story of Joe Gallo's Murder|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1972/05/03/82222661.pdf |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 3, 1972 |access-date=November 3, 2011}}

Death

On May 22, 1978, Colombo died of cardiac arrest at St. Luke's Hospital (later St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital) in Newburgh, New York.{{cite news|title=Joseph A. Colombo, Sr,. Paralyzed in Shooting at 1971 Rally, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/24/archives/joseph-a-colombo-sr-54-paralyzed-in-shooting-at-1971-rally-dies.html|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 24, 1978}}

Colombo's funeral was held at St. Bernadette's Catholic Church in Bensonhurst and he was buried in St. John Cemetery in the Middle Village section of Queens.{{cite news|last=Gupte|first=Pranay|title=Colombo is Eulogized as a Champion of Civil Rights|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1978/05/27/110961261.pdf|access-date=2011-11-09|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 27, 1978}}

In popular culture

Colombo features in the first episode of UK history TV channel Yesterday's documentary series Mafia's Greatest Hits[http://uktv.co.uk/yesterday/item/aid/652827 Mafia's Greatest Hits].
In "Christopher", an episode of The Sopranos, Silvio Dante claims that Colombo was the founder of the first Italian-American anti-defamation organization. However, the American Italian Anti-Defamation League was founded before Colombo's Italian-American Civil Rights League
In 2015, Joe Colombo's oldest son, Anthony Colombo, authored Colombo: The Unsolved Murder{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/nyregion/anthony-colombo-dies-at-71-helped-get-mafia-out-of-the-godfather.html|title=Anthony Colombo Dies at 71; Helped Get 'Mafia' Out of 'The Godfather'|last=Roberts|first=Sam|date=2017-01-24|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-01-17|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} a biography/memoir with co-author Don Capria
The 2019 Martin Scorsese film The Irishman depicts the assassination attempt on Colombo, who is played by John Polce.
Colombo is played by Giovanni Ribisi in the 2022 Paramount+ limited streaming series The Offer, which details the making of the film The Godfather.
Colombo is portrayed by Michael Raymond-James in the third and fourth seasons of the television series Godfather of Harlem, which premiered in 2023.