The Colombo Crime Family: History, Internal Wars, and Modern Status

The Colombo Crime Family: History, Internal Wars, and Modern Status

The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that govern organized crime operations within New York City as part of the American Mafia (Cosa Nostra). Formerly known as the Profaci crime family, the syndicate was established in 1928 by Joseph "The Olive Oil King" Profaci.

Unlike its more stable counterparts, the Colombo family is historically characterized by intense internal volatility, having survived three separate full-scale civil wars. These internal bloodfeuds, combined with relentless federal prosecutions, have significantly altered the family's landscape over the decades.

The Three Internecine Wars

The Colombo family's history is deeply defined by three violent conflicts that fractured its ranks and made front-page news.

1. The First Colombo War: The Gallo Rebellion (1961–1963)

The roots of the first conflict traced back to the autocratic rule of Joseph Profaci. Profaci demanded high tribute payments from his captains and soldiers while pocketing the vast majority of the profits. This financial squeeze infuriated an ambitious, volatile crew from South Brooklyn led by the Gallo brothers: Larry, Albert, and Joey "Crazy Joe" Gallo.

The breaking point occurred when Profaci ordered the execution of a Gallo crew member, Frank Abbatemarco, for falling behind on his tribute payments. In February 1961, the Gallos revolted, kidnapping several top Profaci loyalists, including underboss Joseph Magliocco and future boss Joseph Colombo.

Profaci feigned negotiation to secure their release but immediately retaliated. A series of retaliatory drive-by shootings and ambushes erupted across Brooklyn, losing momentum only when Joe Profaci died of cancer in 1962 and Crazy Joe Gallo was sent to prison on extortion charges.

2. The Second Colombo War: The Columbus Circle Shooting (1971–1972)

Following Profaci’s death and the forced retirement of his successor, Joseph Magliocco, the Commission elevated Joseph Colombo to lead the family. Colombo revitalized the family and became a highly public figure, establishing the Italian-American Civil Rights League to protest federal surveillance of Italian-Americans.

Colombo's high-profile media campaigns deeply angered other Commission bosses, who disdained the public spotlight. When Joey Gallo was released from prison in early 1971, he instantly sought to reclaim his old territory. On June 28, 1971, during a massive League rally at Manhattan's Columbus Circle, an assassin shot Joseph Colombo in the head. Colombo survived the shooting but spent the rest of his life in a vegetative state until his death in 1978.

The Persico-led loyalist faction blamed Gallo for orchestrating the hit. On April 7, 1972, Colombo hitmen assassinated Joey Gallo while he was celebrating his birthday at Umberto's Clam House in Manhattan's Little Italy, ending the second war.

3. The Third Colombo War: Persico vs. Orena (1991–1993)

With Colombo incapacitated, Carmine "The Snake" Persico assumed absolute control of the family. Even after receiving a 100-year sentence in the historic 1986 Mafia Commission Trial, Persico intended to rule the family from prison through his family bloodline. In 1988, he appointed Vittorio "Vic" Orena as the acting street boss.

Orena was an ambitious captain who resented operating merely as a placeholder for the imprisoned Persico. Backed by Gambino boss John Gotti, Orena petitioned the Commission to recognize him as the official Don.

Fearing a coup, Persico ordered a hit squad to eliminate Orena at his Long Island home in June 1991. Orena spotted the gunmen and escaped, igniting the third and bloodiest Colombo war.

The family split down the middle into two heavily armed factions. Hit teams ambushed rivals across public streets, social clubs, and suburban driveways. By the time the war concluded in 1993, twelve people were dead—including three innocent bystanders—and over 80 made members and associates were indicted, severely crippling the family's ranks.

The Road to Extinction: 21st-Century Federal Takedowns

The fallout from the third war left the Colombo family highly vulnerable to federal infiltration, turning it into a primary target for the FBI.

The Decimation of the Persico Legacy

For decades, Carmine Persico maintained an iron grip on the family from behind bars. However, his long-term succession plans dissolved sequentially:

• Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico (Carmine’s son and chosen successor) was convicted alongside underboss John "Jackie" DeRoss in 2007 for ordering the murder of rival captain William "Wild Bill" Cutolo. Both received life sentences.

• Carmine "The Snake" Persico passed away in federal prison on March 7, 2019, ending his historic 46-year reign as official boss.

• John "Sonny" Franzese, the legendary centenarian underboss who spent over 40 years of his life behind bars, passed away at the age of 103 in February 2020.

The 2021 Executive Sweep

Following Persico's death, his cousin Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo took over as official boss to stabilize the organization. However, on September 14, 2021, a massive federal RICO indictment decimated the entire modern administration.

The enterprise corruption case charged the family's upper hierarchy with a twenty-year extortion scheme designed to infiltrate and siphon health benefit funds from a Queens-based labor union.

• Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo (Boss) passed away in April 2022 while awaiting trial.

• Benjamin "Benji" Castellazzo (Underboss) pled guilty to money laundering conspiracy, receiving a federal prison sentence.

• Ralph DiMatteo (Consigliere) pled guilty to racketeering extortion, receiving a 36-month sentence.

• Theodore "Skinny Teddy" Persico Jr. (Capo/Designated Successor) pled guilty to racketeering and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

Today, the family operates at a fraction of its historical size, with Robert "Little Robert" Donofrio reportedly stepping in as acting boss to manage the remnants of the family's traditional gambling, loansharking, and construction rackets.

Historical Leadership Chronology

Era	Official Boss	Acting / Street Boss	Underboss	Consigliere
1928–1962	Joseph Profaci	None	Joseph Magliocco	Salvatore Profaci
1962–1963	Joseph Magliocco	None	Salvatore Mussachio	John Oddo
1964–1971	Joseph Colombo	None	John Franzese	Joseph Yacovelli
1973–2019	Carmine Persico	Vittorio Orena (1988–92)	Gennaro Langella	Carmine Sessa
2019–2022	Andrew Russo	Ralph DeLeo (2008–10)	Benjamin Castellazzo	Ralph DiMatteo
Modern Admin	Theodore Persico Jr.	Robert Donofrio (Acting)	Insulated	Insulated

Active Factions and Crew Profiles

Historically, the family operated up to 14 active crews across the tri-state area. Following decades of RICO prosecutions, operations are consolidated across a few primary territories:

Brooklyn & Staten Island Faction

• Theodore "Teddy" Persico Sr.: Brother to Carmine and longtime captain who ran operations in South Brooklyn since the 1970s.

• Benedetto "Benny" Aloi (Deceased 2011): Served as Orena's tactical underboss during the third war and was a key figure in the 1980s construction cartel known as the "Windows Case."

• Vincent Ricciardo ("Vinny Unions"): A veteran captain who orchestrated the long-running extortion of Queens labor unions before being sentenced to 51 months in prison.

New England Satellite

• Ralph F. DeLeo: An unusual figure in Cosa Nostra history, DeLeo was a resident of Massachusetts who met Alphonse Persico in prison. Upon his release, he was inducted into the family and briefly served as an out-of-state street boss, running specialized narcotics and loan shark operations across Boston, Rhode Island, and Arkansas before his federal conviction.

The Colombo Family in Popular Culture

• The Godfather (1972): Author Mario Puzo utilized elements of the Profaci-Gallo wars to outline the fictional conflict between the Corleone and Tattaglia families. Furthermore, real-life boss Joseph Colombo aggressively campaigned against the production of the film via the Italian-American Civil Rights League, eventually successfully negotiating to have the words "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" completely expunged from the movie's script.

• Grand Theft Auto IV: The game features the "Ancelotti crime family," depicted as the smallest and most fractured of Liberty City's syndicates, drawing direct inspiration from the modern, battle-worn state of the Colombo family.