Carmine Galante

American mobster and boss (1910–1979)

Carmine Galante

1943 mug shot of Galante

Born| (1910-02-21)February 21, 1910

New York City, U.S.

Died| July 12, 1979(1979-07-12) (aged 69)

New York City, U.S.

Cause of death| Multiple gunshot wounds
Resting place| Saint John's Cemetery, Queens
Other names| "Lilo", "The Cigar", "The Heroin Don".
Occupation| Crime boss
Spouse|

Helen Marulli

(m. 1945)​

Children| 5
Allegiance| Bonanno crime family
Convictions| Contempt of court (1961)
Drug trafficking (1962)
Criminal penalty| 20 days' imprisonment
20 years' imprisonment and fined $20,000

Carmine Galante (Italian: [ˈkarmine ɡaˈlante]; February 21, 1910 – July 12, 1979) was an American Mafioso who was de facto boss of the Bonanno crime family of New York City. Law enforcement have accused Galante of participating in between 80 and 100 murders, with an extensive arrest record dating back to 1926 for assault, robbery, murder, grand larceny, alcohol tax violation, and narcotics. According to FBI files, during the 1930s and 1940s, Galante served as an enforcer for Don Vito Genovese, including himself carried out several murder contracts. During the 1950s, Galante ran an international narcotics ring with Joe Bonanno. It is noted Galante attended the infamous October 1957 Apalachin meeting.

In 1958 and 1960, Galante was indicted for drug trafficking. In 1962, Galante was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and was paroled in 1974. Galante was rarely seen without a cigar hanging from his mouth, leading to the nickname "The Cigar" and "Lilo", "after the Italian slang word for a stubby little cigar."[1] He was assassinated on Commission orders in 1979 while dining at the patio of a restaurant, alongside his cousin Guiseppe Turano and Bonanno associate Leonardo Coppolla.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Camillo Carmine Galante was born on February 21, 1910, in a tenement building in the East Harlem section of Manhattan. His parents, Vincenzo "James" Galante and Vincenza Russo, had emigrated from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, to New York City in 1906, where Vincenzo was a fisherman.[3][4]

Carmine Galante had two brothers, Samuel and Peter Galante, and two sisters, Josephine and Angelina Galante.[4] On February 10, 1945, Galante married Helen Marulli,[4] by whom he had three children: James Galante, Camille Galante, and Angela Galante. For the last 20 years of his life, Carmine Galante lived with Ann Acquavella; the couple had two children together.[3] He was the uncle of Bonanno crime family capo James Carmine Galante.[5]

While in prison in 1931, doctors diagnosed Galante as having a psychopathic personality.[4] Galante owned the Rosina Costume Company in Brooklyn, New York[4] and was associated with the Abco Vending Company of West New York, New Jersey.

## Criminal career

[edit]

### Early years

[edit]

At the age of 10, Galante was sent to reform school due to his criminal activities. He soon formed a juvenile street gang on New York's Lower East Side. By the age of 15, Galante had dropped out of seventh grade. As a teenager, Galante became a Mafia associate during the Prohibition era, becoming a leading enforcer by the end of the decade. During this period, Galante also worked as a fish sorter and at an artificial flower shop.[4] On December 12, 1925, the 15-year-old Galante pleaded guilty to assault charges. On December 22, 1926, Galante was sentenced to at least two and a half years in the state prison.[6]

In August 1930, Galante was arrested for the murder of police officer Walter DeCastilla that occurred during a payroll robbery. However, Galante was never indicted.[4] Also in 1930, New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Joseph Meenahan caught Galante and other gang members attempting to hijack a truck in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In the ensuing gun battle, Galante wounded Meenahan and a six-year-old bystander; both survived. On February 8, 1931, after pleading guilty to attempted robbery, Galante was sentenced to 12 and a half years in the state prison. On May 1, 1939, Galante was released from prison on parole.[6]

By 1940, Galante was carrying out "hits" for Vito Genovese, the official underboss of the Luciano crime family. Galante had an underworld reputation for viciousness and was suspected by the NYPD of involvement in over 80 murders.[7]

In 1943, Galante allegedly murdered Carlo Tresca, the publisher of an anti-fascist newspaper in New York. Genovese, living in exile in Italy, offered to kill Tresca as a favor to Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Genovese allegedly gave the murder contract to Galante. On January 11, 1943, Galante allegedly shot and killed Tresca as he stepped outside his newspaper office in Manhattan, and then got in a car and drove away.[8] Although Galante was arrested as a suspect, no one was ever charged in the murder.[9] After the Tresca murder, Galante was sent back to prison on a parole violation. On December 21, 1944, Galante was released from prison.[6]

### Later years

[edit]

In 1953, boss Joseph Bonanno sent Galante to Montreal, Quebec, to organize the family’s drug business and rackets there. He worked with Vincenzo Cotroni of the Cotroni crime family in the French Connection. The Bonannos were importing huge amounts of heroin by ship into Montreal and then sending it into the United States. Police also estimated that Galante was collecting gambling profits in Montreal worth about $50 million per year.[10] In April 1956, due to Galante's strong-arm extortion tactics, the Canadian Government deported him back to the United States.[11]

In October 1957, Bonanno and Galante, now a consigliere,[12] held a hotel meeting in Palermo, Sicily, on plans to import heroin into the United States. Attendees included Lucky Luciano and other American mobsters, with a Sicilian Mafia delegation led by Giuseppe Genco Russo. As part of the agreement, Sicilian mobsters would come to the U.S. to distribute the narcotics. Galante brought many young men, known as Zips, from his family home of Castellammare del Golfo, Trapani, to work as bodyguards, contract killers and drug traffickers.

In 1958, after being indicted on drug conspiracy charges, Galante went into hiding. On June 3, 1959, New Jersey State Police officers arrested Galante after stopping his car on the Garden State Parkway close to New York City. Federal agents had recently discovered that Galante was hiding in a house on Pelican Island off the Jersey shore. After posting $100,000 bail, he was released.[13] On May 18, 1960, Galante was indicted on a second set of narcotics charges; he surrendered voluntarily.[14]

Galante's first narcotics trial started on November 21, 1960; one of his co-defendants was William Bentvena, a Gambino made man who was murdered by Henry Hill's associates James Burke and Thomas DeSimone.[15] From the beginning, the first trial was characterized by jurors and alternates dropping out and coercive courtroom displays by the defendants. On May 15, 1961, the judge declared a mistrial. Galante was sentenced to 20 days in jail for contempt of court.[16] On July 10, 1962, after being convicted in his second narcotics trial, Galante was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and fined $20,000.[17][18]

### Power grab

[edit]

In January 1974, Galante was released from prison on parole.[19] Following his release from prison, Galante allegedly ordered the bombing of the doors to the private mausoleum of his enemy Frank Costello, who had died in 1973, in St. Michael's Cemetery.[20]

On February 23, 1974, at a meeting at the Americana Hotel in Manhattan, the Commission named Philip "Rusty" Rastelli as boss.[21] When Rastelli was sent to prison in 1976,[22] Galante seized control of the Bonannos as unofficial acting boss and in turn becoming de facto boss.[23]

During the late 1970s, Galante allegedly organized the murders of at least eight members of the Gambino family, with whom he had an intense rivalry, to take over a massive drug-trafficking operation.[citation needed]

On March 3, 1978, Galante's parole was revoked by the United States Parole Commission for allegedly associating with other Bonanno mobsters, and he was sent back to prison.[24] However, on February 27, 1979, a judge ruled that the government had illegally revoked Galante's parole and ordered his immediate release.[19]

## Assassination

[edit]

Galante shot dead at a restaurant patio with a cigar still held between his teeth

The New York crime families were alarmed at Galante's brazen attempt to take over the narcotics market.[23] Genovese crime family boss Frank Tieri began contacting Cosa Nostra leaders to build a consensus for Galante's murder, even obtaining approval from the retired Joseph Bonanno.[25] In 1979, they received a boost when the official boss, Rastelli, sought Commission approval to kill Galante. Joseph Massino, a Bonanno soldier loyal to Rastelli, relayed the request to the Commission, which swiftly approved a contract on Galante.[26][27]

On July 12, 1979, Galante was killed just as he finished eating lunch on an open patio at Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant at 205 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was dining with Leonard Coppola, a Bonanno capo and staunch Galante loyalist, and restaurant owner/cousin Giuseppe Turano, a Bonanno soldier. Also sitting at the table were Galante's Sicilian bodyguards, Baldassare Amato and Cesare Bonventre. At 2:45 pm, three ski-masked men entered the restaurant, walked into the patio, and opened fire with shotguns and handguns. Galante, Turano, and Coppola were killed instantly. A picture of the murdered Galante showed a cigar still in his mouth. Amato and Bonventre, who had done nothing to protect Galante, were left unharmed. The gunmen then ran out of the restaurant.[28][29]

### Aftermath

[edit]

The Archdiocese of New York refused to allow a funeral mass for Galante due to his notoriety.[30] Galante was buried at Saint John's Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.

In 1984, Bonventre was found murdered in a New Jersey warehouse, allegedly to guarantee his silence in the Galante murder.[31] On January 13, 1987, Anthony Indelicato was sentenced to 40 years in prison, as a defendant in the Commission trial, for the Galante, Coppola, and Turano murders.[32]

Galante is depicted in the first episode of the UK history TV channel Yesterday's documentary series Mafia's Greatest Hits.[citation needed]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Raab, Selwyn (2006). Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. London: Pavilion Books. p. 284\. ISBN 978-1-861-05924-6.
2. ^ "Galante Is Buried After Brief Private Rites". NY TIMES. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
3. ^ a b Raab, Selwyn (July 13, 1979). "Galante's Image Belied Role He Played in Life" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
4. ^ a b c d e f g "Carmine Galante Part 1 of 12". FBI Records - The Vault. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
5. ^ Raab, Selwyn (July 8, 1992). "Indictment Details Fraud By Mafia Crime Family". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 18, 2017.
6. ^ a b c "Carmine Galante Part 2 of 12". FBI Records: The Vault. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
7. ^ Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin's Press 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
8. ^ "Assassin Slays Tresca, Radical, In Fifth Avenue". New York Times. January 12, 1943.
9. ^ Franks, Lucinda (February 20, 1977). "Obscure Gangster Emerging as Mafia Chief in New York" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
10. ^ Auger and Edwards The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime p.63.
11. ^ Capeci, Jerry (2004). The complete idiot's guide to the Mafia (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books. ISBN 1-59257-305-3. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
12. ^ Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005. Page 112
13. ^ Ranzal, Edward (June 4, 1959). "Fugitive is Seized in Narcotics Case" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
14. ^ "Galante Gives Up" (PDF). New York Times. May 18, 1960. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
15. ^ United States of America, Appellee, v. William Bentvena et al., Defendants-appellants, 319 F.2d 916 (2d Cir. 1963)
16. ^ "Mistrial is Ruled in Narcotics Case" (PDF). New York Times. May 16, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
17. ^ "United States of America, Appellee, v. William Bentvena et al., Defendants-appellants, 319 F.2d 916 (2d Cir. 1963)". US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. 1963. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019 - via Justia.
18. ^ "13 Are Sentenced in Narcotics Case". New York Times. July 11, 1962. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
19. ^ a b "Judge Orders Release of Galante from Jail" (PDF). New York Times. February 28, 1979. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
20. ^ Chermak, Steven; Bailey, Frankie Y. (2016). Crimes of the Century. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781610695947. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
21. ^ Schneider, Stephen (2009). Iced : the story of organized crime in Canada. Mississauga, Ont.: Wiley. p. 267\. ISBN 978-0-470-83500-5.
22. ^ Seigel, Max H (April 24, 1976). "U.S. Convicts Reputed Leader of Crime Group in Shakedown" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
23. ^ a b Raab, pp. 203–205
24. ^ Lubasch, Arnold H (March 4, 1978). "Commission Revokes Galante's Probation" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
25. ^ Sifakis, Carl (2005). p. 443.
26. ^ Raab, Selwyn (2006). Five families : the rise, decline, and resurgence of America's most powerful Mafia empires (1st St. Martin's Griffin ed.). New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-36181-5.
27. ^ Raab, pp. 607–608
28. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 13, 1979). "Galante and 2 Shot to Death in Brooklyn Restaurant" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
29. ^ Reppetto, Thomas A. (2007). Bringing down the mob : the war against the American Mafia. New York: Henry Holt. p. 185\. ISBN 978-0-8050-8659-1. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
30. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 16, 1979). "Archdiocese Denies Request for Galante Funeral Mass" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
31. ^ Sifakis, Carl (2005). p. 53.
32. ^ Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1987). "JUDGE SENTENCES 8 MAFIA LEADERS TO PRISON TERMS". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2012.

## Books

[edit]

* Pistone, Joseph D.; & Woodley, Richard (1999) Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-66637-4.
* Pistone, Joseph D.; & Brandt, Charles (2007). Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-2707-8.
* DeStefano, Anthony. The Last Godfather: Joey Massino & the Fall of the Bonanno Crime Family. California: Citadel, 2006.

## External links

[edit]

* "FBI Files Carmine Galante 1 through 12"
* Seize the Night: Carmine Galante
* Carmine "Lilo" Galante at Find A Grave

* v
* t
* e

Bonanno crime family

Bosses|

* Sebastiano DiGaetano
* Nicolo Schiro
* Salvatore Maranzano
* Joseph Bonanno
* Gaspar DiGregorio
* Paul Sciacca
* Natale Evola
* Carmine Galante
* Philip Rastelli
* Joseph Massino
* Michael Mancuso

Current members|

* Baldassare Amato
* Louis Attanasio
* Vincent Badalamenti
* Vincent Basciano
* Perry Criscitelli
* Anthony Indelicato
* Thomas Pitera
* John Zancocchio

Past members|

| Made men|

* Vincent Asaro
* Salvatore Bonanno
* Cesare Bonventre
* Giovanni Bonventre
* Vito Bonventre
* Patrick DeFilippo
* Alfred Embarrato
* Philip Giaccone
* Anthony Graziano
* Alphonse Indelicato
* Paolo LiCastri
* Nicholas Marangello
* Gaspar Milazzo
* Anthony Mirra
* Salvatore Montagna
* Dominick Napolitano
* Benjamin Ruggiero
* Michael Sabella
* Nicholas Santora
* Gerlando Sciascia
* Anthony Spero
* John Tartamella
* Antonio Tomasulo
* Dominick Trinchera

|

Associates|

* Frank Cotroni
* Vincenzo Cotroni
* Costabile Farace
* Robert Perrino
* Nicolo Rizzuto
* Vito Rizzuto
* Paolo Violi

Informants|

* Gene Borrello
* Richard Cantarella
* Frank Coppa
* Joseph D'Amico
* Frank Lino
* Joseph Massino
* Salvatore Vitale
* Raymond Wean

Factions and crews|

* Cotroni family
* New Springville Boys
* Purple Gang
* Rizzuto family

Family events|

| Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

|

Social clubs|

* The Motion Lounge

Trials|

* The Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1986)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1986)

Wars|

* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Relation to other groups|

| Allies|

* Buffalo family
* Chicago Outfit
* Colombo family
* DeCavalcante family
* Gambino family
* Genovese family
* Lucchese family
* Milwaukee family
* Rochester family
* San Francisco family
* San Jose family
* Trafficante family

|

Operation Donnie Brasco|

* Joseph D. Pistone
* Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia (1988 book)
* The Way of the Wiseguy (2004 book)
* Donnie Brasco (film)

* v
* t
* e

Italian-American Mafia

* List of Mafia crime families
* Mafia bibliography

Families|

| Five Families of
New York City|

| Bonanno|

* Calabrian group
* Motion Lounge crew
* New Springville Boys
* Sicilian group

|

Colombo|

Colombo

Gambino|

* Baltimore Crew
* Ozone Park Boys

Genovese|

* 116th Street Crew
* Broadway Mob
* Greenwich Village Crew
* New Jersey faction
* Springfield faction

Lucchese|

* Brooklyn faction
* New Jersey faction
* Tanglewood Boys

East Coast|

* Buffalo
* DeCavalcante (Northern New Jersey)
* Patriarca (New England) (Angiulo's Boston crew)
* Philadelphia (10th & Oregon Crew)

Midwestern/Western|

* Chicago
* Detroit
* Kansas City
* Los Angeles

Mostly defunct|

* Bufalino (Northeastern Pennsylvania)
* Cleveland
* Colorado
* Dallas
* Genna (Chicago)
* Lanzetta (Philadelphia)
* Morello (Italian Harlem)
* D'Aquila (Little Italy, Manhattan)
* New Orleans
* Milwaukee
* Pittsburgh
* Rochester
* Rockford
* San Francisco
* San Jose
* St. Louis
* Trafficante (Tampa)

Structure|

| Chain of command|

* The Commission
* Boss
* Underboss
* Consigliere
* Caporegime
* Soldato
* Associate

|

Members (made men)|

* List of Italian-American mobsters
* List of Italian-American mobsters by organization

Terms|

* Initiation ritual
* Made man
* Bagman
* Black Hand
* Black Hand in Chicago
* Vendetta
* Capo dei capi (boss of bosses)
* Mustache Pete
* Omertà
* One-way ride
* Sixth Family
* Zips

Events|

| Meetings|

* Atlantic City Conference (1929)
* Havana Conference (1946)
* Apalachin meeting (1957)
* Palermo Mafia summit (1957)

|

Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

Wars|

* Mafia–Camorra War (1914–1917)
* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Trials|

* Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)

Closely related
and affiliated
organizations|

| Active|

* Luppino crime family
* Musitano crime family
* Papalia crime family
* Jewish Mafia
* Philadelphia Greek Mob
* Rizzuto crime family
* Sicilian Mafia
* Inzerillo Mafia clan
* Stidda
* Velentzas Organization

|

Defunct|

* Broadway Mob
* Bugs and Meyer Mob
* Bumpy Johnson gang
* New York Camorra
* Colacurcio Organization
* The Corporation
* Cotroni crime family
* The Council
* Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan
* Dutch Schultz Mob
* East Harlem Purple Gang
* Five Points Gang
* Forty-Two Gang
* Italian-American National Union
* Maceo Organization
* Marat Balagula gang
* Murder, Inc.
* National Crime Syndicate
* New Springville Boys
* Rudaj Organization
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Tanglewood Boys
* Unione Corse
* Westies
* Winter Hill Gang

Other topics|

| Government
operations|

* Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia
* Operation Family Secrets
* Operation Old Bridge
* Operation Solare
* Operation Underworld
* Operation Wasteland

|

Crimes|

* French Connection
* Hired Truck Program
* Lufthansa heist
* Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
* Rochester bombings

Related articles|

* Barrel murder
* Buster from Chicago
* Cement shoes
* Shotgun Man

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