• Genovese
• Gambino
• Bonanno
• Lucchese
• Colombo

New York

It would be a mistake to attempt to define geographic limits for New York's five families. Family influence is not confined to a region of the city or even to the entire city itself. The influence of New York families can be felt throughout the Northeast and all across the country. There is certainly no correlation between the five criminal organizations and New York City's five boroughs. Dividing lines exist in formal family membership (though personal allegiance often crosses family boundaries) and in family rackets. Aside from the small regions designated as mob headquarters, there are no meaningful geographic "territories."

Genovese

(Morello, Luciano)

1895 - Giuseppe Morello (May 2, 1867, to Aug. 15, 1930). Known as "Piddu" or "Clutch Hand" (in erroneous reports as "Peter"), Morello and his brother-in-law Ignazio Lupo led a gang of extortionists and counterfeiters in Italian Harlem, Manhattan's Lower East Side and Brooklyn. Morello was recognized as boss of bosses of the U.S. Mafia. He was jailed in 1910 for counterfeiting.

1910 - Fortunato Lo Monte (July 15, 1869, to May 23, 1914). Also known as "Charles," Lo Monte succeeded Morello as boss in East Harlem. He attempted to monopolize the Sicilian rackets in Lower Manhattan but was assassinated by rivals in 1914. His brother Thomas is murdered a year later.

1915 - Vincent Terranova (May 15, 1886, to May 1922). Leadership of the old Morello mob in East Harlem passed to Morello's half-brothers Vincent and Nicholas (Jan. 6, 1890, to 1916) Terranova.

1916 - Vincent Terranova became sole boss of East Harlem after brother Nicholas was murdered on his way to a peace conference with a Brooklyn Camorra group.

1922 - Giuseppe Masseria (1879-1886 to April 15, 1931). Vincent Terranova was killed outside his home at 116th Street and 2nd Avenue on May 8, 1922. "Joe the Boss" rose to lead the remnants of the Morello-Terranova organization during a feud with Brooklyn-based boss of bosses D'Aquila. Masseria united underworld forces - including non-Sicilians - in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland to defeat D'Aquila and his many allies. Rather than turn control of the Mafia back to the Morello clan, Masseria became boss of bosses after D'Aquila's murder in 1928.

1930 - Giuseppe Morello (1867 to Aug. 15, 1930). Masseria attempted to strengthen his alliances and pacify his opponents by returning Morello to the boss of bosses role. Masseria remained the strongest underworld force. Morello was murdered at his office, 362 E. 116th Street, on Aug. 15, 1930.

1931 - Charlie Luciano (Nov. 24, 1897, to Jan. 26, 1962). With assistance from Morello clan survivor Ciro Terranova, Luciano (a.k.a. Salvatore Lucania, Charlie Lucky) betrayed Masseria and had him murdered at Scarpato's Nuova Villa Tamaro restaurant at Coney Island on April 15, 1931. Luciano took over the Masseria organization. After subsequently betraying boss of bosses Salavatore Maranzano, Luciano became the most powerful man in the American Mafia.

1936 - Vito Genovese (Nov. 21, 1897, to Feb. 14, 1969). Luciano was convicted of running a prostitution ring. His underboss Vito Genovese briefly took over family operations.

1937 - Frank Costello (1891 to Feb. 18, 1973). Genovese fled the country to avoid a murder prosecution. Costello took over the day-to-day operations of the family.

1946 - Luciano was released from prison and deported to Italy. In his absence, Frank Costello was recognized as the family's full boss.

1957 - Vito Genovese (Nov. 21, 1897, to Feb. 14, 1969). Genovese returned to power. A May 2, 1957, assassination attempt on Costello left Costello wounded and caused him to retire. Genovese was jailed on drug charges in 1962 (reportedly the result of an underworld conspiracy that involved Luciano) and used a number of acting bosses to run the family. Genovese underboss Gerardo Catena (1902-1905 to 2000) appears to have been the head of the leadership group from 1962 until Genovese's death in 1969. The group included Tommy Eboli and Genovese's consiglieri Mike Miranda.

1969 - Thomas Eboli (1911 to July 16, 1972). Also known as "Tommy Ryan," Eboli took over the Genovese family upon Genovese's death in prison. Eboli had an antagonistic relationship with Carlo Gambino, who was rising to boss of bosses stature.

1972 - Phil Lombardo (c.1908 to 1987). Boss Tommy Eboli was shot to death at his girlfriend's Brooklyn home on July 16, 1972. Boss of bosses Gambino backed Frank "Funzi" Tieri (? to March 31, 1981) as the next Genovese boss, but the family quitely sided with "Cockeyed Phil" Lombardo. Lombardo screened his underworld activities behind front men Tieri and Anthony Salerno (1911 to July 27, 1992).

1981 - Vincent Gigante (1928 to Dec. 19, 2005). Lombardo retired to Florida, quietly passing control of the family to Gigante, known as "the Chin." Gigante is suspected of being the Genovese gunman responsible for the botched hit on Costello in 1957. Like Lombardo, Gigante used Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno (Aug. 15, 1911 to July 27, 1992) as a front man.

Gambino

(D'Aquila, Mangano)

1907 - Salvatore D'Aquila (1873 to Oct. 10, 1928). Known to his underworld associates as "Toto," Palermo-born D'Aquila rose to lead a Brooklyn-based Mafia family in the early 1900s.

1910 - Upon Giuseppe Morello's incarceration for counterfeiting, the U.S. Mafia membership selected D'Aquila to fill the vacant boss of bosses role. D'Aquila began inserting his strongest allies into positions of authority in Mafia families across the U.S.

1928 - Alfred Mineo (? to Nov. 5, 1930). Also known as "Manfredi" or "Manfre," Mineo was a strong ally of Giuseppe Masseria during the 1920s underworld war against D'Aquila. After disposing of D'Aquila at the corner of Avenue A and 13th Street on Oct. 10, 1928, Masseria designated Mineo to take over the family.

1930 - Frank Scalise (1893 to June 17, 1957). Al Mineo and his enforcer Steve Ferigno were ambushed and killed Nov. 5, 1930, in the courtyard of Mineo's Bronx apartment building (Alhambra Apartments, 750-60 Pelham Parkway). Scalise, part of an anti-Masseria element in the old D'Aquila organization, took over the family and joined Masseria opponents in a war against him.

1931 - Vincent Mangano (1888 to 1951). After the conclusion of the Castellammarese War to unseat Masseria, victorious boss of bosses Salvatore Maranzano was himself betrayed and murdered under orders of Charlie Luciano. Luciano subsequently reorganized some New York families and recognized Vincent Mangano as boss of the old D'Aquila organization. Vincent and his brother Philip had been powerful waterfront racketeers for much of a decade. (One source claims the two inherited leadership of a Brooklyn gang from a Mafioso named Giuseppe Balsamo in the 1920s.) Former boss Frank Scalise remained an important part of the family, probably serving in an underboss role.

1951 - Albert Anastasia (Feb. 26, 1902, to Oct. 25, 1957). Philip Mangano was found murdered in 1951, just as his brother Vincent disappeared. Underboss Anastasia rose to lead the Mangano family and appointed Carlo Gambino to be his underboss. Anastasia and Gambino represented rival factions within the family.

1957 - Carlo Gambino (Aug. 24, 1902, to Oct. 15, 1976). Anastasia was killed in the barber shop of the Park Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan on Oct. 25, 1957. It is believed that underboss Carlo Gambino conspired with Vito Genovese to eliminate Anastasia (who was a strong supporter of Genovese's rival Frank Costello). Gambino stepped up to the boss role and elevated Joseph Biondo to underboss.

1969 - As Vito Genovese died in prison, Carlo Gambino's power reached its zenith. He became the de facto boss of bosses of the American Mafia, able to influence matters outside of his own crime family. Aniello Dellacroce stepped in as Gambino underboss.

1975 - Gambino was in ill health during the final year of his life and allowed his relative Paul Castellano to run day-to-day operations.

1976 - Paul Castellano (1915 to Dec. 16, 1985). Gambino died of a heart attack on Oct. 15, 1976, and "Big Paul" Castellano became the next family boss. A family wing supportive of underboss Aniello Dellacroce was offended by Castellano's appointment.

1979 - Castellano's underworld power was matched only by ambitious Bonanno boss Carmine Galante. When Galante was murdered on July 12, 1979, Castellano became chief among U.S. Mafia bosses.

1986 - John Gotti (Oct. 27, 1940, to June 10, 2002). Aniello Dellacroce kept his followers loyal to Castellano. But, immediately following Dellacroce's Dec. 2, 1985, death, John Gotti and other Dellacroce backers begin plotting against Castellano. Castellano and his driver Thomas Bilotti were murdered Dec. 16, 1985, outside of Sparks Steak House in Manhattan. Gotti controlled the family until his 2002 death in prison.

Bonanno

(Magaddino, Maranzano)

1915 - Stefano Magaddino (Oct. 10, 1891, to July 19, 1974). Magaddino appears to have led a tightly knit Brooklyn-based crime family before the start of Prohibition. Gaspare Milazzo, later known as a Detroit racketeer, also looks to have been part of the family's leadership. Magaddino was later forced to flee New York City to escape prosecution on murder charges. He remained influential in the Brooklyn family for at least a decade after his self-imposed exile to Buffalo, NY.

1921 - Cola Schiro (c.1880 to 1930). Schiro seems to have been a Magaddino puppet ruler left behind in Brooklyn to look after the real boss's interests. Schiro was reportedly a pacifist.

1930 - Joe Parrino (c.1890 - Jan. 19, 1931). As the Castellammarese Sicilians in Schiro's organization, including Salvatore Maranzano and Joe Bonanno, began to openly oppose Joe Masseria, boss Cola Schiro vanished. Masseria took the opportunity to insert his own ally, Joe Parrino, into the leadership of the rebellious underworld group. Parrino was the brother of a recently murdered Detroit mobster, Sam (also known as Rosario and Sasa) Parrino.

1930 - Salvatore Maranzano (1886 to Sept. 10, 1931). Parrino was unable to restore order in the Castellammarese clan. He was deposed. Maranzano seized the family leadership, with the support of Buffalo's Stefano Magaddino.

1931 - After the murder of Joe Masseria, Salvatore Maranzano declared himself the boss of all bosses in the American Mafia and demanded tribute from U.S. Mafia families.

1931 - Joseph Bonanno (Jan. 18, 1905, to May 12, 2002). Charlie Luciano set up the murder of Maranzano at his Park Avenue offices on Sept. 10, 1931. Luciano then reorganized some New York families. He supported Joe Bonanno, a relative of Stefano Magaddino, as head of the old Magaddino family.

1964 - Gaspar DiGregorio (1905 - June 11, 1970). On a morning he was been called to testify in a racketeering probe, Joe Bonanno disappeared. His heir apparent, his son, was ignored by the commission, which appointed Gaspar DiGregorio to head the family. Bonanno's son retained the allegiance of much of the family, and the Banana War resulted.

1966 - Joseph Bonanno (Jan. 18, 1905, to May 12, 2002). Bonanno resurfaced in May 1966, claiming he was kidnapped. The commission dropped its support of DiGregorio and allowed Bonanno to restore order to his family. Carmine Galante became Bonanno underboss.

1968 - Natale Evola (c.1907 to 1973). Bonanno decided to retire, reportedly after a heart attack. Some sources suggest that Bonanno was forced to leave New York after the exposure of his plot to assassinate Carlo Gambino and Gaetano Lucchese. The family came briefly under the leadership of Natale Evola. It appears that Evola did not have time (or possibly the ability) to bring the entire organization under his control. Instability continued within the Bonanno clan for much of the next two decades.

1973 - Philip Rastelli (1918 - 1991). Upon Evola's death of cancer in 1973, Philip "Rusty" Rastelli took control of the Bonanno crime family. His first reign as boss lasted only a year.

1974 - Carmine Galante (1910 to July 12, 1979). Galante's release from prison allowed him to take control of the family from Rastelli. (Some sources indicate that Galante never reached the rank of boss and led only a rebellious wing of Rastelli's family.) As one of the more ambitious and brutal Mafia heads in the United States, Galante immediately became a powerful underworld force and jeopardized the authority of the commission.

1979 - Philip Rastelli (1918 - 1991). Carmine Galante was murdered after a meal at Joe and Mary's Restaurant, 205 Knickerbocker Avenue in Brooklyn, on July 12, 1979. Rastelli returned as boss of the Bonanno clan. His role in family matters diminished until his death in 1991.

Lucchese

(Reina, Gagliano)

1920 - Gaetano Reina (1889-90 to Feb. 26, 1930). A crime family headquartered in the Bronx appears to have been founded by Gaetano Reina before 1920.

1930 - Joseph Pinzolo (c.1887 to Sept. 9, 1930). Reina was killed on Feb. 26, 1930. His lieutenants believed Joe Masseria was responsible. As boss of bosses, Masseria installed his friend Joe Pinzolo as head of the Reina clan. Reina family capos Gaetano Gagliano and Gaetano Lucchese began to cooperate with Masseria's enemies.

1930 - Gaetano Gagliano (? to 1951). Gagliano and Gaetano Lucchese cooperated on the elimination of Masseria puppet Pinzolo from their organization. Pinzolo was shot to death at a "wine brick" office he shared with Lucchese at 1457 Broadway. Police found his body in Suite 1007, headquarters of California Dry Fruit Importers, with bullets in its left chest and neck. Gagliano took control of the family and used its resources to oppose Masseria.

1951 - Tommy Lucchese (Dec. 1, 1899, to July 13, 1967). Gaetano Gagliano died of natural causes around 1951. The precise date of his death is not known. (In 1952 testimony, Lucchese established that Gagliano was already dead.) Lucchese, also known as "Tommy Brown" and "Three-Finger Brown," took over leadership of the family.

1966 - The Mafia commission began dividing up TommyLucchese's personal rackets after he had been hospitalized for a year.

1967 - Carmine Tramunti (Oct. 1, 1910, to Oct. 15, 1978). Tommy Lucchese died at his Lido beach, Long Island, home on July 13, 1967, after a series of illnesses and operations. Carmine Tramunti (left) briefly took over the Lucchese crime family.

1970 - Antonio Corallo (Feb. 12, 1913, to Aug. 23, 2000). Aging Carmine Tramunti apparently continued to serve for a few years as a front for new boss Corallo (right). The actual date of "Tony Ducks" Corallo's takeover is in doubt. Corallo continued to lead the family at least until his 1986 imprisonment.

1986 - Anthony Luongo (? to 1986). With Corallo sentenced to prison, Luongo attempted to seize leadership of the Lucchese family. He was murdered shortly thereafter.

Colombo

(Profaci)

1928 - Giuseppe Profaci (Oct. 2, 1897, to June 6, 1962). Though apparently not yet the leader of a crime family, Profaci was an important Mafioso in Brooklyn. He was a highly regarded member of the Unione Siciliana and, with his brother-in-law Joe Magliocco, had a strong powerbase in Brooklyn. Profaci and Magliocco were among the 21 suspicious persons arrested at a national Unione convention at Cleveland's Hotel Statler in 1928.

1931 - Giuseppe Profaci (Oct. 2, 1897, to June 6, 1962). Profaci appears to have been the founder of the Brooklyn-based crime family. He was apparently awarded the minor family by Salvatore Maranzano in return for his loyal service during the Castellammarese War. Profaci, known to be brutal and excessively greedy (even for a mob boss), was a longtime close friend of Joseph Bonanno.

1958 - Joey Gallo and his brothers began to oppose boss Joe Profaci. The Gallo group splintered off from Profaci's family, and a civil war erupted in the organization. The Gallo grievance involved regular fees Profaci assessed against made members of his crime family and Profaci's failure to pay the Gallos for a job.

1962 - Joseph Magliocco (c. 1898 to Dec. 28, 1963). Joe Profaci died of cancer at Southside Hospital on Long Island, June 6, 1962. His brother-in-law Joe Magliocco succeeded him as boss of the family. The Gallo-Profaci War raged on.

1963 - Joseph Colombo (June 16, 1923, to May 22, 1978). Magliocco was implicated in a Bonanno plot to assassinate two members of the commission - Carlo Gambino and Gaetano Lucchese. As a result, he was removed from his position as head of the family. He died of natural causes near the end of 1963. "Sonny" Franzese looked to be next in line for the boss position, but, with the support of Carlo Gambino (who had been meddling in other family's affairs), Joe Colombo was installed as family boss. Colombo is believed to have informed Gambino of the Bonanno-Magliocco plot against him. Colombo assigned aging Salvatore Mineo to be his underboss.

1971 - Carmine Persico (Aug. 8, 1933, to ?). Joe Colombo's courtship with the press cost him Carlo Gambino's support just before it cost him his life. Colombo was mortally wounded in 1971. He lapsed into a coma and remained unconscious until his death on May 22, 1978. Carmine "the Snake" Persico, a longtime leader of a conservative underworld element, took over leadership of the family. On April 7, 1972, the Gallo revolt in the family was ended, as "Crazy Joe" Gallo was shot five times in Little Italy's Umberto's Clam House restaurant. Gallo died on the sidewalk outside the eatery on his 43rd birthday.