Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Persico control of Colombo clan may be over

With Carmine "the Snake" Persico now 25 years into a life prison sentence and his son Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico just starting his own life sentence, the Persicos' control over the Colombo Crime Family may be at an end, suggests a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Carmine Persico has long called the shots in the Colombo organization, according to authorities. Since his imprisonment for murder and racketeering, Alphonse Persico has been an acting boss of the clan, battling rivals on his father's behalf. Alphonse Persico was sentenced to life on Friday, after being convicted of murdering former Colombo underboss William "Wild Bill" Cutolo.

The Persico branch of the underworld organization came out on top after a bloody 1991 civil war against a faction loyal to Vittorio Orena. With Carmine and Alphone Persico locked away for good, remnants of the Orena faction might move to take control of the organization.

Two Persico relatives could have something to say about that, according to the Daily News story. Reputed crime family soldier Theodore Persico, a cousin of Alphonse, recently was released from prison. Carmine's cousin, Andrew Russo, is reputed to be a lieutenant in the organization.

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Writer, editor, researcher, web publisher, specializing in organized crime history. (Available to assist with historical/genealogical research, writing, editing. Email at tphunt@gmail.com.)
Editor/publisher of crime history journal, Informer; publisher of American Mafia history website Mafiahistory.us; moderator of online forums; author of Wrongly Executed?; coauthor of Deep Water: Joseph P. Macheca and the Birth of the American Mafia and DiCarlo: Buffalo's First Family of Crime; contributor of U.S. Mafia history to Australian-published Mafia: The Necessary Reference to Organized Crime; writer/co-writer of crime history articles for several publications.
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