Alphonse Persico
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Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico (b. February 8, 1954) is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Colombo crime family.[1]
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[edit] Early years
Born in New York, Allie grew up in South Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens) and later in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. His father is the longtime official boss of the Colombo crime family, the fierce Carmine "Junior" Persico, who's currently serving life imprisonment without parole. He is the brother-in-law of Steven Piazza, who was later suspected of having been murdered by Alphonse. He was indicted but never convicted for the murder. He is a first cousin of Frank Persico. In 1974, Little Allie Boy was secretly inducted into the Colombo family by his father. This induction ceremony took place one year before the books were officially re-opened. Also made was James Angellino, who would later become an acting consigliere for the family.
[edit] Prison Time
In 1986, Allie was a caporegime in the Colombo family when he, Carmine, underboss Gennaro Langella, and other family members were convicted of racketeering.[2] Allie received a lighter sentence when Carmine pleaded with the judge to grant his son leniency. From 1986 to 1988, Carmine named a ruling panel to run the family until Allie was released from prison. The panel consisted of family leader Benedetto "Benny" Aloi and Persico cousins Victor "Little Vic" Orena and Joseph "JoJo" Russo. In 1988, Carmine decided to name Orena as acting boss; the understanding was that Orena would relinquish family control to Allie on his release from prison in May 1993.
[edit] Violent Brutality
In 1992, while in prison, Allie ordered the murder of Staten Island nightclub owner Michael Devine, a man who had been dating his wife. Police found Devine's body in his Nissan Pathfinder inside the garage of his New Springville apartment building with multiple gunshot wounds to his head. Police were tipped that Devine and Teresa Persico had developed a relationship, and that Teresa told Devine that she and Allie were getting divorced.
[edit] Family Rebellion
By 1990, Orena had decided that he should be the permanent boss of the Colombo family. With the support of over 100 family members and Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, Orena decided to go before the Mafia Commission, which regulated all the crime families, and ask to become the Colombo family boss. Before attempting this coup, Orena first notified family consigliere Carmine Sessa. However, Sessa immediately notified Carmine, who told Sessa to take out Orena.
On June 20, 1991, a hit team led by Sessa and captain John Pate went to Orena's Long Island, New York home to murder him, but Orena spotted their parked car and managed to escape. This abortive hit triggered open warfare in the Colombo family; dozens of shootings occurred across Brooklyn. The Orena faction was led by Pasquale Amato, Joseph Scopo, and William "Wild Bill" Cutolo. The much smaller Persico faction included Gregory Scarpa Sr.. Both Cutolo and Scarpa were personally involved in several shootings and murders. The war ended after Scopo was shot to death outside his Queens home by a team of Brooklyn wannabes. In 1992, Orena was convicted of racketeering charges stemming from the gang war, opening the family leadership to Allie.
[edit] Release from Prison
Although he had won the power struggle with Orena, Allie wasn't able to leave prison in 1993. While still incarcerated, he was indicted on racketeering charges stemming from the gang war. Testifying against Allie were former allies Sessa and Pate and a host of other low ranking gangsters. In August 1994, Allie was acquitted of racketeering and released from prison.[3] However, his parole restrictions prohibited him from meeting with Colombo family members or associates. As a result, his cousin Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo was named acting boss.
In 1999, Allie finally took over as the family's acting boss and appointed former enemy Cutolo as family underboss. Shortly thereafter, Cutolo was summoned to a meeting and was never seen again. [4] Allie and Jackie DeRoss then ordered the slaying of Cutolo crew member Joseph "Joe Campy" Campanella. Campanella was ambushed outside a Coney Island amusement park in Brooklyn by a carload of shooters. Campanella survived the shooting and became a government witness who would testify against Allie.
[edit] Return to Prison
Allie's reign as Colombo family boss was soon cut short by a string of new convictions. In 2000, Allie was sentenced to 18 months in prison on gun charges. The U.S. Coast Guard had searched his boat in Florida and found a loaded .38 caliber handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun.
On January 24, 2001, the day of his release for the gun charges, Allie was indicted again in New York on loan sharking charges and held without bail as a suspect in Cutolo's disappearance. On December 20, 2001, Allie pled guilty to the loansharking charges, accepted a 13 year prison sentence, and agreed to forfeit $1 million.
On October 14, 2004, Allie and Colombo Underboss John "Jackie" DeRoss were indicted on federal racketeering charges, including conspiring to murder Cutolo and Joe Campanella. The two defendants' first trial ended in a mistrial. If convicted of these charges, Allie could face a life sentence. As of November 2007, Allie is still in federal custody. His projected release date for his loan sharking plea deal is May 24, 2012. On December 28, 2007, Perisco and DeRoss were convicted in the 1999 murder of William "Wild Bill" Cutolo. They await sentencing.
As of April 2008, Persico is still residing at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC). His projected release date (at the moment) is May 24, 2012.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Andrew Russo |
Colombo crime family Acting boss 1999–2000 |
Succeeded by Joel Cacace |
