 Mugshot of Joseph Colombo taken on March 6, 1970. Joseph "Joe" Colombo Sr. (December 14, 1914-October 1, 1978) was leader of the Colombo crime family, one of the "Five Families" considered the most important in the American Mafia. Image File history File links Josephcolombo. ...
December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...
October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...
The Colombo crime family is one of the Five Families considered the most important in the American Mafia. ...
The Five Families are the major crime families of the Italian-American Mafia based in New York City which have dominated traditional organized crime in New York. ...
The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra (which translates as Our Thing), is an organized criminal secret society which evolved in mid-19th century Sicily. ...
Colombo became head of what was then known as the Profaci family in 1962, following the deaths of family founder Joe Profaci and his successor, Joseph Magliocco. Colombo inherited a family wracked by internal dissension and battles with other crime leaders, particularly Carlo Gambino. Joe Profaci (October 2, 1897–June 7, 1962) was a New York Mafia boss who was the founder and head of the Profaci crime family, known today as the Colombo crime family, for over three decades. ...
Joseph Magliocco was the boss of the Colombo crime family from 1962 to 1963, which at that time was called the Profaci family. ...
1934 NYPD mugshot of Carlo Gambino, early into his career within the Gambino crime family. ...
In the spring of 1970, Colombo responded to increasing FBI scrutiny of his activities by picketing FBI offices in New York City, claiming that the FBI was harassing Italian-Americans. These activities led to the formation of the Italian-American Civil Rights League. On June 29, 1970, 50,000 people showed up in Columbus Circle in New York City for an "Italian-American Unity Day" rally. Among the participants were five U.S. Representatives and several prominent entertainers. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...
The Italian-American Civil Rights League was a short-lived grass-roots political organization which existed in and around New York City in the early 1970s. ...
June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ...
1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...
Columbus Circle Columbus Circle is a major landmark and point of attraction in New York City. ...
Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ...
Under Colombo's guidance, the League quickly grew in numbers and soon developed a national presence. The League drew further publicity when in November 1970 Frank Sinatra headlined a benefit for the League at Madison Square Garden. Colombo became increasingly public in his attempts to portray FBI anti-Mafia activities as "harassment" of Italian-Americans. Unlike other mob leaders at the time who tried to shun the spotlight, Colombo began to appear in television interviews and make other speaking appearances on behalf of the League. Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is one of the highest acclaimed male popular song vocalists of all time. ...
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ...
Colombo planned to follow up on the League's early successes by planning a second Italian Unity Day rally in Columbus Circle to be held June 28, 1971. Other Mafia leaders were quite displeased with Colombo's public activities. Prior to the rally, Colombo's position became more difficult with the release from prison of Joey Gallo. Gallo had previously battled for control of the Profaci/Colombo organization during the "Gallo-Profaci War." Gallo used his time in prison to build alliances with other ethnic criminals (most particularly black criminals in Harlem and the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn), and was using these contacts to disrupt Colombo's activities in Brooklyn. 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ...
Joey Gallo (April 7, 1929 - April 7, 1972) better known as Crazy Joe Gallo, was a gangster who was a member of the Profaci crime family (later known as the Colombo crime family). ...
On the morning of the second Italian Unity Day rally, Colombo was shot by Jerome Johnson, who, disguised as a news photographer, approached Colombo and shot him as Colombo was about to address the rally. As Colombo's son and several others were wrestling Johnson to the ground, another man, never identified, stepped up and shot Johnson dead. The unidentified man then escaped.
Colombo was seriously wounded. He did not die immediately, but never regained consciousness. He lingered on in a coma for nearly seven years ("vegetabled" in the words of Joe Gallo) and died at his New Jersey estate on May 22, 1978. Official language(s) None defined, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 110 km 240 km 14. ...
May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ...
1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...
Colombo's murder was never solved. Because the assailant was a black man, it has often been assumed that Joe Gallo, with his alliances with black criminals and his hatred of Colombo, ordered the murder.
Carlo Gambino also was considered a suspect. Gambino was angered over the increasing publicity generated by Colombo's activities with the League, and it was later reported that Colombo responded to a Gambino request to cease his public activities by spitting in Gambino's face. In addition, Johnson, the assassin, was known to have associated with people connected with the Gambinos.
Another theory is that the U.S. government set up the assassination to destroy the League. It is believed that Colombo was a target of the FBI COINTELPRO program. Colombo is also mentioned on an assassination victims list in Volume IX part II of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Organized Crime report of Ralph Salerno, consultant to the Select Committee on Assassinations. COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) is a program of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at investigating and disrupting dissident political organizations within the United States. ...
Colombo was replaced as head of the Colombo family by Vincent Alo, and his assassination touched off a second intra-family war with the Gallo forces.
In an HBO Special shown 11P.M. on Thanksgiving night 2005 Chris Colombo, son of Joe Colombo, aired film footage of his father's civil rights work and stated that his father was assassinated. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
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