Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara was a member of the Mafia. For actor, Joseph, or Joe, Barbara, see Joseph Barbara (actor) // Background The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as La Cosa Nostra (variously translated as This Thing Of Ours or Our Thing), is the name for a secret, criminal organisation which evolved in mid 19th century Sicily, and led to an offshoot on the East-Coast of the United States... Soap opera actor (and former altar boy) who has the misfortune to share the same name as a member of the Mafia. ...

Career

Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara came to the United States from his native Sicily in 1920. In the post-Prohibition years, he gained control of the beer/soft drink distribution in the Binghamton, NY, region. Operating in New York State, he owned the 58 acre (24 hectare) Apalachin, NY, estate that was the site of 1957's Apalachin convention. Police raided the gathering, arresting most of those present (a large minority of Mafiosi managed to escape through the woods surrounding the Barbara estate). Among those apprehended were guests such as Carlo Gambino, Vito Genovese, and Joseph Bonanno. Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... The Apalachin Meeting was a 1957 summit of US Mafia bosses that descended into a farce when those attending fled in panic after their gathering aroused the curiosity of the local police. ... Carlo Gambino (August 24, 1902 - October 15, 1976) was a native of Palermo, Sicily, who was born to a family that belonged to the Honored Society for centuries. ... Vito Genovese (November 2, 1897 - February 14, 1969) was a mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War. ... Joseph Bonanno Joseph Bonanno (January 18, 1905 – May 11, 2002) was an American Mafioso who became the boss of one of the most prominent crime families in the world, the Bonanno crime family. ...

At the time of the 1957 conference, Barbara had a severe heart condition that prevented him from traveling.

For those Mafiosi's that were apprehended, many of them told authorities that they were at Barbara's home to look in on him after his recent heart attack.

Joseph Barbara died of a heart-attack in 1959, but his old house still exists with new owners.