Albert Embarrato
Encyclopedia
Alfred "Al Walker" Embarrato a.k.a. "Alfred Scalisi" a.k.a." Aldo Elvorado" (November 12, 1909 - February 21, 2001) was a New York mobster who became a caporegime
of the Bonanno crime family
and a powerful labor figure at a New York newspaper.
to first generation immigrants Salvatore Embaratto and Mary from Leonforte
, Italy
Embarrato lived at Knickerbocker Village
, on Monroe St. He was married to a woman named Constance and father of three children. He stood at 5'7 and weighed 165 pounds and sported a tattoo 'AJE' on his right arm. One of Embratto's neighbors was his nephew, Anthony Mirra
, who became a widely-feared soldier in the Bonanno family. Embratto was employed at The New York Post from the 1960s to 1990s as a general foreman for the paper's distribution plant. When real estate owner Peter Kalikow bought the Post in 1988, his managers noted that Embarrato did no visible work and naively tried to fire him. When word of Embratto's firing spread, the other Post foremen quickly agreed to take a salary cut so that Embarrato could keep his job. In 1990, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau began an extensive investigation of mob control at the New York newspapers, including the Post. Three years later, Embarrato was indicted on charges related to this investigation.
became the boss of the Bonanno family, causing a major split in the membership. Phillip Giaccone, Dominick Trinchera
and Alphonse Indelicato opposed Rastelli and began plotting his downfall. However, Rastelli heard about the plot and instead arranged an ambush for the three conspirators. On May 5, 1981, the day of the ambush, Rastelli loyalist Dominick Napolitano asked Embarrato to come down to The Motion Lounge
for a "sitdown". At the meeting, Napolitano placed two of his sidewalk soldiers next to Embarrato. The mobsters then waited until Napolitano received confirmation that Giaccone, Trichera, and Indelicator were dead. Later describing the meeting to Joseph D. Pistone
, posing as mobster Donnie Brasco, Napolitano said, "When [he] Alfred heard that, he turned ash white. He thought we were going to hit him too. But I just reamed at him about Tony, told him Tony was no good; and that he [Alfred] better recognize that and act right himself." Embarrato agreed.
that he was joining the opposition. Later on, when Pistone revealed himself as an undercover FBI agent, Embarrato allegedly blamed Mirra for allowing Pistone into the family. Joseph D'Amico
, who later became an informant, said that Embarrato ordered him to kill Mirra for that very reason. However, some find that account hard to accept. In 1988, Embarrato was indicted along with other Bonanno leaders in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
case.
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
of the Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
and a powerful labor figure at a New York newspaper.
Newspaperman
Born on the Lower East Side, ManhattanLower East Side, Manhattan
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
to first generation immigrants Salvatore Embaratto and Mary from Leonforte
Leonforte
Leonforte is a town and comune in the province of Enna, Sicilia, Italy....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Embarrato lived at Knickerbocker Village
Knickerbocker Village
Knickerbocker Village Limited is a lower-middle class housing development located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City.-Location:...
, on Monroe St. He was married to a woman named Constance and father of three children. He stood at 5'7 and weighed 165 pounds and sported a tattoo 'AJE' on his right arm. One of Embratto's neighbors was his nephew, Anthony Mirra
Anthony Mirra
Anthony "Tony" Mirra was an Italian-American mobster and soldier for the Bonanno crime family...
, who became a widely-feared soldier in the Bonanno family. Embratto was employed at The New York Post from the 1960s to 1990s as a general foreman for the paper's distribution plant. When real estate owner Peter Kalikow bought the Post in 1988, his managers noted that Embarrato did no visible work and naively tried to fire him. When word of Embratto's firing spread, the other Post foremen quickly agreed to take a salary cut so that Embarrato could keep his job. In 1990, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau began an extensive investigation of mob control at the New York newspapers, including the Post. Three years later, Embarrato was indicted on charges related to this investigation.
Family dissension
In the late 1970s, Philip RastelliPhilip Rastelli
Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli was a New York mobster and former boss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:...
became the boss of the Bonanno family, causing a major split in the membership. Phillip Giaccone, Dominick Trinchera
Dominick Trinchera
Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera was a Bonanno crime family capo who was murdered with Alphonse Indelicato and Phillip Giaccone for planning the overthrow of aspiring Bonanno boss Phillip Rastelli.-Biography:Born in Rockland, New York, Trinchera was the son of an immigrant from Rome, Italy and an...
and Alphonse Indelicato opposed Rastelli and began plotting his downfall. However, Rastelli heard about the plot and instead arranged an ambush for the three conspirators. On May 5, 1981, the day of the ambush, Rastelli loyalist Dominick Napolitano asked Embarrato to come down to The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge
The Motion Lounge was a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, nightclub owned by Bonanno crime family caporegime Dominick Napolitano which also was the capo's apartment away from his home. The lounge was located at 420 Graham Avenue, across the street from the Wither's Italian-American War Veterans Club. It was...
for a "sitdown". At the meeting, Napolitano placed two of his sidewalk soldiers next to Embarrato. The mobsters then waited until Napolitano received confirmation that Giaccone, Trichera, and Indelicator were dead. Later describing the meeting to Joseph D. Pistone
Joseph D. Pistone
Joseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, , is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City...
, posing as mobster Donnie Brasco, Napolitano said, "When [he] Alfred heard that, he turned ash white. He thought we were going to hit him too. But I just reamed at him about Tony, told him Tony was no good; and that he [Alfred] better recognize that and act right himself." Embarrato agreed.
Donnie Brasco
Mirra was also on shaky ground. The day before the ambush, Mirra had told Nicholas MarangelloNicholas Marangello
Nicholas Marangello , also known as "Nicky Glasses", "Nicky Cigars", "Nicky the Butler" and "Little Nicky", was the underboss of the Bonanno crime family under Phillip Rastelli, the father-in-law of Robert Perrino and grandfather of Nicola Langora.-Biography:Marangello was born on the Lower East...
that he was joining the opposition. Later on, when Pistone revealed himself as an undercover FBI agent, Embarrato allegedly blamed Mirra for allowing Pistone into the family. Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico
Joseph D'Amico , also known as "Joey Moak" was a made man in the Bonanno crime family who later turned informant...
, who later became an informant, said that Embarrato ordered him to kill Mirra for that very reason. However, some find that account hard to accept. In 1988, Embarrato was indicted along with other Bonanno leaders in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
case.
Further reading
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
- Pistone, Joseph D. and Woodley, Richard, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the MafiaDonnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the MafiaDonnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia is a non-fiction crime book written by Joseph D. Pistone. It is the true story of FBI agent Joseph Pistone going undercover and infiltrating the Mafia...
Random House 1990 ISBN 5552531299 - United States Congress. Organized Crime. U.S. G.P.O., 1988 [1255 pages].
- Mafia: The Government's Secret File on Organized Crime
External links
- United States of America vs. Embarrato
- The Village Voice.com: The Newspaper Racket - Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union by Tom Robbins