Bartholomew Boriello
Encyclopedia
Bartholomew "Bobby" Boriello (March 31, 1944 - April 13, 1991) was a New York mobster who belonged to the Gambino crime family
and served as boss John Gotti
's favorite bodyguard and chauffeur. A prominent hitman during the 1980s, Boriello participated in the 1990 murder of Gambino Soldier Louis DiBono.
, New York, surrounded by mobsters from the Gambino, Genovese
, and Colombo
crime families. His older brother Stevie was a close friend of neighborhood gangsters Joseph "Crazy Joey" Gallo
, Albert Gallo
and Frank Illiano
, and after Joey's murder, Stevie was instrumental in securing the crew's South Brooklyn rackets. A burly, 6-foot, 3-inch man, Boriello was a feared enforcer for the Gallo gang.
Between 1967 and 1972, Boriello was arrested six times, on charges of weapons possession, assault, larceny and gambling.
In the 1980s, Boriello became a made man
, or full member, in the Gambino family. He quickly developed close relationships with Gotti, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and two brothers, Nicholas Corozzo
and Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo
. Boriello and Gotti would often spend weekends together on Long Island, New York, partying, gambling, and attending performances by singer Jay Black
, a childhood friend of Gotti. Boriello owned a social club in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn
that was run by his brother Stevie. Boriello also conducted business at the One Over Golf Club, a social club in Carroll Gardens, operated by Gambino soldier Joseph "Joe Pits" Conigliaro, a paraplegic gangster involved in loan sharking and gambling in the neighborhood who was killed a few years ago.
During his early days, Boriello was suspected in several gangland slayings, as well as involvement in extortion, loan sharking, and drug trafficking.
testified that on December 24, 1988, he was led into an apartment located on Mulberry Street (the apartment belonged to Joe Butch Corrao's mother). Inside were the other men who were going to be inducted that evening, including Bobby Boriello, John Gotti, Jr., Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia
, and Nicholas LaSorsa. The men stood there with family capo John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico
, along with other capo Gene Gotti
. Sitting at the table, administering the oath was Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and Pasquale "Patsy" Conte
.
, and later on the crew included Dominic "Fat Dom" Borghese, Vincent "Vinnie Butch" Corrao, Carmine Agnello
, and Craig DePalma. The crew's associates included Steve Kaplan, Frank Lividisi, Michael McLaughlin, Jeff and Steve Dobies, John Ruggiero, John Alite
, Louis Casaneti.
Boriello's business dealings were conducted in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and throughout Brooklyn, especially South Brooklyn, where he associated with Gambino family wiseguys Angelo Paccione, Anthony "Toddo" Anastasio
, Joseph Chirico, Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone
, and many others, with interests in trucking, construction, and loan sharking.
Steven Kaplan was paying Boriello and Junior Gotti tribute for his investments in strip clubs up and down the East Coast. In 1987, Boriello crew member and close associate Anthony "Shorty" Mascuzzio from Carroll Gardens was killed in a New York nightclub owned by Kaplan. Low level mob associate David Fisher had been in a physical altercation with Mascuzzio, over a business squabble, and ended up shooting him to death.
. After DiBono's death, Gravano took over the business.
On another occasion, Boriello unsuccessfully tried to kill Gambino crime family associate Preston Geritano on a Brooklyn street, firing shots at him in public. Since Geritano had relatives in Genovese crime family, Genovese and Gambino representatives met to discuss his fate. Eventually the Gambinos released Geritano to the Genovese with the condition that he be killed if he tried to retalliate against Boriello. In 2004 Geritano's own brother-in-law Andrew Gargiulo stabbed him to death in broad day light.
home, on orders from Lucchese crime family underboss Anthony Casso
. Casso received information to perform the Boriello murder from Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two New York Police Department officers working for the mob. The hit was carried out by Lucchese captain Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
. Lastorino shot Boriello twice in the head, and five times in the torso. Boriello died in the street beside his 1991 Lincoln Towncar, outside his home on Bay 29th Street. Borriello's wife, Susan, and their two young children were inside the home at the time of the shooting.
At the time of his murder, Boriello had been under investigation by multiple federal agencies and the Kings County District Attorney's Office for directing a cocaine trafficking conspriacy, as well as his suspected involvement in the murder of former family boss Paul Castellano
. In fact, Gambino informant Dominick LoFaro
, fingered Boriello as one of the shooters in the slaying, reasoning that Boriello had been one of the more accomplished "hitters" in the family.
When Gotti heard about Boriello's murder, he was furious. In jail at the time, he ordered Gambino family members to meet with the leaders of the Genovese family. Keeping to their earlier agreement, they agreed to kill Geritano. However, it wasn't until 2004 that Geritano was stabbed to death outside a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
restaurant. Sammy Gravano attended a sit-down with Genovese family acting boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
, seeking Geritano's execution, but nothing ever came of it. John Gotti sent word to Stevie Boriello that he had permission to avenge his brother's death by killing whoever he needed to, and had the backing of Gotti and Gravano.
Stevie Boriello remained involved with the family after his brother's death, handling loan sharking, gambling, and extortion rackets in Brooklyn and Staten Island, where he currently resides.
Gambino crime family
The Gambino 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 . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
and served as boss John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
's favorite bodyguard and chauffeur. A prominent hitman during the 1980s, Boriello participated in the 1990 murder of Gambino Soldier Louis DiBono.
Early years
Boriello grew up in South BrooklynSouth Brooklyn
South Brooklyn is a region or composite neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, encompassing areas of Cobble Hill, Red Hook, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Boerum Hill. Thus it is roughly encompassed by Brooklyn Community Board 6, which in turn approximates the southern half of the 18th...
, New York, surrounded by mobsters from the Gambino, Genovese
Genovese crime family
The Genovese 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 . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
, and Colombo
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
crime families. His older brother Stevie was a close friend of neighborhood gangsters Joseph "Crazy Joey" Gallo
Joseph Gallo
Joseph Gallo may refer to:*Joseph Edward Gallo, cheese producer, brother of winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo*Joseph N. Gallo, American gangster, consigliere of the Gambino crime family...
, Albert Gallo
Albert Gallo
Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo, Jr. was a New York mobster for the Profaci crime family, later called the Colombo crime family. Gallo led his crew in challenging the Colombo leadership during the Second Colombo War.-Biography:...
and Frank Illiano
Frank Illiano
Frank "Punchy" Illiano is a Brooklyn capo with the Genovese crime family. During the 1960's and 1970's, he served as a top lieutenant to the Gallo brothers in their two wars with the Colombo crime family leadership.-Biography:...
, and after Joey's murder, Stevie was instrumental in securing the crew's South Brooklyn rackets. A burly, 6-foot, 3-inch man, Boriello was a feared enforcer for the Gallo gang.
Between 1967 and 1972, Boriello was arrested six times, on charges of weapons possession, assault, larceny and gambling.
In the 1980s, Boriello became a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, or full member, in the Gambino family. He quickly developed close relationships with Gotti, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and two brothers, Nicholas Corozzo
Nicholas Corozzo
Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo is a New York mobster who is the reputed acting boss of the Gambino crime family.-Biography:...
and Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo
Joseph Corozzo
Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo, Sr. , is a New York mobster who is the reputed Consigliere of the Gambino crime family.-Background:...
. Boriello and Gotti would often spend weekends together on Long Island, New York, partying, gambling, and attending performances by singer Jay Black
Jay Black
Jay Black is an American singer, also known as "The Voice," whose height of fame came in the 1960s when he was the lead singer of the band Jay and the Americans. The band had numerous hits including "Cara Mia", "Come a Little Bit Closer", and "This Magic Moment".Black was born in New York and grew...
, a childhood friend of Gotti. Boriello owned a social club in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
that was run by his brother Stevie. Boriello also conducted business at the One Over Golf Club, a social club in Carroll Gardens, operated by Gambino soldier Joseph "Joe Pits" Conigliaro, a paraplegic gangster involved in loan sharking and gambling in the neighborhood who was killed a few years ago.
During his early days, Boriello was suspected in several gangland slayings, as well as involvement in extortion, loan sharking, and drug trafficking.
Making ceremony
Former Gambino capo Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardoMichael DiLeonardo
Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is an Italian-American New York mobster who formerly belonged to the Gambino crime family and is now a government informant.-Background:...
testified that on December 24, 1988, he was led into an apartment located on Mulberry Street (the apartment belonged to Joe Butch Corrao's mother). Inside were the other men who were going to be inducted that evening, including Bobby Boriello, John Gotti, Jr., Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia
Dominick Pizzonia
Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia is a New York mobster and captain with the Gambino crime family who was a hitman and loanshark.-Early life and rise:...
, and Nicholas LaSorsa. The men stood there with family capo John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico
John D'Amico
John David D'Amico was a National Hockey League linesman and later supervisor of officials.A native of Toronto, D'Amico's NHL career started as a referee on October 12, 1964, when he was 27 years old...
, along with other capo Gene Gotti
Gene Gotti
Eugene Gotti is a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker.-Background:Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: deceased Gambino boss John Gotti, Peter Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti...
. Sitting at the table, administering the oath was Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and Pasquale "Patsy" Conte
Pasquale Conte
Pasquale Conte , also known as "Patsy", is a New York mobster who became a caporegime with the Gambino crime family.-Background:Born in Sicily, Conte is a resident of Roslyn, New York. He was at one time a board member of Key Food Cooperative Supermarket Chain, an association of small supermarkets...
.
Junior Gotti Crew
After John Gotti promoted his son to capo at the behest of Sammy Gravano, and gave him his own crew, Gotti assigned Bobby Boriello to the Junior Gotti crew. Other crew soldiers included John "Jackie" Cavallo, Charles Carneglia, Thomas "Tommy Twitch" CacciopoliThomas Cacciopoli
Thomas Cacciopoli , also known as Tommy Sneakers and Cacci, is a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family, holding the rank of Caporegime in the New Jersey faction of the family.- Days of John Gotti :...
, and later on the crew included Dominic "Fat Dom" Borghese, Vincent "Vinnie Butch" Corrao, Carmine Agnello
Carmine Agnello
Carmine Agnello is a New York mobster from the Gambino crime family who was in scrap metal. In 1984, he married Victoria Gotti, daughter of mob boss John Gotti and had three sons, Carmine Agnello, John Agnello, and Frank Agnello, and also a stillborn daughter, Justine.In 2000, Agnello was arrested...
, and Craig DePalma. The crew's associates included Steve Kaplan, Frank Lividisi, Michael McLaughlin, Jeff and Steve Dobies, John Ruggiero, John Alite
John alite
John Edward Alite a.k.a. "Johnny Alletto" is a New York City mobster. A former member of the Gambino crime family he was a friend and crew leader for John A. Gotti in the 1980s and 1990s...
, Louis Casaneti.
Boriello's business dealings were conducted in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and throughout Brooklyn, especially South Brooklyn, where he associated with Gambino family wiseguys Angelo Paccione, Anthony "Toddo" Anastasio
Anthony Anastasio
Anthony "Tough Tony" Anastasio was a New York City mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family who controlled the Brooklyn dockyards for over thirty years...
, Joseph Chirico, Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone
Anthony Ciccone
Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone is a New York mobster and a captain of the Gambino crime family.Anthony was born to Sebastian and Gelsamina Piccolla from Pacentro, Italy. He was one of three brothers including Joseph and Salvatore, and two sisters, Anna and Margaret. He is the brother-in-law of mobster...
, and many others, with interests in trucking, construction, and loan sharking.
Steven Kaplan was paying Boriello and Junior Gotti tribute for his investments in strip clubs up and down the East Coast. In 1987, Boriello crew member and close associate Anthony "Shorty" Mascuzzio from Carroll Gardens was killed in a New York nightclub owned by Kaplan. Low level mob associate David Fisher had been in a physical altercation with Mascuzzio, over a business squabble, and ended up shooting him to death.
Boriello's promotion
Boriello, being the most powerful and closest ally to John Gotti in the crew, Boriello was appointed acting capo of the Junior Gotti crew. In December 1990, soon after Junior became a capo, his father was indicted and set up a 5-man ruling panel to which Junior was appointed. Boriello operated his rackets from his Brooklyn social club where he was about to rechange the order of rank of crew members from club at the time he was killed .Mob hit
In 1990, Gotti told Boriello to murder Gambino soldier Louis DiBono. DiBono had secured, most likely through bribery, the lucrative contract to install fireproofing foam on the infrastructure of the Twin Towers of the New York World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. After DiBono's death, Gravano took over the business.
On another occasion, Boriello unsuccessfully tried to kill Gambino crime family associate Preston Geritano on a Brooklyn street, firing shots at him in public. Since Geritano had relatives in Genovese crime family, Genovese and Gambino representatives met to discuss his fate. Eventually the Gambinos released Geritano to the Genovese with the condition that he be killed if he tried to retalliate against Boriello. In 2004 Geritano's own brother-in-law Andrew Gargiulo stabbed him to death in broad day light.
Execution
On April 13, 1991, Bobby Boriello was shot to death outside his Bensonhurst, BrooklynBensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
home, on orders from Lucchese crime family underboss Anthony Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
. Casso received information to perform the Boriello murder from Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two New York Police Department officers working for the mob. The hit was carried out by Lucchese captain Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino
Frank Lastorino
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino is a New York City mobster and former Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese hitman:Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations...
. Lastorino shot Boriello twice in the head, and five times in the torso. Boriello died in the street beside his 1991 Lincoln Towncar, outside his home on Bay 29th Street. Borriello's wife, Susan, and their two young children were inside the home at the time of the shooting.
At the time of his murder, Boriello had been under investigation by multiple federal agencies and the Kings County District Attorney's Office for directing a cocaine trafficking conspriacy, as well as his suspected involvement in the murder of former family boss Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
. In fact, Gambino informant Dominick LoFaro
Dominick LoFaro
Dominick "Big Dom" LoFaro was a soldier in the New York Gambino crime family who later became an important government undercover informant...
, fingered Boriello as one of the shooters in the slaying, reasoning that Boriello had been one of the more accomplished "hitters" in the family.
When Gotti heard about Boriello's murder, he was furious. In jail at the time, he ordered Gambino family members to meet with the leaders of the Genovese family. Keeping to their earlier agreement, they agreed to kill Geritano. However, it wasn't until 2004 that Geritano was stabbed to death outside a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
restaurant. Sammy Gravano attended a sit-down with Genovese family acting boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
Liborio Bellomo
Liborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
, seeking Geritano's execution, but nothing ever came of it. John Gotti sent word to Stevie Boriello that he had permission to avenge his brother's death by killing whoever he needed to, and had the backing of Gotti and Gravano.
Stevie Boriello remained involved with the family after his brother's death, handling loan sharking, gambling, and extortion rackets in Brooklyn and Staten Island, where he currently resides.
See also
- Raab, Selwyn, "Team's Search Goes On For Killers of Castellano", New York Times, June 29, 1986. (Identifying Gene Gotti and Bobby Boriello as prime suspects in the slayings of Paul Castellano and Tommy Bilotti).
- "Informer Identifies Alleged Gunman", Washington Post, September 6, 1986.
External links
- John Gotti - The Last Mafia Icon by Allen May
- Last Days of the Gotti Gang - Part Five: Junior’s Trial Intersects ‘Mafia Cops’ Trial by J. R. de Szigethy and Lou Eppolito Jr.
- The Murder of Bobby Boreillo at The Smoking GunThe Smoking GunThe Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is damning, shocking, outrageous, or amazing, yet also somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources...