Carmine Romano
Encyclopedia
Carmine Romano was a New York City mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family
who controlled the Fulton Fish Market
distribution center in Downtown Manhattan.
for retail shops and vehicles located on the margins of the Market waterfront. Two of Romano's top soldiers would become powerful captains in their own right sharing the Fish Market, Rosario Gangi
and Alphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone Across the street from the Fish Market was Carmine's Restaurant, which was owned by Carmine's uncle. Upstairs from the dining room was Romano's headquarters for operations at the Fish Market. He is the brother of Vincent and Peter Romano.
. Finally, in 1981 Mob boss Romano was shifting control into New Jersey to his younger crew. Romano"s top Captain Stuart Zelikoff and his son Alan Zelikoff took control of operations in New Jersey and was untouched for many years. Later in 1982 Romano was convicted on racketeering and sent to prison for 14 years. However, Genovese domination of the market continued.
Before going to prison in 1981, Romano tried to intimidate the current non-mob owner of Carmine' restaurant into selling it back to Romano's uncle. According to court documents, Romano and associates visited the owner on the morning of Jan. 21, 1981. They began their visit by breaking glasses, smashing all the windows, mirrors, tables, and chairs, throwing food around, destroying the coffee and cigarette machines, and yanking the stove out of the wall. Finally, they robbed the cash register and left. Despite this frightening display, the owner refused to sell it back.
launched a campaign to end mob control of the market. Through civil suits and new regulations, the city expelled mob employees and vendors and ended the extortion rackets against honest seafood vendors. The Genovese family retailiated with arson and wildcat strikes, but were unable to stop the city.
, where he was the owner of Hygrade Ocean Products. In November 2005, the City of New York moved all seafood wholesale operations to a new facility in Hunts Point
in the Bronx and permanently closed the Fulton Fish Market. Romano died January 28, 2011 in New Bedford.
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...
who controlled the Fulton Fish Market
Fulton Fish Market
The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in The Bronx, New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce...
distribution center in Downtown Manhattan.
Mob control of Fulton Fish Market
Beginning in the 1920s, the Fish Market had been controlled by mobsters. Unloading crews would extort "parking fees" and kickbacks from out of town fish companies. If a company refused to pay, the unloaders would let the fish spoil. Mob employees and mob-controlled companies received special benefits. The Market’s security force operated a protection racketProtection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
for retail shops and vehicles located on the margins of the Market waterfront. Two of Romano's top soldiers would become powerful captains in their own right sharing the Fish Market, Rosario Gangi
Rosario Gangi
Rosario "Ross" Gangi is a New York City mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family who became involved in labor racketeering and white collar crime.-Biography:...
and Alphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone Across the street from the Fish Market was Carmine's Restaurant, which was owned by Carmine's uncle. Upstairs from the dining room was Romano's headquarters for operations at the Fish Market. He is the brother of Vincent and Peter Romano.
Prison for Romano
Authorities made some small efforts to clean up the corruption. In the late 1970s, Romano was removed from the leadership of the seafood union for extorting wholesalers and enforcing a cartelCartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
. Finally, in 1981 Mob boss Romano was shifting control into New Jersey to his younger crew. Romano"s top Captain Stuart Zelikoff and his son Alan Zelikoff took control of operations in New Jersey and was untouched for many years. Later in 1982 Romano was convicted on racketeering and sent to prison for 14 years. However, Genovese domination of the market continued.
Before going to prison in 1981, Romano tried to intimidate the current non-mob owner of Carmine' restaurant into selling it back to Romano's uncle. According to court documents, Romano and associates visited the owner on the morning of Jan. 21, 1981. They began their visit by breaking glasses, smashing all the windows, mirrors, tables, and chairs, throwing food around, destroying the coffee and cigarette machines, and yanking the stove out of the wall. Finally, they robbed the cash register and left. Despite this frightening display, the owner refused to sell it back.
Cleanup of Fish Market
In 1994, new mayor Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
launched a campaign to end mob control of the market. Through civil suits and new regulations, the city expelled mob employees and vendors and ended the extortion rackets against honest seafood vendors. The Genovese family retailiated with arson and wildcat strikes, but were unable to stop the city.
Aftermath
In 1999, Romano was released from prison and moved to New Bedford, MassachusettsNew Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, where he was the owner of Hygrade Ocean Products. In November 2005, the City of New York moved all seafood wholesale operations to a new facility in Hunts Point
Hunts Point, Bronx
Hunts Point is a low-income neighborhood located on a peninsula in the South Bronx in New York City. It is the location of one of the largest food distribution facilities in the world. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries are the Bruckner Expressway to the west and...
in the Bronx and permanently closed the Fulton Fish Market. Romano died January 28, 2011 in New Bedford.
See also
- Joseph LanzaJoseph LanzaJoseph A. "Socks" Lanza was a New York labor racketeer and a member of the Genovese crime family.Born in Palermo, Sicily, Lanza immigrated to the United States and settled in New York working as a handler in Lower Manhattan's Fulton Fish Market...
- Alphonse "Allie Shades" MalangoneAlphonse MalangoneAlphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone is a New York City mobster and caporegime in the Genovese crime family. Malangone controlled a good portion of the Genovese interests in the Fulton Fish Market, while dabbling in pump and dump stock scams on Wall Street and controlling Brooklyn's garbage hauling...
- Rosario GangiRosario GangiRosario "Ross" Gangi is a New York City mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family who became involved in labor racketeering and white collar crime.-Biography:...
Further reading
- Jacobs, James B., Coleen Friel and Robert Radick. Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime. New York: NYU Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8147-4247-5
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
External links
- Southcoasttoday.com Fulton today By JOHN DOHERTY
- Southcoasttoday.com The Hear No Evil fishing corp By JOHN DOHERTY
- City-journal.org How To Run the Mob Out of Gotham by Steven Malanga
- http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/content/printVersion/128681