Joel Cacace
Encyclopedia
Joel J. Cacace Sr. also known as Joe Waverly (born April 9, 1941) is a New York City
mobster and acting head of the Colombo crime family
. He was convicted of murder and is currently on trial for a second murder.
. Cacace was involved in extortion
, illegal gambling, and the hijacking and selling of truckloads of cigarettes.
Cacae married Diane Marie Cacace and they had one child, Joel Cacace Junior. Joel Jr. is reportedly a member of the Colombo family and is involved in labor racketeering.
On December 20, 1976, Joel Cacace Sr. was ambushed by three robbers near his florist shop in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
. After being shot in the chest, Cacace wrestled a handgun from one of the robbers, and shot and killed an assailant. The remaining robbers fled the scene. The critically wounded Cacace drove to a local police station with the robber's body in the backseat.
ordered Cacace to kill William Aronwald, a federal prosecutor. Persico believed that Aronwald, who had helped prosecute Persico, had been disrespectful to the Cosa Nostra. Killing a prosecutor was normally forbidden in Cosa Nostra tradition, but Persico wanted him murdered anyway. Cacace arranged for brothers Vincent and Eddie Carnini to murder Aronwald. Cacace gave the two hit men a piece of paper with the name Aronwald on it. However, Aronwald's father, George Aronwald, was an administrative law judge
and shared his son's office; the gunmen thought he was the target. On March 20, 1987, the Carinis shot and killed George Aronwald Senior in a laundromat near his home.
Furious at the Aronwald murder, the heads of the other New York "Five Families
" demanded that the Colombos kill the Carnini Brothers. An enraged Cacace recruited Lucchese crime family
member Carmine Variale and Bonanno crime family
associate Frank Santora to eliminate the Carninis. In June 1987, both Carnini brothers were found dead in the back seats of their cars in Brooklyn. Concerned about the loyalty of his assassins, Cacace decided to murder them also. At the Carninis' funeral, Cacace allegedly pointed out Variale and Santora to a second pair of hitmen. In September 1987, Variale and Santora were murdered outside a Brooklyn social club in broad daylight. This extraordinary caution helped to temporarily conceal Cacace's involvement in the Aronwald murder.
Also in 1987, Cacace was involved in the unrelated murder of former New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Carlo Antonino.
Following the Carnini murders, Eddie Carnini's widow, Kim T. Kennaugh, moved in with Cacace and later married him. They soon separated and Kim divorced him.
In January 1991, during the 1990s Colombo War, Cacace attempted to kill Gregory Scarpa, a hitman aligned with the Persico faction. Cacace was a supporter of temporary acting boss Victor Orena
, who was challenging Carmine Persico for control of the family. Cacace drove up next to Scarpa's car in Sheepshead Bay and fired at him several times. Scarpa escaped unharmed.
On February 26, 1992, the two mobsters shot at each again outside a social club in the same neighborhood. Two gunmen in a parked station wagon
fired 14 shots at Cacace as he was visiting his dry cleaner. Although wounded in the stomach, Cacace drew a handgun and exchanged shots with the men. Colombo enforcer Greg Scarpa later boasted about participating in the Cacace murder attempt. As the Colombo War progressed, Cacace switched sides to the Persico faction, which ultimately won.
in Florence, Colorado
. Cacace was later transferred to the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Beaumont, Texas
.
On December 18, 2008, Cacace was charged with ordering the 1997 murder of New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Ralph Dols. According to the indictment, Cacase felt humiliated that Dols, a Latino
, had recently married Cacace's ex-wife Kim. Cacace allegedly ordered Colombo capo Dino Calabro and soldier Dino Saracino to murder Dols. On August 25, 1997, Calabro and Saracino allegedly ambushed Dols outside his Brooklyn home and killed him.
As of October 2011, Cacace is on trial in New York for the Dols murder and is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center
(MDC) in Brooklyn. Calabro will testify against Cacace and the prosecution wants the death penalty. Cacace's current projected release date is June 23, 2020, depending on the outcome of the second murder trial.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mobster and acting head of the Colombo crime family
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 ....
. He was convicted of murder and is currently on trial for a second murder.
Career
Ccace is close friends with Colombo capo Luca DeMateo and former acting boss Victor OrenaVictor Orena
Vittorio "Little Vic" Orena is a New York City mobster who became the temporary acting boss of the Colombo crime family. When an attempt by Greg ScarpaVittorio "Little Vic" Orena (born August 4, 1934) is a New York City mobster who became the temporary acting boss of the Colombo crime family. When...
. Cacace was involved in extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, illegal gambling, and the hijacking and selling of truckloads of cigarettes.
Cacae married Diane Marie Cacace and they had one child, Joel Cacace Junior. Joel Jr. is reportedly a member of the Colombo family and is involved in labor racketeering.
On December 20, 1976, Joel Cacace Sr. was ambushed by three robbers near his florist shop in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Sheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east and west...
. After being shot in the chest, Cacace wrestled a handgun from one of the robbers, and shot and killed an assailant. The remaining robbers fled the scene. The critically wounded Cacace drove to a local police station with the robber's body in the backseat.
Aronwald hit
In early 1987, imprisoned Colombo boss Carmine PersicoCarmine Persico
Carmine John Persico, Jr. also known as "Junior", "The Snake" and "Immortal", has been the de-facto boss of the Colombo crime family since the early 1970s. Persico has overseen gang wars, murders, and major rackets, most of the time from prison. He has been serving life imprisonment without...
ordered Cacace to kill William Aronwald, a federal prosecutor. Persico believed that Aronwald, who had helped prosecute Persico, had been disrespectful to the Cosa Nostra. Killing a prosecutor was normally forbidden in Cosa Nostra tradition, but Persico wanted him murdered anyway. Cacace arranged for brothers Vincent and Eddie Carnini to murder Aronwald. Cacace gave the two hit men a piece of paper with the name Aronwald on it. However, Aronwald's father, George Aronwald, was an administrative law judge
Administrative law judge
An administrative law judge in the United States is an official who presides at an administrative trial-type hearing to resolve a dispute between a government agency and someone affected by a decision of that agency. The ALJ is usually the initial trier of fact and decision maker...
and shared his son's office; the gunmen thought he was the target. On March 20, 1987, the Carinis shot and killed George Aronwald Senior in a laundromat near his home.
Furious at the Aronwald murder, the heads of the other New York "Five Families
Five Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
" demanded that the Colombos kill the Carnini Brothers. An enraged Cacace recruited Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese 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 family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
member Carmine Variale and 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 ....
associate Frank Santora to eliminate the Carninis. In June 1987, both Carnini brothers were found dead in the back seats of their cars in Brooklyn. Concerned about the loyalty of his assassins, Cacace decided to murder them also. At the Carninis' funeral, Cacace allegedly pointed out Variale and Santora to a second pair of hitmen. In September 1987, Variale and Santora were murdered outside a Brooklyn social club in broad daylight. This extraordinary caution helped to temporarily conceal Cacace's involvement in the Aronwald murder.
Also in 1987, Cacace was involved in the unrelated murder of former New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Carlo Antonino.
Colombo War
Despite the Aronwald fiasco, Cacace's brutal reputation gained him a large following among his men. One family member supposedly commented,"With Joe dealing the cards, you never know where the next card is coming from - the top or the bottom or the middle of the deck. "
Following the Carnini murders, Eddie Carnini's widow, Kim T. Kennaugh, moved in with Cacace and later married him. They soon separated and Kim divorced him.
In January 1991, during the 1990s Colombo War, Cacace attempted to kill Gregory Scarpa, a hitman aligned with the Persico faction. Cacace was a supporter of temporary acting boss Victor Orena
Victor Orena
Vittorio "Little Vic" Orena is a New York City mobster who became the temporary acting boss of the Colombo crime family. When an attempt by Greg ScarpaVittorio "Little Vic" Orena (born August 4, 1934) is a New York City mobster who became the temporary acting boss of the Colombo crime family. When...
, who was challenging Carmine Persico for control of the family. Cacace drove up next to Scarpa's car in Sheepshead Bay and fired at him several times. Scarpa escaped unharmed.
On February 26, 1992, the two mobsters shot at each again outside a social club in the same neighborhood. Two gunmen in a parked station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
fired 14 shots at Cacace as he was visiting his dry cleaner. Although wounded in the stomach, Cacace drew a handgun and exchanged shots with the men. Colombo enforcer Greg Scarpa later boasted about participating in the Cacace murder attempt. As the Colombo War progressed, Cacace switched sides to the Persico faction, which ultimately won.
Prison
On January 23 2003, Cacace was indicted for the murders of Antonino, Aronwald, Variale, and Santora. On August 13, 2004, Cacace pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, illegal gambling and the four murders. On September 8, 2004, Cacace was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal Supermax prisonADX Florence
The United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility is a supermax prison for men that is located in unincorporated Fremont County, Colorado, United States, south of Florence. It is unofficially known as ADX Florence, Florence ADMAX, Supermax, or The Alcatraz of the Rockies...
in Florence, Colorado
Florence, Colorado
The City of Florence is a Statutory City located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,653 at the 2000 census.ADX Florence, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, is located south of Florence in an unincorporated area in Fremont County...
. Cacace was later transferred to the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
.
On December 18, 2008, Cacace was charged with ordering the 1997 murder of New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Ralph Dols. According to the indictment, Cacase felt humiliated that Dols, a Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
, had recently married Cacace's ex-wife Kim. Cacace allegedly ordered Colombo capo Dino Calabro and soldier Dino Saracino to murder Dols. On August 25, 1997, Calabro and Saracino allegedly ambushed Dols outside his Brooklyn home and killed him.
As of October 2011, Cacace is on trial in New York for the Dols murder and is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center
Metropolitan Detention Center
"Metropolitan Detention Centers" are federal detention facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and located throughout the United States...
(MDC) in Brooklyn. Calabro will testify against Cacace and the prosecution wants the death penalty. Cacace's current projected release date is June 23, 2020, depending on the outcome of the second murder trial.
Further reading
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3