Joseph Rao
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Tough Joey" Rao also known as Joie Rao and Joseph Cangro (March 12, 1901– May 10, 1962) was a New York mobster who was both a rival and an associate of mobster Dutch Schultz
. Rao was involved in drug trafficking, policy banking, and running slot machines in Harlem, New York.
consigliere Vincenzo Rao
. Joseph Rao was married to Lena Stracci; they had a daughter Francis Rao and two sons, Robert and Charles Rao.
When asked his profession, Joseph Roe told people that he was a house painter. Rao stood 5'7 and weighed 190 pounds with brown eyes and black curly hair that he slicked back on his head. His home was in East Harlem.
.
On July 28, 1931, Rao narrowly survived an assassination attempt. It was a hot day and Rao was sitting outside the Helmar Social Club, which is located on a busy street in Harlem
. Bootleggers Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll and Frank Giordano drove up and stopped their car in front of the club. Coll was working for Joseph Rock, an out-of-town bootlegger who was attempting to infringe on Rao's territory. The gunmen opened fire on Rao with machine guns and shotguns. Four young children were wounded and a five-year old boy, Michael Vengelli, was murdered. Though seriously wounded, Rao survived the attack and escaped the scene.
In February 1932, Rao was convicted of extorting payments from the owner of a Bronx bottling plant and was sentenced to prison. An inmate at the city penitentiary
on Welfare Island (now called Roosevelt Island
) during the 1930's, Rao and Edward Cleary reportedly controlled contraband
and narcotics smuggling in the prison. http://nyc10044.com/wire/2415/filmfest.html. Having negotiated a deal with the prison warden, Rao and his gang were sleeping on comfortable hospital beds instead of cots in the cells. Rao even kept homing pigeons in the hospital, using them to smuggle in narcotics and send out messages.
On December 26, 1934, Rao went to trial for assaulting a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer during a fight outside a dance hall in Harlem. In 1936, Rao was convicted and sentenced to two years in Sing Sing
state prison.
On October 23, 1935, Dutch Schultz died in a New York hospital after being shot in a Newark, NJ bar.
took over Schultz's numbers game racket in Harlem and Rao joined the family. Rao soon became a high ranking family member, running narcotics in East Harlem.
In 1946, Rao and Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola were implicated in the murder of Joseph Scottoriggio, a Republican Party
election captain. Scottoriggio was beaten to death in lower East Harlem. Rao was later placed under a $40,000 bond and held as a material witness. In November 1950, Rao and his brother-in-law Joseph "Joe Stretch" Stracci were named during a state investigation into corruption and tied to organized crime. District Attorney Frank Hogan
charged Rao with attending a meeting with Tammany Hall
officials in a campaign to remove Francis X. Mancuso
, a former New York General Sessions Court judge from his post as Democratic Party
leader of the 16th New York Assembly District.
On May 10, 1962, Joseph Rao died of a stroke
at age 61.
Rao's son Robert would later become head of the HEREIU International Local 222 labor union.
Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz was a New York City-area Jewish American gangster of the 1920s and 1930s who made his fortune in organized crime-related activities such as bootlegging alcohol and the numbers racket...
. Rao was involved in drug trafficking, policy banking, and running slot machines in Harlem, New York.
Biography
Joseph Rao was born in New York City on March 12, 1901, to Charles and Francis Rao. Joseph Rao had two brothers, Vincent and Louis Rao. He was the cousin of Lucchese crime familyLucchese 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...
consigliere Vincenzo Rao
Vincenzo Rao
Vincenzo John Rao also known as Vincent or Vinny, was a New York City mobster who served as consigliere in the Lucchese crime family.-East Harlem:...
. Joseph Rao was married to Lena Stracci; they had a daughter Francis Rao and two sons, Robert and Charles Rao.
When asked his profession, Joseph Roe told people that he was a house painter. Rao stood 5'7 and weighed 190 pounds with brown eyes and black curly hair that he slicked back on his head. His home was in East Harlem.
Dutch Schultz gang
One of the early members of Schultz's organization, Rao's criminal record dated back to 1920. In 1922, Rao was convicted on burglary charges, but received a suspended sentenceSuspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
.
On July 28, 1931, Rao narrowly survived an assassination attempt. It was a hot day and Rao was sitting outside the Helmar Social Club, which is located on a busy street in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. Bootleggers Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll and Frank Giordano drove up and stopped their car in front of the club. Coll was working for Joseph Rock, an out-of-town bootlegger who was attempting to infringe on Rao's territory. The gunmen opened fire on Rao with machine guns and shotguns. Four young children were wounded and a five-year old boy, Michael Vengelli, was murdered. Though seriously wounded, Rao survived the attack and escaped the scene.
In February 1932, Rao was convicted of extorting payments from the owner of a Bronx bottling plant and was sentenced to prison. An inmate at the city penitentiary
Penitentiary
Penitentiary may refer to:* Prison or penitentiary, a correctional facility* Apostolic Penitentiary, a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Roman Catholic Church* Penitentiary...
on Welfare Island (now called Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
) during the 1930's, Rao and Edward Cleary reportedly controlled contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
and narcotics smuggling in the prison. http://nyc10044.com/wire/2415/filmfest.html. Having negotiated a deal with the prison warden, Rao and his gang were sleeping on comfortable hospital beds instead of cots in the cells. Rao even kept homing pigeons in the hospital, using them to smuggle in narcotics and send out messages.
On December 26, 1934, Rao went to trial for assaulting a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer during a fight outside a dance hall in Harlem. In 1936, Rao was convicted and sentenced to two years in Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
state prison.
On October 23, 1935, Dutch Schultz died in a New York hospital after being shot in a Newark, NJ bar.
Genovese family
With the end of Schultz's gang, the Genovese crime familyGenovese 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...
took over Schultz's numbers game racket in Harlem and Rao joined the family. Rao soon became a high ranking family member, running narcotics in East Harlem.
In 1946, Rao and Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola were implicated in the murder of Joseph Scottoriggio, a Republican Party
Republican Party
-Africa:*Republican Party *Republican Party *Republican Party -Asia:*Republican Party *Republican Party *Republican Party *Republican Party of Afghanistan*Republican Party of India...
election captain. Scottoriggio was beaten to death in lower East Harlem. Rao was later placed under a $40,000 bond and held as a material witness. In November 1950, Rao and his brother-in-law Joseph "Joe Stretch" Stracci were named during a state investigation into corruption and tied to organized crime. District Attorney Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
charged Rao with attending a meeting with Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
officials in a campaign to remove Francis X. Mancuso
Francis X. Mancuso
Francis Xavier Mancuso was a leader of Tammany Hall and a judge for New York's Court of General Sessions.-References:...
, a former New York General Sessions Court judge from his post as Democratic Party
Democratic Party
The following is a list of political parties whose names could be translated to Democratic Party or the Democrat.-Active parties:-Former parties:...
leader of the 16th New York Assembly District.
On May 10, 1962, Joseph Rao died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at age 61.
Rao's son Robert would later become head of the HEREIU International Local 222 labor union.
Further reading
- Fairchild, Henry Pratt. Survey of Contemporary Sociology. T. Nelson and Sons, 1934.
- MacArthur, John R. The Selling of "Free Trade": NAFTA, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000. ISBN 0-8090-8531-3
- Turkus, Burton B. and Sid Feder. Murder, Inc: The Story of "the Syndicate". New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81288-6
- Valentine, Douglas. The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America's War on Drugs. New York: Verso, 2004. ISBN 1-85984-568-1