Kenny Gallo
Encyclopedia
Kenny "Kenji" Gallo is a Japanese-Italian American gangster-turned-informant and a former director and producer of pornographic films. A convicted narcotics dealer on the West Coast associated with the Los Angeles crime family
and New York City's Colombo crime family
, Gallo became an informant against such mafioso as alleged Colombo crime family heir apparent Theodore "Teddy" Persico Jr. He is also an author whose memoir Breakshot: A Life in the 21st Century American Mafia, cowritten by Matthew Randazzo V
, was published in August 2009 by Phoenix Books, and the co-owner of the Breakshot Blog.
, Gallo was one of the biggest cocaine smugglers and gangsters in the Los Angeles area in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gallo eventually became connected with the Los Angeles crime family
under capo Vincent "Jimmy" Caci
, with whom he was arrested in 1998 by the FBI in connection with the Las Vegas RICO
cases "Operation Thin Crust" and "Operation Button Down." In the early 2000s, Gallo moved to New York City
and worked with the Colombo crime family
under soldier Edward Garaofalo and eventually caporegime
Theodore Persico, Jr. In 2004, court documents from the prosecution of Teddy Persico show that Gallo, a paid government informant, frequently wore a wire and recorded conversations with Persico. Gallo has also claimed responsibility for the arrest of Lucchese crime family
capo John Baudanza and Colombo soldier Craig Marino. While he went into the federal witness protection program, Gallo has published personal photos from his time spent with Mafia associates on Jerry Capeci's This Week in Gangland column and on his personal blog.
Following the death of convicted hitman Charles Harrelson
, Gallo was interviewed and identified as a "convicted Mafia associate" and friend of Harrelson's in the Sunday 2007 issue of The Sunday Times
.
; their short-lived marriage included a Jerry Springer Show episode titled "I'm Married to a Porn Star!" They divorced in 1997.
Kenji also appears on the Discovery Channel
show Flipped: A Mobster Tells All Kenny "Kenji" Gallo and Spike TV
's Deadliest Warrior
, where he served as an expert for the Medellin Cartel
in "Somali Pirates vs. Medellin Cartel".
Los Angeles crime family
The Los Angeles crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in Los Angeles, as part of the American Mafia . Since its inception in the early 1900s, it has spread throughout Southern California. Like most Mafia families in the United States, the L.A. family gained power...
and New York City's 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 ....
, Gallo became an informant against such mafioso as alleged Colombo crime family heir apparent Theodore "Teddy" Persico Jr. He is also an author whose memoir Breakshot: A Life in the 21st Century American Mafia, cowritten by Matthew Randazzo V
Matthew Randazzo V
Matthew Randazzo V is an American true crime writer and historian originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, who currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Randazzo is of Sicilian-American, Isleño, and Cajun descent...
, was published in August 2009 by Phoenix Books, and the co-owner of the Breakshot Blog.
Criminal career and life as an informant
According to pornography gossip columnist Luke FordLuke Ford
Luke Ford is an American writer, blogger, and former pornography gossip columnist known for his disclosures and traditionalist Jewish religious views.-Personal:Ford moved to California in 1977...
, Gallo was one of the biggest cocaine smugglers and gangsters in the Los Angeles area in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gallo eventually became connected with the Los Angeles crime family
Los Angeles crime family
The Los Angeles crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in Los Angeles, as part of the American Mafia . Since its inception in the early 1900s, it has spread throughout Southern California. Like most Mafia families in the United States, the L.A. family gained power...
under capo Vincent "Jimmy" Caci
Jimmy Caci
Vincent Dominic Caci, known by his peers as Jimmy, was a Los Angeles crime family member and a Caporegime in the family.Originally from the East Coast, was born August 1, 1925 in Westfield, New York to Alfonzo and Josephine Caci. Caci grew up around the Buffalo-Western New York area...
, with whom he was arrested in 1998 by the FBI in connection with the Las Vegas RICO
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...
cases "Operation Thin Crust" and "Operation Button Down." In the early 2000s, Gallo moved to New York City
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...
and worked with 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 ....
under soldier Edward Garaofalo and eventually caporegime
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...
Theodore Persico, Jr. In 2004, court documents from the prosecution of Teddy Persico show that Gallo, a paid government informant, frequently wore a wire and recorded conversations with Persico. Gallo has also claimed responsibility for the arrest of 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...
capo John Baudanza and Colombo soldier Craig Marino. While he went into the federal witness protection program, Gallo has published personal photos from his time spent with Mafia associates on Jerry Capeci's This Week in Gangland column and on his personal blog.
Following the death of convicted hitman Charles Harrelson
Charles Harrelson
Charles Voyde Harrelson was an American organized crime figure who was convicted of assassinating federal judge John H. Wood, Jr., the first federal judge killed in the 20th century...
, Gallo was interviewed and identified as a "convicted Mafia associate" and friend of Harrelson's in the Sunday 2007 issue of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
.
Film career
An adult film and B-movie director and producer from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, he directed about 29 pornographic films. He was also the producer of the B movies Babewatch 3 and Babewatch 4. While a filmmaker, Gallo met and married adult entertainment star Tabitha StevensTabitha Stevens
Tabitha Stevens is an American pornographic actress and frequent on-air guest of radio personality Howard Stern....
; their short-lived marriage included a Jerry Springer Show episode titled "I'm Married to a Porn Star!" They divorced in 1997.
Kenji also appears on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
show Flipped: A Mobster Tells All Kenny "Kenji" Gallo and Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
's Deadliest Warrior
Deadliest Warrior
Deadliest Warrior is a television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode...
, where he served as an expert for the Medellin Cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
in "Somali Pirates vs. Medellin Cartel".
External links
- Kenny Gallo's Breakshot Blog Homepage at BloggerBlogger (service)Blogger is a blog-publishing service that allows private or multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. It was created by Pyra Labs, which was bought by Google in 2003. Generally, the blogs are hosted by Google at a subdomain of blogspot.com. Up until May 1, 2010 Blogger allowed users to publish...
- Kenny Gallo's Hollywood Mafia Homepage
- Kenny Gallo's Hollywood Mafia Blog
- Kenny "Kenji" Gallo's Internet Adult Film Database profile
- Kenny "Kenji" Gallo's Internet Movie Database profile
- Luke Ford's Kenny Gallo profile