Vincenzo Rao
Encyclopedia
Vincenzo John Rao (June 21, 1898 – September 25, 1988) also known as Vincent or Vinny, was a New York City mobster who served as consigliere
in the Lucchese crime family
.
, Sicily
. Vincent Rao was a short, heavy-set man with an aggressive temperament. In later years, he dressed in expensive silk and woolen garments.
His father was Antonio Rao and his mother Liboria Gagliano. On his mothers side, Rao was a distant relative to Lucchese crime family
founder Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano
. Vincent Rao had a brother, Calogero "Charles" Rao and a sister, Mary Speciale. His cousin, gangster Joseph Rao
. Vincenzo Rao was married to Carmelina Alberti and they had two daughters, Nina Pancoldo and Liagria Ventoj.
In the early 1910's, Rao's family moved to Manhattan
's heavily Italian East Harlem
. Rao had uncles working for the Black Hand on both sides of his family. This soon led to Vincent associating with powerful New York mobsters in the Mafia
such as Nicholas "Nick" Morello
, Gaetano "Tommy" Reina
, Vincenzo Terranova
and Jack Dragna
. Vincent and his brother joined gangster Stefano LaSalle in committing petty crimes. On December 5, 1921, Rao became a naturalized United States citizen in New York City.
appointed Bonaventura "Joseph" Pinzolo
as the new boss of the Reina family. The family then split into two factions, the Gagliano/Lucchese faction and the Pinzolo/Masseria faction. Months later the Castellammarese War
broke out in New York City for control over all the Italian gangs in America. The Gagliano/Lucchese faction murdered Joseph Pinzolo on September 5, 1930, allowing Gaetano "Tom" Gagliano to become the new boss. Rao aligned with Gagliano and served him during the Castellammarese war.
/East Harlem Gagliano family. In 1953, new boss Gaetano Lucchese promoted Rao to Consigliere. Rao was already a top member of the Lucchese crime family with operations in East Harlem, the Bronx and Westchester County
.
In 1957, Rao was arrested with 60 other mobsters at the abortive Apalachin meeting
in rural Apalachin, New York
. When asked by investigators why he was at the meeting, Rao said he went there for the luncheon buffet and did not speak to anyone else because he was not "introduced".
In 1963, mobster Joseph "Joe" Valachi
became a government informant and told authorities about the Mafia. Valachi named Rao as the Lucchese consigliere, guaranteeing him constant government surveillance during the following years. In 1965, Rao was convicted on perjury charges and was sentenced to five years in prison. At the same time the longtime boss Tom Lucchese had become ill and Rao was thought as suitable successor. His chance to become the new boss never happened due to his trials. Rao remained as consigliere under Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti
, with his criminal interest in gambling, money laundering
, labor unions and real estate. Officially, Rao was a contractor and union official who also owned a garage, a restaurant, and a liquor store.
. On September 25, 1988, Rao died of natural causes. He was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery
in Hartsdale, New York
.
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
in the 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...
.
East Harlem
Vincenzo John Rao was born on June 21, 1898 in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Vincent Rao was a short, heavy-set man with an aggressive temperament. In later years, he dressed in expensive silk and woolen garments.
His father was Antonio Rao and his mother Liboria Gagliano. On his mothers side, Rao was a distant relative to 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...
founder Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano
Tommy Gagliano
Gaetano "Tommy" Gagliano was an American gangster who founded the Lucchese crime family, one of the powerful "Five Families" of New York City, and served as its low-profile Boss for over two decades...
. Vincent Rao had a brother, Calogero "Charles" Rao and a sister, Mary Speciale. His cousin, gangster Joseph Rao
Joseph Rao
Joseph "Tough Joey" Rao , also known as Joie Rao and Joseph Cangro was a New York mobster who was both a rival and an associate of mobster Dutch Schultz...
. Vincenzo Rao was married to Carmelina Alberti and they had two daughters, Nina Pancoldo and Liagria Ventoj.
In the early 1910's, Rao's family moved to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's heavily Italian East Harlem
Italian Harlem
Italian Harlem was the name that was given to East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, when it was largely inhabited by an Italian American population....
. Rao had uncles working for the Black Hand on both sides of his family. This soon led to Vincent associating with powerful New York mobsters in the Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
such as Nicholas "Nick" Morello
Nicholas Morello
Nicolo Terranova , also known as Nicholas "Nick" Morello, was one of the first Italian-American organized crime figures in New York City...
, Gaetano "Tommy" Reina
Gaetano Reina
Gaetano "Tommy" Reina was the first Boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City.-Early years:Gaetano Reina was born in September 1889 in Corleone, Sicily to Giacomo Reina and Carmela Runmore. In the early 1900s the Reina family moved to New York City and settled on 107th Street in East Harlem...
, Vincenzo Terranova
Vincenzo Terranova
Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova was a gangster and an early Italian-American organized crime figure in the United States. He served as boss and underboss of the Morello crime family, today known as the Genovese crime family, the oldest of the Five Families in New York City.Terranova was born in...
and Jack Dragna
Jack Dragna
Jack Ignatius Dragna was an American Mafia member and Black Hander who was active in both Italy and the United States in the 1900s. He was active in bootlegging in California during the Prohibition Era in the United States...
. Vincent and his brother joined gangster Stefano LaSalle in committing petty crimes. On December 5, 1921, Rao became a naturalized United States citizen in New York City.
Reina family
Rao continued working for the Black Hand and joined the 107th Street gang under Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese. The 107th Street gang was under the protection of the Reina family boss Gaetano "Tom" Reina. Rao committed crimes for his new boss, until Reina was murdered on February 26, 1930. Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" MasseriaJoe Masseria
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria was an early Mafia don in the United States. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.-Early days:...
appointed Bonaventura "Joseph" Pinzolo
Joseph Pinzolo
Bonaventura "Joseph/Fat Joe" Pinzolo was the head of the Lucchese crime family in New York City for a brief period during 1930....
as the new boss of the Reina family. The family then split into two factions, the Gagliano/Lucchese faction and the Pinzolo/Masseria faction. Months later the Castellammarese War
Castellammarese War
The Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American Mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
broke out in New York City for control over all the Italian gangs in America. The Gagliano/Lucchese faction murdered Joseph Pinzolo on September 5, 1930, allowing Gaetano "Tom" Gagliano to become the new boss. Rao aligned with Gagliano and served him during the Castellammarese war.
Lucchese family
After the Castellammarese War, Rao remained a member of the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
/East Harlem Gagliano family. In 1953, new boss Gaetano Lucchese promoted Rao to Consigliere. Rao was already a top member of the Lucchese crime family with operations in East Harlem, the Bronx and Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
.
In 1957, Rao was arrested with 60 other mobsters at the abortive Apalachin meeting
Apalachin Meeting
The Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...
in rural Apalachin, New York
Apalachin, New York
Apalachin is a census-designated place within the Town of Owego in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,126 in the 2000 census. It is named after the Apalachin Creek. Apalachin means From where the messenger returned in the Lenape.Apalachin is in the southeast part of the...
. When asked by investigators why he was at the meeting, Rao said he went there for the luncheon buffet and did not speak to anyone else because he was not "introduced".
In 1963, mobster Joseph "Joe" Valachi
Joe Valachi
Joseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi , Italian American, also known as "Charles Chanbano" and "Anthony Sorge" was the first Mafia member to publicly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia. He is also the person who made Cosa Nostra a household name.-Career:Joseph Valachi was born in East Harlem, New York...
became a government informant and told authorities about the Mafia. Valachi named Rao as the Lucchese consigliere, guaranteeing him constant government surveillance during the following years. In 1965, Rao was convicted on perjury charges and was sentenced to five years in prison. At the same time the longtime boss Tom Lucchese had become ill and Rao was thought as suitable successor. His chance to become the new boss never happened due to his trials. Rao remained as consigliere under Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti
Carmine Tramunti
Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti was a New York mobster who was the boss of the Lucchese crime family. Tramunti helped build the massive French Connection heroin smuggling ring.-Operating in Harlem:...
, with his criminal interest in gambling, money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, labor unions and real estate. Officially, Rao was a contractor and union official who also owned a garage, a restaurant, and a liquor store.
Death
In 1973, Rao retired to FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. On September 25, 1988, Rao died of natural causes. He was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
in Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at ....
.