The President Street Boys Growing Up Mafia
When it comes to authors of the mafia genre, there’s no one who comes close to Frank DiMatteo, who grew up in the belly of the beast and lived the life. Being from what used to be known as “South Brooklyn,” DiMatteo resided only a few short blocks from where my father was raised. As soon as I saw the name of one of his books – “The President Street Boys/Growing Up Mafia” – I knew I had to get my hands on it (2016, Kensington Publishing Corporation).
I know that neighborhood very well and spent a lot of time right on that famous block. My grandparents owned two houses and a business (Pietaro Trucking, which included a large gravel lot) there and we visited every Sunday for the afternoon dinner of “macaroni and gravy.” My father had three siblings, so I also have two uncles and an aunt who were born and raised there. Unfortunately, all have since passed on, but that only made my connection to President Street even stronger… sort of carrying the torch for them in a way.
PURCHASE HERE
DiMatteo (along with his co-author Michael Benson) did an amazing job of painting the picture of what that neighborhood was like. Being in my mid-50s, my clearest memories of it were in the early-to-mid 1970s, a period where DiMatteo was at his peak. His father Ricky was part of the then-Profaci family (which later became the Colombo family) and was in the Gallo crew, led by three brothers, most famous being “Crazy” Joe Gallo. Their residence/headquarters was a few blocks south, also on President Street.
Known affectionally as Uncle Frankie, DiMatteo gives a detailed description of seeing a mob hit in broad daylight as a child a few blocks from home. He ended up becoming involved with some of the racquets to bring in money as he grew up, not unique at all in that area; most teenagers who are raised in that environment dabble into some minor criminal activity. Some of the light hearted moments involve a dwarf named Mondo who owned a bar that the Gallos used as a hangout/business place, and when Joe Gallo stored a tiger in the basement thereat to scare those unlucky enough to be in the red on their loans.
The Gallo crew was perhaps the wildest in mob history and they waged two internal wars (first against Joe Profaci and later Joe Colombo) that didn’t end well for them. In a segue that fits too good to not use it, the next book review closes the chapter on Joe Gallo’s life and also clears up who was the real shooter.
Mafia Hit Man – Carmine DiBiase, the Wiseguy Who Really Killed Joey Gallo
This much is known – “Crazy” Joe Gallo was shot and killed at Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy in the early hours of April 7, 1972 celebrating his birthday with a small group of people. In mob lore, there were always questions about who was the actual triggerman. Gallo had a target on his back for quite some time, especially after Joe Colombo was shot on June 28, 1971 at the second Italian American Civil Rights League Unity Day at Colombus Circle in Manhattan. Gallo was said to have been the one to set up Jerome Johnson to shoot the boss, albeit it being just one of the conspiracy theories abound about that incident.
DiMatteo knew all the players and this book “Mafia Hit Man – Carmine DiBiase, the Wieseguy Who Really Killed Joey Gallo” (2021 Kensington Publishing Corporation) spells out exactly what happened to Gallo. There was a contract out on him and a street guy names Joe “Fish” Luparelli saw the Gallo party entering Umberto’s. He then went to a local establishment to spread the word and another ‘knock around guy’ names Carmine DiBiase (known as Sonny Pinto in the street) on the fly put the hit together and pulled it off.
In 2004, a book entitled “I Heard You Paint Houses” was published and author Charles Brandt chronicled the life and times of Frank Sheeran, who claimed to have killed many times over, including Gallo and Jimmy Hoffa. A 2019 film “The Irishman” starring Robert DeNiro as Sheeran shows these hits and while exciting, do not seem realistic at all; the DiBiase version is much more likely, especially considering that he disappeared for nearly seven years and then confessed once he returned to circulation.
PURCHASE HERE
