Carmine Galante
Carmine Galante, often referred to as "The Cigar" due to his signature smoking habit, was a prominent figure in American organized crime during the mid-20th century. Born in Sicily in 1910 and later relocating to New York, he became involved in criminal activities at a young age, rising through the ranks of the Bonanno crime family. Galante was known for his ruthlessness and was heavily involved in the narcotics trade, playing a crucial role in expanding the family's drug operations into Canada, notably establishing connections for heroin trafficking. His criminal career was marked by various legal troubles, including a significant prison sentence for narcotics violations in the 1960s.
Upon his release, Galante sought to consolidate power within the Bonanno family, escalating tensions with rival factions. He was ultimately assassinated in 1979 during a lunch, a murder widely believed to have been orchestrated by those who felt threatened by his ambitions. Galante's legacy remains significant in the landscape of organized crime, particularly for his contributions to the globalization of drug trafficking and the Bonanno family's operations that persisted into subsequent decades.
Subject Terms
Carmine Galante
American gangster and Mafia boss
- Born: February 21, 1910
- Birthplace: Castellammare de Golfo, Sicily, Italy
- Died: July 12, 1979
- Place of death: Brooklyn, New York
Major offense: Conspiracy to violate narcotics laws
Active: 1930, 1939-1962, 1972-1979
Locale: New York
Sentence: Twelve and one-half years in prison after a shoot-out with police, served nine years; twenty years in prison, served ten years
Early Life
Regarded by many as one of the more ruthless Mafia bosses in U.S. history, Carmine Galante (CAR-min gah-LAHN-tay), also known as “The Cigar” for the ever-present cigar in the corner of his mouth, was born in Sicily in 1910. In the late 1910’s, he relocated with his family to New York and began running with a juvenile street gang in the city’s lower East Side at the age of eleven. During the 1920’s, Galante made a name for himself by dispatching his Brooklyn-based gang to commit hits (murders), steal liquor, and disrupt legitimate and illegitimate business throughout the city.
Criminal Career
Much of Galante’s early criminal activity went undetected by law enforcement authorities. In 1930, however, a New York police officer stumbled across Galante and several others as they were attempting to hijack a truck in the Bronx neighborhood of Williamsburg. A gun battle ensued, leaving the officer and several bystanders injured but still alive. Galante was captured at the scene but refused to reveal the identities of the other men involved in the attempted robbery.
In late 1930, Galante was found guilty of charges stemming from this incident and was sentenced to twelve and one-half years in New York’s Sing Sing Prison. After being released on parole in 1939, he began carrying out hits for Vito Genovese, one of New York’s most powerful mobsters.
During the 1940’s, Galante began working for associates of the Bonanno Mafia family. Starting as a bodyguard for a Bonnano Mafioso named Gaetano Gagliano, Galante was eventually promoted to capo status. By the 1950’s, Galante was a well-known and respected member of the Bonanno family and was handpicked by the family godfather, Joe Bonanno, to expand the syndicate’s operations into Canada. Galante was quick to establish contacts and firmly put down foundations of the new Bonanno arm in Montreal, Quebec. Throughout the 1950’s, Carmine worked tirelessly to globalize the family’s narcotics trade and was successful in establishing illegal networks of producers and distributors all across the globe. Galante spent a decade in prison after he was found guilty in 1962 of violating narcotics laws.
Paroled in 1972, he returned to New York and resumed his life of crime. He quickly made his presence felt by blowing the doors off the tomb of Frank Costello, who had died in 1973. Galante was apparently unhappy with Costello for his role in the removal and banishment of his mentor Joe Bonanno.
Galante then set his sights on taking over the Bonanno crime family, whose acting boss, Natale Evola, had recently died. Evola was replaced by Philip “Rusty” Rastelli, but Galante considered this a temporary appointment. Galante soon bullied Rastelli into turning over the leadership of the Bonanno family to him and pushed the syndicate deeper into the drug trade. Relying on his contacts in Canada, he made Montreal the family’s main pipeline for heroin from France. The “French Connection” made Galante and his associates millions.
As the family became more involved in the drug trade, Galante began recruiting young, hard Sicilian immigrants to serve as soldiers and bodyguards. These men, who were referred to as “zips” because of the speed with which they spoke their native language, provided Carmine with the necessary muscle to expand and protect his drug operations. Ironically, the zips may have played a critical role in Galante’s death. On Thursday, July 12, 1979, while eating lunch with two of his zips, Carmine was approached by several gunmen and was blasted out of his seat. He died with a cigar still clenched in his teeth. Amazingly, both of his bodyguards escaped without a scratch. It is rumored the murder was arranged by Philip Rastelli, who returned to his position as boss of the Bonanno family after Galante’s death.
Legal Action and Outcome
In 1958, Galante was indicted along with several other Mafiosi, including Genovese, on charges stemming from his involvement in an international narcotics syndication that smuggled cocaine and heroin into the United States from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. In 1962, after some time on the run, Galante was found guilty of conspiracy to violate narcotics laws and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He served his sentence in the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and kept himself busy by working in the prison’s greenhouse and looking after his pet cats.
While incarcerated, he also enjoyed several other luxuries not normally afforded to inmates, such as choice cuts of meat from the prison butcher. As he did on the street, Galante demanded and received great respect behind prison walls. Prisoners and guards alike abided by Galante’s informal rules of conduct. In 1972, Galante was paroled after serving ten years of his sentence.
Impact
Carmine Galante’s biggest influence on American organized crime may have been his role in globalizing drug trafficking and establishing the Canadian branch of the Bonanno crime family. The Bonanno family was able to avoid many of the indictments and convictions that have crippled other crime families. The family continued to maintain close ties with the zips, and some believe that the family continued its international drug trafficking into the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
Abadinsky, Howard. Organized Crime. 7th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2003. This text provides a detailed analysis of organized crime in New York and Chicago and examines several emerging international groups.
Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia. 2d ed. Indianapolis, Ind.: Alpha Books, 2002. Capeci provides a comprehensive introduction to Italian organized crime.
Lyman, Michael D., and Gary W. Potter. Organized Crime. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. A comprehensive textbook that covers the essentials of organized crime theory and practice.