B. wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:14 pm
Dug through Bianco's FBI files a bit... here is more info on his activities in the mid- through late-1960s and some background on him:
- In June 1964, Joe Colombo told Scarpa that Bianco was "under Patriarca", but because he was living in NYC he reported to Colombo. So it seems pre-1965, Bianco was officially still a New England member but was under the direction of Colombo.
- In February 1965, an informant (probably Scarpa again) said Bianco had gotten closer to Joe Colombo and believed Bianco would soon be "accepted as a transfer member to the Colombo family from the family of Patriarca." He claims that Bianco was closer to Joe Colombo by this time than anyone else in NYC.
- A Boston informant was interviewed about Bianco in late 1964 and mentioned his background in Providence, but that he had been living in Brooklyn for several years and gotten close with the Gallo brothers.
- Another informant said that Bianco had been a strong-arm man for Patriarca in Providence, butu got into "some kind of trouble" and had to leave Providence. He went to NYC and was "taken care of" by Joe Gallo who he knew from prison. This was right before the Gallo war broke out. This informant said that Bianco stayed loyal to Gallo through the war and was "very instrumental" in establishing peace between Gallo and Profaci. Claims that Bianco was not fond of Larry Gallo, but very close to Joe Gallo.
- Lived on President street, then later 86th street, followed by Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn. He did a lot of his socializing in Manhattan and was trying to move to the LES and get involved in rackets there.
- In December 1965, an informant claimed Bianco gave Larry Gallo two cases of champagne as a Christmas gift. Another informant (Scarpa) said that this champagne brought by Bianco was actually from Joe Colombo to Gallo.
- 9th grade education.
- Served in the army in California for about 9 months in 1953 but was dishonorably discharged for striking one of his superior officers and threatening another superior officer after Bianco refused an order to wash windows, claiming he had a back injury. His medical history did show a reptured disk. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor and had his pay forfeited as a result of the court martial.
- In 1952, prior to joining the army, he was arrested multiple times in Los Angeles for burglary, robbery, and assault with intent to murder. He was found not guilty or the charges were dismissed for each of these. It seems he went to Los Angeles to commit crimes originally, then later joined the army there.
- As of 1965, Bianco owned residences in Providence, Los Angeles, and had an apartment in Brooklyn.
- In 1953, he was diagnosed with a variety of mental issues, including emotional instability, anti-social personality disorder, and anxiety.
- By 1955, he is living in Providence again, eventually getting charged with assault in 1956, gambling (dice) in 1957, and doing some kind of property damage in 1959.
- By October 1959, he seems to have moved to New York, getting arrested twice under the alias "Joseph Andrezzi". One of these arrests was for a dice game, not sure the other but it appears to be gambling as well. He is later arrested in Brooklyn in 1961, then again in Manhattan that year, before getting busted a few more times in Brooklyn between late 1961 and 1962. In mid-1963 he gets hit with a gun charge then in December of that year was arrested on conspiracy charges.
- Despite his standing in both Brooklyn and Providence, Bianco and Scarpa were arrested burgarizing two telephone coin boxes in New Jersey in late 1965 but the charges were eventually dismissed. During this period and into 1966, Bianco was said to have no loansharking or numbers operations and made his money through stolen goods. By the middle of that year he had a numbers operation out of a pizzeria on 13th avenue, Brooklyn. By the late 1960s he's supposedly involved in trafficking "obscene film" from New England to NYC where he sells it.
- Bianco attended a meeting at Patriarca's office in Providence in early 1966 along with soldier Peter Limone and another redacted Boston member, plus Henry Tameleo.
- In February 1966, Bianco and two of his younger associates were at the Pussycat Bar in Manhattan where they harassed some girls who were there. The girls complained to Carmine Tramunti, as apparently it was his bar, and he contacted Joe Colombo. Colombo told Bianco he was unhappy with his behavior at the bar.
- An informant claimed Tramunti, who had attended Angelo Bianco's wake, was very close to Nicky Bianco. Yet another example of Bianco's inexplicable popularity.
- In 1966, the wedding of a relative of Smitty D'Angelo of the Bonanno family was attended by Nicky Bianco, Greg Scarpa, Joe Colombo, Rocco Miraglia, Modesto Santoro and a redacted name.
- Also in 1966, Bianco attended a wedding connected somehow to Colombo member Michael Savino. Other Colombo members in attendance were Larry Gallo, John Cutrone, Joseph Colombo, Greg Scarpa, Rocco Miraglia, John Fontana, John Oddo.
- By late 1968, Joe Colombo promoted Bianco to captain and was said to be contemplating having the former Gallo crew report to him. In early 1969, multiple informants said Bianco had taken over the "Larry Gallo group" in the family. Not sure if this means he took over a specific crew of Gallo men, or if he was just the liaison between Colombo and the Gallo group. More than one source said Larry Gallo was a captain sometime around the mid-1960s after Joe Colombo took over, so Bianco may have absorbed Larry Gallo's decina.
- In February 1969, Joe Colombo and Bianco were observed making a visit to the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry street. Later that year, Bianco was seen at the 19th Hole in Brooklyn.
In June 1969, Bianco held a grand opening for the Cafe Royale, a nightclub in Queens Bianco owned a piece of. The grand opening was attended by a large number of Colombo members. Bianco is believed to have become part of the Cafe Royale when its owner, Joe DeMasi was shaken down by Bonanno associate Tommy Zummo, who would later be killed.