Thomas DiBella

[willychichi]

Can anyone provide some background info on DiBella's early years from the 1920's-50's or point me in the right direction?

[Pogo The Clown]

I'm curious about him as well. He seems to have come out of nowhere to become Boss. I don't think he was ever a Capo before becoming (could be wrong on that). His father Salvatore was an early Boss of the family which might explain why he rose to Boss.


Pogo

[Pogo The Clown]

From some of the info JD has dug up we know he was part of Joe Colombos Crew in the early 60s. He was working in the South Brooklyn docks and was allegedly not involved in criminal activites.


Pogo

[willychichi]

Thanks Pogo and JD, there doesn't seem to be much of anything on him that I have found prior to 1974. A 1977 New York Times article discusses the murder of Frank Abbatemarco and Salvatore Albanese, was DiBella involved in Frank Abbatemarco's murder as well?

[willychichi]

Here's a link to the NYT article I'm referencing.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 4725&hl=en

[HairyKnuckles]

By what I can find, DiBella seems to have been a pretty wild youngster. In 1923, he caused a woman´s death after she was struck by a car driven by him or a friend of his, Salvatore Balsamo. He was charged with manslaughter. A year earlier, he was jailed with another friend of his, Salvatore Gaudino after getting caught in upstate NY driving a truck carrying 450 gallons of grain alcohol. It looks like both of them where held on intoxication charges, and Gaudino additionally charged with assault, first degree after resisting arrest. In the 1950s, DiBella was an union official with the ILA, working closely with "Tough" Tony Anastasio. I think Scarpa said that DiBella was fully legit by that time and not engaged in any illegal activities.

DiBella wa a captain for two years (1962-1964), but demoted and put to be under Joe Colombo and later Carmine Persico. In 1972, he went from soldier to acting boss, to boss.

[willychichi]

By what I can find, DiBella seems to have been a pretty wild youngster. In 1923, he caused a woman´s death after she was struck by a car driven by him or a friend of his, Salvatore Balsamo. He was charged with manslaughter. A year earlier, he was jailed with another friend of his, Salvatore Gaudino after getting caught in upstate NY driving a truck carrying 450 gallons of grain alcohol. It looks like both of them where held on intoxication charges, and Gaudino additionally charged with assault, first degree after resisting arrest. In the 1950s, DiBella was an union official with the ILA, working closely with "Tough" Tony Anastasio. I think Scarpa said that DiBella was fully legit by that time and not engaged in any illegal activities.

DiBella wa a captain for two years (1962-1964), but demoted and put to be under Joe Colombo and later Carmine Persico. In 1972, he went from soldier to acting boss, to boss.

Thanks HK great info. Hairy any idea what prompted the demotion?

[HairyKnuckles]

By what I can find, DiBella seems to have been a pretty wild youngster. In 1923, he caused a woman´s death after she was struck by a car driven by him or a friend of his, Salvatore Balsamo. He was charged with manslaughter. A year earlier, he was jailed with another friend of his, Salvatore Gaudino after getting caught in upstate NY driving a truck carrying 450 gallons of grain alcohol. It looks like both of them where held on intoxication charges, and Gaudino additionally charged with assault, first degree after resisting arrest. In the 1950s, DiBella was an union official with the ILA, working closely with "Tough" Tony Anastasio. I think Scarpa said that DiBella was fully legit by that time and not engaged in any illegal activities.

DiBella wa a captain for two years (1962-1964), but demoted and put to be under Joe Colombo and later Carmine Persico. In 1972, he went from soldier to acting boss, to boss.

Thanks HK great info. Hairy any idea what prompted the demotion?

Probably due to the reconstruction of the Family after Colombo was given the top spot.

[willychichi]

By what I can find, DiBella seems to have been a pretty wild youngster. In 1923, he caused a woman´s death after she was struck by a car driven by him or a friend of his, Salvatore Balsamo. He was charged with manslaughter. A year earlier, he was jailed with another friend of his, Salvatore Gaudino after getting caught in upstate NY driving a truck carrying 450 gallons of grain alcohol. It looks like both of them where held on intoxication charges, and Gaudino additionally charged with assault, first degree after resisting arrest. In the 1950s, DiBella was an union official with the ILA, working closely with "Tough" Tony Anastasio. I think Scarpa said that DiBella was fully legit by that time and not engaged in any illegal activities.

DiBella wa a captain for two years (1962-1964), but demoted and put to be under Joe Colombo and later Carmine Persico. In 1972, he went from soldier to acting boss, to boss.

Thanks HK great info. Hairy any idea what prompted the demotion?

Probably due to the reconstruction of the Family after Colombo was given the top spot.

Thanks Hairy

[B.]

What I've wondered is when he was made. Given when he was born and his father's stature (not just as an early boss, but probably a high-ranking member before that), it's possible he was made as early the mid-late 1920s.

[willychichi]

What I've wondered is when he was made. Given when he was born and his father's stature (not just as an early boss, but probably a high-ranking member before that), it's possible he was made as early the mid-late 1920s.

Thanks B, that would make sense since he was already involved in bootlegging at the age of 16-17 and had a conviction for bootlegging in 1932. Do you guys think he willingly stepped aside as Boss or was forced out, a little of both?

[Dwalin2014]

Some sources on internet say DiBella had only one conviction: for bootlegging in 1932. But in the book "The 100 kilo case" by James Durney, based on the memories of corrupt cop Peter Daly, Daly says he served prison time in the 70s with DiBella, who controlled the so-called "Mafia row" in the Lewisburg prison. Does anyone know what was DiBella convicted for and how much did he serve? And, what's even more important, who did run the Colombo family on the outside when both DiBella and Persico were in prison? I thought DiBella was always free during Persico's incarceration in the 70s, and stepped down when Persico was released.

[Antiliar]

DiBella was in the Federal House of Detention in New York during the early 1970s. I'll see if I can obtain the exact dates.

No, it wasn't in his FBI file, which is very heavily redacted. He may have been transferred from Manhattan to Lewisburg because he allegedly ordered the poisoning of a government witness. The file, however, doesn't even mention Lewisburg at all.

[HairyKnuckles]

Sorry to say, I don´t know the details but DiBella was convicted on contempt charges in 1974 and served six months. I think a murder was involved but he refused to say anything about it. The underboss of the Family, Anthony Abbatemarco served briefly as acting head but stepped down. Then Joey Brancato was given the position of acting boss and kept it for close to two years (if I remember correctly), until DiBella´s legal troubles were resolved.