Who Really Killed Joe Colombo?

[mafiastudent]

I actually meant to put this in the general forum...so if one of the admins can delete this in the graveyard...sorry about that

So in Anthony Colombo's book Colombo: The Unsolved Murder, he offers five theories on his father's murder:

Lone Gunman
Joe Gallo
Carlo Gambino
BRAT - Black Revolutionary Attack Team (who sent a letter to AP claiming they did it)
&
FBI/CIA

He suggested that he believed the FBI was behind it and that the account presented about Colombo's murder was a "myth perpetuated by the FBI and the media."

What is everyone's opinion? I actually touched on this in my podcast on Colombo and IACRL and well, there seems to be a bit of controversy about this, so I wanted to see what the forum had to say.

[Tonyd621]

Ask michael franzese. He said he was right there and says he knows who was behind it. Lol

[aleksandrored]

The most likely one at the time was Joe Gallo, but it is a bit confusing because they say that the other families wanted him to die, so Carlo Gambino might as well.

[Extortion]

The colombo guy who got off on the two african american murders in nj is an interesting angle because jerome johnson was connected to them.

[johnny_scootch]

I highly doubt that if Gambino wanted him killed he would have had it done in that fashion.

[Villain]

According to one 1972 talk between Paul Ricca and Tony Accardo, the Outfits top bosses, the Mob was behind it. Besides the Colombo hit, they were also disgusted from the Tommy Eboli hit. The convo allegedly occurred few months before Ricca was hospitalized and later died (he died in October 72).

[chin_gigante]

Scarpa advised that Jerome Johnson was a wannabe who hung around social clubs in Brooklyn. While Johnson didn't have the reputation of a "kook" he was said to be willing to do anything for a price. Scarpa had a friend who knew Johnson.

Scarpa also advised that some talk on the street surrounded theories that Gallo had worked with the FBI and CIA to set Johnson up to kill Colombo.

Scarpa initially suspected that Persico was responsible, knowing that Gallo would get the blame, as part of their own bid to take over. However, after seeing Persico's attempts to locate Johnson's female accomplice and the Commission's certainty that the Gallos were behind it, Scarpa advised the FBI of his belief that Persico may not have been involved in the shooting. Carmine Tramunti had offered assistance to kill the Gallos but Scarpa believed that Persico's crew would handle it themselves.

Persico and Yacovelli later provided Scarpa with a photograph of Johnson's accomplice to give to his friend who knew Johnson. They wanted to find her so they could interrogate her and find out what she knew.

At the end of July 1971, Scarpa advised that, though there was uncertainty in the family, everyone suspected (though they might not admit it) that Gallo was behind it.

Personally, I tend to put more weight in the lone gunman theory or that Gallo was behind it. Before he was shot, Colombo had put a contract on Gallo's life and had received Carlo Gambino's blessing to do so. Colombo had also noticed a group of African American males circling his block in the early hours of the morning and believed it was an intimidation attempt orchestrated by Gallo.

[mafiastudent]

Scarpa advised that Jerome Johnson was a wannabe who hung around social clubs in Brooklyn. While Johnson didn't have the reputation of a "kook" he was said to be willing to do anything for a price. Scarpa had a friend who knew Johnson.

Scarpa also advised that some talk on the street surrounded theories that Gallo had worked with the FBI and CIA to set Johnson up to kill Colombo.

Scarpa initially suspected that Persico was responsible, knowing that Gallo would get the blame, as part of their own bid to take over. However, after seeing Persico's attempts to locate Johnson's female accomplice and the Commission's certainty that the Gallos were behind it, Scarpa advised the FBI of his belief that Persico may not have been involved in the shooting. Carmine Tramunti had offered assistance to kill the Gallos but Scarpa believed that Persico's crew would handle it themselves.

Persico and Yacovelli later provided Scarpa with a photograph of Johnson's accomplice to give to his friend who knew Johnson. They wanted to find her so they could interrogate her and find out what she knew.

At the end of July 1971, Scarpa advised that, though there was uncertainty in the family, everyone suspected (though they might not admit it) that Gallo was behind it.

Personally, I tend to put more weight in the lone gunman theory or that Gallo was behind it. Before he was shot, Colombo had put a contract on Gallo's life and had received Carlo Gambino's blessing to do so. Colombo had also noticed a group of African American males circling his block in the early hours of the morning and believed it was an intimidation attempt orchestrated by Gallo.

Thanks Chin. That's a lot of great information. Can you direct me where (books or wherever) this info is from? I wasn't trying to delve into the entire who murdered Colombo theory (I was more focused on the IACRL) but then there was some controversy because I kind of went down Anthony Colombo's theory and, again, I hadn't investigated anything else just jumped off what he said. But now that it's sort of "controversial" I wanted to find out more. Some people have very strong opinions on it. So, thanks for the information! Appreciate it.

[chin_gigante]

It's from Scarpa's files on the FBI vault. I did a breakdown a while ago on the IACRL stuff before here that contains that information as well:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6202&p=151746&hilit=Mineo#p151746

[mafiastudent]

It's from Scarpa's files on the FBI vault. I did a breakdown a while ago on the IACRL stuff before here that contains that information as well:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6202&p=151746&hilit=Mineo#p151746

Wow. I skimmed through rather quickly but that's some fascinating stuff. Thank you for directing me there. Despite it all, I feel he still deserves credit for standing up to the FBI (even more so after reading how determined he was about it) and getting the things done that he did in general. And even after reading all that I still think the FBI doing it is a viable theory because if you think about it, all this came from Scarpa (and all that history with the FBI). So should be considered as well, I think.

[outfit guy]

The government and Anthony Colombo makes a compelling case in his book.

[Rocco]

The Iceman !

[jimmi_beans8]

good 1 Rocco,,,,thats 1 that got away from him

[Dante]

According to his death certificate, the official cause of death was Covid-19.

[Manhattan_]

The colombo guy who got off on the two african american murders in nj is an interesting angle because jerome johnson was connected to them.

That would be Joseph “Fatty” Russo - who shot and killed two Afro - Americans who were hired to work at his home in Wayne NJ . Fatty had gotten angry that the black male was mingling with his guests so he first shot him dead then reloaded and sho t dead the female. All of this happens in front dozens of people who were invited to attend the house party. Their bodies were later found in a snow bank .