Andrew Russo

Andrew Russo (born December 10, 1934) is a New York City mobster and is allegedly the current acting boss of the Colombo crime family. This is a position he also held between the years of 1994 and 1998.

Andrew Russo is a maternal cousin of Carmine Persico, Alphonse Persico Sr., Theodore Persico and maternal uncle to Alphonse Persico, Frank Persico, Lawrence Persico, Theodore Persico Jr., Vincent Russo and distant cousin of Victor Orena. He is the father of Joseph Russo. Andrew Russo has been an active criminal since the 1960s. He is a cousin to Carmine "Junior" Persico, the family boss and he is also grandfather to Jake "The Maniac" Russo. Inducted into the family as a made man in the 70's, Russo became a feared enforcer and bagman for the Colombo family. Russo has served at least two prison terms for racketeering. During the 1990s, Russo had a sexual liaison with a female lawyer who eventually became a federal witness. He is the father of Colombo crime family mob associate Joseph (Jo Jo) Russo who at the age of 53 died in 2007 of cancer which had spread into his kidney, liver, lungs and spine. He died while under indictment for murder and racketeering charges.

In January 2006, Russo was released from prison and probably resumed his position as a caporegime with the Brooklyn faction of the Colombo family. In 2007, Russo was listed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the acting underboss of the Colombo family. With the arrest of Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gieoli in June 2008 many believe he has stepped up once again and is the current acting boss of the Colombo crime family.

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cite web |url=http://www.ganglandnews.com/persico.htm |work=Gang Land News |title=The Persicos: Father and Son |accessdate=2007-04-10 |author=Jerry Capeci |authorlink=Jerry Capeci