Robert Perrino

Robert Franklin Perrino a.k.a Bobby Perrino (born February 9, 1938 Fordham, Bronx - May 4, 1992 Port Richmond, Staten Island) was the Superintendent of Deliveries at the "New York Post" from the 1970s to 1992 up to his murder and a Italian-American Bonanno crime family associate. Perrino was the leader of The Post Circulation Crew (as referred to by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in court) which allegedly existed for the purpose of controlling the circulation department of (the now defunct) "The New York Post" printing press and distribution center which was located at 210 South Street by means of extortion, coercion, the falsification of business records, larceny and bribery. The crew also became involved in loansharking, drug trafficking and selling of stolen firearms.

Biography

Robert Perrino was the son-in-law of Bonanno crime family underboss and former consigliere Nicholas Marangello. He was born to first generation immigrants from Brindisi, Italy. He is not to be mistaken as a relative of Anthony Peraino. Perrino was a former law enforcement officer of the NYPD and policed the Little Italy, Manhattan whose twenty year career on the police force was unremarkable. His retirement from the NYPD, including his introduction into his subsequent career in organized crime, remains a mystery to authorities. Perrino lived in Knickerbocker Village, where his mobster father-in-law, Nicholas Marangello, and other members of the Bonanno crime family resided and maintained daily contact with them while employed at "The New York Post", where many were also employed. He lived a mere three blocks away from his work. Later, he would move from Knickerbocker Village to a waterfront mansion on Huntington Bay in Huntington, New York with his wife and children with one known daughter, Nicola Langora. After Robert left the NYPD he was hired in the late 1960s as the Superintendent of Deliveries for the "New York Post" to replace Bonanno crime family mobster Anthony Michele. After his disappearance, in his Huntington, New York, home overlooking Huntington Bay, police discovered a stunning arsenal of firearms, including some with erased serial numbers, plus $105,000 in loose currency. Months following his disappearance, "America's Most Wanted" broadcast Perrino's picture on television, but the show elicited no tips. Law enforcement officials and most NMDU workers assumed Perrino had been murdered. He was declared legally dead in 1997.

The Post Circulation Crew

The Post Circulation Crew which formed sometime in the early 1960s before he was employed by the newspaper by Albert Embarrato to replace Post Circulation Crew member Anthony Michele who would be promoted to Director of Circulation. Perrino's involvement with the Bonanno crime family remained a mystery for twenty years to his fellow "citizen" employees and family members as he led a double life as a powerful and influential associate of the Bonanno crime family. While he was gainfully employed at the newspaper, he allowed for the labor force of "The New York Post" to be infested with button-men, or "sidewalk soldiers" from the Bonanno crime family.

Members of The Post Circulation Crew

The Post Circulation Crew included three "made" soldiers, Richard Cantarella, Joseph D'Amico and Albert Embarrato. Cantarella, D'Amico, Embarrato and others members of the Bonanno crime family were all gainfully employed at the newspaper and received wages--some of which amounted to $50,000 a year for no less than an estimated fifty-one no-show employees while others partially, or wholly for a time being actually worked at the newspaper distribution plant like Albert Embarrato, Richard Cantarella and Joseph D'Amico. For years through the influence of Joseph Massino and Salvatore Vitale, Perrino, leading the Post Circulation Crew organized the theft of thousands of newspapers every day and sold them to non-connected independent street vendors and stores in Manhattan and Staten Island at a rate of twenty to thirty cents each, when they sold at the time normally for fifty cents. Although Perrino helped the Bonanno crime family orchestrate many rackets at the newspaper it seems that the Bonanno crime family demonstrated no interest whatsoever in the actual content that was printed by "The Post" and in no way controlled it's content. The Bonanno crime family, with the help of Perrino, became so entrenched at the newspaper that the mobsters organized loanshark operations to employees, sold small quantities of stolen firearms, ammunition and drugs. He would personally collect the loanshark debts by threatening his indebted employees with chukka sticks. But while the Bonanno crime family operation prospered under Perrino, the New York State Marshals began probing La Cosa Nostra infiltration of the "The New York Post" and Perrino became the main target and focal point of a labor racketeering probe brought on by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. As the investigation became to show promise, the U.S. Marshals planted a transmitter in Perrino's office at the distribution plant. While Perrino was Superintendent of Distribution, he employed The Post Circulation Crew that consisted of truck drivers, Richard Cantarella, Paul Cantarella, Joseph Padavano, Frank Cantarella, Joseph D'Amico, Albert Embarrato, Vincent DiSario, Gerard Bilboa, Anthony Vitale, John Vispisiano, News and Mail Deliverer's Union (NMDU) business agent for "The New York Post", former News and Mail Deliverer's Union (NMDU) union president Douglas LaChance, Anthony Turzio, John Vispisiano, News and Mail Deliverer's Union (NMDU) business agent for "The New York Post", Michael Diana, News and Mail Deliverer's Union business agent, John Nobile, Armando DiCostanzo, Leo D'Angelo, general foreman at Metropolitan News Company, James Galante, Assistant foreman John Piervencenti, and Assistant foreman Thomas Carrube, Michael Alvino for Newspaper and Mail Deliverers' Union President from 1989 to 1991, Joe Torre, Citiwide News Corporation business agent,
Joseph Steo, newspaper foreman, Anthony Michele, Director of Circulation, Gerard Bilboa, newspaper foreman, Corey Ellenthal, newspaper foreman, Michael Fago newspaper foreman, and for a short period of time, Salvatore Vitale's youngest son, Anthony Vitale who worked as a delivery truck driver.

Relationship with the Mafia

Richard Cantarella and Perrino spoke freely in his office about racketeering matters. He was also a close friend of Bonanno crime family capo Albert Embarrato. He was caught saying on a wire transmitter in his office to Richard Cantarella, as reported in The Village Voice's article "The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union", "Al Walker's the smartest guy in the whole Bonanno family, and he's the toughest fuckin' guy."Perrino was also in weekly contact with Bonanno crime family underboss Salvatore Vitale. Perrino handed over the weekly proceeds from their racketeering ventures personally to him. When the law finally came down on the newspaper's crooked workforce, Perrino was never arrested or indicted although Bonanno crime family members and several others were caught in the sting operation. This made Salvatore Vitale nervous. A secret video camera placed in Perrino's office in the fall of 1991 caught Perrino discussing his important role in the Bonanno crime family. It also taped Perrino and other "Post" employees discussing the finer points of bootleg, newspaper theft and passing around loaded pistols to admire. He was heard commenting, "It's bad to carry a fuckin' piece in the car, you'll have to shoot everybody," Perrino advised drivers on one tape, as reported in "The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union" in The Village Voice. Although Salvatore Vitale hadn't been named in the initial indictments handed down, Vitale thought that Perrino could become an informant because of his immense involvement with the rackets at "The New York Post". Perrino's father-in-law, Nicholas Marangello, was incarcerated for racketeering from results of the Donnie Brasco investigation at the time of his execution. Two of Perrino's executive co-workers, including his friend Director of Circulation, Anthony Michele, pled guilty to racketeering and a number of Bonanno crime family connected members of the Newspaper Mail Deliverer's Union later pleaded guilty to a variety of charges and were imprisoned at Riker's Island. It was suggested by Salvatore Vitale that Richard Cantarella replace Perrino shortly before the racketeering investigation was revealed.

Botched execution

Robert Perrino was told by Richard Cantarella of his need to attend a meeting and discuss the case against the Bonanno crime family and the investigation of their infiltration of the "New York Post". He accompanied Michael "Mickey Bats" Cardella to a Bensonhurst, Brooklyn social club owned by Bonanno mob associate Anthony Basile, a relative of Long Island discoteque owner and Lucchese crime family associate Phillip Basile. Perrino's car was later recovered nearby with a parking ticket in the windshield. As Perrino entered the club. Baldassare Amato, waiting inside the social club, shot Perrino several times in the back of the skull and immediately left with Cardello. Frank Lino was then notified of the completion of the execution and sent over a "clean up team" that consisted of his cousin Robert Lino, Frank Ambrosiano and Anthony Basile. The trio was shocked to discover upon entering the club that Perrino was still alive, and one of the team stabbed Perrino to death with an ice pick to the chest. Frank Lino, angered at the botched execution would later tell Salvatore Vitale in Joey Massino: The Rise and Fall of the Last Godfather, "Tell the guy that did the shooting to make sure that next time that the victim was dead". The men wrapped his corpse in a carpet they drove the corpse to a the construction company Commercial Brick located at 98 Jewett Avenue in Port Richmond, Staten Island owned by Anthony Basile and buried him underneath the cement floor of the store as told in The Last Godfather. After his burial, several weeks later, one of his limbs was said to have rose up from the floor making the mobsters dig a deeper grave. Years later, Anthony Basile was later indicted on drug trafficking charges and Salvatore Vitale and Joseph Massino feared Anthony would become an informant and reveal Perrino's gravesite. His remains were removed from the cement floor and buried again.

"The New York Post" labor racketeering investigation

After the disappearance and later confirmed murder of Perrino, only a handful of Bonanno crime family members and associates involved in the News and Mail Deliverer's Union were incarcerated for racketeering at Riker's Island. Many of those convicted in the Robert Morgenthau probe went back to work at "The New York Post", some elevated to management positions following their release. Albert Embarrato was even recruited as a potential partner by former "New York Post" owner Steve Hoffenberg. Bonanno crime family mobster Armond DiCostanzo went out on disability leave at the newspaper, but his allies retained influence when "The Daily News" moved its plant to Jersey City, where Douglas LaChance, a close friend of Perrino and Albert Embarrato was named circulation manager.

Robert's remains unearthed

It was Bonnano crime family associate James Labate, who was incarcerated in Elkton, Ohio for stock fraud, revealed the gang execution of Perrino to authorities. Perrino's body remained hidden until December 2003, when his skeleton was found embedded in the concrete floor of the construction company. He'd been shot multiple times in the head. Richard Cantarella, Frank Ambrosiano, Baldassare Amato, Frank Lino and Robert Cardello are all being convicted of the murder. Bonanno crime family don Joseph Massino wis not being indicted for involvement in the murder of the Perrino because he was in prison at the time. At the trial, Perrino's daughter, Nicola Langora, testified that on the night Perrino disappeared, they ate pizza at their home and watched the movie "All Dogs Go To Heaven" on television with his granddaughter. "I asked him why he was in a hurry, and he said he had to meet somebody in Brooklyn", Langora testified. She also said, "I asked him who he had to meet, and joking around he said, 'What's the matter-are you writing a book?'"citequote That was the last time she saw her father.

Hit men convicted

On October 27, 2006, after an eight-week trial, Bonanno crime family capo Baldassare Amato, a cousin of Bonanno crime family capo Cesare Bonventre and Bonanno crime family mob associates Stephen Locurto and Anthony Basile, were convicted of murdering Robert Perrino, along with the murder of Joseph Platia and Sebastiano DiFalco along with RICO charges. The government's case was tried by Assistant U.S. District Attorneys John Buretta, Jeffrey A. Goldberg and Andrea Goldbarg.

Trivia

After Perrino was indicted for fraud and racketeering, he was represented by the criminal attorney Matthew Mari. Mari would later represent one of his accused executioners, Richard Cantarella in 2004. During the Perrino murder court trial, Mari argued that his client had nothing to do with Perrino's murder. Cantarella was later found not guilty for his murder.

Discrepancies in articles

Perrino is wrongfully labeled as being the son of former Bonanno crime family consigliere Nicholas Marangello in "The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino" and several online articles, when this is impossible, Marangello and Perrino having two different last names. In Simon Crittle's book, he also mistakenly changes Perrino's name to "Anthony Perrino". It was confirmed in an online article ""Feds Unearth Body & Story of Slain New York Post Delivery Supernintendant", Gangland News, The Online Column, Jerry Capeci, March 18, 2004" that he was in fact the son-in-law of Nicholas Marangello. Perrino is sometimes labeled as a mobster with the Bonanno crime family, which is false because of his history working with law enforcement.

References

* "The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union", "The Village Voice", Tom Robbins, March 7-13, 2001

* "FBI Looking for More Bonannos", "Gangland News", The Online Column by Jerry Capeci December 18, 2003

* "Feds: Yes, We Have Some Bonannos", "GangLand News", The Online Column by Jerry Capeci January 9 2003

* "Feds Unearth Body & Story of Slain New York Post Delivery Supernintendant", "Gangland News", The Online Column, Jerry Capeci, March 18, 2004

* "The United State's Attorney's Office: Eastern District of New York Long Time Bonanno Organized Crime Family Soldiers Baldassare Amato and Stephen Locurto, and Bonanno Crime Family Associate Anthony Basile, Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy ASSOCIATE: Defendants Responsible for Three Murders, including the Murder of the New York Post Delivery Superintendent", Robert Nardoza, Public Affairs Officer, July 12, 2006

* "2 Guilty In Post Foreman Mob Slay", "New York Daily News: Crime File", July 13, 2006

*Crittle, Simon, "The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino" Berkley (March 7, 2006) ISBN 0425209393
* [http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/web/nycantarella.htm The PEOPLE of the State of New York, v. Richard Cantarella, Frank Cantarella, Anthony Michele, Vincent DiSario, Corey Ellenthal, Michael Fago, Gerard Bilboa, Anthony Turzio]
* [http://www.ipsn.org/court_cases/People%20v_%20Newspaper%20and%20Mail%20Deliverers'%20Union%20of%20New%20York%20and%20Vicinity.htm People v. Newspaper and Mail Deliverers' Union of New York and Vicinity]
* [http://chicagosyndicate.blogspot.com/2006_10_29_archive.html "Bonanno's Baldo Gets Life in Prison for Murders"] , October 29, 2006