Joseph DiStefano

Joseph DiStefano a.k.a. Joe Shakes (b. 1951 Greenpoint, Brooklyn) is a Bonanno crime family mobster who is related to Frank DiStefano.

Biography

Joseph DiStefano was a hoodlum in Brooklyn until he was lucky enough to be taken under the wing by Bonanno underboss Salvatore Vitale as a protege mobster. He earned his nicknames "Joe Shakes" from being involved in the extortion racket.Joe was initiated into the Bonanno family and served under caporegime Louis Tartaglione. After Tartaglione was sent away to prison, Joseph was given the task of collecting weekly extortion payments from a Brighton Beach, Brooklyn nightclub owner known around the city as "Joe The Russian". DiStefano was also put in charge to collect the illicit proceeds from the floating craps games in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and deliver the earnings to Louis Tartaglione's wife. DiStefano was a compulsive gambler though and told Salvatore Vitale that he couldn't perform the task, saying he was "having trouble collecting the money".

Angering The Underboss

Salvatore Vitale eventually had to take earnings from his own funds and have it sent along by DiStefano to Tartaglione's wife. Eventually the amount peaked at $15,000 and a disgruntled Salvatore Vitale called in Joe for a sitdown with Bonanno capo Anthony Urso and himself. At the meeting DiStefano admitted to the two that he had been actually successful in collecting the extortion payments from "Joe The Russian", but he had been keeping the proceeds for himself to pay back a large gambling debt. The unfortunate nightclub owner "Joe The Russian" was also responsible for having paid off a debt of DiStefano's totaling $5,000.

Although Vitale would later say DiStefano deserved to be killed, but instead DiStefano was banished from participating in any criminal activities with the Bonanno family. This banishment was to be in place until DiStefano redeemed himself with Joe Massino and Salvatore Vitale, eventually paid back the skimmed proceeds, restoring his position in the family. In 2004 DiStefano was indicted for racketeering along with two dozen fellow Bonanno mobsters. He was released on a $1 million bail and is to brought up on charges in 2005. In March 2007, DiStefano was released from prison.

References

"Joe Shakes Takes The Money And Cries" GangLand News Online Column July 8th 2004 by Jerry Capeci