Thomas Gioeli

Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli (born 1952) is a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family and as of 2008, the current Acting boss for the imprisoned Boss, Carmine "Junior" Persico.

Rise in the Colombo Family

Gioeli's first imprisonment was in the mid 1980s, when he was jailed for robbery. After his imprisonment, Gioeli became a made member of the Colombo crime family, as he was recognized as a "stand up guy". Gioeli came to work for the Brooklyn faction-leader and "caporegime", Vittorio "Vic" Orena, in the late 1980s, who was one of the family's biggest earners at the time.

Colombo Wars and tough guy

During the late 1980s, Orena had been elevated to Acting boss for the imprisoned Carmine Persico to run the Colombo crime family on his behalf, but became fond of the power, and decided to try and exclude Persico in 1990, as he gained respect and friendship with Gambino crime family Boss John Gotti. Persico wouldn't accept this, and saw it as an act of threat, as he send multiple Colombo members to try and assassinate Orena in 1991, but Orena escaped and war was put to the streets between the two of them.

After the two factions claimed war on each other in 1991, bloody shootouts were initiated, as prominent Persico supporters Gregory Scarpa Sr. and Hank Smurra were shot multiple times during the early 1990s. Many Colombo crime family members saw what kind of bloody situation Orena had started, and switched sides to the Persico faction to avoid being killed. Gioeli was one of these men, as he became a cooperator with Persico's top protege, Gregory Scarpa Sr., in 1991. Orena supporter and protege, William "Wild Bill" Cutolo became one of the most notorious murderers in the Colombo War, as the war reached its height in 1992, where on March 27, 1992, Gioeli and several Persico faction members were ambushed, and became involved in a high-speed car chase. Gioeli was shot multiple times in shoulder and stomach, but managed to survive, and earned the nickname, "Tommy Shots", as he was seen as a new tough guy for the Persicos.

Fall of Orena and victory

Victor Orena was eventually arrested in 1992 with most of his underlings, and was indicted on racketeering and murder charges. His last strong-hold of the Colombo crime family was Joseph Scopo, who was eventually killed in 1993, before Orena received a life sentence. The victory of the Colombo War was then claimed by Carmine Persico and the Persico faction. After that, Persico's son, Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico, was the new muscle and strong-hold of the Colombo crime family. In the late 1990s, Gioeli was eventually promoted to Caporegime in the family by Persico and John "Jackie" DeRoss.

Street boss

In 2004, after the conviction of Consigliere and acting boss Joel "Joe Waverly" Cacace, Gioeli was promoted to the rank of "Street boss", with his protege Paul "Paulie Guns" Bevacqua as acting capo to run his crew, and be his top aide. Gioeli's position includes meetings with Carmine Persico, as he is bringing messages back and forth from Persico and some of the highest ranking members of the Colombo crime family, like Vincent and Benny Aloi, John "Sonny" Franzese and John DeRoss.

As of December 2007, Thomas Gioeli still held the current position as acting boss of the Colombo crime family. Carmine Persico remains the official imprisoned boss.

Indictments

On June 4, 2008, Gioeli was one of 12 Colombo family members and associates arrested on racketeering, conspiracy, drug trafficking, loansharking and extortion. Gioeli was charged for carrying out 3 murders dating back more than 15 years to the troubled Colombo Wars.

According to the charges; On March 25, 1992, Gioeli and then Colombo captain Dino Calabro allegedly carried out the murders of Colombo family soldier John Minerva. Minerva was shot to death as he sat in a parked car on Long Island. Three other Colombo family members have already been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for participation in these murders. This took place during the infamous Colombo War, where Gioeli sided with the Persico faction of the family.

Also, Gioeli, Dino Calabro and soldier Joseph "Joey Caves" Competiello are charged with the June 12, 1991 murder of Frank Marasa outside his home in Brooklyn. Allegedly, Marasa was killed for his perceived involvement in the murder of another Colombo family associate.

As of October 2008, Gioeli is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. [http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Thomas&Middle=&LastName=Gioeli&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=0&y=0] If convicted, he faces life in prison.

References

External links

* [http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/crimelaw/features/10870/ New York Magazine: What’s Left of the Mob] by Jerry Capeci
* [http://americanmafia.com/Mob_Hits/1992_04_update.html American Mafia.com Mob Hits 1992]
* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/colombo/8.html truTV Crime Library - The Colombos: Behind Bars]
* [http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/organizedcrime060408.htm FBI press release]