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1985 "The Commission" Mafia crime family bosses...
1985 "The Commission" Mafia crime family bosses...
Item # 724415
February 27, 1985
LOS ANGELES TIMES, Feb. 27, 1985
* The "Commission Case" indictments
* NYC mafia - organized crime family bosses
* Paul Castellano, Anthony Salerno & more
The front page has a two column heading: "U.S. Indicts Five Top N.Y. Mafia Chieftans" with related pictorial. (see images)
Complete with all sections (80+ pages), very light toning along the central fold, great condition.
background: On February 26, 1985, a massive federal indictment, known as the Commission Case, rocked the New York City Mafia, targeting the upper echelons of the five major crime families. The indictment was the result of years of investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, focusing on racketeering, extortion, loansharking, and murders orchestrated by mafia bosses. Among those indicted were John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family, who was charged with a wide range of criminal activities, including his involvement in the notorious Murder, Inc. and his later rise to power after orchestrating the murder of his predecessor, Paul Castellano, in December 1985, an act that cemented Gotti's control over the Gambino family. Castellano, though not directly charged with any crimes in this indictment, had long been under investigation and was one of the key targets of the government's case. Another key figure, Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, the reputed boss of the Genovese family, was also implicated, though he was not arrested at that time. Gigante would later gain infamy for feigning mental illness in an effort to avoid legal action, often seen wandering the streets of Greenwich Village in his bathrobe. Carmine "The Beast" Romano, a capo in the Genovese family, was indicted, as was Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, the family's official boss, who had been a central figure in the mafia's operations and had ties to multiple illegal activities, from labor racketeering to murder. The indictment not only targeted these mob figures but also represented a broader effort to dismantle the so-called Commission, the governing body of the New York Mafia that coordinated operations among the five families. This case marked a major turning point in the battle between law enforcement and organized crime in New York, as it brought the highest-ranking mobsters to court and exposed the inner workings of one of the most powerful criminal networks in the world. Despite the arrests, many of the indicted figures, including Gotti, would continue to maintain significant influence in the criminal world, though the case set the stage for future legal victories against organized crime, with subsequent convictions and trials reshaping the landscape of mafia power in the U.S.
Category: The 20th Century
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$138.00
