Anthony Calabro (Bonanno)

 

A. Calabro 1960

Anthony 'Blackie' Calabro was a member of the Bonanno Family.

Born August 27, 1927 to Agostino (45y) and Immaculata Ferraro (40y) in NYC.

Father born in Rossano in the province of Cosenza, Calabria.

At the time of birth the family resided  at 290 Fifth St. in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.

During the 1940s and 1950s mostly involved in burglaries and robberies.

Possibly started as a Colombo Family Associate.

In 1949 sentenced to two years in Elmira Reformatory for assault and robbery. Released on parole in 1950. 

On September 1, 1951 arrested for burglary. At the Brooklyn Felony Court house he managed to escape by strolling away from the guards and the patrolmen who arrested him.

 

A. Brandofino 

 

On October 7, 1959 Calabro's crime partner Anthony 'Tony Lapp' Brandofino (1927-1990) was shot nine times in Brooklyn. Although seriously wounded he later recovered. Brandofino lived five blocks away from Calabro in Carroll Gardens.

The next day police arrested Colombo Family Members Calogero 'Charlie the Sidge' LoCicero, Benjamin LoCicero and Gregory Scarpa Sr. on suspicion of shooting Brandofino. They were later released without charges. Police suspected the shooting was connected with a dispute Brandofino had with Salvatore Scarpa, also a Colombo member:

"On October 7, 1959 members of that Squad were called upon to assist in solving the shooting of Anthony Brandofino, also known to the police as Tony Lapp. Specifically, they were called in because of their knowledge, acquired in the hijacking investigation, of the movements of Brandofino and of the members of the Persico group.

At approximately 2:15 a.m. on October 7, 1959, Anthony Brandofino received nine bullet wounds while walking along 59th Street in Brooklyn near Fort Hamilton Parkway. He managed to escape through an alley and climb through a window into the kitchen of a ground floor apartment where the police, in response to a radio call, found him. Brandofino would not tell the police who his assailants were, stating only that he would "take care of it" himself. He was taken to Maimonides Hospital in critical condition.

Shortly after Brandofino was removed to the hospital, it was learned that John Fahy, an off-duty patrolman who lived in the neighborhood, had been awakened by the shots and had seen an old model, possibly a 1954, rust or tan colored Pontiac pull away from the scene after a man ran from the alley and entered the car. Several other men were in the car. The description fitted an automobile which the police knew belonged to Hugh McIntosh. They had frequently seen McIntosh, Scarpa and other members of the Persico group riding around in it.

At daybreak that morning, a car which fitted the description given by Patrolman Fahy was found by Detectives Farrell and McCabe parked in the vicinity of Bond and Union Streets. On the seat they saw a paper bag, the contours of which indicated that it might contain a gun; on inspection, however, it was found to be empty. A check of the license plates disclosed that they had been issued to Hugh McIntosh, but for a different automobile. When taken down to view the Pontiac, Parolman Fahy stated that it was similar to the car he had seen pulling away from the scene of the shooting.

Because of the numerous shots that were fired, the number of men seen in the Pontiac and Brandofino's refusal to identify his assailants, the police deduced that the shooting was a "gangland" assault. Previous knowledge of Brandofino and the Persico group and the identification of McIntosh's car focused suspicion on that group, especially on Salvatore Scarpa. Scarpa was known to have had a fight with Brandofino three months previously over a girl, Antoinette DeMarzo.

At the very least, the police believed that various members of the Persico group, if they had not participated in the shooting, knew something about it. Accordingly, Sergeant Cooney, who was in charge of the Brandofino inquiry, directed that Scarpa and McIntosh and any of their associates be picked up for questioning."

On June 15, 1960 Calabro was arrested with Anthony Brandofino for attempting to break into a Brooklyn drug store at 8002 5th Ave, Brooklyn. He was released on bail. Reportedly the drug store had $50 in cash on the premises.

On August 7, 1960 arrested for burglary at a clothing store located on High St, Brooklyn. Again he was released on bail.

On August 27, 1960 arrested inside The Famous Restaurant located at 4818 13th Avenue, Brooklyn as he attempted to open a cabinet containing several hundred dollars. This time he was not released on bail. At the time he resided at 24 Sixth St, Brooklyn.

On or about February 20, 1970 Calabro is believed to have been involved in the murders of Joseph 'Joe Scarface' Vescovi (b. 1944) and Stanley 'The Doctor' Ackerman (b. 1922). Both were active criminals and Ackerman had served prison time for Grand Larceny. The murder believed to have been connected to a dispute between Vescovi and Colombo Capodecina Joe Yacovelli.

 

On June 27, 1972 an FBI CW reported [possibly Colombo Family Associate Joe 'Pesch' Luparelli]:

"Concerning the ice pick murder by JOE YACOVELLI in 1970 of a person described by [redacted] in the past as "Joe Wagoon Wheels", the NYCPD advised that [redacted] Identified the photo of JOSEPH VESCOVI as being identical to the murder victim. The PD advised on 6/20/72, this individual is JOSEPH VESGOVI, FBI # 391548E, NYGPD B # 560610. However, on 6/27/72, the NYCPD advised the correct spelling is VESCOVI with the same identifying numbers. The NYPD investigation reveals that VESCOVI's whereabouts have been unknown since about 2/20/70, and suspects he is dead.

The NYPD also advises they have identified [redacted] as [redacted] beat up [redacted] which led to VESGOVI being hit.

Other persons present when YACOVELLI murdered VESCOVI according [redacted] by below aliases are now identified by NYPD as indicated below, NYPD B # included where known:

"Sonny Red" is ALPHONSE INDELICATO, B # 218902, "Brother of Sonny Red" is JOSEPH INDELICATO, aka "J.B.", B4277804, "Sonny Red's son" is ANTHONY INDELICATO, B # 636465, "Blackie" is ANTHONY CALABRO, B # 262635, according to the NYPD he is now serving a 12 year sentence at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary on narcotics violations.

CARMINE DE BIASE aka "Sonny Pinto", and JOSEPH YACOVELLI all properly identified previously were also present at the scene of YACOVELLI's murder of VESCOVI.

 

Information in NYO files and obtained from NYS Parole indicate the apartment probably used for the VESCOVI murder is the ground floor at [redacted] wherein the same building, the [redacted] SONNY RED live."

 

In 1975 the FBI received further information about the Vescovi and Ackerman murders.

On January 29, 1975 an FBI CI advised that: "STANLEY ACKERMAN also known as "Stanley The Doctor" is possibly the individual who was murdered along with VESCOVI for their part in [redacted] JOSEPH YACOVELLI"

The Indelicato's were Associates (later Members) of the Bonanno Family, and Carmine DiBiase was an Associate or possible Member of the Genovese Family. Alphonse Indelicato resided at 117 Elizabeth St, Manhattan.

By 1970 Calabro spent considerable time on Mulberry St and had become involved in narcotics trafficking.

On November 20, 1970 indicted on narcotics charges along with his girlfriend Ada Villanueva:

"On July 17, 1970, Agent Scrocca, acting in an undercover capacity, met in Miami, Florida with Ada Villanueva for the purpose of infiltrating a narcotics ring. During their discussion of the narcotics trade, Villanueva asked Scrocca if he knew some of the people she had done business with in New York, including “Blackie from La Barraca.” [a Resturant]. When Scrocca inquired which “Blackie” Villanueva meant, she further identified him as Blackie Calabro from Mulberry Street, her boyfriend and business associate.

...

Two nights later, on August 6, Scrocca and Boccia again went to the La Barraca. They saw Villanueva enter the restaurant and leave soon thereafter. They also saw Calabro standing at the bar. On three separate occasions during the evening, Calabro walked from the bar and stood within five feet of their table, staring at them. Later in the evening, Boccia was followed to the men’s room in the rear of the restaurant by Calabro and an unidentified male. While Boccia was standing at the urinal, Calabro and his companion passed behind him; while doing so, one of them frisked the area of Boccia’s waist and grasped his sidearm.

On August 11, the agents’ undercover work resulted in Villanueva’s offer to purchase heroin. That afternoon Boccia met Villanueva in a restaurant less than a block from the La Barraca. She offered Boccia three kilograms of heroin at $18,000 per kilogram. Boccia agreed to buy one kilogram as a sample. He asked if Villanueva had the heroin with her. Villanueva said her “Italian boyfriend from Mulberry Street” would deliver it to her. She instructed Boccia to meet her at the La Barraca that evening at 8:00 P.M. for delivery of the heroin. 

The next evening, August 12, Boccia returned to the La Barraca where he saw Villanueva and Calabro seated together at the bar. After Villanueva joined the agent at a table, Boccia stated that he was pleased with the quality of the heroin and would want to purchase more in the near future. Villanueva said that Puga was bringing a load of cocaine from Miami which would be available shortly. Villanueva also told Boccia that she regularly received shipments of ten to twelve kilograms of heroin from Turkey. Boccia expressed an interest in the Turkish product rather than the lower quality French product. Villanueva explained that the heroin sold the night before in fact was from Germany and had been smuggled into the United States via France and Spain." 

Found guilty of violation of the federal narcotics laws Calabro was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Calabro is thought to have been inducted into the Bonanno Family in the Spring of 1978

He was identified as a Bonanno Soldier in the 1988 Senate Chart.

He died June 21, 1997 in NYC.