Joseph Barbara (mobster) - Country Estate

Country Estate

In 1944, the newly wealthy Barbara bought a 58-acre (23 ha) tract of land in the rural town of Apalachin, New York and built an estate on it for a total of $250,000. Barbara soon involved himself in local business circles and philanthropy. When Barbara applied for a New York handgun permit, the police chief of Endicott, New York served as a reference. In 1946, Barbara was convicted of illegally purchasing 300,000 pounds of sugar (intended for the manufacture of bootleg alcohol). This would be Barbara's first and last criminal conviction. Soon after this, Barbara entered the soft drink distribution business, buying a Canada Dry bottling plant. Barbara eventually gained control of the beer and soft drink market in the Binghamton, New York region.

In October 1956 a state trooper stopped a speeding car in Windsor, New York and arrested the driver, Carmine Galante, underboss of the Bonanno crime family. The troopers soon discovered that Galante had been a recent guest of Barbara's. Soon after Galante's arrest, a contingent of police officers from West New York, New Jersey arrived in town and attempted to bribe the troopers to release Galante. The troopers refused the bribe, the visiting police were indicted, and Galante spent 30 days in jail. After the Galante incident, local troopers realized that Barbara had ties to New York crime figures and should be watched closely.