Carpenters Union Racketeer and The Jacob K. Javits Center
Bellomo demonstrated his power during disputes with rivals from other families, as well as those within the Genovese crime family. In or about 1987, Bellomo won a jurisdictional dispute against Genovese Little Italy captain Peter DeFeo, in which consigliere Louis Manna awarded Bellomo exclusive control over Bronx Carpenters Local 17, removing all of DeFeo's influence. Bellomo was a rising power in the family, in his mid-30's and close to the family's leaders, including Vincent Gigante and Venero Mangano. Bellomo was the undisputed leader of the family's East Harlem/Bronx faction.
Furthermore, Bellomo became dominant in the rackets at the Jacob K. Javits Center on the West Side of Manhattan by installing crew members in important union positions at the center, including soldier Ralph Coppola and his Genovese associate brother-in-law and Carpenters Local 257 shop steward Anthony Fiorino. Bellomo was also close to Genovese associate Attilio Bitondo who was Local 257's Vice-President, and involved in kickbacks from NYC contractors and businesses operating at the Javits Center. Around this time Genovese boss Vincent Gigante began mentoring Liborio Bellomo to take over as boss of the Genovese crime family.
A report by the New York State Organized Crime Task Force indicated that an alarmingly high number of the 100 carpenters that worked at the Javits Center had ties to organized crime, some of whom were made members of one of the Five Families. These carpenters made $100,000 salaries, and 60 of the 100 had criminal records. One of whom, Vincent Gigante, was the nephew of the Genovese family's Godfather. The Javits was controlled through affiliations with labor bosses Frederick Devine, Martin Forde, Attilio Bitondo, Eugene Hanley, Anthony Fiorino, Leonard Simon, Fabian Palomino, Carmine Fiore, and Ralph Coppola.
To maintain control, Anthony Fiorino, Bellomo's brother-in-law and the Local 257 steward in charge of the Javits, once threatened a man's life at a Local 257 meeting in 1984, telling him his kids could be hurt if he "steps on people's toes". Fiorino was also responsible for funneling tribute payments the Genovese and the Irish Westies Mob received from contractors operating in the Javits to the labor bosses and Barney Bellomo.
Read more about this topic: Liborio Bellomo
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