Anthony Salerno
Defendant in the Commission case. The Second Circuit wrote in 1989 that the government established he was acting boss and then boss of the Genovese family from the late 1970s until 1985. His pretrial detention reached the Supreme Court in 1987.
- Aliases
- Fat Tony
- Family
- Genovese family, as the government established at trial (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Role
- Acting boss, then boss, late 1970s to 1985, as "the government established" (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 3 January 1984 — An FBI New York memorandum in the Furnari file (p. 3): "This investigation indicates that GENOVESE family boss SALERNO has a great deal of control over the construction trades." FBI memo.
- 21 March 1986 — United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739 (1987): "Respondents Anthony Salerno and Vincent Cafaro were arrested on March 21, 1986, after being charged in a 29-count indictment." Court opinion.
- 2 April 1986 — United States v. Salerno, 631 F. Supp. 1364: ordering detention, the court found by clear and convincing evidence that "the government has established that Salerno is the head, or 'Boss,' of an organization engaged in extortion, loansharking, illegal gambling, and murder." The government proffered a 1984 recording in which he said, "I'm the f.. — g boss." Court finding for the detention question; the recording is the government's proffer.
- 3 July 1986 — United States v. Salerno, 794 F.2d 64: "The proffer indicated that Salerno was the 'boss' of the Genovese Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra." The government's proffer, as the Second Circuit summarized it.
- 31 January 1989 — United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524: "The government established that from the late 1970s until 1985, Salerno was first acting boss and subsequently boss of the Genovese family." What the government established, as the Second Circuit summarizes it.
- 15 May 1996 — United States v. Gigante, 925 F. Supp. 967 found Gigante was consigliere and leader behind the scenes "during the reign of Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno as Boss." Court finding, in Gigante's case.
The role line is the Second Circuit’s statement in the Commission appeal of what the government established at trial. That account stays with this page and the opinion’s page; it is not copied onto the Genovese chart. The 1986 detention ruling is a court finding, but on the narrower question of dangerousness before trial, and it does not name the family in the sentence quoted.
His FBI Vault Part 01 has an almost empty text layer and has not been read. No opened record gives his birth or death.
Records
itemUnited States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524 (2d Cir. 1989)Second Circuit opinion on the appeal from the Southern District of New York trial of Anthony Salerno and seven other defendants, decided January 31, 1989.itemUnited States v. Salerno, 631 F. Supp. 1364 (S.D.N.Y. 1986)District Judge Walker's April 2, 1986 order detaining Anthony Salerno and Vincent Cafaro before trial on a Genovese Family racketeering indictment. It names the two Manhattan social clubs where the government's recordings were made, the Palma Boys Social Club and the club at 2244 First Avenue.itemUnited States v. Salerno, 794 F.2d 64 (2d Cir. 1986)Second Circuit opinion of July 3, 1986 holding the preventive-detention provision of the Bail Reform Act unconstitutional as applied to Anthony Salerno and Vincent Cafaro. The Supreme Court reversed it the next year.itemUnited States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739 (1987)Supreme Court decision of May 26, 1987 upholding pretrial detention on the ground of dangerousness under the Bail Reform Act of 1984, in the case of Anthony Salerno and Vincent Cafaro.itemUnited States v. Gigante, 925 F. Supp. 967 (E.D.N.Y. 1996)District Judge Nickerson's findings of May 15, 1996 on whether Vincent Gigante was feigning mental illness. It names the Triangle Social Club at 225 Sullivan Street as the club Gigante returned to at night.
itemFBI Vault: Christopher Furnari (Final)Mainly 1984 New York Division serials on the STAR investigations of La Cosa Nostra control of construction, including a January 3, 1984 memorandum that names "GENOVESE family boss SALERNO" and describes an investigation of "the 'commission' as a criminal enterprise."
itemFBI Vault: Anthony Salerno, Part 01Part 01 of the FBI's Anthony Salerno file, covering 1956–1966 according to the Vault. The viewer's text layer for this part is almost empty, so nothing is taken from it here.
itemFBI Vault: Christopher Furnari (Final)Mainly 1984 New York Division serials on the STAR investigations of La Cosa Nostra control of construction, including a January 3, 1984 memorandum that names "GENOVESE family boss SALERNO" and describes an investigation of "the 'commission' as a criminal enterprise."itemFBI Vault: Anthony Salerno, Part 01Part 01 of the FBI's Anthony Salerno file, covering 1956–1966 according to the Vault. The viewer's text layer for this part is almost empty, so nothing is taken from it here.