Carmine Galante
Murdered with two associates on July 12, 1979 on the terrace of a Brooklyn restaurant. The Second Circuit wrote that his "violent elimination ... as boss of the Bonanno family" related to the Commission's role in resolving leadership disputes.
- Died
- 1979-07-12
- Family
- Bonanno family (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Role
- "boss of the Bonanno family" at his death, and one of the "rival Bonanno bosses" (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 24 January 1958 — A New York FBI memorandum (Vault, Part 01) states that he "was born as Camillo Galante, February 21, 1910, in New York City" (the OCR garbles the name). FBI memo.
- 12 January 1960 — United States v. Aviles, 274 F.2d 179, summarizing testimony: "Ormento and Galante sent Cantellops to Puerto Rico for narcotics." Testimony, as the court summarized it.
- 8 January 1962 — United States v. Galante, 298 F.2d 72: held in criminal contempt for courtroom conduct in a narcotics trial that ended in a mistrial; "Galante's appeal is dismissed as moot." Court opinion.
- 8 October 1963 — Shanley (printed p. 314): "Carmine Galante was born in the United States in 1912." He said Galante had eight arrests, two for homicide. Testimony.
- 12 July 1979 — United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524: "The third scheme involved the murder of Carmine Galante and his associates, Giuseppe Turano and Leonard Coppola, on July 12, 1979," on the terrace of Turano's restaurant in Brooklyn. The court describes "an internal dispute between rival Bonanno bosses Philip Rastelli and Galante" and says "the violent elimination of Galante as boss of the Bonanno family was related to the Commission function of resolving leadership disputes within a family." Court opinion, in its account of the evidence.
- 26 February 1985 — The FBI's briefing outline on the Commission indictment (NARA 118568050) lists "Carmine Galante, former Boss, Bonanno family" first among the murders the Commission "authorized." FBI document.
- 22 April 1988 — Pistone testified to the Senate subcommittee that "since 1979, when [Carmine] Galente got killed, there became two factions within the Bonanno family fighting for control of the family" (the transcript spells the surname "Galente," and its text layer garbles the first name). Testimony.
- 13 January 1989 — United States v. Indelicato, 865 F.2d 1370 (en banc): "In 1979, the boss of the Bonanno family was Carmine Galante." "On July 12, 1979, Indelicato and two other men, all wearing ski masks, entered a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, where Galante, his cousin Giuseppe Turano, and Galante's friend and associate Leonard Coppola were having lunch," and shot all three. Court opinion, in its account of the evidence viewed for the government.
The FBI memorandum (1910) and the police testimony (1912) disagree on his birth, so the birth field is empty. The date of death is the Second Circuit’s.
The 1963 staff chart is reported to show him as Bonanno’s underboss, but that is a chart entry and is not used. The role line is the Second Circuit’s, and it stays on this page and the opinion’s page.
Records
itemUnited States v. Indelicato, 865 F.2d 1370 (2d Cir. 1989) (en banc)The en banc Second Circuit holds that Anthony Indelicato's part in three murders committed in a single transaction could form a RICO pattern. Its account of the evidence begins: "In 1979, the boss of the Bonanno family was Carmine Galante."
itemFBI announcement and briefing outline, "LCN Commission Indictment," February 26, 1985The FBI's announcement of the Commission indictment, forwarded to John Roberts at the White House, lists "Philip Rastelli, Boss, Bonnano Family." Its briefing outline says the Commission "authorized the murders of" Galante, Coppola, Alphonse Indelicato, Trinchera, Giaccone and "Anthony Indelicato, solider," and lists "Testimony of UCAs (Pistone)."itemJoseph D. Pistone, answers to the subcommittee, April 22, 1988 (S. Hrg. 100-906, pp. 207-217)Pistone's answers to Senators Nunn and Roth after his opening statement, testifying behind a screen. He describes the 1979-1981 struggle "within the Bonanno family," the contract he was given to find Bruno Indelicato, and the end of the operation, "I think it was July 27."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.
itemFBI Vault: Carmine Galante, Part 01 (file 92-3025)Top Hoodlum Program serials from 1956–1958, including a New York memorandum of January 24, 1958 giving Galante's birth name and a birth date of February 21, 1910.itemUnited States v. Galante, 298 F.2d 72 (2d Cir. 1962)Second Circuit opinion of January 8, 1962 on the criminal-contempt sentences imposed on Carmine Galante and Anthony Mirra for their conduct during a narcotics-conspiracy trial that ended in a mistrial. Galante's appeal was dismissed as moot.itemUnited States v. Aviles, 274 F.2d 179 (2d Cir. 1960)Second Circuit opinion of January 12, 1960 affirming most of the 1959 narcotics-conspiracy convictions of Vito Genovese, Vincent Gigante and others. It finds Genovese one of the conspiracy's "principal directing heads."
itemOrganized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Part 1 (September 25 to October 9, 1963)The first printed volume of the 1963 Senate hearings: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's opening testimony, Joseph Valachi's public testimony, New York police witnesses, Exhibit 8 and Charts A to E.
itemExhibit No. 8: "Masseria-Maranzano War and Evolution of Gang Control—1930 to Present"Staff fold-out chart presented on October 1, 1963: the 1930 to 1931 war in three key-coded groups and the lines of succession drawn from it to five 1963 bosses. Several name boxes are illegible in the scan.itemUnited States v. Bentvena, 319 F.2d 916 (2d Cir. 1963)Second Circuit opinion of June 13, 1963 on the retrial of a 1960 indictment charging a conspiracy to bring narcotics from Canada to New York. In its summary of the government's evidence, Carmine Galante is the operation's "chief executive"; his conviction is affirmed.itemTestimony of Commissioner Henry L. Giordano, Bureau of Narcotics, 28 July 1964 (Organized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Part 3)The Commissioner of Narcotics tells the Senate subcommittee that since 1956 the Bureau has "developed 20 major conspiracy cases resulting in the conviction of 206 important gangsters," naming Vito Genovese, John Ormento, Carmine Galante and Joseph Valachi, and presents the Valachi-hearing family charts marked for Bureau convictions.itemUnited States v. Casamento, 887 F.2d 1141 (2d Cir. 1989)Second Circuit opinion of October 11, 1989 on the appeals of fifteen defendants convicted in what the court calls "The Pizza Connection Case": Indictment SS 84 Cr. 236, thirty-five defendants, tried from September 30, 1985 to March 2, 1987.
itemBureau of Narcotics case charts: "Albert and Vito Agueci case" and "Carmine Galante-Mancino case" (Part 4)Two fold-out Bureau of Narcotics case charts of 1964, printed with Exhibit No. 3 on interstate traffic from New York City. One segment is stored here.
itemFBI announcement and briefing outline, "LCN Commission Indictment," February 26, 1985The FBI's announcement of the Commission indictment, forwarded to John Roberts at the White House, lists "Philip Rastelli, Boss, Bonnano Family." Its briefing outline says the Commission "authorized the murders of" Galante, Coppola, Alphonse Indelicato, Trinchera, Giaccone and "Anthony Indelicato, solider," and lists "Testimony of UCAs (Pistone)."itemJoseph D. Pistone, answers to the subcommittee, April 22, 1988 (S. Hrg. 100-906, pp. 207-217)Pistone's answers to Senators Nunn and Roth after his opening statement, testifying behind a screen. He describes the 1979-1981 struggle "within the Bonanno family," the contract he was given to find Bruno Indelicato, and the end of the operation, "I think it was July 27."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.itemFBI Vault: Carmine Galante, Part 01 (file 92-3025)Top Hoodlum Program serials from 1956–1958, including a New York memorandum of January 24, 1958 giving Galante's birth name and a birth date of February 21, 1910.itemUnited States v. Galante, 298 F.2d 72 (2d Cir. 1962)Second Circuit opinion of January 8, 1962 on the criminal-contempt sentences imposed on Carmine Galante and Anthony Mirra for their conduct during a narcotics-conspiracy trial that ended in a mistrial. Galante's appeal was dismissed as moot.itemUnited States v. Aviles, 274 F.2d 179 (2d Cir. 1960)Second Circuit opinion of January 12, 1960 affirming most of the 1959 narcotics-conspiracy convictions of Vito Genovese, Vincent Gigante and others. It finds Genovese one of the conspiracy's "principal directing heads."itemOrganized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Part 1 (September 25 to October 9, 1963)The first printed volume of the 1963 Senate hearings: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's opening testimony, Joseph Valachi's public testimony, New York police witnesses, Exhibit 8 and Charts A to E.itemExhibit No. 8: "Masseria-Maranzano War and Evolution of Gang Control—1930 to Present"Staff fold-out chart presented on October 1, 1963: the 1930 to 1931 war in three key-coded groups and the lines of succession drawn from it to five 1963 bosses. Several name boxes are illegible in the scan.itemUnited States v. Bentvena, 319 F.2d 916 (2d Cir. 1963)Second Circuit opinion of June 13, 1963 on the retrial of a 1960 indictment charging a conspiracy to bring narcotics from Canada to New York. In its summary of the government's evidence, Carmine Galante is the operation's "chief executive"; his conviction is affirmed.itemTestimony of Commissioner Henry L. Giordano, Bureau of Narcotics, 28 July 1964 (Organized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Part 3)The Commissioner of Narcotics tells the Senate subcommittee that since 1956 the Bureau has "developed 20 major conspiracy cases resulting in the conviction of 206 important gangsters," naming Vito Genovese, John Ormento, Carmine Galante and Joseph Valachi, and presents the Valachi-hearing family charts marked for Bureau convictions.itemUnited States v. Casamento, 887 F.2d 1141 (2d Cir. 1989)Second Circuit opinion of October 11, 1989 on the appeals of fifteen defendants convicted in what the court calls "The Pizza Connection Case": Indictment SS 84 Cr. 236, thirty-five defendants, tried from September 30, 1985 to March 2, 1987.itemBureau of Narcotics case charts: "Albert and Vito Agueci case" and "Carmine Galante-Mancino case" (Part 4)Two fold-out Bureau of Narcotics case charts of 1964, printed with Exhibit No. 3 on interstate traffic from New York City. One segment is stored here.