Mafia Hit Man: Carmine DiBiase, the Wiseguy Who Really Killed Joey Gallo

by Frank Dimatteo, Michael Benson

Overview

Who really killed “Crazy Joe” Gallo? At last, the truth can be told. And it wasn’t Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran as he claimed.

From acclaimed true-crime author Michael Benson and real-life "Mafia Survivor" Frank DiMatteo, the shocking and brutal story of Carmine DiBiase—aka Sonny Pinto—the elusive Mafia killer who went from small-time street punk to FBI’s Most Wanted list to Death Row—only to be released on the streets to kill and kill again…among those who died by his gun was Joey Gallo.

“Sober, he was nothing, but drunk he would blow your head off.” That’s how Pete the Greek described Carmine “Sonny” DiBiase, the Colombo crime family hitman who’d been terrorizing Manhattan’s Little Italy since he was a kid. After beating and robbing a local tailor and doing time in reformatory, Sonny set up operations at The Mayfair Boys Civic and Social Club, an illegal poolroom where he shot and killed his best friend on Christmas day...


A prime suspect of this and other crimes, Sonny went on the lam and off the grid for seven years. He then surrendered himself to police, was tried for murder and sentenced to death. But after a second trial, he walked away a free man—free to kill again.

Joey “Crazy Joe” Gallo and his President Street mob waged a deadly Mafia civil war with the Colombo crime family, and in particular, Carmine “the Snake” Persico. A contract was put out for Gallo and his gang. And on that fateful night of April 7, 1972, in a Little Italy restaurant, Gallo was assassinated...by Carmine “Sonny” DiBiasi...

This is the true story of who really whacked Crazy Joey Gallo on that fateful night of April 7, 1972.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780806541082
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	191,574
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Frank DiMatteo is a lifelong Brooklynite, Mafia “survivor,” and publisher of Mob Candy magazine. He is the author of Mob Candy’s Brooklyn Gangsters and Manhattan Gangsters, and the co-author, along with Michael Benson, of more than half a dozen nonfiction books on the history of organized crime, including his acclaimed memoir, The President Street Boys: Growing Up Mafia. A retired gangster and the son of a Mob hitman, his past interviews and appearances include the New York Post, VICE, Business Insider, Late Night with Johnny P, One on One with Steve Adubato, and as an expert source in the HISTORY TV documentary American Godfathers: The Five Families.

Michael Benson is the acclaimed author of nonfiction history and crime books, including Gangsters vs Nazis, Hollywood vs Nazis, Evil Season, Betrayal in Blood, and Moguls, co-authored with Craig Singer. He is also one of America’s most accomplished and popular Mafia experts, having co-authored with numerous books on the subject, including Carmine the Snake, Mafia Hit Man, Lord High Executioner, Red Hook, and Carlo Gambino with Frank DiMatteo and Mafia Secrets with Gianni Russo. He is a regular commentator, appearing on numerous radio and television shows such as On the Case with Paula Zahn and Deadly Sins on ID: Investigation Discovery channel. A recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award, he can be found on Facebook @authorMichaelBenson.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Irish Bullshit 1

1 Joey's Back 3

2 Mulberry Street 30

3 The Busy Undertaker 39

4 Starting Small 46

5 Snuffing Mikey 53

6 On the Lam, Off the Grid 66

7 DiBiase Comes In 73

8 Back on the Streets 89

9 Whacking Morton Rosenberg 97

10 "I Want That Bastard's Head" 106

11 April 7, 1972 114

12 The Getaway 125

13 Screaming Headlines 146

14 Fish Spills 158

15 The Noodle 166

16 The LoCiceros 173

17 The Greek's Trial 178

18 Fatty Fucks Up 187

19 Joe Wagon Wheels 198

20 "I Only Saw Sonny Pinto" 205

Epilogue 213

Sources 221

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the work of Frank DiMatteo and Michael Benson
  
“Carmine the Snake, written in a conversational style with street vernacular and sprinkled with Frank DiMatteo’s personal anecdotes and reminiscences, offers another look at the infamous crime boss.” —The Washington Times
  
“Dimatteo tells what it was like to grow up with mob royalty.” —VICE on The President Street Boys
  
“The authors give a detailed account of the suspected assassins . . . don’t shy away from discussing Gallo’s flaws . . . fans of true crime and mafia stories will appreciate the insider’s look at the figures and neighborhoods that comprised New York mob life in the 20th century.” —Library Journal on Mafia Hit Man

“The President Street Boys is nothing like any other mafia-related book I’ve ever read. I loved this book. I will be reading it again in the future. The level of detail is so high, to me, it requires multiple passes to absorb it all.” —Crimespree Magazine
 
“At times, this book is unsettling. Other times, it's humorous. No matter what part you're reading, it'll remain a tour-de-force.” —Criminal Element on The President Street Boys
  
“This title will please Mafia fans looking for gruesome details.” —Library Journal on Lord High Executioner

"Takes me back as if it was a time machine . . . compelling reading.  I loved the book because I was there.” —Sonny Girard, author of Blood of Our Fathers on The President Street Boys

From the Publisher

12/30/2021

DiMatteo and Benson (Carmine the Snake and His Murderous Family) add to a collection of books, articles, and films about the killing of mobster Joey Gallo; here, they use Gallo's murder as a jumping-off point to explore the lives of dozens of New York—based mobsters. DiMatteo, who was born into a mob family, takes issue with many popular culture accounts of the Gallo hit, in particular Frank Sheeran's claim to have killed Gallo. The authors give a detailed account of the suspected assassins, focusing on Carmine DiBiase, a rival mobster who was back on the streets, having managed to get a capital murder conviction overturned on appeal. DiMatteo and Benson don't shy away from discussing Gallo's flaws—his abuse of his wife, the murders he committed—instead attempting to offer a nuanced image of the man; this effort largely falls short. The authors' writing style mimics a midcentury gangster voice, which frequently veers into clichés ("broads"; "dig?"); at one point, DiMatteo and Benson respond to claims about the accuracy of a congressional record with a simple "LOL." Still, they offer detailed accounts of neighborhoods, restaurants, and characters in this unsavory world. VERDICT Although the book adds little new information to the Gallo murder case, fans of true crime and mafia stories will appreciate the insider's look at the figures and neighborhoods that comprised New York mob life in the 20th century.—Bart Everts, Rutgers Univ.-Camden Lib., NJ

Library Journal