MOBSTERS
THE MURDER OF CARMINE “THE CIGAR” GALANTE
THE CIGAR
BY IM ITALIAN TEAM BASED ON THE JAY ROBERT NASH BLOODLETTERS AND BADMEN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL
Carmine Galante, also known as “Lillo” and “The Cigar” was a “made-man” of the Bonanno Crime Family and once held the position of underboss. Galante was rarely seen without a cigar, hence the nickname “The Cigar”. After his release in 1974, Galante attempted to gain control of the “Borgata Bonanno”, wresting power from the incarcerated Filippo “Rusty” Rastelli. The final vote for who would lead the Bonannos was cast on July 12, 1979, when gunmen walked into a restaurant and put an end to the whole debate about who the real boss was.
The assassination of Carmine “The Cigar” Galante was one of the most spectacular and blatant cases of the Mafia during the second half of the twentieth century.
I’M ITALIAN - SPRING - 2022
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