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Joe GalloAmerican gangster
Date of Birth: 07.04.1929
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Joe Gallo
Early LifeJoe Gallo, also known as Crazy Joe, was born in 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in the Red Hook neighborhood, known for its port area. His parents, Mary and Umberto Gallo, were involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition era, setting the stage for Joe and his brothers to become criminals.
Psychiatric Diagnosis
From a young age, Joe exhibited signs of mental instability. In 1950, after another arrest, he was admitted to the Kings County Hospital Center, a psychiatric hospital in Brooklyn. There, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. During this time, his friends started calling him Joey the Blond due to his light hair and overall softness.
Life of Crime
Joe Gallo, along with his brothers Larry Gallo and Albert 'Kid Blast' Gallo, gained a reputation as notorious gangsters. They were affiliated with the Profaci crime family, led by Joe Profaci. However, Joe grew dissatisfied with being subordinate and desired to become a boss himself. He broke away from the clan, taking a significant portion of Joe Profaci's men with him, sparking a long-lasting war that claimed the lives of many key figures.
Imprisonment and Death
In autumn 1961, Joe was sentenced to 7 to 14 years in a state prison. While he was incarcerated, his brother Larry passed away from cancer in 1968. Upon Joe's release in 1971, he found New York to be a changed city. His former boss, Joe Profaci, had also died of cancer in 1962, and Carlo Gambino now led the Profaci crime family.
Despite the upheaval in his life, Joe decided to continue working as a gangster. His new gang consisted of African-American teenagers willing to do any job for minimal pay. It was one of his African-American subordinates who dealt the final blow to the Profaci clan by killing Colombo. However, the Colombo family retaliated eight months later.
On April 7, 1972, Joe Gallo was ambushed by Colombo family members at Umberto's Clam House in Manhattan's Little Italy. It was his 43rd birthday, and among his guests were his sister Carmella, his wife Sina Essary, his daughter Lisa, and several others, including a bodyguard. Approximately 20 bullets were fired at him, and Joe Gallo died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Legacy
Joe Gallo was buried at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, with a police presence during the funeral ceremony. His death became the subject of the song "Joey" by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy, recorded for Dylan's 1976 album "Desire."
