East Harlem Purple Gang
Encyclopedia
The East Harlem Purple Gang was a semi-independent group of Italian American
hit-men and heroin dealers who according to Federal prosecutors dominated heroin distribution in East Harlem and the Bronx
during the late 1970s in New York City
. The gang was originally affiliated with the Lucchese crime family
and later with the Bonanno crime family
and Genovese crime family
, and its remnants are now part of the 116th Street Crew. They allegedly named their group the 'Purple Gang' as a tribute to a Prohibition Era gang (Purple Gang
) that terrorized Detroit 50 years earlier. Membership in the group was restricted to Italian Americans who grew up on Pleasant Avenue between 114th and 120th streets, just east of 1st avenue.
In 1977, at the peak of its strength, The Purple Gang had 30 members according to police reports and 80 associates. After the arrest of Leroy Barnes
, the top heroin dealer in Harlem, the Purple Gang began supplying heroin to his network of African-American dealers in Harlem at $75,000 per kilogram. In 1977, law enforcement claimed that the Purple Gang committed at least 17 homicides, some on behalf of 'organized crime principals'.
Law enforcement speculated that during the late 1970s, the Purple Gang developed a relationship with Nicaraguan drug dealers, trading firearms for drugs.
The Purple Gang disintegrated during the late 1970s and became absorbed into the current 116th Street Crew. Some members were invited to join the Mafia
and became made men, including Angelo Prisco
and Daniel Leo
who became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family in 2005.
Locals still recall such colorful characters as Eddie the Butcher, whose meat shop on 119th st supposedly didn't sell a single piece of meat in 40 years and Charlie Ding-Ding's candy shop on 118th st was a casino by night.
Anthony Loria Sr.
, longtime partner of Vincent Papa
who masterminded the "Who Stole The French Connection
" corruption scandal was born and raised on Pleasant Avenue. This scheme involved corrupt NYPD and law officials that allowed the drug lords to steal an estimated 70 million dollars of narcotics from the NYPD property room at 400 Broome Street in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The total scope of the scandal is still not known and many questions linger on how exactly it happened.
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
hit-men and heroin dealers who according to Federal prosecutors dominated heroin distribution in East Harlem and the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
during the late 1970s in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The gang was originally affiliated with the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
and later with the Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
and Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
, and its remnants are now part of the 116th Street Crew. They allegedly named their group the 'Purple Gang' as a tribute to a Prohibition Era gang (Purple Gang
The Purple Gang
The Purple Gang, also known as the Sugar House Gang, were a mob with predominantly Jewish members of bootleggers and hijackers in the 1920s, operating out of Detroit, Michigan, which was a major port for running alcohol products during Prohibition due to proximity to Canada.Many openly violent...
) that terrorized Detroit 50 years earlier. Membership in the group was restricted to Italian Americans who grew up on Pleasant Avenue between 114th and 120th streets, just east of 1st avenue.
In 1977, at the peak of its strength, The Purple Gang had 30 members according to police reports and 80 associates. After the arrest of Leroy Barnes
Leroy Barnes
Leroy Nicholas "Nicky" Barnes is a government informant, former drug lord and crime boss, who led the notorious African-American criminal organization known as The Council, which controlled the heroin trade in Harlem, New York during the 1970s. In 2007 he released a book, “Mr...
, the top heroin dealer in Harlem, the Purple Gang began supplying heroin to his network of African-American dealers in Harlem at $75,000 per kilogram. In 1977, law enforcement claimed that the Purple Gang committed at least 17 homicides, some on behalf of 'organized crime principals'.
Law enforcement speculated that during the late 1970s, the Purple Gang developed a relationship with Nicaraguan drug dealers, trading firearms for drugs.
The Purple Gang disintegrated during the late 1970s and became absorbed into the current 116th Street Crew. Some members were invited to join the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
and became made men, including Angelo Prisco
Angelo Prisco
Angelo Prisco , also known as "The Horn", is a New Jersey mobster who became a caporegime in the Genovese crime family.He stands at 5'7 and weighs 165 pounds with brown eyes and gray-black hair. With the 1988 murder of Genovese caporegime John DiGilio, Prisco assumed control of the Genovese family...
and Daniel Leo
Daniel Leo (mobster)
Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo is the currently imprisoned acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Families.-Early life and career:...
who became the acting boss of the Genovese crime family in 2005.
Pleasant Avenue
Pleasant Avenue, a six-block stretch in East Harlem is one of the most famous incubators of the Italian Mafia in New York City. Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno, ran the Genovese crime family from Pleasant Avenue. Rao's, the most exclusive restaurant in all of New York is located here. In the 1960s and 1970s, Pleasant Avenue was so protected by the mob that residents did not lock their doors.Locals still recall such colorful characters as Eddie the Butcher, whose meat shop on 119th st supposedly didn't sell a single piece of meat in 40 years and Charlie Ding-Ding's candy shop on 118th st was a casino by night.
Anthony Loria Sr.
Anthony Loria Sr.
Anthony Loria, Sr., also known as "Tony Aboudamita", was a New York mobster who played a major role in the famous French Connection heroin scandal...
, longtime partner of Vincent Papa
Vincent Papa
Vincent Papa was an Italian-American mobster associated with the Lucchese crime family. He became notorious for masterminding the theft of the French Connection heroin from the New York Police Department property office.-Early years:Born in New York City, Papa grew up in the Astoria neighborhood...
who masterminded the "Who Stole The French Connection
French Connection
The French Connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Turkey to France and then to the United States. The operation reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it provided the vast majority of the illicit heroin used in the United States...
" corruption scandal was born and raised on Pleasant Avenue. This scheme involved corrupt NYPD and law officials that allowed the drug lords to steal an estimated 70 million dollars of narcotics from the NYPD property room at 400 Broome Street in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The total scope of the scandal is still not known and many questions linger on how exactly it happened.
In popular culture
- In The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
movie, Sonny Corleone beat up Carlo on Pleasant Avenue. - In Carlito's WayCarlito's WayCarlito's Way is a 1993 crime film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels Carlito's Way and After Hours by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Jorge Porcel, Joseph Siravo, and...
the Purple Gang was referred to as the 'Pleasant Avenue Crew'. - In Analyze ThatAnalyze ThatAnalyze That is a 2002 mafia comedy film, and a sequel to the 1999 film Analyze This. The film was directed and co-written by Harold Ramis and stars Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal who respectively reprise their roles as mobster Paul Vitti and psychiatrist Ben Sobel.-Plot:Near the completion of...
Robert DeNiro recalled growing up with the Purple gang. - The Purple Gang was also the subject of books "The Pleasant Avenue Connection" (Harper & Row, 1976) and "Blue Domino" (Putnam, 1978).