In the late 1960s the FBI faces heavy criticism in its
handling of the safety of African Americans in the south. In the south the FBI is facing a tough enemy,
the local citizens, cops, local government, and member of the Ku Klux Klan.
January 10, 1966 the home of Vernon Dahmer, President of a
local NAACP chapter is attacked by members of the White Nights of the Ku Klux
Klan. The KKK started shooting at the
Dahmer house with shotguns, then they started throwing gas jugs at the
home. Dahmer’s home, car, and grocery
store were destroyed in the fire. Vernon
Dahmer suffered massive burns to his upper body. Dahmer later died at the hospital. The F.B.I. calls the New York office and
requested the use of informant NY-3461 for a special assignment. The informant is later identified as a member
of the Colombo Family Gregory Scarpa. Scarpa
would go on to lead a very unique life, a hitman, and informant, and a family
man. How was a Profaci/Colombo family
hitman recruited to locate the three missing civil rights workers?
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| Gregory Scarpa Sr. |
Early Years
Gregory Scarpa was born in Brooklyn New Yok on May 8, 1928,
he was raised in the Bensonhurst neighborhood.
In 1935 Greg Scarpa was forced to go work with his dad, delivering
coal. At the age of 17, Greg Scarpa
wanted a different life than his father’s.
He did not want to struggle and barely get by. In the 20s, 30s, and 40s the Bensonhurst
neighborhood was filled with working class Italian immigrants. A few guys in the neighborhood made money,
they were the wiseguys. Scarpa grew
attracted to the life because the mobsters were well dressed, drove nice cars,
and had beautiful women by their side.
Scarpa had an older brother Salvatore Scarpa was already in the
life. The younger Scarpa drops out of
school to enter the life. Greg Scarpa
started committing low level crimes, such as petty theft, running numbers,
stealing mail, and taking change from pay phones.
In the 1940s the younger Scarpa started to become well known
among his older brother Sal’s friends.
Scarpa was big in stature and some of Sal’s friends saw an
enforcer. The younger Scarpa could
collect and become an enforcer for the mob.
The younger Scarpa was mentored by Calogero (Charlie the Sidge) LoCicero
a Capo for the Profaci family in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. LoCicero calls in Scarpa for a sitdown in a
local social club, and he is very impressed with him.
The Life
LoCicero takes the young Scarpa under his wing and teaches
him the way of the wise guy. LoCicero
teaches Scarpa about loansharking, bookmaking, and how to conduct shakedowns of
local businesses. Scarpa learned quickly
on the streets and people feared him because of his size. LoCicero convinces the leadership of the
Profaci family that Scarpa is reliable and could be trusted. In 1949 Scarpa officially becomes and
associate of the Profaci family. In the 1950s Scarpa was on the rise in the Profaci family in
Brooklyn. The only thing left for Scarpa
to do was make his bones.
The Life and Becoming an Informant
Summer 1953, Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood. Scarpa is sitting in a parked car waiting for
his target to leave his home. After
completing the hit, he made his bones and became an official member of the
Profaci family. Scarpa soon earned the
nickname the Grim Reaper, and he was a notorious truck hijacker, and after so
many truck jackings the feds became involved.
The feds where involved because in the late 50s and early 60s truck
jacking was considered a federal crime.
March 07, 1960 Gregory Scarpa is arrested by the FBI in
connection with an interstate theft, he was facing some serious jail time. The feds offer Scarpa a deal, instead of an
arrest he would provide the FBI information from time to time. The feds would pay Scarpa for his
information.
On October 27, 1961 Scarpa informs the feds about a
cigarette shipment that was hijacked in Newark New jersey by Colombo
mobsters. Scarpa also tells them about
another shipment that was hijacked in Florida.
The feds recovered the stolen goods based on information received from
Scarpa.
On November 21, 1961 Gregory Scarpa is officially becomes an
informant to the FBI and they designate him a high echelon criminal
informant. For the next three decades
Scarpa would provide information from La Cosa Nostra to the feds.
On December 17, 1985 Scarpa informed the FBI that the hit on Gambino Boss Paul Castellano was set up by John Gotti and Frank DeCicco. Colombo boss Carmine Persico was aware but
neither approved or disapproved. Frank
DeCicco informed Scarpa of the hit.
On January 2, 1986, Scarpa informed the
FBI that Gotti would become the new Gambino family boss, Frank DeCicco
Underboss, and Joseph Corrao, Consigliere.
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| Anthony Scarpati on left and Greg Scarpa on the right undated photo |
Hitman
Colombo family boss Carmine Persico suspected that one of
his soldiers was dealing in narcotics.
In August of 1980 Persico orders the murder of Colombo soldier Dominick
Somma for drug dealing, Scarpa carries out the hit. Prior to Scarpa killing him, Dominic Somma
complained to Scarpa Sr. about his son’s Gregory Scarpa Jr. regarding a bank
robbery. The Grim Reaper pulled out his
gun and shot him dead on the spot.
September 24, 1980, Brooklyn New York,
Wimpy Boy’s Social Club. Mary Bari walks
into the club looking for Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico. Persico had jumped bail on an extortion
charge and was facing 20 years in prison.
Bari was lured to the club under the assumption for an interview for a
waitress job. Under the orders of Scarpa
Sr. she is held down and killed with three bullets to her head. Bari knew where Persico was hiding and Scarpa
Sr. felt that the feds could flip her.
Bari’s lifeless body is later dumped on the streets. Years
later Scarpa crew soldier Larry Mazza would go on to testify that Greg Scarpa
Sr. was responsible for 50 hits as a Capo for the Colombo crime family.
January 15, 1987, Dyker Heights Section, Brooklyn New York. A group of four hitmen enter the social club. Everyone in te club was ordered to the ground, the hitmen quickly identified Sal Scarpa. Sal was shot twice in the head and once in the back, a few hours later he was pronounced dead in a hospital. Salvatore Scarpa had been given a warning from his brother Gregory Scarpa regarding Sal's friend Matty Ianello. Greg Scarpa believed that he was going to rat (Sal) him out. The younger Scarpa got angry with Greg, and had started to spread a rumor about Greg being a rat.
The Colombo War
The Colombo war of the early 90s was near the end of
Scarpa’s life. He had been infected with
the AIDS virus for a few years. The
Colombo war was a civil war in the family for control, the Persico faction vs
the Orena faction. Scarpa was a
supporter of Carmine Persico. In early
1981 a group of hitment from the PErsico faction attempted a hit on Orena, and
it failed. Vic Orena acting boss of the
Colombo family then attempts a hit on Gregory Scarpa.
November 18, 1991, Brooklyn New York Scarpa is pulling his
vehicle out of the driveway, his daughter Linda and her infant son where in
another car. A van blocked their way and
a group of masked hitmen step out. The
masked men open fire with automatic weapons.
Scarpa drove his car over the sidewalk in between the grass and the stop
sign. Scarpa believed that the Orena
faction member who ordered the hit was his chief enforcer, William “Wild Bill”Cutolo.
On December of 1991 Scarpa manage to kill two Persico
faction soldiers and a Genovese family associate.
Civil Lawsuit, Plea and Jail Time
In 1986, Greg Scarpa went to Victoria Memorial
Hospital in Brooklyn for a bleeding ulcer. The medications that were
given to him failed to stop the bleeding. The medical staff informed Scarpa
that he needed a blood transfusion. Scarpa did not want any blood from
the hospital. A group of mob associates were gathered to donate blood to
Scarpa. The blood was not screened for anything. Scarpa received
blood from Colombo associate Paul Mele who was a bodybuilder, unbeknownst to
Scarpa Mele was using dirty needles to inject steroids into his body.
Mele had the HIV virus, and in about half a year he would be dead from AIDS.
Gregory Scarpa was involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital that gave him the tainted blood. Scarpa would go on to settle the case against the hospital for 300,000.00 dollars because he was too weak to carry on with the trial.
Conclusion to a Storied History in the Colombo Family
Gregory Scarpa came into the family
when it was run by boss Profaci, and over the years Carmine Persico took
control of the family, and Scarpa became his chief enforcer, and he would not
hesitate to kill anyone.
Colombo family members feared the
Gregory Scarpa was cooperating with the feds.
Their concern was because in 1987 Scarpa informed several members of the
family that they would be arrested, and the arrest where executed. Their worries were put to rest when Scarpa
would commit murders. It was difficult
for them to determine if Scarpa was a rat, and in fact he was. Scarpa was responsible in helping the FBI
understand how the mafia worked, its leadership structure, and the commission
role.
Gregory
Scarpa was reduced to a mere 60 pounds at the end of his life, he passed away
from complications from AIDS in a federal prison. Scarpa had an arrest record that dated back
to the 1950s, and he was one of the original source to reveal to the FBI the
hierarchy of the American mafia. Greg
Scarpa Sr. lived by his own rules.
Scarpa Sr. did not live by the
code of La Cosa Nostra, he lived by the code of greed.
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