The Colombo Crime Family Wars: A Dynasty Torn Apart by Internal Strife
The Colombo family represents one of New York’s most powerful organized crime dynasties, yet its history is uniquely marred by devastating internal conflicts that would fracture the organization from within. Unlike the relatively stable succession seen in the Gambino family or the calculated power moves in the Genovese family, the Colombos experienced two catastrophic wars that nearly destroyed the entire enterprise.
The Rise of Joe Colombo and Early Success
When Joe Colombo assumed leadership of what was then known as the Profaci family in 1963, he inherited an organization with deep roots in Brooklyn and strong rackets throughout New York. Colombo proved to be an innovative boss, expanding operations into new territories and modernizing the family’s approach to organized crime. His business acumen and diplomatic skills earned respect from other families, including the powerful Carlo Gambino.
However, Colombo’s success bred jealousy and resentment among his own ranks. Several capos, particularly those from the old guard, viewed his consolidation of power with suspicion. The seeds of discord had been planted, and they would soon grow into one of the most brutal internal conflicts in organized crime history.
The First Colombo War: 1971-1972
The first war erupted with stunning violence in 1971 when dissident members challenged Colombo’s authority. Led by Carmine “The Snake” Persico and his allies, the rebellion exploited legitimate grievances about power distribution and profit-sharing within the family hierarchy. What began as a political dispute quickly descended into open warfare, with soldiers and capos choosing sides.
The conflict exposed fundamental weaknesses in the family’s command structure. Unlike the organized hierarchies of other New York families, the Colombos lacked the kind of institutional stability that prevented challenges to leadership. Bodies piled up in Brooklyn streets as the war claimed dozens of lives. Key figures on both sides fell to assassins’ bullets, including prominent capos and street-level soldiers.
Colombo himself fell victim to the violence that he had largely created. On June 28, 1971, he was shot in the head while attending an Italian-American Civil Rights League rally in Manhattan. He survived the initial shooting but was left paralyzed and incapacitated. This shocking attack on the boss during a public event sent shockwaves through the underworld and exemplified the family’s loss of control.
The war eventually concluded with Carmine Persico emerging as the dominant figure, though the family remained fractured. The cost of the conflict extended far beyond the loss of life—it damaged the Colombo family’s reputation and weakened its influence within the Commission, the governing body of organized crime families.
The Second Colombo War: 1991-1993
Just when it seemed the family might stabilize, another catastrophic war erupted in 1991. This conflict pitted followers of Carmine Persico—who was imprisoned and unable to directly command—against followers of Victor Orena, the acting boss. The war represented a fundamental struggle over succession and who would ultimately control the family’s vast criminal enterprises.
The second war proved even more vicious than the first. It raged across Brooklyn and Staten Island, involving dozens of soldiers and causing numerous casualties. The conflict drew the attention of federal authorities, who used the violence as justification for aggressive prosecution strategies under RICO statutes.
Key figures including Andrew Russo, John Cutrone, and other capos were killed during this period. The violence reached even into federal facilities, as imprisoned members coordinated hits from behind bars. The complete breakdown of omerta saw members testifying against one another at an alarming rate, with several high-ranking capos turning government witness.
The Aftermath and Decline
By the mid-1990s, both Colombo wars had exacted an enormous toll. The family that had once rivaled the Gambino family in power and influence was now severely diminished. Federal prosecutions accelerated by evidence gathered during the wars decimated the leadership structure. Multiple bosses and capos faced lengthy prison sentences.
The organization never fully recovered from the internal violence. Unlike other families that experienced leadership transitions relatively smoothly, the Colombos suffered irreparable damage to their command structure and street-level operations. The wars had eliminated an entire generation of potential leaders and shattered the trust that holds any criminal organization together.
Key Lessons from the Colombo Conflicts
The Colombo family wars offer crucial insights into organized crime dynamics. They demonstrate how internal disputes, when allowed to escalate without resolution, can destroy even powerful criminal enterprises. The conflicts showed that raw violence cannot substitute for legitimate authority and organizational legitimacy within the underworld.
The wars also illustrated the importance of succession planning in organized crime. Families like the Gambino family that maintained clear lines of succession and respected institutional authority avoided similar catastrophes. In contrast, the Colombos’ failure to establish legitimate succession mechanisms created vacuums that ambitious members rushed to fill with violence.
Conclusion
The Colombo crime family’s internal wars represent a unique tragedy in organized crime history. From Joe Colombo’s paralysis to the chaotic second war, the family’s leadership consistently failed to prevent internal conflicts from spiraling into wholesale destruction. Today, while the Colombo family still maintains some criminal operations, it remains a shadow of its former power—a cautionary tale of how organizational dysfunction and internal strife can bring down even the most seemingly powerful criminal enterprises.