I'm sorry to disagree with a majority of the posters here, but the idea that the Gallo Bros. and their co-horts were not a powerful group of "gangsters" and only an out of control bunch of knuckleheads seems way off base. After things settled down and it was being broken up it contained three future bosses (Blanco, Persico, Amuso) and a slew of other reliable members. A few being L. Gallo who died too young of cancer, A. Gallo still alive must be in his 90's with the Geneveses, Punchy Illiano who was extremely respected by everyone, and M. Rizzitello to name a few.

No one can question the fear they imposed. The fact they fought two wars with an original boss who had an army behind him tells you they were as tough as any crew ever. To kidnap the bosses people and hold them for ransom, are you F......kidding me? The mistake was they didn't take the time to gather a few allies (like Gotti did before killing Castellano). Profaci was cheap and he screwed that crew, convincing them to kill Abbatamarco promising them his rackets and then reneged. Leaving them with crumbs. he didn't respect them and I suspect it was out of fear of them.

Do I think Joe was nuts? No, I think he had a set onions no one could match and he had a short fuse. A deadly combination. This crew is unmatched. I know others disagree but if you do explain your reasoning and I'll try to rebut your argument. Others may agree with me, add your two cents as well.

If you haveanother crew you want tto match up with this one go ahead. Tell why with facts mixed with your opinon. Love to read them. Finally, since most here feel like the Genevese are the gold standard, if a few of these guys were nothing but out of control killers, why would they take them in? Just a thought.

I'm no expert but I've read a lot of the Gallo literature. Their crew was huge in numbers, not in smarts. The whole neighborhood backed them as well, going to the mas with the Gallo crew. If I recall, I believe their civilian father would cook for them when they were in hiding, that's just one example.

Larry was a really good earner and actually got reinstated.

I think the crew was bigger than average and there were men in other families propping them up too. Hope this helps.

They did not have a big mafia crew, but they had a lot of members of their own gang, and it disintegrated as the years rolled by. They took in any idiot, and must have had a a lot of informers in their group. As soon as Joe Gallo was killed Pete the Greek started singing for the police and FBI immediately.

Jace,

Are you saying they weren't a Profaci Crew? I don't know that to be correct. I'm under the impression they were a crew with and without Abbatamarco.

I was pointing out that Gallo's people like Pete the Greek and many others were his own people, not members of the mafia crew him and his brother were with.

I just want to say: I cannot stand Joe's silly portrayal in Scorsese's The Irishman...and the film portraying Frank Sheeran as his shooter was fucking hilarious

Russell Bufalino got Frank Sheeran to kill Joe Gallo because Joe was too flashy?!?
A Northeastern Pennsylvania mafia boss just decides to kill a powerful Brooklyn neighborhood gangster that had evaded being killed how many times, through how many wars?!? Laugh my fucking ass off

Fuck that whole movie for it's silly portrayal of Joe, and portraying Russell Bufalino/Frank Sheeran as his killers

They were at least big enough at one point that they could've taken over 1 of the 5 families

Interesting article that include Pete spilling some beans in 1975. 3 years after Joe was hit

Yeah that movie sucked major dick. People who like the movie don't understand why people like us hate it so much, because they're not mob buffs.

I do believe those to be accurate numbers. The media/FBI numbers are oh so exaggerated. OC Shortz does a great job, and he shares Eboli's conversations about the numbers of Gambinos you read in the papers.

Yes, the Gallo brothers were feared, tough and influential in their day, and they showed coglioni in their war with Profaci. But the Blond was a publicity hound, and his passion for headlines and news coverage undercut their effectiveness. I'll never forget the big feature arricle on him in Look Magazine in 1961, when he invited a reporter to their war headquarters and bragged, and his post-prison-release career as a media star. Always fatal.