Louie, THAT'S a great pick!!

Giuseppe (Joe) Arcuri is a very underrated mafioso. Why? Because during his tenure in the life, a position that always saw him near the top of power, whether he was a soldier or later a skipper Arcuri was low-key and very cautious.

He lived his life the way a TRUE mafioso should and that is "in the shadows", not a showboat.

He largely stayed out of prison. I'm not even sure he's ever done 1 day in jail. If he did a bit then it was way back in his youth and must have been a short bit at best. But as I say I'm not so sure he's even seen the inside of a cell.

A very well respected man. Close to the bosses regardless of whether it be Salvatore D'Aquilla, Albert Anastasia, Carlo Gambino, or Paul Castellano.

Regardless of his "official" status, Arcuri was a name well known throughout national gangland by those who needed to know. If I'm not mistaken he was utilized to carry messages and the dictates of New York leaders to bosses in other parts of the country. He was also a "mediator" of sorts who was sent to quell disturbances and quarrels between mob factions in different states by the Commission in his earlier years.

I'm sure he wasn't hurting for money. He had interests in several legit businesses in NYC. Just a smart and shrewd guy. If I'm not mistaken he owned a successful retail liquor store on the upper East Side for years, and some real estate holdings. He may not have been a multimillionaire (or maybe he was), but he always earned well.

He also lived to a ripe old age! The most exposure he ever got was during the Gotti era because Gotti was like a magnet for LE. And all those around him had that light shown on them. I do believe your choice more than meets ALL the criteria I set out for a pick.

THATS a pick! Great choice..... One of the true "sleepers" of Cosa Nostra.

I'm not sure with jail Time in his early years but Charles (Charlie the Blade) Tourine was a active guy and big fish and most time under the radar.

His son Charles Tourine jr aka Charles “Chuck” Delmonico was also low key. Died 2008. Im not sure about prison times.
https://therealdeal.com/miami/2015/09/03/mobsters-former-miami-beach-home-listed-for-sale/

If i'm correct Gerardo Catena serving only 5 years. For a Boss not much time.

Charlie the Blade had a wild career, many ups and downs. Lived large but not what I'd consider to be a stable and wealthy guy overall. He had an arrest record a mile long and his fortunes rose and fell many a time.

Yet he was a very well respected guy.
--
Now Jerry Catena? that's another story altogether. Catena was in a category all his own. One of THE wealthiest mafiosi ever. Almost wealthy beyond belief.

With the exception of his 5 year jailing on contempt, and a small bit as a young guy, he mostly served no jail per se.
Very respected. owned tons of major businesses, smart and savvy. NOT an inherently violent guy.

Catena DEF MAKES THE GRADE!

GOOD PICK!!

Thomas DiBella

He was the Official Boss/Acting Boss of the Colombo's (Depends on who you ask) for Carmine Persico.

Think the guy got arrested in the 1930's but he stayed under the radar for decades.

He retired due to poor health; and most likely died a rich man.

Anyone know the extent of DiBella and Persico's relationship? For DiBella to have alot of power in that family means he had to be more then just a fill-in for Persico. They say Persico didn't want Carmine Galante gone but wasn't it DiBella who put in the official vote?

Joe LaForte had tons of real estate in NYC (SoHo in particular) and I can't recall him doing any time. Lived till he was 99.

Tommy DiBella was a VERY important guy. A "sleeper" for many decades. Technically only a soldier, but highly respected.

He was the son of Salvatore DiBella, one of the original founding members of what later became the Profaci Family. So of course his son Tommy was revered.

Low key. Very humble and quiet. A soldier who walked the walk, and talked the talk. So when he was elevated to "Acting Boss", it was because he was both very knowledgeable about the "life", and had NO ambition to grab power.

In truth he could have cared less. THATS why he was selected. Di Bella was no threat and capable.

He was technically a longshoreman active on the Brooklyn docks. He was so old that he had actually been active in alcohol bootlegging during Prohibition.

He was a devout mafioso though and through, and it showed.

He served little if any time. He only had a BS bootleg pinch in the 1930s I think.

I don't know that Tommy had any big money, but it didn't seem to matter to him. He was a good soldier that followed directions.

Joe the Cat La Forte was alleged to be a wealthy guy. He owned several lucrative properties and buildings in Little Italy, and more on SI. He ran numbers for years and was said to have had a solid numbers trade.

Another low key guy who only garnered attention during the Gotti era because of John's high profile, arrogant in your face lifestyle. He exposed all his men to much unwanted publicity.

LaForte, Jimmy Failla, Frankie Dapolito, Joe Arcuri, and many others later all cursed the day he came to power.

IMO Vincent (Vincey) Rao out of East Harlem was another low key powerhouse deserving of making this list.

He had only 5-6 arrests in a career spanning 70 + years.I do not believe he ever did a bit, except maybe, MAYBE a contempt sentence of 30 days (maybe). He was one of the wealthiest guys in the entire Lucchese Family. He owned massive parcels of realty, a vending firm, a mortgage and finance company, a paint company, a huge retail liquor store, and a real estate firm with his brother Charlie.

Vincent Rao was also one of the biggest shylocks in all of NYC for decades. A "Shylocks Shylock", with millions on the street again in partnership with Charlie.

Rao did all this while serving quietly in the capacity as the "official" consigliere of 4 successive administrations: that of Reina, Gagliano, Lucchese, and Tramunti. (and a few interim leaders as well). He also served as the "acting boss" while the boss seat was in limbo on more than one occasion.

A very wealthy and revered mafioso. Known and respected nationally on the Commission and across the U.S.

PS: I almost forgot. He also had a piece of several unions he oversaw for the borgata, and had a solid piece in partnership with Tommy Brown of a large policy-lottery network in E. Harlem.

Here's another low key mafioso who quietly ruled for over fifty years and never served even 1 DAY in the can... Giuseppe (Joe Brown) Lucchese. Tommy's brother.

He was "given" the town of Corona by his brother as a gift. He became the resident "capo" over the entire territory, and was also a very dominant power over neighboring Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Rego Park, etc, etc. From the 1940's through 1975 he was the man to see in that area.

He ran mostly gambling and shylocking.... ran a very large but quiet crew. Most were never even known to the public.

They made millions upon millions. He lived in exclusive Malba, Queens. His "acting capo" was the better known Joseph (Joey Narrow) Laratro, who still was very low key. NO violence. NO bullshit. NO high profile hijackings, narcotics, robberies, or other rackets that draw police attention.

He held ownership in Whitestone Lanes Bowling Alley, extensive real estate in Queens and the Bronx, a lathing company, etc.

Joe Brown died in his sleep. He was in his mid-80s I believe. He lived a VERY charmed life indeed!

NOT the wealthiest mafioso out there, but he made one hell of a living, and more importantly didn't spend his life in the can or die in the gutter.

Here’s 2 ....Meyer Lansky and His Rabbi Jimmy Blue Eyes... maybe the most powerful Skipper in the Westside during the 1950s,60s and into the early 70s until they sold out to Kirk Kekorian and Teamsters money and the smaller mid west families rose to prominence in Vegas

Jimmy Blue Eyes was a legend. And many don't realize that Meyer didn't carry him, but rather Jimmy Alo was Lansky's "rabbi" as you say.

A VERY well-respected and feared mafioso indeed. In his early life Jimmy did a lot of work. He didn't get there by osmosis lol.

I did an extensive biography on him as well as on Lansky. Visit our website NYMafia and click "Genovese Family" to read them.

..........good pick Louie

Another very successful top guy was Paolo Gambino. He is often overlooked because of his more famous brother Carlo. And thats exactly as he wanted it.

He owned the Blue Star Markets in Flushing, Queens. He also owned Ferro Foods Inc., which was a large Brooklyn based supplier of Italian styled foods to pizzerias and Italian restaurants. He owned several other meat markets in The Bronx and Brooklyn, and was partnered in other ventures through the years.

Paolo had made millions bootlegging alcohol during Prohibition. Even after the repeal in 1931 he continued to operate alcohol stills well into the 1940s and 1950s. During WWII the Gambino brothers became two of the biggest handlers of "stolen gas ration stamps" in the NY/NJ area. Paolo also headed a major "narcotics and alien smuggling" ring for many years.

He was a top "skipper" under during his brothers run at the top. He ran his own crew for over 20 years which had a lot of Italian nationals who were also cut from this low key quiet mold. Many were international heroin merchants. Furture capo and top international narcotics trafficker Pasquale Conte was one of his soldiers. That gives you a little idea of his power.

I don't think he even served 1 day in jail. If he did it was a very short bit(maybe during prohibition)....VERY low key. A real zip!

He was subpeaoned several times before grand juries but thats about as far as it went I believe. He was accused once of monopolizing the "knife sharpening" business in NYC and later sold the firm to the knife sharpening "association" for $177,000. They all chipped in just to get rid of him. The assets purchased? about $800 worth of old dull knives and a broken down truck. Lol

He was a very sharp guy that is not given credit for his position and the moves he made. Mostly because his moves never really came to light!.... now for me THATS a wiseguy!!

He was Carlo's confidante all his life. Paul Gambino was what's called "a sleeper" in the truest sense. He later became known but really flew under the radar all his life.

Carlo Mastrototaro maybe not low-key but a successful mobster. He had network and interest in the whole world. So he made much money. Much legit stuff.

Yes Carlo was def in that category