Alphonse Persico
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Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico (b. February 8, 1954) is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Colombo crime family. His father is the long time family godfather Carmine Persico.
In 1986, Persico, at the time a caporegime in the Colombos, was convicted on racketeering charges along with his father, family underboss Gennaro Langella, and other Colombo family heavyweights. Persico managed to get a lighter sentence when his father pleaded with the Judge to show leniency on his son he had brought into the life. From 1986-1988, Carmine Persico named a ruling panel to run the family until "Little Allie Boy" was released from prison and could take the reigns. The panel consisted of longtime family leader Benedetto "Benny" Aloi, and Persico cousins Victor "Little Vic" Orena and Joseph "JoJo" Russo. In 1988, Carmine Persico decided to name Orena as his acting boss with the understanding that Allie Boy would take control of the family when he was released in May 1993.
However, Orena with the support of over 100 family members decided in 1990 that he should go to the Commission and be named the family's official boss, having the support of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. Orena notified family consigliere Carmine Sessa of his plot to dethrone the Persicos, however, Sessa notified Carmine "the Snake" Persico of the disloyal Orena, and Persico gave Sessa the order to take him out.
On June 20, 1991, a hit team led by Carmine Sessa and captain John Pate was parked outside Orena's Long Island home, but Orena spotted them and managed to escape. The Colombo family war broke out, which resulted in dozens of shootings across Brooklyn. The Orena faction was led by Pasquale Amato, Joseph Scopo and William "Wild Bill" Cutolo, lined up against Gregory Scarpa, Sr. and the much smaller sized Persico faction. Both Cutolo and Scarpa were involved in several shootings and murders personally, and the war ended when Joey Scopo was shot to death outside his Queens home by a team of Brooklyn wannabes. Orena was convicted of racketeering charges stemming from the way in 1992, and the path was cleared for Allie Boy.
While still incarcerated, Allie Boy was indicted on racketeering charges stemming from the war. Testifying against Allie Boy were former allies Carmine Sessa and John Pate, and a host of other low ranking gangsters. In August 1994, Allie Boy was acquitted, and released from prison with parole restrictions preventing him from meeting with Colombo wiseguys and as a result his cousin Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo was named acting boss.
In 1999, Allie Boy was finally able to serve as the family's acting boss, and appointed former enemy Billy Cutolo as family underboss. Shortly thereafter, Cutolo was summoned to a meeting, and has never been seen again. In 2000, Persico was sentenced to 18 months in prison on gun charges relating to a search of his boat in Flordia, in which the Coast Guard found a loaded .38 and 12-gauge shotgun.
On the day of his release, January 24, 2001, Allie Boy was indicted again in New York on loan sharking charges and held without bail as a suspect in Cutolo's disappearance. On December 20, 2001, Persico copped out and pleaded guilty to the charges and accepted a 13 year prison sentence and agreed to forfeit $1 million. In 2005, Allie Boy was indicted with John "Jackie" DeRoss for the murder of Cutolo.
