Frank Illiano

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Frank "Punchy" Illiano is a Brooklyn mafioso and former top member of the Gallo wing of the Profaci crime family. Illiano earned the name Punchy as a result of his quick stint as a boxer.

Illiano was involved in several shootouts in the wars against both Joseph Profaci and later Joseph Colombo and Carmine Persico. One story has it that Illiano planted a bomb underneath Persico's car only to have the bomb explode but fail in killing "the Snake". Colombo family turncoat Joseph Luparelli revealed that on one night in Little Italy during the late-1950s, Joey Gallo and Illiano gave a beating to a much bigger brute at a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street. Luparelli came to their aide in stomping the larger man, and Gallo took a clever from the kitchen to break open a room to shove the man inside.

In 1962, Illiano and the Gallos became "heroes" after saving the lives of several children that were trapped inside a President Street home which was destroyed by a fire. Life Magazine published an article on the hero hoods. In December 1963, Illiano was arrested on gambling, assault and weapons charges. Illiano received a 6-month prison sentence in 1965.

After Gallo's execution, in 1972 Illiano was involved in setting up the attempted murder on the Persico troops at the Neopolitan Noodle restaurant, but returned home listening to the radio only to learn that it was a group of innocent bystanders that were hit. After this mishap, the Persico faction solidified their power within the crime family and the former Gallo crew were outcasted from the family.

However, as a result of the Gallo crew's longstanding relationship with high ranking members of the Genovese crime family (which included among other Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo, Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello and Vincent Gigante), Frank Illiano and Albert Gallo would become made Genovese wiseguys. Illiano eventually became a captain, and during the late-1990s or early 2000s, served on a ruling panel while Gigante was serving a prison sentence. Illiano still operates a crew in conjunction with Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo based out of Court Street in Carroll Gardens, with gambling and loan sharking operations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island.