Anthony Peraino
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| Anthony Peraino | |
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| Born | 1915 New York, U.S. |
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| Died | September, 1996 California, U.S. |
Anthony "Big Tony" Peraino (1915 - September, 1996) was New York mobster in the Colombo crime family who financed the ground-breaking pornographic film Deep Throat. Peraino got his nickname "Big Tony" allegedly due to his weight (over 300 pounds).
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[edit] Pornography Family
A "made man in the Colombo family, Peraino helped develop pornography into organized crime's biggest moneymaker after narcotics. He was aided by his brother Joe "The Whale" Peraino, his sons Louis "Butchie" Peraino and Joseph C. Peraino, and his nephew, Joseph Pereino,Jr., all of whom belonged to the Colombo family
[edit] Deep Throat
The Peraino family financed and produced the most profitable pornographic film of all time — Deep Throat. Louis produced the movie and his father Anthony and Uncle Joe fronted $22,500 in production costs. When it became evident that Deep Throat was a hit, the Perainos started pressuring theatre owners for about 50% of all proceeds. To ensure compliance, they sent spies or "checkers" to movie houses to count the number of patrons and compare that count against ticket sales figures.
Anthony and Louis used profits from Deep Throat to build a vast financial empire in the 1970s that included, according to the FBI, "ownership of garment companies in New York and Miami and investment companies" (LA Times 6/13/82).
Joseph Peraino later became involved in the distribution of another very successful pornographic film, the "Devil in Miss Jones".
[edit] Pornography Bust
Almost from the time of Deep Throat's release in 1972, prosecutors started going after the Peraino family. In 1975, Anthony and brother Joseph were convicted for conspiracy to distribute Deep Throat. In 1976, Anthony was convicted on conspiracy to ship obscene material interstate. This conviction was for the distribution of Deep Throat on video tape. However, before he could be sentenced, he jumped bail and disappeared for the next five years, reportedly to Italy.
In February, 1979, as part of the MIPORN Operation, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided adult movie theaters, warehouses, retail stores, and offices across the country. Anthony's two sons were arrested in the New York office of their company, Arrow Film and Video, and charged with interstate shipment of obscenity in the form of hardcore videos. Louis received six years in prison and Joseph C. received three years.
In 1981, in poor health, Anthony turned himself in to authorities. In 1982 in Memphis, Tennessee, Anthony was sentence to ten months in prison and $15,000 in fines for his 1976 conviction and for jumping bail.
[edit] Decline of the Perainos
With the Perainos under siege from law enforcement, gang rivals started muscling in on their pornography business. On January 4, 1982, gunmen chased down Anthony's brother Joseph and nephew Joseph C. in a residential area of Gravesend, Brooklyn. Joseph Sr. was paralyzed and Joseph Jr. was killed.
In 1986, Anthony was reportedly involved in producing and distributing pornography out of Florida. He and Louis controlled an adult movie theatre, the Gamecock, in Broward County, Florida.
In September, 1996, Anthony Peraino died in California of natural causes.
