The Genovese crime family often referred to as the Ivy League of organized crime has been one of the more low key New York mafia families for decades. Who exactly has been in control of the Cosa Nostra powerhouse has been a topic of debate for some time.
According to multiple sources quoted by Jerry Capeci and ganglandnews, including those in law enforcement circles Liborio “Barney” Bellomo is allegedly the current Genovese family boss. The 59 year old mobster has been calling the shots and sitting atop the ranks of the family very quietly for the last few years according to reports. Bellomo has been a powerful member of he family for years and was appointed as acting boss in the late 1980’s by then boss Vincent Gigante.
“Barney Bellomo“
According to the report Bellomo learned a lot from former boss Gigante and is using a street boss to relay orders to the family’s capos and soldiers. Long time capo Peter “Petey Red” DiChiara now allegedly serves as the families “street boss” or in somewhat of an acting boss capacity for Bellomo. The infamous Gigante used a similar arrangement years ago in his heyday electing Fat Tony Salerno to serve as an upfront boss helping to keep him under law enforcement’s radar. But one source claimed it was clear Bellomo was the boss and it was one reason why mobsters from both the Bronx and Brooklyn have been making their way to a social club owned by Petey Red in lower Manhattan.
Bellomo has been on the feds radar for years and his seven year reign as acting boss for Gigante from 1989-96 ended in an indictment. He was sent to prison for 12 years after copping a plea on two racketeering indictments in which he was accused or ordering multiple mob hits. He was able to skate around the murder charges by pleading guilty to extortion and served his time from 1996 to 2008. He has been extremely low key and squeaky clean since his 2008 release, which included three years of supervised release. But law enforcement sources claim even though it hasn’t been proven that he has committed a crime since then there is no doubt he is the Genovese family boss.
