Joe Colombo was boss of the Crime Family that now bears his name from 1963 untill he was taken out in 1971. When he became boss at the age of 40 he was the youngest Mafia boss in US history. Colombo isn't just famous for his criminal activities though, he also founded the Italian-American Civil Rights League, of which he also was boss. In the end that was one of the best things to come out of Joe Colombo's life, for the public, for him....it probably was the worst thing he could've done.

Colombo didn't start out as a crime figure right away. In his early years he joined the coast guard, this was during the second world war. Things didn't move easy though and pretty soon Colombo got into so much trouble that he was treated for psychoneurosis in a naval hospital and given a medical discharge. He collected a disability allowance. At the war’s end, he was working on the piers of New York as a muscleman and an organizer of rigged dice games. Soon he was working his way up the ladder of opportunity within the Profaci family.

By the late 50s Joe Colombo became a 'made' man in the Profaci Crime Family headed by Joseph Profaci. To everybody who knew him Joe Colombo was a man with charisma and flair. He was well spoken, articulate and always got respect. Colombo was a small squarly built muscular man who could change from that well spoken man into a raging bull within a second. But still besides that Joe Colombo was a gentleman all the way.

Joe Colombo became one of Joseph Profaci's main enforcers and quickly moved up to Capo status. Colombo had proved himself to be a capable man. He was part of a five man hitteam, he and his squad were at least credited with 15 kills. He was tough, smart and allready said: capable. So when in 1962 Profaci died and his brother in law and underboss Guiseppe Magliocco took over and called Colombo in for an important assignment there was no reason for Magliocco to think that this was going to end bad. When Profaci died and Magliocco took over the real man in charge was Joseph Bonanno Boss of his own Family. Bonanno wanted to be the boss of bosses and had a nice scheme to achieve that goal, but he needed some help of Magliocco. Bonanno wanted to take out the ones who were in controll and in his way: Carlo Gambino, Thomas Lucchese and Stefano Magaddino. Magliocco needed someone who could be trusted and who could finish the job in a good way, and so he called for Colombo to take care of it. And Colombo probably would've, but not this time.

Before he joined the Profaci family, Colombo had worked for the Pride Meat Co., a company controlled by Paul Gambino, brother of Carlo. Gambino had taken a fatherly interest in the young Colombo, and it was ultimately through his auspices that Colombo found a place in the Profaci family. Although Joe had served Profaci well, he owed no loyalty to Magliocco or Bonanno. When the plan was unveiled to him, Joe went straight to Carlo Gambino and spilt the beans. Gambino immediately called a meeting of the Commission and ordered Bonanno and Magliocco to appear for a hearing. Joe Bonanno went into hiding and Magliocco showed up, confessed to his sins, accepted a fine of $50,000 and retired from mob life. Carlo Gambino, now the most powerful boss of any crime family, put pressure on the Commission to approve his nomination of Joe Colombo to head the Profaci family. It was unanimously approved and, at the age of 40, Joseph Colombo was top boss, the youngest mob boss appointed in America.

By the late 1960s Joe Colombo was a successful mob boss. At this time there were three major factions in the family: the Gallos, the Persico crew and Joe’s own personal crew. The Gallos were relatively small, unruly and violent street thugs, who lacked the strength to take Colombo on directly, although they had been a major disruption in their struggle with Joseph Profaci. The Persico faction was the enforcement arm of the Colombo Crime Family. Colombo's own crew was headed up by John "Sonny" Franzese.

When on April 30, 1970, an FBI Strike Force arrested his son Joe Jr. and charged him with melting down $500,000 worth of US coins illegally for their silver content. There and then Colombo came up with the idea of forming a group to picket the FBI Offices at 69th Street in Manhattan, protesting against the harassment of Italian Americans. From that protest came the formation of the Italian American Anti Defamation League, which eventually grew into the Italian American Civil Rights League. Colombo appointed himself leader of this movement. It was at this time that law officials and the media began to refer to his outfit as "The Colombo Family" rather than "The Profaci Family." Three months later on June 29, the first rally of the group was called to celebrate Italian Unity Day, at Columbus Circle in mid-town Manhattan. Over 50,000 people turned up. The circus had begun. The League grew and prospered. In November 1970, Frank Sinatra and other top stars performed at a Madison Square Garden benefit and raised $500,000. Most of which went straight to the Mafia. People lined up and paid money straight into the Mob’s pockets. By the end of 1970, Colombo had achieved a minor miracle the League had grown to 150,000 members, with over 50 chapters across the country, and raised more than $1 million, most of which went straight to the founder. Joe had perpetrated the ultimate rip-off: a million-dollar racket that was all above board. In March 1971, at a swank Long Island restaurant, the League proclaimed him " Man of the Year." In his acceptance speech he said, "The League is under God’s eyes and those who try to stop it will feel his sting. And Colombo would sure feel that sting.

On 29th of June 1970, Joe Colombo had a second rally on the agenda, the venue would again be Columbus Circle. Joe had become, by this time, obsessed with the movement and the media atention but behind the scenes, the other mob bosses were worried about all the publicity and the growing public awareness of " their thing."

On June 28, a sunny Monday morning, Joe was ready for his big day. He was picked up and driven to Columbus Circle. He arrived at the venue and walked over to the speaker's platform. His sons Joe Jr. and Anthony were already there helping with the arrangements, as were about 50 of his men. Also present were police, T.V. reporters, newspaper photographers and about 4000 visitors. As Colombo approached the platform, a young black man holding a 16-millimeter camera moved close filming Colombo. As Joe reached the steps to the platform, the black man dropped the camera, pulled out a pistol and shot Colombo three times into the head and neck from less than three feet away. Joe stumbled forward onto the steps as his son Joe Jr., another Colombo soldier and two police officers grabbed the black man, Jerome Johnson, and wrestled him to the ground. As the cops struggled to handcuff Johnson, a short, stocky man pushed forward and leaning over between the outstretched legs of one of the officers, shot Johnson dead, and then escaped into the crowds teeming around the platform. Critically wounded, Colombo was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital where surgeons fought to save his life. Although he survived the initial wounds, he never recovered and lived the life of a vegetable lingering for years at his estate in New York. He died on May 23, 1978 and was buried out of his own funeral home, Prospero’s on 86th Street, Brooklyn.

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