(1) Know Your New York: Stories from Columbus Circle

Know Your New York: Stories from Columbus Circle
By: Sarit Ofer-Moran

Whether you're a resident or a commuter, you've been through Columbus Circle a million times. Maybe you even took pictures of it your freshman year, psyched to finally make use of the camera you bought with half your graduation money. But have you ever taken the time to truly appreciate your surroundings?

One night, a coffee-induced reverie inspired me to search for more than the name of the guy in the middle of the circle, and what I found was pretty cool. I don't expect you to explore the World Wide Web for hints about Columbus Circle after buying some overpriced drink at Starbucks like I did, however. Instead, inside every issue of Dímelo will be another story about the history of Columbus Circle.

Let's start with...

THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF JOE COLOMBO: June 28, 1971: Columbus Circle was the site for the Second Annual Italian-American Civil Rights League Rally.

The FBI were dumbfounded that Joseph Colombo, the head of one of the "Five Families" - the most important Mafia Families in America, started an organization against the discrimination and harassment of the Italian American people. What they regarded as a joke quickly received an outpouring of support, even from people like the United States Attorney General, John Mitchell, and New York Governor, Nelson Rockefeller. The previous year, Frank Sinatra headlined at Madison Square Garden in a benefit for the League.

At the Second Annual Rally, five U.S. representatives as well as various entertainers were on stage. But the main act was Colombo. Fifty thousand people roared their approval as Joe Colombo approached the red, white, blue and green stage. The league had named Colombo Man of the Year, regardless of the fact that he had been sentenced to two and half years in jail earlier in the year.

All this publicity was troubling to more than just the FBI. Not only had Colombo gone on talk shows, he had been extremely forthcoming while on the stand in a trial about some nicknames and dollar amounts found in his employee's briefcase.

According to Colombo, the dollar amounts were donations to the Civil Rights League, and named the names of the "organization donors," many of which were also heads of Mafia Families. The mob bosses weren't too pleased that Colombo so freely gave out their names, no matter in what context. One especially concerned boss was Carl Gambino, and it is rumored that when Gambino approached Colombo with his concerns, Colombo literally spit in his face.

By 1971, Joe Colombo had amassed quite a few enemies. His public life had certainly cast an undesirable spotlight on the underbelly of New York City. But more than that, there were people who were hungry to take hold of Colombo's power themselves, and a good hit would get the job done. Despite Colombo being one of the most progressive Family heads in mob history, some people in the Family felt that he was self-centered, inexperienced, and indulgent. The Gallo brothers, especially "Crazy" Joey, were bitter about their comparatively smaller piece of the pie, and felt they deserved to be head of the Colombo Family.Joe Colombo was making his way toward the stage's podium as three shots rang out in the middle of Columbus Circle.

A street hustler named Jerome Johnson, disguised as a photojournalist, put three holes into Colombo's head. Immediately afterward, Johnson was gunned down by an "unidentified assailant." Though Colombo lived, he was effectively "made a vegetable," as he was comatose for the remaining seven years of his life. "Crazy" Joey was the police force's first suspect, as he was known to encourage the Mafia to fraternize with the black Harlem underworld, and Johnson was black. Another suspect was Carl Gambino, who had a connection to the assassin. However, no one has ever found any substantial proof, and on the record Jerome Johnson is a lone gunman.

Many people celebrated when Joe Colombo was incapacitated, and probably not least was "Crazy" Joey Gallo. During 1972, "Crazy" Joey gained power in the Mob, kept a lion in his basement to put a scare in deadbeats, acquired fame through a movie based on him (The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight), hung out with the Hollywood crowd, and was shot dead next to his Cadillac on Mulberry Street. You would have thought Joey would have learned from Joe Colombo: fame isn't good for business.