Anthony Anastasio
Anastasio, Anthony "Tough Tony" (1906–1963): Waterfront racketeer
For about three decades, until his death in 1963, Tough Tony Anastasio ruled the New York waterfront with an iron fist. A vice president of the International Longshoremen's Association and head of Local 1814, he had other, more important, unofficial offices. Although never officially connected to Murder, Inc., and brother
Albert, Tony rarely had to say more than "my brother Albert" to make a point. (Albert Anastasia, the notorious lord high executioner of Murder, Inc., was head of one of New York's five Mafia crime families. Tony kept the original spelling of the family name but he was always ready to invoke Anastasia's name to make a point and solidify his position on the docks. It worked like a charm.)
Tony was ever loyal to Albert. He once confronted a reporter for the New York World-Telegram and Sun and demanded: "How come you keep writing all those bad things about my brother Albert? He ain't killed nobody in your family ... yet."
Because dock rivals knew Tough Tony had the full weight of the mob behind him, they never seriously challenged him. As a result, Tony's word was supreme. During World War II, as part of a Mafia plot he orchestrated the sabotage of the French luxury liner S.S. Normandie, demonstrating to federal authorities that the docks weren't safe unless the Mafia received concessions. "Concessions" equalled the transfer of Lucky Luciano, then imprisoned in Dannemora, the "Siberia" of New York state's penal system, to a far less restrictive prison. The demand met, Luciano saw to it that no other ships were burned in New York and did other "good works'' for the war effort. In 1946, he was pardoned by Governor Thomas E. Dewey. On February 9 Luciano was escorted aboard the Laura Keene, docked in Brooklyn's Bush Terminal. A mob of reporters tried to follow but some 50 longshoremen carrying menacing-looking bailing hooks kept them away. Tough Tony saw to it that only top gangland figures were permitted on board to bid Luciano farewell on his deportation to Italy. It was, observers said, Tough Tony's finest hour.
The fact remained that Anastasio only rose as far as his brother's clout permitted. When Albert was murdered in 1957, Tony raced to the barbershop in Manhattan to identify the body. Then, it developed, he rushed to Frank Costello's apartment where a visitor found them embracing each other and sobbing. Costello expressed a fear that he would be the next one marked for death. It went without saying Tough Tony's power would wane. How much did not become known for many years.
Carlo Gambino succeeded as head of the Anastasia crime family and in due course Tough Tony was reduced to figurehead status. The assault on Anastasio's ego was enough to loosen his tongue and he started talking to the Justice Department. Before he could be developed into a full scale informant, he died of natural causes in 1963.
For about three decades, until his death in 1963, Tough Tony Anastasio ruled the New York waterfront with an iron fist. A vice president of the International Longshoremen's Association and head of Local 1814, he had other, more important, unofficial offices. Although never officially connected to Murder, Inc., and brother
Albert, Tony rarely had to say more than "my brother Albert" to make a point. (Albert Anastasia, the notorious lord high executioner of Murder, Inc., was head of one of New York's five Mafia crime families. Tony kept the original spelling of the family name but he was always ready to invoke Anastasia's name to make a point and solidify his position on the docks. It worked like a charm.)
Tony was ever loyal to Albert. He once confronted a reporter for the New York World-Telegram and Sun and demanded: "How come you keep writing all those bad things about my brother Albert? He ain't killed nobody in your family ... yet."
Because dock rivals knew Tough Tony had the full weight of the mob behind him, they never seriously challenged him. As a result, Tony's word was supreme. During World War II, as part of a Mafia plot he orchestrated the sabotage of the French luxury liner S.S. Normandie, demonstrating to federal authorities that the docks weren't safe unless the Mafia received concessions. "Concessions" equalled the transfer of Lucky Luciano, then imprisoned in Dannemora, the "Siberia" of New York state's penal system, to a far less restrictive prison. The demand met, Luciano saw to it that no other ships were burned in New York and did other "good works'' for the war effort. In 1946, he was pardoned by Governor Thomas E. Dewey. On February 9 Luciano was escorted aboard the Laura Keene, docked in Brooklyn's Bush Terminal. A mob of reporters tried to follow but some 50 longshoremen carrying menacing-looking bailing hooks kept them away. Tough Tony saw to it that only top gangland figures were permitted on board to bid Luciano farewell on his deportation to Italy. It was, observers said, Tough Tony's finest hour.
The fact remained that Anastasio only rose as far as his brother's clout permitted. When Albert was murdered in 1957, Tony raced to the barbershop in Manhattan to identify the body. Then, it developed, he rushed to Frank Costello's apartment where a visitor found them embracing each other and sobbing. Costello expressed a fear that he would be the next one marked for death. It went without saying Tough Tony's power would wane. How much did not become known for many years.
Carlo Gambino succeeded as head of the Anastasia crime family and in due course Tough Tony was reduced to figurehead status. The assault on Anastasio's ego was enough to loosen his tongue and he started talking to the Justice Department. Before he could be developed into a full scale informant, he died of natural causes in 1963.
posted by Mak | 4:33 AM
1 Comments:
good story and true
billkennedy
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