The restaurant where Joe Gallo was killed

This is the location where mobster Joe Gallo was shot dead in 1972.

It is situated at 129 Mulberry Street in Manhattan, New York.

At the time, it was known as Umberto's Clam House. Today, the building houses an Italian eatery called Da Gennaro.

Background

"Crazy Joe" Gallo was a notable figure in the New York underworld. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he had a nervous tic and an explosive personality. He was also an avid reader of classical literature and a Mafioso who associated with actors and other members of the city's high society.

Gallo began as an enforcer for the Profaci crime family. He gained notoriety by reportedly participating in the 1957 murder of crime boss Albert Anastasia.

In 1960, Gallo and his brothers clashed with Joe Profaci, the head of their family. The following year, they initiated the First Colombo War when they kidnapped four of his top men and demanded a ransom. Profaci agreed to pay but never intended to honor the peace agreement.

A few months later, the Profaci family murdered Joseph Gioielli, a member of Gallo's crew. They also attempted to kill Gallo's brother, Larry Gallo.

Gallo's personal involvement in the war was short-lived. In November 1961, he was sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison for conspiracy and racketeering. The war continued during his imprisonment, and by 1963, the feud had claimed at least 10 lives.

The bloodshed prompted both sides to agree to a peace deal. During this period, the Profaci family underwent leadership changes after its boss died of cancer.

By the time Gallo finished his prison sentence, Joseph Colombo had assumed control, and the organization had become known as the Colombo family.

Release from prison

When Gallo was released from prison in 1971, he claimed the original agreement did not apply to him because he was incarcerated and had no say in the negotiations.

To placate him, Colombo offered $1,000. Gallo demanded $100,000, which Colombo refused.

Shortly after, an African American man shot Colombo three times at an Italian-American Civil Rights League rally, leaving him paralyzed.

Police concluded that Gallo was not behind the attack, but the Colombo family believed otherwise and decided to have him killed.

Killing

On April 7, 1972, roughly two months after Umberto's Clam House opened, Gallo was celebrating his 43rd birthday at the restaurant with his family and bodyguard when three gunmen entered and opened fire.

Witnesses said Gallo yelled obscenities at the attackers and attempted to shoot back. He was hit multiple times and eventually collapsed, dying on the street outside. After the attack, the assailants fled in a waiting vehicle.

Police never identified the killers. Gallo's murder remains unsolved, and no one has been charged with the crime.

Umberto's closed in 1996 due to financial difficulties. The restaurant reopened nearby at 178 Mulberry Street four years later before moving to number 132 in 2010.