The location where Carmine Galante was shot dead

This is the location where Carmine Galante was shot dead.

It is situated at 205 Knickerbocker Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

Although Galante was the de facto boss of the Bonanno mafia family, this was not his official role. A few years earlier, he had seized control of the organization without the Commission's blessing.

Galante was nicknamed "The Cigar" because he was rarely seen without one. During the 1970s, he was one of the most respected and feared individuals in the mob world.

In 1974, the former underboss was released on parole after spending more than a decade in prison for drug trafficking.

Due to his reputation for ruthlessness, he quickly became one of New York's most dominant mafia figures.

"The Cigar" effectively took control of the Bonanno family after its official boss, Philip Rastelli, was sent to prison on racketeering charges in August 1976. By that point, he was so powerful that the Commission was reluctant to oppose him.

One month later, "the boss of all bosses", Carlo Gambino, died of a heart attack. This left a vacuum that Gilante and his loyalists were eager to fill.

Following Gambino's death, Gilante set about uniting the "Five Families" under his control.

During this period, he started taking over the heroin trade in New York by eliminating several of his rivals in the Gambino family.

Fearing Gilante's lust for power, the Commission finally decided that it was time for him to go.

They could no longer sit by and wait for him to usurp the entire organization.

It was time to nip their problem in the bud.

On July 12th, 1979, "The Cigar" and two of his associates were eating lunch at this location on Knickerbocker Avenue when three hitmen wearing ski masks entered the restaurant and shot them dead.

At the time, the building was home to an Italian-American restaurant called Joe and Mary's.

When the gunmen arrived, Gilante and his associates were sitting in an outdoor dining area on the back patio.

Although Gilante had two bodyguards with him, they were seemingly involved in the hit. During the shooting, the two men stood by and were left completely unharmed.

Photos

Photos of the restaurant and other related images.

Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant

Back in 1979, this building on Knickerbocker Avenue was home to Joe and Mary's Italian-American Restaurant. However, judging by Google Street View images, the property has been shuttered for more than 15 years.

In the bottom left-hand corner, you can see a photograph of the crime scene. When the police arrived, a cigar was still hanging from Carmine Galante's mouth.

205 Knickerbocker Avenue

This Google Street View image of 205 Knickerbocker Avenue was captured in November 2019.

Crime scene

This is a colorized photograph of the crime scene.

Galante had more than 80 exit wounds.