12 Facts About Tommy Gagliano

Tommy Gagliano was a low-profile boss for over two decades.

Tommy Gagliano's successor was his longtime loyalist and underboss, Tommy Lucchese.

Tommy Gagliano was underboss to Gaetano "Tom" Reina until he became the boss of the family in 1930.

Tommy Gagliano was the cousin of mob boss Thomas Eboli's chauffeur and bodyguard, future Genovese crime family underboss Dominick Alongi, who would later achieve notoriety when they were among the many mobsters arrested fleeing the famous 1957 Apalachin Meeting.

Tommy Gagliano was a blood relative of mobster Joseph Gagliano, who became a childhood friend and early accomplice of future government witness Joseph Valachi.

Tommy Gagliano took over the old Reina family, with Lucchese as his underboss.

In 1932, Tommy Gagliano was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 15 months in the Atlanta Penitentiary.

Tommy Gagliano steered the family through a period of high tension between the Five Families.

Tommy Gagliano had to be very careful in the face of this alliance, and was keen to keep a low profile while furthering the business interests of his section of Cosa Nostra, in areas such as gasoline rationing, meat and black market sugar.

Tommy Gagliano usually issued his orders through his close allies, particularly Lucchese, who served as the family's public face and de facto street boss.

In 1951, Lucchese stated during the Senate hearings on organized crime that Tommy Gagliano died on February 16,1951.

Tommy Gagliano is interred in a private mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.