Anthony Spero, was also called popularly the ‘Old Man’, was born in the year 1929. It was during his early 20s that he got familiar with the organized crime on Brooklyn streets. He became a consigliere and New York’s Bonanno Mafia family acting boss for two times. Carmine Galante, the underboss of Bonanno crime family and close confident of Anthony during his early years, was the one, who had shown him the way of the life of a mobster. Being Bonanno street soldier and belonging to ‘Galante’, Spero could not be ordered by any other mobster as to what needs to be done, as it was Galante only who gave orders to him. This automatically provided him with quick ways to make wealth in during the 1950’s & 60’s.
His personal life
Spero just like Galante kept a low profile and engaged in hobbies like breeding pigeons in Bensonhurst on an apartment roof. He had spent a good amount of time with his pigeons, while held meetings with the other Mafia members, being out of FBI’s prying eyes. He did own a home at Staten Island, but spent most of the time in Brooklyn. He was married happily and had two daughters named Diana and Jill.
To avoid jail time due to charges related to drug and conspiracy, Galante in 1958 had gone into hiding. The Bonanno family’s acting boss during this time was Natale Evola, while the regular activities of the family were taken care of by Spero, with no real promotion witnessed. But Galante got convicted and then sentenced to prison for 20 years on 10th July 1962.
Rise to high rankings
Spero in 1968 got promotion to become a Consigliere within the Bonanno family after Joe and Bill Bonanno had been compelled to take retirement after a failed attempt in capturing the Commission. The acting boss still was Evola, but died of cancer in 1973. The new acting boss was Phillip Rasteli, while Spero remained in Consigliere spot.
With Galante back to head the family in 1974 after being released, Spero was to lead a crew as caporegime. On 14th June 1977, he became the family’s official made man. But after the death of Carmine Galante in 1979 and Rastelli’s imprisonment in 1987 along with Massino, his protégé, Spero got the promotion as acting boss. With the death of Rastelli in 19971, Spero again became the acting boss. On his arrest and being convicted on 5th April 2001, Spero was 73 years old and spent the remaining life in Butner’s Butner Federal Correctional Facility, North Carolina and died on 29th September 2008.