William Cutolo

William Cutolo (June 6, 1949 – May 26, 1999), also known as "Billy Fingers" and "Wild Bill", was an Italian-American mobster in the Colombo crime family of New York City who rose to the position of underboss and was heavily involved in labor racketeering.

Cutolo rose up the ranks of the Colombo crime family during the late 1980s under acting boss Victor Orena.

Originally a soldier in captain Pasquale Amato's crew, Cutolo soon became one of the family's more powerful leaders.

Cutolo was successful because he made much money and commanded a crew of hitmen.

His crew included Joseph Petillo, Dominick Dionisio, Michael Spataro, Ralph Guccione, Vincent "Chickie" DeMartino, Michael Donato and his son William Cutolo Jr. Cutolo earned the nickname "Billy Fingers" because he was missing one finger and another one was mutilated due to an occupational accident at a hamburger store.

During the 1980s, Cutolo became the president and business agent for Teamsters Union local 861 in New York.

In 1988, Cutolo was honored as the National Leukemia Association's Man of the Year.

Cutolo paid for their holiday parties and dressed up every year as Santa Claus for the National Children's Leukemia Association in Borough Park, Brooklyn as his son, William Jr., handed out gifts and posed for pictures with the stricken children.

In 1989, Cutolo earned his nickname "Wild Bill" after beating a man with a baseball bat.

Cutolo was fond of cowboy boots and frequently wore a large brown ten-gallon hat.

He operated Bill's Friendly Bocce social club in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn as his headquarters.

Cutolo was the best man at mobster John "Jackie" DeRoss's wedding, the man who would eventually participate in his murder.

Unyielding in negotiations and harsh with his crew members, Cutolo made no secret of his ambition to become boss of the Colombo family.

In 1990, Cutolo had his third daughter, Dana, with his wife Bette Anne Fox, from Brooklyn.

William Jr. followed his father into illegal gambling and loansharking and was eventually convicted of extortion and racketeering.

Cutolo was also involved with several charities.

He was a fundraising chairman and board member for the National Leukemia Research Association in Garden City, New York.

Cutolo sat on the Medical Advisory Committee as Chairman of "Team Leukemia", and was associated with the New York chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Rye Brook, New York.

He helped raise $400,000 for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 204 as well as many other locals over the years.

However, in 1990, Cutolo resigned his positions the day before the Teamsters Union was planning to expel him for organized crime ties.

Cutolo also gained control of District Council (DC) 37, a local of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Cutolo and his close friend mobster Thomas DiNardo used Council 37 to steer jobs to Colombo associates and spending towards Colombo-controlled vendors and resorts.

Cutolo was not afraid to use intimidation to maintain power.

In 1990, Cutolo sent thugs to beat up 72-year-old Vincent Parisi, the head of a Laborers Union local with colon cancer.

During a meeting several days earlier, Parisi had cursed at Cutolo and thrown a paper ball at his face.

During the 1990s, Cutolo also became vice president of the new Local 400 of the Industrial & Production Workers Union, a city workers union.

He was later accused of using the union's name to receive money from companies seeking to avoid union organizers.

Cutolo also extorted money from companies such as Embassy Terrace, a Brooklyn caterer.

The company was in severe financial trouble when it approached Cutolo for help.

In return his investment, Cutolo gained control over the enterprise.

Cutolo also controlled several restaurants and nightclubs In New York and Miami, Florida.

Cutolo played a key role in the 1991 to 1993 Colombo war.

William Cutolo, christened Guglielmo Cutolo, was born in Potenza in Basilicata and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

William Sr. was the brother of Gertrude, Barbara, and Geraldine Cutolo.

He had three daughters and a son named William Jr. to previous wife Margurite Butera.

In 1991, Cutolo became enmeshed in a bloody war for control of the Colombo family.

Acting boss Victor Orena had challenged Carmine Persico, still in prison, on the naming of his son Alphonse Persico as acting boss.

In 1998, New York City newspapers reported on links between Council 37 and the National Leukemia Research Foundation, Cutolo's favorite charity.

Investigators questioned whether cash donations from union officials were actually being received by the Foundation.

In 1998, Cutolo and mobster Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo allegedly formed a partnership with German corporation Siemens AG behind dummy investors on a cell phone deal in Russia.