Robert Perrino

Robert Francis Perrino, also known as "Bobby Perrino" (February 9, 1938 in Fordham, Bronx – May 4, 1992 in Port Richmond, Staten Island) was the superintendent of deliveries at the New York Post from the 1970s until 1992, when he was murdered.

He was a Bonanno crime family associate of Italian-American descent.

Perrino was the leader of "The Post Circulation Crew" (as referred to by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in court) which allegedly existed to control the circulation department of (the now defunct) New York Post printing press and distribution center (located at 210 South Street) by means of extortion, coercion, the falsification of business records, larceny and bribery.

The crew also became involved in loan sharking, drug trafficking and the selling of stolen firearms.

Robert Perrino was the son-in-law of Bonanno crime family underboss and former consigliere Nicholas Marangello.

He was born to American born parents of Italian immigrants from Gallo Matese, Italy, and not to be mistaken as a relative of Anthony Peraino.

Perrino was a former New York Police Department (NYPD) law enforcement officer policing the Little Italy, Manhattan neighborhood during an unremarkable twenty-year career.

His retirement from the NYPD and introduction to his subsequent career in organized crime remains a mystery to authorities.

Perrino lived in Knickerbocker Village, where his father-in-law Nicholas Marangello and other members of the Bonanno crime family resided.

He maintained daily contact and worked alongside other crime family members at the New York Post, a mere three blocks away from his home.

Perrino was hired in the late 1960s as the Superintendent of Deliveries for the New York Post to replace Bonanno crime family mobster Anthony Michele.

Later, he moved from Knickerbocker Village to a waterfront mansion on Huntington Bay in Huntington, New York with his wife and children.

After his disappearance, police discovered in his Huntington home a stunning arsenal of firearms, including some with erased serial numbers, plus $105,000 in loose currency.

Months following his disappearance, Perrino's picture was broadcast on the television show America's Most Wanted, but the show elicited no tips.

Law enforcement officials and most Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union (NMDU) workers assumed Perrino had been murdered.

The Post Circulation Crew was formed in the early 1960s before Perrino was hired at The Post by Albert Embarrato to replace Anthony Michele, another Post Circulation Crew member who had been promoted to Director of Circulation.

Perrino led a double life as a powerful and influential associate of the Bonanno crime family for twenty years, unknown to his fellow "citizen" employees and family members.

During his employment, Perrino allowed the New York Post labor force to be infested with button-men, or "sidewalk soldiers", from the Bonanno crime family.

The Post Circulation Crew included three "made" soldiers: Richard Cantarella, Joseph D'Amico and Albert Embarrato.

They among other members of the Bonanno crime family were all employed by The Post and received wages, some of which amounted to $50,000 a year.

An estimated 51 crime family members were no-show employees while others were partially or wholly present at the newspaper distribution plant including Cantarella, D'Amico and Embarrato.

For years, through the influence of Joseph Massino and Salvatore Vitale, Perrino while leading The Post Circulation Crew organized the theft of thousands of newspapers every day and sold them to non-connected independent street vendors and stores in Manhattan and Staten Island at a rate of twenty to thirty cents each; the standard newspaper price at the time was fifty cents.

Although Perrino helped the Bonanno crime family orchestrate many rackets at the newspaper they demonstrated no interest in the actual content that was printed by The Post and did not control its content.

With Perrino's help the Bonanno crime family became entrenched at the newspaper – the mobsters organized loan shark operations to employees, sold small quantities of stolen firearms, ammunition and drugs.

Perrino collected the loan shark debts by threatening his indebted employees with chukka sticks.

While the Bonanno crime family operation prospered under Perrino, the New York State Marshals began probing La Cosa Nostra infiltration of the New York Post and Perrino became the main target and focal point of a labor racketeering probe brought on by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

As the investigation came to show promise, the U.S. Marshals planted a transmitter in Perrino's office at the distribution plant.

While Perrino was Superintendent of Distribution, he employed The Post Circulation Crew that consisted of truck drivers, Richard Cantarella, Paul Cantarella, Frank Cantarella, Joseph D'Amico, Albert Embarrato, Vincent DiSario, Gerard Bilboa, Anthony Vitale, John Vispisiano (NMDU business agent for the New York Post), Douglas LaChance (former NMDU president), Anthony Turzio, John Vispisiano (NMDU business agent for the New York Post), Michael Diana (NMDU business agent), John Nobile, Armando DiCostanzo, Leo D'Angelo (general foreman at Metropolitan News Company), James Galante, John Piervencenti (assistant foreman), Thomas Carrube (assistant foreman), Michael Alvino (NMDU President from 1989 to 1991), Joe Torre (Citiwide News Corporation business agent), Anthony Michele (Director of Circulation), Gerard Bilboa (newspaper foreman), Corey Ellenthal (newspaper foreman), Michael Fago (newspaper foreman), and for a short period of time, Salvatore Vitale's youngest son, and Anthony Vitale who worked as a delivery truck drivers.

Richard Cantarella and Robert Perrino spoke freely in his office about racketeering matters.

He was also a close friend of Bonanno crime family capo Albert Embarrato.

A wire transmitter in Perrino's office caught saying to Richard Cantarella, as reported in The Village Voice's article "The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union", "Al Walker's the smartest guy in the whole Bonanno family, and he's the toughest fuckin' guy".

Perrino was in regular contact with Bonanno crime family underboss Salvatore Vitale to whom he handed over the weekly proceeds from their racketeering ventures.

When law enforcement finally came down on the newspaper's crooked workforce, Perrino was not arrested or indicted although Bonanno crime family members and several others were caught in the sting operation – making Salvatore Vitale nervous.

A secret video camera placed in Perrino's office in late 1991 caught Perrino discussing his important role in the Bonanno crime family.

It also taped Perrino and other Post employees discussing the finer points of bootlegging, newspaper theft and passing around loaded pistols to admire.

Perrino was heard advising truck drivers, "It's bad to carry a fuckin' piece in the car, you'll have to shoot everybody", as reported in "The Newspaper Racket: Tough Guys and Wiseguys in the Truck Drivers Union" in The Village Voice.

Although Salvatore Vitale had not been named in the initial indictments, he thought that Perrino could become an informant because of his immense involvement with the rackets at the New York Post.

Perrino's father-in-law, Nicholas Marangello, was incarcerated for racketeering as a result of the Donnie Brasco investigation at the time of his execution.

Two of Perrino's executive co-workers, including his friend Director of Circulation, Anthony Michele, pleaded guilty to racketeering.

He was declared legally dead in 1997.