“Ruler” they called him. That’s what “Malayak” meant. It was Joseph Magliocco’s nickname. He was a man who exuded danger. He projected confidence.
Here stands the testament of a life steeped in the shadows. This is a story of Joseph Magliocco. He rose from Sicilian roots to become a New York mob boss. He headed the Profaci crime family. It later became the Colombo crime family.
Born Giuseppe Magliocco in 1898, he hailed from Portella di Mare near Palermo. Imagine young Giuseppe. Did he dream of power as he wandered these streets? Did he envision a life far removed from his Sicilian home?
Magliocco’s journey took him to America. He became entangled in the world of organized crime. By 1928, he was already a figure of importance. He attended a meeting of New York mobsters in Cleveland. The police briefly detained him on weapons charges.
The Castellammarese War erupted in 1931. Magliocco and Profaci attempted to remain neutral. The conflict ended. New York gangs were reorganized into five crime families. Profaci and Magliocco were confirmed as boss and underboss.
In 1957, authorities arrested Magliocco at the Apalachin Conference. It was a national mob meeting. He was convicted of conspiracy. A court overturned the verdict. Trouble brewed within the Profaci family. The Gallos kidnapped Magliocco and other top men in 1961. Profaci negotiated their release. A bloody war erupted between the factions.
Profaci died in 1962. Magliocco became the new boss. But the Mafia Commission did not endorse him. He increased the violence against the Gallo faction. Car bombs and shootings became commonplace.
In 1963, Magliocco participated in a plot with Joseph Bonanno. They planned to assassinate other family bosses. The goal was to take over the Mafia Commission. Magliocco tasked Joseph Colombo with killing Lucchese and Gambino. But Colombo betrayed him.
The Commission summoned Bonanno and Magliocco. Bonanno fled. Magliocco confessed. The Commission spared his life. He had to retire and pay a fine. Colombo was rewarded with the Profaci family.
Joseph Magliocco died of a heart attack in December 1963. He was 65. Authorities exhumed his body in 1969. They suspected poisoning. No poison was found.
Magliocco’s life was one of ambition and violence. He was a mob boss who rose and fell. His story is a reminder of the dark underbelly of power. He left his mark on the history of organized crime. He was a figure of fear and respect. Joseph “Joe Malayak” Magliocco. His name echoes even today.