Joseph Profaci, a name etched in the annals of American organized crime, was one of the original Five Families bosses that shaped the New York Mafia during the mid-20th century. His journey from a modest childhood to the helm of a powerful criminal organization is a testament to the allure and ruthlessness of La Cosa Nostra.

Early Life and Entry into the World of Crime:

Joseph Profaci was born on October 2, 1897, in Villabate, Sicily. At the age of two, he immigrated to the United States with his family, settling in Brooklyn, New York. Profaci grew up in an environment rife with organized crime, as the Italian-American Mafia, or La Cosa Nostra, was taking root in the urban landscape. This environment would have a profound impact on his future.

Profaci’s journey into organized crime began as a young man when he joined a Sicilian gang. His criminal activities included illegal gambling, extortion, and loan sharking. He quickly gained a reputation as a shrewd and ruthless operator, and his rise within the criminal underworld was swift.

Rise to Power and Leadership of the Profaci Family:

Joseph Profaci’s ascent in the Mafia hierarchy was marked by a combination of strategic thinking and ruthless tactics. By the 1930s, he had established himself as a formidable force in the world of organized crime. In 1928, he officially became the boss of what would later become known as the Profaci crime family.

Under Profaci’s leadership, the Profaci family became involved in various criminal enterprises, including bootlegging during the Prohibition era and the lucrative olive oil industry, which earned Profaci the nickname “Olive Oil King.” His control over these operations allowed him to accumulate vast wealth and expand his influence.

Joseph Profaci as a Boss:

Profaci’s leadership style was characterized by a combination of both cunning strategy and an iron-fisted approach. He was not hesitant to use violence to maintain discipline within his ranks and settle disputes. His ruthless reputation and strategic acumen made him a feared and respected figure in the world of organized crime. However, this approach also earned him his fair share of rivals and enemies.

Rivalries and Joe Columbo’s Ascendancy:

Joseph Profaci’s reign as boss was marred by bitter conflicts with rival mobsters, most notably the Bonanno crime family. In the early 1960s, a particularly vicious feud erupted with Profaci pitted against the Bonanno family underboss, Joseph Magliocco. These hostilities came to a head with the infamous “Banana War,” which was ultimately resolved through negotiations.

It was during these turbulent times that Joseph Colombo, an ambitious mobster, made his move. Colombo leveraged the instability within the Profaci family to rise through the ranks. In 1963, he assumed control of the family and, in a bold move, renamed it the Colombo crime family in his honor. This name change signaled a break with the family’s history under Joseph Profaci and symbolized a new era for the organization.

The End of Joseph Profaci:

Joseph Profaci’s health began to deteriorate in the early 1960s, and he spent his last years battling cancer. On June 6, 1962, he succumbed to the disease. His passing marked the end of an era in the Profaci crime family. While his leadership style was ruthless and characterized by internal strife, he was a respected figure among the other bosses of the Five Families. His legacy lived on in the form of a crime family that would later bear the name of Joe Colombo, a name synonymous with the New York Mafia in the latter part of the 20th century.