On June 28, 1971, Colombo was shot in the head by an assailant in front of thousands during an Italian-American Civil Rights League rally. Colombo’s bodyguards killed the assassin, an African-American identified as Jerome Johnson whose motive, including whether he had been recruited by another LCN faction to carry out the hit, was never determined. After lingering for seven years in a coma, Colombo died. Meanwhile, Carmine Persico took over as boss of the organization, but within less than a decade wound up in federal prison for life after the celebrated 1986 “Commission Trial” that resulted in the convictions of several LCN bosses and their top lieutenants.

 In 1989, Persico appointed Victor Orena acting boss of the family on the condition that he step down in favor of Persico’s son, Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico, upon Alphonse’s release from prison. Orena did not relinquish the position, however, and by 1991 all five New York-based LCN families acknowledged Orena as boss of the Colombo group. The family split into opposing factions, one loyal to Orena and the other favoring Persico. This led to internecine warfare in 1991 and 1992, more than a dozen deaths of faction loyalists and an attempted assassination of Orena. Convicted of murder- racketeering charges, Orena received three consecutive life sentences. Finally, Alphonse Persico became boss in 1999. Scheduled for release from prison in January 2001, Alphonse was federally indicted on loan-sharking, extortion and other charges. He pled guilty to those charges, forfeited $1 million to the U.S. government and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

Following a June 2002 “hung” jury on related charges, Colombo member Aurelio “Ray” Cagno was convicted in state Superior Court in Monmouth County on March 5, 2004, for the May 1993 murder of Colombo member James Randazzo in Tinton Falls, N.J. Randazzo had been the target of a racketeering probe focusing on the Colombo group’s activities in New Jersey. Two weeks before his arrest, Cagno had been released from prison after serving time for conspiracy to murder Colombo consigliere Vincent Angellino. That killing was part of a racketeering conspiracy charge for which Cagno also was convicted on March 5. Cagno faces life in prison for the murder conviction and up to 20 years for racketeering when he is sentenced on June 4, 2004. Another Colombo member, Salvatore Lombardino, pled guilty to participating in Randazzo’s murder and was sentenced to 17 years. Lombardino was granted immunity

 from state prosecution for testifying against Cagno. When he later refused to testify for the prosecution, Lombardino was indicted on charges of contempt and obstruction of justice. On the other hand, Cagno’s brother, Rocco Cagno, who is in the federal witness protection program, testified against him. Prior to his murder, Randazzo had sponsored both Cagno brothers for induction into the Colombo family. Aurelio Cagno, Lombardino and Randazzo were all Colombo members engaged mostly in illegal gambling with the family’s northern New Jersey crew.

While Carmine Persico still runs the Colombo group from within federal prison, Joel J. Cacace serves as acting boss for day-to-day operations. In January 2003, Cacace and 12 others were charged with murder and racketeering. The indictment alleges that among the hits ordered against mobsters was an order to kill former federal prosecutor William I. Aronwald. According to the indictment, this mistakenly resulted in the slaying of Aronwald’s father. The two hit men who botched the assignment were subsequently killed on Cacace’s orders. In February 2003, Cacace and more than 40 other defendants from both the Colombo and Genovese crime families were charged with racketeering and extortion involving Locals 14 and 15 of the Operating Engineers union. The two LCN groups allegedly skimmed millions of dollars from prominent city construction projects, including baseball stadiums and the Museum of Modern Art.

The onslaught of prosecutions extended to the remaining leadership position in the Colombo group. In June 2003, Colombo consigliere Ralph Lombardo and other members and associates were charged with racketeering, loan-sharking, illegal gambling and witness tampering relating to criminal activities conducted in various localities in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and upstate New York.

 The Colombo family’s current strength is estimated at approximately 112 members and 500 associates. Their illicit activities include drug trafficking, extortion, illegal gambling, labor racketeering, loan-sharking, pornography, hijacking, and securities fraud. More than 40 members and associates are active in New Jersey.