Anthony M. Scotto was born on May 10, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York, into a family deeply embedded with labor unions and the mob. His mother, Marion Anastasio Scotto, was the sister of Albert Anastasia, who controlled Murder Incorporated and later became boss to what would be called The Gambino Crime Family. His father, Anthony J. Scotto Sr., a longshoreman union official, supported Richard Nixon’s successful presidential campaigns in 1968/1972.
Scotto grew up in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn and learned early on, from a young age, raised by Sicilian immigrants who worked painstakingly to save enough money for trade school tuition (he never made it), that life holds two possible pathways: the working-class one with calluses earned honestly or the underworld version.
Scotto was trained from a young age to take over the family business. He graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School and then attended Brooklyn College, studying for a bachelor’s degree in political science. However, he could not escape the call of his family’s criminal empire.
Introduction to Crime and the Mafia
Scotto began his life as an organized crime figure working at the docks. He began as a longshoreman and rapidly ascended the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) hierarchy, thanks largely to his father. New York’s various mafia groups used the docks not only for their legitimate shipping businesses but also to make millions from criminals purchasing goods on the black market and then selling them to consumers.
Up through the ranks of the ILA, Scotto’s uncle Albert Anastasia helped guide him, and later, Carlo Gambino, who finally overtook the family reigns after Anastasia was assassinated in 1957. His knowledge of labor union laws and his connections to the mafia made Scotto an incredibly useful tool for the Gambino crime family.
Union Leadership and Mafia Advancement
By the late 1960s, Scotto had become one of the most influential labor leaders in America. He became president of Local 1814 of the ILA and vice-president of its parent body. His legitimacy in the labor union served as a great cover for his illegal dealings. Working behind the scenes, Scotto ran the hizzoner’s docks and made sure Gambino’s business—from shakedowns and rackets to commodity shipments—flowed accordingly.
Whether the docks had also been part of Scotto’s legitimate front brought him into the political mainstream and helped forge links with leading politicians sympathetic to labor rights. This coexistence of being both a genuine labor leader and mafia capo would be the epitome of an anomaly in organized crime. He had an extremely cool exterior, a brilliant mind, and the ability to move effortlessly between both worlds.
Legal Troubles and Conviction
Try as he might to pass himself off as someone on the up-and-up, Scotto’s misdeeds would eventually come back to haunt him. He was convicted in 1979 of federal racketeering and extortion charges. The charges were a product of his “scheme” to solicit kickbacks from shipping companies in exchange for labor peace and misappropriating union funds. What played out was a trial that garnered considerable attention and unearthed the depth of Scotto’s ties to organized crime.
Scotto did not take the stand in his defense. Still, he insisted that any money payments to him were legitimate union contributions. Yet the prosecution made a much different case. In 1980, Scotto was sentenced to five years in prison for extortion and racketeering.
Later Years and Death
Scotto served his sentence and distanced himself from the life of crime. He returned to Brooklyn and got his life together. Even after his conviction, Scotto remained a revered figure in the neighborhood and was sometimes regarded as a folk hero who stood up for longshoremen. He kept his head down and stopped the criminal behavior.
In his later years, Anthony Scotto’s health started to get worse. He died on August 21, 2021, at the age of 87. His passing was the final chapter of a Brooklyn waterfront era and labor union history he had dominated for decades.
Legacy
The story of Anthony Scotto was a complicated blend of real labor leadership and the mob. A man who lived very much in this world – using his powers of persuasion to help, however dividedly, union members and mobsters. Russo’s ascent to power in the ILA and his later involvement with the Gambino crime family emphasize how ideally suited labor unions were for organized crime during mid-20th century America.
The legacy of Scotto is a poignant reminder for readers that, in the world of labor unions and American society, there were few clear distinctions between Straight Line Trade Unions v/s Racketeer Influenced Organizations. It is a story of ambition, power, and an inevitable loss: ground that remains fertile for those fascinated by the tradition of American organized crime.