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| 1985 |
A member of Vincenzo Aloi's crew by the early 1990s, he was the younger brother of the better-known 'Ralphie' Lombardo, a Colombo Captain who also served as the Family's Acting Consigliere for a time.
Born June 25, 1938 in Brooklyn to Dominick (33y), a handyman, and Stella Tavernise (27y).
Both parents were Calabrian, with the father from Grotteria in Reggio Calabria and the mother's family likely from Cosenza or from Reggio Calabria as well.
Grew up in the Canarsie neighborhood, where the Lombardos resided at 640 E 89th St.
By the fall of 1965 brother Ralph (35y) was associated with the Colombo Family crew headed by Vincenzo Aloi.
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| V. Aloi |
Aloi, born 1933 to Sicilian parents, had been named a Captain soon after Joseph Colombo took over the Family in April 1964.
By October 1976 Charles listed residence at 1910 NW 47th Ave in Lauderhill, Florida.
Early that month surrendered to the local PD on multiple counts related to stolen credit cards. Held on $1,000 bond. The Miami Herald reported: "[Lombardo is] one of two men charged with operating a statewide stolen credit card ring...State Attorney investigators and law enforcement agencies were searching [for] Paul (Red) Stingo, an organizer of the ring who peddles merchandise purchased with the stolen credit cards at South Florida flea markets." Herald later reported: "Between March 1975 and February 1976, the shoppers amassed as much as $1 million in merchandise by making purchases of less than $50 at a time so that stores would not question the transactions, investigators said. The household appliances, cameras, radios and fishing rods they bought were loaded into cars and trailers and sold at flea markets, officials said."
Paul 'Red' Stingo (1936-2021), born in Brooklyn to a father from Trapani, Sicily, was then residing in Fort Lauderdale.
Lombardo subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation; press noted: "If [Lombardo] completes his probation successfully, his record will be cleared."
By mid-1980s resided at 3700 Bayview St in Seaford, Long Island.
By October 1976 Charles listed residence at 1910 NW 47th Ave in Lauderhill, Florida.
Early that month surrendered to the local PD on multiple counts related to stolen credit cards. Held on $1,000 bond. The Miami Herald reported: "[Lombardo is] one of two men charged with operating a statewide stolen credit card ring...State Attorney investigators and law enforcement agencies were searching [for] Paul (Red) Stingo, an organizer of the ring who peddles merchandise purchased with the stolen credit cards at South Florida flea markets." Herald later reported: "Between March 1975 and February 1976, the shoppers amassed as much as $1 million in merchandise by making purchases of less than $50 at a time so that stores would not question the transactions, investigators said. The household appliances, cameras, radios and fishing rods they bought were loaded into cars and trailers and sold at flea markets, officials said."
Paul 'Red' Stingo (1936-2021), born in Brooklyn to a father from Trapani, Sicily, was then residing in Fort Lauderdale.
Lombardo subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation; press noted: "If [Lombardo] completes his probation successfully, his record will be cleared."
By mid-1980s resided at 3700 Bayview St in Seaford, Long Island.
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| SCPD Arrest (Jul. 1985) |
On July 25, 1985 indicted with Colombo Soldier and Future Acting Boss 'Little Vic' Orena and three others by Suffolk County District Attorney's Office on loansharking charges. New York Daily News reported: "The ring, according to [Suffolk DA], has been operating in Suffolk, Nassau and Queens for the last several years, charging businessmen astronomical interest on illegal loans averaging between 130% to 156% annually. The [indictment] and the seizure of voluminous records, $60,000 in cash, two cars and a pistol were cited by [DA] as 'effectively crippling loansharking operations on Long Island.'"
Others indicted were:
Defendants arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice George F. X. McInerney; bail for Orena and Lombardo set at $75,000 and $20,000 respectively.
On August 19, 1985 brother Ralph Lombardo pleaded not guilty to perjury 1st degree and contempt of grand jury charges. Newsday reported: "[Lombardo] is accused of lying and of refusing to answer other questions to a grand jury that later handed up loan-shark indictments of five Long Islanders including his brother, Charles, also of [Seaford]."
Ralph, by then believed to be a formally inducted Colombo Member, was subsequently convicted and given a sentence to run concurrently with one already being served as a result of his own loansharking case in Nassau County.
Charles may have already been made by that time as well.
Others indicted were:
- Oscar Albenga (54y): Father from Piedmont, Northern Italy. Indicted in a Federal loansharking case the previous year with, among others, DeCavalcante Captain Vincent 'Jimmy' Rotondo, Gambino Soldier Leonard DiMaria, and DeCavalcante Associate Anthony Capo. Died 2023.
- Robert 'Bobby' Ross (48y): Described as a collector for the ring.
- Philip Yovanovich (44): Defected and acted as a witness against Lombardo's brother Ralph. Died three years later.
Defendants arraigned before State Supreme Court Justice George F. X. McInerney; bail for Orena and Lombardo set at $75,000 and $20,000 respectively.
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| R. Lombardo (1985) |
Ralph, by then believed to be a formally inducted Colombo Member, was subsequently convicted and given a sentence to run concurrently with one already being served as a result of his own loansharking case in Nassau County.
Charles may have already been made by that time as well.
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| V. Aloi |
By May 1991 he was a confirmed member reporting to Captain Vincenzo Aloi.
Made members of Aloi's crew included Pasquale 'Patty' Catalano, 'Fat Dennis' DeLuca, Dennis Guzzardo, Benjamin 'Benny Sidge' LoCicero, Frank 'Gandy' LoCicero, Charles Lombardo and Ralph Scopo Jr.
By late 1991 hostilities broke out between a faction loyal to the imprisoned Boss Carmine 'Junior' Persico and those loyal to Acting Boss Vic Orena, who named Vincenzo Aloi his Consigliere.
Made members of Aloi's crew included Pasquale 'Patty' Catalano, 'Fat Dennis' DeLuca, Dennis Guzzardo, Benjamin 'Benny Sidge' LoCicero, Frank 'Gandy' LoCicero, Charles Lombardo and Ralph Scopo Jr.
By late 1991 hostilities broke out between a faction loyal to the imprisoned Boss Carmine 'Junior' Persico and those loyal to Acting Boss Vic Orena, who named Vincenzo Aloi his Consigliere.
Charles likely joined his brother Ralph in supporting Orena.
Numerous arrests and subsequent defections brought the hostilities to a cease by the middle of 1992. (Exception being Orena's Acting Underboss Joseph Scopo who was shot to death in October 1993.)
In November 1996 the Lombardos were designated the subject of an FBI investigation: "[Detailed] information is currently being provided by [two] sources, concerning [the Lombardo brothers] who are influential members of the Colombo LCN Family. Based on this source information and on initial investigation, captioned subjects are extremely active in Long Island in various criminal activities including loansharking, gambling, extortion and money laundering."
Charles was noted as residing on Knob Hill Drive in Smithtown, Long Island, with an additional address on Palisade Ave in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Around this time Ralph Lombardo was promoted to Captain; he also served as the Family's Acting Consigliere for a time beginning around the spring of 2001.
Charles died April 14, 2004.
Around this time Ralph Lombardo was promoted to Captain; he also served as the Family's Acting Consigliere for a time beginning around the spring of 2001.
Charles died April 14, 2004.
More Colombo Family posts can be found in the Index.