Mob Turncoat's Identity Outed After a Fight Over a Calzone

Photo by Tien Mao

A former mafia hitman turned informant looks like he may lose his federal protection in the witness protection program over a calzone. Joey Calco, the man who made a name for himself when he turned on the Bonanno crime family and ratted out consigliere Anthony Spero in 2001, has been living in Florida and running a pizza place under the name Joseph Milano. When he was arrested last month after being caught on tape beating down and pistol-whipping customers at Goomba's pizzeria who complained about a calzone, a Daytona paper matched his new identity to the man known as "Crazy Joe" as part of the "Bath Avenue Crew."

Calco himself was convicted for two murders he pleaded guilty to in 2004 and was out of prison two years later. After "Milano" was arrested for charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the newspaper's discovery prompted police to reveal his true identity and charge Calco under his real name.

The former mobster has also been sued for sexual harassment while running Goomba's. The News points out that he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, detailing how he repeatedly struggled to remember the word "foyer" during one of his trips to the witness stand. Below is the video of the attack that could end up making him a marked man.

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By Billy Parker in News on February 8, 2009 4:20 PM

Comments [rss]

JMH

Goomba's? You just can't make this shit up.

robingee

This story is awesome.

thelexiphane

The feds let a guy under their witness protection open up a fish-out-of-water pizza-calzone joint named "Goomba's"?

"My Blue Heaven" is more truth than fiction.

snoopydog

There was a pizza place in the village called Goodfella's and no one was wacked there that didn't deserve it. The feds went the conservative way naming the joint.

I also like the last name Milano. It gave him the northern Italian flair.

They did a great job with Sammy "the bull" also. Our tax dollars hard at work.

freddynyc

So what if the I-talians have a totally different idea of customer service....

snoopydog

You want customer service? How about stepping outside and I'll give you take out service. I'll give you a full bat lesson service. Capesce?

snoopydog

Mingna, Joey "Cal, calzone" Milano made a few bad choices in his life and unfortunately he's ready to do some time for his indiscretions.

Madon. The guys who ordered were in the wrong, plain and simple. If they wanted extra cheese they should have said so when they ordered. Capesce?

Jen Chung

Now the mob is going to look at suspiciously named Italian eateries that opened/changed ownership right after certain associates went "missing."

NannyState

I'll save them the trouble: go out to Rio Rancho New Mexico and ask yourself why, way out in the dusty desert hinterland full of coyotes, are there so many cheesy Italian restaurants?

blablanyc

Call him Joey Calzone.

gothamguy

I don't know what is stupider: him naming the place "Goomba's" while trying not to seem like an ex-mobster, or the fact that nobody still in the mob figured out that they should look at a place called Goomba's.