419: Frank Storey – The FBI’s War Against the Five New York Mafia Families

In this episode, retired agent Frank Storey reviews the investigation of the five New York Mafia families in the early to mid-1980s. Frank implemented the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations), a new investigative strategy, and directed 140 agents to use undercover infiltration and electronic surveillance in the fight against organized crime. Their efforts resulted in the indictment of the five mob bosses and their underlings, basically shutting down the Mafia’s control of the labor unions in New York.

Frank is the author of The FBI’s War Against the Mafia: How a Band of FBI Game Changers Defeated the Mob. For over 50 years, the families Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Bonanno, and Colombo controlled organized criminal activities throughout the country. Overseen and held in check by the New York Mafia Commission, they operated without impunity. This is Frank’s insider account of how the FBI took down the Mafia’s Five Families and the full story of the dismantling of the Commission.

“ I was sent to New York to address the organized crime problem. At that point, it was somewhat disorganized. They were working cases directed at individual members of the five families rather than the entire family itself. And based on my experience in Philadelphia with the Bruno and Testa investigations, where we indicted and convicted the bosses and the members of that family, we used the RICO statute, which is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, so the FBI can go after criminal enterprises.”

“When I went to New York, I called all my agents together, and I said, ‘Here’s the game plan. We’re gonna indict the bosses and the underbosses, and all the soldiers, the capos, in each family under the RICO statute. And they looked at me in disbelief that this can’t be done. I said, ‘It’s gonna be done, and this is how we’re gonna do it.'” —Retired Agent Frank Storey

Special Agent (Retired)

Frank Storey

3/1962 – 1992

Retired agent Frank Storey served in the FBI for 30 years, three as a support employee and 27 as a special agent. He was assigned to the Asheville, North Carolina, Resident Agency out of the Charlotte Division as his first office. He was next transferred to the Gary, Indiana, RA out of the Indianapolis Division, and then to the New Orleans Field Office. During each of these assignments, he primarily worked organized crime.

In 1978, Frank was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) of the Organized Crime Squad in Philadelphia, where he oversaw the investigation of the Bruno and Testa Mafia family. His squad successfully conducted investigations that led to the federal indictments of both Bruno and Testa. Both crime bosses were assassinated by members of the family. Frank led the investigations that resulted in the arrest of those responsible for the assassinations.

He was appointed as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the New York Division’s Organized Crime Program, where he directed over 140 agents, whom he named his “game changers.” He retired as Deputy Assistant Director of the New York Division in 1992.