Anthony Salerno (May 1, 1911 - July 27, 1992) was a member of the U.S. La Cosa Nostra and was a leader in the Genovese Family from the 1970's until his conviction in 1986. Usually seen wearing a fedora hat and chomping on a cigar, he was nicknamed Fat Tony due to his being overweight.He was born and raised in East Harlem, New York and progressed through the ranks of the New York La Cosa Nostra through crimes such as gambling, numbers, loansharking and protection rackets. Anthony Salerno climbed the ranks of the Genovese crime family by controlling a $50 million a year numbers racket in Harlem, as well as a major loansharking operation. While many of his peers moved their bases of operation out of the neighbourhoods that became predominantly Hispanic and Black, he kept his base of operations at the Palma Boys Social Club in East Harlem
