Don Armeteo (1941-1990) was a reputed American Mafia crime boss in New York City, New York during the 1980s. In 1990, Armeteo and ten of his henchmen were killed in a drive-by shooting at the Spartan Social Club as the result of a turf war between the Mafia and Nino Brown's Cash Money Brothers gang.
Biography[]
Armeteo at his club
Don Armeteo was born in New York City, New York in 1941 to a family of Italian descent, and he became a famous mobster. Armeteo eventually rose to become the head of his own family, rising to the top of organized crime in upper Manhattan.
Armeteo allowed for Nino Brown's gang to run the street corners of Harlem and the Spotlite nightclub in exchange for 10% of his profits, but Brown would renege on this deal between 1986 and 1989, during which time he turned his Cash Money Brothers gang from a drug dealing gang into a powerful criminal organization that ran a $1,000,000-a-week crack cocaine empire from the Carter Apartments.
Armeteo first warned Brown by sending Frankie Needles to Brown's nightclub with a statuette of a black man hanging himself, which led to an infuriated Brown cutting off Needles' ponytail and warning the Mafia. Armeteo proceeded to order a hit on Brown, who was nearly killed during a shootout at a wedding. Armeteo then called Brown and warned him, and a vengeful Brown decided to kill Armeteo.
Death[]
Armeteo after being shot
Don Armeteo and around a dozen of his Mafia crew members frequented the Spartan Social Club, where they took part in card games and gambling. One afternoon, two masked men on a motorcycle rode past the front of the club and sprayed Armeteo and a few of his associates with gunfire, killing Armeteo and ten of his men. Armeteo's death was reported on the news, and his killing consolidated Brown's power in Harlem.