William Cutolo Went to a Meeting — And Never Came Home

William “Wild Bill” Cutolo went to a meeting because he believed the war was over. He was a Colombo family underboss, a street legend, a labor-racketeering power, and one of the most respected men left from the bloody Colombo war. But on May 26, 1999, the meeting he walked into was not about peace. It was a trap. Cutolo had survived the 1990s Colombo war, when the family split between the Carmine Persico faction and the Vic Orena faction. He had fought for Orena, built a powerful crew, made enemies, and somehow remained standing when the bullets stopped. Years later, the Persico side offered him something that looked like reconciliation: the underboss position. But the peace was never real. Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico and John “Jackie” DeRoss believed Cutolo was becoming too powerful. They feared he might take control of the Colombo family while Persico was facing prison. To them, Wild Bill was not just a loyal underboss. He was a future rival with soldiers, money, history, and respect on the street. That afternoon, Cutolo had car trouble. A mechanic gave him a ride and dropped him near 92nd Street and Shore Road in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he was supposed to meet Persico. Cutolo said he would be back later. He never came home. That night, his crew waited for him at his Friendly Bocce Social Club for their usual Wednesday dinner. Jackie DeRoss acted surprised when Cutolo did not arrive. Then the threats began. His family was warned. His widow was questioned about money. His children were pressured to stay quiet. For nine years, Wild Bill was missing. Then in October 2008, federal agents dug up a body in a field in Farmingdale, Long Island. It was wrapped in tarp. The Italian loafers were still on. Dental records confirmed what the Colombo family had tried to bury: William Cutolo had been murdered. What you will learn in this documentary: How William “Wild Bill” Cutolo rose from Colombo soldier to underboss Why he became one of the most feared and respected men in the Colombo family How the Third Colombo War turned friends into enemies and crews into death squads Why Cutolo sided with Vic Orena against the Persico faction How the Persico family later used a promotion to make peace look real Why Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico and Jackie DeRoss feared Cutolo’s power How the May 26 1999 meeting became a carefully planned trap What happened near 92nd Street and Shore Road in Bay Ridge Why Cutolo’s crew waited for him at the Friendly Bocce Social Club How his family was threatened after his disappearance Why his body stayed hidden for nine years How his son helped bring down the men who ordered the murder Why the discovery of his remains in 2008 exposed one of the Colombo family’s darkest betrayals Key figures: William “Wild Bill” Cutolo, Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico, John “Jackie” DeRoss, Carmine “The Snake” Persico, Victor “Vic” Orena, Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli, Dino Saracino, Dino Calabro, William Cutolo Jr., Marguerite Cutolo, Michael “Mikey Scars” DiLeonardo, Joel Cacace, Colombo crime family soldiers, Persico faction members, Orena faction members, FBI organized crime investigators, federal prosecutors Timeline: 1949 birth of William Cutolo, 1970s and 1980s Cutolo rises through Colombo family rackets, late 1980s he becomes a powerful crew leader with deep labor and street influence, 1991 the Third Colombo War begins between the Persico and Orena factions, early 1990s Cutolo fights on the Orena side, 1993 the war begins winding down after arrests and murders, late 1990s Cutolo is promoted to underboss as part of a supposed peace move, 1999 Persico and DeRoss fear Cutolo may take control of the family, May 26 1999 Cutolo is dropped near 92nd Street and Shore Road for a meeting and disappears, May 27 1999 DeRoss questions Cutolo’s wife about money, 2000 DeRoss threatens the Cutolo family to protect Persico, 2007 Persico and DeRoss are convicted of Cutolo’s murder, October 6 2008 Cutolo’s body is recovered in Farmingdale, New York, February 27 2009 Persico and DeRoss are sentenced to life in prison. Verified sources used in research: United States Department of Justice records on Alphonse Persico and John DeRoss Federal court records connected to the William Cutolo murder case ABC7 New York reporting on the identification of Cutolo’s remains New York Times reporting on the recovery and burial of William Cutolo New York Daily News reporting on William Cutolo Jr. and the undercover recordings Jerry Capeci, Gang Land reporting on the Colombo family Selwyn Raab, Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires FBI organized crime records connected to the Colombo crime family Court testimony connected to the Persico-DeRoss trial and Colombo family war #WilliamCutolo #WildBillCutolo #ColomboFamily #AllieBoyPersico #JackieDeRoss #CarminePersico #VicOrena #ColomboWar #BrooklynMob #NewYorkMafia #MafiaBetrayal #MobHit