Joseph Colombo, an American Mafia boss of the 1950s and 1960s, was, at the age of 40, the youngest mob boss in America. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Colombo drifted into organized crime after a failed stint in the Coast Guard. He steadily rose through the ranks doing various jobs, including loan sharking, and hijacking and is believed to have participated in several murders. After informing Mafia boss Carlo Gambino of a planned hit against him and another Mafia boss, Gambino helped elevate Colombo when Colombo's boss, Joseph Magliocco, one of the conspirators, died. Colombo understood the importance of image and tried hard to create an atmosphere that would make people think differently about the Italian gangster stereotype. Joe's strategy backfired and ultimately was responsible for his murder.

In 1970, the FBI arrested Colombo's son, Joe Jr., and charged him with melting down $500,000 worth of U.S. coins for their...