Russo was acting boss of the Colombo crime family from 1994 to 1996, when he was imprisoned. Russo was convicted of jury tampering in 1999. The matter involved his attempt to contact a juror involved in the criminal trial of his son, Joseph. In 2012, Russo pled guilty to federal racketeering charges related to his involvement in illegal gambling. Russo succeeded
Alphonse Persico as boss of the Colombo crime family in 2019. According to a former
FBI special agent interviewed by the
Wall Street Journal, Russo mismanaged the organization by micromanaging subordinates and trying to hold onto leadership past his prime. In September 2021, the
United States Department of Justice indicted Russo on multiple racketeering charges related to an alleged scheme to infiltrate a labor union. He was released the following month on a $10 million bond and died in 2022, before trial. ==References==