Alphonse D'Arco

Alphonse D'Arco
FBI surveillance photo
Born	(1932-07-28) July 28, 1932 (age 84) Brooklyn, New York

Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco (born July 28, 1932), also known as "The Professor", is a New York mobster who became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family. He was the first boss, acting or otherwise, of a New York crime family to become a government witness.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, D'Arco grew up near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and attended a Catholic grammar school. At age 15, he dropped out of high school. In 1951, during the Korean War, D'Arco served two years as a volunteer in the U.S. Army. After an honorable discharge from the army, D'Arco returned to Brooklyn and got married. He and his wife had five children. One of his sons, Joseph D'Arco, became a member of the Lucchese family.

During the 1950s, D'Arco became an associate in the Vario Crew, a Lucchese crew led by longtime caporegime Paul Vario and based in the Canarsie neighborhood. In 1959, D'Arco met future Lucchese boss Victor Amuso. In the 1960s, D'Arco was convicted on drug-related charges and spent several years in prison. After his release, D'Arco returned to the Lucchese family, which was then run by boss Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo. Even allowing for the longstanding freeze on new members dating back to 1957, D'Arco had a long wait to become a made man. He finally received his "button" on August 23, 1982, just a month after his 50th birthday.

In the 1980s, D'Arco opened an Italian restaurant, La Donna Rosa, in Little Italy, Manhattan. It would serve as a frequent Lucchese meeting place.

D'Arco became involved in bookmaking, loansharking, occasional drug deals and other criminal activities. During his criminal career, D'Arco would be involved in ten murders. His criminal record would include extortion, murder, murder conspiracy, robbery, arson, tax evasion, counterfeiting, narcotics trafficking, burglary, hijacking and assault. In 1983, D'Arco was convicted of heroin trafficking and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was paroled in 1986.