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Robert DiBernardo


Robert "DiB" DiBernardo (May 31, 1937 in Hewlett, New York – June 5, 1986) was a member of the Gambino crime family and one of John Gotti's subordinates, who was reputed to control much of the commercial pornography in the US. During the United States presidential election, 1984, publicity about DiBernardo having rented business premises from the husband of Geraldine Ferraro embroiled her in damaging media innuendo about organised crime

By some accounts DiBernardo was the major figure behind the US adult industry. In any event he was a relatively capable businessman who did not have any personal reputation for involvement in violence, but his Mafia links deterred potential competitors and warded off other criminals. He became immensely influential in the US pornography business, and an associate of Reuben Sturman. Whether DiBernardo's relationship with Sturman and others was based on outright extortion or mutual advantage was never established. DiBernardo was seen as a phenomenal money maker, secretive, and a lone operator (unlike most Mafia members of his status, he did not retain a 'crew' to back him up) all of these traits made him vulnerable to others within Gotti's organisation. Di Bernardo, who had been target of a Federal investigation into child pornography, was awaiting sentence when he was murdered by fellow associates of Gotti, the body was never found. According to some accounts, Angelo Ruggiero engineered an order from Gotti to kill Di Bernardo, simply to avoid repaying a debt to him.

One of the very few thought to have become 'made' in the Mafia without committing a murder, DiBernardo, at that time allegiant to the DeCavalcante crime family, bought the soft core business Star Distributors in the late 60's, and used it to sell hard core of all types and media to adult industry businesses around Times Square, which had long been seen as an insalubrious if not actually dangerous district where police did not prevent flouting of obscenity and other laws. To many, the proliferation of such businesses in the early 70's made the area a symbol of the city's decline. By the mid seventies, hard core child pornography was being openly sold in New York and other US cities, sparking outraged calls for the banning of all pornography and drawing police attention to DiBernardo. These films were imported, usually from Denmark or Holland; they were viewed in peep show booths.


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