Clyde Brooks

Clyde E. Brooks a.k.a. Brooksie, Bobby or Brooks (January 28, 1924 - November 13, 1994) was a Lucchese crime family Mafia associate who worked under capo Paul Vario. He was born in Painted Post, New York.
Biography
Clyde E. Brooks was an Italian-American mob associate and front man for the Lucchese crime family. He was a veteran Paul Vario loyalist in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 813 and waste disposal business who was the "front man" for Paul Vario's waste management empire as the general supervisor for the Brooklyn district of the New York City Department of Sanitation. Clyde was involved in grand theft auto and was a close friend of Paul Vario. Clyde was the manager and front man of Paul Vario's Bargain Auto Junkyard (now "The Spring Creek Towers Composting Facility") located at 12720-B Flatlands Avenue in Starrett City, Brooklyn where he worked as a waste management supervisor responsible for the entire area of Spring Creek. The "Bargain Auto Junkyard" became Paul Vario's criminal headquarters from 1965 to 1972.
Trash Hauling Racketeer
Companies paid a mob tax to Paul Vario through Clyde. The payments were part of a scheme in which trash haulers carved out routes and agreed not to steal each other's customers. The mob influence stifled competition by preventing small independent companies from competing. If companies challenged the system the drivers were beaten, truck destroyed and refused entry into the waste transfer stations. In 1972 the Brooklyn District Attorney's Organized Crime Task Force successfully bugged Clyde's trailer. Paul used the office in Clyde's trailer to conduct his racketeering. Paul was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison. In addition he had been sentenced to three years in prison in 1972, as the result of a Brooklyn DA Squad investigation, resulting from the "bugging" of his trailer headquarters on Flatlands Avenue.
Detective Douglas LeVien, posing as a corrupt police officer, recorded meetings with Clyde Brooks and Carmine Tramunti. In addition to the audio tapes recorded over the surveillance period, the FBI produced 54,000 telephoto photographs of Lucchese crime family mobsters and associates who went in and out of the trailer. The government also videotaped 36,000 feet of film. The film documented that members from all the Five Families visited Clyde's office frequently. Besides Mafia, local politicians, businessmen and over a hundred policemen including two specific NYPD officers James Santos, John Savino and several Queens County district judges visited the trailer. This tip to the authorities was given by Gambino crime family mob associate Wilfred Johnson.
Bargain Auto Scrapyard Location
Clyde's Bargain Auto Junkyard automobile salvage yard was located close to the Belt Parkway and within driving distance of Robert's Lounge, JFK Airport Kennedy Air Cargo Center, Aqueduct Race Track and the Queens County, New York courthouse in Kew Gardens, Queens where the Vario Crew would receive their court trial postponements. His capo Paul Vario operated his illicit business transactions from inside a non-descript transport truck trailer located in the back of Brook's salvage yard away from the prying eyes of the FBI and NYPD. The facility became a hangout for
Stanley Diamond, brothers Anthony Stabile and Thomas Stabile, Francesco Manzo, Fredrick DeLucia, Edward Finelli, Peter "The Killer" Abbandante, Michael Franzese, Nicholas Blanda, Peter Morales, Frank Sorace, Edward Barberra, Steve DePasquale, Rich Perry, Anthony "The Baker" Catania, Edguardo Rigaud, Vincent "Vinny" Asaro, brothers Raimund Montemurro and Montague Montemurro, John Mazzolla, Bobby "The Dentist", Frank Sorace, Edward Barberra, Lawrence "Larry" Bilello, Richard Bilello, James Santos, Joseph Allegro, Charles V. Errigo, Daniel Rizzo, brothers Alex Corcione and Michael Corcione, Bruno Facciolo, Louis Facciolo, Frank Abbandando Jr., Angelo Sepe, Robert McMahon and Joe Manri.
Grand Theft Auto
Clyde was responsible for disposing of the hijacked transport trucks after the trucks had been unloaded of their stolen merchandise and operated several chop shops for Paul Vario. He was a regular dinner companion of Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Henry Hill and Leonardo Vario. Clyde was a close friend of Henry Hill who was also involved in grand theft auto, Thomas DeSimone, Edguardo Rigaud and Jimmy Burke. As a teenager, Clyde began associating with the Lucchese crime family. He allegedly helped Henry Hill and Thomas DeSimone dispose of Gambino crime family soldier William Devino (Billy Bats). Brooks supposedly crushed Henry's brand-new yellow Pontiac Catalina convertible, with Batts in the trunk of his car in New Jersey.
The Attack at Don Pepe's
Clyde Brooks was ordered along with Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, Thomas DeSimone and two carloads of Lucchese crime family soldiers to beat up the waiters and kitchen staff at Don Pepe's Vesuvio Restaurant located at 135-58 Lefferts Boulevard in Ozone Park, Queens. He assisted in beating the employees with lead pipes and baseball bats as the employees left the restaurant at 11 P.M. Some of the employees fled the scene, so Clyde and others chased them around the neighborhood. The beating was ordered because one waiter spilled a drink on Paul Vario's wife.
Missing Role in the Lufthansa Heist
Clyde Brooks was one of the fortunate who avoided the murderous aftermath that followed the Lufthansa heist. He was never implicated for his small role in the Lufthansa heist and avoided prosecution in 1985 after Henry Hill became an informant. He died in New York City, New York of natural causes.

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