Occupational Hazards of Organized Crime

Local press in Las Vegas covered the initially unsolved murder of mob figure Jerome Farula in May of 1981, as well as the subsequent trial of Joe Alario for the murder in 1983. (Las Vegas-Clark County Library District)

Mob figure Jermoe Farula relocated from his traditional base of operations in Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the late-70’s. But not long after his move to Nevada, Farula’s bound and gagged body was found wrapped in a quilt near the intersection of Patrick and Pecos in May of 1981.

Farula’s murder remained unsolved until another mob associate - Ralph Merola - agreed to become a government informant.

Merola, who was associated with one of the New York crime families, conspired with Joe Alario and Donald "Chico" D'Amico to lure Farula to an apartment on Spencer Street in order to rob the Los Angeles gangster. The trio planned to ambush Farula with a blow from a wooden nightstick and then to suffocate their target.

The plot went awry immediately upon Farula entering the apartment. D’Amico, who had been hiding behind the front door, struck Farula over the head with the nightstick with such force that the weapon splintered into two pieces. But Farula was still conscious after the blow to his head, so Joe Alario rushed to pick up one of the shattered pieces of the nightstick and joined D’Amico in beating Farula to death.

Secret recordings made by Merola after he became a government witness featured Alario discussing the details of the Farula murder. “We jump on him, you know, I mean…screaming and everything.” Alario also noted his regret that he had not buried Farula’s body instead of leaving it exposed in the desert. The secret recordings also caught Alario bragging about leaving another man’s body in the desert - Hyman Wolf, who owned a pizzeria where Alario worked.

Alario, whose criminal history was mostly in drug trafficking, told the Court at his sentencing hearing, “I’m not violent. I’m no animal.” Alario’s attorney fought for a lenient sentence by noting that being murdered is an “occupational hazard” in Jerome Farula’s line of work. “This is a nasty business,” Alario’s attorney argued to the Court.

Judge James Brennan responded directly to Alario, “This is an occupational hazard too that you’re standing before this Court.” Alario was sentenced to life in prison for the Farula murder.