Mar. 1, 1963 - Anthony Anastasio (pictured right in 1957), labor boss of the Brooklyn waterfront, died early today at Long Island Hospital, Brooklyn, of complications following a recent heart attack. He was 57 years old. Mr. Anastasio, widely known as Tough Tony, was vice president of the International Longshoreman’s Association and head of the 15,000-member ILA Local 1814 in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn waterfront closed down operations in tribute to him. The notoriety attached to the family name was said to have been responsible for the lack of opposition Mr. Anastasio encountered in his climb from dock worker to union boss. A gray-haired, mild-looking man, he always denied his rise had been based on fear. His brother Albert Anastasia (who spelled his name with a final “a” instead of an “o”) was a reputed power in Murder Inc. Albert was shot to death in 1957. Anthony Anastasia had a police record dating back to 1925, with charges ranging from assault to murder, but he was freed on every charge.
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