The Rochester bombings were a series of bombing attacks between October 12 and November 6, 1970, in Rochester, New York. Beginning with the Columbus Day bombings on October, 12, the bombings were perpetrated by the Rochester crime family as false flag operations to draw the attention of local authorities away from organized crime. Over four weeks, they targeted nine buildings, including three Jewish synagogues and two black churches. Only one person was injured, a man living near the Federal Building who was cut by flying glass.
In 1964, mob boss Frank Valenti took control of the Rochester crime family from Jake Russo, a rival of Frank's brother Constenze "Stanley" Valenti. Six years later, Valenti devised the "Columbus Day bombings" as false flag operations to draw heat away from the crime family. Valenti hoped police would consider the bombings the work of anti-war activists and militants and focus attention away from organized crime.[1]
The bombings spree began on Columbus Day, October 12, when a group of five bombs damaged the Rochester federal building, the Monroe County office building, two predominantly black storefront churches, and the private home of Dick Clark, an official with Local 832 of the trade union International Union of Operating Engineers.
The bombings subsequently drew attention and publicity to the local mob, so Valenti engineered additional bombings largely as a distraction.[2]
The Columbus Day bombings were preceded on October 9 by the theft of 100 sticks of dynamite in Brockport, New York. Two men were arrested for the theft on October 19, and local authorities thought they had found the bombers responsible.
On October 27, explosions within six minutes of each another damaged two Orthodox Jewish synagogues in Rochester, Light of Israel Sephardic Center and Congregation Beth Sholom.
At 12:40am, a fuse bomb using a substantial amount of dynamite destroyed the back of Temple Beth Am, the third synagogue attacked in the previous 10 days. Temple Beth Am was the only synagogue in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester with 38,000 residents. The bombing demolished offices and a kitchen in the synagogue, and broke windows in the temple and in nearby homes. The damage was at between $35,000 and $50,000.[3] [4]
The only person injured in the eight explosions was a man living near the Federal Building who was cut by flying glass. There had been no warnings or explanations preceding or following the explosions.
| Date | Target | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 12 | Rochester federal building | Part of the Columbus Day bombings | |
| October 12 | Monroe County office building | Part of the Columbus Day bombings | |
| October 12 | Storefront church 1 | Part of the Columbus Day bombings | |
| October 12 | Storefront church 2 | Part of the Columbus Day bombings | |
| October 12 | Home of local union official | Part of the Columbus Day bombings | |
| October 27 | Light of Israel Sephardic Center | Explosion within 6 minutes of Beth Sholom Synagogue | |
| October 27 | Beth Sholom Synagogue | Explosion within 6 minutes of Light of Israel | |
| November 6 | Temple Beth Am (Henrietta) | Third synagogue bombing in 10 days |
By November 6, more than 40 investigators from the Monroe County Sheriff's office, Rochester Police Department, New York State Police, and the FBI were working the case. However, local authorities admitted that they had no leads or indications that the bombings were connected, except for the fact that they all occurred between midnight and 1am.
In 1975, Valenti was arrested but only ended up serving probation in connection with the bombings. His associate Eugene DeFrancesco was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.[2]