Armand "Tommy" Rava was a Gambino family capo in the mid 20th century. Involved in booze and drug rackets, Rava was also closely associated with illicit gambling. Several New York State Liquor Authority investigations of the 1940s targeted Rava and numerous other mobsters for manufacturing bootleg alcohol. In the late 1950s Rava was one of 58 higher echelon mobsters who attended the Apalachin conference in upstate New York. A gathering of mob chieftains, the attendees assembled at the home of an ailing Joseph Barbara. A policeman's tip triggered a raid on the festivities which included a barbecue. Many of the hoodlums were taken into custody by New York State Police.