Joseph Pinzolo

Joseph Abate

Joseph F. Abate (1902-1994), also known as "Joe", was a capo in the family's New Jersey faction. In the 1920s, Abate served as an enforcer for Al Capone in Chicago before settling in New Jersey. In June 1976, Abate attended Anthony Accetturo induction ceremony into the Lucchese family. In 1979, Abate went into semiretirement and Accetturo succeed him as boss of the New Jersey faction. He moved to Margate, New Jersey and served as a liaison between families in New Jersey until 1989 when he retired from Mafia affairs. In 1992, his daughter Catherine Abate was appointed New York City's new Correction Commissioner. She was confronted about her father's past and denied that he was ever involved in organized crime. In 1994, Joseph Abate died of natural causes. In 1998, his daughter Catherine admitted that she could no longer dismiss allegations that father belonged to the Lucchese crime family.

Settimo Accardi

Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi (October 23, 1902 in Vita, Sicily-December 3, 1977) he served as capo in the family's New Jersey faction up until his deportation. and was one of the largest heroin traffickers during the 1950s. Accardi emigrated to the U.S. shortly before World War I and associated with mobsters Joseph Sica, Willie Moretti, Joe Adonis and Abner Zwillman. During World War II, Accardi sold counterfeit food ration cards. On January 22, 1945, he became a naturalized US. citizen until July 10, 1953 when his naturalization was revoked because he had not disclosed two previous arrests during his naturalization hearing.

In 1955, Accardi was arrested on a federal narcotics charge in Newark, New Jersey. After posting a $92,000 bond, Accardi skipped bail and fled to Turin, Italy, where he continued smuggling heroin into the US and Canada. Accardi later moved to Toronto, Canada, to oversee this operation. In 1960, U.S. authorities finally located Accardi in Turin, Italy and on November 28, 1963, after a long legal fight, Accardi was extradited back to New York. On July 21, 1964, Accardi was convicted on narcotics conspiracy and skipping bail. On August 24, he was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment and a $16,000 fine. He died on December 3, 1977.

Robert Caravaggio

Robert "Bucky the Boss" Caravaggio (diedJuly 28, 2017) was a soldier and former capo of the New Jersey faction. From 1986 to 1988, Caravaggio was one of the twenty defendants in the 21-month-long trial of Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction. In August 1997, Caravaggio, along with other members of the Lucchese family's New Jersey faction, was indicted and charged with racketeering, loan-sharking and gambling. In 2004, the New Jersey Commission of Investigation stated that Caravaggio was the head of the Lucchese crime family's North Jersey faction. Caravaggio was overseeing operations in Northern Jersey, especially in Morris County. Caravaggio died on July 28, 2017 from pancreatic cancer.

Alfonso Cataldo

Alfonso T. "Tic" Cataldo(died August 21, 2013) was a soldier in the New Jersey faction. Cataldo grew up in Newark, New Jersey with his cousins Michael and Martin Taccetta. From 1986 to 1988, Cataldo was one of the twenty defendants in the 21-month-long trial of Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction. During the trial Cataldo was listed as a member supervising numbers and loansharking operations in New Jersey. In 2002, Cataldo was indicted on illegal gambling and for the October 7, 1981 murder of William Kennedy. In 2004, the New Jersey Commission of Investigation stated that Cataldo was running illegal gambling operations in New Jersey. In December 2007, Cataldo was indicted along with capos Joseph DiNapoli, Matthew Madonna and Ralph V. Perna and others on gambling, money laundering and racketeering charges. On August 21, 2013, Cataldo died of natural causes.

Ettore Coco

Ettore "Eddie" Coco (July 12, 1908 Palermo, Sicily - December 1991) is a former acting boss in the Lucchese family. In the 1940s, Coco worked with James Plumeri, Frank Palermo, Harry Segal and Felix Bocchicchio for soldier Frankie Carbo, in a group known as "The Combination", an arm of Murder, Inc. which acted as boxing promoters; the group was accused of fixing matches. During this period, Coco met Rocky Graziano, then an amateur boxer fighting in the Lower East Side. He helped Graziano start a professional boxing career and throughout the following years, was viewed as a de facto boxing manager. In the late 1940s, Coco was suspected of placing wagers and taking bets on fights while Graziano was accused of taking bribes. These accusations continued until Graziano retired in 1952. In 1953, Coco was arrested in Florida for murdering a Miami car-wash operator in a dispute over a bill. On November 12, 1953, Coco was sentenced to life in prison. During the 1963 McClellan hearings, government witness Joseph Valachi identified Coco as a capo in Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese's crime family. In 1965, Coco was released from prison after serving ten years on his life sentence. He stayed in Florida and was under government surveillances. In July 1967, family boss Tom Lucchese died and Coco became a candidate to become the new boss. He served as acting boss in 1967. In late 1967, Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo went to Florida and meet with Coco. He later step down as acting boss and Carmine Tramuntibecame the new boss. Coco continued to operate as a capo under Tramunti, with criminal activities in New York and Florida that kept him under strict government watch.

In 1972, Coco, his brother-in-law James Michael Falco, and Louis "Louis Nash" Nakaladski were indicted in Miami on extortion and loansharking charges. During the trial, witness Joel Whitice testified that he borrowed money in the late 1960s from Falco. He made payments to Falco, Coco and Nash, and described Coco as the leader of a loan-sharking ring. Coco was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years in prison on loan-sharking and extortion. By the late 1980s, Coco was considered a semi-retired mobster living in Florida. In 1986, he served as consigliere for the Lucchese family while boss Anthony Corallo, Salvatore Santoro and Christopher Furnari were on trial in the Commission Case. Coco later resigned and continued to operate in New York and Florida. In 1986, Coco created a bingo operation to launder money from criminal rackets. The mobsters used Bingo World, a company operating bingo halls in several states, to launder the money. Coco and Chicago Outfit members Dominic Cortina and Donald Angelini became silent partners in the company. The new owner, Stephen Paskind, served as the front owner of the company; while claiming he controlled 84 % he actually only had 42 %. Izaak Silber soon joined in the bingo operation. In 1991, Coco and his bingo partners were arrested. In December 1991, Coco died while awaiting trial on money laundering.

Ralph Cuomo

Ralph "Raffie" Cuomo (died 2008), also known as "Raffaele", was a soldier who owned Ray's Pizza on Prince Street between Elizabeth and Mott Streets in Little Italy. In 1959, Cuomo opened the first "Rays Pizza", he later opened another in the Upper East Side. In 1969, he was convicted of drug trafficking after being found with 50 pounds of heroin. In 1998, Cuomo was sentenced to four years in prison for making heroin sales in the pizzeria. He was released from prison on May 24, 2002. Cuomo died in 2008 and his "Ray's Pizza" on Prince Street closed over a rent dispute in October 2011.

Domenico Cutaia

Domenico "Danny" Cutaia (born November 22, 1936 East New York Brooklyn - August 14, 2018), was the capo of the Vario Crew operating from Brooklyn. His son Salvatore Cutaia is a member of the crew. His daughter Danielle married John Baudanza, who later became a member of the Lucchese family. Cutaia worked as a loan shark and as a chauffeur for capo Paul Vario. While working for capo Paul Vario, Cutaia also controlled some illegal gambling operations and had control of the carpenters union local in Brooklyn. He later took over becoming capo of Vario's crew in Brooklyn. During the early 1990s he was a member of a ruling panel along with Steven Crea, Joseph DeFede running the crime family. In 1995, Cutaia was indicted for extortion, loan sharking, and racketeering; in 1996, he pled guilty to extortionate extensions of credit and was sentenced to thirty months in prison. In 2002, Cutaia was indicted on loan sharking charges; he pled guilty and was sentenced to two years and three years of supervised probation upon his release. In August 2005, he was released from prison.

His parole terms banned him from communicating with family members until August 2008. However, in January 2007 it was reported that Cutaia was the primary liaison between jailed boss Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and three man panel of capos, who were running the family. On February 28, 2008, Cutaia, his son Salvatore, his son-in-law John Baudanza, and former acting capo Michael Corcione were indicted on federal racketeering charges that included loansharking, extortionate collection of credit, extortion, marijuana distribution conspiracy, illegal gambling, bank fraud, and mail fraud for activities dating back to the 1980s. On October 25, 2009, Cutaia was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison for bank fraud. At the sentencing, Cutaia's attorney asked the court for home confinement, saying that Cutaia suffered from depression and advanced multiple sclerosis; the request was denied. In October 2012, Cutaia was sentenced to one year in prison for loan sharking. Cutaia was released from prison on October 4, 2013. He died on August 14, 2018.

Paul Correale

Paul "Paulie Ham" Correale (April 25, 1911 - died) was a capo in the family. Correale controlled gambling and narcotics in East Harlem. In December 1930, Correale and Carmine Tramunti had charges of robbery dropped and they were released from jail. Correale ran a Lucchese family gambling club between Second Avenue and East 112th Street in East Harlem. In 1952, Joseph Valachi and others murdered Eugenio Giannini near Correale's club.

Anthony Delasco

Anthony "Ham" Delasco (sometimes spelled Dolasco) was a former boxer and capo in New Jersey. In the 1950s, he took over the Jersey crew after Settimo Accardi was deported. Delasco ran his crew from East Orange, New Jersey where he controlled jukebox machines, cigarette vending machines, illegal gambling and loan-sharking operation in Newark, New Jersey. In the late 1950s, Delasco took Anthony Accetturo as his protege. Delasco died in the late 1960s, his rackets were taken over by Accetturo.

Anthony DiLapi

Anthony DiLapi (February 9, 1936 – February 4, 1990), also known as "Blue Eyes over the Bridges" or "Fat Anthony", was a soldier. His uncle, Salvatore Santoro, was a former underboss in the Lucchese family. DiLapi controlled the Lucchese family's Teamsters union in New York City's Garment District and a bookmaking business, and owned part of a vending machine company in Brooklyn. He also worked with Thomas Gambino, the son of Carlo Gambino and son-in-law of Tommy Lucchese, in extorting businesses in the Garment District. After being released from prison, DiLapi was summoned to a meeting with Anthony Casso, and fled. Casso ordered Burton Kaplan to use two NYPD detectives on his payroll, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, to track down DiLapi. The two detectives found him in Reseda, California. Vic Amuso and Anthony Casso then ordered Joseph "Little Joe" D'Arco to kill DiLapi. On February 4, 1990, D'Arco shot DiLapi to death in his Hollywood, California, apartment building's underground garage. DiLapi was shot five times in the face and four times in the body. On April 6, 2006, Eppolito and Caracappa were convicted of murder for their role in eight mob killings, including that of Anthony DiLapi.

Salvatore DiSimone

Salvatore "Sally Bo" DiSimone (sometimes spelled DeSimone) (died October 2018), was a soldier and former capo. His son Anthony was a member of the Tanglewood Boys. In 1994, his son Anthony went into hiding after the murder of Louis Balancio. In 1999, his son Anthony turned himself in to the police and was sentenced in 2000 to 25 years to life. In 2005, the FBI revealed that DiSimone and Lucchese soldier Daniel Latella had meetings in doctor offices with Gambino family capo Greg DePalma. His son Anthony DiSimone served seven years in prison before the conviction was overturned, the defense never reviewed the evidence, he later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2010, and served no additional time. Salvatore DiSimone died in October 2018.

Stefano LaSalle

Stefano "Steve" LaSalle (real name LaSala) was an early member of the Morello family; he later joined Reina's family. In 1915, East Harlem's Italian lottery "king" Giosue Gallucci was murdered, allowing LaSalle and Tommaso Lomonte to take over the lottery games. LaSalle served as underboss to Tom Lucchese and later Carmine Tramunti, until he retired in the 1970s.

Anthony Loria Sr.

Anthony "Tony" Loria Sr., also known as "Tony Aboudamita", was a mobster who played a major role in the French Connection heroin scandal. In October 1973, Loria was indicted along with the boss of the Lucchese Family Carmine Tramunti and 42 other mobsters on drug dealing charges. Loria was known to federal agents and the BNDD as a major drug trafficker within theLucchese Crime Family. He was implicated along with his longtime partnerVincent Papa, Anthony Passero, Virgil Alessi and Frank D'Amato in the New York Police Department scandal which over $70 million worth of drugs seized during the French Connection operation was stolen from the police property room. The crew stole 398 pounds of heroin and 120 pounds of cocaine from 1969 to 1972. Loria was convicted in 1961 trafficking heroin but was overturned on appeal 1968 for a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The case People v. Loria is still cited today in case law. Loria, along with Papa and his crew are known as "The Men who Stole The French Connection" In 1989, he died from natural causes.

Joseph Lucchese

Joseph "Joe Brown" Lucchese was a capo and brother to Tommy Lucchese the boss of the Lucchese crime family. He controlled gambling operation along with Aniello Migliore.In 1963, during the Valachi hearings Lucchese was identified as a capo in the Lucchese family. He died during the early 1970s.

Anthony Luongo

Anthony "Buddy" Luongo was a former capo. In 1986, Luongo tried to take over the Lucchese crime family after boss Anthony Corallo was imprisoned during the Commission case. In December 1986, Luongo met Vic Amuso, Anthony Casso, Bobby Amuso and Dom Carbucci in Brooklyn when Bobby Amuso shot Luongo dead.

Mariano Macaluso

Mariano "Mac" Macaluso was a former member. He served as consigliere during the 1960s. In 1986, after the Mafia Commission Trial, Macaluso became the new underboss. In 1989, boss Vic Amuso forced him into retirement. In 1992, he died from natural causes.

Frank Manzo

Frank Manzo in an FBI surveillance photograph

Frank Manzo (February 2, 1925 – October 23, 2012), also known as "Francesco Manzo", "Frank Manse", and "Frankie the Wop", was a soldier in the Vario Crew who oversaw the family's interests at John F. Kennedy International Airport ("JFK") in Queens, New York. He served as a union delegate in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, controlled Local 295 and owned two trucking companies: LVF Air Cargo, Inc., and LVF Airport Service Inc. at JFK Airport. Manzo also owned Villa Capra, a restaurant in Cedarhurst, New York, where he conducted illegal activities.

In 1972, Manzo was kidnapped by James McBratney, Eddie Maloney, Tommy Genovese, and Richie Chaisson; they held him on $150,000 in ransom, which was paid, and he was released. In 1983, Manzo was overheard in an FBI wiretap, saying, "We rule this airport". In 1985, Manzo along with Local 295 President Frank Calise, Local 851 Vice-President Harry Davidoff and others were indicted on charges of extorting shipping and trucking companies at JFK Airport. In 1986, Manzo pleaded guilty to racketeering and was sentenced to twelve years in prison and fined $325,000. On April 8, 1987, Manzo was banned from New Jersey casinos due to his history of involvement with organized crime.

Manzo was released from prison in 1994. In 1995, Manzo was charged with racketeering for extorting $2 million in payoffs from cement company owner John Quadrozzi over a 13-year period, between 1978 and 1991. However, the charges were dropped when the judge ruled that the crimes were covered under his 1986 plea agreement. On October 23, 2012, Manzo died in his sleep.

Richard Pagliarulo

Richard "Toupe" Pagliarulo (November 30, 1948 – 1999) was a former capo. Pagliarulo took over as capo of Peter Chiodo's old Bensonhurst crew. In 1991, Pagliarulo served as a member of a panel that conducted a Lucchese crime family induction ceremony in Howard Beach, Queens. He sponsored both Gregory "Whitey" Cappello and Jody Calabrese for membership during the ceremony. In the late 1990s, Pagliarulo died of natural causes in prison.

Vincent Papa

Vincent C. Papa (1917 - July 1977) a former made member in the family who became notorious for masterminding the theft of the French Connection heroin from the New York Police Department (NYPD) property office. Papa grew up in Astoria, Queens and owned a tire-company in the neighborhood. He had been arrested 28 times, two of the arrests were on drug charges. Papa ran his criminal operations from Ditmars Car Service, in Astoria, Queens, and from the Astoria Colts Social Club. He worked closely with mobsters Anthony Loria and Virgil Alessi.

Between 1969 and 1972, New York Police Department detectives James Farley, Joseph Nunziata, Frank King and others were paid by Papa to steal approximately $70 million in confiscated narcotics (heroin) from the New York City Police Property Clerk's office in Lower Manhattan. Papa was arrested on February 3, 1972, in a car parked on Bronxdale Avenue with Joseph DiNapoli in the back seat. There was a suitcase with $967,500 in hundred dollar bills. In 1975, Papa was convicted and sent to the Atlanta Federal Prison in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1977, Papa was stabbed to death in prison. He is buried in St. John's Cemetery in Queens. Papa's infamous theft became famous after the movie The French Connection II.

Joseph Pinzolo

Bonaventura "Joseph" Pinzolo (1887 – September 5, 1930), also known as "Fat Joe", was the boss of the family during 1930. In July 1908, Pinzolo was arrested for trying to bomb 314 East 11th Street in an effort to force owner Francisco Spinelli to pay Black Hand extortion demands. After his arrest Pinzolo, gave up his boss Giuseppe Costabile, a Camorrista who controlled the area south of Houston Street to Canal Street and from East Broadway to the East River. Pinzolo served 2 years and 8 months to 5 years after refusing to testify against Costabile.

In February 1930, Gaetano Reina was murdered and boss Joseph Masseria backed Pinzolo to take control of the Reina family. Pinzolo may have been responsible for Reina's murder, though the most widely suspected culprit for that crime remains Vito Genovese. As boss Pinzolo was unfamiliar with the members of the family and the East Harlem area. His promotion angered Tommaso Gagliano, Tommy Lucchese and Dominick Petrilli who formed a splinter group within the family and planned his murder. On September 5, 1930, Pinzolo's body was found in the Brokaw building on 1487 Broadway in suite 1007 occupied by California Dry Fruit Importers. The office was leased by Tommy Lucchese four months earlier. According to Joseph Valachi the killer was Girolomo Santuccio. Valachi also mentioned that after Pinzolo's assassination a meeting was held on Staten Island to uncover who was responsible for the murder.

Vincenzo Rao

Vincenzo John Rao (June 21, 1898 Palermo, Sicily – September 25, 1988), also known as Vincent or Vinny, was a former Consigliere in the family. His father was Antonio Rao and his mother Liboria Gagliano. He had a brother Calogero "Charles" and a sister Maria Speciale. On his mother's side, Rao was a distant relative to Tommaso Gagliano. He was a cousin to gangster Joseph Rao. He married Carmelina Alberti and the couple had two daughters, Nina Vento and Liboria Pancaldo. On December 5, 1921, Vincenzo Rao became a naturalized United States citizen in New York City. He began his criminal career working for the Gagliano's in East Harlem. Rao became a powerful mobster inlathing industry. He became partners in Five Boro Hoisting Company, United Lathing Company, Westchester Lathing Corporation and Ace Lathing Company operating from the Bronx and Westchester. In the 1950s, boss Gaetano Lucchese promoted Rao to Consigliere in the family.

In 1957, Rao was arrested with 60 other mobsters at the abortive Apalachin meeting in rural Apalachin, New York. When asked by investigators why he was at the meeting, Rao said he went there for the luncheon buffet and did not speak to anyone else because he was not "introduced". During the 1963 Valachi hearings, Rao was listed as the Lucchese family's consigliere. In 1965, Rao was convicted on perjury charges and was sentenced to five years in prison. At the same time the longtime boss Tom Lucchese had become ill and Rao was thought as suitable successor. His chance to become the new boss never happened due to his trials. During the early 1970s, Rao retired. On September 25, 1988, Rao died of natural causes and is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Patrick Testa

Patrick "Patty" Testa is a former soldier. Testa was the younger brother to Joseph Testa. In 1984, he was indicted on fraud and theft charges along with members of the Gambino family's DeMeo crew. Testa was sentenced to two years in prison and after his release joined the Lucchese crime family. On December 2, 1992, Testa was murdered, shot in the back of the head nine times. It was later revealed that Anthony Casso had ordered Frank Lastorino to murder Testa.

Dominic Truscello

Dominic "Crazy Dom" Truscello (April 29, 1934-July 2018) was the capo of the "Prince Street Crew". In the 1990s, Truscello along with Steven Crea and Joseph Tangorra formed the "Lucchese Construction Group", supervising all the Lucchese family's construction related rackets. On September 6, 2000, Truscello was indicted along with acting boss Steven Crea, capo Joseph Tangorra, soldiers Joseph Datello, Philip DeSimone, Arthur Zambardi, Anthony Pezzullo, and Joseph Truncale on labor racketeering, extortion, and bid-rigging charges. In September 2002, Truscello and Steven Crea were indicted on information supplied by Joseph Defede, who became a government witness in February. The indictment charged Truscello with extorting "Commercial Brick", a construction company. In October 2003, Truscello pleaded guilty to federal extortion charges. On January 9, 2006, Truscello was released from prison. On May 31, 2017, Truscello along with Street Boss Matthew Madonna, Underboss Steven Crea Sr., Consigliere Joseph DiNapoli and other members of the family were indicted and charged with racketeering, murder, narcotics (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, prescribed medication), and firearms offenses. Truscello died during the trial in July 2018.

Guido Penosi

Guido "the Bull" Penosi a former associate. He lived in Beverly Hills, and was a narcotics dealer active in Los Angeles and the West Coast. In the 1980s, Penosi along with his cousin Frank Piccolo (a member in the Gambino crime family) stopped Genovese family mobsters from extorting his friend Wayne Newton (Wayne Newton v. NBC).

Abraham Telvi

Abraham "Abe" Telvi (September 12, 1934 – July 28, 1956) was an associate of Johnny Dio. In 1956, Telvi was ordered by Dio to throw acid on New York journalist Victor Riesel for making radio and television appearances about labor union corruption. In the morning of April 5, 1956, Telvi attacked Victor Riesel as he was leaving Lindy's, a Broadway restaurant, throwing sulfuric acid onto his face leaving him permanently blind. In the attack, Telvi had burned himself badly on the right side of his face and neck with some of the acid that splashed on him. He was paid $1,175 in cash and began demanding more money from Dio. On July 28, 1956, Telvi was found dead on Mulberry Street with a bullet in his head.

Joseph D'Arco

Joseph "Little Joe" D'Arco is a former soldier who is currently in witness protection along with his father former acting boss Alphonse D'Arco. In early 1990, Vic Amuso and Anthony Casso ordered D'Arco to kill Anthony DiLapi, a soldier who was in hiding. On February 4, 1990, he shot DiLapi to death in his Hollywood, California apartment buildings underground garage. In September 1991, D'Arco's father became a marked man (being targeted for death), and, fearing for his own life, surrendered to the F.B.I. and agreed to become a witness.

Joseph DeFede

Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede (1934 – July 15, 2012) was a former New York City mobster and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant. Born in 1934, DeFede grew up in the Queens borough of New York City.In his early days, he operated a hot dog vendor truck in Coney Island, Brooklyn, running numbers rackets on the side.A close friend and handball partner of Lucchese leader Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, DeFede was inducted into the family in 1986 after Amuso became boss.DeFede's rise and fall in the New York mob can all be attributed to Amuso. DeFede drove a Cadillac and owned three race horses that he stabled at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. DeFede was married twice, and is currently wed to his second wife Nancy who entered the Witness Protection Program with him. The couple receive an annual income of $30,000 a year from Nancy's pension and a modest annuity provided by the U.S. Marshals Service.

During the late '90s, Amuso's relationship with DeFede began to sour. Suspecting that DeFede was hiding money from the family, Amuso replaced him as acting boss with Steven Crea, head of the family's powerful Bronx faction. Once Crea took over, family profits rose enormously. That was enough to convince Amuso that DeFede had been skimming profits; Amuso reportedly decided to have him murdered.

In 1994, Amuso was convicted of federal racketeering and murder charges and sent to prison for life. Amuso then named DeFede his acting boss to replace Alphonse D'Arco with a weaker and more controllable man at the top, after D'Arco turned rat after botching several hits. On April 28, 1998, DeFede was indicted on nine counts of racketeering stemming from his supervision of the family rackets in New York's Garment District from 1991 to 1996.The prosecution reported that the Lucchese family had been grossing $40,000 per month from Garment District businesses since the mid-1980s.In December 1998, DeFede pleaded guilty to the charges and received five years in prison.

On February 5, 2002, DeFede was released from a Lexington, Kentucky prison medical center. Having heard of Amuso's plans to kill him, DeFede immediately became a government informant. DeFede explained the Garment District rackets and the protection rackets in Howard Beach, Queens. He also provided information leading to the convictions of Crea, Louis Daidone, Dominic Truscello, Joseph Tangorra, Anthony Baratta, and a number of family captains, soldiers and associates.While testifying against Gambino crime family boss Peter Gotti, DeFede exclaimed that all he made during his reign as acting boss was $1,014,000, or approximately $250,000 per year. DeFede also estimated that a low ranking family soldier would make on average $50,000 per year.

DeFede entered and left the federal Witness Protection Program, moving to live in Florida under an assumed name. He and his wife reportedly lived on $30,000 a year, their assets having been depleted by legal bills and the cost of creating new identities. On July 15, 2012 DeFede died from a heart attack.

Donald Frankos

Donald "Tony the Greek" George Frankos, (born November 10, 1938 Hackensack, New Jersey – died March 30, 2011 Dannemora, New York), was a Greek-Italiancontract killer and mob associate of the Lucchese family, who later became a government witness. His father George Argiri Frango was left his home town of Kardamyla on Chios, Greece in 1905 as a crewman on a ship. George Frango married Irene, an immigrant from Syracuse, Italy and had three children: Georgia (1932), James (1935) and Donald (1938). In 1974, Frankos murdered Lucchese associate Richard Bilello.

In 1992, Frankos claimed to author William Hoffman he took part in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa, with a hit team consisting of himself, and Irish-American mobsters John Sullivan and James Coonan. According to Frankos, Hoffa was lured by his close friend Chuckie O'Brien to a house owned by Detroit mobster Anthony Giacolone. Once there, Hoffa was shot and killed by Coonan and Frankos using suppressed .22 pistols. Hoffa was then dismembered by Coonan, Sullivan, and Frankos. It has been asserted that he sealed the body in an oil drum and buried it underneath Giants Stadium, however no evidence has ever been found to substantiate this claim. Author Jerry Capeci found these claims false because Frankos was in prison during Hoffa's disappearance.

Eugenio Giannini

Eugenio Giannini a former soldier who became an informant to the Bureau of Narcotics. In 1942, Giannini was charged with heroin conspiracy and served fifteen months in prison. He moved to Europe in 1950, and began smuggling U.S. medical supplies into Italy. While in Italy he formed a connection to Charles Luciano and began informing on Luciano to the Bureau of Narcotics. Giannini was arrested on counterfeiting charges in Italy but the charges were dropped and he moved back to New York. The Mafia in New York discovered that Giannini was an informer and ordered his murder. Genovese family capo Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo gave the contract to Joseph Valachi. On September 20, 1952, Giannini's body was found on 107th Street shot to death. Valachi later revealed he recruited brothers Joseph and Pasquale Pagano and Fiore Siano to carry out the hit. They murdered Giannini near a gambling club run by Lucchese family soldier Paul Correale between Second Avenue and East 112th Street.

Frank Gioia Jr.

Frank "Spaghetti Man" Gioia Jr. (born August 10, 1967) is a former soldier who is currently in witness protection along with his father former soldier Frank Gioia Sr. In 1991, Gioia Jr. was inducted into the Lucchese crime family in a ceremony held in Howard Beach, Queens. He was sponsored by George Conte, who was filling in for his real sponsor George Zappola. In June 1992, Gioia Jr. was arrested in Brooklyn on a gun charge. In 1993, Gioia Jr. along with George Zappola and Frank Papagni plotted to have Steven Crea killed. In 1993, Gioia was arrested for trafficking heroin from Manhattan to Boston. In 1994, Gioia found out that Frank Papagni planned to murder his father Frank Gioia Sr., prompting the son to become a government witness. Since becoming a government witness, Gioia Jr. has testified against 60 defendants.

According to investigator Robert Anglen, a Phoenix, Arizona real estate developer Frank Capri is really former mob informant Frank Gioia Jr. Since 2015, Capri and his company have been accused in multiple lawsuits from failing to pay rent, to stiffing contractors and walking off with money meant to pay for construction.

Burton Kaplan

Burton Kaplan was an associate and government informant. During the 1980s Kaplan was the go-between guy for Lucchese crime family underboss Anthony Casso and NYPD Detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa. In 2006, Kaplan was released from federal custody and his remaining 18-year sentence for marijuana trafficking was dropped for cooperating in the case against Eppolito and Caracappa. In July 2009, Kaplan died from prostate cancer.

Dominick Petrilli

Dominick "The Gap" Petrilli was a former member. He got the nickname "The Gap" after losing two front teeth in a childhood fight. Petrilli met Joseph Valachi in Sing Sing prison in Ossining, New York. In 1928, after Valachi was released from prison Petrilli introduced him to Girolama "Bobby Doyle" Santucci and Tom Gagliano. In 1942, Petrilli was convicted on narcotic charges and was deported to Italy. In November 1953, he reentered the U.S. and it was rumored he was working with the government. On December 9, 1953, he was murdered in a bar on East 183rd Street in the Bronx by three gunmen.

Thomas Ricciardi

Thomas "Tommy Boy" Ricciardi is a former soldier who is currently in witness protection. Both Thomas and his brother Daniel were associated with the Lucchese family's New Jersey faction before becoming government informants. Ricciardi was a member of Michael Taccetta's inner circle and controlled the groups illegal gambling operations. In August 1988, Ricciardi along with his brother Daniel and twenty other members of the New Jersey faction were acquitted in a 21-month trial. On April 18, 1991, Ricciardi was indicted along with Michael Taccetta, Anthony Accetturo, Michael Perna on corruption charges. On August 13, 1993, they were all convicted of racketeering and both Thomas Ricciardi and Anthony Accetturo agreed to become government witnesses and testified against Taccetta and Perna. On September 6, 2001, Ricciardi was released from prison after serving 10 years, and is now currently in the witness protection program.

Vincent Salanardi

Vincent "Vinny Baldy" Salanardi is a former soldier who became a government informant. In 2002, Salanardi was indicted along with consigliere Joseph Caridi, capo John Cerrella and others. The group was charged with extorting the Hudson & McCoy Fish House restaurant in Freeport, Long Island. He began cooperating with the government, and continued to collect money from a loanshark debt and was dropped from the witness protection program. In March 2006, Salanardi was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison. Salanardi was released from prison on October 29, 2012.

Frank Suppa

Frank "Goo Goo" Suppa is a former soldier who is currently in witness protection. Suppa was soldier in the Lucchese family's New Jersey faction operating in Florida as Anthony Accetturo right-hand man. In 1983, Suppa attended a sitdown along with Anthony Accetturo, Michael Taccetta, Thomas Ricciardi and Philadelphia crime family mobsters Jackie the nose DiNorscio and Joseph Alonzo over DiNorscio joining the Lucchese family. In 1993, Suppa was indicted along with others on charges that they conspired to distribute up to 1,650 pounds of cocaine in the United States. In December 1996, Suppa along with his son Anthony Suppa, Joseph Marino, David Deatherage and Steven Cassone testified against Fabio Dicristifaro and Irving Schwartz in the murder case of Joseph Martino. In 1997, Dicristifaro and Schwartz received life sentences, on the testimony of Suppa and the other witnesses.