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Peter LaTempa (1904 – January 15, 1945) was a New York mobster and associate of the Genovese crime family, who later agreed to become a government witness against Vito Genovese.

A local Brooklyn hoodlum, LaTempa was pressured to support the testimony of hitman Ernest "The Hawk" Rupolo in the government's case against Vito Genovese for the 1934 murder of gambler and Luciano crime family soldier Ferdinand "The Shadow" Boccia. Shortly after Genovese's escape to Sicily, LaTempa reportedly agreed to cooperate with the authorities because he believed that Genovese would never be prosecuted.

However, in 1944, U.S. military police in Sicily arrested Genovese for dealing in black market goods, and his status as a fugitive was uncovered shortly thereafter. On January 8, 1945, federal authorities announced that Genovese had been repatriated to New York. LaTempa immediately went to the Brooklyn district attorney's office and demanded protective custody. As a result, the authorities placed LaTempa in Raymond Street Jail. Less than a week after Genovese's return, LaTempa was found dead in his cell after taking medication for his gallstones. An autopsy allegedly revealed that he had ingested enough poison "..to kill eight horses." Those responsible for arranging LaTempa's murder by tampering with his medication were never apprehended. However, 'authorities were convinced that Genovese was behind the murder', as he was the one who stood most to gain from LaTempa's death. With LaTempa's sudden death, there was no one to corroborate Rupolo's testimony in the Boccia murder case, and the jury was subsequently forced to acquit Genovese.

The presiding judge, Samuel Leibowitz, stated before the court:

"I cannot speak for the jury, but I believe if there were even a shred of corroborating evidence you would have been condemned to the electric chair. By devious means, among which were the terrorizing of witnesses, kidnapping them, yes, even murdering those who would give evidence against you, you have thwarted justice time and again."

After applying for early release from prison, Rupolo himself would be found dead almost 20 years later, on August 24, 1964. He was recovered from Jamaica Bay, Queens with his hands bound and two concrete blocks attached to his legs. His murder was almost certainly in response to his having testified against Genovese.

References[edit]

Nash, Jay Robert. The Great Pictorial History of World Crime. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. ISBN 1-928831-20-6
Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Crime. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0

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+{{Short description|American mobster (1904–1945)}}
-'''Peter LaTempa''' ([[1904]]-[[January 15]], [[1945]]) was a New York mobster and associate of the [[Genovese crime family]], who later agreed to become a government witness against [[Vito Genovese]].
+{{Refimprove|date=April 2011}}
+'''Peter LaTempa''' (1904 – January 15, 1945) was a New York mobster and associate of the [[Genovese crime family]], who later agreed to become a government witness against [[Vito Genovese]].
-A local Brooklyn hoodlum, LaTempa was pressured to support the testimony of hitman [[Ernest Rupolo|Ernest "The Hawk" Rupolo]] in the government's case against Vito Genovese for the murder of the 1934 murder of gambler [[Ferdinand Boccia|Ferdinand "The Shadow" Boccia]]. Shortly after Genovese's escape to [[Sicily]], LaTempa would eventually agree to cooperate with authorities apparently beliving, like many in the underworld, of the federal government's inability to prosecute him.
+A local Brooklyn hoodlum, LaTempa was pressured to support the testimony of hitman [[Ernest Rupolo|Ernest "The Hawk" Rupolo]] in the government's case against Vito Genovese for the 1934 murder of gambler and [[Luciano crime family]] soldier [[Ferdinand Boccia|Ferdinand "The Shadow" Boccia]]. Shortly after Genovese's escape to [[Sicily]], LaTempa reportedly agreed to cooperate with the authorities because he believed that Genovese would never be prosecuted.
-With Genovese's recapture at the end of [[World War II]], LaTempa immediatly went to the district attorney's Brooklyn office demanding to be put in protective custody following news of Genovese's arrival on January 8, 1945. Placed under protective custody at the [[Raymond Street]] jail, less then a week after Genovese's return, LaTempa was found dead in his cell after taking medication for his [[gallstones]]. A later autopsy revealed enogh poison was in his system ''"..to kill eight horses."'' LaTempa's murder, specifically how his medication had been tempered with, remained unsolved.
+However, in 1944, U.S. military police in Sicily arrested Genovese for dealing in black market goods, and his status as a fugitive was uncovered shortly thereafter. On January 8, 1945, federal authorities announced that Genovese had been [[repatriate]]d to New York. LaTempa immediately went to the Brooklyn [[district attorney]]'s office and demanded [[protective custody]]. As a result, the authorities placed LaTempa in [[Raymond Street Jail]]. Less than a week after Genovese's return, LaTempa was found dead in his cell after taking medication for his [[gallstones]]. An [[autopsy]] allegedly revealed that he had ingested enough poison ''"..to kill eight horses."'' Those responsible for arranging LaTempa's murder by tampering with his medication were never apprehended. However, 'authorities were convinced that Genovese was behind the murder', as he was the one who stood most to gain from LaTempa's death.
+With LaTempa's sudden death, there was no one to corroborate Rupolo's testimony in the Boccia murder case, and the jury was subsequently forced to acquit Genovese.
-With LaTempa's sudden death, the federal prosecutors were forced to rely on Rupolo's testimony and the case easily fell though with Genovese aquitted of all charges. The presiding judge however, stated to before the court:
+The presiding judge, Samuel Leibowitz, stated before the court:
+:''"I cannot speak for the jury, but I believe if there were even a shred of corroborating evidence you would have been condemned to the electric chair. By devious means, among which were the terrorizing of witnesses, kidnapping them, yes, even murdering those who would give evidence against you, you have thwarted justice time and again."''
+After applying for early release from prison, Rupolo himself would be found dead almost 20 years later, on August 24, 1964. He was recovered from [[Jamaica Bay]], [[Queens]] with his hands bound and two concrete blocks attached to his legs. His murder was almost certainly in response to his having testified against Genovese.
-:''"By devious means, among which were the terrorizing of witnesses, kidnapping them, yes, even murdering those who give evidence against you, you have thwarted justice time and again."''
+==References==
+*Nash, Jay Robert. ''The Great Pictorial History of World Crime''. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. {{ISBN|1-928831-20-6}}
+*Sifakis, Carl. ''The Mafia Encyclopedia''. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. {{ISBN|0-8160-5694-3}}
+*Sifakis, Carl. ''The Encyclopedia of American Crime''. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2005. {{ISBN|0-8160-4040-0}}
+{{Genovese crime family}}{{American Mafia}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Latempa, Peter}}
+[[Category:1904 births]]
+[[Category:1945 deaths]]
+[[Category:Genovese crime family]]
+[[Category:Murdered American gangsters of Italian descent]]
+[[Category:People murdered in New York City]]
+[[Category:Deaths by poisoning]]