Anthony Joseph Zerilli

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Anthony Joseph "Tony Z." Zerilli (born October 24, 1927 in Detroit , Michigan ; † March 31, 2015 in Weston (Florida) ) was an Italian-American mobster of the American Cosa Nostra and the underboss for about three decades , as well as at times Acting boss in the Zerilli family (Detroit Crime Family) , also known as the Detroit Partnership or Detroit Combination .

Life

Early years

Anthony Joseph Zerilli was born on October 24, 1927 in Detroit ( Michigan ) to Joseph "Joe Z." Zerilli and Josephine Finazzo . At that time, Tony's father was already a high-ranking member of the so-called Eastside Mob under the leadership of Salvatore Catalanotte , which was led by Zerilli's partner Angelo Meli . Joe Z took over the management of the family from 1936 and will lead them for the next 4 decades until his death in 1977; such a long tenure as official boss, there were very few bosses besides him in the history of the American Cosa Nostra.

Tony's rise

Tony Z reportedly became a " made man " in 1947 after he and his 1st cousin, Giacomo "Black Jack" Tocco , earned their membership in the Detroit Mafia by murdering a man named Guest Andromalius .

Anthony Zerilli graduated from the University of Detroit in 1949, and that same year became president of Hazel Park Racing Association and Track at Hazel Park , Michigan, and owned a $ 50,000 share. For the next twenty-three years, Hazel Park had an estimated $ 15 million in annual sales and annual profits of $ 1,200,000 for its investors. Hazel Park was such a success that Tony, Black Jack Tocco and Dominic "Fats" Corrado decided in August 1970 to build another racetrack in Hollywood, Florida ; however, the second project called Hazel Park South was canceled because Tony later ran into legal problems. This also forced Tony and his partners to sell the original Hazel Park in Michigan in 1972.

Following the sale of Hazel Park, Tony received $ 780,000 for his 92,634 shares. His profits from Hazel Park allowed him to get into several other businesses; including the founding of the Spaghetti Palace restaurant near Macomb Mall in Roseville (Michigan) , which quickly became Zerilli's headquarters.

Trouble in Las Vegas

During the early 1960s, Tony began spending much of his time in Las Vegas . He watched other partners invest and looked for new ways to expand his family's influence in this city. In 1964, Zerilli and his partner Michael Santo "Big Mike" Polizzi gained control of the New Frontier Hotel through a former Hamtramck judge named Arthur Rooks and the Toledo hotel owner Irving Shapiro as the drama owner . Tony, Polizzi, Shapiro and lawyer Peter J. Bellanca were later convicted of illegally skimming around US $ 250,000 a month from the frontier for 2 years.

Tony's downfall

Tony's father, Joe Z, went into semi-retirement in 1964 and appointed Tony as acting boss; was however imprisoned 1974-1979 together with his consigliere Giovanni Priziola and his father took over the complete management again during this time, until his death in 1977. With the death of Joe Z, Giovanni Priziola became the new head of the family. Priziola named Giacomo "Black Jack" Tocco as the incumbent boss and Tony Z. as the underboss of the family. Priziola died in 1979 at the age of 84 and Black Jack Tocco became his official successor.

On March 15, 1996, Anthony Zerilli, Jack Tocco, and 15 other alleged members of the family were charged in a 25-point RICO case; inter alia because of conspiracy to illegal gambling and a criminal organization. At this point, Tocco reportedly cut off Zerilli by drying him out financially, refusing to speak to him, and instructing everyone else in the criminal family to do the same. Zerilli and the rest of the alleged mafia members have been bailed pending trial. The trial finally began in February 1998, and on April 29, 1998, the jury found Tocco guilty on 12 counts. Zerilli's attorneys were able to postpone the trial for him until August 19, 2002 and on November 7, 2002 he was found guilty. Tony was arrested and released on April 6, 2008.

That same year, Tony was demoted by Tocco and forced into retirement. Former US attorney Keith Corbett quoted: "There's a lot of bitterness between Tony and his cousin, Jack ... and resentments go both ways." Tony Z failed after repeated attempts by Zerilli to meet with Tocco and reclaim his status in the family after he returned to Detroit in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Zerilli fled to the FBI and declared in January 2013 that "Tony Jack" Giacalone , a capo named Peter "Bozzi" Vitale and the consigliere Anthony "Tony Pal" Palazzolo , were responsible for the death of Jimmy Hoffa . Shortly after his murder, he was buried in a field 20 miles north of the Oakland County restaurant. FBI digs in June 2013 were unsuccessful.

Anthony Joseph "Tony Z." Zerilli died of natural causes on March 31, 2015 in his home in Weston, Florida . He leaves behind his wife Rosalie and five children.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Gangster Report - Ex-Detroit Mob Chief Tony Zerilli Dies in Florida
  2. ↑ Viral Nova - 7 Mafia Families That Are not From New York Or Chicago
  3. ↑ The American Mafia - Detroit Crime Bosses
  4. ↑ Meet Tony Zerilli, the Mobster Behind This Jimmy Hoffa Dig (thedailybeast.com, June 19, 2013, accessed December 29, 2016)
  5. ↑ GEOCITIES - Anthony Joseph Zerilli
  6. ^ Geocities - Michael Santo Polizzi
  7. ↑ The Detroit Mafia, Mario Machi .
  8. ↑ http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130116/NEWS03/130119545/hoffa-family-feud-at-heart-of-recent-revelations-about-the-missing-teamster#full_story
  9. ↑ Detroit mobster says he knows where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. In: Fox News , January 14, 2013.
  10. ↑ Latest Search Latest search for Jimmy Hoffa called off with no remains found ( Memento of the original from June 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . USNews on NBCNews.com, June 19, 2013, accessed July 3, 2013.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / usnews.nbcnews.com
  11. ↑ Longshot's Blog - Anthony "Tony Z" Zerilli Dies At 87, Detroit Media Silent.
personal data
SURNAME Zerilli, Anthony Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Tony Z. (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian-American mobster
DATE OF BIRTH October 24, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Detroit , Michigan
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 2015
Place of death Weston (Florida)