John Vitale

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John Joseph "Johnny V." Vitale (* 17th May 1909 ; † 5. June 1982 ) was an Italian-American mobster the US Cosa Nostra , three decades underboss and subsequently two years until his death, patriarch of Giordano family (St. Louis crime family) , with its headquarters from St. Louis ( Missouri acts) from.

Early years

John Joseph Vitale was born on May 17, 1909 in St. Louis, Missouri, the eldest of eight children and raised by his parents Joseph Vitale, Sr. and Mary Theresa Bovacanti, who moved to the United from Italy a few months before he was born States had emigrated.

During the Great Depression , John worked as an usher at the Ambassador Theater , where he also met the film actress Ginger Rogers ; the two became friends for life.

Around 1929 he married his beloved Fara Marie Sharamitaro. They had four children together. After Fara died in July 1973. John married on August 4, 1973 in Las Vegas ( Nevada ) Mildred Joyce Allen.

Criminal career

Vitale's criminal record goes back to the 1920s. For example, in 1934 he was a suspect in the death of Mike Palazzolo, an associate of the New York Genovese family . However, although an arrest warrant was issued against him, Vitale was acquitted of the murder.

After underboss Vincenzo "Vincent" Chiapetta briefly became the boss of the family in 1950, Vitale took over his position and remained underboss until 1980.

Very little is generally known of Vitale's early years in the Syndicate. In the 1950s, John Vitale was transferred to federal prison on a narcotics charge. In 1958 he was charged and convicted of allegedly smuggling weapons across the state border. Vitale appealed against it. In February 1959, Vitale was summoned as a witness in relation to mafia-controlled slot machines, but he relied on the " 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution " to avoid incriminating himself. In 1977 he was convicted of assault and briefly arrested in 1981 for having $ 30,000 in his wallet.

On August 29, 1980, the head of the family Anthony Giordano died of cancer and John Vitale became the new boss of the family until he died of natural causes on June 5, 1982. He was born on June 9, 1982 in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis. buried. Vital's successor as the new boss of the family was Matthew M. Trupiano, Jr.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Allan May: The St. Louis Family . Trutv.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. 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. Retrieved May 30, 2012. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.trutv.com
  2. ^ Mario Machi: St. Louis Family . In: Investigative Journalists . Rick Porrello's AmericanMafia.com. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  3. ↑ a b Auble, John (2002). A History of St. Louis Gangsters . St. Louis, Missouri: The National Criminal Research Society. Pp. 26.
  4. ^ Randazzo, Andy T. "Joseph Vitale Genealogy" . Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ John Vitale household, 1910 US Census, St. Louis City, Mo., pop sch, Ward 4, ED 68, SD 68, sh. 6B, dw. 111, fl. 117; NA microfilm T624, roll 813.
  6. ^ Randazzo, Andy T. "Fara Marie Sharamitaro Genealogy" . Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Joseph John Vitale Obituary" . Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  8. ↑ a b c Associated Press. "John Vitale, Organized Crime Leader in St. Louis, Dies at 73." Chicago Tribune , June 7, 1982, pp. D13
  9. ↑ Mike Palozzolo, death certificate no. 17922 (1934). Missouri Department of Health, Jefferson City, Missouri.
  10. ↑ Auble, John (2002). A History of St. Louis Gangsters . St. Louis, Missouri: The National Criminal Research Society. Pp. 30.
  11. ↑ Editorial. "Names 4 in Ransom Theft." Chicago Daily Tribune , Aug. 20, 1958, pp. 1; 9.
  12. ^ Moore, William. "Quiz Juke Box Figure about Mafia Left: Illinois Rackets Boss Invokes 5th." Chicago Daily Tribune , February 12, 1959, pp. A4.
  13. ↑ Auble, John (2002). A History of St. Louis Gangsters . St. Louis, Missouri: The National Criminal Research Society. Pp. 27.
  14. ↑ Machi, Mario, Allan May, and Charlie Molino. (1999). "St. Louis Family" . AmericanMafia.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
personal data
SURNAME Vitale, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johnny V. (nickname); Vitale, John Joseph (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American mafioso
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1909
DATE OF DEATH 5th June 1982