Thomas Eboli

Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli (born June 13, 1911 in Eboli (Campania) , Italy , † July 16, 1972 in Brooklyn , New York City ) was an American mobster of the Cosa Nostra and head of the Genovese family .

biography

Thomas Eboli was an "underboss" of Vito Genovese and apparently helped him to gain control of the largest clan of the US American Cosa Nostra in New York City . Genovese had always seen himself as the legitimate head of the clan. However, Lucky Luciano installed Frank Costello before his expulsion to Italy .

Thomas Eboli was also involved as a manager of boxing matches and had established contact with the boxers Vincent Gigante and Dominick Cirillo , who would later move to the top of the clan.

When Costello made a weak appearance at the hearings of the "Kefauver Committee", Genovese seems to have come to the opinion - in view of the looming intrigues to replace Costello - that he can no longer wait. On May 2, 1957, Costello was the target of an attack believed to have been committed by Vincent Gigante; Thomas Eboli is said to have driven the getaway car. Frank Costello survived but did not take up the fight and withdrew.

When Genovese had to serve a prison sentence in 1959, Thomas Eboli became head of the "Genovese family". He presumably acted more as an "acting boss" for Genovese, who tried to keep control from prison until he died in prison in 1969. Now that all of the other candidates for leadership were either too old or in jail, Eboli became the 'official' boss. But there are voices who see Philip Lombardo behind the scenes as the real mastermind.

Either way, the position at the top was probably a size too big for Eboli; he was also in financial difficulties. When a $ 4 million drug deal failed at the beginning of 1972 , money loaned by Carlo Gambino , the head of the “ Gambino family ” named after him , was lost because Eboli was unable to finance the deal alone. His partner Louis Cirillo , who was caught on the drugs , was behind bars for 25 years; Money and drugs were confiscated; Eboli refused to repay the loan .

At 1:00 am on July 16, 1972, Eboli left his girlfriend's apartment and was murdered five times in front of his car. A perpetrator has not yet been identified. He was succeeded by Frank Tieri .

Web links

• Thomas Eboli in the database of Find a Grave (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Vito Genovese	Head of the “ Genovese family ” of La Cosa Nostra 1969 - 1972	Frank Tieri