John Favara
Encyclopedia
John Favara was the backyard neighbor of Gambino crime family
godfather
John Gotti
, in Howard Beach, New York.
On March 18, 1980, 12-year-old Frank Gotti, the youngest son of John Gotti, darted into the street on a motorized minibike from behind a dumpster where he was struck by Favara's car and killed. Favara, 51, who lived a block behind the Gotti family, worked as a service department manager for a furniture store, Castro Convertibles in New Hyde Park, New York
. He had been on his way home from work. His adopted son, Scott, was a friend of the Gotti children and had been their guest for sleepovers. He was a close childhood friend of Gambino crime family caporegime
Ettore Zappi
, a distant cousin of crime family patriarch Carlo Gambino
. While Ettore pursued a life in organized crime, Favara remained in the legitimate world but the two remained close.
Police found Favara was not to blame in the accident, which was officially ruled "accidental," and no charges were ever filed against him. However, in the months after the accident, the word "Murderer" was spray painted onto Favara's car. On May 28, Victoria DiGiorgio Gotti, Frank's mother, attacked Favara with a metal baseball bat, sending him to the hospital. Favara decided not to press charges and planned to move out of Howard Beach.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), on July 28, 1980, before Favara and his family were able to move, he was shoved into a van by several men near his work. There were several witnesses to the abduction, and accounts ranged from him being beaten with a baseball bat, shot with a silenced .22 caliber
pistol, or both. Accounts differ on what happened to Favara's body. Informants led the FBI to excavate a mafia graveyard in 2004. Another account says that while alive he was dismembered with a chainsaw and stuffed into a barrel filled with concrete and dumped in the ocean or buried on the chop shop lot somewhere.
Favara's wife and two sons moved out of Howard Beach, having John declared legally dead in 1983. In November 2004, authorities excavated a parking lot in New York City believed to be a mob graveyard, and the suspected site of Favara's body. While two bodies were found, Favara's was not.
When questioned by two detectives on Favara's disappearance, John Gotti said: "I'm not sorry the guy's missing. I wouldn't be sorry if the guy turned up dead." His wife Victoria, when questioned said: "I don't know what happened to him, but I'm not disappointed he's missing. He killed my boy."
Previously prosecutors believed Favara's remains were stuffed in a barrel of concrete and tossed off a Sheepshead Bay pier, but Brooklyn federal court papers filed by federal prosecutors the week of January 5, 2009, contain allegations that mob hitman Charles Carneglia killed Favara and disposed of his body in acid.
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
godfather
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
, in Howard Beach, New York.
On March 18, 1980, 12-year-old Frank Gotti, the youngest son of John Gotti, darted into the street on a motorized minibike from behind a dumpster where he was struck by Favara's car and killed. Favara, 51, who lived a block behind the Gotti family, worked as a service department manager for a furniture store, Castro Convertibles in New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park is a village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island.The population of the Village of New Hyde Park was 9,712 at the 2010 census...
. He had been on his way home from work. His adopted son, Scott, was a friend of the Gotti children and had been their guest for sleepovers. He was a close childhood friend of Gambino crime family caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
Ettore Zappi
Ettore Zappi
Ettore Zappi , aka Anthony Russo, was an Italian-American Gambino crime family capo.He died at his home in Hollywood, Florida after a long illness. He is the grandfather of Genovese crime family capos Frank and Anthony M. Galgano....
, a distant cousin of crime family patriarch Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino
"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. While Ettore pursued a life in organized crime, Favara remained in the legitimate world but the two remained close.
Police found Favara was not to blame in the accident, which was officially ruled "accidental," and no charges were ever filed against him. However, in the months after the accident, the word "Murderer" was spray painted onto Favara's car. On May 28, Victoria DiGiorgio Gotti, Frank's mother, attacked Favara with a metal baseball bat, sending him to the hospital. Favara decided not to press charges and planned to move out of Howard Beach.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI), on July 28, 1980, before Favara and his family were able to move, he was shoved into a van by several men near his work. There were several witnesses to the abduction, and accounts ranged from him being beaten with a baseball bat, shot with a silenced .22 caliber
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
pistol, or both. Accounts differ on what happened to Favara's body. Informants led the FBI to excavate a mafia graveyard in 2004. Another account says that while alive he was dismembered with a chainsaw and stuffed into a barrel filled with concrete and dumped in the ocean or buried on the chop shop lot somewhere.
Favara's wife and two sons moved out of Howard Beach, having John declared legally dead in 1983. In November 2004, authorities excavated a parking lot in New York City believed to be a mob graveyard, and the suspected site of Favara's body. While two bodies were found, Favara's was not.
When questioned by two detectives on Favara's disappearance, John Gotti said: "I'm not sorry the guy's missing. I wouldn't be sorry if the guy turned up dead." His wife Victoria, when questioned said: "I don't know what happened to him, but I'm not disappointed he's missing. He killed my boy."
Previously prosecutors believed Favara's remains were stuffed in a barrel of concrete and tossed off a Sheepshead Bay pier, but Brooklyn federal court papers filed by federal prosecutors the week of January 5, 2009, contain allegations that mob hitman Charles Carneglia killed Favara and disposed of his body in acid.