Vito "Don Vito" Genovese (November 27, 1897 – February 14, 1969) was a
mafiosoMafioso may refer to:* Mafioso , a 1962 Italian crime comedy film* Mafioso , a member of an Italian mafia clan.* Mafioso rap, a hip hop sub-genre...
who rose to power in America during the
Castellammarese WarThe Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
to later become leader of the
Genovese crime familyThe Genovese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
. Genovese served as mentor to many future mob bosses including
Vincent "The Chin" GiganteVincent "The Chin" Gigante was a New York mobster who headed the Genovese crime family. Gigante was one of five brothers: himself, Mario, Pasquale and Ralph all became mobsters in the Genovese family. Only one brother, Louis, did not become a Genovese mobster and instead became a priest...
, 4th cousin
Michael "Mike the Pipe" GenoveseMichael James Genovese was an alleged boss of the Pittsburgh crime family. References to Michael Genovese as the brother of Vito Genovese are to a different Michael Genovese; there is no proof that Michael James Genovese was related to New York mob boss Vito Genovese.-Early years:Genovese was born...
and
Carlo "Don Carlo" GambinoCarlo "Don Carlo" Gambino, was a mafioso who became boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. He was one of several national bosses gathering at the 1957 Apalachin Convention. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. He is also a relative of
Thomas GenoveseThomas Genovese was an Italian-American Colombo crime family associate and distant relative of Genovese crime family founder Vito Genovese...
.
After emigrating from
NaplesNaples in Italy, is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old...
, Genovese started his
MafiaThe Mafia is a Sicilian criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily, and the first such society to be referred to as a mafia . It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct...
career serving New York boss
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" MasseriaGiuseppe "Joe The Boss" Masseria was an early Mafia don in the United States. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.-Early days:...
during the early 1920s. Involved in
bootleggingRum-running is the business of smuggling or transporting of alcoholic beverages or any other illegal drinks;illegally, usually to circumvent taxation or prohibition. The term usually applies to transport of goods over water, over land it is commonly referred to as bootlegging.-History:It wasn't...
and
extortion'Extortion', outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly...
, Genovese's main asset to Masseria was his propensity for violence.
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese (November 27, 1897 – February 14, 1969) was a
mafiosoMafioso may refer to:* Mafioso , a 1962 Italian crime comedy film* Mafioso , a member of an Italian mafia clan.* Mafioso rap, a hip hop sub-genre...
who rose to power in America during the
Castellammarese WarThe Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
to later become leader of the
Genovese crime familyThe Genovese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
. Genovese served as mentor to many future mob bosses including
Vincent "The Chin" GiganteVincent "The Chin" Gigante was a New York mobster who headed the Genovese crime family. Gigante was one of five brothers: himself, Mario, Pasquale and Ralph all became mobsters in the Genovese family. Only one brother, Louis, did not become a Genovese mobster and instead became a priest...
, 4th cousin
Michael "Mike the Pipe" GenoveseMichael James Genovese was an alleged boss of the Pittsburgh crime family. References to Michael Genovese as the brother of Vito Genovese are to a different Michael Genovese; there is no proof that Michael James Genovese was related to New York mob boss Vito Genovese.-Early years:Genovese was born...
and
Carlo "Don Carlo" GambinoCarlo "Don Carlo" Gambino, was a mafioso who became boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. He was one of several national bosses gathering at the 1957 Apalachin Convention. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. He is also a relative of
Thomas GenoveseThomas Genovese was an Italian-American Colombo crime family associate and distant relative of Genovese crime family founder Vito Genovese...
.
Early years
After emigrating from
NaplesNaples in Italy, is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old...
, Genovese started his
MafiaThe Mafia is a Sicilian criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily, and the first such society to be referred to as a mafia . It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct...
career serving New York boss
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" MasseriaGiuseppe "Joe The Boss" Masseria was an early Mafia don in the United States. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.-Early days:...
during the early 1920s. Involved in
bootleggingRum-running is the business of smuggling or transporting of alcoholic beverages or any other illegal drinks;illegally, usually to circumvent taxation or prohibition. The term usually applies to transport of goods over water, over land it is commonly referred to as bootlegging.-History:It wasn't...
and
extortion'Extortion', outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly...
, Genovese's main asset to Masseria was his propensity for violence.
Charles "Lucky" LucianoCharles "Lucky" Luciano was a Sicilian-born American mobster. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime and the mastermind of the massive postwar expansion of the international heroin trade. He was the first official boss of the modern Genovese crime family...
was an early associate and benefactor of Genovese. Their relationship lasted 40 years, till Luciano's death. They started together as kids in the slums of New York City.
Genovese's wife, Anna, whose signature was her dark glasses, later informed on her husband. Although associates expected Vito to order her execution, he later told
Joe ValachiJoseph 'Joe Cargo' Valachi also known as "Charles Chanbano" and "Anthony Sorge" was the first Mafia member to publicly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia...
he couldn't bring himself to order the killing (as
Bonanno crime familyThe Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia .-The formation of the family:...
boss
Phillip RastelliPhillip "Rusty" Rastelli was a New York mobster and former Boss of the Bonanno crime family.-Biography:...
would later do). Vito was a very thin man who stood at 5'8". He had a fondness for
Cashmere woolCashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from the Cashmere goat. The word cashmere derives from an old spelling of Kashmir....
coats and had bloodless eyes that always seemed to be staring. He is believed to have been the shooter of
Gaetano ReinaGaetano "Tom" Reina was a New York mobster who was a top lieutenant to powerful gang boss Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria...
, which led to the breakout of the
Castellammarese WarThe Castellammarese War was a bloody power struggle for control of the Italian-American mafia between partisans of Joe "The Boss" Masseria and those of Salvatore Maranzano. It was so called because Maranzano was based in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily...
. In April 1931, during the bloodiest part of the war, Luciano orchestrated the betrayal and assassination of Masseria. Genovese was one of the four shooters who murdered his former employer. Later that year, Luciano arranged a hit on
Salvatore MaranzanoSalvatore Maranzano was an organized crime figure from the town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, and an early Cosa Nostra boss in the United States. He instigated the Castellammarese War to seize control of the American mafia operations, and briefly became the Mafia's "Boss of Bosses"...
, the victor in the gang war. With both Masseria and Maranzano dead, Luciano established himself as the paramount gangster in the country. Luciano now became the boss of his own Luciano crime family with Genovese as the
underbossCapo Bastone or "Sotto Capo", known as the "Underboss" is second in command to the Capo Crimini. It is a rank in the American and Italian Mafia. The Underboss is sometimes a family member, such as a son, that will take over the family if the don is sick, killed, or sent to prison...
. However, in 1936 Luciano was convicted of pandering charges and sent to prison, leaving Genovese as acting boss. In 1937, Genovese was indicted for the 1934 murder of
Ferdinand BocciaFerdinand "The Shadow" Boccia was a New York mobster and gambling racketeer who was killed by Vito Genovese, who would become a mob boss. Boccia's murder would force Genovese to flee the United States to Italy to avoid prosecution. He is the father-in-law of Andrew Ruggiano Sr...
. To avoid prison, Genovese fled to
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
that same year and settled in the city of
NolaNola is a city of Campania, Italy, in the province of Naples, situated in the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is served by the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples.-Ancient era:...
near Naples.
Exile in Italy
Genovese lived and prospered in Italy. Vito had become a good friend of
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
and was awarded the highest civilian medal the dictator could confer. In Naples, following the allied invasion in 1944, Genovese was appointed to a position of interpreter/liaison officer in the U.S. Army headquarters and quickly became one of American Military Government of Occupied Territories' (AMGOT) most trusted employees. It was a remarkable turnabout; less than a year before, Genovese had arranged the murder of
Carlo TrescaCarlo Tresca was an Italian-born American anarchist, newspaper editor, and labor agitator.-Labor organizer:...
, editor of an anti-Fascist Italian-language newspaper in New York, as a favor to
MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
and the government.
While helping the allies, Genovese was also running an enormous black market operation with
Calogero VizziniCalogero Don Calò Vizzini was a historical Mafia boss of Villalba in the Province of Caltanissetta, Sicily. Vizzini was considered to be one of the most influential and legendary Mafia bosses of Sicily after World War II until his death in 1954...
, a powerful Mafia boss in Sicily. On August 27, 1944, the
Military PoliceMilitary police are normally the police of a military organization.Military police may refer to:* a section of the military solely responsible for policing the armed forces...
cracked down on the black market ring and arrested Genovese. When Agent Orange C. Dickey of the Criminal Investigation Division of the US Army investigated Genovese's background, he discovered that Genovese was a
fugitiveA fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. As a verbal metaphor and psychological concept, one might also be described as a "fugitive...
wanted on murder charges back in New York. The problem was nobody in the Army or the federal government was interested.
After months of frustration, Dickey was finally able to make preparations to ship Genovese back to New York to face trial. At that point, the pressure started being applied to Dickey. Making less than $210 per month, Dickey turned down a $250,000 bribe to release Genovese. When that didn't work, Dickey was pressured through his military
chain of commandIn a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a military unit and between different units...
to release Genovese. Dickey refused to buckle under pressure.
Gaining Power
Back on the streets, Genovese did not receive the top spot in the Luciano family that he had long expected.
Frank CostelloFrank Costello was a New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence like no other La Cosa Nostra boss.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful...
had taken over as boss when Genovese fled to Italy, and kept the post after he returned. Further aggravating Genovese was the fact that
Willie MorettiGuarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Early life:...
, a feared New Jersey racketeer, had grabbed his old job as underboss. Genovese was busted down to
caporegimeA 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...
. However, his long absence had lulled his enemies into a sense of security they would soon regret. During the 1950s, Genovese ordered the murders of Costello, Moretti and
Albert "Mad Hatter" AnastasiaAlbert Anastasia , born Umberto Anastasio, was boss of what is now called the Gambino Crime Family, one of New York City's Five Families, from 1951-1957. He also ran a gang of contract killers called Murder Inc. which enforced the decisions of the Commission, the ruling council of the American Mafia...
. Only Costello survived, but he was frightened enough to give up control of the family. Genovese took over as boss of the renamed Genovese crime family, and was now at the height of his power. The coup against Costello and Anastasia was supported by the two biggest earners in the family,
Anthony StrolloAnthony C. Strollo , also known as "Tony Bender", was a New York mobster who served as a high ranking member in three of the New York Cosa Nostra "Five Families".-Early years:...
and
Anthony CarfanoAnthony Carfano , also known as "Little Augie Pisano", was a New York gangster who became a caporegime, or group leader, in the Luciano crime family under mob bosses Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello.-Early life:...
. Soon after Genovese became the godfather, he would allegedly arrange for these two caporegimes to be murdered. Genovese loyalists
Philip LombardoPhilip Lombardo also known as "Benny Squint" and "Cockeyed Phil", was a boss of the Genovese crime family.Lombardo began his career as a soldier on Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola's powerful 116th Street Crew in the East Harlem section of New York. During the 1940s, Lombardo served a brief prison...
,
Gerardo CatenaGerardo "Jerry" Catena was a New York mobster and a top member of the Genovese crime family during the 1950s and 1960s, along with Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli, Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo and Michael "Big Mike" Miranda....
and Mike Miranda would assume the top positions in the family by the early 1960s.
Apalachin Meeting
In 1957, Genovese arranged the Apalachin Conference in the rural town of
Apalachin, New YorkApalachin is a census-designated place within the Town of Owego in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,126 in the 2000 census. It is named after the Apalachin Creek. Apalachin means From where the messenger returned in the Lenape.Apalachin is in the southeast part of the...
, a conference for dozens of top mafiosi that he hoped would confirm his position in the family. Unfortunately for Genovese, the meeting (November 14, 1957) went horribly wrong.
New York State PoliceThe New York State Police is the state police force of 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not have...
Trooper Edgar Croswell had been watching the meeting house, which belonged to mobster
Joseph "Joe the Barber" BarbaraJoseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara was a New York state mobster who became the boss of the Bufalino crime family. He is most notable for hosting the Apalachin Conference at his estate in Apalachin, New York on November 14, 1957...
. When Croswell saw large numbers of mobsters there, he called for reinforcements and surrounded the farm. When the attendees were alerted, they chaotically fled the location, some fleeing on foot into the woods. Aside from derailing Genovese's power plan, the Apalachin Meeting brought the Cosa Nostra out of the shadows and into the view of the public and law enforcement.
Final Years
In 1959, Genovese was convicted of selling a large quantity of
heroinHeroin, or diacetylmorphine , also known as diamorphine , is a semi-synthetic opioid drug synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-diacetyl ester of morphine...
and was sentenced to 15 years in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
. Some people believed that Genovese was "set up" by law enforcement because the mob had officially banned drug dealing years before. Other accounts have it that he was set up by
Carlo GambinoCarlo "Don Carlo" Gambino, was a mafioso who became boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. He was one of several national bosses gathering at the 1957 Apalachin Convention. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
, Charles Luciano,
Meyer LanskyMeyer Lansky was a Jewish-American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States.Lansky developed a gambling empire which stretched from Saratoga, New York to Miami...
, and
Frank CostelloFrank Costello was a New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence like no other La Cosa Nostra boss.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful...
in order for Gambino to become
Capo di Tutti CapiCapo di tutti capi or capo dei capi is Italian for "boss of all bosses" or "boss of bosses". It is a phrase used mainly by the media, public and the law enforcement community to indicate a supremely powerful crime boss in the Sicilian or American Mafia who holds great influence over the whole...
. On February 14, 1969, Vito Genovese died of a
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing some heart cells to die...
in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in
Springfield, MissouriSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County. On July 1, 2008, the estimated population was 156,206. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 426,144, is ranked 114th in the U.S., includes the counties of Christian, Dallas,...
.
In popular culture
Genovese is portrayed in the 2001 TV movie
Boss of Bosses by
Steven BauerSteven Bauer is a Cuban born American actor. He is known for his role as Manny Ribera in the 1983 film Scarface, and his role on the bilingual PBS show Que Pasa USA.-Early life:...
.
External links