TallGuy19 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:11 pm
Anyone have information on Nicky Valvano, the mobster who bit a guy's ear off during a card game? As far as I can tell, he was a soldier in the Gambino family (probably made in the late seventies) who ran a drug trafficking operation in New Jersey and died in 1999.
I haven't seen him identified as a Gambino soldier in any 'official' documents. Different articles identified him as an organized crime figure since the mid-1960s and he was associated with the Gambino, Genovese and the Lucchese crime families. He was even described as a Genovese associate. From what I've read, he was a close associate of Vincent "Jimmy Sinatra" Craparotta Sr.. If Valvano was made it had to be in the early 80s or in the early 90s because he was incarcerated for a big portion of time after the books were opened.
Before his incarceration on the drug charges in the early 80s when he was identified as the ringleader of a narcotics ring that was using a Newark charity organization as a front to launder money, he had a reputation as a loan shark and as an armed robber. In the 60s and 70s Valvano was suspected in multiple armed robberies in NJ. He was convicted for an armed bank robbery in Millville and for planning the 1968 Fairmont Hotel robbery in Lakewood, that netted him close to 500k.
He had almost a dozen felonies on his record. In the 60s and 70s he spent over 12 years in prison and actually skipped bail and became a wanted fugitive after his sentencing for the hotel robbery. For the Millville bank robbery he got 5 years and for the Lakewood one he got 10 to 12. He was captured in 1975 by the FBI in a Vineland motel after a string of robberies in Cumberland County that had his MO. Other than that he was described as a 'loose cannon' and went by his nickname 'Nicky Boy'. Here's a photo of him from the late 60s when he was 36 years old.
Valvano.jpg
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TallGuy19 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:11 pm
Anyone have information on Nicky Valvano, the mobster who bit a guy's ear off during a card game? As far as I can tell, he was a soldier in the Gambino family (probably made in the late seventies) who ran a drug trafficking operation in New Jersey and died in 1999.
I haven't seen him identified as a Gambino soldier in any 'official' documents. Different articles identified him as an organized crime figure since the mid-1960s and he was associated with the Gambino, Genovese and the Lucchese crime families. He was even described as a Genovese associate. From what I've read, he was a close associate of Vincent "Jimmy Sinatra" Craparotta Sr.. If Valvano was made it had to be in the early 80s or in the early 90s because he was incarcerated for a big portion of time after the books were opened.
Before his incarceration on the drug charges in the early 80s when he was identified as the ringleader of a narcotics ring that was using a Newark charity organization as a front to launder money, he had a reputation as a loan shark and as an armed robber. In the 60s and 70s Valvano was suspected in multiple armed robberies in NJ. He was convicted for an armed bank robbery in Millville and for planning the 1968 Fairmont Hotel robbery in Lakewood, that netted him close to 500k.
He had almost a dozen felonies on his record. In the 60s and 70s he spent over 12 years in prison and actually skipped bail and became a wanted fugitive after his sentencing for the hotel robbery. For the Millville bank robbery he got 5 years and for the Lakewood one he got 10 to 12. He was captured in 1975 by the FBI in a Vineland motel after a string of robberies in Cumberland County that had his MO. Other than that he was described as a 'loose cannon' and went by his nickname 'Nicky Boy'. Here's a photo of him from the late 60s when he was 36 years old.
Valvano.jpg
I'm not sure if he was made, but I saw an unofficial Gambino chart from 1980 that listed him as a soldier. I also wonder if his son ever became a thief like his old man.
Was Jimmy Craparotta made? I know that Herbie Gross was with him, but I couldn't determine if he was made or just a high-level associate.
"A thug changes, and love changes, and best friends become strangers. Word up."
TallGuy19 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:39 am
I'm not sure if he was made, but I saw an unofficial Gambino chart from 1980 that listed him as a soldier. I also wonder if his son ever became a thief like his old man.
Was Jimmy Craparotta made? I know that Herbie Gross was with him, but I couldn't determine if he was made or just a high-level associate.
I know nothing about the son. Crapparotta was identified as a 'significant criminal associate of the Lucchese crime family'. This was about a few years before he was murdered. He was described as a member of Marty Taccetta's crew, part of the 'Taccetta gambling network' and the biggest gambling and loan shark operator in Ocean County. He was indicted alongside Valvano for aiding the Fairmont Hotel robbers. He might've been transferred to the Lucchese from the Genovese because he was an old associate of Tieri and later of John DiGilio.
Amershire_Ed wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:09 am
Why are associates moved to new crews after they become made? What’s the rationale behind that?
They're probably just placed wherever the manpower is needed. Or if there's a captain who doesn't have any earners under him they might place a soldier in his crew to increase his kick ups.
I've always wondered what motivation a made guy would have to propose an associate. If you have an associate under you who is kicking up a lot of money, what is your motivation to get them inducted and lose that income? In Sammy Gravano's book he says that John Rizzo refused to propose Louie Milito for membership, and I suspect that he was trying to keep the money rolling in from Milito's stolen car ring. When asked if he wanted to propose any of his associates, he said something like "I have a bunch of garbage around me," which clearly wasn't the case, at least with Milito.
"A thug changes, and love changes, and best friends become strangers. Word up."
Amershire_Ed wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:09 am
Why are associates moved to new crews after they become made? What’s the rationale behind that?
They're probably just placed wherever the manpower is needed. Or if there's a captain who doesn't have any earners under him they might place a soldier in his crew to increase his kick ups.
I've always wondered what motivation a made guy would have to propose an associate. If you have an associate under you who is kicking up a lot of money, what is your motivation to get them inducted and lose that income? In Sammy Gravano's book he says that John Rizzo refused to propose Louie Milito for membership, and I suspect that he was trying to keep the money rolling in from Milito's stolen car ring. When asked if he wanted to propose any of his associates, he said something like "I have a bunch of garbage around me," which clearly wasn't the case, at least with Milito.
I think back then it was a dream to be a made guy, more than it is now for most of the guys so they would sacrifice anything that’s materialistic to be inducted.
Amershire_Ed wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:09 am
Why are associates moved to new crews after they become made? What’s the rationale behind that?
They're probably just placed wherever the manpower is needed. Or if there's a captain who doesn't have any earners under him they might place a soldier in his crew to increase his kick ups.
I've always wondered what motivation a made guy would have to propose an associate. If you have an associate under you who is kicking up a lot of money, what is your motivation to get them inducted and lose that income? In Sammy Gravano's book he says that John Rizzo refused to propose Louie Milito for membership, and I suspect that he was trying to keep the money rolling in from Milito's stolen car ring. When asked if he wanted to propose any of his associates, he said something like "I have a bunch of garbage around me," which clearly wasn't the case, at least with Milito.
Yeah Franzese just did a 2 part interview with Joe Pistone, and he said he used to tell the guys in his crew that he would *never* propose them for membership. He says he told them that “we can make all the money in the world together, but if I propose you they are going to end up sending you to another crew. What good does that do me?”
It's amazing that the organization (in New York, at least) has survived and maintained fairly stable membership for this long, considering that most members are self-centered sociopaths with a strong incentive to keep their underlings from getting promoted. Deep down most of them must really believe in this thing.
"A thug changes, and love changes, and best friends become strangers. Word up."
I read somewhere, a long time ago that Carlo Gambino had this vision of uniting the other 4 families & making 1 big family later on down the line, which never happened.
My thing is was Pat's father and uncle a member of Buffalo too? How did Panepinto do the introduction, when was he made and who was he with? Wasn't he Rizzuto's guy in Toronto? Was he made in Buffalo as well and that's why he did the introductions?
I remember seeing a chart Paul Manning posted that was of a October, 1997 meeting between different Canadian OC figures. It had Panepinto listed as a Scarcella Soldier. I've asked about Scarcella before, who was he with? I've seen him labeled as affiliated with Rizzuto. But I'm lost with him.
Since I can't get a damn answer in the Buffalo thread maybe someone will answer my questions here.
-Was Pat Musitano's father and Uncle Buffalo members too?
-Who was Panepinto with
-Where was Panepinto made? What group.
-Was Scarcella made in Italy and ran his own thing in Toronto?
The following information on Valvano was provided by eboli:
I haven't seen him identified as a Gambino soldier in any 'official' documents. Different articles identified him as an organized crime figure since the mid-1960s and he was associated with the Gambino, Genovese and the Lucchese crime families. He was even described as a Genovese associate. From what I've read, he was a close associate of Vincent "Jimmy Sinatra" Craparotta Sr.. If Valvano was made it had to be in the early 80s or in the early 90s because he was incarcerated for a big portion of time after the books were opened.
Before his incarceration on the drug charges in the early 80s when he was identified as the ringleader of a narcotics ring that was using a Newark charity organization as a front to launder money, he had a reputation as a loan shark and as an armed robber. In the 60s and 70s Valvano was suspected in multiple armed robberies in NJ. He was convicted for an armed bank robbery in Millville and for planning the 1968 Fairmont Hotel robbery in Lakewood, that netted him close to 500k.
He had almost a dozen felonies on his record. In the 60s and 70s he spent over 12 years in prison and actually skipped bail and became a wanted fugitive after his sentencing for the hotel robbery. For the Millville bank robbery he got 5 years and for the Lakewood one he got 10 to 12. He was captured in 1975 by the FBI in a Vineland motel after a string of robberies in Cumberland County that had his MO. Other than that he was described as a 'loose cannon' and went by his nickname 'Nicky Boy'. Here's a photo of him from the late 60s when he was 36 years old.
Valvano.jpg
"A thug changes, and love changes, and best friends become strangers. Word up."
The following information on Valvano was provided by eboli:
I haven't seen him identified as a Gambino soldier in any 'official' documents. Different articles identified him as an organized crime figure since the mid-1960s and he was associated with the Gambino, Genovese and the Lucchese crime families. He was even described as a Genovese associate. From what I've read, he was a close associate of Vincent "Jimmy Sinatra" Craparotta Sr.. If Valvano was made it had to be in the early 80s or in the early 90s because he was incarcerated for a big portion of time after the books were opened.
Before his incarceration on the drug charges in the early 80s when he was identified as the ringleader of a narcotics ring that was using a Newark charity organization as a front to launder money, he had a reputation as a loan shark and as an armed robber. In the 60s and 70s Valvano was suspected in multiple armed robberies in NJ. He was convicted for an armed bank robbery in Millville and for planning the 1968 Fairmont Hotel robbery in Lakewood, that netted him close to 500k.
He had almost a dozen felonies on his record. In the 60s and 70s he spent over 12 years in prison and actually skipped bail and became a wanted fugitive after his sentencing for the hotel robbery. For the Millville bank robbery he got 5 years and for the Lakewood one he got 10 to 12. He was captured in 1975 by the FBI in a Vineland motel after a string of robberies in Cumberland County that had his MO. Other than that he was described as a 'loose cannon' and went by his nickname 'Nicky Boy'. Here's a photo of him from the late 60s when he was 36 years old.
