Maxie's Lucchese Profiles

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DONATO (DEMPSEY) LAIETTA - born 1908. Hailed from the East Harlem-Bronx sections of NYC. A largely mysterious unknown member. Named during the 1963 Valachi hearings and a 1988 government chart. Laietta flew under the radar for most of his career. A (KG) known gambler, with several related arrests. Laietta was charged with several others with running a large floating crap game in Nassau County in the late 1950’s. Aside from that arrest, he was known as an associate of such mob luminaries as Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese - a capo and brother of Family Boss Gaetano Lucchese, Frank (Frankie Bell) Campanello, Eugene (Little Gene) Giannone, and other members of the Queens faction of the family. He seems to have died by the mid-late 1060’s. No DOD is available.

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ANDIMO (TOMMY NOTO) PAPPADIO - born 1914 in East Harlem, NYC. FBI #1331637, NYPD # B-159069. Raised in the East Harlem section, frequenting 108th St. & Second Ave. In later years (late 1950’s), moved to Lido Beach LI to be near his boss Lucchese, who had moved to Lido Beach himself. Considered a Lucchese favorite. Also intimately associated with Thomas (Tommy Dio)Dioguardi, John (Big John) Ormento (related through marriage), Victor Panica (another cousin), Salvatore (Tom Mix) Santoro, Joseph Vento, Michael Pappadio (his brother), Vito Genovese and Frank (Cheech) Livorsi among other top hoodlums. Pappadio was a top garment center racketeer and narcotics trafficker. Pappadio was arguably Lucchese’s “key” garment industry overseer of that family’s garment rackets. He was said to have been entrusted supervising over twenty some odd dress factories for Lucchese, often times partnering with his family’s boss in various garment firms. Among them being; Anna-Lynn Sportswear of W.35th St., NYC, Bal-Frank Blouse Co.,and a Nassau County garment firm. Also a partner in a garment trucking firm with Joseph (Joe Palisades) Rosato - Lucchese’s brother in law. Arrested with Genovese, Carmine (Lilo) Galante, (Big John) Ormento and other top mafiosi in 1959 for a massive heroin importation ring. A conspiracy that saw them all convicted and imprisoned on long sentences. Arrest record starts in 1936 for policy, aiding and abetting, narcotics conspiracy (heroin), vagrancy (twice), contempt of a rackets grand jury, heroin sale. He was convicted of policy, heroin sale (2 years and a day-later revoked by a pardon) and contempt (2 years). Listed by LE as a vicious strong arm enforcer and killer within the Ormento drug network, whom he was close friends with. Activities over the years were listed as labor and garment racketeering, policy (numbers) and narcotics on a large scale. A long time “soldier” in the hierarchy who at some point after Lucchese’s death in 1967 was elevated to Capo and higher, to help run the family. By 1975 he was being carried by LE as the Acting Boss. At some point it seems Pappadio was caught up in a family power struggle and was subsequently set-up and murdered one evening upon arriving home from dinner at a local restaurant with his wife. Stepping from his Cadillac, Tommy approached a car parked at the curb to either investigate who it was, or to talk to someone he knew. Pappadio was cut down by several shotgun blasts..... shortly thereafter, Antonio Corallo, having been released from prison, assumed the leadership of the family..... as a post-script, thirteen years later, his kid brother Mikey Pappadio would meet a similar gruesome fate, being killed by family soldiers after falling into disfavor with the mob hierarchy. (Mike too had been a garment industry power, having assumed the role Tommy previously held)...... I never realized dresses and blouses could be so deadly! (was this Mob fashion)?

[johnny_scootch]

Do some of the Brooklyn Lucchese guys. Love these, thank you.

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CHRISTOPHER (CHRISTY TICKER) FURNARI - born in Brooklyn in 1926. Long time member of the Lucchese Family’s Brooklyn faction, operating for decades out of his bar, “The 19th Hole”, a base of operations for that faction. Up until the mid-1980’s, a virtual unknown to the general public. Furnari operated a large crew, which included such future mob bosses as Victor (Little Vic) Amuso and Anthony (Gaspipe) Casso, among many others. This crew was active in virtually all mob rackets, including; gambling, shylocking, extortion, narcotics trafficking, hijacking and cargo thefts. Close to many members of the Colombo family, at the height of the Gallo-Profaci conflict, Furnari was found by police to be carrying a bible that held photos of the entire Gallo gang. When questioned about it, Furnari stated he intended to sell life insurance to the Gallo’s. During the mid-1970’s, was Furnari reputed to have risen to “Capo” status, and by the late 1970’s to have become the consigliere of the entire family. Arrest record includes assault and robbery, sodomy, rape and assault (15-30 years in jail), wayward minor, parole violation, Rico charges (100 years in prison). In 1985, Furnari was indicted in the famed “Commission Case” (Anthony Salerno, Anthony Corallo, Carmine Persico and the entire hierarchy of NY’s five families were his co-defendents). He was convicted, as were all, and received a 100 year sentence. Furnari served appx 28 years before being granted a parole that many thought would never happen in 2014. Furnari died several years later in 2018 (possibly living in California where he had relocated).

[Super]

Not much known about christie at all what rackets who was in his crew i know he had a finger in the painters union read he was also a huge loanshark nice write up maxi any more info anyone.

[Super]

Any info on jumbo jr funari.

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SAVINO (SAM) DEBENDICTUS - born 1922 in NYC. Resided for many years in Hicksville, LI. Described by authorities as a Lucchese associate, but despite a long arrest record, Debendictus was little known, never publicly named until a 1960’s newspaper expose’ on the mob identified him as such. Suspected associate of Vincent (Vinny Beans) Foceri - a family soldier. Allegedly active in vending machine rackets, truck hijacking and bookmaking. He owned and operated G. & F. Vending and Grand Vending, both of Hicksville. He had been arrested nine times on charges such as; bookmaking, assault and robbery, grand larceny, felonious assault, forgery (thrice), interstate theft, transporting stolen goods and possessing guns. He had
convictions for bookmaking, interstate theft (18 months), conspiracy to commit extortion, and forgery (twice). Seems to have kept his low key profile, never being so named or publicly indicted again. No dod is listed.

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HARRY (LITTLE GANGY) DAVIDOFF - born 1917 in the Brownsville/East New York section of Brooklyn. Resided in the exclusive enclave of Roslyn. He was one of three brothers, two of whom went into the rackets, “Big Gangy and Little Gangy” as they were known. Part of the old Murder, Inc. Jewish mob of the 1940’s era. A third brother was “Bummy Davis”, a well known fighter of the era (very few knew they were related). They helped control the numbers and shylock activity in those area’s. He was a very close associate and subordinate of John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardi. Davidoff was secretary-treasurer of Local #295, Teamsters Union (Independent). This local controlled all air-freight at Kennedy Airport for the mob. The Senate Rackets Committee named Davidoff as the Lucchese Family’s main liaison and extortionist at JFK, and he was eventually indicted, convicted and removed from union office. He subsequently placed his son Mark into union office, keeping iron-clad racket control there. The Davidoff’s controlled the union for over 30 years (using it as their own private fiefdom). Over the years Harry compiled quite an impressive arrest record for burglary, assault, grand larceny (twice), gun possession (twice), robbery, attempted extortion, vagrancy, bookmaking, policy conspiracy to extort, (indeterminate jail term), bribery (5 years). Harry eventually retired to South Florida with his other mob cronies, golfing and living the life of a retired corporate executive! He left Local #295 in the very capable mob hands other Lucchese minions! ....and the beat goes on!

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Davidoff also ties in nicely with my thread about Jewish mobsters. He was a very significant figure in the rackets for over 50 years

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Thanks Super! Christie Ticker was a very, ambitious hood. Active is just about any racket operating. During the 1970’s I believe he was into cigarette bootlegging on a large scale, drugs of course, stolen cars, etc. he has a big crew of real street guys, so they were always scheming something.

[AlexfromSouth]

Read somewhere that maybe even DeMeo was witj the 19th hole crew before going with Gaggi. He was supposed with some guy naamed mike the hammer, a Lucchese member

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Nunzio (Frank) Arra....... a veteran soldier of the old Gagliano/Lucchese Family of East Harlem. Profile to follow.....

[johnny_scootch]

Read somewhere that maybe even DeMeo was witj the 19th hole crew before going with Gaggi. He was supposed with some guy naamed mike the hammer, a Lucchese member

Mike Dellacagna

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Correct Johnny_scootch.... Dellacagna

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NUNZIO (FRANK) ARRA - born 1910 in East Harlem. NYPD #B-71945. Longtime resident of Harlem (1559 Lexington Ave). By the 1940’s, Arra had moved to the Jackson Heights, Queens area and started to operate there, as well as, upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Primarily a gambler, operating a policy bank, and horse bookmaking operations. His first arrest in 1928 (at age 18) was for robbery of a slot machine from a candy store, during which he and an associate had a running gun battle with police who pegged 18 shots at them. In 1933, Arra was one of more than seven young hoodlums who were indicted in the strong-arm “shakedown” of large purveyors in the poultry markets operating in the Bronx. Using threats, beatings and destroying various poultry shops with bats and sawed-off billiard cues, etc. (viewed in hindsight, this was a pivotal time when the mob was just starting the infiltration and takeover of various industries, the “poultry markets” being one). The 23 year old Arra worked in tandem with several young Jewish hoods who obviously were “sent” by the Lucchese Family for this purpose. Arra, Joe Weiner, Hyman and Harry Dratt, John (Big John) Petrucelli, Jack Roth and Anthony Wilk. By 1940, Arra had moved into the gambling rackets, partnering with several hoodlum friends over the years running small “handbooks”. He was arrested in 1942 (with Thomas McMenamin) and the early 1950’s for booking horses in Astoria and Flushing, Queens. In 1962, Arra was among five men arrested in a policy bank raid on a residential house in the Bronx. (Frank Arra, Frank Morandi, Richard DeLuca, Angelo Alberto, Michael Rocco). The ring grossed $2,000,000. a year, taking action in the West Harlem and Bronx area’s....Nunzio Arra was a respected “inducted” member for many years. Although only a soldier, he associated at the highest levels of the family listing Stephen La Salle, Samuel (Big Sam) Cavalieri, Andimo (Tommy Noto) Pappadio, Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese, among many others as cronies. His arrest record starts 1928; robbery, malicious mischief, assault, coercion, conspiracy, bookmaking (twice), felonious operation of a policy bank, possession of policy slips, conspiracy to contrive a lottery, contempt of court. In 1969, a Lucchese Family administration meeting was held at The Palm Restaurant on Second Avenue in Manhattan. Stefano La Salle - the underboss, and captains Anthony Corallo, Paul Vario, Andimo Pappadio, and soldier Frank Arra were present, unfortunately so were federal agents surveilling the hoods. All were subpoenaed before a Nassau County grand jury hearing evidence on the family. Among several others, Frank received 30 days in jail for refusing to answer questions about “The Palm” sitdown. Since the death of Lucchese in 1967, the family had been under an almost constant pressure by LE, and grand juries had been empaneled in Queens, Nassau and the Bronx to investigate there operations. By 1970, Frank was seventy years of age already. He had successfully run the race, having been active in the streets since about 1925. He chose to slow down. Still keeping a profitable hand in a small gambling operation some underlings were operating, but for the most part, retiring. Frank Arra died in 1990, at the comfortable age of 80. I don’t believe he ever served any serious prison time (aside from the contempt term and maybe a small “bit” in his youth).
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