Maxie's Gambino Profiles

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FRANK (BIG FRANK) PASQUA - born NYC in 1923. Resided for many years in the Bronx. Frequented the East Harlem area and Chicago, ILL. FBI #241577B. Described by LE as a
top interstate narcotics trafficker. He operated a NYC to Chicago drug pipeline. Close to several top Chicago mob figures. Has held an interest in a produce trucking firm, and a recording company. Close associates over the years include; Giacomo (Jack) Scarpulla, James (Jimmy Ward) Massi, Rocco Mazzie,Frank Corona and Frank Panatera and Jack Rizzo of Chicago, ILL. (his alleged Chicago contacts). Arrest record for several narcotics related offenses over the years. Served a four year term in 1958, another in 1984 (both narcotics conspiracies). He owned a summer home in Mastic that was badly damaged in a still unsolved arson in 1965. Note: has several sons (Frank and Richard) who joined the mob in later years..... No dod available, but believed to have passed several years ago.

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SAMUEL (SAMMY SCHLITZ) SCHLITTEN - born 1912 in the Bronx. With his brother Morris (Moishe) Schlitten, controlled one of the major policy operations for decades in the Bronx. Long time Bronx gambling power and top Jewish mob figure, closely connected with both the Gambino and Genovese Families (specifically Joseph (Joe Z) Zingaro, Rocco Mazzie, Vincent (Jimmy Blue Eyes) Alo and later on with Anthony (Fat Tony) Salerno). In the 1960’s Schlitten was involved in a garbage-labor extortion case with John (Buster) Ardito and Rocco Mazzie. Close associate of the above named figures and Bronx racketeers Battisto Salvo and Thomas Milo. Schlitten was a victim of a kidnap ring that would snatch mob figures or their relatives, and hold them for ransom. This gang held his son-in-Law, until Schlitten paid $5,000. for his release. Arrests for assault and robbery (twice), disorderly conduct, conspiracy to violate federal gambling laws, policy, vagrancy, assault with a deadly weapon. Convicted of policy, robbery (9 years), violating federal gambling laws. In retirement, split his time between Florida and his LI estate.

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MICHAEL (BLACKIE) GALGANO - born 1914 in NYC. Resided for many years in the Bronx (1919 Tomlinson Avenue). Had a summer home out in Mastic LI (8 Edgewater Drive). He operated primarily in the Bronx and Yonkers area. A longtime Gambino Family soldier. Activities: extortion,
bookmaking, policy, strong-arm and both local-interstate heroin traffic. He was the owner of a Bronx floor covering firm. Associates included Frank (Frankie Miller) Luciano, Joe Pagano, James (Jimmy Ward) Massi and Joseph (Jojo) Mandredi. Known as an enforcer, in 1963, during an interview, he told detectives that informer Joe Valachi would be killed if ever released. He had arrests for; robbery, burglary, heroin sale (twice), policy (twice), gun possession, parole violations (twice). He served a 2-9 year term on robbery, and two 5-year terms for each narcotics sale convictions. He died young in 1971 at 57 years old.

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VINCENT (JIMMY) AMODEA - born 1913 in NYC. Longtime resident of Roslyn, LI (277 Shelter Rock Road). Reputed to be an associate member of the Gambino Family. Activity: labor racketeering, counterfeiting, extortion. He was the president of Local #875 - Rug Cleaners, Dyers, Handlers, Drivers, Helpers and Production Workers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Independent). This local was previously under the domination of the Lucchese Family. Anthony Corallo was said to have control of it. During the late 1960’s, this Local was under near constant investigation by both local and federal authorities. Associate of Pasquale Crapanzano, Gerlando Mancuso, Anthony Zappi, Frank Dapolito. Amodea had been arrested twice on robbery and counterfeiting charges. He served a 7-1/2 to 15 year jail term for attempted robbery. No dod for when he passed away.

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GERLANDO C. MANCUSO - born 1914. in NYC. Resided in Baldwin, NY (808 School Dr). Reputed Gambino “soldier”. Activities: labor rackets, extortion, embezzlement. He was the longtime secretary-treasurer of Local # 875 Rug Cleaners, Dyers, Handlers, Drivers, Helpers and Production Workers - International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Independent). A listed official of Metal Craft Local # 238 - International Union of Doll and Toy Workers (Independent), and the President of Joint Board #11, Metal Craft Union of Doll and Toy Workers. Associates: Anthony Zappi, Vincent Amodea, Pasquale Crapanzano, Frankie (Dap) Dapolito. Arrest record: attempted robbery (served a 3-6 year term).

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GENNARO (JERRY) MANCUSO - born 1926 in NYC. A reputed Family Soldier. Nephew of the notorious murdered Gambino captain Vincent (Jimmy Jerome) Squillante. Brother of soldier Aniello (Wahoo) Mancuso, both of whom were notorious garbage racketeers. Resided for many years in Patchogue, LI (3 Lake Court). Jerry’s activities included: garbage racketeering, shakedowns and extortion, shylocking. He was the former boss of the Nassau Intercounty Cartmen’s Assn., an industry trade group, that represented Long Island garbage companies (he was installed there by his uncle Vincent Squillante). He helped his uncle, and eventually his brother control the garbage industry monopoly enjoyed by both the Gambino and Colombo families (they shared domination on LI). He had a minor arrest and conviction record for disorderly conduct and traffic scofflaw. After being ousted from the trade group and intense LE scrutiny of the industry, Mancuso seems to have stepped back from active interest in the garbage racket, although his brother “Wahoo” did continue to be a force in Long Island garbage industry rackets through the 1980’s. Jerry faded from the scene, living quietly until his death in 2012.

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SEBASTIAN (BENNY) BIONDO - born 1933 in NYC. The nephew of the late family underboss Giuseppe (Joe Bandy) Biondo (who in 1966 had died at Biondo’s Mastic home). He later lived in Shirley, LI (41 Argyle Drive). Considered a Gambino Family “associate”. He operated a restaurant, and was a “self-styled” nightclub singer, playing at his own restaurant and other venues. But Benny had a little side “gig”. It seemed that he hung around his uncle maybe a bit too much over the years, and picked up some illicit habits. He operated a sizable shylock “book” in Suffolk County (with three others including Michael (Big Mike) LaBarbara, Gaetano Tedesco and Andrew Preli). He was arrested not once, but twice in 1968 on loansharking charges. The Suffolk Rackets Squad repeatedly questioned Biondo, hoping that he would crack and implicate others, but it turned out that Benny would only “sing” on stage, and only certain tunes at that (he never did rat). He was eventually tried and convicted on 18 counts of usury and conspiracy and sentenced to 3-8 years in prison (serving his term in Sing Sing and Auburn - upstate NY)..... when he was paroled, he seems to have faded from the mob scene, believed to have moved off Long Island and into Westchester County. But within a few years, surprisingly, Benny had recreated himself (while in Auburn prison he took college courses and achieved a degree in business management, when paroled he enrolled full time at Bronx Community College). Then following his love of music, singing and entertaining people, he started getting gigs at different show spots, eventually appearing on Broadway doing fantastic impressions of Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, and other famous people. He also sang and played various instruments. Biondo went on to lead a successful legitimate life far away from the Mafia. ...... some suspect that uncle Joe Bandy was rolling in his grave at nephew Benny’s career choice but all in all it does seem to have worked out well for Benny! He was never arrested again. No known DOD listed.

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Joseph (Jojo) Manfredi and Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito profiles to follow .....

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JOSEPH (JOJO) MANFREDI - born 1926, in NYC. Originally from Harlem, later relocated out to Lodi, NJ (140 James Street, and 115 Kipps Ave.). FBI #4354868, NYPD #B-277340. He had an arrest record since 1946 for AWOL (Army), and three previous federal narcotics violations (1959 - 7 years), (5 years) and in (1974 - 40 years in prison). Manfredi was a “soldier” in the Anastasia, later Gambino Family, later alleged by authorities to have risen to Captain status. Jojo (a venerable heroin merchant) was a key operative and leader of a major heroin distribution network operating out of the E. 108th Street section of East Harlem. Close associate of Anthony (Tony Higgins) Castaldi, Gennaro (Jerry Z) Zanfardino, Joseph Bisogno, Frank (Frankie Miller) Luciano, John Daniello and Frank (The Boss) Moccardi.... all of whom were major narcotics violators according to The FBN. Owned and operated Manfredi Italian Ristorante (331 E. 108th St.) with his brothers, and a candy store (306 E.108th St), which he used as a distribution point of narcotics. He had three nephews who followed in his footsteps. But in 1972, they all got caught up in a huge $25-million dollar heroin conspiracy case, that supplied the NY/NJ metropolitan area and several mid-west cities. Two nephews were found slaughtered two weeks after the arrests, eliminated before the narcotics case came to trial. Jojo Manfredi was among 14 traffickers indicted and convicted (another nephew Joseph LaCosa was also) after a jury trial and sentenced to a forty year federal prison term. The nephews; Philip John Manfredi, was found shot to death in the Bronx. Although there had been speculation that Philip J. Manfredi might have been killed by someone who believed that he had been cooperating with the prosecution, no testimony to that effect was ever introduced. A cousin of Philip John (Little Phil) Manfredi, Philip D. Manfredi, was also shot to death at the same time. Philip D. had been named a co-conspirator but not a defendant in the case. Three others indicted in the case—Thaddeus Byrd, William Marble and his brother, Horace Marble—pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and then testified for the prosecution. Byrd testified that he had been shot at on two occasions after he began cooperating with federal attorneys. The others found guilty of narcotics conspiracy last night were Frank La Cosa, Joseph La Cosa's father; Timothy Schrader, Charles Casserella, Anthony Colangelo, Vincent Yanni, Herman Grant and Robert Mayo. Manfredi and company served long prison stretches, several of them dying behind bars. No dod was available on Jojo.

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FRANK (FRANKIE DAP) DAPOLITO - born 1923 in lower Manhattan (the west side - Greenwich village area around Sullivan St., and McDougall St.). He later resided in Bayside, NY (24-30 Little Neck Pky.). NYCPD #B-214093. One of five brothers of a large family. One brother owned the popular Dapolito bakery for many years. Dap was a professional boxer in his youth. By the 1950’s became an “inducted” member operating as a soldier through the 1950-1970’s. By the early 1980’s, Dapolito (a Zappi favorite), was first bumped up to “acting captain” for Ettore Zappi, and then became the “official captain” upon Zappi’s semi-retirement to Florida. Dapolito
served for many years as business agent of Local #854 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Independent) of Valley Stream, LI. The long time secretary-treasurer was Anthony M. Zappi (son of Ettore). This local had a relatively small union membership of less than 1,500 dues paying members. But it was a very important Local in the Gambino Family portfolio, having organized and eventually taken over hidden ownership interests in the Castro Convertible Co. Dapolito was active primarily as a top labor racketeer, operating several catch-all unions, offering “sweetheart” contracts, embezzling union funds through pension plan and medical plan kickbacks, and handling the shakedowns and extortions for the family regime. Frankie Dap also kept his hand in the loan-shark racket, operating a sizable shylock “book” as it’s called. Associates over the years included both Ettore and Tony Zappi, Ignazio (Joe Curly) Agone - his labor rackets counterpart in the Genovese mob, Anthony Parisi and
Vincent Gulino and Julius (Spike) Bernstein. One of Frankie’s scam unions was Local #157, (with 700-1000 members) run by Vincent Gulino - a Colombo mobster who shared union office space with Frankie Dap on Queens Blvd in Forest Hills. This local was a joint operation of several families (Colombo, Genovese and Gambino), which focused on NYC’s garment district. Created for the sole purpose of being a vehicle for sweetheart contracts, extortion and shakedowns in the garment district, to pressure the garment firms by squeezing the truckers, to extort money from dress factories and trucking firms. Frank Dapolito also secretly controlled a security guard union, pilfered in the same style as Local #157. By the mid-1980’s the federal government was cracking down on the mob’s infiltration of the union movement. Both Dapolito and Zappi chose to voluntarily retire from Teamsters Local #854 than to get expelled, their pensions intact. Dapolito seamlessly moved into the school bus companies he previously had organized for Local #854, being hired by Joseph Curcio (Gambino associate) and an owner of several large school bus companies that held city contracts to drive children to and from school. Everything was going very well for Frankie Dap, as it had for many decades. He was low key, taught by a master, his mentor, the venerable Terry Zappi (a Carlo Gambino favorite).... Then came along John (The Dapper Don) Gotti. Brash, loud, publicity loving, he was everything a mob boss should shun. Gotti forced his men to meet at his Ravenite Social Club weekly, with federal agents recording every move. Dapolito was one of those who gained tremendous exposure as never before. Before long (1994), Dap was investigated and indicted on federal loanshark and extortion charges. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 months in jail. He served appx 27 months. After being paroled, he returned home to his Bayside, Queens home and family. Frank Robert Dapolito....aka “Frankie Dap”, died a little more than a year later in 1998 at the age of 75........despite that one slip up, all in all I’d say Frankie Dap had a very successful career in his chosen profession - “La Cosa Nostra” RIP Dap!

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Castro Convertible.... that's the mattresses company, right? That Zappi took over? And then I think he got an exclusive contract for the department stores to carry them? Is that right?

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I think I also read he had an exclusive contract for the trucking of the mattresses to the stores.... I cant remember where....it was a long time ago..

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Correct Cabrini.... they had it ALL locked up! Classic!

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ANTHONY M. ZAPPI - born 1924 in Brooklyn. Resided for many years in Massapequa, LI (212 Harbor Lane East). FBI # 386326. The son of the senior Gambino “capo di decina” Ettore (Terry) Zappi, a Carlo Gambino next-door neighbor and confidant. Anthony was the longtime secretary-treasurer of Local #854 - of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Independent). Business manager was Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito, Ettore Zappi’s trusted aide and “acting captain”. Activities: labor racketeering , extortion, shylocking, pornography rackets. Like his father before him, Anthony kept a very low-key profile. He only sustained one known arrest. In 1971, he was one of several men indicted in Los Angeles, California on multiple counts of obscenity and conspiracy.
Anthony Zappi had been put in charge of overseeing the Gambino Family pornography rackets by his father who had several top ranked pornographers in his crew, including Robert (DeBe) DiBernardo and Martin Hodas. (porno became a tremendous “cash cow” for the Mafia during the 1960’s-1970’s period). Authorities had the FBI arrest Zappi and extradite him out to California for arraignment. He eventually either beat the charges or pleaded out to a minor count. He received no court documented punishment per se. Zappi lived a very charmed life as the son of a top ranked “boss” of the family and himself a (made man) soldier. He was a wealthy mafioso, as was his father, many times over! During the late 1980’s, with the government’s nationwide drive to purge labor unions of underworld influence and domination, Zappi and Dapolito came under tremendous scrutiny and pressure. They chose to voluntarily “resign” from their union posts before being officially kicked out by the federal labor department investigators. Zappi retired to his beautiful ranch home in exclusive Massapequa Bay, on the Atlantic Ocean. He also wintered in South Florida at his luxurious southern retreat residence. Anthony passed away at the relatively young age of 68. It is believed, although not officially confirmed, that he died in appx 1992.

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FRANK (BIG FRANK) PASQUA - born NYC in 1923. Resided for many years in the Bronx. Frequented the East Harlem area and Chicago, ILL. FBI #241577B. Described by LE as a
top interstate narcotics trafficker. He operated a NYC to Chicago drug pipeline. Close to several top Chicago mob figures. Has held an interest in a produce trucking firm, and a recording company. Close associates over the years include; Giacomo (Jack) Scarpulla, James (Jimmy Ward) Massi, Rocco Mazzie,Frank Corona and Frank Panatera and Jack Rizzo of Chicago, ILL. (his alleged Chicago contacts). Arrest record for several narcotics related offenses over the years. Served a four year term in 1958, another in 1984 (both narcotics conspiracies). He owned a summer home in Mastic that was badly damaged in a still unsolved arson in 1965. Note: has several sons (Frank and Richard) who joined the mob in later years..... No dod available, but believed to have passed several years ago.

I have him as made with the Gambinos. I assume he was in one of those Harlem/Bronx-based crews, but I have no idea. We do know he had some sort of relationship with those Newark-Belleville area Gambinos and was partners with Tumac in the 70s.