Father Louis Gigante accused in sex abuse lawsuit

[Wiseguy]

Priest brother of late Genovese crime family boss Vincent ‘Chin’ Gigante accused in Bronx sexual abuse lawsuit
By LARRY MCSHANE
JUL 30, 2021


Retired Bronx priest Louis Gigante, the brother of late mob boss Vincent and a former City Council member, was accused of molesting a bible study student in his parish during the 1970s, according to court documents.

The 13-page Bronx Supreme Court filing alleges the high-profile Gigante assaulted the 9-year-old boy back in 1976-77, and seeks unspecified damages from the Archdiocese of New York and his old home base of St. Athanasius Church.

“Plaintiff was forced to endure prolific and profound abuse at St. Athanasius Church by Father Gigante,” charged the court papers filed this past May. “Plaintiff would attend bible study at the church with Father Gigante and (he) would find ways to get plaintiff alone ... and repeatedly performed oral sex on him.”

Louis Gigante, the youngest of the five brothers raised in Greenwich Village by Italian immigrant parents, stood by his older sibling Vincent when the Mafia chief was accused and eventually convicted as boss of the powerful Genovese crime family.

Vincent Gigante, known as “Chin,” died in prison in 2005 after avoiding prosecution for decades with his “crazy act” — feigning mental illness to frustrate federal investigators. The brothers were often seen together in the Village, where Vincent wandered the streets in a ratty bathrobe as part of his law enforcement dodge.

The complaint described the risk of sexual abuse to the anonymous plaintiff as “open and obvious and known by many students, children, clergy and administration, yet the defendants failed to take any action to stop and/or prevent the abuse from occurring.”

In addition, the court papers alleged, “the archdiocese knew or should have known that Father Gigante was sexually abusing children and/or had the propensity to do so. The defendants ... knew or should have known of the abuse that (plaintiff) and other young children were suffering at the hands of their clergy.”

Louis Gigante, a college basketball star at Georgetown, eventually landed in 1962 at the Bronx parish where his congregation once included future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. He became deeply involved in developing the South Bronx and in politics, serving two terms on the City Council before a failed run for Congress in 1980.

His Southeast Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO) rehabilitated or built several thousands housing units in the needy neighborhood. A statue honoring the activist priest was erected in the area, and he was honored in 2017 for his rebuilding efforts in the South Bronx.

Attempts to reach Gigante for comment were unsuccessful.

“The Archdiocese of New York takes all allegations of sexual abuse of minors seriously, and responds with sensitivity and respect,” said spokesman Joe Zwilling. “However, we cannot comment on individual lawsuits brought under the Child Victims Act.

The accuser’s lawyer noted the deadline for filing such abuse suits arrives next month.

“The Child Victim’s Act has been a true blessing to survivors,” said attorney Antigone Curis. “Time is of the essence to get the justice that these survivors deserve as the deadline is quickly approaching on August 14, 2021.”

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/br ... story.html

[eboli]

Probably the least of his alleged misdeeds.

[TommyGambino]

It's actually mental the amount of priests that are nonces

[OcSleeper]

Someone posted this last night and deleted 5 minutes later. Thought I was going crazy because I knew I read this somewhere.

[TallGuy19]

It's actually mental the amount of priests that are nonces

It's starting to seem like the Catholic Church is just an organization for pedophiles. They use all the religious bullshit to gain people's trust and access to their children. The fact that they have this entire system set up to move priests around after they've been accused shows that it is part of their culture and certainly not frowned upon. I get that organizations don't want their image tarnished by these types of allegations—but they've taken it to another level. You'd have to be insane—damn near negligent—to take your kids to any church in light of all these cases that have come out.

[bluehouse]

It's actually mental the amount of priests that are nonces

i think its the plan all along you become a priest because you know you have access to children

[Doug]

It's actually mental the amount of priests that are nonces

It's starting to seem like the Catholic Church is just an organization for pedophiles. They use all the religious bullshit to gain people's trust and access to their children. The fact that they have this entire system set up to move priests around after they've been accused shows that it is part of their culture and certainly not frowned upon. I get that organizations don't want their image tarnished by these types of allegations—but they've taken it to another level. You'd have to be insane—damn near negligent—to take your kids to any church in light of all these cases that have come out.

You're more likely to get abused by a family member, coach or teacher, than a priest. There are over 1 billion Catholics in the world, of course there are going to be more abuse cases than other denominations.

[OcSleeper]

Found the Catholic

I think TG's point is its a ongoing pattern that's been happening for decades all throughout the Catholic Church. They just sweep it under the rug though and act like they don't have thousands of pedophiles working for them.

[CornerBoy]

what are his other alleged misdeeds?

[NothingNew44]

I’m speculating, but I’m curious to know if his status on the street by who his brothers were suppressed many allegations from ever surfacing. The 1970s was still the golden era of the NY Mob’s influence. It might not be wise to accuse a popular, charismatic, man of the cloth, who happens to have connections to serious guys on the street. Obviously we have to let this play out, but I find the accusations very interesting. He has many civic accomplishments and achievements attributed to his work in the community. The guy has a statue erected in his honor for god’s sake. One has to wonder is this a lifetime of good deeds to mask his acts of secret misconduct. Or is he another successful and well known member of society accused of alleged atrocities that are baseless in nature. It’s hard to say, but it makes you wonder, if that’s the case, then why him? I will say that my opinion is while the Catholic Church isn’t complicit in the mass support of child abuse, I think they do very little to combat it. As somebody said earlier it seems to be a well circulated road and well concealed cover for pedophiles to explore.

[TallGuy19]

I’m speculating, but I’m curious to know if his status on the street by who his brothers were suppressed many allegations from ever surfacing. The 1970s was still the golden era of the NY Mob’s influence. It might not be wise to accuse a popular, charismatic, man of the cloth, who happens to have connections to serious guys on the street. Obviously we have to let this play out, but I find the accusations very interesting. He has many civic accomplishments and achievements attributed to his work in the community. The guy has a statue erected in his honor for god’s sake. One has to wonder is this a lifetime of good deeds to mask his acts of secret misconduct. Or is he another successful and well known member of society accused of alleged atrocities that are baseless in nature. It’s hard to say, but it makes you wonder, if that’s the case, then why him? I will say that my opinion is while the Catholic Church isn’t complicit in the mass support of child abuse, I think they do very little to combat it. As somebody said earlier it seems to be a well circulated road and well concealed cover for pedophiles to explore.

This is how pedophiles operate. Everyone thinks of pedophiles as being these creepy guys lurking in the shadows, but, in reality, they ingratiate themselves with the community and the families of their victims. We had a pedophile in our church, and no one ever suspected him of a thing, until one of the kids came forward. He was a youth minister who was beloved by the church and the parents of his victims—most of whom considered him a member of their family. They know that if they appear creepy they will never be trusted with people's kids, so they prop themselves up as pillars of the community and pretend to have a genuine interest in mentoring kids.

[NothingNew44]

I’m speculating, but I’m curious to know if his status on the street by who his brothers were suppressed many allegations from ever surfacing. The 1970s was still the golden era of the NY Mob’s influence. It might not be wise to accuse a popular, charismatic, man of the cloth, who happens to have connections to serious guys on the street. Obviously we have to let this play out, but I find the accusations very interesting. He has many civic accomplishments and achievements attributed to his work in the community. The guy has a statue erected in his honor for god’s sake. One has to wonder is this a lifetime of good deeds to mask his acts of secret misconduct. Or is he another successful and well known member of society accused of alleged atrocities that are baseless in nature. It’s hard to say, but it makes you wonder, if that’s the case, then why him? I will say that my opinion is while the Catholic Church isn’t complicit in the mass support of child abuse, I think they do very little to combat it. As somebody said earlier it seems to be a well circulated road and well concealed cover for pedophiles to explore.

This is how pedophiles operate. Everyone thinks of pedophiles as being these creepy guys lurking in the shadows, but, in reality, they ingratiate themselves with the community and the families of their victims. We had a pedophile in our church, and no one ever suspected him of a thing, until one of the kids came forward. He was a youth minister who was beloved by the church and the parents of his victims—most of whom considered him a member of their family. They know that if they appear creepy they will never be trusted with people's kids, so they prop themselves up as pillars of the community and pretend to have a genuine interest in mentoring kids.

As a parent it’s scary and sickening to think that the very people (teachers/priests/coaches) you trust with your kids might have the most evil of attentions.

[eboli]

what are his other alleged misdeeds?

Early abuse rumors while he was running for Congress; influence peddling for which he was investigated and had to step down as city councilman; alleged large-scale corruption conducted through SEBCO; allegedly aiding Chin by acting as his messenger and passing his orders, including sanctioned murder contracts.

[PolackTony]

I’m speculating, but I’m curious to know if his status on the street by who his brothers were suppressed many allegations from ever surfacing. The 1970s was still the golden era of the NY Mob’s influence. It might not be wise to accuse a popular, charismatic, man of the cloth, who happens to have connections to serious guys on the street. Obviously we have to let this play out, but I find the accusations very interesting. He has many civic accomplishments and achievements attributed to his work in the community. The guy has a statue erected in his honor for god’s sake. One has to wonder is this a lifetime of good deeds to mask his acts of secret misconduct. Or is he another successful and well known member of society accused of alleged atrocities that are baseless in nature. It’s hard to say, but it makes you wonder, if that’s the case, then why him? I will say that my opinion is while the Catholic Church isn’t complicit in the mass support of child abuse, I think they do very little to combat it. As somebody said earlier it seems to be a well circulated road and well concealed cover for pedophiles to explore.

Not just a statue, but a street in the South Bronx named after him.

[Doug]

Found the Catholic

I think TG's point is its a ongoing pattern that's been happening for decades all throughout the Catholic Church. They just sweep it under the rug though and act like they don't have thousands of pedophiles working for them.

That's not actually the case. Not disputing it was a massive problem before. But, notice how most of these cases are from pre 1980s? Most of the molesters have been homosexual priests. The Catholic Church has
has made it more difficult for practicing homosexuals to enter the priesthood. The result being that the incidence of abuse has declined.