Vito Genovese
Genovese in prison mugshot at the U.S. MCFP in Springfield, MO in 1964.
Nickname	Don Vito
Born	(1897-11-27)November 27, 1897
Birthplace	Tufino, Naples, Italy
Died	February 14, 1969(1969-02-14) (aged 71)
Deathplace	Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation	Mafia boss, Bootlegger, Businessman, Mobster, Racketeer
Known for	Boss/founder of the Genovese crime family

Vito "Don Vito" Genovese (November 27, 1897 – February 14, 1969) was an Italian Gangster in America and is known as The Boss of Genovese crime family through 1957 to 1969. Vito is also credited of killing Willie Moretti and organized Frank Costello's failed assassination by Vincent Gigante. Vito also ordered Frank Scalise's death who was an Underboss of Albert Anastasia and ally to Frank Costello. He is also loosely based on Emilio Barzini in The Godfather.

Contents 1 Early Criminal Career 2 Castellammarese War 3 The Commission 4 Family Trouble 5 Apalachin Meeting 6 Arrests 7 Joe Valachi 8 Death 9 People Murdered by Vito Genovese 10 In popular culture

Early Criminal CareerEdit

Genovese moved to New York as a young man along with his family. He later went to work for Joe Masseria along with Charles Luciano and Frank Costello as an Enforcer. Genovese had his first "Front" in Manhattan as a 'down and out' for Alcohol in 1922 which was near a New York police station.

Castellammarese WarEdit

Lucky Luciano said that the War had been going long enough and needed to stop. Luciano convinced Genovese that Joe Masseria had to die, and he was later killed on April 15, 1931 in a Coney Island restaurant by Genovese, Carlo Gambino, Bugsy Siegel and Joe Adonis, Masseria was only 45. Salvatore Maranzano was later stabbed and shot in his Office on September 10, 1931 aged 45.

The CommissionEdit

Genovese was called to a Meeting, Lucky Luciano got rid of "Boss of Bosses" and formed The Commission which was designed to settle all disputes and decide which families controlled which territories. Genovese was appointed Underboss of The Luciano Family

Family TroubleEdit

In the 1950s, Vito Genoveses' Godson Ralph Caglioti owed money to New York loansharks, The loansharks burnt his hand and beat him up in the streets. Caglioti tried to hide this away from Vito because he knew what he was capable of. Genovese later found out and found The Loansharks. Infront of his Godson, Ralph Caglioti, Genovese smacked The Loansharks knee caps and broke them with a baseball bat.

Apalachin MeetingEdit

Vito Genovese created The Apalachin Meeting in 1957 to discuss various topics including loansharking, narcotics trafficking and gambling along with dividing the illegal operations controlled by the late Albert Anastasia. Theories have said that, The Meeting was held to kill Carlo Gambino so Genovese could become Boss of all Bosses in America, Gambino was making over $5 Million dollars and made new members and territory. Over 100 men attended The Meeting including Joseph Bonanno, Joseph Profaci, Paul Castellano, Santo Trafficante, Jr. and families such as Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Lucchese, DeCavalcante and Los Angeles.

ArrestsEdit

In 1937, He was suspected of killing Ferdinand Boccia in Brooklyn over Gambling trouble. Genovese was asked to appear in Court but later fled to Italy, Sicily. When Lucky Luciano went to Prison in 1936 due to Prostitution charges, Frank Costello was left as Offical Boss of The Family. Genovese divided The Family in Italy with Violence and had more men than Costello, but Costello made more money than Genovese because of his Business brain. Genovese was later deported back to America in 1947 to discuss the charge that he fled, The Witness that was going to Testifiy against Genovese was found killed in his Jail cell apparently due to an Overdose of Sleeping Pills, and was the charge was dropped. Vito was convicted of Drug Dealer in The Bronx in 1959 and was sentenced to 15 Years in Atlanta at age 62, He managed to bribe of the guards and warden to smuggle.. Alcohol, Drugs and Women into the prison.

Joe ValachiEdit

Joe Valachi was a Soldier and Hit Man for Vito Genovese and was his cell mate. Genovese served as Valachi's best man at his wedding. Vito recieved news that Joe Valachi got him into Jail and was co-operating with The FBI and gave him "The Kiss of Death". Valachi killed a man with a piece of wood and assumed he was sent by Vito Genovese to kill him but wasn't. Joe Valachi became a "Rat" and talked about Vito Genovese's reign and other crime families in 1963 infront of National Television.

DeathEdit

Vito Genovese died on February 14, 1969 in his Atlanta prison cell of a heart attack aged 72.

People Murdered by Vito Genovese Edit

Order: No.Name/Rank/Affiliation/When/Involvement/Reason

1.Gaetano Reina/Boss/Lucchese crime family/February 26th 1930/Personal/ Genovese murdered Reina with a shotgun as part of the Castellamarese war.

2.Alfred Mineo/Boss/Gambino crime family/November 5th 1930/Personal/ Genovese saw the opportunity to murder his powerful enemies while they were caught offguard.

3.Steve Ferrigno/Underboss/Gambino crime family/November 5th 1930/Personal/ Genovese Saw the opportunity to murder his powerful enemies while they were caught offguard.

4.Giuseppe Masseria/Boss/Masseria crime family/April 5th 1931/Personal/ Genovese was on the team of hitmen that murdered Masseria to end the Castellamarese war.

5.Salvatore Maranzano/Boss/Maranzano crime family/September 10th 1931/Ordered It with Charles Luciano/ Genovese planned this murder with Charles Luciano, Maranzano was murdered because he was too powerful and unpopular, he was exactly like masseria.

6.Gerard Vernotico/associate/unknown/March 16th 1932/Ordered It/ Genovese had Vernotico murdered so that he could marry Vernotico's wife Anna.

7.Ferdinand Boccia/soldier/Lucchese crime family/September 19th 1934/Personal/ Genovese murdered Boccia instead of paying him his share of $150,000 robbed from a card game.

8.Carlo Tresca/none/Publisher of IlMartello newspaper/January 11th 1943/Ordered It/ Genovese had Tresca murdered as a favour to the facist Italian government.

9.Jerry Esposito/none/independent/June 10th 1946/Ordered It/ Genovese had Esposito murdered so that he couldn't testify against Genovese in court.

10.Willie Moretti/Underboss/Genovese crime family/October 4th 1951/Ordered It/ Moretti was murdered because he had syphillis and was discussing mafia business in public.

11.Steven Franse/Soldier/Genovese crime family/1953/Ordered It/ Franse was helping Genovese's wife Anna in her divorce from Genovese, so he had Franse murdered in revenge.

12.Albert Anastasia/Boss/Gambino crime family/October 25th 1957/Ordered It with Carlo Gambino/ Genovese had Anastasia murdered to remove a powerful enemy and to help Carlo Gambino become Boss of the Gambino crime family.

13.Anthony Carfano/Capo/Genovese crime family/September 25th 1959/Ordered It/ Genovese had Carfano murdered because he thought Carfano was responsible for him getting jailed.

14.Janice Drake/none/independent/September 25th 1959/collateral damage to previous murder/ Drake was murdered because she was a witness to Carfano's murder as she was travelling with him at the time.

15.Anthony Strollo/Capo/Genovese crime family/April 8th 1962/Ordered It/ Genovese had Strollo murdered because he thought Strollo was responsible for him getting jailed.

16.Ernest Rupollo/Soldier/Genovese crime family/August 24th 1964/Ordered It/ Rupollo was murdered because he was an informant, instead of murdering him straight away Genovese let Rupollo live in fear for 20 years before having him murdered.

In popular culture Edit

Genovese is portrayed in the 2001 TV movie Boss of Bosses by Steven Bauer.

Genovese is portrayed in the 1972 film The Valachi Papers by Lino Ventura.

Vito Genovese features in the sixth episode of UK history TV channel Yesterday's documentary series Mafia's Greatest Hits

A character called Giovanni Ancelotti on GTA IV is based on Genovese as they both ran Black Markets in Naples during World War II.