Vito Genovese | |
|---|---|
 Genovese c. 1959 | |
| Born | November 21, 1897 |
| Died | February 14, 1969 (aged 71) Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Resting place | Saint John Cemetery |
| Other names | "Don Vitone" |
| Occupation | Crime boss |
| Predecessor | Frank Costello |
| Successor | Philip Lombardo |
| Spouses |
|
| Relatives | Michael Genovese (cousin) |
| Allegiance | Genovese crime family |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy to violate federal narcotics laws (1959) |
| Criminal penalty | 15 years imprisonment (1959) |
Vito Genovese (Italian: [ˈviːto dʒenoˈveːze, -eːse]; November 21, 1897 – February 14, 1969) was an Italian-born American mobster of the American Mafia. A childhood friend and criminal associate of the legendary Lucky Luciano, Genovese took part in the Castellammarese War and helped Luciano shape the new American Mafia's rise as a major force in organized crime in the United States. He would later lead Luciano's crime family, which would in 1957 be renamed by the FBI as the Genovese Crime Family after its then boss Vito.
Along with Luciano, Genovese helped the expansion of the heroin trade to an international level. He fled to Italy in 1937, and for a brief period during World War II he supported Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime for fear of being deported back to the U.S. to face murder charges. After returning to the U.S. in 1945, Genovese served as mentor to Vincent "the Chin" Gigante, the future boss of the Genovese family.[1]
In 1957, Genovese vied for the boss of bosses title by ordering the murder of Albert Anastasia and the botched hit of Frank Costello. Immediately following this, he called a mafia summit to consolidate his power, but the meeting was raided by police. In 1959, Genovese's reign was cut short as he was convicted on narcotics conspiracy charges and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. While he and his underling Joe Valachi were in prison together, Valachi killed an inmate he thought to be a hitman sent by Genovese. Valachi then became a government witness. Genovese died in prison on February 14, 1969.
- ^ DeVico, Peter J. "The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra". (p. 186) Archived April 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.