Joseph Frangipane (Lucchese)

 

J. Frangipane

Joseph 'Pippeneddu' Frangipane was a Soldier in the Lucchese Family.

Born September 5, 1925 in NYC to Leone (41y) and Antonia Scavuzzo (28y). Father was born in Ciminna, close to the city of Palermo. Mother was born in the Province of Trapani, Sicily.

Father worked as a Waiter and Elevator Operator.

At the time of birth the family resided at 232 Elizabeth St.

Through his paternal grandmother, Maria Cassato, he was related to Lucchese Capodecina Frank 'Chick Wilson' Citrano (1900-1960). The families both resided at 232 Elizabeth St. In 1920 Frank Citrano moved next door to 234 Elizabeth St.

By 1943 resided at 8 Prince St. Listed his employer as the American Labour Party.

By the mid 1940s associated with the Lucchese Family's Crew in Lower Manhattan. On August 3, 1945 he and three others, including future Lucchese Soldier Victor Panica (21y), were arrested for running a dice game. in Westbury, LI. About 70 players were present at the time of the raid. 

 

Peter Simonetti

The principle operator of the dice game was said to be Peter Simonetti (35y), a possible Lucchese Associate/Member. The game operated with Police protection. On July 23 1945, the operators had paid $300 to two Detectives to leave the game alone.

Simonetti was shot dead two weeks later as he sat in a car at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Houston Street. With him was future Lucchese Member John Nuccio. Nuccio's brothers Frank, Salvatore and Vincent would all become members of the Lucchese Family. Their father Sebastiano (1879-1941) may have been a member of the Lucchese Family as well. The Nuccio's resided at 265 and 268 Elizabeth Street.

On October 26, 1945 pleaded guilty to participating in the dice game and paid a $100 fine.

On September 8, 1947 arrested at an illegal still located on a farm in Newburgh, NY. 375 gallons of alcohol seized by police. Also arrested was Salvatore Nuccio and five others.

On September 1, 1955 arrested for theft in Manhattan. Also arrested were Geonvese Family members and brothers Frank 'Frankie Skimp' Caggiano and William 'Willie Skimp' Caggiano. 

By 1970 resided at 18 Wesley Place, Staten Island.

Sometime after mid 1984 Lucchese leadership appointed Frangipane to control of Local 20 Cement & Concrete Workers Union with the positions of treasurer and business agent. Lucchese Soldier Christopher Furnari, Jr was made Vice-President of Local 20. 

Local 20 had previously been under control of Lucchese member Luigi 'Louie Beans' Foceri (1922-1989).

Frangipane also exercised control over Local 46 of the Mason Tenders through Family Associate Peter 'Butch' Vario.

Lucchese Underboss and CW Al D'arco later testified about the Family's influence over Local 46:

"Before his conviction in 1989, Peter "Butch" Vario, a Luchese Family associate, who was also an officer of Local 46 & the nephew of Paul Vario, exercised influence over Local 46 for the Luchese Family. Butch Vario reported to Joseph "Pippeneddu" Frangipane, a made member of the Luchese Family."

On August 18, 1987 indicted for labour racketeering in the 'Conrax' case, an investigation that had been initiated in 1984. The indictment included 12 union leaders from Local 13 and 46 Mason Tenders, Carpenters Union 351 and Local 20 Cement & Concrete Workers. 

 

Local 13 Mason Tenders were controlled by the Genovese Family.

The indictment charged that the defendants: "systematically bled the construction industry in Queens through a pattern of extortion, bribery and various forms of collusion and fraud."

"[Butch] Vario and Walaski were also involved, along with Cervone and another codefendant, Joseph Frangipane, in a series of payoffs for labor peace from the Spartan Concrete Corp. ("Spartan"). Frangipane was the business agent of the Cement and Concrete Workers Local Union 20 ("Local 20" or "Concrete Workers"), whose territory included a Spartan jobsite on Atlantic Avenue in Queens. The site was also arguably within the jurisdiction of Vario's Mason Tenders' Local 46, which handled certain jobs involving concrete. Although Martin Padover, Spartan's president, had reported the job to the District Council of Cement and Concrete Workers Unions as required under the collective bargaining agreement, Vario, upon learning of the project, took the position that it was a Mason Tenders' job, rather than one for the Concrete Workers.

Padover sought Cervone's intervention to establish which union had jurisdiction. Cervone and Vario agreed that the job likely fell under the authority of both unions, and Cervone therefore arranged that Padover would pay bribes to officials of both. Frangipane was paid off through "ghost" paychecks, while Vario, despite Padover's view that Atlantic Avenue was a Concrete Workers' job, received a cash payment of $1000, "just to start off the relationship." This payment was the basis of Vario's conviction on Count 61 for labor bribery."

On November 18, 1988 found guilty of violating the federal Taft-Hartley labour stature. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Frangipane is included in both the 1983 and 1988 Senate Charts of Lucchese Family membership.

On January 19, 1990 released from Federal prison.

He died April 25, 1992 in NYC.