Frank Abbatemarco

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Frank Abbatemarco
Mugshot of Frank Abbatemarco
Born 1899
New York, USA
Died November 4, 1959
Brooklyn, New York, USA

Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco (c. 1899-November 4, 1959) was an American mobster and policy bank operator for the Profaci crime family during the 1940s and 50s.

One of New York's many policy operators, Frank Abbatemarco was obligated to pay a certain amount of money or "taxes" in the form of protection money. However, suffering financial losses, he had fallen into debt by the late 1950s. When Joseph Profaci demanded Abbatemarco pay $50,000 in "back taxes", Abbatemarco was unable to raise the money and was killed by Profaci gunmen (possibly Joey "Joe Jelly" Gioelli [1]) near Cardiello's Tavern on November 4, 1959.

While this was commonplace of the syndicate underworld, the murder of Abbatemarco caused a conflict between the Profaci crime family and the Gallo's as Joe Gallo refused to hand over member Tony Abbatemarco (whose death had been ordered by Profaci for his fathers debt). Kidnapping several Profaci lieutenants, Gallo held them hostage making his own demands. Profaci refused to negotiate [2], eventually leading to the Gallo-Profaci War [3].

[edit] Further reading

  • Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Penguin Group Inc., 2002.
  • Cook, Fred J. Mafia!. Greenwich, Connecticut: Fawcett Publications Inc., 1973.
  • Demaris, Ovid. The Last Mafioso. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
  • Martin, Raymond V. Revolt in the Mafia. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1963.
  • Teresa, Vincent. My Life in the Mafia. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1973.

[edit] References

  • Gage, Nicholas (ed.) Mafia, USA. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1972.
  • Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005.

[edit] External links