Frank Gioia, Jr.
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Frank Gioia, Jr. (b. 1967), known as "The Spaghetti Man" or "Baby Face" within mob circles, was a soldier for the Lucchese crime family. His father, Frank Gioia, Sr. was a made member of New York's Lucchese crime family operating in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, and several other family members were connected to either the Luccheses or the Colombo crime family, including Anthony Casso, who eventually became underboss of the Lucchese family and then a cooperating witness.
Born in Manhattan, Gioia grew up to make a reputation for himself as a tough guy in his own right, and at the age of 18 had shot a club bouncer who had disrespected a Lucchese wiseguy. In October 1991, at the age of 24, Frank Gioia, Jr. was sponsored into the Lucchese crime family by George Zapolla, but since he was a fugitive at the time, George "Georgie Goggles" Conte filled in for Zapolla at the secret ceremony. Presiding over the induction ceremony was consigliere Frank Lastorino.
As a made member of the Lucchese crime family, the black belt karate trained Gioia did "work" for the family and set up a major narcotics trafficking operation based in New York and Boston. In June 1992, Gioia was arrested on an illegal gun charge in Brooklyn. In 1995, after being convicted of his involvement in the drug trafficking ring and being sent to serve time in prison, Gioia contacted the FBI and notified them of his desire to cooperate. Gioia decided to become a cooperating witness after learning from his cousin, Vincent Salanardi, a Lucchese associate, that captain Frank "Frankie Bones" Papagni planned on killing Frank Gioia, Sr. over a money dispute. Both Gioias were delivered to the Federal Marshalls and placed into the Witness Protection Program. Later on, Salanardi would also become a cooperating witness.
Gioia became a valuable cooperating witness, possibly eclipsing the importance of such notorious turncoats as Salvatore Gravano and Alphonse D'Arco. Gioia's first performance in federal court came in 1998 when he testified against Lucchese family associates Michael "Baldy Mike" Spinelli (who would later be inducted into the family in a prison ceremony) and his brother Robert in a case where they were charged with trying to kill the sister of Lucchese turncoat captain Peter Chiodo. Gioia would also go on to provide information against a former drug partner of his, Lucchese soldier Ralph Cuomo, the proprietor of Ray's Pizza on Prince Street, indicating that Cuomo was making heroin deals inside the pizzeria. Gioia testified that Cuomo introduced Gioia to Gambino crime family acting boss John Gotti, Jr. in 1992 at the Little Italy social club of Gambino captain Joseph "Joe Butch" Corrao. Gioia would later testify as to a plot hatched by former underboss Anthony Casso, consigliere Frank Lastorino and several other high ranking Luccheses to kill John Gotti, Jr.
Gioia has helped to convict over 60 mobsters in several trials and has spoke at many FBI organized crime events around the country.
Among those convicted due to Giola's testimony include acting bosses of the Lucchese family Louis "Louie Crossbay" Daidone and Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede, Lucchese capos Carmine Avellino, Anthony "Bowat" Baratta, George Conte, George Zapolla and Frank "Frankie Bones" Papagni and soldiers Ralph Cuomo, Jody Calabrese, Frank Galione, Frank Giacobbe, Nicholas "Fat Nicky" DiCostanza, Rocco Vitulli. Among other organized crime figures implicated by Gioia included Gambino capos Louis "Big Lou" Vallario, Greg DePalma, Sr., Michael DiLeonardo and Gambino soldiers Frank Fappiano and Frank Smith, Jr., the latter an asssociate of the Colombo crime family and former future brother-in-law [1].
