Frank Abbatemarco
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| Frank Abbatemarco | |
 Mugshot of Frank Abbatemarco
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| Born | 1899 New York, U.S. |
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| Died | November 4, 1959 (aged 60) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco (c. 1899 Red Hook, Brooklyn - November 4, 1959 Park Slope, Brooklyn) was a New York mobster in the Profaci crime family who was a major policy bank operator. Abbatemarco's murder would spark a significant conflict within the family.
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[edit] Policy operator
Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn to first generation Italian-American immigrants from Sassano a small town and comune in the province of Salerno, Italy in the Campania region of south-western Italy. Abbatemarco joined the Profaci family as a young man. His last name "Abbatemarco" consists of a font name combined with a titcular designation, Abbatemarco, is translated to "Abate Marco" or "Priest Marco". He is the biological father of Colombo crime family mobster Anthony Abbatemarco who was known in criminal circles as "Tony Shots". Anthony was married to a woman named Lucille. Frank Abbatemarco was a related to Colombo crime family mobster Joseph Magnasco, and Colombo crime family mobster brothers Leonardo and Leonard Durso, who all worked in his Red Hook, Brooklyn crew under Crazy Joe Gallo during the 1960's. He is also a suspected distant relative of Genovese crime family mob associates Michael Durso and his cousin Sabatino (Tino) Lombardi. Sabatino was murdered on November 30th, 1994, Michael Durso would later survive and become an informant. Frank is also a maternal blood relative of John R. Abbatemarco who is a recognized union carpenter. In the 1990's John R. Abbatemarco became distinguished as being the Vice President of the New York City District Council of Carpenter's and ran for President of New York City's United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in the early 1990's. Frank is also an alleged blood relative of Colombo crime family mobster Michael Abbatemarco who was involved in mob rackets in Red Hook, Brooklyn during Prohibition. His son Anthony served as chauffer and bodyguard to his father while collecting bets. After Frank was murdered, his son Anthony was protected under heavy guard by one of his father's suspected executioners Crazy Joe Gallo. Anthony would later abandon the Colombo crime family and align himself with the Genovese crime family, later serving as underboss to Joseph Yacovelli in 1971 or 1972. During the outbreak of WWII his son Anthony enlisted in the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines and saw action at Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, in the Battle of Peleliu, Battle of Okinawa, and North China as an infantryman before he was honorably discharged. Frank worked as a policy operator, or bookmaker, in the Profaci crew in Red Hook, Brooklyn. As a family member, Abbatemarco was obligated to pay a large share of his earnings to the family. By the late 1950s, Abbatemarco had fallen behind in his payments. When family boss Joseph Profaci demanded that Abbatemarco pay $50,000 in back payments, Abbatemarco could or would not comply. Profaci concluded that Abbatemarco had become disloyal and disrespectful, and decided to have him killed.
Profaci allegedly ordered Joe Gallo and his brothers, members of the Redhook crew, to murder Abbatemarco, but they refused. On November 4, 1959, Profaci gunmen (possibly including Joey "Joe Jelly" Gioerelli, [1]) fired nine shots at Frank Abbatemarco while he sat in Cardiello's Tavern at 256 4th Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, killing him. It is thought that he was a relative of the Cardiello family by distant relations, the proprietor of the cafe where he was murdered. The Cardiello family relatives included professional featherweight boxer Frank Cardiello.
[edit] Gang Conflict
As a result of Abbatemarco's murder, his crew in Redhook felt very angry and bitter towards Profaci. Although they recognized that Abbatemarco deserved punishment, they believed death was way too severe. However, part of their outrage was due to Profaci taking Abbatemarco's lucrative operations away from the crew. What finally sparked a rebellion was Profaci's demand that the son, Anthony Abbatemarco, also needed to die. The Gallo brothers refused to hand over Anthony; furthermore, they kidnapped several Profaci lieutenants and presented Profaci with his own demands. Profaci refused to negotiate with Gallo, [2], leading to conflict between the Gallo brothers and the family boss. [3]. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
[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.
