Frank "Franky the Beast" Scarabino (born 1956) is a New York City mobster and former soldier in the North Jersey-based DeCavalcante crime family,
Since the late 1970s, US law enforcement listed Scarabino as an associate of the crime family based in the Northern New Jersey area, and linked him with reputed 'made men' Anthony "Marshmallow" Mannarino and Anthony "Tony" Capo sometime in the mid-1980s, as well as recognizing him as a member of the DeCavalcante crime family, under reputed captains Philip Abramo and Anthony Rotondo. [1]
According to US law enforcement, in August, 1989, Scarabino was involved in a conspiracy along with soldiers Anthony Capo, James "Jimmy" Gallo, Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, captain Philip Abramo and even Stefano "Steve the Truck Driver" Vitabile, the reputed family consigliere, which involved murdering Fred Weiss, a private sanitation magnate considered for becoming an informant. The hit was requested by reputed Gambino crime family boss John Gotti of New York, and Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi, boss of the DeCavalcante family, accepted his request, and contracted Scarabino, Capo, Gallo and Palermo for the task. Scarabino, still only a family associate, reportedly agreed and on September 11, 1989, Scarabino and others shot and killed Weiss in front of his Staten Island home; however, it is Palermo, Capo and Gallo who are mostly credited for Weiss's murder. [2] [3] [4]
During the 1990s era, Scarabino is to have been inducted into the DeCavalcante crime family, under reputed captains Anthony Rotondo of Elizabeth, New Jersey and Philip Abramo of the New York faction in New York City. At the time, Scarabino's criminal activities were labor and construction racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and murder, as he reportedly conspired to murder Daniel Annunziatta and even former acting boss and captain, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola, in the early 1990s on the orders of John D'Amato, who had been recruited by John Gotti into take over the DeCavalcante crime family after the imprisonment of Riggi in 1990. According to US law enforcement, Scarabino also helped organize the murder of former family underboss, Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso in 1991, in aid of the racketeering operations that Philip Abramo took over in New York. It was around this time that Scarabino bought his residence in Staten Island, New York. [5] [6]
On October 19, 2000, a pile of federal indictments were launched at over 50 members of the DeCavalcante crime family, with predicates in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO statutes), as Scarabino was charged with extortion, illegal gambling, conspiracy to commit bookmaking and loansharking activities. He was also charged with the murder of Fred Weiss, as well as conspiracy to the attempted murders of Daniel Annunziatta, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola and Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso. Four days prior to his arrest, Scarabino was ordered to kill the wives and children of Anthony Capo (a known cooperator) and Anthony Rotondo (a suspected cooperator). This order so disturbed and repulsed Scarabino he chose to become an informant and testify against his former associates of the DeCavalcante family.[ citation needed ]
As of 2008, Frank Scarabino is presumably participating in the Witness Protection Program.
John Gotti was an American mafioso and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambino boss Paul Castellano in December 1985 and took over the family shortly thereafter, leading what was described as America's most powerful crime syndicate.
The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey crime family or the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York and the surrounding areas. The family is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia.
Simone Paul Rizzo DeCavalcante, known as "Sam the Plumber", was an Italian-American mobster who was boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey. Claiming descent from the Italian royal family, DeCavalcante was nicknamed "The Count". The McClellan hearings later named the New Jersey Mafia the DeCavalcante crime family since he was the boss of the family at the time of those hearings.
Philip Abramo, also known as "The King of Wall Street" and "Lou Metzer", is a caporegime in the New Jersey DeCavalcante crime family who was allegedly involved in security fraud and murder. He is the capo of the DeCavalcante family's crew in Miami, Florida, United States.
Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo is an Italian-American former mobster who was the de facto boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of North Jersey before becoming a government witness in 1999. Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the HBO series The Sopranos, is said to be based upon Palermo. Similar to how Soprano owned the fictional Bada Bing! strip club on the show, Palermo owned a strip-club called Wiggles.
Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria, also known as "Prateek" and "the Conductor", is an American mobster and member of the Gambino crime family of New York. He is considered by law enforcement to be a close associate of Nicholas Corozzo and has served as his right-hand-man for almost 30 years.
Nicholas Angelo "Nicky Mouth" Santora was the reputed underboss of the Bonanno crime family.
Giuseppe "Pino" Schifilliti is a former prominent member of the DeCavalcante crime family since the 1980s, heavily involved in labor racketeering and extortion activities.
George "Big Georgie" DeCicco was a New York mobster and longtime captain in the Gambino crime family. DeCicco is one of the last captains of the old John Gotti administration in the 1980s who have not been under any indictment until now. DeCicco is the brother of former Gambino underboss Frank DeCicco, who was killed in a car-bomb meant for his boss John Gotti, ordered by then boss of the Genovese crime family who is now deceased, Vincent "Chin" Gigante, and Lucchese crime family leaders Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso as revenge for the murder of former Gambino crime family boss, Paul Castellano, a strong ally of both the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.
Gioacchino "Jake" Amari was an Italian-American mobster who served as acting underboss and later acting boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey.
John "Johnny Boy" D'Amato was an American mobster and former acting boss of the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey from 1990 to 1992. He was a prominent made man of the DeCavalcante family and was appointed head of the organization by Giovanni Riggi under the influence of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. D'Amato was murdered in Brooklyn in January 1992 after he was suspected of engaging in homosexual activity.
Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso was an American mobster and the longtime official underboss of the DeCavalcante crime family.
Anthony "Tony" Capo was an American hitman in the DeCavalcante crime family who later became a government witness and entered the Witness Protection Program. His aliases included Marshall Beach, Mathew Beach and Wade Beach.
Francesco "Frank" Polizzi was a New Jersey mobster and captain in the DeCavalcante crime family.
Louis "Louie Eggs" Consalvo is a New Jersey mobster and reputed soldier and acting captain in the DeCavalcante crime family.
Gaetano "Corky" Vastola is a New Jersey mobster who became a captain in the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey.
Anthony Rotondo is a former capo in the DeCavalcante family of New Jersey and police informant.
The Genovese crime family's New Jersey faction is a group of Italian-American mobsters within the Genovese crime family who control organized crime activities within the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey faction is divided into multiple crews each led by a different caporegime who oversees illegal criminal activities in labor racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking and extortion. The Genovese crime family's New Jersey faction has maintained a strong presence in the Northern Jersey area since the early prohibition era. A number of powerful mobsters within the New Jersey faction such as Guarino "Willie" Moretti, Gerardo "Jerry" Catena and Louis "Bobby" Manna have each held positions within the Genovese family's administration. From the 1990s until his death in 2010, Tino "the Greek" Fiumara was one of the most powerful caporegimes in the New Jersey faction.
Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi was a New Jersey mobster and member of the DeCavalcante crime family since the 1940s, before the family had acquired its name. Riggi was the leader of the "Elizabeth crew" in the family when he was a Caporegime. He had been the acting boss during the 1970s and became the official boss around 1982. Riggi was incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens, Massachusetts, on extortion and labor racketeering convictions. He was released on November 27, 2012.