Abraham Telvi
Encyclopedia
Abraham Telvi was a Jewish-American
mobster and hitman for New York labor racketeer Johnny Dio, known most notably for blinding crusading New York journalist Victor Riesel
with acid.
, Telvi was ordered by Dio and other labor racketeers to silence Victor Riesel's attacks on labor union corruption. On the morning of April 5, 1956, Telvi attacked Victor Riesel as he was leaving Lindy's
, a Broadway
restaurant, throwing sulfuric acid onto his face leaving him permanently blind. He had been told nothing about who he was attacking except that he was being recruited to, "beat up some guy who is bothering some fellow's wife." Within days after the highly publicized attack, he admitted his involvement to at least four people. Mob associate Joseph "Joe Pilo" Carlino recruited Telvi for the task because as he later stated to investigators, knew him from "around the neighborhood" and introduced him to Dominick Bando, who had originally approached Carlino with the contract to attack Reisel and offered him $500 for his services. Investigators obtained statements from witnesses to the attack who were able to place Gandolfo "Sheikie" Miranti, who was approached by Charles Tuso, a neighbor who also had ties to organized crime. He relocated to Youngstown, Ohio in early June of that year. He later went broke from spending his money on illegal gambling operations located throughout the city at the time and returned to New York City. He broke up with his girlfriend after a violent domestic dispute and needed more money. His associate Gandolfo Miranti gave Telvi another $500 and arranged to have someone drive him to Florida. After a short drive, he became suspicious that Gandofolo was setting him up to be murdered and got away from the chauffered car somewhere in New Jersey and returned to Manhattan.
The massive investigation into the incident quickly spiraled into a huge public outcry against labor union racketeering and, as the criminal operations of them, including many prominent Jewish gangsters came under considerable pressure from federal authorities, investigators persuaded two of the accused conspirators including Gondolfo Miranti, to testify against Dio before death threats caused the two men to refuse testifing. Telvi himself, along with two other minor criminals, were arrested by federal prosecutors although eventually were unable to press charges.
In the attack, Telvi had burned himself badly on the right side of his face and neck with some of the acid that splashed on him. It was decided by Johnny Dio and others that he should not receive the necessary medical attention for his bungling of the job. He hid out at his girlfriend's house for a week and a half before receiving the first payment of $500 from which gave Joseph Carlino, $180 for getting him the job. Gandolfo Miranti a few days later, out of sympathy for his friend gave him an additional $100 out of his own pocket for the clothes he was wearing that were ruined by the acid.
Telvi, who had been paid $1,175 in cash, now demanded more money from Dio (possibly believing Dio would be forced to pay him due to the extensive federal investigation). Dio agreed; however, after promising to pay him off within two weeks, Telvi was gunned down in the vicinity of 240 Centre Street
, the former headquarters for the New York Police Department on July 28, 1956.
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
mobster and hitman for New York labor racketeer Johnny Dio, known most notably for blinding crusading New York journalist Victor Riesel
Victor Riesel
Victor Riesel was an American newspaper journalist and columnist who specialized in news related to labor unions. At the height of his career, his column on labor union issues was syndicated to 356 newspapers in the United States...
with acid.
Biography
An associate member of the Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
, Telvi was ordered by Dio and other labor racketeers to silence Victor Riesel's attacks on labor union corruption. On the morning of April 5, 1956, Telvi attacked Victor Riesel as he was leaving Lindy's
Lindy's
Lindy's is a deli and restaurant with two locations in New York City, at 825 7th Avenue and 401 7th Avenue . Lindy's is best known for its original incarnation which opened in 1921 on Broadway...
, a Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
restaurant, throwing sulfuric acid onto his face leaving him permanently blind. He had been told nothing about who he was attacking except that he was being recruited to, "beat up some guy who is bothering some fellow's wife." Within days after the highly publicized attack, he admitted his involvement to at least four people. Mob associate Joseph "Joe Pilo" Carlino recruited Telvi for the task because as he later stated to investigators, knew him from "around the neighborhood" and introduced him to Dominick Bando, who had originally approached Carlino with the contract to attack Reisel and offered him $500 for his services. Investigators obtained statements from witnesses to the attack who were able to place Gandolfo "Sheikie" Miranti, who was approached by Charles Tuso, a neighbor who also had ties to organized crime. He relocated to Youngstown, Ohio in early June of that year. He later went broke from spending his money on illegal gambling operations located throughout the city at the time and returned to New York City. He broke up with his girlfriend after a violent domestic dispute and needed more money. His associate Gandolfo Miranti gave Telvi another $500 and arranged to have someone drive him to Florida. After a short drive, he became suspicious that Gandofolo was setting him up to be murdered and got away from the chauffered car somewhere in New Jersey and returned to Manhattan.
The massive investigation into the incident quickly spiraled into a huge public outcry against labor union racketeering and, as the criminal operations of them, including many prominent Jewish gangsters came under considerable pressure from federal authorities, investigators persuaded two of the accused conspirators including Gondolfo Miranti, to testify against Dio before death threats caused the two men to refuse testifing. Telvi himself, along with two other minor criminals, were arrested by federal prosecutors although eventually were unable to press charges.
In the attack, Telvi had burned himself badly on the right side of his face and neck with some of the acid that splashed on him. It was decided by Johnny Dio and others that he should not receive the necessary medical attention for his bungling of the job. He hid out at his girlfriend's house for a week and a half before receiving the first payment of $500 from which gave Joseph Carlino, $180 for getting him the job. Gandolfo Miranti a few days later, out of sympathy for his friend gave him an additional $100 out of his own pocket for the clothes he was wearing that were ruined by the acid.
Telvi, who had been paid $1,175 in cash, now demanded more money from Dio (possibly believing Dio would be forced to pay him due to the extensive federal investigation). Dio agreed; however, after promising to pay him off within two weeks, Telvi was gunned down in the vicinity of 240 Centre Street
240 Centre Street
240 Centre Street, formerly the New York City Police Headquarters building, between Broome and Grand Streets in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, was built in 1905-1909, and was designed by the firm of Hoppin & Koen...
, the former headquarters for the New York Police Department on July 28, 1956.
Further reading
- Daily News Books. Big Town, Big Time: A New York Epic : 1898-1998. New York: Sports Publishing LLC, 1998. ISBN 1-58261-028-2
- Scheim, David E. Contract on America: The Mafia Murder of President John F. Kennedy. New York: Shapolsky Publishers, 1988. ISBN 0-933503-30-X
- United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Assassinations. Investigation of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: hearings before the Select Committee on Assassinations. 1979.http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC05073842&id=2lXiaWgKZ5wC&q=%22Abraham+Telvi%22&dq=%22Abraham+Telvi%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&pgis=1
External links
- TIME Magazine Article Archive - The Fall-Out, August 27, 1956
- Abraham Telvi at Find-A-Grave