Anthony Fiato
Encyclopedia
Craig Anthony Fiato, also known as Anthony the Animal and Tony Rome, was an American
mobster and hitman for the Los Angeles crime family
who later became an undercover informant and government witness. In the words of retired FBI undercover agent Bob Hamer, "Anthony Fiato was a major player in that whole organized crime scene" in 1980s Los Angeles.
Fiato grew up in Boston to law-abiding parents. At age 17, his family moved to Hollywood
. Under his mentor Michael "Mike Rizzi" Rizzitello
, Fiato rose in rank to enforcer and street boss of Rizzi's breakaway Los Angeles crew. Fiato worked with mobsters Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro
, "Handsome Johnny" Roselli
, Rizzitello, Joey Gallo, Peter Milano
, J.R. Russo, and "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno
, among many others. Fiato was a feared member of the Los Angeles crime family. Consigliere Jack LoCicero sponsored Fiato's membership into the Los Angeles crime family. Fiato was a major gangster with close ties to the Patriarca crime family
and Joseph "J.R." Russo, the Gambino crime family
through Aniello Dellacroce
, and the Los Angeles crime family through his mentor Rizzitello.
Turning informant after his brother Larry became an FBI informant and gave up their rackets, Fiato put away many major mob gangsters in both Los Angeles and Boston
. After joining the witness protection
program, Fiato became a tabloid celebrity thanks to his testimony at the O. J. Simpson murder case
, his appearance on the Howard Stern Show
, and his relationship with Denise Brown, the sister of Simpson's murdered ex-wife. Fiato also cooperated with journalist John L. Smith, who wrote his biography The Animal Hollywood: Anthony Fiato's Life in the Mafia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mobster and hitman for the Los Angeles crime family
Los Angeles crime family
The Los Angeles crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in Los Angeles, as part of the American Mafia . Since its inception in the early 1900s, it has spread throughout Southern California. Like most Mafia families in the United States, the L.A. family gained power...
who later became an undercover informant and government witness. In the words of retired FBI undercover agent Bob Hamer, "Anthony Fiato was a major player in that whole organized crime scene" in 1980s Los Angeles.
Fiato grew up in Boston to law-abiding parents. At age 17, his family moved to Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
. Under his mentor Michael "Mike Rizzi" Rizzitello
Michael Rizzitello
Michael Anthony Rizzitello also known as "Mike Rizzi", was an Italian American mobster in the Los Angeles crime family. Rizzitello's criminal record stretched back to 1947...
, Fiato rose in rank to enforcer and street boss of Rizzi's breakaway Los Angeles crew. Fiato worked with mobsters Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro
Anthony Spilotro
Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro was an Italian-American mobster and enforcer for the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s. His job was to protect and oversee the Outfit's illegal casino profits...
, "Handsome Johnny" Roselli
John Roselli
John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli , sometimes spelled John Rosselli, was an influential mobster for the Chicago Outfit who helped them control Hollywood and the Las Vegas Strip. Roselli was also involved with the Central Intelligence Agency plot to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro in the early 1960s...
, Rizzitello, Joey Gallo, Peter Milano
Peter Milano
Peter John Milano is a Los Angeles based, Italian-American mobster, and current Boss of the Los Angeles crime family. Milano has been active in organized crime since the 1950s...
, J.R. Russo, and "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno
Jimmy Fratianno
Aladena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno was a Cleveland, Ohio, mobster and later acting head of the Los Angeles crime family before becoming a government witness...
, among many others. Fiato was a feared member of the Los Angeles crime family. Consigliere Jack LoCicero sponsored Fiato's membership into the Los Angeles crime family. Fiato was a major gangster with close ties to the Patriarca crime family
Patriarca crime family
The Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
and Joseph "J.R." Russo, the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino 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 group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
through Aniello Dellacroce
Aniello Dellacroce
Aniello John "Mr. Neil" Dellacroce , also known as "Father O'Neil" and "The Tall Guy", was an Italian-American gangster and underboss of the Gambino crime family. A capo of his own crew for many years he rose to the position of underboss when Carlo Gambino moved Joseph Biondo aside.-Early...
, and the Los Angeles crime family through his mentor Rizzitello.
Turning informant after his brother Larry became an FBI informant and gave up their rackets, Fiato put away many major mob gangsters in both Los Angeles and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. After joining the witness protection
Witness protection
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
program, Fiato became a tabloid celebrity thanks to his testimony at the O. J. Simpson murder case
O. J. Simpson murder case
The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
, his appearance on the Howard Stern Show
Howard Stern Show
The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005...
, and his relationship with Denise Brown, the sister of Simpson's murdered ex-wife. Fiato also cooperated with journalist John L. Smith, who wrote his biography The Animal Hollywood: Anthony Fiato's Life in the Mafia.