John DiGilio
Encyclopedia
John Joseph DiGilio Sr. also known as "Johnny Dee", (December 5, 1932 Bayonne, New Jersey
– May 27, 1988 Carlstadt, New Jersey
), was a New Jersey
mobster with the Genovese crime family
who became a powerful organized crime leader in the New Jersey faction
.
John DiGilio was born to first generation Italian-American immigrants and was the oldest of eight siblings; Theresa, Joseph, Judith, Frances, Anthony, Antionette and Frank DiGilio. His wife was Ellen DiGilio,they had a daughter Ellen Chris Digilio.
Golden Gloves
126 lb (57 kilos) Sub-Novice Championships by defeating Manuel Vinho of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
. While a welterweight
boxer, DiGilio trained at the Bayonne
Police Department Police Athletic League
in New Jersey. On October 16, 1950, DiGilio won his first professional boxing match against Tony Loti in Providence, Rhode Island
. On April 8, 1954 in Newark, New Jersey
, DiGilio defeated Felix Redondo for the New Jersey State Lightweight
Title. On June 28, 1954 Cisco Andrade beat DiGilio by knockout at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City, New York in 2 minutes and 8 seconds. On November 18, 1955, while fighting Tommy Barto at Madison Square Garden
in Manhattan, the referee stopped the fight and declared DiGilio the winner. On June 15, 1956, again at Madison Square Garden, DiGilio knocked down Johnny Busso in 1:39 minutes during the 4th round. However, the referee later stopped the fight due to cuts over DiGilio's eyes and gave the victory to Busso. On February 11, 1958 in Miami Beach, Florida
, DiGilio lost, being knocked down in the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds. On March 29, 1958, DiGilio lost to Stefan Redl in Paterson, New Jersey
for the New Jersey State Welterweight
Championship.
In total, DiGilio boxed 231 rounds, won 28 matches, lost ten matches, and was knocked out in three matches. DiGilio stood at 5 foot 7 inches tall and, during his professional boxing career, he weighed in between 147 to 154 pounds (67 to 70 kilos).
in the Genovese family. During the 1950s, under family boss Vito Genovese
, DiGilio became a made man
, or full family member. He later worked for boss Frank Tieri and Benny Malangone.
In 1968, DiGilio was indicted on extortion
charges. DiGilio had made two $1,000 usurious loans in 1966 and 1967 to a New Jersey man who, after paying $7,400 interest, refused to pay anything else. The victim then receive a threatening call from DiGilio, which he recorded. DiGilio was able to prove that the voice print
of the recording did not match his own voice, and was acquitted in 1970.
In the mid-1970s, Digilio became secretary-treasurer of International Longshoremen's Association
Local 1588 in Bayonne, New Jersey
, a union local under Genovese control since the 1960s. Digilio used his position to extort payments from shipping companies in exchange for smooth labor relations. In 1986, Fortune Magazine named DiGilio as number 39 on its list of the 50 most powerful Cosa Nostra bosses in the United States. As DiGilio's criminal activities attracted more law enforcement attention, he started displaying bizarre conduct. Law enforcement was unsure if the activities were genuine or just a ruse
.
(FBI) recordings of him as "locker room talk" and then dumped hundreds of cassette tapes into a garbage pail. On April 17, 1988, DiGilio was acquitted of racketeering, but the other defendants were convicted. The Genovese hierarchy was furious with DiGilio; they blamed him for the conviction of the other three men. What especially galled the leadership was that Donald Carson, one of the convicted defendants, was then forced to resign his position as secretary-treasurer of Local 1588. A Gambino crime family
mobster replaced Carson at the local, effectively eliminating the Genovese family's major source of labor racketeering revenue.
Shortly after DiGilio's trial ended, his wife Ellen reported him missing to police. On May 26, 1988, DiGilio's body, with two bullet wounds to the head, was discovered floating in a bag on the Hackensack River
near Carlstadt, New Jersey
. In 1998, Genovese mobster Louis Auricchio, the brother-in-law of New Jersey senator John A. Lynch, Jr.
confessed to shooting DiGilio while they were riding in a car. Louis Auricchio was released from prison December 10, 2010, after serving his sentence.
Since DiGilio's death, his crew has passed to Auricchio, Angelo Prisco
, Salvatore Lombardo, and Louis Manna
.
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
– May 27, 1988 Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,127.Carlstadt was originally formed as a village by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1860, within Lodi Township. It was named after Dr...
), was a New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
mobster with the Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese 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 Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
who became a powerful organized crime leader in the New Jersey faction
Genovese crime family New Jersey faction
The Genovese crime family New Jersey faction is the group of mobsters who control the interests of New Jersey rackets in the Genovese crime family. The New Jersey faction has maintained a strong presence in the Northern New Jersey area since the prohibition era...
.
Biography
A former professional boxer and boatman on a tug boat, DiGilio had an athletic build with muscular shoulders. He was described as possessing an aura of self confidence.John DiGilio was born to first generation Italian-American immigrants and was the oldest of eight siblings; Theresa, Joseph, Judith, Frances, Anthony, Antionette and Frank DiGilio. His wife was Ellen DiGilio,they had a daughter Ellen Chris Digilio.
Boxing record
In 1950, DiGilio won the New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
126 lb (57 kilos) Sub-Novice Championships by defeating Manuel Vinho of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
. While a welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
boxer, DiGilio trained at the Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
Police Department Police Athletic League
Police Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
in New Jersey. On October 16, 1950, DiGilio won his first professional boxing match against Tony Loti in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. On April 8, 1954 in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, DiGilio defeated Felix Redondo for the New Jersey State Lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Title. On June 28, 1954 Cisco Andrade beat DiGilio by knockout at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City, New York in 2 minutes and 8 seconds. On November 18, 1955, while fighting Tommy Barto at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in Manhattan, the referee stopped the fight and declared DiGilio the winner. On June 15, 1956, again at Madison Square Garden, DiGilio knocked down Johnny Busso in 1:39 minutes during the 4th round. However, the referee later stopped the fight due to cuts over DiGilio's eyes and gave the victory to Busso. On February 11, 1958 in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, DiGilio lost, being knocked down in the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds. On March 29, 1958, DiGilio lost to Stefan Redl in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
for the New Jersey State Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
Championship.
In total, DiGilio boxed 231 rounds, won 28 matches, lost ten matches, and was knocked out in three matches. DiGilio stood at 5 foot 7 inches tall and, during his professional boxing career, he weighed in between 147 to 154 pounds (67 to 70 kilos).
Involvement in organized crime
As a young man, DiGilio became involved in illegal gambling, loansharking, labor racketeering and extortionExtortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
in the Genovese family. During the 1950s, under family boss Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
, DiGilio became a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, or full family member. He later worked for boss Frank Tieri and Benny Malangone.
In 1968, DiGilio was indicted on extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
charges. DiGilio had made two $1,000 usurious loans in 1966 and 1967 to a New Jersey man who, after paying $7,400 interest, refused to pay anything else. The victim then receive a threatening call from DiGilio, which he recorded. DiGilio was able to prove that the voice print
Speaker recognition
Speaker recognition is the computing task of validating a user's claimed identity using characteristics extracted from their voices .There is a difference between speaker recognition and speech recognition . These two terms are frequently confused, as is voice recognition...
of the recording did not match his own voice, and was acquitted in 1970.
In the mid-1970s, Digilio became secretary-treasurer of International Longshoremen's Association
International Longshoremen's Association
The International Longshoremen's Association is a labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways...
Local 1588 in Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, a union local under Genovese control since the 1960s. Digilio used his position to extort payments from shipping companies in exchange for smooth labor relations. In 1986, Fortune Magazine named DiGilio as number 39 on its list of the 50 most powerful Cosa Nostra bosses in the United States. As DiGilio's criminal activities attracted more law enforcement attention, he started displaying bizarre conduct. Law enforcement was unsure if the activities were genuine or just a ruse
Deception
Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, bad faith, and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth . Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment...
.
Racketeering trial and disappearance
In 1988, DiGilio and three other Genovese mobsters were indicted on federal racketeering charges. Defying his family bosses, DiGilio refused to retain a lawyer and instead mounted his own defense at the trial. During the trial, while arguing with the prosecuting attorney, DiGilio suffered a heart attack, but quickly recovered. While making his closing arguments, DiGilio dismissed Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) recordings of him as "locker room talk" and then dumped hundreds of cassette tapes into a garbage pail. On April 17, 1988, DiGilio was acquitted of racketeering, but the other defendants were convicted. The Genovese hierarchy was furious with DiGilio; they blamed him for the conviction of the other three men. What especially galled the leadership was that Donald Carson, one of the convicted defendants, was then forced to resign his position as secretary-treasurer of Local 1588. A 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...
mobster replaced Carson at the local, effectively eliminating the Genovese family's major source of labor racketeering revenue.
Shortly after DiGilio's trial ended, his wife Ellen reported him missing to police. On May 26, 1988, DiGilio's body, with two bullet wounds to the head, was discovered floating in a bag on the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
near Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,127.Carlstadt was originally formed as a village by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1860, within Lodi Township. It was named after Dr...
. In 1998, Genovese mobster Louis Auricchio, the brother-in-law of New Jersey senator John A. Lynch, Jr.
John A. Lynch, Jr.
John A. Lynch, Jr. is a former American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served in the New Jersey Senate representing the 19th District from 1981 to 2001, where he represented the 17th Legislative District, and was Senate President from 1990 to 1992...
confessed to shooting DiGilio while they were riding in a car. Louis Auricchio was released from prison December 10, 2010, after serving his sentence.
Since DiGilio's death, his crew has passed to Auricchio, Angelo Prisco
Angelo Prisco
Angelo Prisco , also known as "The Horn", is a New Jersey mobster who became a caporegime in the Genovese crime family.He stands at 5'7 and weighs 165 pounds with brown eyes and gray-black hair. With the 1988 murder of Genovese caporegime John DiGilio, Prisco assumed control of the Genovese family...
, Salvatore Lombardo, and Louis Manna
Louis Manna
Louis Anthony "Bobby" Manna , is a New Jersey mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.-Genovese family:...
.