Joseph Abate
Encyclopedia
Joseph F. Abate also known as "Joey", was a New Jersey
mobster involved in extortion
, loansharking and illegal gambling as a caporegime
for the Lucchese crime family
's New Jersey faction
.
, her father ran a garment factory in Margate, New Jersey that manufactured military uniforms for the U.S. Government. The business prospered until the 1960s, when it ran into financial difficulties. According to newspaper records, Abate headed Lucchese interests in New Jersey by the 1970s, commanding over 100 mobsters. In June 1976, Abate helped induct Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo
into the Lucchese family as part of the New Jersey faction.
In 1979, Abate went into semi-retirement and Accetturo succeeded him as caporegime of the New Jersey crew. During the 1980s, Abate was frequently asked to settle disputes between the crime families in Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
, she could not ask him about his past.
In 1994, Joseph Abate died of natural causes at age 92. In 1998, Catherine admitted that she could no longer dismiss allegations that Abate belonged to the Lucchese crime family.
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 involved in 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...
, loansharking and illegal gambling as a caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
for the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese 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...
's New Jersey faction
The Jersey Crew
The Jersey Crew is a powerful faction of the Lucchese crime family, that operates and controls illegal activities like drug trafficking, labor racketeering, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, money laundering, and murder, in the Northern New Jersey area....
.
Criminal career
According to Abate's daughter, Catherine AbateCatherine Abate
Catherine M. Abate is a former New York State Senator. A Democrat, she served two terms , representing a district in Manhattan. In 1998, she gave up her seat to run for New York State Attorney General...
, her father ran a garment factory in Margate, New Jersey that manufactured military uniforms for the U.S. Government. The business prospered until the 1960s, when it ran into financial difficulties. According to newspaper records, Abate headed Lucchese interests in New Jersey by the 1970s, commanding over 100 mobsters. In June 1976, Abate helped induct Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo
Anthony Accetturo
Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo is a former caporegime and leader of the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family The Jersey Crew.-Biography:...
into the Lucchese family as part of the New Jersey faction.
In 1979, Abate went into semi-retirement and Accetturo succeeded him as caporegime of the New Jersey crew. During the 1980s, Abate was frequently asked to settle disputes between the crime families in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
Link to public official
In 1992, Catherine was appointed New York City Corrections Commissioner. When reporters confronted her at that time about her father's past, Catherine denied that he was ever involved in organized crime. She said that since her father was suffering from dementiaDementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
, she could not ask him about his past.
In 1994, Joseph Abate died of natural causes at age 92. In 1998, Catherine admitted that she could no longer dismiss allegations that Abate belonged to the Lucchese crime family.
Further reading
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
External links
- New York Times, series of articles investigating ties to organized crime between Joseph Abate and his daughter New York City Corrections Commissioner Catherine Abate