Settimo Accardi
Encyclopedia
Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi (October 23, 1902 Vita
, Sicily
– December 1977) was a New Jersey
mobster who served as capo in the Lucchese crime family
's Jersey crew
. He controlled criminal operations
in Northern New Jersey
and was one of the largest heroin traffickers in the New York area during the 1950s.
, in the Sicilian province of Trapani
. He emigrated to the U.S. shortly before World War I
, and soon became involved in gas-stamp black marketeering with Paul Castellano
and Carlo Gambino
. During Prohibition
, Accardi served as a gang enforcer both in New York and North Jersey. He later founded his own criminal organization with mobsters Joseph Sica
, Willie Moretti
, Joe Adonis
and Abner Zwillman
. Accardi was suspected of several gangland killing
s, but was never charged for them.
Accardi lived in Bloomfield, New Jersey
and was married to Teresa Mineo. The couple had three children: Salvatore, Carmine, and Joseph. Accardi's legitimate business was real estate and construction. His arrest record included assault and battery and violation of federal narcotics laws.
and battery
. However, in June 1951, Accardi and 16 others were convicted of operating a 600 gallon-a-day alcohol still
in Midtown Manhattan
. While serving a one-year sentence in federal prison, the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) issued a jeopardy tax assessment of $159,363 against Accardi.
On July 10, 1953, Accardi's U.S. citizenship
was revoked because he had not disclosed two previous arrests during his naturalization
hearing. In his defense, Accardi argued that the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
gave him the right to withhold this information, but the judge rejected this argument. Accardi served as the leader of the Lucchese crime family
Jersey Faction
up until his deportation.
In 1955, Accardi was arrested on a federal narcotics charge in Newark, New Jersey
. After posting a $92,000 bond, Accardi skipped bail
and fled to Italy
, where he continued smuggling
heroin into the US and Canada
. Accardi later moved to Toronto
, Canada, to oversee this operation. In one scheme, Accardi was receiving suitcases of heroin from Sicily, in another scheme the narcotics were hidden in cans of anchovies.
, Italy, where he was supposedly working as a fruit merchant. On November 28, 1963, after a long legal fight, Accardi was extradited
back to New York. On July 21, 1964, Accardi was convicted on narcotics conspiracy and skipping bail. He was later sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment and a $16,000 fine.
In December 1977, Settimo Accardi died.
Vita, Italy
Vita is a town and comune in inland South-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It is the smallest municipality area of the province of Trapani...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
– December 1977) 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 who served as capo in 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 Jersey crew
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....
. He controlled criminal operations
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in Northern New Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
and was one of the largest heroin traffickers in the New York area during the 1950s.
Early years
Accardi was born in Vita, ItalyVita, Italy
Vita is a town and comune in inland South-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It is the smallest municipality area of the province of Trapani...
, in the Sicilian province of Trapani
Province of Trapani
Trapani is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Trapani.It has an area of 2,460 km², and a total population of 425,121...
. He emigrated to the U.S. shortly before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and soon became involved in gas-stamp black marketeering with Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
and Carlo Gambino
Carlo Gambino
"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
. During Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, Accardi served as a gang enforcer both in New York and North Jersey. He later founded his own criminal organization with mobsters Joseph Sica
Joseph Sica
Joseph "JS" Sica was a New Jersey mobster involved in armed robbery, murder for hire, extortion, and narcotics distribution. Sica mentored many West Coast mobsters, including Mike Rizzitello and Anthony "the Animal" Fiato. Chistopher "Chris" Petti was Sica's longtime partner in the Los Angeles and...
, Willie Moretti
Willie Moretti
Guarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Life:...
, Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis , also known as "Joey A", "Joe Adone", "Joe Arosa", "James Arosa", and "Joe DiMeo", was a New York mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families.-Early years:Adonis was born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in the small town of Montemarano,...
and Abner Zwillman
Abner Zwillman
Abner "Longie" Zwillman , known as the "Al Capone of New Jersey," was an early Prohibition gangster, founding member of the "Big Seven" Ruling Commission and a member of the National Crime Syndicate, who was also associated with Murder Incorporated.-Biography:According to the Social Security Death...
. Accardi was suspected of several gangland killing
Gangland killing
A gangland killing is a murder carried out by organized criminals. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, there were 425 gangland killings from 2000 to 2004, 0.6% of all murders committed in the United States during that time...
s, but was never charged for them.
Accardi lived in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
and was married to Teresa Mineo. The couple had three children: Salvatore, Carmine, and Joseph. Accardi's legitimate business was real estate and construction. His arrest record included assault and battery and violation of federal narcotics laws.
Mob career
Over a period of three decades, Accardi was able to avoid criminal charges, except for several counts of assaultAssault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
. However, in June 1951, Accardi and 16 others were convicted of operating a 600 gallon-a-day alcohol still
Still
A still is a permanent apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
. While serving a one-year sentence in federal prison, the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
(IRS) issued a jeopardy tax assessment of $159,363 against Accardi.
On July 10, 1953, Accardi's U.S. citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
was revoked because he had not disclosed two previous arrests during his naturalization
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
hearing. In his defense, Accardi argued that the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
gave him the right to withhold this information, but the judge rejected this argument. Accardi served as the leader of 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...
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....
up until his deportation.
In 1955, Accardi was arrested on a federal narcotics charge 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...
. After posting a $92,000 bond, Accardi skipped bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
and fled to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he continued smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
heroin into the US and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Accardi later moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada, to oversee this operation. In one scheme, Accardi was receiving suitcases of heroin from Sicily, in another scheme the narcotics were hidden in cans of anchovies.
Extradition and prison
In 1960, U.S. authorities finally located Accardi in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy, where he was supposedly working as a fruit merchant. On November 28, 1963, after a long legal fight, Accardi was extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
back to New York. On July 21, 1964, Accardi was convicted on narcotics conspiracy and skipping bail. He was later sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment and a $16,000 fine.
In December 1977, Settimo Accardi died.
Further reading references
- United States. Congress. Senate. Government Operations Committee. Organized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics: Hearings before the Government Operations Committee. 1964.
- Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Treasury Department, "Mafia: the Government's Secret File on Organized Crime, HarperCollins Publishers 2007 ISBN 0-06-136385-5
- DeVico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra. Tate PublishingTate Publishing & EnterprisesTate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC is a Christian publisher that prints books of all types. In general, it operates on the vanity press model in which most authors pay for the publication of their books...
, 2007. ISBN 1602472548