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| Joseph (1967) and Angelo (1965) |
Joseph 'Joe Beck' Lapi (1910-1980) and his son Angelo 'Vic' Lapi (1932-2011) were members of the Genovese Family.
Joseph was born September 13, 1910 at 239 Mulberry St in Little Italy, Manhattan to Angelo (24y) and Maria LaVecchia (21y). Father and mother from the Palermo comunes of Scillato and Gratteri respectively.
In October 1931 Joseph's father was found beaten and stabbed to death at his in-law Salvatore Latona's undertaking business, where he had been working as night watchman.
On November 4, 1935 armed robbery committed on Ansonia Bootery at Broadway and 51st in Manhattan's Theater District.
Four days later robbers stole $12,000 from Pickslay & Co. jewelry store at 338 Park Ave in Midtown.
The
following morning, at approximately 1:30 AM, Lapi and two others were
charged with the Pickslay robbery. Co-defendants were Joseph Agone
(22y), a future Genovese Member, and East Village resident Harry
Landino (22y). The trio, also suspected of having carried out the
Ansonia Bootery job, pleaded not guilty before West Side Court Judge
Louis Brodsky and were held without bail pending a hearing on November
12.
On that date they were cleared of suspicion in the Ansonia
case when the shop's manager Murray Kolman failed to make positive ID.
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| J. Lapi at Sing Sing (Jan. 1936) |
The defendants subsequently pleaded guilty to armed robbery 3rd degree in the Pickslay case. On January 8, 1936 each was given a sentence of nine-to-eighteen years by Manhattan General Sessions Judge Koenig. The following day they arrived at Sing Sing Prison.
By the late 1950s Lapi and Agone were both formally inducted Genovese members and may have been reporting to Capodecina Vincenzo 'Jimmy Alto' Altomari in Lower Manhattan.
Following Altomari's death in 1964, Lapi reported to Rosario 'Saro' Mogavero.
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| R. Mogavero (FBN Mafia Book) |
By Fall 1962 made members of Rosario Mogavero's crew included Joseph Agone, Philip 'Philly Katz' Albanese, Joseph 'Little Carlo' Calabro, Frank 'Frankie the Bug' Caruso,
Michael 'Mike the Loader' Clemente, Carmelo 'Charlie Bananas' Coppolino, Albert DiStefano,
George 'Flip' Filippone, Louis 'Louie Healthy' Gaccione, Salvatore 'Salvie'
Gencarelli, Louis 'Louie the Hood' Georgiano, Joseph Lapi and Saro's
brother Joseph Mogavero.
A 1966 heroin conviction resulted in a seven-and-one-half year Federal prison sentence for Joseph Lapi. During the period of his legal troubles and subsequent incarceration, his son Angelo became actively involved in the Bonanno Family conflict.
Rosario Mogavero died January 1973. By the end of that year Lapi was identified as his successor.
From a social club at 20 Monroe St, he supervised a crew that included Joseph Agone, Philip Albanese, Joseph Calabro, Albert DiStefano, George Filippone, Louis Gaccione, Salvatore Gencarelli, Vincent Mauro and Saro's brother Joseph Mogavero.
In October 1973 included in the FBI's list of 190 identified Genovese Family members.
That
same month the FBI provided an outline of the Genovese Family
hierarchy, naming Frank Tieri as the Boss and listing Joseph Lapi and
thirteen other Captains. Identified Lapi crew members were Joseph Agone,
Albert DiStefano, Salvatore Gencarelli, Matthew 'Matty the Horse'
Ianniello, Salvatore Lauro and Joseph Mogavero. (The following year
Lauro is named as a Generoso crew member.)
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| J. Lapi (L) and J. Calabro (R) following March 1975 raid |
- Joseph Lapi (Genovese Captain)
- Salvatore Aparo (Genovese Soldier) (Lapi Crew?)
- John
'Beans' Campanella (Genovese Soldier) (DeFeo Crew) (Father of Bonanno
Soldier Joseph 'Joe Beans' Campanella [1938-2007] and possible Genovese
Member John 'Beansy' Campanella Jr. [1942-2010])
- Rosario 'Sally Young' Palmieri (Genovese Soldier) (Possible Captain)
- Vincent Aparo (Genovese Associate) (Son to Salvatore, inducted in the late 1990s)
- Vincent Battista (39y)
- William DiCenzo (44y)
Others present were charged locally for participating in the game:
- Joseph Calabro (Genovese Soldier) (Lapi Crew)
- Albert DiStefano (Genovese Soldier) (Lapi Crew)
- Joseph 'Crumb' Tedesche (Genovese Soldier)
- James Borgese (54y)
- Dominick Dicenzo (58y)
- Joseph DeSimone (45y) (Brother to Ralph DeSimone, a proposed Genovese Associate murdered in 1991)
- James Fusco (52y)
- Albert Palmieri (54y)
- Columbo 'Edward' Saggese (Genovese Associate) (Inducted into the Genovese Family circa Fall 1977 under Rosario Palmieri's sponsorship)
- James Soldano (53y)
- John Tangorra (49y)
- Anthony Vestuto (62y)
- Marshall Schreder (40y)
Lapi sponsored at least two individuals for membership during the initial phase of inductions in early 1976. The candidates' names are redacted in the FBI report containing the information, however, some identifying details remain. One operated a laundromat at Mulberry and Kenmare Sts, while the other was connected to Zito's Butcher Shop at 162 Mott St, both Little Italy locations.
In November 1977 an FBI member source identified Joseph Zito (1936-2020), owner of Ruggerio's Restaurant on Grand St, as having been 'recently made' under Lapi's sponsorship. An FBI membership list from 1977 notes that Zito was inducted the previous year; he may have been one of the two candidates from early 1976 and the information was late in reaching this particular source.
Angelo Lapi was made around mid-1978, likely under his father's sponsorship as well.
Joseph Lapi died October 29, 1980 and was succeeded as Captain by Louis Gaccione.
In the early 1980s Angelo was identified by an informant as partners with an unnamed Lapi / Gaccione crew member in Cappuccino on the Bay, a restaurant located on Emmons Ave in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Little else is available on his LCN involvement. He died September 2011.
