 |
| Nov. 1964 |
Vincent James 'Jimmy' Amato was a member of the Gambino Family's Traina crew.
Born June 13, 1914 in Palermo, Sicily to Settimo (32y) and Francesca Lodico (27y).
His father immigrated to the United States before Vincent was born, heading to a cousin in Manhattan's East Village.
On February 15, 1920 Vincent, along with his mother and three siblings, arrived at Ellis Island aboard S.S. Patria, joining Settimo at 507 East 11th St in East Village. Within a couple of months the family moved to 404 East 11th.
Vincent left school around 1929 and peddled fish in the neighborhood with a brother.
By 1935 the Amato family resided at 511 East 15th St in Gramercy Park. Vincent also appears to have lived for a time with brother-in-law Charles Destro at 210 Meserole St in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Amato's only known arrest occurred that year.
Around 1:00 AM on May 5, 1935 Vincent and three accomplies entered a Manhattan restaurant and held up the owner for $25. Vincent was one of two assailants armed with revolvers. Five days later he was arrested for assault and robbery.
In July 1935 convicted in General Sessions Court on final charge attempted robbery 3rd degree and given an indefinite sentence, maximum five years, at Elmira Reformatory.
Amato's three accomplices in the robbery were not apprehended at the time, and may have escaped positive identification, although Amato's inmate file stated they were known to police and arrests were expected.
 |
| Elmira - July 1935 |
Amato was received at Elmira Reformatory on July 15, 1935. Staff compiled a psychiatric report the following month, noting Amato 'came to the US at an early age' and was 'markedly extraverted and aggressive'.
 |
| Elmira - c. 1937 |
In March 1937 he was paroled from Elmira and released to the household of Michael Rizzo at 1041 Remsen Ave in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He obtained employment with a wholesale grocer at 176 West St in Manhattan before leaving to go partners in a produce market on Utica Ave in Flatlands, Brooklyn.
The following summer he married Josephine 'Josie' Loiacono in Brooklyn.
Initially residing at 945 Rockaway Ave in Brownsville, within a year the couple was living at 1465 71st St in Bensonhurst, with Vincent working in a market on East 10th St in his old East Village neighborhood.
According to one of the FBI's Gambino informants, Vincent Amato was inducted into the Family in 1942 or 1943. This statement is followed up by additional information that is unfortunately redacted.
By 1951 he was operating a produce store at 7121 13th Ave in Bensonhurst.
By 1955 residing at 7824 14th Ave in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. His produce business moved to 565 9th Ave, across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan's Garment District.
In late January 1956 he attended the three-day wake for suspected Gambino Member Joseph Amoruso held at the Torregrossa Funeral Home in Gravesend. The owners of the funeral home were made members of the Gambino Family as well.
In early May 1959 he attended the wake for Gambino Member Benny Castellano held at the Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home, also located in Gravesend and also operated by Gambino members.
Amato first came to the attention of the FBI in early January 1963. CI Alfred Santantonio, a Gambino Soldier, identified Giuseppe Traina as a Captain with approximately forty men underneath him, including an 'individual who operates a fruit stand at 41st Street and 9th Avenue, New York City'. Later that month Santantonio provide the last name of Amato.
In March 1963 attended the wake for former Gambino Captain and Brooklyn waterfront power Anthony 'Tough Tony' Anastasio.
In September 1964 Amato was interviewed by the FBI. He provided a lengthy rundown of his residence and employment history and briefly mentioned the 1930s robbery conviction. Shown a photograph of Giuseppe Traina, Amato became 'physically upset' before acknowledging a professional and social relationship with the Traina family going back at least 15 years. He stated the same for Family Boss Carlo Gambino and his sons, explaining they supplied him with paper bags for his business. He admitted recently helping move equipment from Traina's Empire Yeast office on Chrystie St, and of attending a Sicilian National hosted picnic in Staten Island where Traina and his family were also present.
Amato described Traina a a 'fine gentleman' and disavowed any knowledge of his involvement in Cosa Nostra. He claimed, like many others questioned in the wake of Valachi, that the only thing he knew about such an organization was what he was exposed to from TV and newspapers. Agents noted: "During the discussion of Traina and Gambino, Amato was visibly upset, after which the conversation turned to his family. Amato, in a very emotional state, stated his two boys were 100 percent clean, and were not in any way tainted. He then burst out crying and was emotionally upset for several moments."
Amato continued to operate his Manhattan business until about mid-1967, when he changed locations to the Hunts Point Market in The Bronx. He then sold off his interest and took up employment with another vendor at the market before a serious heart attack in Fall 1968 left him unable to work.
The FBI may have learned of the heart attack through Giuseppe Traina, who was interviewed a few days after Amato's release from Coney Island Hospital. Traina, by this point retired as Gambino Captain and succeeded by son Mario, noted he had not seen 'Jimmy' in some time.
Amato was interviewed by the FBI at least once more, in April 1972, and later that year an informant viewed his photograph and thought he may be identical to someone involved with an auto wrecking business in Flatlands. He is otherwise unmentioned in available files.
Vincent Amato died July 7, 1973 and was waked from the Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home in Gravesend.
