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| 1952 |
Peter Fria was a member of the Gambino Family's D'Aquila - Garofalo crew.
Born January 2, 1894 in Palermo, Sicily to Andrea and Agostina Aloisa.
In February 1913 sentenced by Palermo's Judicial Tribune to four months imprisonment for embezzlement.
Served in the Italian Army from 1915 to 1919.
On July 28, 1919 married Madelena Bucca in Palermo.
On October 16, 1921 arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard S.S. Giovanni Florio. Destined to an uncle of the same name in Manhattan. Fria immigrated alone. One month later his wife gave birth to a daughter in the town of Ribera located in Agrigento, Sicily.
By 1930 resided at 143 East 18th St in Gramercy Park, Manhattan. Operated a luncheonette on East 12th St in nearby East Village.
By the early 1940s he was living about a block away from the luncheonette at 227 East 12th St.
Within a couple of years Fria exited the business and took up employment as a butcher for the Imperial Pork Store at 182 Ave A.
On May 22, 1951 Fria left New York to visit his daughter in Ribera. He returned that September.
By Summer 1952 he listed employment as porter at 196 1st Ave in East Village but had moved to Brooklyn, residing at 282 16th St in Park Slope. He filed his Petition for Naturalization in that borough in August and was granted citizenship three months later.
By the early-to-mid 1950s Peter Fria was a member of the Gambino Family crew headed by Jerome D'Aquila, son to Former Boss Salvatore D'Aquila.
Members of Jerome D'Aquila's crew included Vincenzo 'Jimmy' DiLeonardo, Peter Fria, Olympio 'Lilo' Garofalo, Giosue Meli and Paul Zaccaria.
Fria's criminal activities were said to include shylocking and involvement in the Italian lottery.
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| 1955 |
In August 1955 made another trip to Sicily.
In the early 1960s Fria had moved back to East Village, sharing a room at 356 East 13th St. He frequented the Columbia Civic Association at 402 East 12th St, where he earned 'a few dollars' performing upkeep.
He was then reporting to Olympio 'Lilo' Garofalo.
Fria first came to the attention of the FBI in early January 1963. CI Alfred Santantonio, a Gambino Soldier, identified Lilo as a Captain with approximately 'ten old men' underneath him, including an individual frequently seen with Lilo on 1st Ave who he knew as Pedro Meda (ph). Santantonio was murdered before he could provide further details.
In March 1967 an FBI source reported that he had been told recently of one 'Don Patrino Maida', a Gambino Member described as 'an extremely wealthy individual' and long-time shylock and lottery operator. The informant gave an address for 'Don Maida' at 356 East 13th St.
Following up on the address early the following year, Agents interviewed the owner of the building. The owner knew of no one by the name of Maida, offering that the only tenant who fit the description was Peter Fria.
Fria was tracked down for interview the next month and provided lengthy background information on himself. Shown a photograph of Family Boss Carlo Gambino, Fria stated Gambino appeared familiar and he may have met him at Valentino's Cafe or 'some other place'. He was also shown photographs of Carlo's brothers, Captains Paul and Giuseppi, as well as Acting Underboss Aniello Dellacroce and Captain Vincent 'Jimmy' Corrao, and claimed no knowledge of them.
When asked about organized crime Fria replied: "(He) advised he has read about La Cosa Nostra and the Mafia in the New York newspapers, but he has no further knowledge concerning it. He volunteered the opinion that La Cosa Nostra or Mafia was non-existent and was manufactured to 'sell newpapers'. He advised he had never been aware of the Mafia's existence in Italy while he was living there."
In April 1968 the informant confirmed that Peter Fria was identical with 'Don Patrino Maida'.
The FBI interviewed Fria once more, in early 1969, and he was the subject of occasional spot checks conducted by Agents when they were in the neighborhood. They noted he continued to frequent and perform 'custodial duties' at the Columbia Civic Association.
Fria remained otherwise under the radar. He wasn't mentioned by any of the FBI's sources again until July 1971, when an informant alerted Agents to the fact that Fria had left the country over a year prior.
It was determined he had moved in with his daughter at Via Campione 19 in Ribera. A brief surveillance was conducted on Fria by the FBI's legal attaché in Rome in an attempt to determine his activites.
He died June 20, 1972 at Palermo's Civic Hospital.
