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| 1972 |
Louis 'Louie D.' DeFilippo was a member of the Gambino Family.
Born January 15, 1922 in New York to Edwardo and Maddalena DeStefano. Father from Spinoso comune of Potenza, Basilicata.
The DeFilippos resided at 142 Sullivan St in Lower Manhattan.
By February 1942 Louis had moved to an address on 41st St in Brooklyn's Borough Park neighborhood. He listed employment with Sterling Last Company in Kips Bay, Manhattan.
On May 2, 1943 arrested by NYPD on robbery charge. Pleaded guilty to final charge petit larceny and on August 28 given an indefinite sentence at the State Reformatory in upstate New Hampton.
In May 1946 picked up for violating parole and returned to New Hampton.
By June 1947 he had returned to Brooklyn.
That month he and two others were arrested by Nassau County PD on charges of burglary conspiracy and possessing burglar tools.
By 1957 DeFilippo was a made member of the Gambino Family in the regime headed by Joseph Franco.
Franco headed a large crew with a couple of dozen made members active mostly in Brooklyn and on Elizabeth St in Little Italy. Notable members included Vincent 'Jimmy the Blond' Corrao, Joseph Gennaro, Carmine Lombardozzi and the crew's former Capodecina, Antonino ‘Zu Nino’ Indelicato.
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| Carmine Lombardozzi |
Franco died in November 1957, just a few days before the nationwide Apalachin meeting was held in Upstate New York. Carmine Lombardozzi, who had to miss Franco's wake due to the meeting, took over the crew.
In December 1959 Lombardozzi and DeFilippo were surveilled by the NYPD's Criminal Intelligence Bureau at the Cafe Espresso located at 7308 15th Ave in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
Five days later Lombardozzi, under watch by CIB, was picked up at his residence by crew member Ettore Colao and driven to the cafe. Vehicles belonging to DeFilippo and Gambino Soldiers Dominick Castore and John Lombardozzi, Carmine's brother, were observed parked at the location.
DeFilippo was then residing at 5413 19th Ave in the adjacent neighborhood of Mapleton.
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| DeFilippo (c. 1960) |
On April 19, 1960 he was among nineteen indicted on Federal mail and stock fraud charges.
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| Dellacroce |
Around this time members of the Lombardozzi crew were dispatched in an attempted hit on Gambino Member Aniello 'Neil' Dellacroce at the latter's headquarters, the Ravenite Social Club, in Manhattan's Little Italy. The designated shooters were Louis DeFilippo and Soldiers Hugo Bassi and Michael Scandifia. The group was driven to the club by Soldier Peter Tortorello, where Dellacroce was to be pointed out to the hit team by Salvatore 'Toddo' Aurello, a Soldier in a separate Brooklyn crew. According to an informant account provided three years later, one of Dellacroce’s associates was able to intercept the assailants and permit his escape. The CI noted: "Dellacroce later made peace with these individuals over this matter."
Still under indictment for mail fraud, DeFilippo was arrested that November in a local case brought by the Manhattan DA investigating extortion in the Garment District.
The mail fraud case ended with conviction and a three month term at the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut. He completed the sentence in early July 1961.
DeFilippo was also convicted in the Garment District case and, in mid-September 1962, received a one-to-two year term at Sing Sing Prison.
It was while serving this sentence that his LCN membership became known to authorities
On January 7, 1963 FBI CI Alfred Santantonio, a Gambino Soldier, identified Carmine Lombardozzi as a Captain with approximately forty men underneath him, including Louis DeFilippo.
Three months later Lombardozzi, DeFilippo and four others were indicted by the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan for tax violations.
Lombardozzi and DeFilippo, still at Sing Sing, were both convicted. DeFilippo was given eight months.
In April 1964 he finished his state term and was immediately transferred to FCI Danbury. He was released in November.
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| Gennaro |
Around December 1964 Carmine Lombardozzi was demoted and replaced by Joseph Gennaro, who previously handled Lombardozzi's regime while the latter was serving his own sentence.
By 1965 members of the Gennaro crew included William Amendolace, Edward 'Chris' Amplo, Hugo Bassi, Frank 'Frankie Brown' Bongiorno, Dominick Castore, John 'Johnny Pesce' Chiarello, Ettore 'Eto' Colao, Vincent Corrao, Louis DeFilippo, Ignatius 'Iggy' DeBella, Paul 'Slasher' DiBella, Leonardo Grillo, Louis Guiga, Antonino Indelicato, Pasquale 'Patty' Lauro, the Lombardozzi brothers Carmine, John and Paul, Accursio 'Swifty' Marinelli, Onofrio Modica, Philip Modica, Sabato 'Sammy Mitz' Muro, Peter 'Pete Barry' Palmieri, Santo 'Lloyd' Patti, Philip 'Bib' Perfetti, Ugo Rossi, Nicholas Resitano, Michael 'Scandi' Scandifia and Peter Tortorello.
Possible crew members included Joseph 'Oxie' Marino; member sources place him in both the Gennaro and Traina crews around this time, although he is confirmed to be reporting to Traina by the end of the decade.
In mid-April 1966 the FBI's member source in the Gambino Family provided an extensive rundown on Joseph Gennaro and his crew. He identified Louis DeFilippo as a Soldier under Gennaro and stated: "[DeFilippo is] a real desperado and he has absolutely no prestige."
Two weeks later another informant confirmed DeFilippo's membership and noted the two served time together at Sing Sing. The CI passed along a rumor that DeFilippo was planning to open a seafood restaurant at 18th Ave and 73rd St in Bensonhurst.
The Gambino member source reported on a Family meeting held February 27, 1967 in the basement of Gennaro crew member Leonardo Grillo's residence in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Chaired by newly appointed Acting Boss Paul Castellano, various announcements were made, including the decision to split up Gennaro's regime for being 'too big'. Gennaro retained the majority of the crew's Lower Manhattan membership. Newly appointed Capodecina James 'Jimmy Brown' Failla was given most of the Brooklyn members, including Louis DeFilippo.
On August 11, 1967 FBI CI and Colombo Soldier Gregory Scarpa identified DeFilippo as a made member, although he was unsure of his exact Family affiliation.
On September 22, 1968 a Gambino member source provided a partial breakdown of Family membership. The CI named DeFilippo and thirteen others as Failla crew members.
On December 18, 1968 an informant reported that DeFilippo recently purchased a home in Miami.
Around October 1969 an informant reported on the relationship between DeFilippo and future Bonanno Capodecina Frank Lupo: "[CI advised] Frankie Lupo paid $1,000 in cash to some individuals in East Harlem in behalf of [DeFilippo], who CI described as a member of the Carlo Gambino Family. [CI] was not able to determine the reason for the $1,000 payment but stated that DeFilippo is a frequent visitor to Lupo's store; Armando's Pizzeria."
In late September 1971 DeFilippo attended the wake for Gambino Soldier Onofrio Modica held at Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Additional attendees included Acting Boss Paul Castellano, Captain James Failla, Gambino Soldiers Hugo Bassi, Jerome D'Aquila, Leonardo Grillo, Salvatore Guarnieri, Philip Modica and Nicholas Resitano as well as Genovese Soldier Arthur 'Dutchie' Tuzio.
Two months later Hugo Bassi, DeFilippo's bookmaking and loansharking partner, died. DeFilippo took in the entirety of the business and ran it with James 'Sonny' Perillo and others.
On January 8, 1972 DeFilippo was photographed and searched during an FBI raid conducted on an unspecified gambling spot in New York. Among his personal effects was a phone number for Gambino Associate Louis 'Louie Fats' Astuto.
By 1974 DeFilippo resided at 7218 18th Ave in Bensonhurst, where he operated the Chinese Lantern Restaurant. He also maintained a summer residence at 1450 SW 7th St in Miami. Places frequented included the Bay Lounge located at 6512 Bay Parkway.
In May 1974 an FBI informant reported that DeFilippo mostly stayed in the area of his residence and attended nightly card games.
On July 30, 1975 FBI CI reported: "...He stated DeFilippo is definitely a 'made' member of the Carlo Gambino Family of Organized Crime [and is] one member of [LCN], along with a few others, that he positively does not like, stating he is a man with absolutely no class, a real crude individual and an individual who would do anything, even to a friend, to attain his goal. He stated he is a man whose word is worth nothing as a bookmaker, a shylock, a thief, a con artist and anything else by which he can make money."
In March 1976 an informant noted DeFilippo's presence at a ziganette game held in Manhattan. Additional attendees included Captain James Failla, Soldiers Dominick Castore, Frank DeCicco, Leonardo Grillo and Paul Zaccaria as well as Associate Joseph 'Butter' DeCicco.
In April 1986 Frank DeCicco, by then the Family's Underboss, was killed by a bomb placed underneath his car. DeFilippo attended DeCicco's wake held April 15-16 at Scarpaci Funeral Home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
He died April 7, 2001.