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| c. 1969 |
Franklin 'Frank' Dolce was a Soldier in the Genovese Family.
His father Pietro (1891-1961) and older brother Ralph (1918-2006) were also members.
Born July 19, 1922 in Manhattan to Pietro (31y) and Mary (26y). His father, likely already a member, was from Lercara Friddi in Palermo. (The family name was originally Dolcemascolo; by 1940 it had been officially shortened to Dolce.)
By 1930 the Dolce's resided at 192 1st Ave in Manhattan's East Village. Pietro listed his occupation as mover.
By April 1940 they were living at 14-21 30th Rd in Astoria, Queens. Pietro and son Ralph worked as a yeast salesman and a butcher respectively.
Within a couple of years they had moved to the other side of the block at 14-08 30th Ave. Frank worked for the Bethlehem Steel Company on 36th St in Brooklyn.
Served in US Army from March 16, 1943 to January 26, 1946.
On August 1, 1946 married Helen Rinkiewicz (22y).
By April 1950 Frank was back in East Village with his wife. He and brother Ralph operated the Crow's Nest Restaurant on Ave A in the same neighborhood.
By 1957 the brothers had followed their father Pietro into the Genovese Family.
Around the same year Capodecina Michele Miranda's crew was split between himself, Pietro Dolce and Generoso 'Toddo' Del Duca. (Miranda was subsequently elected Consigliere.)
By 1960 Frank resided in Montauk, Long Island.
His father Pietro died April 13, 1961 in Manhattan.
Although Frank was on the FBI's radar by 1966 at the latest, the first currently available information on his LCN membership came from CI Carmine 'Fats' Taglialatela near the end of the decade.
During one of his initial contacts Taglialatela, a self-professed Lucchese Soldier, identified Pietro Dolce as an 'old Capodecina' in the Genovese Family and his son Ralph as a Soldier in the same Family.
Agents took a photograph of Frank (see top) and followed up with Taglialatela around April 25, 1969: "[CI] observed a photograph of [Frank] Dolce and stated that he is the person in whose name the Crows Nest is registered. He advised that Frank is the brother of Ralph Dolce and the son of 'old man Pete Dolce', whom CI described as a Capo or lieutenant in the Genovese Family...[CI stated] both Ralph and Frank Dolce had been 'made' members of the Genovese Family, Ralph by his father and Frank by Ralph. Frank allegedly has a piece of Ralph's 'action'. CI added, however, that he has never had Frank introduced to him as a 'member'." (Taglialatela, then residing in California, died in 1975.)
In October 1972 included in the FBI's list of 198 identified Genovese Family members.
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| T. Greco |
In October 1973 the FBI compiled a report on the Genovese Family hierarchy, listing Thomas 'Tommy Palmer' Greco and thirteen others as Captains. Those identified as Greco crew members were Soldiers Dominick 'Swat Mulligan' Ciaffone, Matteo DeLorenzo, Antonio 'Hickey' DiLorenzo, Franklin Dolce, David 'Little Davey' Petillo, George 'Lefty' Rizzo and Victor 'Romano' Tramaglino. (Greco's crew went back to the days of Former Boss Charles 'Lucky' Luciano who, like the Dolces, hailed from Lercara Friddi.)
In October 1973 included in the FBI's list of 190 identified Genovese Family members.
In January 1977 included in the FBI's list of 198 identified Genovese Family members.
In June 1979 included in the FBI's list of 177 identified Genovese Family members.
Frank Dolce died August 16, 1982 at Southampton Hospital in Southampton, Long Island.
Wake held two days later at Macagna Funeral Home in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Buried in East Hampton, LI.
Brother Ralph died August 2006 in New Jersey.
