July 1971 mugshots of brothers John (1941-1991) (top) and Frank D'Amato (1946-), both later members of the DeCavalcante Family's administration.
The pair, at the time believed to be on-record associates of DeCav Member Anthony Carubia, were arrested following a narcotics raid in Long Island City, Queens that netted 100 pounds of heroin.
Louis LaSerra (35y) and his wife were also charged.
The pair, at the time believed to be on-record associates of DeCav Member Anthony Carubia, were arrested following a narcotics raid in Long Island City, Queens that netted 100 pounds of heroin.
Louis LaSerra (35y) and his wife were also charged.
LaSerra was found shot to death in Manhattan's East River in early 1974.
Suspected co-conspirators in the murder included D'Amato / Carubia crew associate Virgil Alessi (1932-1998).
Alessi and John D'Amato were both inducted into the DeCavalcante Family in the late 1970s.
D'Amato rose to Captain by the mid-1980s and was appointed Underboss around the summer of 1988.
Suspected co-conspirators in the murder included D'Amato / Carubia crew associate Virgil Alessi (1932-1998).
Alessi and John D'Amato were both inducted into the DeCavalcante Family in the late 1970s.
D'Amato rose to Captain by the mid-1980s and was appointed Underboss around the summer of 1988.
Alessi was made an Acting Captain at D'Amato's request around September 1991, then official a couple of months later in December.
D'Amato had by then disappeared in a hit carried out by members of the Family's New York faction.
In 1993 his brother Frank was released after serving a ten year Federal sentence and, after making statements hinting at a plan to seek vengeance, was subject of a murder plot that was ultimately called off.
Around 2000 the Family's books were opened for the first time since 1991 and D'Amato and others were inducted.
By Spring 2001 he had been promoted to Captain of the former Schiro - Giacobbe crew.
Captain Anthony Rotondo, incarcerated with Boss John Riggi at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, was informed of the changes in mid-April during a brief discussion inside the facility's chapel: "Well, it was my understanding that John Riggi, while being incarcerated, had made Joe Miranda the Underboss after the panel was arrested, I believe, and Joe Miranda, being an old-time Soldier and a friend of Johnny Riggi's, was made Underboss and Frankie [D'Amato] had been straightened out by that time, according to John. Frankie then took control of the Manhattan crew which was once headed by Joe Giacobbe."
On June 13-14, 2002 D'Amato was one of the few (only?) DeCav representatives at the wake of Former Gambino Boss John Gotti.
During court testimony in 2003 he was identified as the Family's Acting Consigliere.
The same year he pleaded guilty to Federal loansharking and gambling conspiracy charges and was given two consecutive five year terms.
More DeCavalcante Family posts can be found in the Index.
