Federico "Fritzy" Giovanelli (March 27, 1932 – January 19, 2018) was a New York mobster and a caporegime in the

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family (), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and Ne ...

Career

Giovanelli's real last name was Giovanniello but shortened due to his uncle and cousin who both did so when they were boxing. Giovanelli began as a small time criminal who had participated in loansharking, bookmaking, and illegal gambling. After becoming a capo in the Genovese crime family he aligned himself with the family's skippers, including boss

Vincent Gigante Vincent Louis Gigante ( , ; March 29, 1928 – December 19, 2005), also known as "Chin", was an American mobster who was boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City from 1981 to 2005. Gigante started out as a professional boxer who fo ...

. Giovanelli claimed Gigante was "the biggest cheater" he knew at card games. In 1985, Giovanelli was taped having a conversation with retired Brooklyn Democratic party leader

Meade Esposito Amadeo Henry "Meade" Esposito (1907 – September 3, 1993) was an American politician who was a Brooklyn Democratic leader and political boss. Esposito served as chairman of the Kings County Democratic Committee from 1969 to 1984. As a leader, ...

, which eventually led to corruption charges against Esposito and Congressman

Mario Biaggi Mario Biaggi (October 26, 1917 – June 24, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, and police officer. He served ten terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1969 to 1988. Prior to his political car ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. On January 21, 1986, 34 year old undercover New York City police officer Anthony Venditti was shot twice in the head and killed while following Giovanelli with his partner, Detective Kathleen Burke, during an investigation. Giovanelli was charged with the murder. Burke testified that Giovanelli had shot at her, though Giovanelli denied she was a witness to the scene. The first trial in the summer of 1987 ended in deadlock after Burke was combative and testy under the defense lawyers' questioning. The second trial in 1988 also ended in deadlock after a major prosecution witness withdrew the part of his testimony in which he had said Carmine Gualtiere was one of the gunmen who had killed Detective Venditti. In 2005, Giovanelli began serving a 10 year sentence for obstruction of justice after alerting DeCavalcante members in 1999 that they were about to be indicted.

Death

Giovanelli died on January 19, 2018, at the age of 85 after a battle with illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giovanelli, Federico 1932 births 2018 deaths American gangsters of Italian descent Genovese crime family