Francesco Cirofici (also known as Frank Murato or Dago Frank, 1887 – April 13, 1914) was an

Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

criminal and gangster, who, along with

Harry Horowitz Harry Horowitz ( – April 13, 1914), also known as "Gyp the Blood", was an American underworld figure and a leader of the Lenox Avenue Gang in New York City. Early life and career Harry Horowitz was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan ...

, was responsible for the July 16, 1912, murder of gambler

Herman Rosenthal Herman Rosenthal (October 6, 1843 – 1917) was an American author, editor, and librarian. Biography Rosenthal was born in Friedrichstadt (Jaunjelgava), Courland. He was educated at Bauske (Bauska) and Jakobstadt (Jēkabpils), graduating in 1 ...

outside the Hotel Metropole.

Early life

Francesco Cirofici was born in 1887 in Italy. He worked as a steam fitter as well as being a member of the

Lenox Avenue Gang The Lenox Avenue Gang was an early 20th-century New York City street gang led by Harry Horowitz; it was considered one of the most violent gangs of the pre-Prohibition era. It was based in Harlem in Upper Manhattan, New York City, around 125th S ...

. Before his arrest in connection with the Rosenthal killing, he had been arrested only once. In 1905, he was imprisoned on a burglary charge in the

Elmira Correctional Facility Elmira Correctional Facility, also known as "The Hill", is a maximum security state prison located in Chemung County, in the City of Elmira in the US state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Commun ...

. In 1907, Cirofici's name appeared on a list released by the

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

of gamblers known to make a practice of cheating

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

passengers.

Arrest and trial

Cirofici was arrested in connection with the Rosenthal murder on July 25, 1912. It was rumored that Cirofici had been betrayed to the police by the owner of the Dante Café, James Verrella. Verrella was murdered on July 30, 1912, in retaliation for his supposed betrayal. Cirofici was convicted of the Rosenthal killing after 25 minutes of jury deliberation on November 19, 1912. He was sentenced to death on November 26, 1912, for the Rosenthal killing along with Charles Becker,

, and "Lefty Louis Rosenberg" by Judge John W. Goff. The four gunmen appealed their conviction, but Cirofici's guilty verdict, along with the verdicts of Horowitz and Rosenberg, were affirmed on February 25, 1914, with Becker winning a new trial. In March 1914, Cirofici's sister, Mary Cirofici, collected signatures for an appeal for

clemency A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

to New York State Governor Martin H. Glynn. Glynn denied the appeal on April 7, 1914. On April 10, 1914, Cirofici's lawyers submitted five

affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or ''deposition (law), deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by la ...

s from five alibi witnesses. Two days later, on April 12, 1914, Cirofici's mother and sister attempted to see Glynn to beg for clemency. Glynn refused to allow them into his office and stated it would not be fair as he had not seen the mothers of any of the other men convicted. Cirofici reportedly confessed his guilt in the killing 2 hours before he was executed in the

electric chair The electric chair is a specialized device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg. Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New Yo ...

Sing Sing Prison Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum-security prison for men operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York, United States. It is about north of Midtown Manhattan ...

on April 13, 1914, despite warden James M. Clancy's attempt to grant him a temporary reprieve to allow Glynn to evaluate Cirofici's confession.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cirofici, Frank 1887 births 1914 deaths Rosenthal murder case People convicted of murder by New York (state) People executed by New York (state) by electric chair American people executed for murder 20th-century executions by New York (state) 20th-century executions of American people American gangsters of Italian descent Italian emigrants to the United States Executed American gangsters Executed Italian people Date of birth unknown Lenox Avenue Gang