Frank Piccolo
Frank Louis Piccolo also known as Frank Lanza (July 2, 1921 – September 19, 1981), was a caporegime in the Gambino crime family in the Bridgeport, Connecticut faction who became involved in a famous extortion case with the singer Wayne Newton.[citation needed]
Biography
Born on July 2, 1921, in New York City, Piccolo was the only son of Francesco Piccolo and Fannie Lanza. Frank Piccolo stood at 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg) with black hair, brown eyes, and a husky build. He was married to Virginia Paglinco and was the father of four children.[1] Piccolo and his family lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was the cousin of Guido Penosi.[2]
In 1980, Piccolo attempted to blackmail money from Wayne Newton. Newton was trying to disengage himself from a financial investment in a
At this point, Piccolo wanted a
On September 19, 1981, Piccolo was shot to death in a telephone booth on a street in Bridgeport.[3] Piccolo was reportedly killed on the orders of Gambino boss Paul Castellano.[5] Piccolo was killed because he had been trying to encroach on the Genovese crime family's control of rackets in Connecticut. Not wanting to risk lucrative construction rackets the Gambinos shared with the Genovese family, Castellano ordered Piccolo's murder.[6]
See also
- Floyd Abrams and the Wayne Newton case
- Wayne Newton
References
- ISBN 978-0061363856.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Two men indicted, arrested in alleged entertainer scheme The Hour (June 13, 1981)
- ^ ISBN 0143036750.
- ^ "The Region; 2 Allegedly in Mobs Accused of Extortion". New York Times. June 13, 1981. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ^ "FBI document registered in court case against Sammy Gravano". Archived from the original on 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
- ISBN 0816056943.
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