Anthony "Tough Tony" Federici (July 28, 1940 - November 9, 2022) was a
Queens,
New York City resident who was long accused by law enforcement of being a member of the
Genovese crime family. Federici was incorrectly identified in 1988 by the
US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as a
Lucchese crime family soldier.
Queens restaurant owner and businessman
Federici had a number of business and philanthropic interests in the Queens section of New York City. He was the owner of the
Park Side Restaurant, a popular Italian restaurant in
Corona, Queens.
He later helped run a fundraiser that netted
Flushing Hospital
Flushing Hospital Medical Center (also known as Flushing Hospital) is one of the oldest hospitals in New York City. It survived a 1999 bankruptcy and subsequently affiliated first with the New York Presbyterian Hospital and then with the MediSys ...
over $100,000 in donations. In the mid-1990s, Federici came under scrutiny during a
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate.
Partisan com ...
investigation into corruption in the
N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
The N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters maintains jurisdiction over carpentry, dock builder, timber man, millwright, floorcovering, specialty shops and exhibition work in the New York City area.
As of 2015 the Council oversees 7 member locals: ...
and the construction of the
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, commonly known as the Javits Center, is a large convention center on Eleventh Avenue between 34th Street and 38th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by architect James ...
in
Manhattan. During this investigation,
Dominick Lavacca, the longtime president of the Queens-based local, confirmed that he was a close associate of Federici.
Problems with police
On March 13, 1979, Federici was arrested on charges of menacing and criminal possession of a weapon after he was caught shooting at
hawk
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
s from the roof of his restaurant. Federici explained to police that he was trying to protect his champion
homing pigeons, which he kept in cages on the roof. Federici fired twice at the hawks using a 20-gauge shotgun.
On August 4, 1981, Federici's 19-year-old son Anthony Federici, Jr. was stabbed in a near fatal attack in a Queens nightclub. Nicholas Gambino and Thomas Muschio, reputed soldiers of the Gambino crime family, were charged with the crime. Gambino eventually pleaded guilty and received five years of probation. Muschio was acquitted at trial.
On January 26, 2004, Federici was arrested after police stopped his car in Queens and discovered he had a suspended driver's license, a set of
brass knuckles, and six bullets. On June 23, 2004, Federici pleaded guilty to his first felony (possessing the brass knuckles and six bullets). He received a term of
community service and a $700 fine.
Later life
In February 2004, Queens Borough President
Helen Marshall Helen Marshall may refer to:
* Helen M. Marshall (1929–2017), American politician from New York
* Helen Marshall (historian) (1898–?), American historian of nursing
* Helen Marshall (artist) (born 1971), British visual artist
* Helen Marshall ...
honored Federici for his service to the community. In attendance were many police officers from the 110th Precinct in Queens.
In 2005,
Nassau County, New York, Judge David A. Gross, was charged with federal
money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
charges. The indictment was based on
wiretap surveillance conducted at the Parkside, Federici's restaurant.
Federici died on November 9, 2022 from complications caused by leukemia.
Further reading
*Saggio, Frankie and Fred Rosen. ''Born to the Mob: The True-Life Story of the Only Man to Work for All Five of New York's Mafia Families''. New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2004.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Federici, Anthony
1940 births
2022 deaths
American gangsters of Italian descent
Genovese crime family
American restaurateurs
People from Queens, New York
Deaths from leukemia