Federico "Fritzy" Giovanelli (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-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American M ...

Career

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 with the family's skippers, including boss

Vincent Gigante Vincent Louis Gigante (; March 28, 1928 – December 19, 2005), also known as "The 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 fough ...

. 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, h ...

, 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 as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1969 to 1988. Prior to his political career, Biagg ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. 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 84 after a battle with illness.

References

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