Constenze "Stanley" Valenti (February 8, 1926 – February 23, 2001) was

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

of the criminal organization known as the

Rochester crime family The Rochester crime family or Rochester Mafia was a criminal organization based in Rochester, New York that was part of the American ''Cosa Nostra''. History The Rochester family's first well known official boss was Constenze "Stanley" Valent ...

in the 1950s. As the head of the organization he oversaw

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

and

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

rackets operating in the city of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. Constenze and his brother

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

were among the 100 or more Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Stanley was boss of the family.

Joe Valachi Joseph Michael Valachi (September 22, 1904 – April 3, 1971) was an American mobster in the Genovese crime family who is notable as the first member of the Italian-American Mafia to acknowledge its existence publicly in 1963. He is credited wit ...

identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963. Valenti was born in Rochester, New York. He was married to the daughter of Antonio Ripepi, a very powerful capo in the

Pittsburgh crime family The Pittsburgh crime family,CapeciChapter 5 "Mafia Families Poison the Northeast"/ref> also known as the LaRocca crime family''Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: Traditional and Non-Traditional''. Pennsylvania Crime Concession. April 15, 1988 or P ...

. In 1958 Valenti refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison, during which time Jake Russo took the opportunity to seize control of the family. He died on February 23, 2001 at his home in

Victor, New York Victor is an incorporated town in Ontario County, New York. The population was 15,969 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Claudius Victor Boughton, an American hero of the War of 1812. The Town of Victor contains a village, ...

at the age of 75.

References

American Mafia.com

"Sammy G": Home Town Gangster
Crime Magazine
The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valenti, Constenze 1926 births 2001 deaths American gangsters American gangsters of Italian descent People from Victor, New York