Frank James Burke-Conway (Rockaway, Queens 1960 - 1961??? - May 18, 1987 Cypress Hills, Brooklyn) was the son of mobster Jimmy Burke and a Gambino crime family mob associate. A Rockaway Peninsula street scene. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... For other uses, see, Cypress Hills (disambiguation) Cypress Hills is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. ... U.S. Marshals mugshot of James Jimmy the Gent Burke taken on April 12, 1979 not long after the Lufthansa heist. ... John Gotti, The Dapper Don The Gambino Crime Family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities based in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ...

Mob Relations

Francis James Burke was the first of three children by Jimmy Burke a.k.a. Jimmy Conway and "Mickey" born in 1960 or 1961, the dates vary on the sources given. His father is portrayed by Burke look-alike Robert DeNiro and his mother "Mickey Conway", portrayed in Goodfellas by Julie Garfield. In The Big Heist, he is portrayed by actor Jamie Harris as "Frankie Burke". U.S. Marshals mugshot of James Jimmy the Gent Burke taken on April 12, 1979 not long after the Lufthansa heist. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robert De Niro Robert De Niro, Jr. ... Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is an Academy Award winning 1990 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mob informer Henry Hill. ...

==Biography==e Since his father, James had no family or relatives, the Vario Crew and members of the Lucchese crime family were deemed his "uncles" and "aunts" which included "Uncles" Henry Hill, Anthony Stabile, Thomas DeSimone and Angelo Sepe and "aunts" like Theresa Ferrara and Karen Hill. When he was born, Francis James, like his brother and two sisters would adopt a hyphenated last name, the last name of their father's unidentified mother "Conway" and the last name of the kind adoptive family that cared for him during his years as a troubled adolescent "Burke". Like his father, he was a career criminal and a suspect in the famous Lufthansa heist. He was the older brother of Bonanno crime family associate Jesse James Burke born c.a. 1960 and Catherine (??), who would later be wed to the mobster Anthony Indelicato in 1992 and another daughter who remains unidentified. As of 2006 Catherine is still living together in Howard Beach, Queens, New York. Frank James was said to have a striking resemblance to his father, which in respect is not that flattering: "an immense presence: burly, tall, and with brick-layer arms as result of earlier work, along with a temper to match. He was known to be very polite and charming, but was a stone-cold killer... a big guy and knew how to handle himself. He looked like a fighter and a broken nose." His father named him after the famous American outlaw Frank James. When Bonanno crime family Soldier and enforcer [[Frankie Saggio]] years later, asked Frank's brother, Jesse James Burke, why their father named them after the notorious outlaws, Jesse James Burke said "Because he thought it was funny." As a child his father would tell Francis "Frank" James stories of favorite contract killings and hijackings when he came home in the early morning hours. Karen Hill, the wife of Henry Hill, recalls Burke's children always seemed to have a "dirty" and disheveled appearance about them, even after Frank James and his brother were bathed. He was truant in school and constantly in trouble with the police. Francis was a close friend of Henry and Karen Hill's daughter and son Gregg and Gina. He would later date Gina on occasion during their adolescence. He suffered from Parental Alienation Syndrome and constant child abuse. He was not close to his brother because Jesse James suffered from a speech impediment usually leaving Jesse alone to play in their home's basement full of toys. Jimmy would take Frank and Jesse on vacations to the Caribbean and the Bahamas when school was out. He was an avid movie watcher who idolized Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson Robert Mitchum, John Garfield and Alan Ladd while growing up. Jimmy Burke used to complain that Frank suffered from Bedwetting all the time and that he had to "beat the shit out of him" almost every night. Jimmy had Frank sent to West Point in West Point, New York as a teenager in an attempt to "toughen him up". His father feared that Frank James would grow up to be a homosexual. Jimmy was displeased when this attempt failed. The Vario Crew was a group, operating in several areas on New York, in the Lucchese crime family, run by Caporegime Paul Vario. ... The Lucchese crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... For other uses, see Henry Hill (disambiguation). ... Anthony Stabile a. ... Thomas Anthony Two-Gun Tommy DeSimone (May 24, 1950 – January 14, 1979[1]) was a gangster and associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York. ... Angelo J. (John) Sepe a. ... Theresa Ferrara (born 1952, Five Towns – May 18, 1979 Barnegat Inlet, Toms River, New Jersey) was an Italian-American Lucchese crime family associate. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Henry Hill (mobster). ... The 1978 Lufthansa Heist was an airport robbery planned by Jimmy Burke, an associate of the Lucchese crime family, and carried out by several of his associates. ... The Bonanno crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... Anthony Indelicato ca. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... For other senses of this word, see outlaw (disambiguation). ... For other people named Frank James, see Frank James (disambiguation). ... The Bonanno crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... Contract killing occurs when a private contractor or a government hires someone to kill a specific person or people for a sum of money. ... Carjacking is the crime of stealing a motor vehicle when the vehicle is occupied. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Henry Hill (mobster). ... FBI mugshot of Henry Hill taken in 1980. ... Teen redirects here. ... Parental Alienation Syndrome is a putative disorder proposed by Richard Gardner as a disturbance in which children are obsessively preoccupied with depreciation and/or criticism of a parent. ... Child abuse is the physical, psychological or sexual abuse or neglect of children. ... West Indies redirects here. ... [--168. ... Bogart redirects here. ... Raft in They Drive by Night George Raft (September 26, 1895 - November 24, 1980) was an American film actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... Edward Goldenberg Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg, Yiddish: עמנואל גולדנברג; December 12, 1893 – January 26, 1973) was an American stage and film actor of Romanian origin. ... Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an Academy award nominated American film actor and singer. ... John Garfield (March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an Academy Award nominated American actor. ... Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American film actor. ... Bedwetting (or nocturnal enuresis or sleepwetting) is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control would normally be anticipated. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... West Point painting West Point is a federal military base (and a census-designated place) located in the Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

Entry into organized crime

By the time he reached adulthood, Frank James was a well known heroin addict in mob circles and had been arrested several times for possession of the drug. He spent time at his father's clubs, Robert's Lounge and The Suite, which was a hangout for hijackers, burglars, thieves and scam artists. One of his father's proteges, Tommy DeSimone, took Frank out on his first "hit" or contract killing in 1976 or 1977. The target of Frank James's murder is unknown. Tommy DeSimone reportedly told his father and his criminal associates, that Burke had "held up good." This gave Frank James respect among the Italian wiseguys and made his father very proud. However, his criminal associates never made him a full-fledged member because of his Irish heritage. Nobody in the Vario Crew, who were fathers, wanted their sons to become involved in organized crime or be promoted to a made man. With the exception of the crew's capo, Paul Vario and his sons, Henry Hill, John Mazzolla, Anthony Stabile and Vincent Asaro were all shocked at their capo Jimmy Burke's announcement. Mob bosses like Paul Castellano, Thomas Gambino and Vincent Gigante openly announced that they did not want their sons involved in La Cosa Nostra and were set against having their children involved in organized crime. Frank Burke's father and capo of Henry Hill announcement shocked Henry who at the time had a teenaged son, Gregg. The reason behind their thinking was that they did not want their offspring to go through the horrible life and traumatic experiences they had. Like Frank James Burke, the other children of mobster's would ultimately becomes driven and involved in a life of crime, despite their protests. Frank was said by police at the time of his death to have been a Gambino crime family associate. He lived at 78-02 106th Avenue in Howard Beach, Queens. Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. ... Site of Roberts Lounge, now a Latin Restaurant. ... The Suite was a middle-class detached two-story nightclub on Queens Boulevard, on the border of Queens, New York and Forest Hills, Queens owned by Henry Hill from 1966 to 1972. ... Thomas Tommy DeSimone (c1950 - 1979) was a New York gangster and an associate of the Luchesse Mafia Family. ... Contract killing occurs when a private contractor or a government hires someone to kill a specific person or people for a sum of money. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... First season cast of Wiseguy Wiseguy (1987-1990) was a U.S. television program about Vincent Vinnie Terranova, an undercover agent of the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau), a fictional division of the FBI. Produced by Stephen J. Cannell, the show differed from previous crime dramas in its use of story... The Vario Crew was a group, operating in several areas on New York, in the Lucchese crime family, run by Caporegime Paul Vario. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 – November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... For other uses, see Henry Hill (disambiguation). ... John Mazzolla was a member of the Vario Crew from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and a Italian-American gangster who dealt in dealing counterfiet currency for Paul Vario. ... Anthony Stabile a. ... Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ... Constantino Paul Castellano (June 26, 1915 – December 16, 1985), better known as Paul Castellano (or PC to his family), was a mafia boss in New York. ... Thomas Gambino (b. ... Vincent The Chin Gigante (March 29, 1928 – December 19, 2005) was a New York mobster who headed the Genovese crime family. ... Charles Lucky Luciano, creator of what we know today as La Cosa Nostra. ... For other uses, see Henry Hill (disambiguation). ... John Gotti, The Dapper Don The Gambino Crime Family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities based in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. ...

It is also suspected by Henry Hill that Jimmy Burke used Frank as a "stickup man" in the Lufthansa heist. The police later named him as one of the top suspects but was eventually ignored. The constant verbal and physical abuse from his father was seen as a way to turn him to become an informant against his father. These attempts were unsuccessful.

Death

Frank James Burke was found by the NYPD, shot to death in front of 1043 Liberty Avenue in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn at 2:30 a.m. on May 18, 1987. Burke's death was the culmination of the suspect murders following the Lufthansa heist murder of Angelo John Sepe. The three remaining witnesses or participants were his father, Jimmy Burke (incarcerated in prison for murder), Paul Vario who was in prison for racketeering and Henry Hill who had since disappeared into the Witness Protection Program. This is excluding Lufthansa Air JFK Airport employees Louis Werner and Peter Gruenwald who had also disappeared into the Witness Protection Program by this time. Frank's death is not suspected to be in any relation to the Lufthansa heist, but related to his own heroin addiction. There is no record of any remorse or grief from Jimmy Burke. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) , the largest police department in the United States, has primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City. ... Liberty Avenue (Pittsburgh) is a road starting in downtown Pittsburgh, just outside of Point State Park, the Strip District, Bloomfield, and ending in Shadyside at its intersection with Center Avenue. ... For other uses, see, Cypress Hills (disambiguation) Cypress Hills is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 – November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... For other uses, see Henry Hill (disambiguation). ... In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as WITSEC) is established by the Witness Protection Act, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government... Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ISIN: DE0008232125) (pronounced ) is the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried (second is Air France - KLM), and the flag carrier of Germany. ... John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA Airport Code: JFK, ICAO Airport Code: KJFK) is the main international airport in New York City, and is one of the largest airports in the world. ... Louis Werner a. ... Peter Gruenwald was a German-American from Levittown, New York who was Lufthansa cargo agent at JFK Airport. ... In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as WITSEC) is established by the Witness Protection Act, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government... The 1978 Lufthansa Heist was an airport robbery planned by Jimmy Burke, an associate of the Lucchese crime family, and carried out by several of his associates. ... Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. ... This article is about the concept of addiction. ... Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ...

The Ex-Con Heroin Dealer Tito Ortiz

Frank James's convicted murderer "Tito Ortiz" is not to be mistaken for Tito Ortiz the American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion (2000-2003). The Hispanic Tito Ortiz who murdered Frank was forty-six years old at the time of the murder in 1987. This would make the ex-con heroin dealer Tito Ortiz born c.a. 1941 in New York City. Jacob Tito Ortiz was born in 1975 in Huntington Beach, California making the drug dealer "Tito Ortiz" thirty-four years older than the fighter Jacob Christopher Ortiz. The NYPD would later arrest Tito for the murder for which he was later convicted of. Jacob Christopher Tito Ortiz aka The Huntington Beach Bad Boy (born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Huntington Beach, California. ... For the fighting styles that combine different arts, see hybrid martial arts. ... This article covers the organization itself. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hispanic (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ; Latin: , adjective from Hispānia, the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania and its peoples. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in southern California. ... The New York City Police Department (NYPD) , the largest police department in the United States, has primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City. ...

He is survived by his mother, two sisters and younger brother Jesse James Conway-Burke.

Exclusion from Goodfellas

During the production of Goodfellas, Catherine Burke, the sister of Frank James, threatened to attempt to force the production company to pay $100,000 for the use of the name Burke, so they used Conway, which was her father's birth name instead. Catherine is suspected of being the one who saw to it that her late brother was excluded totally from the film. However, this may also be a decision made by director Martin Scorsese. Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ...

References

• Pileggi, Nicholas. Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985. ISBN 0671723227
• Underboss: Sammy The Bull Gravano's Story of Life In The Mafia by Peter Maas
• http://www.americanmafia.com/mob_report/5-13-02_Mob_Report.html