Johnny Dio
Born	April 28, 1914 East Harlem, New York, USA
Died	January 12, 1979 Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Johnny Dio (born John Dioguardi) (April 28, 1914-1979) was a mafiosi and union boss in the Lucchese crime family. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Spanish Harlem, also known as East Harlem or El Barrio, is a neighborhood in northeastern part of the borough of Manhattan, one of the largest predominantly Hispanic communities in New York City. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Lewisburg is the name of several places in the United States of America: Lewisburg, Kentucky Lewisburg, Ohio Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg, Tennessee Lewisburg, West Virginia There are also places named Louisburg in the United States and Canada. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... This article is about the organized crime groups. ... 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 La Cosa Nostra). ...

Early life

Dio was born in East Harlem, the same neighborhood that Anthony Corallo was from who would later become a Lucchese family boss. Dio was brought up on Forsyth Street in Little Italy. By age of fifteen he was already being taught the streets as an apprenticed gangster. He was lucky; he had a relative already having a reputation, his uncle James “Jimmy Doyle” Plumeri. He was also involved with Murder, Inc., one of the few non-Jewish gangsters working for Buchalter. Dio made the appearance of any successful business man. He wore $250 suits, was always well manicured and a nice haircut. He was known as "Blackie" as a kid for his darkly handsome looks. Spanish Harlem, also known as East Harlem or El Barrio, is a neighborhood in northeastern part of the borough of Manhattan, one of the largest predominantly Hispanic communities in New York City. ... Antonio Corallo also know as Tony Ducks served some jail time for trafficking narcotics as a kid and then became a big shot in the Gagliano-Lucchese crime family in New York. ... Forsyth Street runs from Houston Street south to East Broadway in Manhattan. ... Food vendors line the streets of Little Italy. ... Murder, Inc. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up Suit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Suit is a term with various meanings: An action brought before a court, as to recover a right or redress a grievance (see Lawsuit). ...

Battle with the law

Dio was known for getting into trouble with the law on more than one occasion. He was known by Thomas Dewey for being one of the most dangerous hoods in the city before he was even twenty-one. He was dealt a three-to-five year jail sentence at Sing Sing in 1937 for assault and extortion. He was not alone; with him were his uncle, and several other mobsters. They were charging truckers $5000 in the garment district, plus demanding a premium on every suit and coat made in the area. Dio was indicted for operating an illegal still in 1944. For failure to pay his state income tax for his shakedowns he was rewarded with a sixty day jail sentence. In November of 1957 he was sentenced to jail for two years along with Teamster officials. They were shaking down stationary store owners. Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was the Governor of New York (1943-1955) and the Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in two elections (1944 and 1948), losing both times. ... Alternative meaning: Sing Sing (band) Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a prison in Ossining, New York. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to this person, reputation, or property. ... In the common law legal system, an indictment is a formal charge of having committed a serious criminal offense. ... The term still is a contraction of the verb to distill. A still is an apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible (eg. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, commonly known as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) or simply the Teamsters, is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. ... Stationary can mean: Look up stationary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Rise in power

He was a made man by the time he was forty, he was acting as a capo in the family. Known as a "ferocious earner" in the family, he was generating in excess of $100,000 each week. He was so rich, his common Christmas present to his wife was a shoe box stuffed with $50,000 and a note such as "buy yourself some nice clothes, honey". He lived the lifestyle of a celebrity, dining at the best restaurants and hotels. He kept Sundays for his family and friends and preparing lunch or dinner. He loved to cook and entertain at his house at Freeport Avenue, Point Lookout, Long Island, which he had purchased for $75,000 in the early 1960’s.His legitimate business contributed to his tax returns each year, which included many highly profitable clothing factories, and also Jard Products at 260 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, which sold promotional items to commercial establishments. The retail chain, Waldbaums was one of their biggest customers. His legendary skill as a union manipulator came in handy to the mob, many a times. Once Thomas Lucchese asked him to aid an old friend, Jack Dragna, the boss of the L.A. mafia family. Dragna's scheme of hiring non-union, cheap Mexican labour from his factories was being questioned by the ILGWU. They were attempting to stop this , but Dioguardi’s expertise made sure waivers occured on every important project set up and foiled the union’s attempt. Senete investigations in the early 1950's showed Dio as a big player in the unions operating out of Idlewild airport, later renamed, JFK airport. A Made man is someone who has been inducted into La Cosa Nostra or the (usually Sicilian) Mafia. ... A basic guitar capo A capo (short for capodastra) is a device used for shortening the strings, and hence raising the pitch, of a stringed instrument such as a guitar, mandolin or banjo. ... Christmas is a Christian holiday held on December 25 which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Point Lookout is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York. ... Mercator projection of Long Island Long Island is an island in New York, USA. It has an area of 1,377 square miles (3567 km²) and a population of 7. ... Legitimacy is the popular acceptance of a governing regime or law. ... Street sign at Fifth Avenue and East 57th street Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in New York City. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Tommy Lucchese Gaetano Tommy Lucchese (December 1, 1899 - July 13, 1967) was the boss of the Lucchese crime family, one of the five Mafia families ruling the New York underground. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... The International Ladies Garment Workers Union was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. ... A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some right or privilege. ... Idlewild may refer to several things: Idlewild - The Scottish rock band Idlewild - the novel by Nick Sagan Idlewild Airport - the original name (until 1963) of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. ...

Hoffa involvement

As notorious Teamsters boss, Jimmy Hoffa was preparing to take his throne as president of the teamsters in 1957, Hoffa remembered someone, Johnny Dio. Whether or not New York locals actually liked Hoffa is unknown. Their vote would matter if Mid-west locals would vote for him or not. For help with that, the Chicago Outfit could persuade a couple voters. Creating more locals was the answer, enough to swing the election to his favor. Dio constructed seven teamster unions which would be used to support Hoffa. The members of the unions weren't even workers; they were relatives and friends of Dioguardi. The winner of the nomination was, of course Hoffa. Hoffa was later finished with his war with Kennedy, his arrest, trial, and death. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), formerly known by the name International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Midwest States (United States of America, ND to OH) The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... Outfit leadership in 1978. ... Robert Kennedy Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy, also called RFK (November 20, 1925–June 6, 1968) was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, and was appointed by his brother as Attorney General for his administration. ...

The man who blinded Victor Riesel

On April 5, 1956 a columnist specializing in reporting on union corruption and mob-influenced officials was doing an interview. That man was Victor Riesel. He was interviewing a father and son, both by the name of William DeKoning. Riesel's columns appeared in 193 newspapers and he also wrote for the Daily Mirror. After the broadcast he went to a late dinner with his secretary. As they approached the secretary's car a man threw sulfuric acid into Riesel's face, then vanished. He was rushed to the hospital, but his sight wasn't saved. After a federal investigation, the attacker was described as a twenty-two-year-old longshoreman by the name of Abraham Tevi. He was paid $1,175 for the job; the money was supposedly connected to Dio. Tevi thought that since this was such an important person and all this heat is on me I should be paid more, he demanded $50,000. He was paid with two bullets in his head, he was found lying Mulberry Street on July 28th. Dio was never convicted for the attack on Riesel, his two witnesses decided to back off, and the charges were dropped in May of 1957. The assault still applied more heat to him even if he would have just left him alone. He would always be known as "The man who blinded Victor Riesel". Victor Riesel (1917-1995) was an American newspaper journalist who specialized in news related to labor unions. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... Sulfuric acid (British English: sulphuric acid), H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... A stevedore is a person who works at loading or unloading a ship. ... In Manhattan, Mulberry Street is the street along which New Yorks shrinking Little Italy is centered. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Merkel meat incident

John Dioguardi being lead away following his 1970 arrest.

On November 14, 1964 Dio's conversation was being recorded by two NYPD detectives. The bug was planted in the office of Norman LoKietz, the president of Merkel Meat Company. The conversation told that Dio was not only making money off this but the public's health was at danger as well. The Lucchese family was selling substandard and sometimes even rotten meat into the retail marketplace. Enough evidence was given in those tapes to build a case against Dio. Later on when Dio was leaving the Senate committee room, Dio punched one of the photographers where his most famous picture was taken. This picture made newspapers everywhere; the picture had Dio with a cigarette dangling on one side of his mouth with a snarling expression shown on his face. In 1967 the law eventually met him and sentenced him to five years and fined $10,000. In 1969 an employee testified that when they delivered the meat, it was "sometimes light green and sweaty and often was an atrocity to perpetrate on our customers." By this time Dio had already been in the Lucchese family for over thirty years. While Already in prison further charges wer elayed upon him. He was due for parole in 1979, he would die that same year. 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. ... This is a list of notable photographers in the art, documentary and fashion traditions. ... A lit cigarette will burn to ash on one end. ...

In popular culture

• The film Goodfellas (1990) stars Frank Pellegrino as Johnny Dio who is in prison with Henry Hill and Paul Vario. He has also been portayed in the television movie Getting Gotti (1994) by Rino Romano.

Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is a 1990 film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mobster Henry Hill. ... Raos Restaurant was founded in 1896 in East Harlem, New York City. ... Henry Hill (born June 11, 1943[1]) is a former mobster and American ex-FBI informant whose life was immortalized in the book Wiseguy, written by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi, and the 1990 Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas, in which Hill was played by Ray Liotta. ... A law enforcement mugshot which dates from the 1970s Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... Rino Romano (born 1969) is a Canadian voice actor probably best known for his voice roles as Bruce Wayne on the television show The Batman and as Darien Shields in the dub of the popular anime Sailor Moon. ...

Further reading

• Pizzo, Stephen; Fricker, Mary; and Muolo, Paul. Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1989.
• Kwitny, Jonathan. Vicious Circles: The Mafia in the Marketplace. New York: W.W. Norton, 1979.
• Moldea, Dan E. The Hoffa Wars. New York: Charter Books, 1978.
• Neff, James. Mobbed Up: Jackie Presser's High-Wire Life in the Teamsters, the Mafia, and the FBI. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1989.

References

• Nash, Jay Robert. Encyclopedia of World Crime (D-J) Vol. II, Wilmette, Indiana: CrimeBooks Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-923582-00-2
• Nash, Jay Robert. World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime, New York: Da Capo Press, 1992. ISBN 0-306-80535-9
• Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
• Devito, Carlo. The Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4848-7
• Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3

Jay Robert Nash is a prolific American author of more than seventy books on myriad aspects of true crime. ...

External links

• Lucchese Crime Family Epic: Descent into Darkness - Part II, Johnny Dio at the Crime Library
• Time.com: Pushcart Upsetter, Sept. 16, 1957
• United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. John Dioguardi
• John "Johnny Dio" Dioguardi at Find-A-Grave