Tony Grosso

Infobox Person
name = Tony Grosso


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birth_date = Birth date|1913|12|09 [Birth date from Social Security Death Index; Anthony Grosso, SSN 183-24-2392.]
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death_date = Death date and age|1994|08|12|1913|12|09
death_place = Jeannette, Pennsylvania
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spouse = Angela (1940-)
children = 1
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Tony Grosso (December 9, 1913-August 12, 1994) was an American bookmaker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Biography

Anthony M. Grosso was born December 9, 1913. A native of Pittsburgh's Hill District, beginning in 1938, he was involved in running an illegal daily lottery in the area.Grosso v. Commissioner, 40 T.C.M. (CCH) 410, 40 T.C. Memo. 1980 (T.C.M., 1980)] At its peak in the late 1960s, his business employed an estimated 5,000 people and grossed $30 million a year. [cite news |first=Andrew |last=Conte |title=History shows city 'has always been on the take' |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_510130.html |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=2007-05-30 ]

Grosso served 28 months in jail for racketeering after a 1973 conviction and in 1986 was sentenced to 14 years in prison for violating federal gambling laws and evading taxes Upon his release from federal prison in Texas in 1991, Grosso immediately entered a state penitentiary to serve additional time for running the numbers business and criminal conspiracy.cite news |title=Souls who enriched our lives, our region |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/10year/s_105329.html |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=2002-12-01 ]

Following his 1987 incarceration, his business was taken over by Junior and Salvatore Williams. [cite news |first=Chris |last=Osher |title=Fallen gambling kingpin has humble roots |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_147857.html |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=2003-08-03 ]

Grosso was known to have many ingenious even comical defenses. One caught the eye of businessman Malcolm Forbes after Grosso beat the IRS trying to hold his wife Angela responsible for his tax evasion crime:

After Anthony Grosso, an operator of an illegal numbers lottery, was caught and convicted, the IRS demanded that his wife, Angela, pony up the unpaid income tax on Anthony's huge illegal income. Though they had filed a joint return, her husband maintained that Angela knew nothing of the unreported sums. "Under the Italian custom, we have a way of not telling our wives anything. We don't want to hurt them," Grosso explained. The Tax Court agreed and rejected the IRS argument that Angela knew about her husband's "take." [cite news |title=Thoughts On the Business of Life |url=http://www.forbes.com/business/forbes/2002/0415/304.html |work=Forbes |date=2002-04-15 ]

Grosso had a brief foray into politics in the late 70's. It was rumored Grosso backed the same man who was able to sentence him to jail earlier. Even though former PA state governor and US attorney general Dick Thornburgh denied Grosso's support many said Grosso spoke of spending over a million dollars on his campaign against former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty. Grosso was said to have hired flying billboards to circle over Friday night football games saying "Don't elect a crook for governor Pennsylvania". The signs were thought to be referring to Pete Flaherty. - - While trying to gain his freedom in the early 1990's Grosso became disappointed in Thornburgh with his lack of effort in aiding him in his release from jail. Some family member's felt Grosso was troubled by his treatment of Flaherty saying it was one of the only regrets of his life. In the end Grosso always felt Flaherty was a "good Man" and spoke of his lapse in judgement days before his death. Grosso was never able to apologize to Flaherty prior to his passing. Grosso's involvement in the campaign probably cost Flaherty the Governorship. Time magazine reported the alledged antics of Grosso during the year of Flaherty's run.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946082-8,00.html

Marriage and children

Tony and Angela Grosso were married on June 10, 1940. (She died in 1998.) The couple has one daughter, Patty, who resides in the Pittsburgh area with her husband, Carmine Bellini Jr., and their four children.

Death and afterward

Grosso died August 12, 1994, at a prison medical center in Jeannette, Pennsylvania with his family at his side.

References

Persondata
NAME = Grosso, Tony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Grosso, Anthony M.
SHORT DESCRIPTION =
DATE OF BIRTH = December 9, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH =
DATE OF DEATH = August 12, 1994
PLACE OF DEATH = Jeannette, Pennsylvania