- James Napoli
James "Jimmy Nap" Napoli (
November 4 ,1911 –December 29 ,1992 ) was aCaporegime in theGenovese crime family . From the 1950s to the 1980s, he controlled one of the largest illegalgambling operations in the United States.In 1969, Napoli was indicted for fixing several boxing matches. In the 1970s, Napoli reportedly operated the largest numbers operation in the country. By 1976, the operation allegedly employed 2,000 people and grossed over $150 million a year. Napoli apparently ran this huge operation from a lounge in the Greenpoint section of
Brooklyn . In 1978, Napoli was convicted for gambling and sentenced to five years in federal prison.Napoli enjoyed fine foods, good wines, and a life of luxury. Jimmy was known as a "Gentlemans Gentleman". Intelligent and well-respected, Napoli maintained ties to most of the major crime families. Napoli was married to Jeanie Napoli, a former night club singer and theatrical producer. In 1984, Napoli invested $250,000 in an unsuccessful musical biography of actress
Marilyn Monroe that starred Jeanie.Napoli was once taped by the
FBI as he plotted with mob associate Irwin Schiff to murderGambino crime family bossJohn Gotti . However, the plan was foiled and Napoli was never charged with any crime.On December 29, 1992, Napoli died of natural causes in the Kips Bay section of
Manhattan and was buried inQueens , New York.External links
* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/family_epics/genovese1/20.html Court TV Crime Library: Epic saga of the Genovese Family: Eight Million Stories]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21570&pt=James%20'Jimmy%20Nap'%20Napoli James "Jimmy Nap" Napoli] atFind-A-Grave
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