Paul DiCocco, Sr.

Paul "Legs" DiCocco, Sr. (June 20, 1924-July 30, 1989) was an Upstate New York racketeer and associate of mobster Carmine Galante who was involved in illegal gambling.

A longtime gambler with numerous minor convictions for illegal gambling, DiCocco was connected to New York's underworld. He also controlled racketeering and other criminal activities with Carmine Galante in Montreal, Quebec. DiCocco also had contacts in New York's labor unions; he and Nicholas Robilotto, President of Teamsters Local #294 in Albany, New York were eventually investigated for conspiring to underbid rival construction companies. DiCocco owned a luncheonette with his brother that was renowned for its Italian cuisine.

In 1951, DiCocco was investigated by a grand jury on charges of corruption and illegal gambling in Schenectady County, New York. This investigation resulted from allegations that Schenectady Police Chief Joseph A. Peters fixed a traffic ticket for DiCocco. Peters denied the charge, but was eventually forced to resign. Receiving a subpoena from Mayor Samuel S. Stratton, DiCocco appeared before a City Hall investigation on his supposed ties to organized crime. During a half hour period, DiCocco pled the Fourth and Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitutions to the U.S. Constitution over 76 times.

In 1977, DiCocco was indicted on contempt and perjury charges. Shortly after his first trial ended in a hung jury, DiCocco accepted a plea bargain to obstructing governmental administration and contempt. DiCocco received three years probation and a $1,000 fine. In 1985, DiCocco pled guilty to felony coercion charges. He had been trying to stop a Massachusetts-based gambling operation from expanding into five New York counties.

In 1989, DiCocco was released from probation due to bad health. On July 30, 1989, Paul DiCocco Sr. died after a heart transplant operation.

His son, Paul A. DiCocco, Jr. is a driver for actor Tom Hanks and has also driven actors Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, and Robin Williams. The son has also appeared in several films, including minor roles in the films "Ironweed", "The Two Jakes", "Forrest Gump", "Billy Bathgate" and "Come See The Paradise". [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0962882/] .

Further reading

*United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. "Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments". Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1992. ISBN 978-0-16-037739-6 [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0160377390&id=NQW-80xZFqwC&q=Paul+DiCocco&dq=Paul+DiCocco&pgis=1]
*United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations". 1988. [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC19099088&id=o-4HAAAAIAAJ&q=Paul+DiCocco&dq=Paul+DiCocco&ie=ISO-8859-1&pgis=1]

References

*Sifakis, Carl. "The Mafia Encyclopedia". New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-8160-5694-1

External links

* [http://www.dailygazette.net/standard_try/ShowStoryTemplate.asp?Path=SCH/2006/04/01&ID=Ar01102&Section=Local_News Schenectady: Landmark eatery set to reopen DiCocco’s part of rejuvenated ‘Little Italy’] by Matt Volke
* [http://www.schenectadyparking.com/notable_residents.php Schenectady Parking.com: Notable Residents]