Dominick Pizzonia

Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia (born November 19, 1941) is a New York mobster and captain with the Gambino crime family who was a hitman and loanshark.

Early life and rise

Born in the Ozone Park section of Queens, Pizzonia began working for the Gambino family as a crew member for then caporegime John Gotti. On December 16, 1985, Pizzonia allegedly participated in the assassinations of Gambino boss Paul Castellano and underboss Thomas Bilotti outside a Manhattan steakhouse. After Castellano's murder, Gotti took over as family boss. In June 1988, Pizzonia allegedly murdered mobster Frank Boccia at the family's request. The Gambinos ordered Boccia's murder because he had abused his mother-in-law, the wife of mobster of Anthony Ruggiano, while Ruggiano was in prison. On December 24, 1988, as a reward for the Castellano and Boccia murders, the Gambinos allowed Pizzonia to become a made man, or full member, in the family. He earned the nickname "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia to distinguish himself from Gambino crime family mobster "Fat Dom" Borghese, so associates would not get confused.

On December 24, 1992, Pizzonia participated in the murder of Thomas Uva and his wife Rosemary. Previously that year, the Uvas had robbed several social clubs belonging to the Gambino, Bonanno, and Colombo crime families. Pizzonia was especially enraged by the Uvas because they twice robbed Gotti's Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park, which Pizzonia managed. On Christmas Eve, Pizzonia and mobster Ronnie Trucchio located the Uvas in Queens and shot both of them dead in their car.

In 1995, Pizzonia became the head of a Gambino bookmaking operation and later replaced Peter Gotti as capo.

Conviction

In May 2007, a federal jury convicted Pizzonia on a racketeering charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the 1992 Uva murders. However, he was found not guilty on three counts of murder and loan sharking. Pizzonia was also found not guilty in the 1988 Boccia murder. Because Pizzonia had already pleaded guilty to an illegal gambling charge before the trial, the one single act of conspiracy was enough to convict him on the entire count. In September 2007, Pizzonia was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

As of October 2010, Pizzonia is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) (Otisville) outside New York City. Pizzonia will be 80 years old on his scheduled release of February 28, 2020.

External links

• Department Of Justice: GAMBINO FAMILY CAPTAIN DOMINICK PIZZONIA CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY, INCLUDING THE “BONNIE AND CLYDE” DOUBLE MURDER
• Metro Briefing New York: Brooklyn: Suspect In Mob Slaying Is Out On Bond by WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM
• A Mobster version of the Christmas spirit by Jerry Capeci
• New York Times:Reputed Gambino Figure Sentenced in ’92 Deaths of Mob Antagonists By TRYMAINE LEE

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Name	Pizzonia, Dominick
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Date of birth	November 19, 1941
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