Joseph LoPiccolo

Joseph "Baldie" LoPiccolo (1918-1978) was a member of the New York Gambino crime family and a capo under Santo Trafficante, Jr.'s criminal organization. His specialty was narcotics traficking.

Early years

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 28 1918, LoPiccolo was the son of Felipo and Margherita LoPiccolo. He had two brothers, Anthony and Frank, and two sisters, Loretta and Carmella.

Drug trade

LoPiccolo moved to New York City and joined the Gambino family. As a made man, he was involved in narcotics, illegal gambling, loansharking, and the vending machine business. During the 1940s and 50s, LoPiccolo established a narcotics distribution system throughout Florida, becoming one of the largest drug traffickers during the post-World War II period.

In August 1958, LoPiccolo was convicted of violating federal narcotics laws and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. He served his sentence either at the Atlanta Federal Prison in Atlanta, Georgia, or the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Release and demise

After his release from prison, LoPiccolo returned to criminal activity

On May 21, 1978, the body of Joseph LoPiccolo was discovered in a cemetery on Staten Island, New York; he had over 50 stab wounds. Some rumors said that he had become an informant, others that he was on the losing end of a feud with Carmine Galante. Either way, he was dead.

References

*The Editors of Newsday, "The Heroin Trail". New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975. ISBN 0030138418

External links

* [http://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_18.html AmericanMafia.com - Joey LoPicollo] by Scott M. Deitche