Al Indelicato | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Alphonse Indelicato (1931-02-25)February 25, 1931 New York City, U.S. |
| Disappeared | May 5, 1981(1981-05-05) (aged 50) |
| Died | May 5, 1981(1981-05-05) (aged 50) New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Gunshots |
| Body discovered | May 28, 1981 New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Sonny Red |
| Occupation | Mobster |
| Children | Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato |
| Allegiance | Bonanno crime family |
Alphonse "Al"Indelicato (February 25, 1931 – May 5, 1981), also known asSonny Red, was an American mobster andcaporegime in theBonanno crime family who was murdered withDominick Trinchera andPhilip Giaccone for planning to overthrow Bonanno bossPhilip Rastelli.
Alphonse Indelicato was born in New York City. Indelicato's family came fromSciacca,Sicily,Italy, landed and became a naturalized citizen when living inUtica, New York. Indelicato was the father-in-law of Bonanno associate Salvatore Valenti and ex-son-in-law of Bonanno capo, bookmaker Charles Ruvolo. Indelicato was particularly fond of a pair of custom-made red leathercowboy boots, which may have been the source of his nickname "Sonny Red".[citation needed]
Indelicato is a nephew to Salvatore Falcone, a heroin trafficker. Indelicato was married first to Charles Ruvolo's unidentified daughter, with whom he fathered a son,Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato. Indelicato later married Margaret Elizabeth McFhadden, but the two later became estranged.
Indelicato was indicted in 1972 for the inquiry into the murder ofJoe Gallo, but was released on $15,000 bail.[1]
Joseph Massino began jockeying for power withDominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, anotherPhilip Rastelli loyalist capo, after the 1979 murder ofCarmine Galante. Both men were themselves threatened by another faction seeking to depose the absentee boss led by capos Indelicato,Dominick "Big Trin" Trincera andPhilip Giaccone.[2] The Commission initially tried to maintain neutrality, but in 1981, Massino got word from his informants that the three capos were stocking up onautomatic weapons and planning to kill the Rastelli loyalists within the Bonanno family to take complete control. Massino turned toColombo crime family bossCarmine Persico andGambino crime family bossPaul Castellano for advice; they told him to act immediately.[2]
On May 5, 1981, Massino loyalists shot and killed Indelicato, Trinchera, and Giaccone, in a Brooklynnight club. On the pretext of working out a peace agreement, Massino had invited them to meet with him at the 20/20 Night Club inClinton Hill, Brooklyn. However, Massino's real plan was to assassinate the capos. The ambush was set in the club store room, withSalvatore Vitale and three other gunmen wearing ski masks hiding in a closet. One of the gunmen was mobsterVito Rizzuto, who came fromMontreal with anotherCanadian mobster to help Massino.[3] Massino told the men to avoid shooting wildly so that bullets wouldn't spray around the room. Massino also brought drop cloths and ropes for disposing of the bodies afterwards.
When the capos arrived at the 20/20, Massino and Bonanno mobsterGerlando Sciascia andFrank Lino escorted them to the store room. As the men entered the room,[4] Sciascia brushed his hand through his hair, giving the prearranged signal. Vitale and gunmen rushed out of the closet, with Rizzuto yelling "it's a hold up". Massino immediately punched Giaccone, knocking him to the floor, and also stopping Indelicato from escaping.[5] Giaccone got up and tried to run out of the room, but was blocked up against a wall with Trinchera. The gunmen killed Giaccone with a volley ofsubmachine gun fire. They then turned their weapons on Indelicato and Trinchera. The three capos were unarmed, as was the rule when attending a peace meeting.
After the killings, the Bonanno gunmen transported the three bodies to a lot inLindenwood, Queens, in an area known asThe Hole.[6]
The lot was a Gambino mob graveyard; Gambino capoJohn Gotti arranged for his men to bury the bodies there as a favor to Massino.[7][8] A few weeks later, on May 28, authorities discovered Indelicato's body and removed it from the lot.[9]
In October 2004, after some children reported finding a body in the Lindenwood lot, FBI agents excavated the property and discovered the bodies of Trinchera and Giaccone. Among the personal items they unearthed was aPiaget watch that had belonged to Giaccone's wife.[10] In December 2004, the bodies were positively identified as Giaccone and Trinchera.[11]
On June 23, 2005, Massino, then a government witness to avoid the death penalty, pleaded guilty to several murders including those of Giaccone, Trinchera, and Indelicato. He received two life sentences in prison.[12] On May 4, 2007, after being extradited to the United States, Rizzuto pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn court to reduced charges in the murder of three capos and was sentenced to ten years in state prison.[13][14][15][16]
After his father's murder, Indelicato's son, Anthony, went into hiding inFort Lauderdale, Florida. Massino wanted to kill him also, but he had missed the meeting. His father brought Lino instead, who was the sole survivor of the massacre. Lino, who had escaped, was quickly won over to Massino's side.[17] Napolitano assigned associate Donnie Brasco, who he hoped to make amade man, to kill Indelicato.[18] "Brasco", however, was in fact an undercover FBI agent namedJoseph Pistone; shortly after the hit was ordered, Pistone's assignment was ended and Napolitano was informed of their infiltration.[19]
