Dons (Bosses) |
 Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi (1940s-1955) |
Born in 1902 in the Sicilian province Vita, Settimo Acardi would set foot on American soil just before the early days of World War I. Growing up in and around Bloomfield, NJ Accardi became involved in with such legendary gangsters as Abner Zwillman, Willie Moretti and Tommy Lucchese. It is believed that Accardi held significant criminal influence in years prior to the rise of Tommy Lucchese as boss. However he is credited with being the first New Jersey boss under Tommy Lucchese. Accardi is best remembered for profiting during World War II with Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano. It was during the war that times were lean and in order to maintain a supply of food and raw products citizens were issued rationing stamps. Such stamps allowed for a certain amount of sugar, flour or tires. All available resources were sent directly to the cause. In the case of Gambino and Accardi they weren't about to adhere to such principles and went about bootlegging these stamps making a quick profit. According to the historical testimony of Genovese family soldier Joe Valachi the duo made a 'mountain of cash' from this racket. Accardi had enjoyed a slow rise to the top of the Garden State rackets. However this was all about the change. In 1951 Accardi and others were hit with running a gin still in Manhattan. He was sentenced to a year in federal prison. Then the IRS came after him. The Justice Department was looking to deport Accardi because he had lied on his citizenship papers. By now Accardi was identified as a top mobster in New Jersey. In 1955 Accardi was arrested for narcotics trafficking. He later skipped bail and was believed to have set up shop in Toronto. In 1960 authorities caught up with Accardi while he was working as a fruit salesman in Turin, a city located in northern Italy. That same year he was handed a fifteen years. Following his release he died of natural causes in 1977. |
 Anthony "ham" Delasco (1955s-Late 60s) |
Anthony 'Ham' Delasco assumed the leadership spot after the legal problems of Sam Accardi. Delasco was a former boxer who was said to have ran the Newark rackets with an iron fist. Delasco was thought to have dabbled in most rackets and had a keen interest in jukeboxes. A bar owner could place a Delasco approved jukebox or cigarette machine in their tavern or they would not have a tavern to call their own. Delasco is best remembered for bringing in Anthony "Dirty Anthony" Accetturo to his crew. Accetturo was a two bit high school dropout that was making a name for himself. He and his gang of misfits had been shaking down bookmakers and loansharks and Delasco, after reading him the riot act, was impressed with the then wannabe. According to Accetturo, Delasco had "complete control" over him. Although a death date cannot be confirmed, it was believed that by the late 1960s Delasco passed away and the New Jersey rackets were passed to Joseph Abate. |
 Joseph Abate (1960s-1979) |
:Before Al Capone made a leap from Brooklyn to Chicago and later becoming the most identified mobster, he could count on a guy like Joe Abate. Both gangsters were in their 20s and it was the beginning of the roaring 1920s. Abate was reportedly a top gunman for Capone's gang.
Abate was brought into the Accardi New Jersey crew via marriage, they were brother in laws with Abate having married Accardi's sister in 1928. Much like Delasco, Abate was familiar with Anthony Accetturo and the two were reliant upon each other. Accetturo brought muscle and youth, Abate supplied opportunity. In order to avoid a gambling arrest Accetturo skipped town for Florida in 1970. He did leave behind a then young upstart named Mike Taccetta to work for Abate. In 1976 it was believed that Abate proposed both Taccetta and Accetturo to be made members of the Lucchese crime family. Mob boss Tony Corallo, who was said to have to liked Accetturo officiated the ceremony. By 1979 Abate was said to have retired appointing Accetturo to the run the Lucchese's New Jersey interest. Although retired federal authorities would consider Abate an 'ambassador' for the Lucchese crime family. In 1992 Abate's daughter Catherine Abate was appointed director New York City Corrections. Her father's background along with media attention created quite a stir. In 1994 Abate died at the age of 92. |
 Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo (1960s-1988) |
:Anthony 'Tumac' Accetturo, a nickname given to him because of a likeness he shared with a character in the 1940 film One Million B.C., was born in 1938 to a father who was a butcher in Orange, NJ. Later and after dropping out of junior high Accetturo established a gang in Newark. By his mid 20s he was primarily associated with Lucchese New Jersey boss Paul Delasco and later Joe Abate.
Accetturo under the mobsters' guidance dabbled in loansharking, extortion and gambling. In 1970 he skipped town to avoid an indictment for illegal gambling and began to operate out of Hollywood, FL. Finally in 1973 he was indicted for loansharking but used poor health for not flying up to see a New Jersey grand jury. This would be a common pattern for Accetturo, who was known in Newark as 'Dirty Anthony' and that being traveling in and out of New Jersey overseeing his criminal interests. In 1976 he came to received his 'button' or to become a made member of the Lucchese crime family. Since the late 1960s or early 1970s Accetturo was had become associated with Mike and Marty Taccetta. While 'Tumac' had been mentored under Delasco and Abate, he would teach or school Mike Taccetta. However their relationship would sour in the end. Along with Taccetta, Accetturo began to operate the New Jersey crew with total independence. It has been reported the crew only sent tribute to Corallo tribute on his birthday and Christmas. By the 1980s both Taccetta and Accetturo were seen as two of the wealthiest US mobsters not incarcerated. In 1987 Accetturo, Taccetta along with much of the crew were indicted for violating the federal law known as RICO, the predicate acts specifically were narcotics trafficking. A marathon trial that lasted 21 months ensued and was filled with a circus like atmosphere, most notably the gestures of mobster Jack DiNorscio. Afterwards and to the astonishment of prosecutors a not guilty verdict was rendered. The trial was made into the film Find Me Guilty starring Vin Diesel. During the trial a rift happened between Taccetta and Accetturo. The crew leader had placed his son Anthony Jr.'s criminal advancement over that of Taccetta. The Taccetta brothers feared that their mentor would attempt to hand over the rackets to a much younger Accetturo. The Taccetta brother had been in the trenches taking the risks while Accetturo operated out of Florida. There was also the matter of the new Lucchese leadership. After Tony Corallo was handed a 100 year sentence in 1986 his recommended replacement Anthony 'Buddy' Luongo turned up missing. Convicted with Corallo was his consigliere Chris Furnari, who suggested narcotics trafficker Anthony Amuso to fill the boss's spot. Corallo was said to have wanted Lucchese crime family capo Neil Migliore but he too was entangled with the courts. Corallo reluctantly approved of Amuso and the Lucchese crime family has never been the same since. Taccetta and Accetturo would no longer be able to enjoy their autonomy and they feared they would be murdered by Amuso who also brought along Anthony Casso as his eventual underboss. By now Accetturo was safely living back in Florida and in 1988 Taccetta ordered that no New Jersey crew members meet with Amuso. Amuso and Casso were said to have been furious over the $50,000 annual tribute when they knew that Accetturo and his crew had been raking in millions. Eventually Taccetta came in from the cold and began to be the defacto New Jersey boss for Amuso. Accetturo on the other hand was another story. Amuso dispatched mobsters to comb Florida in hopes of finding Accetturo and delivering a mortal message. However American justice beat the Lucchese mobsters to the punch. Since 1989 Accetturo had been ducking a federal subpoena to talk about his role in labor racketeering. In 1993 federal authorities rounded him up and brought him back to New Jersey. He was placed in protective custody over the murder contract and was found guilty of racketeering. He was handed a 30 year sentence. Accetturo ultimately became 'persona non grata' for the Lucchese syndicate and agreed to testify in order to reduce his sentence and ensure his safety. He would serve no more than 10 years in a protected federal prison and as of 2008 is thought to be alive and living somewhere in the United States. |
 Michael "Tumac" Accetturo (1988-1993) |
:Born in Newark, Mike Taccetta was originally criminally associated with Gambino capo Joe Paterno. Over time and in the early years he began to gravitate towards Anthony Accetturo. This relationship would eventually become a teacher-student bond for organized crime 101.
In 1976 before the age of 30 Taccetta and Accetturo were inducted into the Lucchese crime family and thought to have been sponsored by capo Joe Abate. Since 1970 Accetturo had been residing Florida in order to avoid an indictment and would leave much of his day to day operations in the hands of Taccetta. The younger mobster would eventually bring his brother Martin into the fold. By the late 1970s Taccetta was thought to be taking great liberties. He built a crew that consisted of his brother, Mike Perna and Tommy Ricciardi. When Angelo Bruno, mob boss of Philadelphia and parts of New Jersey, was murdered in 1980 Taccetta and Accetturo attempted to grab everything as Bruno's replacements Phil Testa and Nicky Scarfo attempted to consolidate the crime family's interests waned. In 1987 a massive federal indictment hit the New Jersey like a ton of bricks. Court deliberations lasted 21 months and remarkably the crew was found not guilty. The courtroom victory was short lived as it became apparent or perceived by Taccetta that his mentor Accetturo was looking to advance his own son over that of his right hand man. In 1988 on the fear of being murdered Taccetta and others stayed away from the Lucchese mob boss Vic Amuso and his gang of hitters. The two eventually worked out their differences and a murder contract was placed on the head of Anthony Accetturo. Taccetta also met with Gambino capo Tommy Gambino to convey messages to mob boss John Gotti and was seen as the Lucchese's New Jersey boss. In 1993 Taccetta and his brother Marty were indicted extortion, narcotics trafficking and murder. They received a 25 year sentence. In 2005 Marty Taccetta was released from prison following evidence that cleared of a murder conviction. He has since been indicted for illegal gambling. As of 2008 Mike Taccetta remains behind bars in the New Jersey prison system and is expected to be paroled in 2013. |
