Forgotten crime figure from the prohibition era, Peter "Horseface" Licavoli was an infamous St.Louis gunman who was also the cousin of the Rivergang cheiftain of the same name. Horseface Pete had a well earned reputation as a feared gunman who often carried out assignments for his infamous cousins as well as a contingent of Chicago gangland leaders. Licavoli left his mark in the annals of Detroit crime when he gunned down bootlegger Henry Tupancy on July 14, 1930. Licavoli arrived in Detroit a mere 3 months before an all out gang war erupted claiming the lives of two dozen men in little more than 3 months time. With tensions running high between members of the Westside mob headed by Chester LaMare and a few of his friends from the infamous Purple gang and the Licavoli controlled Rivergang, and their allies in the Eastside Mob headed by Angelo Meli, Horseface Pete spotted Henry Tupancy sitting in an automobile parked near the gang headquarters of Joe Bommarito yet another of the Licavoli's relatives. According to eye witness accounts, Tupancy sat talking with Louis Salvo a gangland associate who often repaired the boats and autos of notorious rumrunners. Licavoli spotted the duo as he travelled down Jefferson Ave. Licavoli was seen getting out of a car which had swung into an alley off of Field Ave shortly before Tupancy was shot 5 times by a man fitting Licavoli's description. Salvo was uninjured in the shooting but insisted that he could not identify the gunman who stood outside of the car and killed his companion. Licavoli was later tied to the crime by a hat purchased in St.Louis that was found abandoned near the crime scene. Licavoli remained at liberty for less than 24 hours before turning himself in to members of the Black Hand squad. Little more than a month later, Peter Licavoli was sentenced by Judge John A. Boyne to serve life in prison for the slaying of Henry Tupancy. Licavoli was shipped off to the Michigan State Prison at Jackson where he remained untill a transfer landed him at Marquette. Peter "Horseface" Licavoli died of a heart attack at Marquette on April 18, 1953 having served 23 years of the life term imposed. Licavoli was 53 years old.
