20 Notorious New Jersey Mobsters & Gangsters

20 Notorious New Jersey Mobsters & Gangsters

Originally Published by Purity in April 2023 and updated by Faith in May 2024

The tale of organized crime, the rise of mobsters, and their reign of terror in New Jersey is one for the books. The city was once plagued with violence and mob activity in the early and mid-20^th centuries. Powerful figures in the underworld operated illegal activities, including extortion, racketeering, smuggling, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling, and murder.

Most of them were part of the Italian-American Mafia; or the La Cosa Nostra. Mobsters such as Sam Decavalcante took over the city, and established a criminal empire in the city, recruiting hundreds of men in the mafia. While New Jersey has often been overshadowed by the flashy New York criminal underworld in cinema, the city has had its fair share of notorious and notable figures in the world of crime. Here are the 20 notorious mobsters and gangsters who operated in New Jersey.

Read Also; 10 Famous 1960s American Gangsters & Mobsters.

1. Sam Decavalcante

Sam Decavalcante is considered the Mafia boss of New Jersey. He was born in Brooklyn to an Italian family, before moving to Trenton, New Jersey. Growing up in the rough streets of the town, Sam quickly fell into crime and he proved capable of running the streets. He established front businesses, earning him the nickname ‘Sam the Plumber’. His illicit operations included gambling, loan sharking, and racketeering. The New York mafia soon recognized him as the mob boss from New Jersey, cementing his position of control over the city’s underworld.

Under his leadership, he commissioned many made men, kept peace among gang factions, and established powerful relationships with politicians through bribes. When the FBI finally tapped his office and listened to his communications for two years, Sam’s reign was at an end. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released in 1976. The Decavalcante crime family in New Jersey was named after Sam. He is said to have retired to Florida until he died in 1997.

2. Anthony Accetturo

Photo by Tom Def on Unsplash

Accetturo was a caporegime of The Jersey Crew, a New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family. A caporegime is used to refer to the head of a ‘regime’ or faction in an Italian crime family. A capo is a made member, fully initiated into the mafia. The Lucchese crime family is one of the five main crime families that reigned in New York’s underworld. Accetturo was the leader of the mob’s faction operating in New Jersey. Born in Orange, New Jersey in 1938, he demonstrated rebellion from a young age. Having dropped out of school in sixth grade, Accetturo moved to Newark at age 16 and joined a street gang.

He was known as a ruthless street fighter, and by age 17, he had been recruited by then Jersey Crew’s mob boss; Anthony ‘Ham’ Delasco. This was in the late 1950s. Accetturo learned much of the gambling trade under Ham and soon gained considerable control in New Jersey’s underworld. When Ham died in the 1960s, he took over most of his rackets, making lots of money from illegal gambling and loan sharking. One of his enforcers was the notorious Michael ‘Mad Dog’ Taccetta. Taccetta would later order a murder contract on him due to a power struggle. Accetturo was charged with racketeering and dealing narcotics in 1987 but the charges were dropped due to jury tampering.

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3. Gioacchino Amari

The Italian-American mobster was born in 1945 in Sicily, Italy then later moved to the United States. He is considered one of the most ruthless caporegimes in the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey. Amari rose through the ranks to become an underboss, and later, an acting boss of the crime family in the 1980s. His predecessor was Giovanni ‘John the Eagle’ Riggi had been jailed after being convicted on extortion and racketeering charges.

When John ‘Johnny Boy’ D’Amato took over as acting boss, Amari developed formidable relationships with some of the most powerful members of the crime family. In the late 1980s, he was due to take control as acting boss. Amari is said to have fallen sick in 1995, making it difficult for him to oversee the operations of the DeCavalcantes. He died of stomach cancer in June 1997.

4. Michael Taccetta

Photo by steve woods on Unsplash

Also known as ‘Mad Dog’ for his reputation as ruthless and hot-tempered, Taccetta was one of the top-ranking members of the Lucchese crime family. In the 1980s, he was in charge of the family’s faction in New Jersey. Taccetta was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1947. His father, Angelo Taccetta was also believed to be a ‘made man’ in the Lucchese crime family. Taccetta joined the life of crime at a young age, being first arrested for assault at age 12. He was sent to a Catholic youth facility before later returning to complete his studies.

He reunited with his childhood friend, mobster Anthony Accetturo, who bore a great influence on him. In the 1960s, he joined Accetturo as an associate in the illegal gambling and loan-sharking business. When Accetturo took over the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family, Taccetta became his top protégé. The relationship between the two later turned sour in 1988, when Taccetta declared war on Accetturo. The latter had been indicted by law enforcement. The rivalry is believed to have been caused by a disagreement on who would take over. After acquittal, Accetturo fled to Florida for his safety. Taccetta was imprisoned in 1993 for 25 years after being convicted of narcotics, extortion, racketeering, murder, and loansharking. He was released from prison in 2014.

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5. Angelo De Carlo

De Carlo was in charge of the Genovese crime family operations in New Jersey’s underworld in the 1960s. The Genovese crime family is one of the five New York crime families. The rest include the Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, and Bonanno families. De Carlo had vast control over the loan sharking operations in the city at his prime. He was an associate of mobsters Abner Zwillman and Gerardo Catena. De Carlo was involved in illegal gambling and murder for hire as well.

He rose through the ranks in the underworld to become a caporegime. To maintain control, he killed several of his rival mobsters through the 1950s. In 1968, De Carlo was involved in an attempt to murder Louis Saperstein. Louis owed him $ 400,000. He was convicted in 1970 for conspiracy to murder in 1972. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but was granted a Presidential pardon in 1972 due to his poor health. He died from cancer in October 1973.

6. Mikey Coppola

Photo by Max Kleinen on Unsplash

Mikey Coppola is a convicted mobster and former captain of New Jersey’s faction of the Genovese crime family. He was born in Newark in 1946, and by the 1960s, he was working for the Genovese. According to government reports, Coppola was fully initiated into the crime family in the late 1970s, and was a member of its hit team ‘The Fist’.  He was involved in extortion, and racketeering and was accused of murder. In 1996, he was charged with the murder of John Lardiere.

Seeking to evade conviction, he escaped into hiding and was a fugitive for 11 years.  He was captured in March 2007 and pleaded guilty to fugitive charges. He was put on trial for murder and extortion in 2009. Although he was acquitted of the murder, he was found guilty of extortion and possessing false identification. He was awarded 16 years in prison in December 2009.

See also; 10 Most Famous Mafia Gangsters of All Time.

7. Willie Moretti

Guarino ‘Willie’ Moretti was born in southern Italy in 1894 and later relocated to the United States. He quickly got involved with crime, and in 1913, he was convicted of robbery in New York. From the 1930s, he was operating gambling dens in New Jersey alongside his fellow mobsters, Joe Adonis and Abner Zwillman. Moretti rose through the ranks in New Jersey’s underworld to become one of the most notorious underbosses of the Genovese crime family operations in the city. He was the cousin to the crime boss, Frank Costello, of the Luciano crime family.

 Moretti had associations with Hollywood too, including a formidable relationship with singer Frank Sinatra. Sinatra’s first wife was a paternal cousin to Moretti. He was killed by the mob after he began becoming too talkative due to a deteriorating mental condition. The act was described as a mercy killing by the mob to relieve him of suffering.

8. Settimo Accardi

FBI Wanted Poster of Settimo Accardi issued on January 23, 1956. FBI, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Accardi was one of the biggest heroin traffickers in the 1950s between Sicily and New York. He was also one of the most notorious captains in the Genovese crime family, operating its New Jersey Faction.  Although born in Sicily, he moved to the United States shortly before the beginning of the First World War. When the Prohibition era began in the 1920s, he started smuggling alcohol between New York and New Jersey. He was a close associate and friend of mobster Lucky Luciano, who helped him rise through the ranks in the underworld. In 1955, he was arrested and charged with heroin trafficking. He however paid bail and moved to Sicily, where he continued his operations.  He was finally extradited to New York in 1963 and awarded 15 years in prison. He died in 1977.

9. Abner Zwillman

Abner ‘Longie’ Zwillman was born to a Russian-Jewish family in New Jersey, in 1904. He had to drop out of school after his father died in 1918. Fending for his family on the street, he turned to sell lottery tickets, and by 1920, he was controlling most of the numbers racket in the area. Abner started smuggling alcohol during the Prohibition era. He soon joined a syndicate led by Joseph Reinfeld. They smuggled alcohol from Canada through ships. Abner Zwillman expanded his illegal activities to gambling, racketeering, and prostitution.

He quickly gained control of major operations in the city. When mobster Dutch Schultz died in 1935, he took over his New Jersey operations, and the media started calling him the ‘Al Capone of New Jersey.’ Zwillman was found hanged on February 26, 1959. His death was ruled as a suicide. Zwillman had run into major troubles with law enforcement over his activities and was due to appear before a committee hearing.

Read more on 10 Notorious Jewish-American Gangsters you should know.

10. Joseph Sica

Joseph ‘JS’ Sica was born in Newark in 1911. His life of crime began at an early age, with his first arrest at age 15. He would steadily rise through underworld dealings to become a notorious New Jersey mobster. He was involved in extortion, armed robbery, murder for hire, and narcotics distribution. He was indicted in 1950 for plotting to distribute narcotics in California but the charges were dropped after the star witness was murdered.  Joseph Sica influenced many West Coast mobsters, including Anthony ‘The Animal’ Fiato.  He died on November 21, 1982.

11. Aurelio “Ray” Cagno

Aurelio “Ray” Cagno was a notorious mobster from Toms River, New Jersey. Aurelio was tied to the Colombo crime family which was one of the Five Families of the American Mafia. He was born in Newmark in 1923, and he began committing crimes at a young age. One of his most notable crimes was the murder of James “Jimmy” Randazzo who they believed was cooperating with authorities. The murder took place in the parking lot of the Tinton Falls Holiday Inn on May 17, 1993. Aurelio together with his brother Rocco Cagno and Salvatore were convicted for the murder of Randazzo. Aurelio “Ray” Cagno was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to life plus 20 years in Prison.

12. George Weingartner

George Weignartner, also known as “Steakhouse George” was involved with the Decavalcante crime family, a criminal organisation in New Jersey. He was born in 1938 in New Jersey. His parents were German- American and this made him to be one of the non-Italian associates of the Decavalcante crime family. He was connected to organized crime by John Riggi who later became his boss in the 1970. His role was overseeing illegal gambling, loansharking, and extortion rackets. He was later convicted of racketeering and conspiracy. He, unfortunately, committed suicide at his Brick home in July 1998 to escape the racketeering trial that was underway.

13. Albert Anastasia

A mugshot of Albert Anastacia

Albert Anastasia was born on September 26, 1902 in Italy. He was one of the founding members of the current American Mafia, as well as a co-founder and subsequently head of the Murder, Inc. organization. He eventually climbed to the position of boss in what became the modern Gambino criminal family. Before this role, Albert Anastasia was running large-scale illegal gambling operations in New Jersey.

He controlled the majority of illegal gambling enterprises in New Jersey, which provided him tremendous income and power within the American Mafia. Anastasia created a stunning residence in Fort Lee, New Jersey. This mansion afforded magnificent views of Manhattan and served as a preferred venue for many gang-related gatherings. His reign came to an end when he was murdered on October 25, 1957, by the orders of Vito Genovese. Carlo Gambino took over and he expanded the family’s reach, maintaining a stronghold in New Jersey.

14. Carlo Gambino

Carlo Gambino was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, in 1902, to a family associated with a Sicilian Mafia gang. He was one of the long-reigning bosses of the Gambino crime family, one of the Five Families of organized crime in New York City. Although he was associated with the Gambino crime family in New York City, his influence extended to Northern New Jersey and Southern New Jersey, where they engaged in various illicit activities such as gambling, loansharking, extortion, and money laundering. Gambino was well-known for operating covertly, avoiding rivals and government enforcement. Despite his death in 1976, the Gambino family remained the most organized and influential clan in America.

15. Thomas Ricciardi

A picture of a pistol.

Thomas Ricciardi also known as “Tommy Shots” was a notable gangster and captain in the Decavalcante crime family, an Italian-American criminal gang based in  Elizabeth, New Jersey. Thomas was born in 1932 in Newark, New Jersey to Italian immigrant parents. He began his criminal operations at an early age, working for boss Sam DeCavalcante. In the 1960s and 1970s, Ricciardi rose to the rank of captain and became one of DeCavalcante’s most trusted lieutenants. He handled criminal activities such as bookmaking, extortion, and labour racketeering throughout Union and Essex counties in northern New Jersey.

Thomas Ricciardi was convicted of one of the most notorious murders of Vincent “Jimmy Sinatra” Craparotta Sr. in Toms River, New Jersey, in 1984. He turned government informant after his conviction in the Craparotta killing and entered a “Universal plea” to eight previously unsolved murders, including the Craparotta murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was released early due to his cooperation with authorities. He was considered one of the last remaining “old school” mobsters in the family before he died in the early 2020s.

16. Ralph Guarino

Ralph Guarino was linked to the DeCavalcante crime family, a New Jersey-based Mafia organization. Guarino became famous for his role in the 1998 Bank of America robbery at the World Trade Center. On that day they arrived with Brink’s van and Ralph together with his accomplices, Richie Gillette, Melvin Folk, and Mike Reed, successfully made off with a total of 1.6 million in cash. Ralph had been receiving information about the World Trade Center from Calciano who worked at the bank. Calciano also provided Guarino with his employee ID badge.  After his arrest, Guarino agreed to be an FBI informant in 1998. He wore a recorded device and provided information about the DeCavalcante for ten years, eventually contributing to their downfall.

17. Paul Castellano

A mugshot of Paul Castellano.

Paul Castellano also known as “Big Paul,” “PC,” and “The Pope,” led the Gambino crime family from 1976 to 1985. Paul first began working for his father in the Mangano crime family before rising and leading the Gambino family. Castellano had extensive criminal operations that extended into New Jersey. He allied with a group of Sicilian heroin importers and distributors in New Jersey. His criminal activities in New Jersey also included construction racketeering.  Paulo Castellano also operated in silence and did not in any way show his wealth. In 1985, Paul Castellano was gunned down outside a Manhattan steakhouse by a rival group within the Gambino family.

18. Philip “Phil” Amari

Philip “Phil” Amari was a prominent figure of the DeCavalcante crime family, which is an Italian-American Mafia that operates mainly in Northern New Jersey. Philip was an underboss of the  DeCavalcante crime family. His roles included extortion, labour racketeering, and narcotics activities in Newark and New York. He began to run the illegal activities soon after Stefano Badami who was the founder of the crime family. Philip “Phil” Amari’s reign could have ended due to a combination of law enforcement efforts, internal strife, and the changing landscape of organized crime.

19. John Riggi

Mafia

John Riggi also known as “ John the Eagle” was associated with the DeCavalcante crime family which operates mainly in northern New Jersey. He was a member of the “Elizabeth crew” before joining the DeCavalcante crime family in the 1940s. He first led the family as an acting boss before being officially made the leader in 1982. During the 1970s and 1980s, Riggi was in charge of the family’s profitable illegal gambling, extortion, and loansharking rackets throughout New Jersey, primarily in Essex and Union counties.

He moved into labor racketeering, taking control of unions by threats and extortion against employers. He was convicted of racketeering and extortion and was sentenced to prison at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Devens, Massachusetts. He was released on November 27, 2012, but unfortunately died on August 3, 2015, at the age of 90 in New Jersey.

20. Angelo Prisco

Angelo Prisco also dubbed “The Horn” was involved with the Genovese crime family. He was Born on August 1, 1939, in Harlem, New York, U.S. He joined the Genovese crime family in the late 1970s and became a caporegime (captain). In 1988 when John Digilio was murdered, Angelo assumed the Genovese family’s operations in Jersey. The family operated both in New York and New Jersey. In 2009, Angelo Prisco was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Angelo Sanguiolo. Angelo Prisco murdered Angelo Sanguiolo after being granted permission from Genovese boss Vincent Gigante. Angelo Sanguiolo had allegedly robbed four Genovese gambling operations in the Bronx. On June 21, 2017, Angelo Prisco died while serving his life sentence at the United States Penitentiary, Coleman in central Florida.

Law enforcement and relevant authorities have continually made concerted efforts to combat crime. While mafia activities have significantly become less visible in New Jersey, they haven’t been entirely wiped out.