Vincent Apo was an Italian-American mobster who became a high-ranking capo in the New York mafia Genovese crime family. He lived a life of crime with many ups and downs. Here are 12 interesting facts about this mobster.
- He was born in Harlem, New York City, New York, on May 26, 1904.
- At the age of just 14, he began working on Wall Street.
- By 1926, he had become a full crew member for Joseph ‘Joe the Boss’ Masseria.
- As a mobster, Alo was based in Brooklyn and his job was to oversee illegal gambling, speakeasys and clubs.
- In 1929, Alo met Meyer Lansky for the first time when the pair were introduced by one of Masseria’s lieutenants. Both men had a desire to become legitimate businessmen and this led them ot build a strong friendship.
- Lansky and Alo set up a casino together in Hallandale, Florida. The success of the business led them to open a second casino in the same town and they faced no opposition.
- In 1947, locals became uneasy about the illegal gambling in the casinos, so Lansky and Alo were forced to close the businesses. Instead, they moved to running casinos in Cuba.
- Alo was convicted of obstructing justice in 1970 and the District Attorney described him as being one of the most significant criminals in organized crime of the time.
- In the mid-1970s, Matthew Ianniello took over Alo’s crew when Alo made the decision to retire.
- Vincent Alo died from natural causes on March 9, 2001. He was 96 years of age. His remains are interred in the Bronx’s Woodland Cemetery.
- In the film ‘The Godfather Part II’, The character Johnny Ola is based on Vincent Alo. The role is played by Dominic Chianese.
- Similarly, Robert De Niro plays Victor Tellegio in ‘American Hustle’ and this character is also based on Vincent Alo.
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