Umberto Valenti: Difference between revisions

Umberto Valenti
Umberto Valenti
Born	August 14, 1891; Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy
Died	August 11, 1922 (aged 30); New York City, U.S.
Cause of death	Gunshot
Nationality	Italian
Other names	"The Ghost"
Occupation	mobster
Allegiance	D'Aquila crime family

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Umberto "The Ghost" Valenti (August 14, 1891 – August 11, 1922) was a Sicilian-born New York City gangster and prominent member of the D'Aquila crime family during the 1910s. He is frequently confused with Rocco Valenti, a Camorra gunman of the same era.

Career

Valenti was born in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily and immigrated to America in 1910. After settling in the Lower East Side of New York, he joined the Mafia family led by capo di tutti capi Salvatore D'Aquila. He was said to have been the shooter in the May 1914 murder of D'Aquila's chief rival, Italian Harlem mobster Fortunato Lomonte.^[1] After this successful hit, Valenti became known as D'Aquila's chief assassin.

By the beginning of Prohibition, Valenti was considered one of the best gunmen in New York; he was suspected in at least twenty murders. During this period, Umberto Valenti had run afoul of his boss, Salvatore D'Aquila, and was one of twelve men (including Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo, Ciro Terranova and others) marked for death. Valenti fled to Sicily for a time. Upon his return to America in January 1922, Valenti attempted to make amends with D'Aquila by eliminating his chief rival, Vincenzo Terranova.^[2]

Valenti vs. Masseria

On May 7, 1922, the boss of the Morello/Terranova crime family, Vincenzo Terranova, was killed in a drive-by shooting near his E. 116th Street home. Valenti was believed to have been personally responsible. Mere hours later, Terranova's underboss Silva Tagliagamba was fatally wounded in Lower Manhattan by Valenti and gunmen working for him. The next day, Valenti and some of his men attacked the new boss of the rival Terranova family, Joe Masseria. Valenti found Masseria and his bodyguards on Grand Street "within a block of Police Headquarters". A deadly gunfight ensued. The New York Herald reported that "When the fight was ended, the gunmen had shot four men and two women, but had not harmed each other." Masseria tossed his pistol away and was arrested while fleeing the scene.^[3]

On August 9, 1922, Masseria walked out of his apartment at 80 2nd Avenue, and was rushed by two armed men who opened fire on him. Masseria ducked into a store at 82 2nd Avenue with the gunmen in pursuit. They shot out the front window and shot up the inside of the store. The gunmen fled across 2nd Avenue to a getaway car idling just around the corner on E. 5th Street. The car was a Hudson Cruiser. The gunmen jumped on the running boards as the car sped west on E. 5th Street towards the Bowery, guns blazing. The gunmen then plowed through a crowd and shot randomly at the blockade, wounding six men. Masseria survived the incident and was found by police in his upstairs bedroom shell-shocked. He was sitting on his bed dazed, with two bullet holes through his straw hat, which he was still wearing on his head.^[4] The incident gained Masseria new respect among gangsters as "the man who can dodge bullets" and his reputation began to rise as D'Aquila's began to wane.^[5]

Death

Forty-eight hours later, on August 11, Umberto Valenti attended a sit-down meeting with Masseria and others in a cafe at the corner of Second Avenue and E. 12th Street. Accounts differ as to who was there. Masseria's key ally Giuseppe Morello is often said to have been present. The meeting was ultimately an ambush. Apparently, realizing his life was in danger, Valenti burst from the table and ran outside as the bullets began flying. An eight-year-old girl standing nearby was wounded. Valenti, gravely injured by gunfire, managed to make it on the running board of a passing taxi before collapsing onto the pavement where he died. The Herald stated, "Valenti, said to be strong in his hatred of Masseria, was killed coldly and with as little compunction as one would swat a fly." Gangland lore had long held that his killer was none other than Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Just after this incident, Giuseppe Masseria began being referred to as "Joe the Boss".^[6]

References

^ Critchley, David (2009). The Origin of Organized Crime in America. New York: Routledge. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-415-99030-1.
^ David Critchley, The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891–1931, New York: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 0-415-99030-0 pgs. 100, 155–57
^ Critchley, pgs. 155-56
^ "Gunmen Shoot Six In East Side Swarm. Foiled in Attempted Murder, They Pour Volley Into Crowd of Cloakmakers. Flee In Blue Touring Car. Intended Victim's Hat Pierced by Two Bullets. Police Net Gets Blackjack Crew". New York Times. August 9, 1922. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
^ Sifakis, Carl (2005). The Mafia Encyclopedia (3. ed.). New York: Facts on File. p. 458. ISBN 978-0-8160-5694-1. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
^ Critchley, pg. 156

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American mobster}}
-'''Umberto "The Ghost" Valenti''' (August 14, 1891 &ndash; August 11, 1922) was a Sicilian-born [[New York City]] gangster and prominent member of the [[Gambino crime family|D'Aquila crime family]] during the 1910s. He is frequently confused with [[Rocco Valenti]], a [[Camorra in New York|Camorra]] gunman of the same era.
+{{Infobox criminal
+| name               = Umberto Valenti
+| image_name         =
+| image_size         =
+| image_caption      =
+| nationality        = Italian
+| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1891|8|14}}
+| birth_name         =
+| birth_place        = [[Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto]], [[Sicily]], [[Kingdom of Italy]]
+| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1922|8|11|1891|8|14}}
+| death_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
+| cause              = Gunshot
+| resting_place      =
+| alias              = "The Ghost"
+| allegiance         = [[Gambino crime family|D'Aquila crime family]]
+| occupation         = [[Gangster|mobster]]
+| predecessor        =
+| successor          =
+| conviction         =
+| penalty            =
+}}
+'''Umberto''' "'''The Ghost'''" '''Valenti''' (August 14, 1891 – August 11, 1922) was a Sicilian-born [[New York City]] gangster and prominent member of the [[Gambino crime family|D'Aquila crime family]] during the 1910s. He is frequently confused with [[Rocco Valenti]], a [[Camorra in New York|Camorra]] gunman of the same era.
 ==Career==
-Valenti was born in [[Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto|Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily]] and immigrated to America in 1910. After settling in the [[Lower East Side]] of New York, he joined the [[Mafia]] family led by [[capo di tutti capi]] [[Salvatore D'Aquila]]. He was said to have been the shooter in the May 1914 murder of D'Aquila's chief rival, [[Italian Harlem]] mobster Fortunato Lomonte,<ref name="Kurt Nickerson">{{cite book|last1=Critchley|first1=David|title=The Origin of Organized Crime in America|date=2009|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-99030-1|page=100}}</ref> After this successful hit, Valenti became known as D'Aquila's chief assassin.
+Valenti was born in [[Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto|Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily]] and immigrated to America in 1910. After settling in the [[Lower East Side]] of New York, he joined the [[Sicilian Mafia|Mafia]] family led by [[capo di tutti capi]] [[Salvatore D'Aquila]]. He was said to have been the shooter in the May 1914 murder of D'Aquila's chief rival, [[Italian Harlem]] mobster Fortunato Lomonte.<ref name="Kurt Nickerson">{{cite book|last1=Critchley|first1=David|title=The Origin of Organized Crime in America|date=2009|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-99030-1|page=100}}</ref> After this successful hit, Valenti became known as D'Aquila's chief assassin.
-By the beginning of [[Prohibition]], Valenti was considered one of the best gunmen in New York; he was suspected in at least twenty murders. During this period, Umberto Valenti had run afoul of his boss, Salvatore D'Aquila, and was one of twelve men (including Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo, Ciro Terranova and others) marked for death. Valenti fled to Sicily for a time. Upon his return to America in January 1922, Valenti attempted to make amends with D'Aquila by eliminating his chief rival, [[Vincenzo Terranova|Vincent Terranova]].<ref name="Critchley"><David Critchley, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=uX29UdJJ3qYC&printsec=frontcover&dq= The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931],'' New York: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 0-415-99030-0 pgs. 100, 155-57</ref>
+By the beginning of [[Prohibition]], Valenti was considered one of the best gunmen in New York; he was suspected in at least twenty murders. During this period, Umberto Valenti had run afoul of his boss, Salvatore D'Aquila, and was one of twelve men (including Giuseppe Morello, Ignazio Lupo, Ciro Terranova and others) marked for death. Valenti fled to Sicily for a time. Upon his return to America in January 1922, Valenti attempted to make amends with D'Aquila by eliminating his chief rival, [[Vincenzo Terranova]].<ref name="Critchley">David Critchley, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=uX29UdJJ3qYC The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891–1931],'' New York: Routledge, 2008. {{ISBN|0-415-99030-0}} pgs. 100, 155–57</ref>
 ==Valenti vs. Masseria==
-On May 7, 1922, the boss of the [[Genovese crime family|Morello/Terranova crime family]], [[Vincenzo Terranova|Vincent Terranova]], was killed in a drive-by shooting near his E. 116th Street home. Valenti was believed to have been personally responsible. Mere hours later, Terranova's underboss [[Silva Tagliagamba]] was fatally wounded in Lower Manhattan by Valenti and gunmen working for him. The next day, Valenti and some of his men attacked the new boss of the rival Terranova family, [[Joe Masseria|Giuseppe Masseria]]. Valenti found Masseria and his bodyguards on Grand Street "within a block of Police Headquarters". The [[New York Herald]] reported that "When the fight was ended, the gunmen had shot four men and two women, but had not harmed each other." Masseria tossed his pistol away and was arrested while fleeing the scene.<ref>Critchley, pgs. 155-56</ref>
+On May 7, 1922, the boss of the [[Genovese crime family|Morello/Terranova crime family]], Vincenzo Terranova, was killed in a drive-by shooting near his E. 116th Street home. Valenti was believed to have been personally responsible. Mere hours later, Terranova's underboss [[Silva Tagliagamba]] was fatally wounded in Lower Manhattan by Valenti and gunmen working for him. The next day, Valenti and some of his men attacked the new boss of the rival Terranova family, [[Joe Masseria]]. Valenti found Masseria and his bodyguards on Grand Street "within a block of Police Headquarters". A deadly gunfight ensued. The ''[[New York Herald]]'' reported that "When the fight was ended, the gunmen had shot four men and two women, but had not harmed each other." Masseria tossed his pistol away and was arrested while fleeing the scene.<ref>Critchley, pgs. 155-56</ref>
-On August 9, 1922, Joe Masseria walked out of his apartment at 80 2nd Avenue, and was rushed by two men who drew fire on him. Masseria ducked into a store at 82 2nd Avenue with the gunmen in pursuit. They shot out the front window and shot up the inside of the store, but then ran out of bullets. The gunmen fled across 2nd Avenue to a  getaway car idling just around the corner on E. 5th Street. The car was a [[Hudson Motor Car Company|Hudson Cruiser]], which like many cars of the era had [[running board]]s along the sides. The gunmen jumped on the running boards and the car sped west on E. 5th Street towards the [[Bowery]], guns blazing.
+On August 9, 1922, Masseria walked out of his apartment at 80 2nd Avenue, and was rushed by two armed men who opened fire on him. Masseria ducked into a store at 82 2nd Avenue with the gunmen in pursuit. They shot out the front window and shot up the inside of the store. The gunmen fled across 2nd Avenue to a getaway car idling just around the corner on E. 5th Street. The car was a [[Hudson Motor Car Company|Hudson Cruiser]]. The gunmen jumped on the [[running board]]s as the car sped west on E. 5th Street towards the [[Bowery]], guns blazing. The gunmen then plowed through a crowd and shot randomly at the [[blockade]], wounding six men. Masseria survived the incident and was found by police in his upstairs bedroom shell-shocked. He was sitting on his bed dazed, with two bullet holes through his [[straw hat]], which he was still wearing on his head.<ref>{{cite news|title= Gunmen Shoot Six In East Side Swarm. Foiled in Attempted Murder, They Pour Volley Into Crowd of Cloakmakers. Flee In Blue Touring Car. Intended Victim's Hat Pierced by Two Bullets. Police Net Gets Blackjack Crew.|date=August 9, 1922|work=[[New York Times]]|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A06E1DC1339EF3ABC4153DFBE668389639EDE|access-date=2008-08-09}}</ref> The incident gained Masseria new respect among gangsters as "the man who can dodge bullets" and his reputation began to rise as D'Aquila's began to wane.<ref name=sifakis>{{cite book|last=Sifakis|first=Carl|title=The Mafia Encyclopedia|year=2005|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8160-5694-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jgCpxTpPCPcC|edition=3.|access-date=27 September 2011|page=458}}</ref>
+==Death==
-A Ladies Garment Industry Union meeting had just ended, and dozens of laborers were milling in the street. When they heard the shots and saw the speeding Cruiser coming down the street, they tried to stop them. The gunmen then plowed through the crowd and shot randomly at the [[blockade]], hitting six and killing two (plus a horse).
+Forty-eight hours later, on August 11, Umberto Valenti attended a sit-down meeting with Masseria and others in a cafe at the corner of Second Avenue and E. 12th Street. Accounts differ as to who was there. Masseria's key ally [[Giuseppe Morello]] is often said to have been present. The meeting was ultimately an ambush. Apparently, realizing his life was in danger, Valenti burst from the table and ran outside as the bullets began flying. An eight-year-old girl standing nearby was wounded. Valenti, gravely injured by gunfire, managed to make it on the running board of a passing taxi before collapsing onto the pavement where he died. The ''[[New York Herald|Herald]]'' stated, "Valenti, said to be strong in his hatred of Masseria, was killed coldly and with as little compunction as one would swat a fly." Gangland lore had long held that his killer was none other than [[Lucky Luciano|Charles "Lucky" Luciano]]. Just after this incident, Giuseppe Masseria began being referred to as "Joe the Boss".<ref>Critchley, pg. 156</ref>
-Masseria survived the [[point-blank]] hit attempt unscathed and was found by police in his upstairs bedroom shell-shocked. He was sitting up in his bed dazed, his ears were ringing from the proximity of the weapon fire, and there were two bullet holes through his [[straw hat]], which he was still wearing on his head.<ref>{{cite news
-|author=
-|title=GUNMEN SHOOT SIX IN EAST SIDE SWARM; Foiled in Attempted Murder, They Pour Volley Into Crowd of Cloakmakers. FLEE IN BLUE TOURING CAR Intended Victim's Hat Pierced by Two Bullets--Police Net Gets Blackjack Crew.
-|date=August 9, 1922
-|work=[[New York Times]]
-|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A06E1DC1339EF3ABC4153DFBE668389639EDE
-|accessdate=2008-08-09
-}}</ref>
-This incident gained Masseria new respect among superstitious Italian gangsters as "the man who can dodge bullets".
-==Murder==
-Forty-eight hours later, on August 11, Umberto Valenti attended a meeting in a cafe at the corner of Second Avenue and E. 12th Street. Accounts differ as to who was there. Masseria's key ally [[Giuseppe Morello]] is often said to have been present. Apparently realizing his life was in danger, Valenti burst outside as the bullets began flying. An eight-year-old girl standing nearby was wounded. Valenti managed to make it on the running board of a passing taxi before collapsing mortally wounded. The [[New York Herald|Herald]] stated, "Valenti, said to be strong in his hatred of Masseria, was killed coldly and with as little compunction as one would swat a fly." Gangland lore had long held that his killer was none other than [[Lucky Luciano|Charles "Lucky" Luciano]]. Just after this incident, Giuseppe Masseria began being referred to as "Joe the Boss."<ref>Critchley, pg. 156</ref>
 ==References==
@@ Line 31: / Line 40: @@
 ==Further reading==
-*David Critchley, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=uX29UdJJ3qYC&printsec=frontcover&dq= The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931],'' New York: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 0-415-99030-0. Updated in "The Informer" January 2012.
+*David Critchley, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=uX29UdJJ3qYC The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891–1931],'' New York: Routledge, 2008. {{ISBN|0-415-99030-0}}. Updated in "The Informer" January 2012.
 {{American Mafia}}
@@ Line 38: / Line 47: @@
 [[Category:1891 births]]
 [[Category:1922 deaths]]
-[[Category:American mobsters of Sicilian descent]]
+[[Category:People from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto]]
-[[Category:Murdered American mobsters of Sicilian descent]]
+[[Category:Murdered American gangsters of Italian descent]]
-[[Category:Prohibition-era gangsters]]
+[[Category:People of Sicilian descent]]
+[[Category:American gangsters of the interwar period]]
 [[Category:Mafia hitmen]]
-[[Category:People from Sicily]]
 [[Category:Gambino crime family]]
 [[Category:People murdered by the Genovese crime family]]
-[[Category:Deaths by firearm in New York]]
+[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Manhattan]]
-[[Category:People murdered in New York]]
+[[Category:People murdered in New York City]]
+[[Category:Gangsters from the Metropolitan City of Messina]]
+[[Category:Italian emigrants to the United States]]