Alphonse Attardi
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Alphonse "The Peacemaker" Attardi (April 1, 1892-July 17, 1970) was a New York mobster involved in narcotics and a later government informant.
Operating a front olive oil importing business, Attardi was arrested in the early 1950s for drug trafficking in Houston, Texas. Imprisoned for several years, the bank foreclosed on Attardi's business shortly before his wife's death. Following his release from prison, Attardi was living in a dilapidated Delancey Street apartment on New York's Lower East Side when Treasury Agents approached him in 1952 to consider becoming an informant for the federal government. Denying his involvement in the drug trade, Attardi initially refused fearing an attempt on his life.
Within six months however, Attardi contacted the federal authorities and agreed to assist federal agents in a sting operation. Introducing undercover agent Joe Tremoglie to several of his associates, within ten months Tremoglie had become associated with major drug traffickers and organized crime figures such as Benny Bellanca and Pietro Beddia. Attardi's efforts would allow Tremoglie to infiltrate the New York Mafia's drug trade and, assisting in police surveillance, helped ensure the success of the sting operation. Upon collecting $5,000 for his assistance, Attardi quickly left the country with his girlfriend.
[edit] Further reading
- Whitehead, Donald F. Border Guard: The Story of the United States Customs Service, 1963.
