Anthony Federici

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthony "Tough Tony" Federici (b. July 28, 1940) is a Queens-based mafioso and captain in the Genovese crime family. Federici was incorrectly identified in 1988 by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as a Lucchese crime family soldier.

Federici owns the popular Parkside Restaurant, an Italian eatery located in Corona, Queens. In 1992, Federici became a member of the Board of the Directors of the financially troubled Flushing Hospital, and helped run a fundraiser that netted the hospital over $100,000. Federici came under fire in the mid-1990s during a New York State Senate investigation into corruption in the N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters and the Jacob K. Javits Center, where Dominick Lavacca, the longtime President of the Queens based Local, confirmed that he was a close associate of Federici as well as Colombo crime family soldier Frank Melia, who was closely affiliated with Council President Frederick Devine. On March 13, 2000, Federici was arrested on charges of menacing and criminal possession of a weapon - after he was caught shooting at birds on top of his restaurant. Federici explained to the arresting officers that he was trying to shoot hawks which threatened the lives of his champion homing pigeons that are kept atop of his Parkside Restaurant. Federici fired twice at the hawks using a 20-gauge shotgun.

On August 4, 2000, Federici's 19-year old son Anthony Federici, Jr. was stabbed in a near fatal attack in a Queens nightclub by Nick Gambino, a Gambino family wannabe. Federici, Jr. would go on to testify about the attack to a Queens jury, Gambino would later plead out and get 5 years probation. On January 26, 2004, Federici was arrested after police pulled him over in Queens and discovered he had a suspended license, as well as a stash of brass knuckles and a 6 bullets.

Later in February 2004, Queens boro-president Helen Marshall honored Federici, for his service to the community. In attendance were many police officers from the 110th Precinct in Queens, the officers know that the Parkside Restaurant is "off limits" because of Federici's mob involvement. On June 23, 2004, Federici pleaded guilty to his first felony (resulting from the driving incident where he was caught with six bullets) and given community service and a $700 fine.

Currently, investigators suspect that Federici is a top level captain in the Genovese crime family and may emerge as one of the highest level leaders in the family with the death of Vincent Gigante.

[edit] Further reading

Magida, Arthur J. The Rabbi and the Hit Man: a true tale of murder, passion, and the shattered faith of a congregation. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN 0-06-093561-8
Saggio, Frankie and Fred Rosen. Born to the Mob: The True-Life Story of the Only Man to Work for All Five of New York's Mafia Families. New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2004. ISBN 1-56025-559-5
Sanjek, Roger. The Future of Us All: race and neighborhood politics in New York City. Cornell University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8014-8461-8