John Ardito
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John Gregory "Buster" Ardito (b. October 30, 1919)(d. December 31,2006) is a Bronx-based Genovese crime family captain. He became a button man in the crew of Michele Miranda, who would eventually become Vito Genovese's consigliere and one of the more powerful members in the family during Genovese's incarceration.
Ardito was indicted in 2006 with captain Liborio Bellomo and over 20 other Bronx/Harlem based Genovese. The FBI obtained a warrant to use a roving bug to record many of Ardito's meetings which often took place in restaurants such as Pasquale Rigoletto's and Mario's in the Bronx [1].
Ardito is charged with controlling certain labor unions on behalf of the Genovese Family, including Local 102 of the Bakery, Confectionary and Tobacco Workers' Union and Local 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Ardito was also heavily involved in loan sharking and illegal gambling operations. One of the indictment's counts alleges that Ardito ordered a beating for a debtor that borrowed $150,000 from the mobster. Ardito died on New Years Eve, December 31, 2006 from pancreatic cancer.
