Gerald Scarpelli
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Gerald Hector Scarpelli (1938–May 2, 1989) was a member of the Chicago Outfit and hitman under Jerry Ferriola.
Although a member of the Chicago crime syndicate for several years, Scarpelli became known during the late 1980s as a leading loanshark and oversaw illegal gambling operations in the suburban neighborhoods of southwest Chicago during the leadership of then syndicate leader Jerry Ferriola. In 1988 however, following his arrest for interstate robbery by federal agents on July 31, he agreed to become an informant after being confronted with wiretaps of telephone conversations between informant James "the Duke" Basile discussing syndicate assassination methods and other information. Scarpelli later admitted his involvement in the 1980 murders of William Dauber and his wife Charlotte, an associate of rival syndicate gangster Albert Caesar Tocco.
With a previous record of 18 arrests and 3 prison terms, Scarpelli attempted to arrange his release from federal custody in exchange for his testimony. Two days before Judge Milton Shadur would rule to suppress all evidence relating to the robbery charges however, including videotapes statements to federal agents, Scarpelli committed suicide by asphyxiation on May 2, 1989 while awaiting trial in the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center.
[edit] References
- United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime, U.S. G.P.O., 1988. [1]
[edit] External links
- The Not-so-Glamorous Career of Chicago Hitman Gerald Scarpelli Revealed: "It Was Just Business..." by Richard Lindberg, From the IPSN Archives, Spring 1994
- U.S. Supreme Court - GAGNON v. SCARPELLI, 411 U.S. 778 (1973), Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
