Angelo Ruggiero
| Angelo Ruggiero, Sr. | |
|---|---|
U.S. Department of Justice picture of Angelo Ruggiero Sr.
|
|
| Born |
July 29, 1940 The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 1989 (aged 49) Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Other names | "The Perle Mesta of the Mob", "Quack Quack" |
| Known for | Member of the Gambino crime family |
Angelo Salvatore Ruggiero, Sr. (pronounced roo-JEH-roh) (July 29, 1940 – December 5, 1989) was a member of the Gambino crime family and a deferential friend of John Gotti. Under Gotti's leadership Ruggiero became a caporegime though he became widely seen as an over talkative enforcer type without the astuteness needed for running lucrative rackets. Gotti, by then the most targeted criminal in the country, came to share the assessment amid mounting investigative pressure and costly blunders by the inveterately indiscreet Ruggiero, who had completely fallen from favour by the time of his death. The FBI regarded Ruggiero, whose open defiance of law enforcement extended to swearing at the judge during a hearing, as an unpredictable psychopath not amenable to confrontational tactics.
Ruggiero's father was a first-generation immigrant from Torre di Ruggiero in Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy who was not involved in organized crime. Ruggiero's mother was Emma Campasano. Ruggiero's brother was Gambino associate Salvatore Ruggiero, Sr. and the brother of John Ruggiero born June 9, 1946 and Francis A. "Little Frankie" Ruggiero born c.a. 1964. Ruggiero's nephew is mob associate Salvatore Ruggiero, Jr. Ruggiero's cousins include Gambino underboss Aniello Dellacroce and Sean and Shannon Connelly. Ruggiero is also a distant relative to John Gotti through John and Aniello's shared mistress, Shannon Connelly.
Angelo's former criminal attorney, Jeffrey C. Hoffman described him as a "very caring family man." Law enforcement authorities describe Ruggiero as a stocky and garrulous man with a gravelly voice brought on from years of cigarette smoke that sounded like a cement truck mixer. In court, Detective Michael Falcone said, "Heavy, Bullface. You know, he wasn't a handsome guy. How would I describe him? Animal or human? He looked like a fire pump." Special FBI Agent Bruce Muow later commented, "He helped take down the Gambino crime family because of his big mouth. Criminal associates compared him to Marcus Junius Brutus, the Roman senator who assassinated Julius Caesar, due to Ruggiero's manipulative personality when planning the murders of Paul Castellano and Robert DiBernardo and failed murder attempt on Anthony Casso.
...
Wikipedia