Anthony Joseph Zerilli
| Anthony Joseph Zerilli | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 24, 1927 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | March 31, 2015 (aged 87) Weston, Florida, United States |
Anthony Joseph Zerilli (October 24, 1927 - March 31, 2015) was an Italian-American mobster from Sterling Heights, Michigan who was the reputed underboss of the Detroit Partnership ("The Partnership") criminal organization, which is part of Cosa Nostra.
Anthony Joseph Zerilli was born on October 24, 1927, to Josephine Finazzo and Joseph Zerilli. At the time of his birth, Tony's father was an up-and-coming member of the Eastside Mob under the direction of Angelo Meli and his cousin and brother-in-law . Tony spent his teenage years working at the Detroit Italian-American Bakery in Roseville, Michigan. Like his cousin , Tony graduated from the University of Detroit in 1949. In 1947, Tony reportedly became a made man in the Partnership by murdering Gust Andromalus in a Detroit basement.
In 1949, Tony became president of the Hazel Park Racing Association and Track in Hazel Park, Michigan. Tony purchased a controlling interest in the operation for $50,000. Over the next twenty-three years, Hazel Park produced an estimated $15,000,000 a year in revenue, netting an annual profit of $1,200,000 for its investors. Although listed as the number one man in the Hazel Park operation, Tony is thought to have deferred to Jack in business dealings. Hazel Park was such a success that in August 1970 Tony, Jack, and Dominic "Fats" Corrado decided to build another race track. The three men invested $2,500,000 in 280 acres (1.1 km2) of land in Hollywood, Florida, for the construction of a second racing complex. However, the second project, to be called Hazel Park South, was cancelled when Tony ran into legal problems in Las Vegas. Tony's legal difficulties not only canceled Hazel Park South, but in 1972 forced him and his partners to sell the original Hazel Park Complex in Michigan. Upon the sale of Hazel Park, Zerilli made $780,000 from his 92,634 shares. Zerilli's profits from Hazel Park allowed him to enter into several other businesses, including the 1968 establishment of the Spaghetti Palace restaurant near the Macomb Mall in Roseville, Michigan. The restaurant quickly became Zerilli's headquarters and remained a staple in Roseville under the direction of Joseph Zerilli, Rosalie Zerilli and Jack Giannosa before closing in the early 1990s.
...
Wikipedia