Antonio Caponigro

Antonio Caponigro
Mugshot of Antonio Caponigro from 1970s
Born	Antonio Rocco Caponigro (1912-01-22)January 22, 1912 Chicago, Illinois
Died	April 18, 1980(1980-04-18) (aged 68) New York City
Cause of death	Gunshot
Other names	Tony Bananas

Antonio Rocco Caponigro (January 22, 1912 – April 18, 1980), also known as Tony Bananas, was the consigliere of Angelo Bruno in the Philadelphia crime family. He is known for ending the peaceful Bruno regime by ordering his murder over a dispute concerning the methamphetamine trade.

Caponigro was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 22, 1912. He operated in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. As a made member of the Philadelphia crime family in the 1950s and 1960s he became a recognized crime figure after being identified by mob turncoat Joseph Valachi in 1963. During that time he served under capo Riccardo Biondi. He was the son of a wealthy banana merchant who owned and managed a stand at the Italian Market, otherwise known as the South 9th Street Curb Market.

He lived in Short Hills, New Jersey. He had a wife, Kathleen who died in 1991. He also had a half sister by the name of Susan who had a daughter out of wedlock by the name of Teresa. Susan Caponigro married Alfred Salerno. In 1955, Susan at age 38 (approximately) was found dead. It was believed that she was murdered but the murder was covered up and classified as death by myocardial infarction. Connected wiseguys in the neighborhood believed that Freddy Salerno, with the okay of Susan's brother, Caponigro, murdered his wife Susan.

He rose in rank to become the consigliere during the 1970s. Caponigro foresaw the end of the peaceful Angelo Bruno regime and decided to put the task upon himself to hasten it. Indictments for racketeering were being brought against the ailing Angelo, and there was no leadership in the methamphetamine industry. Caponigro knew that he could count on the support of several key members of Bruno's administration after the don died.

Accordingly, Caponigro traveled to New York City to consult his friend Frank Tieri, from the Genovese crime family. Caponigro controlled a lucrative numbers operation in Newark, a holdover from the 1960s when the New York families had ceded parts of North Jersey to the Philadelphia crime family. Tieri also had activities in the area, and he had challenged Caponigro's incursion. Caponigro appealed the territorial dispute to The Commission, which, acting on Bruno's recommendation, ruled in favor of Caponigro. Caponigro approached Tieri with a plan to murder Bruno and take over the Philadelphia crime family. Tieri assured Caponigro that he would support him before the Commission. He returned to Philadelphia believing that his planned coup was now officially sanctioned. He recruited the support of his brother-in-law Alfred Salerno (no relation to mob turncoat Joseph Salerno or mob boss Anthony Salerno) and Bruno regime capos John Simone and Frank Sindone, and ordered the assassination.