Joseph Dippolito

Joseph Dippolito
Joseph Dippolito mugshot
Born	(1914-12-18)December 18, 1914 New York City
Died	January 14, 1974(1974-01-14) (aged 59)
Cause of death	Heart attack
Nationality	Italian American
Other names	Joe Dip
Spouse(s)	Frances Dippolito

Joseph Charles Dippolito, also known as "Joe Dip", was an Italian American Mafia member in the Los Angeles crime family. The son of fellow Mafioso Salvatore Charles Dippolito (known as "Charlie Dip"), he rose to become underboss of the Los Angeles crime family. He was also featured in the book The Last Mafioso by Ovid Demaris.

Dippolito was born on December 28, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York to Salvatore and Angelina Dippolito. During Prohibition, he served a one-year prison sentence for illegally transporting liquor. After his release, Dippolito moved to Fontana, San Bernardino, California where his parents lived. Eventually Dippolito and his father owned several businesses, including a hotel and extensive vineyards in Rancho Cucamonga. The Dippolitos became very prominent and powerful men in the Inland Empire. They were involved in many real estate deals and produced grapes for winemakers in California.

Dippolito also proved to be a competent killer. He was a big, muscular man who was "built like a heavyweight wrestler". In September, 1949, when Jimmy Fratianno set up to kill Mickey Cohen loyalist Frank Niccoli, Dippolito shook his hand and then wrapped him in a reverse bear hug. Fratianno and Sam Bruno then tied a rope around Niccoli's neck and choked him to death. Afterwards, Dippolito took the body and buried it in his vineyard, which was a popular place to bury dead bodies for the Mafia. This method of execution was termed the "Italian rope trick," and was repeated on Louis Strauss ("Russian Louie") in April 1953, with Dippolito holding Strauss in a bear hug, while Fratianno and Frank Bompensiero strangled Strauss with a rope.