Willie Moretti
| Guarino Moretti | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 24, 1894 Bari, Apulia, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | October 4, 1951 (aged 57) Cliffside Park, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder (shooting) |
| Residence | Deal and Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | "Willie Moore" |
| Occupation | Mobster, businessman |
| Known for | Frank Costello's right-hand man |
| Criminal charge | Robbery |
| Criminal penalty | 1 year |
| Criminal status | Released after several months |
| Allegiance | Genovese crime family |
| Partner(s) | Frank Costello, Joe Adonis, Settimo Accardi, Abner Zwillman |
Guarino "Willie" Moretti, also known as Willie Moore (February 24, 1894 – October 4, 1951), was a notorious underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of the family boss Frank Costello.
Born Guarino Moretti in Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, on February 24, 1894, Moretti immigrated to the United States with his family to live in New Jersey.
On January 12, 1913, after being convicted of robbery in New York City, Moretti was sentenced to one year in state prison in Elmira, New York. He was released after several months.
From 1933 to 1951, Moretti, in association with Joe Adonis, Settimo Accardi and Abner Zwillman, ran lucrative gambling dens in New Jersey and upstate New York. His operations were based out of his homes in Hasbrouck Heights (located in Bergen County, New Jersey, just outside New York City) and Deal (located in Monmouth County, New Jersey along the Jersey Shore).
Anthony Moretti was the godfather with then-unknown singer Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's first wife, Nancy Barbato, was a paternal cousin of John Barbato, a Moretti associate. Moretti helped Sinatra get bookings in New Jersey clubs in return for kickbacks. Finally, in 1939, Sinatra signed a recording contract with band leader Tommy Dorsey. However, by the early 1940s, Sinatra had achieved national popularity and wanted to sign a more lucrative recording contract, but Dorsey refused to release him from their existing contract. A rumour claimed that Sinatra asked Moretti for help, and it was alleged that Moretti jammed a gun barrel down Dorsey's throat and threatened to kill him if he did not release Sinatra. Dorsey eventually sold the contract to Sinatra for one dollar.
...
Wikipedia