Stefano Vitabile

Stefano Vitabile (b. 1935) aka. "Steve the Truck Driver" is the reputed Consigliere of the DeCavalcante crime family based in Elizabeth, New Jersey, under its current imprisoned Boss, Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi.

Steve Vitabile's promotion

As a soldier in the crew of John Riggi in the early 1970s, the infamous Mob boss, Simone "Sam the Plumber" DeCavalcante left the family and was considered semi-retired by US law enforcement. As his successor, was John Riggi soon promoted to run the family in the late 1970s unofficially. Vitabile, then still a soldier, rose through the ranks and became acting consigliere to Riggi, along with Girolamo "Jimmy Dumps" Palermo as acting underboss. This was the current administration of the DeCavalcante crime family toward the 90s.

John Riggi's conviction

When in the 1980s, Riggi was in full power of the DeCavalcante crime family, but as he grew power, he became a bigger target, as US law enforcement put Riggi and Palermo on trial for extortion, racketeering and conspiracy in the late 1980s. Vitabile on the other hand, avoided the charges, and kept operating from Elizabeth, New Jersey with Gaetano "Corky" Vastola in labor racketeering and illegal gambling operations. Vastola, then alleged acting boss to Riggi, would be convicted for extortion charges a year after Riggi received 15 years for racketeering. Palermo was aquitted, along with several other members of the DeCavalcante family.

DeCavalcante consigliere

Toward the 1990s, Vitabile conspired to kill several members of the DeCavalcante crime family, as former Underboss Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso suddenly dissapeared in 1991, and the current acting boss John "Johnny Boy" D'Amato was discovered murdered after rumours went around, saying D'Amato was gay. Vitabile on the other hand ducked law enforcement for years, as he was recognized as the official Consigliere of the DeCavalcante crime family in the 1990s, and was involved in almost every decission in the family. Especially when it looked to break out a war between two prominent factions of the family, when Vitabile, a John Riggi loyalist, allegedly re-structured the entire formation, and put three Capos or street bosses to run the DeCavalcante crime family, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel. These street bosses were Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, Charles "Big Ears" Majuri, and Girolamo "Jimmy Dumps" Palermo and ran the family throughout the 1990s, with Vitabile still as official family Consigliere.

Indictments on Vitabile

Vitabile was soon picked up by law enforcement after Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo was arrested and turned state's evidence in 2000, as he and 50 other associates were put on trial as a result of federal undercover operations in North Jersey. Vitabile was convicted on [...] and conspiracy charges from the 1991 murders of LaRasso, D'Amato, and several others throughout the 1990s. Vitabile is believed to have been made acting boss of the DeCavalcante crime family along with Joseph Miranda and Girolamo "Jimmy Dumps" Palermo by John Riggi after 2000. Vitabile was convicted of [...], conspiracy to commit [...], extortion and racketeering in 2006, along with Capos Philip Abramo and Giuseppe "Pino" Schifilliti and received a life sentence that same year. As of December, 2007, Stefano Vitabile, at age 72, is still serving life sentence and still holds his rank as the official Consigliere of the DeCavalcante crime family.

External links

• http://ganglandnews.com/column200.htm
• http://ganglandnews.com/column334.htm
• http://www.angelfire.com/blog/organizedcrime/decavalcante/newlayout.html
• http://www.geocities.com/organizedcrimesyndicates/newjersey.html
• http://americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_249.html
• http://www.ipsn.org/indictments/loren-maltese_indictment/decavalcante_indictment2.htm