Timothy O'Bryan

popular name: Antonio Pollina

date_of_death: February 27, 1993

age: 100

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Antonio "Mr. Miggs" Pollina was an Italian-American mobster and was the short lived boss of the Philadelphia crime family during the late 1950s. Shortly after immigrating from Caccamo, Sicily he developed an arrest record dating back to 1927 and included arrests for murder, concealed weapons, untaxed liquor, assault & battery. His legitimate employment was as a cheese salesman for Maggio Cheese Co. (owned by the powerful mobster Micheal Maggio) Pollina was one of the top leaders of the mafia group known as "The Greaser Gang" and controlled a large loansharking operation. In 1959 Pollina was made interim boss of the Philadelphia crime family. It was then Pollina began plotting the murder of his rival and top earner Angelo Bruno. Pollina ordered his Underboss, Ignazio Denaro, to murder Angelo Bruno, but Denaro instead informed Bruno of Pollina's intentions. Bruno used his connections to The Commission to take Pollina's power away from him. The Commission authorized Bruno to murder Pollina. Pollina stepped down and Angelo Bruno replaced him and kept Denaro as his underboss. Upon his death, he was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, PA.

popular name: Michael Rizzitello

date_of_death: October 26, 2005

age: 78

cause_of_death: Cancer

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Michael Rizzitello (aka "Mike Rizzi") was a capo (underboss) in the Milano crime family of Los Angeles. Rizzitello's criminal record stretched back to 1947 whe he worked for "Crazy Joe" Gallo in the 1950s who was a member of the Profaci crime family (later named the Colombo crime family). When Gallo attempted to take over the Profaci crime family, Rizzitello was one of his key gunmen who participated in the murder of mobster John Guariglia and Paul Ricci at the HiFi Lounge in Brooklyn on November 11, 1961, along with future LA mob soldier Tommy Ricciardi. Soon after in 1956, Mike Rizzitello moved to California. In California, Rizzitello first became affiliated with the Los Angeles crime family working as a debt collector and extortionist for Salvatore "Dago Louie" Piscopo along with a friend of his named Louie "Lefty" Castiglione. He was also mentored by Joseph Sica; an associate of Piscopo. During his time in Los Angeles he was responsible for conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, illegal gambling, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, mail fraud, insurance fraud, and extortion. Rizzitello's activities were featured in several biography novels by mobsters-turned-informants Jimmy Fratianno (The Last Mafioso and Vengeance Is Mine), Anthony Fiato (The Animal in Hollywood), and Kenny Gallo (Breakshot).

popular name: Willie Marfeo

date_of_death: July 13, 1966

age: 40

cause_of_death: Gunshot wounds from mob hit

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Willie Marfeo was a New England mobster who operating his card games and dice games in various locations in Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1960s Willie was doing quite well - well enough to loudly brag that he didn't need Raymond Patriarca and refused to pay his weekly "tribute" money. To add insult to injury Willie also refused to pay his gambling debts to the Jewish bookmakers that worked for Raymond. This incensed Raymond so much that he order a hit on Willie Marfeo. Luckily for Willie, for one reason or another, several contracts for his life were set in play only to be called off due to external circumstances. On July 13, 1966 a gunman burst into the Korner Kitchen restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and ordered everyone except Willie to lay down on the floor. The unidentified gunman then forced Willie into the phone booth and filled him with 4 shotgun blasts. Based on notorious mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza's testimony, Raymond Patriarca and underboss Enrico "Henry" Tameleo were indicted in 1967 for the murder of Providence bookmaker Willie Marfeo. Patriarca was convicted and began serving time in 1969 during which time Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo served as acting boss. Patriarca resumed control of the family after his release from prison in 1974.