Timothy O'Bryan

popular name: John Patrick St. John

date_of_death: May 3, 1995

age: 77

cause_of_death: Pneumonia and pancreatic cancer

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: John Patrick St. John, better known as "Jigsaw John", was a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective, renowned for his investigations of many of Los Angeles's highest-profile murder cases. St. John served 43 years as a homicide detective, beginning in 1949, when he was assigned to the Department's Homicide Division. One of his first assignments was the notorious Black Dahlia murder, a case he worked on-and-off until his retirement. The portly, slow-moving sleuth with one good eye and a gray fedora never fired his gun while investigating about 1,500 murder cases. Upon his retirement in 1993, St. John held the highest seniority on the LAPD with 51 years of service, a distinction that earned him the privilege of carrying LAPD Detective badge No. 1.

popular name: Frank Lonardo

date_of_death: October 19, 1929

age: 42

cause_of_death: Gunshot wounds from a mob hit

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: One of four brothers that made up the Lonardo crime family, Frank was gunned down during a card game in the back of a downtown Cleveland barbershop years after the murder of his brothers Big Joe and John Lonardo. While the crime was never solved, it was generally understood that his murder was part of a plot to eliminate all the Lonardo brothers connected with the bootlegging racket and that Frank Alessi was involved in the planning of the execution.

popular name: Paul Vario

date_of_death: May 3, 1988

age: 73

cause_of_death: Lung cancer

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Paul Vario was a prominent New York mobster and high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family. Born on July 10, 1914, in Brooklyn, he became involved in organized crime at a young age, eventually rising to become a caporegime (captain) in the family. Vario controlled a crew based in Brooklyn that was involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including extortion, loan sharking, illegal gambling, and hijacking. Vario was also involved in legitimate businesses that included a flower shop, a bar, a restaurant, and a taxi stand. One of his businesses, Vario's Bargain Auto Parts Inc., located at 5702 Avenue D, is where Vario conducted illegal business with his associates. At his height, Vario was earning an estimated $25,000 a day from his illegal activities. He gained notoriety through his association with Henry Hill, whose life was chronicled in the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi and later dramatized in the film Goodfellas, where Vario was portrayed by actor Paul Sorvino. Despite his power and influence, Vario was ultimately brought down by law enforcement, thanks in part to Hill's cooperation with authorities. He was convicted on multiple charges in the 1980s, including extortion and fraud. Paul Vario died of respiratory failure in prison on May 3, 1988, at the age of 73. Paul Vario was laid to rest in the Vario Family plot at St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, New York.