Vincent Gigante: The ‘Oddfather’ Mob Boss Who Faked Insanity
Vincent Gigante was a powerful mob boss who led the Genovese crime family in New York City for nearly 30 years. He managed to avoid prison for much of his life by pretending to be mentally ill, fooling the authorities with his strange behavior in public.
Although he was one of the most important mafia figures, Gigante acted as if he was mentally unwell, which helped him stay out of prison for a long time.
A Strange Sight in New York City
Vincent Gigante was known for his unusual behavior. He would often be seen wandering the streets of Greenwich Village, wearing pajamas, a bathrobe, and slippers, talking to himself or to nobody in particular. To most people, he looked like a confused old man. But this was all part of a well-thought-out act. Gigante was actually a cunning mafia boss, carefully pretending to be “crazy” so that he could avoid arrest and stay in control of his crime empire.
Behind this disguise, Gigante was one of the most feared and powerful figures in the Genovese crime family. He turned the family into a massive organization that made millions of dollars a year, engaging in illegal activities all across New York City.
Early Life and Start in the Mafia
Vincent Gigante was born in New York City in 1928. His parents were Italian immigrants who worked hard; his father was a watchmaker, and his mother was a seamstress. Gigante dropped out of school when he was 16 to become a boxer. Though he had a decent boxing career, winning 21 out of 25 matches, his true path led him to the mafia.
Gigante’s nickname, “The Chin,” came from his mother, who called him “Chinzeeno” in her Italian accent, which soon shortened to “Chin.” As a young man, Gigante caught the attention of Vito Genovese, one of the most powerful mafia bosses in New York. Genovese became Gigante’s mentor, teaching him how to operate in the world of organized crime. Gigante proved his loyalty, and by his mid-20s, he had been arrested several times for crimes like car theft and arson.
During the 1950s, Gigante climbed up the ranks of the mafia. He became a full-time enforcer for the Genovese crime family, and his rise in the mafia world began.
The Attempted Assassination of Frank Costello
In the 1930s, a mobster named Charles “Lucky” Luciano founded the crime family that Vito Genovese would later control. After Luciano was deported to Italy, he made Frank Costello the head of the Genovese family, which angered Genovese, who had wanted to lead the family himself. Genovese waited years for the right moment to remove Costello and take his place.
In May 1957, Gigante was given the task of getting rid of Costello. On the night of May 2, Costello was shot at as he entered his apartment building. Though Gigante’s shot grazed Costello’s head, it didn’t kill him. When police questioned Costello, he refused to identify Gigante as the shooter. This lack of cooperation made it impossible to convict Gigante, so he was acquitted of the attempted murder. After the incident, Costello decided to step down, allowing Genovese to take control of the crime family.
Not long after, Genovese was arrested on drug trafficking charges, and Gigante also faced prison time. He was sentenced to seven years but was released after serving five. Genovese died while in prison, and Gigante continued to grow in power.
Gigante’s Elaborate “Insanity” Act
In 1969, Gigante was in trouble again, facing charges in New Jersey for bribing local police officers to avoid getting caught. This time, he tried a new strategy. He claimed he was mentally ill, hoping to avoid going to trial. Gigante’s lawyers brought in psychiatrists who said he had paranoid schizophrenia, and he was declared unfit to stand trial. The charges were dropped, and Gigante’s performance had begun.
Over the years, Gigante went to great lengths to make people believe he was mentally unstable. He often wandered the streets of Greenwich Village in his pajamas, muttering nonsense and sometimes acting as if he was talking to objects like parking meters. This unusual behavior earned him the nickname “The Oddfather.”
His family supported his act as well. His brother, Louis Gigante, a Roman Catholic priest, publicly stated that Vincent was mentally ill. He claimed that his brother took medications and had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. This helped to reinforce the idea that Vincent Gigante was too unwell to lead a criminal organization, even though he continued to be one of the most powerful mob bosses in New York.
Expanding the Genovese Family Empire
Despite his public act of mental illness, Gigante secretly built up the Genovese crime family. Under his leadership, the family became one of the largest and most successful mafia organizations in the country, making millions of dollars each year. The Genovese family was involved in many illegal activities, including loan sharking, illegal gambling, and extortion. They even had a hand in rigging bids for city contracts, such as building projects for New York City’s infrastructure.
During this time, Gigante imposed strict rules within the family. Members were not allowed to say his name; instead, they would touch their chins as a silent signal. This level of secrecy made it harder for authorities to gather evidence against him.
Facing the Law: The Fall of the “Oddfather”
For decades, Vincent Gigante’s act of insanity worked. But in the 1990s, federal authorities began to close in on him. In 1990, he was charged in a bid-rigging scheme that involved contracts with the New York City Housing Authority. Then in 1993, he was accused of ordering the murders of several mobsters, including planning an attack on John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family.
Throughout these trials, Gigante’s lawyers continued to argue that he was mentally unfit to stand trial. However, in 1996, a judge finally ruled that Gigante was well enough to face the charges. In 1997, he was found guilty of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In court, the judge noted that Gigante was an “old man finally brought to bay” after many years of controlling New York’s criminal underworld. Gigante continued to run the Genovese family from prison until 2003, when he admitted to faking his mental illness as part of a plea deal.
Gigante’s lawyer explained that after so many years, Gigante had become “too old and too sick and too tired to fight.” Three years later, in 2005, Vincent Gigante died in prison at the age of 77. His life story remains one of the most extraordinary in the history of organized crime, as he outsmarted authorities for years by pretending to be something he wasn’t.
FAQ: Vincent Gigante, The ‘Oddfather’ Mob Boss
1. Who was Vincent Gigante?
– Vincent Gigante, also known as “The Chin” and “The Oddfather,” was an American mob boss who led the Genovese crime family in New York City. He became infamous for pretending to be mentally ill to avoid prosecution, often seen wandering the streets in pajamas and a bathrobe, muttering to himself.
2. Why was he called “The Oddfather”?
– Gigante earned the nickname “The Oddfather” because of his strange public behavior, which included dressing in pajamas, talking to himself, and acting confused. This behavior was part of an act to make people believe he was mentally unstable.
3. How did Vincent Gigante rise to power?
– Gigante began as a boxer before joining the Genovese crime family, where he gained the attention of Vito Genovese, a powerful mob boss. Over time, he climbed the ranks, eventually becoming the boss of the Genovese family and building it into one of the most powerful crime organizations in the United States.
4. What crimes was Gigante involved in?
– Gigante was involved in numerous crimes, including extortion, loan-sharking, illegal gambling, bid-rigging for construction contracts, and even planning murders. His crime family earned millions of dollars each year through various illegal activities.
5. How did he avoid prison for so long?
– For nearly 30 years, Gigante pretended to be mentally ill, claiming to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. He acted in strange ways, had his family and doctors support his claims, and even got psychiatrists to testify that he was unfit for trial. This helped him avoid prison until the mid-1990s.
6. Was Vincent Gigante really mentally ill?
– No, it was later revealed that Gigante’s mental illness was an act to avoid jail time. Although his family and doctors supported his story for years, he eventually admitted to faking insanity in 2003 as part of a plea deal.
7. What was the Genovese crime family?
– The Genovese crime family is one of the “Five Families” of organized crime in New York City. Originally founded by Charles “Lucky” Luciano, it became one of the most powerful mafia organizations in the country. Under Gigante’s leadership, it expanded its criminal operations and became known for secrecy and discipline.
8. Why was Vincent Gigante important in mafia history?
– Gigante’s long-lasting deception about his mental health made him a unique figure in mafia history. He managed to lead a massive criminal empire while avoiding prosecution by pretending to be insane, outsmarting authorities for decades. His story is often seen as an example of how far mafia bosses would go to avoid prison.
9. Did he continue to run the Genovese family while in prison?
– Yes, even after his conviction, Gigante continued to run the Genovese crime family from behind bars until around 2003. Only after admitting to faking insanity did he step down from active leadership.
10. What finally led to Gigante’s conviction?
– Despite his elaborate act, federal authorities collected enough evidence to convict Gigante on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in 1997. His repeated claim of mental illness was finally dismissed, and he was found competent to stand trial.
11. When and how did Vincent Gigante die?
– Vincent Gigante died in 2005 at the age of 77 while serving his prison sentence. His health had declined, and he passed away due to health complications in federal custody.
12. What were some of the key operations of the Genovese family under Gigante?
– Under Gigante’s leadership, the Genovese family controlled illegal gambling, loan sharking, extortion, and construction contract fraud in New York City. They also took part in organized crime operations involving rigged contracts and high-stakes loans, earning millions annually.
13. Did Vincent Gigante have any family members involved in his scheme?
– Yes, his brother Louis Gigante, who was a Roman Catholic priest, supported Vincent’s claim of mental illness. Louis often vouched for Vincent’s supposed schizophrenia and helped maintain the image of Vincent as unfit to stand trial.
14. Why did Vincent Gigante admit to faking insanity in 2003?
– In 2003, Gigante accepted a plea deal that included admitting he had faked his mental illness for years. At that time, he was already older and dealing with health issues, and likely felt it was time to stop the charade.
15. What was Gigante’s impact on organized crime in America?
– Gigante’s unique tactics and leadership style left a lasting mark on organized crime. By controlling the Genovese family with strict rules and secrecy, he created one of the most enduring and successful mafia organizations in America, showing how powerful and resilient organized crime could be.