Vincent DiNapoli

Vincent DiNapoli (June 21, 1937 – November 16, 2005) was a caporegime in the Genovese crime family, involved in labor racketeering. DiNapoli is best known for creating a cartel in the 1970s that controlled the price of drywall in New York City.

Early years Growing up in the East Harlem section of Manhattan during the 1950s, DiNapoli was originally associated with the Lucchese crime family. He later switched to the Genovese crime family and became an associate of soldier Vincent "Fish" Cafaro, front boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno's top lieutenant. DiNapoli's older brother Joseph is a member of the Lucchese crime family, formerly serving as consigliere. His younger brother Louis allegedly is a soldier in DiNapoli's crew.

In the late 1970s, Cafaro sponsored DiNapoli for family membership in the family and he was placed in Saverio Santora's 116th Street crew. By the early 1980s, DiNapoli had become New York's most powerful labor racketeer, earning himself and the Genovese family bosses millions of dollars from extortion, shakedown, bid rigging, and controlling companies.

Union boss DiNapoli dominated the New York City District Council of Carpenters through his ally Teddy Maritas. In 1981, DiNapoli, his brother Louis, and Maritas, were indicted on labor racketeering and extortion charges in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act indictment. DiNapoli allegedly became worried that Maritas might cooperate with law enforcement. In 1982, Maritas disappeared before the trial was scheduled to start. After Cafaro became a government witness, he claimed that DiNapoli murdered Maritas. Later in 1982, DiNapoli pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sent to prison for five years. While in prison, his union rackets were managed by his brother Louis and Louis Moscatiello. DiNapoli later became close to the next District Council President, Paschal McGuinness, and the two men continued to enforce a mob tax on all drywall construction in New York.

In 1978, DiNapoli established the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association Local 530 and designated Mosciatello as business manager. DiNapoli also controlled Carpenters Local 257 through his associates Attilio Bitondo and Eugene Hanley. DiNapoli used their positions to extort contractors operating on the East Side of Manhattan. DiNapoli would again be convicted and sentenced to prison; his interests in the District Council would be absorbed by a close associate, Liborio Bellomo.

In 1978, DiNapoli formed two drywall companies, Inner City Drywall and Cambridge Drywall. By 1979, DiNapoli and his protege Steven Crea started working with SEBCO (South East Bronx Community Organization), an organization created by Catholic priest Louis Gigante, who was the brother of Genovese family boss Vincent Gigante. Congressman Mario Biaggi, a Bronx Democrat urged the federal judge to suspend DiNapoli's five-year sentence.

Di Napoli died on November 16, 2005, at the age of 68.