Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis, born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in Italy, immigrated to the United States as a teenager and quickly became entrenched in the world of organized crime. After changing his name, he formed a lasting partnership with notorious mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano, participating in various criminal activities including gambling and prostitution. By the late 1920s, Adonis had risen to prominence within the crime community, later becoming an enforcer for Frankie Yale and playing a key role in the murders of influential crime bosses Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. His actions helped establish the National Crime Syndicate, where he attained considerable power and influence, controlling operations in Broadway and midtown Manhattan.
After Luciano's deportation post-World War II, Adonis took command of the Syndicate but was eventually deported himself in 1953. His involvement in organized crime drew the attention of the U.S. government, leading to the formation of the Kefauver Committee, which sought to investigate and address the growing threat of organized crime in America. Adonis's life and exploits became emblematic of the Mafia's allure during that era, contributing to their romanticized portrayal in popular culture. His life ended in Italy in 1972, when he succumbed to a heart attack during police interrogation.
Subject Terms
Joe Adonis
- Born: November 22, 1902
- Birthplace: Montemarano, Italy
- Died: November 26, 1972
- Place of death: Naples, Italy
American gangster
Major offenses: Bootlegging, gambling, pimping, and murder
Active: 1920’s-1950’s
Locale: Primarily New York and New Jersey
Sentence: Deportation
Early Life
Joe Adonis (ah-DAH-nihs) was born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in Montemarano, Italy, a small town near Naples. In 1915, at the age of thirteen, Doto illegally stowed away on an ocean liner headed for New York. Upon his arrival in the United States, Doto moved to Brooklyn, where he began a career of petty crime. He supported himself as a teenager by picking pockets and stealing all that he could.
It was during this time that Doto met another young street thug, Charles “Lucky” Luciano. The two quickly became loyal friends and began participating in petty crime rackets, including prostitution and organized gambling rings. Shortly after meeting Luciano in the early 1920’s, Doto changed his name to Joe Adonis.
Adonis chose the moniker because of his extreme vanity. The name allowed Adonis to see himself as an irresistible Mediterranean god, which was the image he strove to project. Adonis was known as being sexually promiscuous and served time in jail on rape charges after a woman refused his advances.
Criminal Career
By the late 1920’s Adonis had acquired a strong reputation in the underground crime world and went to work as an enforcer for crime boss Frankie Yale. While employed by Yale, Adonis came into contact with key figures in organized crime, including Al Capone.
Luciano at this time was working for New York crime kingpin Joe Masseria. When Luciano organized a plot to murder Masseria, his loyal friend Adonis was one of the four gunmen (along with Bugsy Siegel, Vito Genovese, and Albert Anastasia) to carry out the job on April 15, 1931.
Adonis and Luciano went on to murder another underground crime lord, Salvatore Maranzano (Masseria’s archrival). With two of the biggest New York Mafia bosses dead, Luciano created the National Crime Syndicate, which united the top Mafia gangs across the United States and placed Adonis on its board of directors. In his new position Adonis became extremely powerful, with politicians and members of the police force on his payroll. With his newfound power and influence, Adonis found himself ruling Broadway and midtown Manhattan but kept his headquarters in his Brooklyn restaurant, Joe’s Italian Kitchen. Adonis continued to build his multimillion-dollar empire through illegal alcohol sales, prostitution, and cigarette sales. He bought several car dealerships across New Jersey, where his customers were coerced into buying ten-thousand-dollar insurance policies.
After World War II, Luciano was deported to Italy, never to set foot in the United States again. With Luciano out of the picture, Adonis took over the National Crime Syndicate, keeping a low profile and remaining unknown to the federal authorities. When his connections and control in underground crime became apparent and it was discovered that Adonis had never become a naturalized U.S. citizen, he agreed to be deported back to Italy in 1953 to avoid jail time. Adonis sailed home in luxury, with millions of dollars, to a villa awaiting him outside Naples.
In 1972 Italy began a crackdown on organized crime and set out to arrest all known members of the Mafia. Adonis was pulled from his villa on November 26, 1972, and taken to an undisclosed location to be questioned. It was during the excruciating interrogation that Adonis suffered a fatal heart attack. He received a small funeral attended by immediate family and was buried in Madonna Cemetery, Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Legal Action and Outcome
In 1946, former mobster Abe Reles became a federal informant and told the government about Adonis and his power across the United States in underground crime. Realizing the mounting problem organized crime was presenting, the United States organized the Kefauver Committee, which sat from 1950 through 1951, composed of senators who were responsible for examining the underground crime epidemic. Adonis was brought before the committee and questioned extensively. Although he pleaded the Fifth Amendment to all questions and avoided jail time, he was suddenly closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, culminating in his deportation in 1953.
Impact
The growing difficulty presented by Joe Adonis and organized crime forced the U.S. government to take action. Through the Kefauver Committee, senators were able to explore the world of organized crime, uncover and interrogate its key criminals, and develop strategies to handle the existing dangers and prevent further issues from arising. As a result of the hearings, the government gained a deep understanding of the power and danger organized crime possessed, and Joe Adonis and many principal criminals were identified and monitored. The Kefauver Committee put Adonis in the spotlight, letting him know that his movements were watched and that actions against him and his activities were being taken.
Court hearings and the press placed Adonis, as well as other mob bosses and key Mafia figures, in the spotlight and also romanticized them in popular culture. They became recurring subjects in literature and films throughout the first half of the twentieth century, as did their slang and dress styles. Adonis and the Mafia embodied the image of toughness during this time and were elevated to celebrity status.
Bibliography
Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Davis provides a good foundation that traces and explains the beginnings of the Sicilian Mafia in New York.
Downey, Patrick. Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld, 1900-1935. Fort Lee, N.J.: Barricade Books, 2004. A thorough and concise history of early Mafia bosses and kingpins. Offers the reader a well-researched chronology of the New York Mafia.
Reppetto, Thomas. American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power. New York: Henry Holt, 2004. Provides a clear time line, showing the mob’s humble beginnings in the boroughs of New York to the national Kefauver Committee trials in the 1950’s.
Turkus, Burton B., and Sid Feder. Murder Inc.: The Story of the “Syndicate.” Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2003. A comprehensive history of Mafia dealings and also a thoroughly researched book which explores, explains, and clears up myths about the mob.