hey guys, does anyone have any knowledge of the deceased Joe 'junior' chilli. he used to operate out of staten island and manhattan/brooklyn primarily. he was a bonanno capo
Oh yeah...the chilly Chilli brothers.
Both of them were listed as official captains in the Bonanno Family but at different times. Joe "Junior" already around 1986 and Gerry later on in the early 1990s (this in spite of being imprisoned at the time). He is still listed as a captain today. I believe Gerry succeeded his older brother as crew leader.
Joe Junior was born in Manhattan July 7th, 1933. Gerry a year later. Their father, Joseph Chilli Sr, had passed away while the brothers were still teenagers. And Joe Jr took care of his mother and helped raise his younger sister, Francine, who saw him as a father figure.
In 1957 Joe Jr started to work as a seafood business executive at the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. He also owned a seafood store. He retired from this business in the late 1990s. According to his obituary, Joe Jr enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle, as well as cooking, listening to music and singing. He enjoyed life and good food and was described as a great father and son.
Joseph Chilli Jr died in June 2008.
According to Joseph Massino, Joe Chilli Jr was made in the same initiation ceremony in June 1977 as him and Anthony Spero.
To my knowledge, the Chilli brothers were first mentioned in the Donnie Brasco book. Lefty Ruggiero described them as big earners and explained to Pistone that they were members of Sonny Red´s crew. Later on, Greg Scarpa informed that the brothers were members of Anthony Spero´s crew (before Spero was named consigliere).
Gerry Chilli was convicted of fraudulent check charges in early 1980s and relesed in 1987. I think Pistone gave testimony against him, but I´m not sure.
In another "early" work, "Body Mike" by Thomas C. Renner (2nd edition published in 1990), the brothers were also mentioned. According to turncoat Joey Cantalupo, Gerry´s son (Joseph Gerald Chilli), was responsible for Cantalupo´s brother´s death during a brawl at a party. In 1979 a sitdown was arranged and a pledge was made to make Joseph Gerald Chilli (Gerry Chilli´s son) pay for the death of Cantalupo´s brother. In January of 1984, the dead body of Joseph Gerald Chilli was found in the trunk of a car. But it´s uncertain if this killing was a result of Cantalupo´s brother´s death five years ealier. The police wrote it off as a narcotics murder.
In 1989 Gerry Chilli, his brother Joseph Chilli Jr and his son Joseph Chilli III, were indicted on multiple racketeering charges. One of the charges was for trying to murder two men who they believed (according to the prosecutor) had killed Joseph Gerald Chilli.
Gerry Chilli seems ta have been aquitted of the murder charges but convicted and sentenced to a 9 year prison term for racketeering and gambling. His brother and nephew were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In 1995, while in prison, Gerry Chilli was again indicted. This time for running a credit card fraud. From his prison cell! He pleaded guilty on these charges.
Gerry Chilli was released in 2002, did another stint in prison in 2007 before being indicted again in 2008. And while still in jail, a new indictment was handed over in July 2011.
Description: Here´s a picture of young Gerry Chilli (in glasses) arriving at a street corner meeting. I think the man on the left is Lefty Ruggiero.