Genovese Capo - Petey DeFeo

A top Genovese member for the forum. He was an old-time capo from Mulberry Street by the name of Pete DeFeo. He was also one of Vito’s top men for decades. I think you’ll enjoy our bio on him.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/2021/02/14/pietro-petey-defeo/

Next up, caporegime Lawrence (Larry Black) Centore

Wasn't his nephew murdered along with his family up in Amityville? The nephew's son supposedly went nuts and murdered everybody

I have heard rumor that also.

And not that I have one thread of proof either way, But that claim always struck me funny.

I believe it was around 1968-69 that those events in Amityville took place. And Petey Defeo was in the news a lot in that era. And I feel like some reporter just linked the two up.

DeFeo is a fairly common Italian surname. And my gut tells me its false, and just gained momentum once it was put out there.

Who knows?

I believe Ronald DeFeo had slaughtered his entire family in that incident.

I think you have Alex Morelli mixed up with Tony Morelli from Staten Island.

DeFeo was an old timer. Ran the banana pier. Often held meetings at cuomo cheese shop on mulberry st.

Brescio was a constant presence on mulberry st. Wore his tie wrapped around his neck but never actually tied in a knot. His son took over Lombardis pizza, and I see people write he’s a capo. Who knows if true

You know what TSNYC, I think you're absolutely correct about the Morelli's. Black Alex was indeed with DeFeo. But he wasn't involved with the gas to the best of my knowledge.

But the Gambino member Anthony (Fat Tony) Morelli definitely was! In fact he even got pinched for it I think. And I think Pep was partnered with him. I went from memory off that and mixed them up.

I will adjust my biography of DeFeo to reflect that.

Thanks for that. Excellent catch!

Yep thats true. I just read that he told the police that a "hooded figure with blacks hands" handed him a rifle lol. Kid was totally psycho

I'm pretty sure a lot of the guys Martin Scorsese spent time around growing up were a part of this crew. In the Mean Streets special features there's a documentary where they interview some of Scorsese's friends growing up in Little Italy, one of them is named "Morelli", and he said his father was in the mob. I've looked at several charts of this crew and "Black Alex" Morelli is the only Morelli I ever see in there. There was also someone named DeFeo always posting on Scorsese's instagram account and asking Scorsese if he knew his "grandfather" Peter.

Regrettably, I cannot source what I'm about to say, but I do recall having read about the Amityville Horror (it may have been an issue of Skeptic or Skeptical Inquirer) that this is in fact true - Peter DeFeo was related to the family. Furthermore, I recall reading that when the murders happened the NYPD did question him on the subject and in addition to an airtight alibi himself, they could further see right away that he was so genuinely stunned, confused and saddened at the whole affair that the police quickly surmised there was no mob connection to the murder at all and dropped that line of inquiry entirely.

It's a good lesson in rushing to judgement; much like after the Cali "hit" everyone jumped on speculation that Gene Gotti being recently paroled must surely have been behind it. Sometimes its hard to accept that even mob connected guys have to live in this world with the rest of us, and among us are some real nut jobs. Play the odds and every once in a while even a hardened mobster can find himself victim (or in proximity thereof) of a crazy nut.

The Amityville Horror is a genuine tragedy, and whatever Peter DeFeo's sins in this life, you wouldn't wish it on him or anyone. But I believe this is, in fact, true. I'm sorry I can't offer the source.

I agree. It just doesn't seem like a mob hit.

I remember Pete DeFeo because he lost control of Bronx Carpenters Local 17 to Barney in 1987 after a dispute and retired shortly after. Barney was close to the administration and a big earner for the family while Pete was 85 year old's and well past retirement age.

Ronald DeFeo who committed the Amityville murders died in prison recently. https://www.rollingstone.com/cultur...rror-murderer-ronald-defeo-dead-1142644/

100%. Also believe Pete’s nephew at one point was the head of LIRA. Think if Pete kept pushing he would have been murdered by Ralph Coppola w the Chins Ok....