Matthew Joseph "Matty the Horse" Ianniello (June 18, 1920 – August 15, 2012) was a New York mobster with the Genovese crime family who was once the acting boss of the Genovese Crime Family. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ianniello controlled the lucrative adult entertainment business that was then centered in the Times Square section of Manhattan. Ianniello allegedly got his nickname "Matty The Horse" in a youth baseball game. Ianniello was a gifted player with a hard swing. During one game, the opposing pitcher threw a hard pitch into the face of the batter. A fight erupted in which Ianniello knocked down the pitcher, who was older and taller than him. After this episode, someone remarked about Ianniello: "That boy is as strong as a horse. wikipedia