Joseph Ardizzone: Difference between revisions

'''Joseph "Joe Iron Man" Ardizzone''' (born '''Giuseppe Ernesto Ardizzone'''; {{IPA-|it|dʒuˈzɛppe erˈnɛsto arditˈtsoːne}}; November 19, 1884 – disappeared October 15, 1931, [[Dead in absentia|declared dead]] 1938) was an Italian-born early American [[mobster]], who became the first [[Boss (crime)|Boss]] of the [[Los Angeles crime family]]. He was involved in a long-standing feud with the Matranga family. He once claimed to have killed 30 men.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Furriel|first1=Vincent J.|title=Organized Crime: History and Control|date=1976|publisher=Chancellor's Office, California Community Colleges|page=97|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IvaAAAAMAAJ&q=di+ciolla}}</ref>

During his time as boss [[Prohibition]] was active and many, if not most, Mafiosi were involved in [[rum-running|bootlegging]]. The Los Angeles Family was certainly active during this time period. On November 25, 1929, Los Angeles businessman Frank Baumgarteker "vanished" from Los Angeles. Ardizzone and his cousin Frank Borgia were suspects in Baumgarteker's disappearance<ref>[https://mafiagenealogy.com/2022/07/01/what-happened-to-frank-borgia/ What Happened to Frank Borgia. Accessed 12/20/2023]</ref> Tony Buccola of the rival Matranga crime family hinted he knew who had caused his friends Baumgarteker "disappearencedisappearance"; Buccola himself "vanished' May 6, 1930 from VeniceLos Angles, California-the only trace of him was his wrecked car found May 8, 1930 in Venice California.<ref>[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19300526.1.8&srpos=1&e=------193-en--20--1--txt-txIN-Buccola+salesman-------San Bernardino Sun, Volume 66, Number 87, 26 May 1930 CalidorniaCalifornia Digital newspaper Archive Accessed 12/20/2023]</ref> On Sept 15, 1930 Joseph W Neuman of San Bernardo who owned a bottling company and was a partner of Baumgarteker dared his wife to "race " him in their separate cars to their home; his wife found her husband car in the driveway with the doors open and the keys still inside<ref>[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19300926.1.11&srpos=4&e=------193-en--20-SBS-1--txt-txIN-Joseph+W.+Neuman+-------San Bernardino Sun, Volume 67, Number 26, 26 September 1930 California Digital newspaper Archive Accessed 06/30/2024]</ref> a bootlegger named Joe Porrazo vanished 3 June 1930<ref>[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=WPJ19300603.1.2&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- Wilmington Press Journal, Volume 4, Number 216, 3 June 1930 California Digital newspaper Archive Accessed 06/30/2024]</ref>

It was also during this time that a faction developed that opposed Ardizzone. In March 1931 he was driving with his friend Vincenzo "Jimmy" Basile when gunmen drove by and shot at them. Basile was killed and Ardizzone wounded.<ref>[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19310323.2.101&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Jimmy+Basile+killed------- San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 4, Number 15, 23 March 1931 (CalidorniaCalifornia Digital Newspaper Collection) Accessed 12/20/2023]</ref> Ardizzone managed to be taken to the house of Leon DeSimone, the physician son of former L.A. don [[Rosario DeSimone]]. He was treated and sent to a hospital. A second attempt was made on his life in the hospital, so his family came to act as bodyguards. Underworld sources indicated that he agreed to retire after these incidents.

The opposing faction apparently did not believe Ardizzone, and on October 15, 1931, while on his way to his cousin Nick Borgia's house in [[Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga, California|Etiwanda]], driving a 1930 Ford Coupe SRW7653 and carrying a .41 caliber Colt revolver No.323 he was last seen picking up a man who had waved at him.<ref>[https://npaper2.com/foothill/2016/10/09/#?article=941304 Foothills Reader 10-09-2016 Article "From Black hand to Mafia-the mystery of Iron Man" citing Testimony of Ardizzone wife attorney F.W. Morrison. Accessed 12/20/2023]</ref> Joseph Ardizzone "disappeared". An intense search followed, but his body was never found.<ref>[https://www.writersofwrongs.com/2019/10/wealthy-los-angeles-area-mafia-leader.html Wealthy Los Angeles-area Mafia leader vanishes]</ref> After seven years, Ardizzone's wife had him declared legally dead.<ref>State of California, ''Final report of the Special Crime Study Commission on Organized Crime'' (Sacramento, 1953).</ref> Police could not prove but only speculate that the four missing men in 1929 and 1930 could be connected to Ardizzone's vanishment.

[[Category:Prohibition-eraAmerican gangsters of the interwar period]]