| Charles Fischetti | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 24, 1901 |
| Died | April 11, 1951 |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Occupation | Mobster |
| Spouse | Ann Fischetti |
| Relatives | Rocco Fischetti (brother) Al Capone (cousin) |
Charles "Trigger Happy" Fischetti (March 24, 1901 – April 11, 1951) was a Chicago mobster who was Al Capone's bodyguard and cousin.
Early life
Charles Fischetti was born on March 24, 1901. His mother was named Mary. He had a brother, Nicholas, who was a dentist, and two other brothers, Rocco and Joseph, who were alleged criminals. He was a cousin of Al Capone.
Career
Fischetti started his career as Al Capone's chauffeur in South Brooklyn. In the 1920s, he helped Capone spread his business in Cicero, Illinois. Fischetti attended the 1946 Havana Conference of Cosa Nostra leaders and received the murder contract on Bugsy Siegel. Fischetti was also good friends with singers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, the former as early as the 1940s. Upon Al Capone's death in 1947, Fischetti reportedly inherited his mob investments.
Fischetti was called a notorious Chicago gangster in the FBI files. With his brother Rocco, he surrendered April 2, 1951, to the sergeant-at-arms of the United States Senate having been sought to testify before the Senate Crime Investigating Committee (Kefauver committee). Charles Fischetti died nine days later, before he could testify.
Personal life and death
Fischetti had a wife, Ann. They resided in Miami Beach, Florida.
Fischetti died of a heart attack on April 11, 1951, in Miami Beach, Florida. $30,000 worth of flowers in seven cars were sent to his funeral, which was held at Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church at 561 Carroll Street in Brooklyn. It was attended by 1,500 relatives, most of them women. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle suggested they may have been the wives of organized crime associates. Meanwhile, there were also 12 policemen in uniform and 20 in plainclothes. Fischetti was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City.
References
- Chandler, J. D. (2001) "Frank Sinatra and the Mob" Archived January 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Crime Magazine
- ^ "$30,000 Flowers at Fischetti Rites: Seven Auto Loads Accompany Capone Heir To Cemetery--Underworld Pals Absent". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 16, 1951. pp. 1, 9. Retrieved October 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Death Claims Fischetti, Key In Underworld". The Evening Review. East Liverpool, Ohio. April 11, 1951. p. 7. Retrieved October 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- son of Ralph Capone, Al Capone's brother, Federal Bureau of Investigation "Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts Release of Frank Sinatra File # 174-304", part 2b page 14, accessed October 29, 2009
- ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation "Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts Release of Frank Sinatra File # 174-304", part 2b page 14, accessed October 29, 2009
- ^ "Underworld Leader Dies At Luxurious Miami Beach Home". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. April 11, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved October 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ AP (April 11, 1951) "Charles Fischetti, Gangland Overlord, Dies in Florida" Corpus Christi Times page 11, column 1
