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Robert Vanella

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Italian-American crime figure and businessman
Robert Vanella
Born(1879-05-15)May 15, 1879
New York City, U.S.
DiedMay 10, 1928(1928-05-10) (aged 48)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Queens, New York City, U.S.
Other namesMayor of James Street, Roxie, Rocco Vanella, Rocco Venille
Occupation(s)Mobster, funeral director
Conviction(s)Second degree murder (1908)
Criminal penalty50 years' imprisonment; released after six years
Wedding Photo of Robert Vanella and Sadie Faranda, July 24, 1921
Vanella's Funeral Chapel at 29 Madison Street (June 2018)

Robert "Roxie" Vanella (May 15, 1879 – May 10, 1928) was an American crime figure of Italian descent. He was associated with Johnny Torrio, Big Jim Colosimo, Frankie Yale and Al Capone during the Prohibition era. In his later years, Vanella became a businessman and union organizer operating from the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City, where he became fondly known as the "Mayor of James Street."

Early life

Vanella was born and raised at 68 James Street in Manhattan to Giuseppe Vanella and Gerarda Tramutola, both of whom hailed from Potenza in the Region of Basilicata, Italy. One of his neighbors was a young John Torrio, recently arrived to the United States with his widowed mother from Irsina, from the same region in the province of Matera, and whose stepfather was running an illegal moonshine still across the street from Vanella's home. By the time the two boys were teenagers they helped form the James Street Gang, an East River auxiliary for Paul Kelly's Five Points Gang.

Move to Montana and Murder Conviction

By 1907, Vanella and Torrio had parted ways and Vanella relocated to the American Midwest. On October 13, 1907, Vanella was arrested in Laurel, Montana and charged with the shooting death two days earlier of his roommate and associate, Raffaele Orasio (sometimes spelled Raffael Orasse). Vanella's trial began on January 22, 1908, at which a witness testified to having seen Vanella run down an alley with a coat over his arm after shots had been fired by police. On January 25, 1908, Vanella was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison at the Montana State Prison at Deer Lodge. However, a public campaign for Vanella's release was launched by his mother in New York and by socialite Ethel Eppstein of San Francisco, claiming that Vanella had been unfairly convicted entirely on circumstantial evidence. At the same time, the chief witness against Vanella, Louis Fava, was later found dead in Taft, Montana in September 1908. On December 24, 1913, Vanella received a Christmas Eve commutation of his sentence from Governor Sam V. Stewart to twelve years. In April 1914 Vanella was released on parole by the state board of pardons, having served only six years of his original 50-year sentence.

Second Brush with the Law in Chicago

Following his release from prison, Vanella moved to Chicago to reconnect with Torrio. A few months later, the two were implicated in the July 1914 death of Chicago Police Sergeant Stanley Birns, who was killed by friendly police fire during a vice raid. Newspapers at the time reported that Vanella was affiliated with the "Black Hand"—a pre-Mafia form of extortion attributed to Italian men from Calabria and Sicily who would send anonymous notes to their victims emblazoned with a feared old country symbol. The State's Attorney alleged that Vanella, identified as "Rocco Venille," had been hired by local property owners in a botched attempt to assassinate a senior vice police inspector. Charges were filed against Vanella, Torrio and fellow Chicago crime figure Jim Colosimo, but the cases were never brought to trial and Vanella returned to New York City.

Return to James Street

Upon returning to New York, Vanella turned himself into a successful and politically connected businessman and became known as the "Mayor of James Street." Over the next few years he organized and ultimately became president of the Ragpicker's Union, as well as a Democratic district captain on the Tammany Hall staff of Thomas F. "Big Tom" Foley. In 1918, Vanella and his younger brother, Vincenzo (Vincent) James Vanella, founded Vanella's Funeral Chapel at 27-29 Madison Street. While Vanella had no further legal entanglements he continued to publicly associate with crime figures such as Torrio and Brooklyn crime figure Frankie Yale.

In May 1921, Vanella met Rosario (Sadie) Faranda, the daughter of Antonio Faranda who owned Faranda & Sons in Laurel Hill, Long Island, while advising a client on a headstone. Two months later the two were married at an extravagant wedding ceremony at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joachim, at 22 Roosevelt Street, with over 150 vehicles and 1,000 guests. Torrio, who came in from Chicago to serve as Vanella's best man, reportedly travelled in a private train car with fifty of his own guests in tow.

Later years and death

Vanella and Faranda resided at 31 Madison Street and together had three daughters. Seven years after their wedding Vanella died on May 10, 1928, at the age of 48. He was interred at Vanella's Funeral Chapel and laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Queens following a funeral procession consisting of over 300 vehicles.

In 1940, more than ten years after Vanella's death, it was reported that he, Torrio, Al Capone, and Jack Cusick, were co-owners of a 28-acre plot of real estate in St. Petersburg, Florida that was seized by the Internal Revenue Service and sold at auction to satisfy Capone's tax delinquencies.

Vanella's Funeral Chapel

Vanella's Funeral Chapel continued in operation for nearly a century after its founding, together with a second location established on Long Beach Road in Oceanside, New York in 1965. Beginning in 2016, family infighting and litigation ultimately led to the closing of both chapels and a change in control of the family businesses. The Oceanside property was sold to a third party property developer in May 2017, and the property located at 27-29 Madison Street was sold in January 2019 for just under $8 million.

References

  1. "The Mayor of James Street: Robert "Roxie" Vanella". Infamous New York. September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. "The American Mafia - Early Calabrian Organized Crime". mafiahistory.us. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. "Johnny Torrio and His First Mob: The James Street Gang". Infamous New York. March 21, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. "Murderer is in Custody". The Billings Gazette. October 15, 1907.
  5. "Charged with foul murder; Information filed against Robert Vanella yesterday". The Billings Daily Gazette. November 1, 1907.
  6. "Vanella is well known member of Black Hand". The Anaconda Standard. October 20, 1907.
  7. "Shot Through the Heart at Billings". The Helena Semi-Weekly Independent. October 15, 1907.
  8. "Murder trial is commenced; Robert Vanella being tried in the district court". The Billings Gazette. January 24, 1908.
  9. "Vanella Case Goes to Jury". The Billings Gazette. January 24, 1908.
  10. "Fifty Years for Vanella". The Dillon Tribune. January 31, 1908.
  11. "Crimes". Big Timber Pioneer. February 6, 1908.
  12. "Beauty's Photo Brings Cheer to Cell Convict Sees Picture; Wins Her Aid". The Tacoma Times. July 10, 1912.
  13. "Revenge As Motive For Killing Fava". The Anaconda Standard. September 26, 1908.
  14. "Testified in trial; murdered by mafia". The La Crosse Tribune. September 26, 1908.
  15. "Warned Italian Dead Man". The Wibaux Pioneer. October 8, 1908.
  16. "Italian is Shot Down Causelessly". The Billings Daily Gazette. March 22, 1910.
  17. "Commutations for many unfortunates". The Anaconda Standard. December 25, 1913.
  18. "Bozeman News: No Record Here". The Anaconda Standard. July 22, 1914.
  19. "Accuses Venille As Plot Leader". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. July 22, 1914.
  20. "Grand jury will hear evidence; Regarding shooting of 4 policemen in Chicago's vice district; an imported gunman". The Newark Advocate. July 22, 1914.
  21. "First Shot Chicago Levee Fight Fired by Paroled Murdered from Billings". The Billings Gazette. July 22, 1914.
  22. "Hired gunman in Chicago shooting; state discovers the trail of the infamous Vanella in the Vice District". The Tulsa Democrat. July 22, 1914.
  23. "Alleges Plot to Kill Detectives". Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier. July 23, 1914.
  24. "Montana Man Accused; Fatal Riot in Chicago Caused by Montana Gunman". The River Press. July 29, 1914.
  25. "Montana Gunman Started Shooting in Chicago During Cleanup of Levee District". The Butte Miner. July 22, 1914.
  26. "Grand Jury to Hear of Vice District Plot". The Evening Star. July 22, 1914.
  27. "Montana Gunman Held in Chicago". Billings Daily Tribune. July 23, 1914.
  28. "Chicago Police Circles Stirred; Mysterious 'Man in Gray' Said to be New York Gunman Sent to Plot Against Inspector". The Ogden Standard. July 21, 1914.
  29. "Attorney Says Levee People Hired Gunman; Says They Imported Rocco Venille to Kill Morals Inspector". The Cairo Bulletin. July 24, 1914.
  30. "James Street Has a New 'Mayor' and He is a Hustler; Robert Vanella is Going to Make All His Neighbors Happy". The Evening World. April 7, 1919.
  31. "Banquet and Ring for Robt. Vanella". The Evening World. July 8, 1919.
  32. "East Side Pays Tribute at Bier of Young Wife". The New York Herald. November 8, 1920.
  33. "Rag sorters on strike". The Sun. March 31, 1919.
  34. "Social World". The Brooklyn Standard Union. April 27, 1920.
  35. "Miss Sadie Faranda to Wed Robert Vanella". The Brooklyn Standard Union. June 19, 1921.
  36. "Wedding Photo - Robert Vanella of New York and Miss Sadie Faranda of Brooklyn". The Brooklyn Standard Union. July 24, 1921.
  37. "All James Street Celebrates At Wedding of 'Mayor' Vanella". New York Tribune. July 4, 1921.
  38. "Surprise Party for Mr. and Mrs. Vanella". The Brooklyn Standard Union. April 16, 1922.
  39. "Death Notice--Robert Vanella". The Brooklyn Daily Times. May 12, 1928.
  40. "U.S. to Auction Capone Land for Taxes Today". St. Petersburg Times. March 28, 1940.
  41. "U.S. Sells Capone Land for Taxes". Daily News. March 29, 1940.
  42. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  43. Stevens, Edward (July 23, 1940). "Capone's Attorneys Lose First Round in $250,000 Local Suit Against Him". St. Petersburg Times.
  44. "Capone, Torrio Named in Foreclosure Action on 30-Acre Tract Here". St. Petersburg Times. October 5, 1945.
  45. "Prohibition-Era Funeral Home on Madison Street Hits the Market for $12.5M". Bowery Boogie. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  46. "Vanella's in Oceanside sold to development company". Herald Community Newspapers. May 18, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  47. "Halloween store replaces Oceanside funeral home". Herald Community Newspapers. September 21, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  48. "Vanella's Prohibition-Era Funeral Home Sells for $7.8M". Bowery Boogie. February 28, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  49. "Is this the Future of Vanella's Prohibition-Era Funeral Home on Madison Street?". Bowery Boogie. April 10, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
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