Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli (June 13, 1911 in Eboli, Italy - July 16, 1972 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn) was a New York City mobster, known for being the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.
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Born Tommaso Eboli, little is known about his early life other than that he was born in Eboli, Italy on June 13, 1911.
Eboli was arrested in 1933 for six counts of illegal gambling and disorderly conduct. During his entire criminal career, Eboli reportedly only spent 60 days in prison for assaulting boxing referee Ray Miller for making what Eboli considered was a bad call by declaring Ernie Durando the victor over Eboli's fighter Rocky Castellani. Eboli's subsequent outburst caused him to be banned from boxing activities.
He is the father of Genovese crime family mobster Thomas Eboli Jr. and Chicago Outfit mobster Louis "The Mooch" Eboli, and the brother of Colombo crime family capo Pasquale "Patty Ryan" Eboli. Lucchese crime family boss Thomas Gagliano was the cousin of his chauffeur and bodyguard Dominick Alongi, all three of whom were among the many mobsters arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and police while fleeing the famous 1957 Apalachin Meeting.
In 1931, the murders of Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, ended the bloody Castellammarese War among the New York gangs. Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, the pre-eminent mob boss of this era, created the Commission, which consisted of all the heads of the Five Families of New York, the Chicago Outfit, and representatives of other crime families. Luciano became the chairman of this commission. Eboli, who had been with Luciano since the beginning of Prohibition, became the personal bodyguard for Luciano's Underboss, Vito "Don Vito" Genovese sometime in the early 1930s.
In 1936, after Luciano's imprisonment, his Consigliere Frank Costello became acting boss of the family, much to Genovese's disappointment. Luciano was deported to Italy in 1946 and it soon became clear that Costello was the permanent boss of the Luciano Crime Family.
In 1957, Genovese eventually organized a murder attempt on Costello, who was shot in the head, but survived and decided to retire from La Cosa Nostra that same year. Eboli soon turned as Caporegime of the new Genovese crime family, taking over the old Genovese crew in the late 1950s. In 1959, Genovese was arrested for drug trafficking and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, again shuffling the family leadership.
From 1959, Eboli was promoted to the acting boss position, with Gerardo "Jerry" Catena as underboss and Michele "Big Mike" Miranda as consigliere, with Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo as Eboli's top aide. At the same time, Caporegime Philip Lombardo was to have a final say in things. These men were known as the "Committee/Ruling Panel", and were in charge of the Genovese crime family throughout the 1950s.
After the death of Genovese in 1969 and the indictment of Gerardo Catena in 1970, Eboli became the official acting boss of the Genovese family, although Philip Lombardo and Michele Miranda were really in charge of the Genovese crime family, and Eboli was just a cover for the authorities. As Eboli wanted to be the real head of the Genovese crime family, he borrowed $4 million from the Commission chairman and head of the rival Gambino crime family, Carlo Gambino to fund a new drug trafficking operation.
Eboli continued as the "front boss" of the family for two more years, during which time U.S. authorities arrested most of the Eboli crew, and shut down their drug operation. Allegedly, Gambino crime family leaders Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano came to get a refund only days later, only to find that Eboli didn't have the money to pay them back. On July 16, 1972 at around 1:00 a.m., as Eboli was leaving the apartment of a girlfriend in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, just as he reached his car, he was shot five times and died immediately. No one was ever arrested for his murder. Reportedly, Gambino organized his murder so that his friend Genovese Caporegime Frank "Funzi" Tieric could become boss of the Genovese crime family. Some even believe that the entire drug trafficking operation had been a setup by Carlo Gambino from the beginning.
Eboli was buried at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.[1]
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vito Genovese |
Genovese crime family Acting boss 1959-1965? |
Succeeded by Philip Lombardo as boss (effective) |
| Preceded by Vito Genovese |
Genovese crime family Front boss 1959-1972 |
Succeeded by Frank Tieri |
mugshot of Thomas Eboli]]
Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli (June 13, 1911 in Naples, Italy - July 16, 1972 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn) was a New York City mobster, known for being the acting boss of the Genovese crime family.
Contents |
Born Tommaso Eboli to Louis and Madalena Maddalone in the city of Scisciano, little is known about his early life other than that he was born in Scisciano, Italy on June 13, 1911. He stood at 5'10 and weighed 165 pounds. He sported a tattoo on his right arm. He became a naturalized citizen of New York City on August 27, 1960. He was married to Anna Ariola who lived in Melrose Park, Illinois. He later separated from his wife without divorcing and lived with Mary Perello who bore him two daughters, Madelena, Mary Ann and a son Saverio. He adapted the nickname "Tommy Ryan" to hide his Italian heritage, taking the name of New York boxer and manager Tommy Ryan who was responsible for training Dominick Cirillo.
Eboli was arrested in 1933 for six counts of illegal gambling and disorderly conduct. During his entire criminal career, Eboli reportedly only spent 60 days in prison for assaulting boxing referee Ray Miller for making what Eboli considered was a bad call by declaring Ernie Durando the victor over Eboli's fighter Rocky Castellani. Eboli's subsequent outburst caused him to be banned from boxing activities.
He is the father of Genovese crime family mobster Thomas Eboli Jr. and Chicago Outfit mobster Louis "The Mooch" Eboli, and the brother of Colombo crime family capo Pasquale "Patty Ryan" Eboli. Lucchese crime family boss Thomas Gagliano was the cousin of his chauffeur and bodyguard Dominick Alongi, all three of whom were among the many mobsters arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and police while fleeing the famous 1957 Apalachian Meeting.
In 1931, the murders of Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, ended the bloody Castellammarese War among the New York gangs. Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, the pre-eminent mob boss of this era, created the Commission, which consisted of all the heads of the Five Families of New York, the Chicago Outfit, and representatives of other crime families. Luciano became the chairman of this commission. Eboli, who had been with Luciano since the beginning of Prohibition, became the personal bodyguard for Luciano's Underboss, Vito "Don Vito" Genovese sometime in the early 1930s.
In 1936, after Luciano's imprisonment, his Consigliere Frank Costello became acting boss of the family, much to Genovese's disappointment. Luciano was deported to Italy in 1946 and it soon became clear that Costello was the permanent boss of the Luciano Crime Family.
In 1957, Genovese eventually organized a murder attempt on Costello, who was shot in the head, but survived and decided to retire from La Cosa Nostra that same year. Eboli soon turned as Caporegime of the new Genovese crime family, taking over the old Genovese crew in the late 1950s. In 1959, Genovese was arrested for drug trafficking and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, again shuffling the family leadership.
From 1959, Eboli was promoted to the acting boss position, with Gerardo "Jerry" Catena as underboss and Michele "Big Mike" Miranda as consigliere, with Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo as Eboli's top aide. At the same time, Caporegime Philip Lombardo was to have a final say in things. These men were known as the "Committee/Ruling Panel", and were in charge of the Genovese crime family throughout the 1950s.
After the death of Genovese in 1969 and the indictment of Gerardo Catena in 1970, Eboli became the official acting boss of the Genovese family, although Philip Lombardo and Michele Miranda were really in charge of the Genovese crime family, and Eboli was just a cover for the authorities. As Eboli wanted to be the real head of the Genovese crime family, he borrowed $4 million from the Commission chairman and head of the rival Gambino crime family, Carlo Gambino to fund a new drug trafficking operation.
Eboli continued as the "front boss" of the family for two more years, during which time U.S. authorities arrested most of the Eboli crew, and shut down their drug operation. Allegedly, Gambino crime family leaders Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano came to get a refund only days later, only to find that Eboli didn't have the money to pay them back. On July 16, 1972 at around 1:00 a.m., as Eboli was leaving the apartment of a girlfriend in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, just as he reached his car, he was shot five times and died immediately. No one was ever arrested for his murder. Reportedly, Gambino organized his murder so that his friend Genovese Caporegime Frank "Funzi" Tieri could become boss of the Genovese crime family. Some even believe that the entire drug trafficking operation had been a setup by Carlo Gambino from the beginning.
Eboli was buried at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.[1]
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vito Genovese | Genovese crime family Acting boss 1959-1965? | Succeeded by Philip Lombardo as boss (effective) |
| Preceded by Vito Genovese | Genovese crime family Front boss 1959-1972 | Succeeded by Frank Tieri |
   | Browse by Cemetery: George Washington Memorial Park - Find A Grave - George Washington Memorial Park |
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