Ernesto Rossi (gangster)
Encyclopedia
Ernest "Hoppy" Rossi was a follower of Frankie Yale
and friend and associate of Al Capone
before he moved from Brooklyn
to Chicago
.
, Italy
.
and was a friend and associate of Al Capone
when he lived in Brooklyn.
Rossi was described by police as having a police record "as long as your arm", and by Auguest 1929, had been arrested four times without being convicted of a crime.
bearing the license plate "2-Z-2950" as it was stopped in front of the home of Police Captain Lewis J. Valentine at 1650 68th Street in Brooklyn. Witnesses stated three reports, at first taken as engine backfires, were heard and then two men leaped from the rear seat and ran down 68th Street. When found, he was slumped over the steering wheel with six gunshot wounds, all from the rear. The motor of the car was still running with clutch disengaged and one rear door hanging open, indicating the car had come to a stop before the shooting.
, boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family
, two days before. Rossi was not seen as an important enough figure to be a target, but some past associates of Frankie Yale
were murdered after the Masseria murder.
An alternate explanation is that the murder was the result of a personal feud with Cattilo Grimaldi of 114 12th Street. Police believe Ernest had a hand in the shooting and wounding of Cattilo a month prior to his death.
Frankie Yale
Francesco Ioele , better known as Frankie Uale or Frankie Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster and original employer of Al Capone before the latter moved to Chicago...
and friend and associate of Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
before he moved from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Birth and early life
Ernest was born on May 27, 1903 to parents Pasquale Rossi and Anna Costa at 250 Mott Street. Immigration ship manifests show that his parents were recent immigrants to New York City from NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Criminal background
According to police, Rossi had a long police record and was described as a "gangster and racketeer". He was a known follower of Frankie YaleFrankie Yale
Francesco Ioele , better known as Frankie Uale or Frankie Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster and original employer of Al Capone before the latter moved to Chicago...
and was a friend and associate of Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
when he lived in Brooklyn.
Rossi was described by police as having a police record "as long as your arm", and by Auguest 1929, had been arrested four times without being convicted of a crime.
Death
On April 17, 1931, Rossi was shot and killed in a CadillacCadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
bearing the license plate "2-Z-2950" as it was stopped in front of the home of Police Captain Lewis J. Valentine at 1650 68th Street in Brooklyn. Witnesses stated three reports, at first taken as engine backfires, were heard and then two men leaped from the rear seat and ran down 68th Street. When found, he was slumped over the steering wheel with six gunshot wounds, all from the rear. The motor of the car was still running with clutch disengaged and one rear door hanging open, indicating the car had come to a stop before the shooting.
Motive and legacy
There is disagreement over whether Rossi's murder was a reprisal killing for the murder of Joe MasseriaJoe Masseria
Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria was an early Mafia don in the United States. He was boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family, one of the New York Mafia's Five Families, from 1922 to 1931.-Early days:...
, boss of what is now called the Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
, two days before. Rossi was not seen as an important enough figure to be a target, but some past associates of Frankie Yale
Frankie Yale
Francesco Ioele , better known as Frankie Uale or Frankie Yale, was a Brooklyn gangster and original employer of Al Capone before the latter moved to Chicago...
were murdered after the Masseria murder.
An alternate explanation is that the murder was the result of a personal feud with Cattilo Grimaldi of 114 12th Street. Police believe Ernest had a hand in the shooting and wounding of Cattilo a month prior to his death.