Frank James Burke
Encyclopedia
Frank James Burke-Conway (Rockaway, Queens
c. 1960/61 - May 18, 1987 Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
, United States
) was a Gambino crime family
mob associate and the son of mobster Jimmy Burke.
(1990), his father is portrayed by Robert DeNiro and his mother, "Mickey Conway", is portrayed by Julie Garfield. In The Big Heist
, he is portrayed by actor Jamie Harris
as "Frankie Burke".
and members of the Lucchese crime family
were deemed his "uncles" and "aunts". This included "uncles" Henry Hill, Anthony Stabile, Thomas DeSimone
and Angelo Sepe and "aunts" like Theresa Ferrara
and Karen Hill. When he was born, Francis James, like his brother and two sisters, adopted a hyphenated last name: Conway, the last name of their unidentified paternal grandmother; and Burke, the last name of the kind adoptive family that cared for his father during his years as a troubled adolescent.
Like his father, he was a career criminal and a suspect in the famous Lufthansa heist
. He was the older brother of Bonanno crime family
associate Jesse James Burke born c. 1960 and Catherine, who was wed to the mobster Anthony Indelicato
in 1992 and another daughter who remains unidentified. As of 2006 Catherine is still living in Howard Beach, Queens
, New York
.
Frank James was said to have a striking physical resemblance to his father. His father named him after the famous American outlaw
Frank James
; his brother was named for Jesse James
. When Bonanno soldier and enforcer Frankie Saggio years later asked Frank's brother, Jesse James Burke, why their father named them after the notorious outlaws, Jesse said "Because he thought it was funny."
(NYPD) in front of 1043 Liberty Avenue in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
at 2:30 a.m. on May 18, 1987. He had been shot multiple times. He was the last of several suspects in the Lufthansa heist murder of Angelo John Sepe to be found murdered. The remaining witnesses or participants were his father, Jimmy Burke (who was imprisoned for murder), Paul Vario
(who was in prison for racketeering), and three others who had disappeared into the Witness Protection Program by this time: Henry Hill, Lufthansa
Air John F. Kennedy International Airport
employees Louis Werner, and Peter Gruenwald. Frank's death was not suspected to be related to mob activity, but was attributed to a fight in a bar. A drug dealer named Tito Ortiz (not to be confused with Tito Ortiz
, the mixed martial arts
fighter) was arrested for Burke's murder and later convicted.
.
Rockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
c. 1960/61 - May 18, 1987 Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. It is abutted on the west by Bushwick and on the east, across the Brooklyn–Queens border, by...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) was a Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino 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 group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
mob associate and the son of mobster Jimmy Burke.
Mob relations
Burke was the first of three children of Jimmy Burke, also known as Jimmy The Gent and "Mickey", born in 1960 or 1961, the dates vary on the sources given. In GoodfellasGoodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
(1990), his father is portrayed by Robert DeNiro and his mother, "Mickey Conway", is portrayed by Julie Garfield. In The Big Heist
The Big Heist
The Big Heist is an American television movie which aired in 2001, on the A&E Television Networks.The film portrays the events of the 1978 Lufthansa Heist. The events and characters depicted in the film were also the subject of the much more well-known 1990 film Goodfellas, directed by Martin...
, he is portrayed by actor Jamie Harris
Jamie Harris (actor)
Jamie Harris is an English actor. He is the son of actor Richard Harris and socialite Elizabeth Rees-Williams. His two brothers are actor Jared Harris and director Damian Harris.-Life and career:...
as "Frankie Burke".
Biography
Since his father, James, had no family or relatives, the Vario CrewThe Vario Crew
The Vario Crew is a group operating within the Lucchese crime family. It was once controlled by powerful Capo Paul Vario from the early 1950s into the early 1980s, when Vario and Jimmy Burke were betrayed by Henry Hill. Hill betrayed the crew by testifying against many members and his life-story...
and members of the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese 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 family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
were deemed his "uncles" and "aunts". This included "uncles" Henry Hill, Anthony Stabile, Thomas DeSimone
Thomas DeSimone
Thomas "Two-Gun Tommy" Anthony DeSimone was an Italian-American gangster and associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York. Also known as "Tommy D" or "Tommy Two-Guns", he was a grandson and nephew of Los Angeles mob bosses Rosario DeSimone and Frank DeSimone...
and Angelo Sepe and "aunts" like Theresa Ferrara
Theresa Ferrara
Theresa Ferrara an Italian-American born in the Five Towns area of Long Island, New York. She worked with Lucchese crime family associates, and eventually became an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation . Ferrara was a distant relative of New Orleans crime family boss Carlos Marcello...
and Karen Hill. When he was born, Francis James, like his brother and two sisters, adopted a hyphenated last name: Conway, the last name of their unidentified paternal grandmother; and Burke, the last name of the kind adoptive family that cared for his father during his years as a troubled adolescent.
Like his father, he was a career criminal and a suspect in the famous Lufthansa heist
Lufthansa heist
The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil...
. He was the older brother of Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno 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 ....
associate Jesse James Burke born c. 1960 and Catherine, who was wed to the mobster Anthony Indelicato
Anthony Indelicato
Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato , also known as "Bruno", "Whack-Whack" and "Anthony Indelligado" is a capo with the Bonanno crime family in New York City,-Biography:...
in 1992 and another daughter who remains unidentified. As of 2006 Catherine is still living in Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach is a suburban neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, the east by 102nd-104th streets, and the west by 78th...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Frank James was said to have a striking physical resemblance to his father. His father named him after the famous American outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
Frank James
Frank James
Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...
; his brother was named for Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
. When Bonanno soldier and enforcer Frankie Saggio years later asked Frank's brother, Jesse James Burke, why their father named them after the notorious outlaws, Jesse said "Because he thought it was funny."
Entry into organized crime
It is also suspected by Henry Hill that Jimmy Burke used Frank as a "stickup man" in the Lufthansa heist. The police later named him as one of the top suspects but was eventually ignored. The constant verbal and physical abuse from his father was seen as a way to turn him to become an informant against his father. These attempts were unsuccessful.Death
The body of Frank James Burke was found by the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
(NYPD) in front of 1043 Liberty Avenue in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn
Cypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. It is abutted on the west by Bushwick and on the east, across the Brooklyn–Queens border, by...
at 2:30 a.m. on May 18, 1987. He had been shot multiple times. He was the last of several suspects in the Lufthansa heist murder of Angelo John Sepe to be found murdered. The remaining witnesses or participants were his father, Jimmy Burke (who was imprisoned for murder), Paul Vario
Paul Vario
Paul Vario was a caporegime of a crew in the Lucchese crime family. In the 1970s Vario held the position of consigliere in the family but later resigned. In 1980, longtime associate Henry Hill became a government witness and testified against Vario and members of his crew...
(who was in prison for racketeering), and three others who had disappeared into the Witness Protection Program by this time: Henry Hill, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
Air John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
employees Louis Werner, and Peter Gruenwald. Frank's death was not suspected to be related to mob activity, but was attributed to a fight in a bar. A drug dealer named Tito Ortiz (not to be confused with Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
, the mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter) was arrested for Burke's murder and later convicted.
Exclusion from Goodfellas
During the production of Goodfellas, Catherine Burke, the sister of Frank James, threatened to attempt to force the production company to pay $100,000 for the use of the name Burke, so they used Conway, which was her father's birth name instead. Catherine is suspected of being the one who saw to it that her late brother was excluded totally from the film.. However, this may also be a decision made by director Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
.