Antonio (Tony) Ripepi could best be categorized as an old-line “Mustache Pete” type mafioso. One who adhered closely to the old-world tenets of the brotherhood back in Calabria.
Antonio (Tony) Ripepi – was born in Southern Italy in 1902 in the province of Reggio Calabria. By the age of 19, he had immigrated to the U.S., arriving in New York harbor aboard a ship on July 23, 1921. He would settle into the Pittsburgh area where he had many fellow Calabrian “amici.”
He later wisely became a naturalized American citizen on April 2, 1931.
Side Note: Becoming an American citizen protected him from any possible future deportation proceedings.
Ripepi resided for years in a modest home at 4720 Brownsville Road in the Whitehall section of Pittsburgh. He was married with at least three children and also had several nephews he watched over.
He had two sons named Philip and Anthony Ripepi. Both attended the prestigious Valley Forge Military Academy with the son of boss John LaRocca and the sons of other top Pittsburgh mob figures. I believe one of them became a noted practicing physician in Pennsylvania.
