Frank Ippolito was a longtime soldier of the Santo Trafficante Family in Tampa, Florida. He was a central player in the Tampa family’s control over the area’s gambling rackets.
He was specifically said to be involved in helping to oversee large-scale horse and sports bookmaking, an Italian lottery racket, and a major Bolita lottery operation said to be very popular among Tampa’s many Cuban immigrants.
Frank Ippolito – Early Life
Frank (Cowboy) Ippolito – aka Francesco Ippolito Jr. (TN) – was born on April 16, 1921, in Tampa, Florida.
He was one ten children born to Sicilian immigrants Francesco and Mattia (nee’ Cacciatore) Ippolito. He was raised and reared in Tampa.