Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi: The Wild and Unruly Brother of Johnny Dio

Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi was the younger brother of notorious Lucchese Family mobster Johnny Dio, who operated in New York City and later in South Florida. He had a reputation as a hotheaded loose cannon, but he ran many successful businesses and operations for the Family.

Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi -- aka Frank Dioguardia, Frank Sutera, and Whitey -- was born in 1917 on Forsythe Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

From 1939 through the mid-1950s, he resided alternately at 137-16 Rockaway Blvd, in South Ozone Park (1939), 138 Second Ave., in Manhattan (1940), 33-16 86 St., in Jackson Heights (1942), 145 West 86th St., in Manhattan (1945), 108-24 67th Dr., in Forest Hills (1946), and 107-25 93rd St., in Ozone Park (1954).

Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi

When he first moved to Florida around 1956, he initially resided at the Riverside Apts., 320 80th Street in Miami. Later, he relocated to 1021 N.E. 162nd Street in North Miami Beach.

Frankie had a reputation as a bit of a loose cannon and hothead. He was known as an extremely active hoodlum who was open to any and all rackets he was able to turn a buck!

He was the younger brother of the infamous Johnny Dio (aka Blackie) and had a third brother, Tommy Dio .

He and his brothers, his father Dominick, an uncle, and a cousin were all “connected” guys affiliated with the Lucchese Family of LCN.

BI # 863929, NYPD # B-121379, Miami-PD #A-29553

Dioguardi's known criminal activities included bookmaking (horses, sports), casino-style games (dice, roulette, etc.), shylocking, vending machine rackets , extortion, strong-arm tactics, business infiltration, narcotics (heroin), receiving and fencing stolen goods, truck hijacking and cargo theft, flim-flam scams, and business fraud.

Frankie migrated to Miami Beach during the mid-1950s and liked it so much that he and his wife, Camille, stayed there permanently for the rest of his days.

Side Note: His girlfriend, Diane, liked it so much that he put her up in a luxury apartment only blocks from his nightclub.

Dioguardi alternately operated several restaurants and cocktail lounges over the years with various partners. He also ran jukebox and cigarette machine routes along the Collins Avenue strip and vicinity. Thes included the following:

The Little Napoli Restaurant at 7444 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Beach -- Frankie operated this place for several years.

Angelo Palange’s Restaurant at 17300 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach -- Dio was a partner of the famed Angelo Palange from Jackson Heights, NY, in the Miami version of this NYC favorite. (His uncle, Jimmy Doyle, was also a partner in this venture).

Ciro’s Nightclub and The Skyview Lounge, Miami -- Dio paid no rent while operating these nightspots because the landlord, Jerry Cohen, owed him extensive gambling monies. Dio used this locale to sucker a wealthy businessman to invest over $60,000 in the nightspot. Within months of his purchase, Dio had drained the place dry -- “busting out” the place out for over sixty-large!)

Five O’Clock Club, Miami -- Alleged to hold a hidden interest.

Casa Maria Ristorante -- A Miami Beach pizzeria-red sauce casual restaurant.

La Rosa Restaurant on Sunny Isles Blvd., Miami -- He had an interest and was later bought out by a partner.

Sunny Isle Cigarette Vending Co. -- A jukebox and cigarette coin machine route operation (untaxed cigarettes and skimming). Within six months after opening, Dio was quickly able to place approximately 40 machines around town which scared members of the “Cigarette Vendors Assn.,” a trade group to which Dio didn’t belong. They were correct to fear that he would soon dominate the local marketplace because of his mob influence.

Albert’s Fisheries Co., Miami Beach -- A wholesale shrimp distributor to motels, hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs in the Miami area. Joe Scootch Indelicato and Dio were partners in this company.

The Five O'Clock Club

It should be noted that until Dioguardi moved to Florida, from the 1930s through the 1950s, he (like his two brothers) held active ownership interests in many garment factories and other businesses. Here are a few:

1934 to 1935 -- Triboro Cigar Distributors

1935 to 1936 -- Yeast Supply Co. Listed as a driver for his father Dominick’s company.

1936 to 1940 -- Roma Sportswear Co., 210 Varick St., Brooklyn. First as a partner, then as sole owner.

1938 to 1940 -- Jaynnell Coat Mfg. Co., 130 Orchard St., Lower East Side. Listed as a part-owner and operator.

1941 to 1942 -- Moylan Coat Co., Inc., at 35 Meadow St., Brooklyn. President and stockholder.

1941 to 1944 -- Victory Sportswear Co., 72 Spring St., Manhattan. Partners with brothers John and Tommy.

1951 to 1954 -- The Little Napoli Restaurant & Bar on West 57th Street, Manhattan. - He held a silent partnership.

Frankie Dio had an arrest record spanning 40 years, starting when he was 17-years-old:

1934 -- homicide by gunshot

1935 -- disorderly conduct

1935 -- possession of a stink bomb

1935 -- disorderly conduct

1935 -- policy slips

1936 -- carrying a concealed weapon (monkey wrench)

1944 -- liquor law violations - unregistered still (NJ)

1946 -- possession of stolen goods and conspiracy

1946 -- theft from interstate shipment

1958 -- investigation (Miami)

Every arrest above resulted in either a dismissal or suspended sentence. He never served a jail term.

Side Note: The 1944 NJ bootleg case involved 21 defendants, including his brother John and Settimo (Big Sam) Accardi.

It also seems that during the 1940s era, Dioguardi was a principal in a very active truck hijacking ring. He was tied to over 19 truck cargo thefts of mostly textiles and garment piece goods.

He also was nabbed while fencing a stolen garment load to a jobber on Eldridge Street in his old neighborhood on the Lower East Side.

Frankie Dio

In 1965, he had a narcotics conspiracy charge. He was tied into a huge 200-pound heroin cache seized in Miami. This is the case where he eventually fell and served a big jail term...15 years. He served his term in Leavenworth FCI.

In 1971, he subsequently fell again after being convicted in a mortgage kickback scheme. He received an additional two-year term to run concurrently with his narcotics sentence.

Additionally, through the years, both local and federal authorities linked Frankie Dio to the following:

1958 -- He was linked to the bookie operation of convicted narcotics dealer Julius (Johnny) Flink (FBI #450870), operating out of his Ande Hill Bar in Miami.

1959 and 1961 -- His good friend, (KG) Bernie Stein, ran a bookmaking ring in which Dioguardi was alleged to have an interest as either a partner or in “bankrolling” the operation.

He was also alleged to have operated a “skin” game at the North Dade Civic Club in partnership with several others.

Dioguardi was also suspected of handling all labor union matters on behalf of his brother, Johnny Dio, in the greater Miami area. This provided him unfettered access to several top Teamsters leaders (Abe Gordon and George Baker), giving Frankie a lot of “juice.”

Side Note: It also seems he attempted to be active in Local #259, a catch-all union aimed at miscellaneous industries including aluminum mfg., truck drivers, etc., and Teamsters Local #290, business manager, Dave Fachette, a Dio minion.

These union connections were compliments of his brother Johnny, utilizing Frank as a point man of sorts.

His usury rackets included the following:

1960 -- Informants report Frankie Dio was a shylock partner of Joe (Scootch) Indelicato, a very close friend and Gambino soldier.

1960 -- Miami informants revealed Frankie Dio was active in the fencing and trafficking of stolen goods and cargo, much as he did back in NYC.

1961 -- Dio was said to be giving out large shylock loans in partnership with Gambino capo Stefano (14th St. Steve) Armone.

1962 -- Genovese power Anthony (Tony Gobels) Ricci and Frankie were said to be partners in pushing “shy” loans.

Being the brother of Johnny Dio did have its advantages, however. Frankie became friendly and associated with most of the better-known hoodlums in the South Florida area, including;

Dio’s brothers -- Johnny and Tommy

Vincenzo (Jimmy Doyle) Plumeri -- His uncle, a capo, and frequent visitor to Dio’s Little Napoli Restaurant (a well-known mob hangout).

Agostino (Augie) Amato -- A Gambino Family old-timer, loanshark, and vending operator. He had two sons who were also “connected.” He was said to be close personal friends with Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlo Gambino himself.

John (Johnny Connecticut) Busso (FBI #2449 560) -- A reputed Gambino soldier under Steve Armone.

Vincent (Jimmy) Palmisano -- A Gambino soldier and longtime Miami resident.

Pasquale (Patsy) Erra -- A top Genovese soldier handling south Florida for Trigger Mike Coppola. Close to Dio.

Joseph (Joe Scootch) Indelicato -- a major loanshark, heist man, and notorious Mafia soldier. A close friend and oft partner of Frankie.

Locascio brothers (Carmine and Peter) -- Important Lucchese members and international narcotics merchants.

George (Georgie Hooks) Nobile -- Another Lower East Side-based Genovese hood and heroin dealer.

Ettore (Eddie) Coco -- A notorious Family capo who spent much of his time in Florida. He would get life for shooting a black carwash employee who made the fatal mistake of disrespecting Coco.

Henry Rubino ( FBI #166744A, Miami-PD #C-190148, of Brooklyn) -- A (KG) thrice convicted California-based bookmaker and suspected Profaci member. He was a part-time resident of Miami and lived at 7545 Buccaneer Ave., where he owned several nightclubs, one of which he partnered with Frankie Dio, the Hoi-Toi Restaurant, a popular Chinese eatery. Dioguardi also co-owned the Gold Key Club and Albion Lounge in Miami. Rubino would later be tied to heroin trafficking.

Anthony Sutera (FBI #712574) -- Dio's brother-in-law, narcotics dealer, and close associate involved in many of his operations.

Michael (Trigger Mike) Coppola -- A top Genovese capo based in Miami. Friend of Dio.

Alfred (Freddy Red Shirt) Felice -- A NYC mafioso who resided in Miami. Very active in most rackets. Dio associate.

Benjamin (Benny Roberts) Robilotto -- a Genovese hoodlum, brother of the murdered Johnny Roberts, wealthy shylock active in Miami. Close friend of Frankie. Owned the Dixie Dunbar Restaurant in Hollywood. Said to have built a fabulous home in the Hollywood section of Florida.

Dioguardi was always known as the “wild” unruly Dio brother. I believe that’s the main reason why Frankie was either never offered or was interested in getting a "button," although his uncle and both brothers were formally inducted members, Frankie was either never offered or never interested in getting a “button.”

Nonetheless, being related to such mob heavyweights, Frankie was afforded a lot of respect by most mob guys anyway and, indeed, was a close friend and partner of many, as can be seen from the above.

The FBI and local authorities officially carried Frank in their files as a Lucchese Family “associate.” But as you can see, he was much more than a simple associate, wielding the power of a top “button guy” although not having the official rank.

Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi died in 1976. He was only 59 years old!

I must say, in researching Frank Dioguardi, I was amazed at just how active he was, and how many rackets, schemes, and business ventures he involved himself in over the years.

He was active in a slew of activities both in NYC and Florida. And I also never realized what a large arrest record he had or how well he skirted law enforcement until his narcotics fall.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Frankie Dio on Mob Fireside Chat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAWO7KU9fDM

Frank (Frankie Dio) Dioguardi: The Wild and Unruly Brother of Johnny Dio

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