Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito: Labor Racketeer

Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito was a Gambino Family capo active primarily as a top labor racketeer, operating several catch-all unions offering “sweetheart” contracts, embezzling union funds through pension plan and medical plan kickbacks, and handling the shakedowns and extortions for the Gambino Family.

Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito was born in 1923 in lower Manhattan on the west side, Greenwich village area around Sullivan and McDougall Streets. He later resided at 24-30 Little Neck Pkwy., in Bayside, NY.

Dapolito was one of five brothers of a large family. One of his brothers owned the popular Dapolito Bakery for many years.

Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito

Dap was a professional boxer in his youth. By the 1950s, he became an “inducted” member operating as a soldier through the 1950s to 1970s.

By the early 1980s, Dapolito (an Ettore Zappi favorite) was first bumped up to “acting captain,” and then became the “official captain” upon Zappi’s semi-retirement to Florida.

NYCPD #B-214093

Dapolito served for many years as business agent of Local #854 - International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Independent) of Valley Stream, Long Island.

The long-time secretary/treasurer was Anthony M. Zappi who was Ettore's son.

This local had a relatively small union membership of less than 1,500 dues-paying members.

But it was a very important Local in the Gambino Family portfolio, having organized and eventually taken over hidden ownership interests in the Castro Convertible Co.

Dapolito was active primarily as a top labor racketeer, operating several catch-all unions offering “sweetheart” contracts, embezzling union funds through pension plan and medical plan kickbacks, and handling the shakedowns and extortions for the Family regime.

Frankie Dap also kept his hand in the loanshark racket operating a sizable shylock “book”.

His associates over the years included both Ettore and Tony Zappi, Ignazio (Joe Curly) Agone (his labor rackets counterpart in the Genovese mob), Anthony Parisi, Vincent Gulino, and Julius (Spike) Bernstein.

One of Frankie’s scam unions was Local #157 which had 700 to 1000 members and was run by Vincent Gulino, a Colombo mobster who shared union office space with Frankie Dap on Queens Blvd., in Forest Hills.

This local was a joint operation of several Families including Colombo, Genovese, and Gambino, and focused on NYC’s garment district.

It was created for the sole purpose of being a vehicle for sweetheart contracts, extortion, and shakedowns in the garment district, and to pressure the garment firms by squeezing the truckers and extorting money from dress factories and trucking firms.

Frank Dapolito also secretly controlled a security guard union, pilfered in the same style as Local #157.

By the mid-1908s, the federal government was cracking down on the mob’s infiltration of the union movement. Both Dapolito and Zappi chose to voluntarily retire from Teamsters Local #854 rather than get expelled, keeping their pensions intact.

Dapolito seamlessly moved into the school bus companies he previously had organized for Local #854 and was hired by Joseph Curcio (Gambino associate) and an owner of several large school bus companies that held city contracts to drive children to and from school.

Everything was going very well for Frankie Dap, as it had for many decades.

He was low-key as taught by his master and mentor, the venerable Terry Zappi - a Carlo Gambino favorite.

Then came along John (The Dapper Don) Gotti. Brash, loud, and publicity-loving, he was everything a mob boss should shun.

Gotti forced his men to meet at his Ravenite Social Club weekly, with federal agents recording every move. Dapolito was one of those who gained tremendous exposure as never before.

By 1994, Dap was investigated and indicted on federal loanshark and extortion charges. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 months in jail. He served approximately 27 months.

After being paroled, he returned home to his family in Bayside, Queens.

Frank Robert Dapolito, aka “Frankie Dap”, died a little more than a year later, in 1998, at the age of 75.

Despite that one slip-up, all in all, I’d say Frankie Dap had a very successful career in his chosen profession - “Cosa Nostra!"

Until next time..."The Other Guy! "

Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito: Labor Racketeer

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Frank (Frankie Dap) Dapolito: Labor Racketeer

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