Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi: Brother & Confidante

Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi was a soldier in the Lucchese Family and a garment racketeer along with his more infamous brother, Johnny Dio.

Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi was born in 1915 at 171 Forsythe St., in lower Manhattan. By 1954, he resided at 55 Broome Ave., in Atlantic Beach, Long Island (a very exclusive enclave).

Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi

He was the brother of top hoodlums Johnny Dio and Frankie Dio , nephew of Vincenzo (Jimmy Doyle) Plumeri , and son-in-law of Frank (Cheech) Livorsi, having married his daughter, Rosemary.

FBI #920428

Dioguardi was a longtime Lucchese soldier and confidante of his brother John, with whom he was actively engaged in the rackets.

He was a known garment racketeer and held ownership interests in many dress factories and related textile firms over the years throughout the garment district and outer boroughs, including as president of Dom-Rose Mills, of W. 39th St., in NYC, and a principal of Martin Pinto Coat and Suit Co., on Knickerbocker Ave., in Brooklyn.

He also held interests in Trimming Specialties Co., of W. 37th St., in NYC, Roma Sportswear Inc., P.W. Coat Co., Joe Wank Inc., United Sportswear Inc., Rosemary Fashions Inc., Corday Taill Inc., Carl Sportswear Inc., Dio Garment Corp., Sonneborn-Meyrich Inc., Yorktown Textile, Artex Trimming Corp., and at least 20 additional garment industry-related firms over several decades.

Dioguardi controlled these interests for himself and on behalf of the Lucchese family, no doubt at the behest of his uncle Jimmy Doyle, a top boxing racket figure.

Before 1936, he was arrested three times on minor charges. He had additional arrests for assault and robbery, possession of a stink bomb, vagrancy, and felonious assault.

In 1943, Tommy applied for a “boxing manager” license.

By 1960, Tommy was heavily engaged in the trading of various stocks, having opened an account where large sums were traded daily. This went on for years, with up to 30 to 40 stocks in his portfolio, valued in excess of $200,000 at any given time (a huge sum of money in 1960).

Tommy Dio

In 1960, his Martin Pinto company was robbed of a load of clothing. Authorities suspected this was insurance fraud. The clothing later turned up at a firm run by the Profaci Family in Brooklyn.

In 1956, Dioguardi was one of several mob figures arrested in the highly- publicized attack on labor columnist Victor Riesel (permanently blinding him). Riesel had been writing about the NYC labor rackets, the Dio brothers, and Jimmy Plumeri. The accused included John Dioguardi, Charles Tuso, Gandolfo (Sheikie) Miranti, Tom Dioguardi, Joseph Carlino, and Abe Telvi. The case eventually fell apart but had brought lots of unwanted attention to Tommy from law enforcement and newspapers.

By the mid-1960s, his brother John was buried under multiple indictments and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, dying behind bars. In 1972, his uncle Jimmy Plumeri was found strangled. A few years later, his brother Frank and his father-in-law Cheech Livorsi had died.

Tommy wisely retreated from the rackets, with his millions, of course, and lived out his days in comfort at both his Long Island oceanside home and Florida winter retreat.

He died in 1985.

Judging from the info above, Tommy seemed to be among the more astute of the mob set -- a true “wiseguy” if you’ll pardon the pun.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi: Brother & Confidante

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Gaetano (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi: Brother & Confidante

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