Giovanni (Johnny Bath Beach) Oddo: NYC Public Enemy

Giovanni (Johnny Bath Beach) Oddo was a notorious mafioso and public enemy in New York City. A Profaci (Colombo) Family capo, he was among Joe Profaci’s top gunman and enforcers.

Giovanni (Johnny Bath Beach) Oddo was born in 1903 in Palermo, Sicily. He immigrated to the USA in 1907 and became naturalized in 1931. He initially settled with his family into the Lower East Side of Manhattan on Stanton Street and soon moved to Brooklyn.

Oddo was raised at 1955 West 10th Street and later lived at 194 Bay 19th Street and 2100 East 2nd Street. He later moved to a three-room apartment at 1402 West 4th St., Apt. #C-5. All addresses were in South Brooklyn where he would reside and operate all his life.

Giovanni (Johnny Bath Beach) Oddo

Oddo was also a snowbird, known to fly every February to either Miami or Hollywood, Florida for a three-week vacation stay.

He married late in life (at age 50) in 1954. He and his wife would have no children.

At 5-foot 6-inches tall and a slim 140 pounds, with dark brown eyes and hair, a well-groomed Oddo was well-known as a ladies man, always nattily dressed with a diamond tie-clasp initialed with J.B., and a diamond-faced watch and ring.

FBI # 349341 NYCPD # B-83735

Oddo is listed as a “KG” (known gambler) in police files. Federal authorities advised that John Oddo attended the infamous Apalachin Meeting in Upstate New York on November 14, 1957.

Considered a notorious mafioso and public enemy in New York City, Oddo and his partner Cassandros (Tony the Chief) Bonasera were among Joe Profaci’s top gunman and enforcers.

Both would rise to “capo di decina” status in the Family and work in tandem for decades.

His criminal activities included bootlegging, floating dice games, policy and bookmaking, shylocking, protection and extortion rackets, and enforcer.

Legitimately, he was a partner of record for years (with a John Villano) in Valo Frocks, Inc., and the C & S Dress Co., at 1742 86th Street, both Brooklyn-based dress contracting factories.

These garment firms manufactured formal wear and bridal gowns.

Side Note: Joseph Buffa of 1260 85th St., was the original owner of record for Valo Frocks. He also owned Miss Smart Frocks, Inc., 501 7th Ave., another dress firm. He was partnered with Jimmy Sabella and Leo Carlino, two prominent mafiosi. I believe Buffa was either the brother or cousin of early Profaci consigliere Antonio Buffa.

Oddo also held ownership, hidden interest, or was connected to the following:

He had interests in several Brooklyn bars and taverns over the years including the Club 13.

Utrecht Carting Co., of 1747 West 6th St., Brooklyn.

In 1958, he was listed on the payroll at $100 weekly ($1,000 in today’s money) as a “truck checker” for Seigel & Cohen Express Inc., a Newark, New Jersey-based trucking firm.

As an “original” and founding member of Cosa Nostra, and specifically what would become the Profaci/Colombo Family, Oddo was well-acquainted with most of the era’s top mafiosi including Francesco (Frankie Yale) Ioele, Alphonse (Scarface Al) Capone, Anthony (Little Augie) Pisano, Michael (The Sweetheart) Abbatemarco, Joseph (The Olive Oil King) Profaci, Giuseppe Magliocco , Antonio (Nino) Colombo, Anthony (Tony the Chief) Bonasera, Vincent (Peg-Leg) Giordano , Salvatore (Sal the Sheik) Mussachio, Giuseppe (The Clutch Hand) Peraino, Gaetano (Toddo) Marino, Joseph (Joe Shep) Schipani, Frank (Cheech) Livorsi , Freddy Amorosa, Ralph (Peaches) Conti, Sebastiano (Buster) Aloi , Albert Anastasia, Michael (Trigger Mike) Coppola, and Santo Volpe , to name but a few.

.His associate list reads like a “who’s who” of the underworld.

Oddo had a long police file that starts in 1923;

1923 - vagrancy

1927 - burglary

1930- possessing a homemade zip-gun (found on him by police after he was shot and wounded by two men on 18th Ave.)

1930- homicide (by gun)

1931 - vagrancy

1931 - assault and robbery

1932 - possessing a gun

1932 - disorderly conduct

1932 - homicide (by knife)

1933 - disorderly conduct

1933 - assault

1934 - attempted assault and robbery

1934 - disorderly conduct (3 times)

1935 - vagrancy

1938 - vagrancy

1939 - usury and conspiracy to extort

1941 - vagrancy

1952 - vagrancy

1955 - operating a game (dice cutter)

During his 1923 vagrancy arrest in Lower Manhattan, it was noted that his co-defendants, at that time, were Joseph DeFrancesco, James (Jimmy Doyle) Plumeri, Andrew (Andy Curly) Bucaro, and Michael Consolo -- the last three of which would go on to gain some infamy as members of the Lucchese and Bonanno Families respectively.

In 1930, he was picked up on a murder charge with Bonasera and John Federico for the shooting death of John Sciametta.

During his 1931 vagrancy arrest, Oddo was in the company of Bonasera and Mussachio.

In 1932, he was among a gaggle of top mafiosi arrested for the infamous massacre murder of Giovanni (John) Bazzano, a Pittsburg, Pennsylvania mob boss who fell afoul of the brotherhood for the unsanctioned killings of the Volpe brothers in Pittsburgh.

Others picked up were Santo Volpe, Paul Palmieri, Angelo Polizzi, Sam DeCarlo, Bonasera, Ciro Gallo, Albert Anastasia, Peter Lombardi, Michael Russo, and Calogero Spallino - many of whom were top mafiosi of their day.

In 1935, he was picked for vagrancy in the company of Bonasera and Giordano, who were also arrested.

In 1939, after a well-publicized major indictment of Oddo, Bonasera Amorosa, Tumillo, and several associates for operating a large and vicious loanshark ring in Brooklyn. he would plead guilty by 1940 for violating the banking laws (a misdemeanor) and placed on probation.

Oddo was a central figure during the so-called “Gallo-Profaci War” of the late 1950s to early 1960s era. And although already pushing 60-years-old, he was the subject of an attempted hit, having his car peppered with bullets during a drive-by shooting on a Brooklyn Street by Gallo sympathizers.

Oddo utilized Joseph (Joe Minx) Livoti (NYPD # B-80458) as a close disciple for years.

Livoti was known to handle the “shylock book” for Oddo and ran the day to day “floating” dice games for which Oddo was very prominent, variously in the Boro Park, Fort Hamilton, Bensonhurst, and Bath Beach sections.

Toddo Marino was said to be a sometime partner of Oddo in dice games.

Oddo operated for years from the Club 13, at 1302 Avenue U in Brooklyn, his base of operations.

One of his closest aides, (KG) gambler Guido (Willy) Fanale (NYPD # B-73646,) was the bar and grill's manager and known to handle loanshark transactions from there.

Family soldiers Pasquale (Patsy) and John (The Soldier) Guariglia ( NYPD # B-157281,) were two more underlings of his. Both were known strong-arm enforcers for the Family. John would meet an untimely death, being shot dead in a Brooklyn ginmill during the Gallo-Profaci War.

In 1955, Oddo was among 19 charged (5 operators and 15 players) in a well-publicized police raid on a large Brooklyn dice game. He was charged with “maintenance” (the technical term for organizing or operating the game).

The Morals Squad had to crash through three steel-reinforced doors to gain entrance to the huge floating crap game in operation at 2939 Cropsey Avenue, which was said to have a $500 limit (a huge amount back in the 1950s).

Prior to the Profaci-Gallo War of the early 1960s, Oddo had invested $50,000, cash (loaning it to Jiggs Forlano and his Jewish partner Ruby Stein) for their shylock business (a large amount of money for that era).

In approximately 1963, he and Carmine Lombardozzi loaned the Ruby and Jiggs combo another $16,000 to add to their lending bankroll.

Well-heeled hoods from other Families often did the same, enabling Ruby and Jiggs to become the biggest loansharks of the 1950 to 1960s era, with an estimated $5,000,000 out “on the street” any given day!

Johnny Bath Beach had several key hangouts he preferred. When in Manhattan, he could typically be found at the Royal Cafe, a private mob social club at Kenmare and Mulberry Streets in Little Italy. When in the mood, he’d venture more uptown to the famed Copacabana nightspot, where he’d have a reserved, ringside table.

Duke’s Bar & Grill -- a notorious Genovese headquarters -- in Cliffside, New Jersey was another favorite. Another favorite was The Illusions Nightclub on Utica Avenue (a notorious Profaci/Colombo asset).

By 1964, with Joseph Colombo’s accession to boss of the borgata, “Johnny Bath Beach” Oddo was one of the older echelon caporegime to be relieved of their post, making way for younger, more aggressive men to lead the troops.

Johnny Bath Beach, resuming a veteran soldier’s status, semi-retired by the mid-1960s.

In his later years, he would live quietly, passing away in 1975 at 72 years of age.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

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Giovanni (Johnny Bath Beach) Oddo: NYC Public Enemy

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