John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardi – A Born Corruptor

John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardi was a Lucchese Family “star” and heir apparent to Tommy Lucchese. His exploits in the labor union and management field were unparalleled in scope and breadth.

John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardo was born in 1914 at 170 Forsythe Street on the Lower East Side. He resided for many years at 108 Freeport Avenue in the exclusive oceanfront community of Point Lookout, Long Island.

He was the brother of Thomas Dioguardi and Frank Dioguardi, nephew of James (Jimmy Doyle) Plumeri, and cousin of Thomas (Tommy Flowers) Plumeri - all affiliates of the Lucchese Family.

FBI #665273, NYPD #B-1142

Originally hanging out as a youth on the mean streets of the Lower East Side, his haunts included the Forsythe Street Boys Social Club, Delaney St., Ludlow St., Rivington St., Ridge St., Stanton St., Forsythe St., Houston St., and Norfolk St., before expanding into the NYC garment district and beyond.

Johnny Dio was arguably the most venerable labor racketeer, not only in the NYC area but also in the nation.

Johnny Dio

At 5-foot 8-inches tall and a compact 165-pounds with dark brown eyes, jet black hair, and a dark olive complexion. He was very handsome and dapperly dressed, and looked like he stepped out of “central casting” - the prototype of what the public thought a mafioso and racketeer should look like!

He became a media darling almost immediately with women readers fawning over him in spite of his notorious gangster reputation.

He married a Jewish girl, the former Anne Chrostek. They had a daughter, Rose, and one adopted son named Dominick named after Johnny Dio's father.

John Dioguardi

His exploits in the labor union and management field were unparalleled in scope and breadth. He was a Lucchese Family “star” and heir apparent to Tommy Lucchese.

Starting in his teens with his uncle, notorious garment racketeer Jimmy Doyle Plumeri, they took over a garment truckmen’s association and then utilized it to “shakedown” dressmakers and garment truckers alike.

Charged and convicted in 1937 for extortion, he served a 3 to 5-year term. Upon being paroled, he dove headfirst deeper into all facets of labor union rackets:

• Teamsters Joint Council of NY/NJ • Local #295 Air-Freight Union (IBT) • Local #805 Vending Machines (IBT) • Local #102 Ladies Garment Workers • Union (ILGWU) • Local #172 Butchers Union (AFL) • Local #405 Retail Clerks Assn. • United Auto Workers Union • The United Federation of Labor • Bakery-Confectionery Workers Union (AFL-CIO) • Master Truckmen of America- (controls garment district truckers)

Approximately 20 dress factories including:

>> a shoulder pad-garment contractor

>> Mary-Anna Sportswear Co.

>> Dio Garment Mfg., Co.

To list but a very few of the unions and industries Dio controlled :

>> Equitable Research Associates, Inc. - vice president

>> 257 W. 57th Street, NYC. - a labor relations consulting firm utilized to extort money and form sweetheart contracts for victim companies.

Johnny Dio mugshot

Dioguardi had an arrest record from 1932:

1932 - coercion 1933 - felony assault, conspiracy, coercion 1936 - vagrancy 1936 - forgery 1937 - extortion (twice) 1937 - malicious mischief, assault, conspiracy (3 to 5 years - Sing Sing) 1944 - conspiracy to violate alcohol tax laws (bootlegging) 1953 - tax law violations (60 days) 1956 - reckless driving 1956 - conspiracy to obstruct justice (15 to 30 years) 1967 - criminal contempt of court 1968 - bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy (5 years) 1971 - stock fraud, wire and mail fraud, conspiracy (9 years)

Johnny Dio arrested again.

An intimate of Teamsters President James R. Hoffa, Johnny Dio’s other associates included:

• Thomas (Tommy Brown) Lucchese • James (Jimmy Doyle) Plumeri • Thomas (Tommy Dio) Dioguardi • Vito Genovese • Carmine Lombardozzi • Paul (Paulie Ham) Correale • Antonio (Tony Ducks) Corallo • Carmine (Gribbs) Tramunti • Joseph (Joe Brown) Lucchese • Ettore (Eddie) Coco • Charles (Charlie Woppie) Carlino • Gandolfo (Shiekie) Miranti • Charlie Tuso • Theodore (Teddy) Rae • Joseph (Joe Pilo) Carlino • Domenico (Nicky) Bando • Abe Telvi • Harry (Little Gangy) Davidoff • Samuel Goldstein • George Baker • Abe Gordon • Moe Klemis • Joe Berger • Samuel Berger • Sam Sobel • Sam Smith • Max Block

.....among many, many others. Many of the above names were in his crew.

Dioguardi was a longtime soldier and eventually elevated to a capo. Regardless of his official status, he was always a mob powerhouse.

From the 1950s forward, Dioguardi was almost constantly in the news. He was almost always under indictment.

In 1956, he was arrested for the acid attack on labor columnist, Victor Riesel, who was blinded for life. Dio was held at The Tombs.

Then, he was indicted in a large bankruptcy fraud scam defrauding several kosher meat firms that he had infiltrated.

In the early 1970s, he was again indicted with Carmine Tramunti, Vincent Aloi, Ralph Lombardo, and several others in a stock fraud conspiracy.

John Dioguardi

Convicted of several major cases, Dioguardi was sentenced to multiple prison terms.

His exploits and rackets were too voluminous for me to fully explain and enumerate here, but suffice it to say if not for his “career” being cut short by prison, John Dioguardi would most likely have been chosen to head the Lucchese crime Family!

Johnny Dio died in 1979.

John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardi – A Born Corruptor

You May Also Enjoy

Racketeer Snapshot: Lucchese Family Soldier Carlo Piccioli

A Question About The Commission

Racketeer Snapshot: Detroit Mafia Soldier “Tony the Chump” Abate

Welcome Back!

Create New Account!

Retrieve your password

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

Are you sure want to cancel subscription?

John (Johnny Dio) Dioguardi – A Born Corruptor

Unlock This Door to the Underworld

Take the Journey!

You May Also Enjoy

Racketeer Snapshot: Lucchese Family Soldier Carlo Piccioli

A Question About The Commission

Racketeer Snapshot: Detroit Mafia Soldier “Tony the Chump” Abate

Welcome Back!

Create New Account!

Retrieve your password

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

Are you sure want to cancel subscription?