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Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi
Florida associate member of the Gambino Family Born in New York in 1931. Served during the Korean War and received two Purple Hearts. Moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 1961 and met Gambino Florida boss Tommy Agro. Became a major member of the New York Gambino family in 1971. He got his nickname from his penchant for gambling at the dog races. He was known as "Joe Diner" before that because he always met his friends at a local diner. Under Paul Castellano, he helped muscle gambling accounts, keeping them in line and collecting debts. He befriended Bobby DeSimone, whose brother Tommy was made famous postumously in the Pileggi book, Wiseguys, and in the subsequent movie Goodfellas, played by actor Joe Pesci. Joe Dogs borrowed $60,000 from Agro and reloaned the money out in southern Florida at a higher interest rate, paying off Agro and keeping the interest spread. Joe Dogs allowed himself to be approached by an FBI agent who maintained a cordial relationship. Eventually, Joe Dogs finally found himself in trouble and ran to Chicago where he hid for several months. Eventually, concerned he was going to be killed by Agro because he was getting behind in his own payments because he was having trouble collecting money on his own loans. Joe Dogs began moonlighting as an informant for the FBI in exchange for money that he used to partially repay Agro. But, it was not enough and in February 1981, Agro went to Florida with two of his "toughs" and met Joe Dogs. He was beat up by the trio. He woke up in a hospital where he stayed for nearly a week, simmering in anger. Joe Dogs decided to get even with Agro, secretly taping his telephone conversations. Agro confessed to muscling him and allowing Joe Dogs to live during one of the conversations during one emotional telephone conversation. That tape allowed the FBI to charge Agro and arrest and lock him up on charges of attempted murder. Ianuzzi's mob bosses in New York wanted Joe Dogs to open up a gambling joint with mob money. The FBI approved the proposal but insisted that he take on an FBI undercover agent as a partner, Chicago agent John Bonino, posing as John Marino, a drug running mobster from Chicago. The FBI called it Operation Home Run, starting the Beach Side Nightclub in Singer Island, Florida. Mobsters were photographed, videotapped and recorded in the club. John Marino eventually became a made Capo in the Gambino family, he was so good, even though some members suspected him of being a police officer or FBI agent when he was first introduced by Joe Dogs.The Operation Home Run snared more than a dozen mobsters, mostly from the Gambino family. It was information from Joe Dogs that gave the New York FBI the foundation to go after Paul Castellano.The operation went on for 18 months until word got out that someone had leaked information that Joe Dogs was working with an undercover FBI agent to expose the Gambino family mob operation. Agro died of cancer in 1987. Iannuzzi was dropped from the Witness Protection program whe he agreed to appear on a national TV program with David Letterman. The segment was cancelled. Return to The Mob Web Page Return to the Beefers Web Page |
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