Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo

Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo (1951–2016) was a capo in the Lucchese crime family who later became a government witness. In 1991, Chiodo was charged with RICO violations in the Windows case. The Luccheses and other families had run a window replacement scam that stole millions from New York City. Chiodo decided to plea guilty for a lighter sentence. His plea angered Lucchese boss Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso. Convinced that Chiodo was going to betray them, they ordered his killing.
On May 8, 1991 two shooters ambushed Chiodo in Staten Island. One of the two hitmen was Joseph D’Arco, son of Alphonse D’Arco, who was eager to impress his mob father. Chiodo received 12 bullet wounds, but survived. Doctors credited Chiodo's 500 pound (227 kg) weight for saving his life. Chiodo provided evidence that helped convict two bosses, two underbosses, and 18 other wiseguys. In July 1997, Chido testified against Genovese boss Vincent Gigante in another Windows-related trial. On September 11, 2007, Chiodo was sentenced to 17 years in prison on racketeering charges. However, due to his testimony, Chiodo served no time in prison. He died in January 2016, aged 65.