Joseph Abate

Joseph F. Abate
Born	1902
Died	1994
Cause	Unknown natural causes
Alias(es)	Joey

Joseph F. Abate (1902–1994), also known as "Joey", was a New Jersey mobster involved in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling as a caporegime for the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction.

Criminal career

According to Abate's daughter, Catherine Abate, her father ran a garment factory in Margate, New Jersey that manufactured military uniforms for the U.S. Government. The business prospered until the 1960s, when it ran into financial difficulties. According to newspaper records, Abate headed Lucchese interests in New Jersey by the 1970s, commanding over 100 mobsters. In June 1976, Abate helped induct Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo into the Lucchese family as part of the New Jersey faction.

In 1979, Abate went into semi-retirement and Accetturo succeeded him as caporegime of the New Jersey crew. During the 1980s, Abate was frequently asked to settle disputes between the crime families in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Link to public official

In 1992, Catherine was appointed New York City Corrections Commissioner. When reporters confronted her at that time about her father's past, Catherine denied that he was ever involved in organized crime. She said that since her father was suffering from dementia, she could not ask him about his past.

In 1994, Joseph Abate died of natural causes at age 92. In 1998, Catherine admitted that she could no longer dismiss allegations that Abate belonged to the Lucchese crime family.

See also

• The Jersey Crew

Further reading

• Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8

External links

• New York Times, series of articles investigating ties to organized crime between Joseph Abate and his daughter New York City Corrections Commissioner Catherine Abate