Vincent “The Chin” Gigante Original Vintage Press Photo – Boss of Genovese Crime Family

Vincent Louis “The Chin” Gigante (March 29, 1928 – December 19, 2005) was an American mobster and longtime boss of the Genovese crime family, one of New York’s infamous Mafia Five Families. A former boxer, he rose from enforcer to capo and became boss in 1981, overseeing racketeering, extortion, loan-sharking, and murder plots. For decades he feigned insanity, wandering Greenwich Village in a bathrobe to evade prosecution, earning nicknames like “The Oddfather.” Convicted of racketeering in 1997 after his charade collapsed, he died in federal prison in 2005.

Offered is an Original U.P.I photo that measures 8" x 8.75" in size.  Stamping on back indicates this was printed between 1962-70 from the original negative.

The caption reads:

932639 (STOCK)
NEW YORK BUREAU

SOUGHT IN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
NEW YORK – POLICE DISCLOSED, JULY 17TH, THAT THEY WERE SEEKING A FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT BOXER IN CONNECTION WITH THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF RACKETEER FRANK COSTELLO. HE WAS IDENTIFIED AS VINCENT GIGANTE, 30 (ABOVE), A SMALL-TIME GAMBLER WHO POLICE SAID DISAPPEARED ON MAY 3RD, THE DAY AFTER THE ABORTIVE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. A HEAVY-SET MAN WHO HAS BEEN IN POLICE CUSTODY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, GIGANTE’S DESCRIPTION CLOSELY MATCHES THAT OF THE ASSASSIN WHO AMBUSHED COSTELLO IN THE FOYER OF HIS APARTMENT HOUSE. THE GUNMAN FIRED ONE SHOT, CREASING THE SKULL OF THE REPUTED RACKETS KINGPIN. GIGANTE IS SHOWN ABOVE IN MARCH, 1950.

N Y – A – TV
CREDIT (UNITED PRESS PHOTO FROM FILES)
7/17/57 (SP)

Any vintage photos found on “The Chin” are exceedingly rare as he kept a very low public profile until his later years where he tried to fool the feds into thinking he was certifiably insane.  He has been immortalized in numerous movies and tv shows.