Newspaper investigation reveals Lucchese soldier's witness protection identity and new scams
The owner of a closed Destiny USA bar and restaurant was a murderer and loan shark in the New York City mafia, according to an investigation by an Arizona newspaper.
Through the help of the Federal Witness Protection Program, Frank Gioia jr., a mobster, was able to morph into Frank Capri, an Arizona businessman, real-estate developer and head of a chain of restaurants called Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill, according to investigation by the Arizona Republic.
Capri's past life as a member of the mafia and his transition to a businessman was uncovered in the news paper's investigation. The Arizona Republic is the state's largest newspaper and is owned by Gannett.
Capri is the owner of Boomtown Entertainment LLC, which owns Toby Keith's restaurant. The chain came to Syracuse and opened in Destiny USA in January 2013. The business struggled to pay its rent and closed in May 2015.
The Syracuse mall sued Boomtown Entertainment for $10.5 million for breaching its contract. State Supreme Court Justice Hugh Gilbert decided in favor of Destiny in January 2016 after Toby Keith's missed the deadline to contest the lawsuit.
It's is unknown if Destiny has collected any of the $10.5 million Capri and his company owes. Destiny's lawyer was unable to be reached Friday afternoon.
Country music star Toby Keith licenses his name to the business, but has no stake in the restaurant.
Pyramid, Destiny's owner, is not the only developer that Capri owes. The Arizona Republic's investigation reveals that there are at least 48 lawsuits filed in 31 cities against the company.
Judges have ordered Capri or his companies to pay plaintiffs $65 million in cases tied to their Toby Keith restaurants, according research by the Arizona Republic.
Here's what the investigation revealed about Frank Capri, according to the Arizona Republic:
- Frank Gioia Jr. was a soldier in the New York Mafia. He's a confessed murderer, drug dealer, gun runner, arsonist and loan shark.
- His criminal history was erased by federal authorities in exchange for his cooperation and testimony against more than 70 mobsters. He walked out of prison in 1999 with a new identity and into a new life as an Arizona businessman.
- Gioia's new identity is Frank Capri, a real-estate developer and restaurateur. He is the head of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.
- Capri and his companies negotiated deals to build Toby Keith restaurants with mall owners and developers throughout the United States, then took tens of millions of dollars meant to pay for construction and walked away.
- The Federal Witness Protection Program has few controls in place to ensure criminals who enter the program don't commit new crimes.
- Capri is accused in litigation of stealing money meant for tenant improvements, stiffing landlords on rental contracts and pocketing money meant to pay contractors and laborers who worked on his projects.
- Capri declined interview requests and did not respond to questions from the Arizona newspaper. The paper pieced together Capri's identity through court records, business documents, background searches and interviews with past and current associates. Mafia lawyers, former prosecutors, organized-crime researchers and private investigators spoke about Gioia's transformation from drug dealer and murderer to government witness and businessman.
- Only one of Boomtown's Toby Keith restaurants, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, remains open. Boomtown in 2015 transferred the restaurant to a holding company at the address of one of Capri's lawyers.
frank owes me money
ReplyDeleteHe's a real piece of shit. No good will use anybody to commit crimes he was like that young too. He should get 20 years that FAT Rat.
ReplyDeleteHe's a real piece of garbage a lot written about him young was all Bullshit. He was never no tough guy he was a bully who pretended to be tough guy. He was a punk who should go to prison.
ReplyDeleteHe's no good. Always picked his spots to be a tough guy he's a Rat Mutt. They should Lock him up for a long time.
ReplyDeleteDrug dealing Rat should go to prison so they could fuck him in the ass.
ReplyDeleteBiggest Mutt in the history of the mob a real Scum Bucket. Send that Cocksucker away for life.
ReplyDeleteHe's a disgrace a real trash pale he would fuck anything up.
ReplyDeleteThe worst of the worst will use anybody to get his way he's a real trash pale. I hope he goes to prison for a long time.
ReplyDeleteDrug dealing, Thief, Murdering Piece of Shit. He ruined a lot of lives and they let that Piece of Garbage still be free it's a travesty.
ReplyDeleteYou call yourself a man your a fucking disgrace. You had a shot at a new life and you blew it. Greedy RAT!
ReplyDeleteI know the way he is that Fat Rat is probably looking to rat out his girlfriend in these scams.
ReplyDeleteYour right he ratted out his mother's family of his first kid.
DeleteHe's definitely blaming these scams on his girlfriend he's not a man he won't take the weight.
DeleteHow could you have any respect for a scum bag like that.
DeleteI can't believe this punk didn't get arrested. What are they waiting for
ReplyDeleteThey call him a manipulator he's been a manipulator his whole life he conned all these guys in the street to believe he was this big tough stand up guy I knew him he was a bull shitter from young and once he got pinched I knew he was going to Flip and become a Rat.
ReplyDeleteFucking Punk Ratted because he couldn't do 7 years in prison. He didn't even take the weight for his gun in the car. These Rats try to justify why they ratted in the end they just can't do the time they are not real men.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing lower than a Rat is a child molester
ReplyDeleteWhere is law and order how does piece of shit get away with this?
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in our neighborhood the worse thing in the world is a RAT
ReplyDeleteRat and his family made all there money selling heroin and robbing people.
ReplyDeleteYour right that's what he and his family are Drug dealing RATS!
DeleteI guarantee you see this Rat on that show American Greed.
ReplyDeleteRat Punk finally got arrested maybe he will find out what it is to do time but he'll probably be put in a prison that holds all rats.
ReplyDeleteI read this Rat punk finally got arrested good he finally got a taste of his own medicine I hope they put him away for Life. Rat Punk Mother Fucker!
ReplyDeleteYou watch and see this Rat will find somebody to squeal on he did it his whole life he's been a rat since grade school. Yellow Rat POS!
ReplyDeleteI hope he gets 20 years.
ReplyDelete