Lefty Ruggiero Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth and Family

Age, Biography and Wiki

Lefty Ruggiero was an American mobster who was associated with the Bonanno crime family. He was born in New York City on April 19, 1926. He was known for his loyalty to the Bonanno family and his close relationship with his mentor, Donnie Brasco. Ruggiero was a high school dropout who worked as a cab driver and a longshoreman before joining the Bonanno family. He quickly rose through the ranks and became a capo in the family. He was known for his loyalty and his willingness to take on dangerous assignments. Ruggiero was arrested in 1981 and convicted of racketeering and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and served most of his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta. He was released in 1994 and died of natural causes in 1999. At the time of his death, Ruggiero was 68 years old. He had an estimated net worth of $2 million.

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 19 April. He is a member of famous with the age 68 years old group.

Lefty Ruggiero Height, Weight & Measurements

At 68 years old, Lefty Ruggiero height not available right now. We will update Lefty Ruggiero's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Lefty Ruggiero Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Lefty Ruggiero worth at the age of 68 years old? Lefty Ruggiero’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from New York. We have estimated Lefty Ruggiero's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets.

Lefty Ruggiero Social Network

Timeline

In the 1997 film Donnie Brasco, Benjamin Ruggiero was portrayed by Al Pacino. Ruggiero's granddaughter Ramona Rizzo appeared on the TV show Mob Wives on VH-1.

In April 1993, suffering from lung and testicular cancer, Ruggiero was released from prison after serving almost 11 years. He died on November 24, 1994.

In November 1982, Ruggiero, along with Santora, Antonio Tomasulo, and Anthony "Fat Tony" Rabito, was convicted in a six-week jury trial for racketeering conspiracy, and received a 15-year prison sentence. Ruggiero refused to believe that Donnie Brasco was a special agent in the FBI and not his associate. Ruggiero told his lawyer "He'll never go against us." However, after Pistone testified against him, he later said, "I'll get that motherfucker Donnie if it's the last thing I do."

In 1979, Bonanno boss Carmine Galante was murdered, creating a power vacuum in the family. After Galante's murder, Philip Rastelli took over, running the organization from prison. However, one faction, led by Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, rebelled at Rastelli's leadership. At this time, Ruggiero joined the crew of Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, a strong Rastelli supporter. On May 5, 1981, Indelicato and two other rebel capos, Philip Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera, were lured to a meeting and murdered.

On July 26, 1981, the Donnie Brasco operation came to an end. FBI agents visited Napolitano's apartment on top of The Motion Lounge and informed him of Brasco's true identity. After the Bonanno leadership learned the truth, they immediately went after the men who brought Brasco into their midst. Mirra and Napolitano were murdered shortly afterwards. On August 29, 1981, the FBI intercepted and arrested Ruggiero.

During an earlier criminal enterprise, Ruggiero met Frank Balistrieri, the Mafia boss of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ruggiero admitted to Pistone that he felt threatened while in the presence of Balistrieri. In 1979, Ruggiero converted his social club into a candy store and gave it to one of his daughters to manage. At the same time, Ruggiero and Brasco started a bookmaking operation out of the store. However, Ruggiero was soon dropped from the partnership because he was unable to provide the initial required investment of $25,000.

Ruggiero mentored Brasco and eventually promised to sponsor him for membership in the family. Ruggiero developed a close friendship with Brasco, which caused friction with his old friend Mirra, who had originally introduced Brasco to Ruggiero. Brasco served as best man at Ruggiero's 1977 wedding and frequently advised Ruggiero on handling his son Tommy's heroin addiction.

He lived in an apartment on Monroe Street in Manhattan in the same building as his friend and Bonanno soldier Anthony Mirra. Ruggiero reportedly owned a cigarette boat that he kept docked on the East River in New York. Ruggiero became good friends with future family boss Philip "Rusty" Rastelli and Mirra. Ruggiero became the part-owner of a fishery in the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. As a part-owner, Ruggiero was able to put himself on the company payroll with a $5,000-a-month "no-show" job. During the 1970s, he purchased a social club in Little Italy.

By the 1970s, Ruggiero had acquired a gambling dependency. He was betting and losing heavily on horse races. Soon he was borrowing money from Nicholas Marangello to cover losing bets. By 1977, Ruggiero owed Marangello $160,000. The Bonanno family told Ruggiero that he would have to repay Marangello before he could become a made man. By 1977, Ruggiero had paid most of his debt to Marangello and the family accepted his membership. However, by 1978, Ruggiero was back in debt again to Marangello. To settle the debt this time, the family arranged to transfer the revenues from part of Ruggiero's criminal operations directly to Marangello. Due to his gambling problem, Ruggiero was always trying to hide his few assets from his creditors Marangello and Sabella.

Lefty Ruggiero (born Benjamin Ruggiero; April 19, 1926 – November 24, 1994) was an American mobster in the Bonanno crime family. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone. When Pistone's operation was ended on July 26, 1981, the FBI intercepted and arrested Ruggiero on August 29, 1981. In November 1982, Ruggiero was sentenced to 15 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy; he was released in April 1993 before his death from cancer.

Ruggiero was born on April 19, 1926, in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and grew up in the Knickerbocker Village private housing development in Little Italy, Manhattan. His father, Fiori Ruggiero worked as a truck driver and his mother, Frances, was a housewife. Ruggiero had two younger siblings named Dominick and Angelina. Ruggiero joined the Bonanno family organization as a young man, serving as a street soldier under caporegime Michael Sabella. Ruggiero soon became successful in bookmaking, extortion and loansharking rackets.

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