16 Facts About Jimmy Fratianno

Jimmy Fratianno was born in Naples, Italy, in 1913, later immigrating with his family to the United States, settling near Cleveland, Ohio.

Jimmy Fratianno earned his nickname "Weasel" as a boy when running from the police in the Little Italy section of Cleveland.

Jimmy Fratianno was paroled in 1945, and moved to Los Angeles, California, where he associated with underworld figure Mickey Cohen.

In 1954, Jimmy Fratianno was convicted of attempted extortion; he served 6 years and 3 months, mostly at San Quentin State Prison.

Jimmy Fratianno married Jean, who he had met in an airport in 1966, in 1975.

Jimmy Fratianno accepted the position on the condition that he run the family together with Fratianno.

Jimmy Fratianno accepted the proposal with the understanding that he would carry the majority of the responsibility.

Bompensiero was one of the few made men that Jimmy Fratianno trusted, as they were old friends, and he was infuriated that the Los Angeles family would give him such a 'contract'.

At this point Jimmy Fratianno felt that he was tricked into becoming co acting boss with Louie Dragna, a leadership position which required him to be transferred from the Chicago Outfit back to the Los Angeles family.

Jimmy Fratianno began to suspect that Brooklier was trying to poison his mob reputation, and lay the groundwork to have him killed.

Similarly fearing for his safety, Jimmy Fratianno agreed to become a government witness against the Mafia.

In 1980, after his testimony resulted in the racketeering convictions of five reputedly high level Mafia figures, Jimmy Fratianno entered the federal Witness Protection Program.

Jimmy Fratianno claimed that the Mafia had a $100,000 contract on his life.

In 1987, after he published two biographies, The Last Mafioso with author Ovid Demaris and Vengeance is Mine with author Michael J Zuckerman, Fratianno was expelled from Witness Protection after the Justice Department noted that it had spent almost $1 million on the Fratiannos in 10 years.

On June 29,1993, Jimmy Fratianno died of natural causes at his home in an undisclosed US city, believed to be Oklahoma City.

Jimmy Fratianno is portrayed by Joseph Riccobene in Martin Scorsese's crime film The Irishman.