Giuseppe Colombano "Gyp" Rosetti (1881-1923) was a caporegime of the Masseria crime family during Prohibition. Rosetti was known for his fiery temper and for his unpredictable behavior, and his own boss Joe Masseria considered having him executed because of his uncontrollable temper. He was murdered by one of his own men, Tonino Sandrelli, after a war with Arnold Rothstein and Enoch Thompson over liquor smuggling routes in New Jersey.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Rosetti in 1923
Giuseppe Colombano Rosetti was born in 1881 in Sperlinga, Sicily, Italy, the son of two poor parents. He was raised in a hut that was cut into the side of a mountain, literally being born in a cave. Rosetti admired his father, who died at the age of fifty after working as a bricklayer for years, and Rosetti decided to emigrate to the United States to make a better life for himself. He married a fellow Sicilian immigrant and settled in New York City, New York, where he became a member of Joe Masseria's gang. Rosetti controlled twenty blocks on the South Side of Manhattan, including speakeasies and brothels, and he became a feared gangster, mostly because of his hot temper and his violent reaction to perceived insults.
Business with Nucky Thompson[]
Rosetti on the New Jersey shore, 1923
Rosetti and the Masseria family imported liquor from Atlantic City, buying it from political boss Enoch Thompson. On 31 December 1922, Rosetti was invited to Babette's Supper Club in Atlantic City to attend a New Year's Eve party with Thompson, Chicago Outfit representative Frankie Yale, Ohio bootlegger George Remus, and fellow New York mobsters Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky, and Lucky Luciano. Rosetti murdered a motorist along the way, as he was angered when the motorist questioned Rosetti's lack of knowledge about car oil. Rosetti took the man's dog, Regina, and he proceeded on to the city. At the party, he was insulted when Thompson ended their brief conversation in order to make a toast, and Rosetti was further insulted when Thompson informed his associates that he would only be selling liquor to Rothstein due to security reasons. Rosetti insulted all of the associates before leaving, and he gave the dog, Regina, to Thompson's wife, saying that the dog was a gift for the children.
Tabor Heights[]
Victor Sickles' death
Rosetti decided to take over the town of Tabor Heights, a small Methodist community in central New Jersey that was home to the last gas station on the road to New York City. Rosetti burned Sheriff Victor Sickles to death after Sickles wished him "good luck" with his business, as Rosetti saw this as condescending and sarcastic. The new sheriff was bribed by Rosetti, who set up camp in the town with a small army of hitmen. They blockaded Thompson's liquor shipping routes, and they killed eleven men when they ambushed one of Mickey Doyle's convoys. Rothstein grew exasperated that he was not receiving any of his shipments, and he allowed for Bugsy Siegel to attempt an assassination of Rosetti. Siegel shot three hitmen as well as a red-headed waitress whom Rosetti was having sex with, and Siegel was forced to flee as Rosetti fired back at him. Siegel fled in his car, and Rosetti grew angry; he later discovered that his businesses were being taken over by rival gangs while he was in Tabor Heights. Masseria threatened to kill Rosetti due to his volatility, but Rosetti promised to kill Rothstein, Luciano, and Nucky to make "Joe the Boss" become "Joe the King".
Turf war and downfall[]
Rosetti's death
Rosetti attempted to kill Thompson, Rothstein, and Luciano in the deadly Babette's Supper Club bombing, but the bombing failed to kill them. Thompson called in Al Capone from Chicago and Chalky White from the black side of Atlantic City, and the two sides engaged in deadly turf warfare. Of the 43 men sent by Masseria to assist Rosetti, 12 were dead within just a few days of the start of the open gang warfare with the Chicago and Black mobs, and Rosetti was put at a disadvantage when Masseria withdrew his protection from Rosetti as a part of an agreement with Arnold Rothstein. Rosetti was nearly killed when Richard Harrow single-handedly shot up Gillian Darmody's "Artemis Club", where Rosetti and his men were camped. Rosetti and his assistant Tonino Sandrelli managed to escape to the beach, where Rosetti began to act in a crazy manner, impersonating Nucky Thompson and "Barney Google". As he urinated and sang a song about "Barney Google", Rosetti was stabbed in the back by Sandrelli, who proceeded to stab him again in the chest, finishing him off. Rosetti's death ended the war between Masseria and Thompson.