Joseph John "Joey Peeps" Peparelli (1964 - July 30, 2004) was an associate in Phil Leotardo's crew of the Lupertazzi crime family.
Biography[]
Joseph Peparelli was born in New York City, New York in 1964, and he worked as an associate in Phil Leotardo's crew of the Lupertazzi crime family. Peparelli was an avid golf player, and he often played with underboss Johnny Sacrimoni, becoming his aide-de-camp and accompanying him to high-level sit-downs. The unmarried Peparelli lived with his wheelchair-bound mother, and he dated a stage performer and former ballet dancer who appeared in the Broadway musical Cats. During the 2004 civil war in the Lupertazzi family, Peparelli and Billy Leotardo killed Jason Evanina and Lorraine Calluzzo for siding with Carmine Lupertazzi Jr. against Sacrimoni.
Death[]
Peeps and Heather being killed
Lupertazzi's consigliere Angelo Garepe responded to the murders of Evanina and Calluzzo by sanctioning a hit on Peparelli, hiring DiMeo crime family member Tony Blundetto to perform the hit. One night, Peparelli drove to a Manhattan brothel to collect protection money, and he left the brothel with a prostitute named Heather. Blundetto walked up to his car and had a brief exchange with Blundetto before Blundetto lifted a pistol and shot the two of them repeatedly with his handgun. Peparelli died instantly, and his foot fell off of the brake; the car ran over Blundetto's foot as he continued shooting at its occupants.