Giovanni "Speedy Jack" Materazzi (1980-2013) was a Pavano crime family soldato in New York City. Materazzi was an infamous carjacker, leading the "Carjack Crew" of the Pavano crime family.
Biography[]
Giovanni Materazzi was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City in 1980, the grandson of Italian immigrants from Naples. Materazzi became an associate of the Pavano crime family as a teenager, during which time he became a notorious car thief. His first arrest occurred in 1995, when he was arrested for forging a driver's license. Materazzi was arrested five times before he reached the age of 20, with the charges varying from grand theft auto to assault and murder. However, he was acquitted each time, and he continued to do carjacking work for the family.
Carjack Crew[]
Speedy Jack after carjacking Thomas B. Wills' ride, 2008
Materazzi would become a good earner for the family, and he soon became the owner of several parking lots in Brooklyn, giving him a legitimate racket. Jack used these parking lots to store his stolen vehicles, which were then sold to car dealerships across the country; some vehicles were even exported overseas. Materazzi was never afraid to do the dirty work himself, earning himself the nickname "Speedy Jack" for his ability to steal cars and lead the NYPD on a wild chase. In 2008, Materazzi became a made man in the Pavano family as a reward for his commitment to the family, and he formed his own outfit, "the Carjack Crew", to help him run his rackets. This crew was involved in scores of hijackings every year, targeting nice cars and SUVs. These vehicles would then be taken to Jack's parking lots, where they were kept until they could be sold to a buyer. Slugs Piombino was a member of this crew, and Speedy Jack taught him how to successfully steal a car and evade the police.
Downfall[]
Concettina LaBianca being carjacked
Jack made money hand-over-fist after becoming a made man, as he ran a successful export business. However, his carjackings attracted the ire of other Mafia families, notably the rival Gambetti crime family, which was also involved in jacking rides in the John F. Kennedy International Airport area. Not only were the Gambetti family's carjacking operations interfered with, but they faced complaints from their business owners that the increased rate of carjackings was driving away customers, thereby decreasing their income. Jack soon became an enemy of the other families for his involvement in citywide carjackings.
The final straw for the Gambetti family was the carjacking of Concettina LaBianca. LaBianca, the mother of Gambetti soldier Louis LaBianca, was carjacked in Chinatown, Manhattan by Jack in 2013, and Louis LaBianca demanded revenge for the harm done to his mother. The Gambettis went to Mary Valvona, the boss of the Pavano family, who agreed to allow the Gambettis to whack Speedy Jack.
Death[]
The Pavanos decided to do the Gambettis a favor and take care of Jack themselves. They recruited his own crew to whack him: Xavier Rouco and Tario Carr were sent to take care of Jack. Jack met with his two crew members in a parking lot in Flatlands, and he exited his vehicle to greet them. As he did so, the two men shot him several times with handguns, killing Jack. Rouco took over the crew after Jack's death.