Anthony Scotto — a former union leader, Big Apple political kingmaker and reputed mob boss — has died at 87, his daughter announced Sunday.
“We are broken hearted to share the passing of Anthony M Scotto 87 years, beloved husband of Marion Scotto and father of Rosanna, Anthony jr, John, and Elaina, and grandfather to Jenna, Louis, Anthony, Gabriella, Danny, Julia, Bianca and Andrew,” wrote Fox 5 host Rosanna Scotto in an Instagram post, without elaborating on his cause of death.
A native of Brooklyn, Anthony Scotto began working on the Brooklyn waterfront at age 16 and went on to become the union leader of the International Longshoremen Association Local 1814, the post read.
He studied at St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn and focused on pre-law and political science at Brooklyn College. He taught labor relations at Harvard University.
Rosanna Scotto noted that several major politicians, including former Gov. Mario Cuomo and former President Jimmy Carter, vied for her father’s endorsement.
“He enjoyed golfing with his friends, loved a good cigar, and relished making Sunday Sauce with his family,” her tribute concluded. “He was loved by everyone and will be missed dearly.”
While head of the longshoremen union, the Justice Department in 1969 outed Anthony Scotto as a member of the Gambino crime family, according to newspaper reports at the time. He served as a captain in the mob, according to contemporary reports.
In 1980, Scotto was sentenced to five years in federal prison and fined $75,000 for racketeering and income tax fraud, despite maintaining his innocence. Prominent politicians reportedly vouched for his character ahead of his sentencing, which reportedly impressed the judge on his case.
He served about three years in two different prisons and was released in October 1984, the Associated Press reported at the time.
The Scotto family owns Fresco by Scotto on East 52nd Street, which recently reopened with a redesign after being shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic.