| abstract | - In his autobiographical work "Vita di Capomafia," Nicola Gentile states that Conti was the leader of the Mafia in Pittsburgh in 1915. Conti and his nephew Peppino Cusumano ran a wholesale wine and liquor establishment. While Conti led a Mafia organization of Sicilians and Calabrians, a rival Neapolitan Camorra group in Pittsburgh was led by Ferdinand Mauro. A Mauro lieutenant in Johnstown was named Calabro. On September 24, 1919, Conti was killed in his car while in the company of fellow Pittsburgh mobsters Orazio Lenone, JC Catalano and Joseph Catalano who admitted they were in the car with Conti when he was killed. Conti was allegedly killed because he had watered down some liquor owned by Ferdinando Mauro, ruining the products quality.
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