| rdfs:comment | - Frank Valenti was born in 1911 and began his criminal career inside streetgangs, committing petty crimes. Since 1933 he had several arrests including extortion, counterfeiting and bootlegging. During the 1950's Valenti became a well earning member of the Pittsburgh Family, which was then under the command of John LaRocca. Valenti became a crew member of Antonio Ripepi, the father-in-law of his brother. When Valenti's brother started to run a crew in Rochester and took over the criminal activities there, Frank was also sent over to help. The Rochester territory however was mainly in the hands of Buffalo crime family big-shot Stefano Magaddino, but they were authorized to operate there. During this period Valenti also became associated with the Bonanno crime family.
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| abstract | - Frank Valenti was born in 1911 and began his criminal career inside streetgangs, committing petty crimes. Since 1933 he had several arrests including extortion, counterfeiting and bootlegging. During the 1950's Valenti became a well earning member of the Pittsburgh Family, which was then under the command of John LaRocca. Valenti became a crew member of Antonio Ripepi, the father-in-law of his brother. When Valenti's brother started to run a crew in Rochester and took over the criminal activities there, Frank was also sent over to help. The Rochester territory however was mainly in the hands of Buffalo crime family big-shot Stefano Magaddino, but they were authorized to operate there. During this period Valenti also became associated with the Bonanno crime family. During his time in his brother's crew, Frank began to run the gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets. In 1957 he and his brother were invited at Joseph Barbara's ranch at Apalachin to attend a large Mafia summit. Both got arrested when the police suddenly raided the meeting. Both were jailed. During their absence in Rochester one of their crew members, Jake Russo, took his shot and started a takeover of the family. Valenti tried to stop Russo but was arrested again shortly after for violation of New York State election laws. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to stay away from the state of New York for 3 years. Informers later revealed that the arrest was set up by Valenti enemies who wanted him out of Rochester. In 1964, backed by associates of the Pittsburgh crime family, he returned to Rochester with means to get rid of Jake Russo and to regain control of the organization. Not much later Russo disappeared, never to be seen again.
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