Giovanni "John" Vitale (1869-1920) was a boss of the Detroit Crime Family.
Burial:
Mount Olivet Cemetery
Detroit
Wayne County
Michigan, USA
Plot: Section: 53, Tier: 7, Grave Lot: 168
Best recognized as the leader of one of two factions which battled mercilessly for control of Detroit's underworld just after the advent of prohibition, John Vitale's career actually began more than a decade before the outbreak of the bloodiest chapter in the history of the motor city mafia.
Vitale entered the liquor business during the first decade of the 20th century as a partner of Sam Cipriano, Joseph Stefano and a trio of grocer brothers from Wyandotte by the name of Gianolla. The newly formed liquor combine soon found itself competing with the most powerful Italian criminal combine in the Detroit area headed by Salvatore and Vito Adamo.
Vitale and his partners became the prime competitors for the Adamo's who in an effort to maintain a distinct advantage over the upstart liquor dealers began giving away free ice with deliveries of their beer and other alcoholic beverages. Unable "at the time," to compete with the deep pockets of the Adamos, Tony and Sam Gianolla devised a plan to rid themselves of the only thing standing between them and total dominance of not only the liquor market but all other criminal fields in the Italian colony of Detroit.
While the Adamo and Gianolla brothers fought an old world feud, Vitale, Cipriano and Stefano continued to conduct their business from a store on Rivard and Congress streets. With the elimination of the Adamo brothers and the ascent of Sam and Tony Gianolla to the top of the Italian criminal community, John Vitale concentrated on building a fortune for his lucrative and expanding liquor business.
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Giovanni Vitale was a former Organized Crime figure and once a boss of one of Detroit's first Mafia families. He was born in Cisini, Sicily on Saturday June the 24th 1876. In 1903 he emigrated to Detroit USA, then four years later he returned to Sicily and afterwards back to Detroit permanently in 1910. He was best recognized as the leader of one two factions which battled mercilessly for control of the criminal underworld of Detroit just after the introduction of Prohibition.
His career actually started more than a decade before the outbreak of what would be known as the bloodiest chapter in the history of the Mafia in Detroit. He entered the liquor business during the first decade of the first century as a partner of Salvatore (Sam) Cipriano; Joseph Stefano and a three brothers by the name of Giannola.
The newly formed liquor combine soon found itself competing with the most powerful Italian organized crime faction in Detroit, under the control of Salvatore and Vito Adamo. Vitale and his partners were the prime competitors to the Adamos, who in an effort to maintain a distinct advantage over their liquor business started giving away free ice with all deliveries of their own beer and other alcoholic drinks, but were still unable at that time to compete with the deep pockets of the Adamos So Antonino and
Salvatore Giannola devised a plan to do away with the Adamos as they were standing between them and total dominance of not only the liquor market but also other rackets in the Italian section of Detroit. Whilst the Giannolas and the Adamos fought a long feud, Giovanni Vitale, Salvatore Cipriano, and Giuseppe (Joseph) Stefano* continued to conduct their business from a store on Rivard and Congress Streets, Detroit.
Eventually the Adamo brothers were eliminated and Vitale Cipriano and Stefano ascended to the apex of the Italian organized crime community. Giovanni concentrated all his efforts on building a vast fortune for his lucrative and fast expanding liquor business. After a certain time the Giannolas started to grow in power and Vitale was counted upon as one of their most important lieutenants.
The partnership between them was to continue for a short time, but this was soon changed when a business dispute between the Giannolas and Pietro Bosco ended with Bosco's death, at the hand of Giannola gunmen. This murder sparked ill feelings between Vitale and the Giannola brothers and eventually triggered off the Giannola/Vitale Gang War.
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