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Kent Conrad

2009-01-31T04:05:42Z

SteveMacIntyre: /* Initial career */ Inserted the preposition "from" between "after graduating" and "college".

{{Infobox Officeholder
|name = Kent Conrad
|image = SenatorConradOfficialPortrait.jpg
|imagesize =
|smallimage =
|caption =
|order = [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[North Dakota]]
|term_start = December 14, 1992 Serving with [[Byron Dorgan]]
|term_end =
|predecessor = [[Jocelyn Burdick]]
|successor =
|term_start2 = January 6, 1987
|term_end2 = December 14, 1992
|predecessor2 = [[Mark Andrews]]
|successor2 = [[Byron Dorgan]]
|order3 = Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Senate Committee on the Budget]]
|term_start3 = January 4, 2007
|term_end3 =
|predecessor3 = [[Judd Gregg]]
|successor3 =
|term_start3 = January 4, 2007
|term_end3 =
|predecessor3 = [[Judd Gregg]]
|successor3 =
|term_start4 = June 6, 2001
|term_end4 = January 3, 2003
|predecessor4 = [[Pete Domenici]]
|successor4 = [[Don Nickles]]
|term_start5 = January 3
|term_end5 = January 20, 2001
|predecessor5 = [[Pete Domenici]]
|successor5 = [[Pete Domenici]]
|order6 = [[List of North Dakota Tax Commissioners|Tax Commissioners of North Dakota]]
|term_start6 = 1981
|term_end6 = 1987
|governor6 = [[Allen I. Olson]] [[George Sinner]]
|predecessor6 = [[Byron Dorgan]]
|successor6 = [[Heidi Heitkamp]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|03|12}}
|birth_place = [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]], [[North Dakota]]
|spouse = Pam Schafer (divorced), Lucy Calautti
|children = Jessamyn Conrad
|party = [[North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party|Democratic-NPL]]
|religion = [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist]]<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Kent_Conrad.htm Kent Conrad on the issues]</ref>
|alma_mater = [[Stanford University]], [[The George Washington University]]
|residence = [[Bismarck, North Dakota]]
|occupation = taxation civil servant
}}
'''Gaylord Kent Conrad''' (b. March 12, 1948, [[Bismarck, North Dakota]]) is a [[United States senator]] from [[North Dakota]]. He is a member of the [[North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party]], the North Dakota affiliate of the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]]. He is the chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Senate Budget Committee]].

==Early years and education ==
Kent Conrad was born in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]] to [[German-American]] parents and lived much of his early life in Bismarck. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his grandparents. He attended Roosevelt Elementary and Hughes Junior High, and several years of high school in [[Tripoli, Libya]]. He graduated in 1966 from [[Phillips Exeter Academy]], like his opposite on the [[U.S. Senate Committee on Budget|Senate Budget Committee]], Senator [[Judd Gregg]]. He went to college at [[Stanford University|Stanford]] and received an [[MBA]] from [[George Washington University]].

Conrad has been married twice. His first wife, Pam, is the sister of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former North Dakota Governor [[Ed Schafer]].<ref>[http://www.hpj.com/archives/2007/nov07/nov12/MeetthenomineeforSecretaryo.cfm?login=true Meet the nominee for Secretary of Agriculture]</ref><ref>[http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1007/103107cdpm2.htm Bush nominates former North Dakota governor as Agriculture secretary (10/31/07) - www.GovernmentExecutive.com]</ref> They had one daughter, Jessamyn. Following their divorce, Conrad married Lucy Calautti, a lobbyist for [[Major League Baseball]].

== Initial career ==
After graduating from college, he became a civil servant, working as an assistant to the North Dakota tax commissioner, [[Byron Dorgan]], who later became his colleague in the Senate. Conrad made his first entry into politics when he ran unsuccessfully for the North Dakota Auditor's office in 1976. In 1980, Conrad succeeded Dorgan as tax commissioner. Conrad was state tax commissioner until 1986, when he ran for Senate.

== Senate career ==
===Elections===
In the 1986 election, Conrad defeated the Republican incumbent, [[Mark Andrews]], by 2,100 votes in what some may consider an upset; Andrews had represented North Dakota at the federal level since 1963 (he had previously served in the House before moving to the Senate in 1981).

During the campaign, Conrad pledged that he would not run for re-election if the [[Federal budget deficit]] had not fallen by the end of his term. By 1992 it became obvious that this would not be the case, and although polls showed that the electors would have welcomed him going back on his pledge, Conrad considered his promise binding and did not run for re-election. Dorgan won the Democratic primary election.

Conrad got an unusual opportunity to remain in the Senate when the other North Dakota senator, long-serving Dem-NPLer [[Quentin Burdick]], died on September 8, 1992. Burdick's widow, [[Jocelyn Burdick|Jocelyn Birch Burdick]], was appointed to that seat temporarily, but a special election was needed to fill the rest of the term. As this was not running for re-election, Conrad ran for and secured the Democratic-NPL nomination. He won the special election and was sworn in December 14, 1992, resigning his other seat the same day. (The first seat was then filled by Dorgan, who was appointed by the governor on December 15, 1992 to fill the seat for the brief interim until he would have been sworn in under normal circumstances.)

Despite North Dakota's Republican lean, Conrad was handily reelected in 1994 — a year in which marginal seats everywhere fell to Republicans. He hasn't faced serious opposition since.

===Political positions ===
Conrad has been very vocal in his opposition to the spending policies of the [[George W. Bush|Bush Administration]]. He contends that they have worsened the problems of [[government debt|national debt]]. Conrad is opposed to most free-trade measures and is a strong supporter of farming subsidies to family farmers.

Conrad is more conservative than many in his own party on the issues of [[abortion]] and [[gun control|gun politics]]. He is one of the few members of the Democratic Party to have voted consistently in favor of banning the procedure commonly referred to as [[Intact dilation and extraction|"partial-birth" abortion]]. He also opposes public funding of abortion. However, Conrad voted in favor of lifting the ban on military base abortions. <ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Kent_Conrad_Abortion.htm#2000-134 Kent Conrad on Abortion]</ref> Conrad also has a mixed record on gay rights. While he personally is opposed to gay marriage, he voted against a proposed constitutional ban on the matter and has supported bills that prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. On January 31, 2006, Conrad was one of only four Democrats to vote in favor of confirming Judge [[Samuel Alito]] to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]].

Conrad voted against approving use of military force in [[Iraq]] in 1991 and was one of only 23 senators to vote against the [[Iraq War|war resolution of 2002]]. While he initially voted in favor of the [[PATRIOT Act|USA PATRIOT Act]], he has been a staunch opponent of warrantless wiretapping and of the [[Guantanamo Bay]] detention facility.

In April 2006, he was selected by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' as one of "America's 10 Best Senators". That same year, he was commended by ''The American'' for his knowledge of economic issues.

Conrad is widely known for being very detailed in his analysis of monetary policies and budget issues. He almost always uses charts, graphs, and other visuals at press conferences as well as on the Senate floor. He considers himself a "deficit hawk" because of his calls for a balanced federal budget[http://conrad.senate.gov/about/]. Conrad has been an outspoken supporter of creating a more progressive taxation system. He has voted against Republican proposals to repeal the estate and alternative minimum taxes. He supports lowered middle class taxes, but increasing them for those making over $1 million per year, and Conrad also believes that the Bush tax cuts should be repealed and that revenues made from doing so should go to education and deficit reduction.

Kent Conrad was one of the very first Senators to have endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic Presidential Race.

Conrad is also a leading member of the "[[New Energy Reform Act of 2008|Gang of 10]]", a bipartisan group which has created a compromise for American energy policy.

===Countrywide Financial loan scandal===
{{further|[[Countrywide financial political loan scandal]]}}
In June 2008, it was reported that Senator Conrad had received mortgages on favorable terms for a second home and an apartment building due to his association with [[Countrywide]] CEO [[Angelo R. Mozilo]]. <ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2008/06/12/Countrywide-Loan-Scandal Countrywide's Many 'Friends'] Conde Nast Portfolio, June 12, 2008</ref> Conrad has acknowledged he spoke with Angelo Mozilo, the Countrywide CEO, by phone. <ref>http://www.valleynewslive.com/artman2/publish/local_regional_news/6930.shtml </ref> In an April 23, 2004, email about one of Senator Conrad loans, Mozilo encouraged an employee to “make an exception due to the fact that the borrower is a senator.” <ref name=autogenerated1 /> Conrad denied any prior knowledge of such treatment and gave away the mortage discount to charity. <ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121340441225573983.html?mod=googlenews_wsj James R. Hagerty, Damian Paletta and Glenn R. Simpson, "Conrad, Dodd Deny Special Treatment on Mortgages," ''Wall Street Journal'' June 14, 2008; Page A3]</ref> [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/opinion/22sun3.html?ref=opinion] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ([[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington|CREW]]) has called on the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics|Senate Ethics Committee]] to investigate Conrad. <ref> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_go_co/senators_vip_mortgages_4</ref>

===2006 re-election campaign===
{{main|United States Senate election in North Dakota, 2006}}
In 2006, Republicans heavily wooed popular [[Governor of North Dakota|Governor]] [[John Hoeven]] to face him. Hoeven was considered by many analysts to be the only Republican who could possibly defeat Conrad. However, Hoeven declined, effectively handing Conrad a fourth full term.

The only Republican to file by the deadline was [[Dwight Grotberg]], an Anderson town councilman and farmer from [[Sanborn, North Dakota|Sanborn]] in [[Barnes County, North Dakota|Barnes County]].

As of August 2006, Conrad had the highest approval rating among his constituents of any [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]], at 74% approval to only 21% disapproval, despite his being a Democrat in a historically [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] state.<ref>http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/100USSenatorApproval060817Approval.htm</ref>

===Committee assignments===
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Finance|Committee on Finance]]'''
**[[United States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure|Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure]]
**[[United States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy|Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy]]
**[[United States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth|Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth]] (Chairman)
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry|Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry]]'''
**[[United States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health|Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health]]
**[[United States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology|Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology]] (Chairman)
**[[United States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support|Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Committee on the Budget]]''' (Chairman)
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs|Committee on Indian Affairs]]'''
*'''[[United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation|Joint Committee on Taxation]]'''

===Electoral history===
Conrad is the only person ever to hold two U.S. Senate seats on the same day.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}

====1986: United States Senate====
* '''Kent Conrad (D) 49.8%'''
* [[Mark Andrews]] (R) (inc.) 49%

====1994: United States Senate ====
* '''Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 58%'''
* [[Ben Clayburgh]] (R) 42%

====2000: United States Senate====
* '''Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 61%'''
* [[Duane Sand]] (R) 38%

====2006: United States Senate====
* '''Kent Conrad (D) (inc.) 68.8%'''
* [[Dwight Grotberg]] (R) 29.5%
* Roland Riemers (I) 1%
* James Germalic (I) 0.6%

==See also==
*[[North Dakota's United States Senate special election, 1992]]
*[[North Dakota United States Senate election, 1994]]
*[[North Dakota United States Senate election, 2000]]
*[[North Dakota United States Senate election, 2006]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://conrad.senate.gov/ United States Senator Kent Conrad], U.S. Senate site
{{CongLinks | congbio = c000705 | fec = S2WA00189 | opensecrets = N00004613 | votesmart = S0682103 | ontheissuespath = Senate/Kent_Conrad.htm}}
*[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/kent_conrad/index.html New York Times — Kent Conrad News] collected news and commentary
*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kent_Conrad SourceWatch Congresspedia — Kent Conrad] profile
*[http://usliberals.about.com/od/liberalpersonalprofiles/p/KentConrad.htm About.com — Kent Conrad]

{{start box}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
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|state=North Dakota
|class=3
|years=January 3, 1987 - December 14, 1992|alongside=[[Quentin N. Burdick]], [[Jocelyn Burdick]]
|after=[[Byron Dorgan]]}}
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| before= [[Byron Dorgan]]
|title= [[List of North Dakota Tax Commissioners|Tax Commissioners of North Dakota]]
|years=1981–1987
|after=[[Heidi Heitkamp]]}}
{{succession box
| before= [[Pete Domenici]] R-[[New Mexico]]
|title= [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget]]
|years=January 3, 2001–January 20, 2001
|after=[[Pete Domenici]] R-[[New Mexico]]}}
{{succession box
| before= [[Pete Domenici]] R-[[New Mexico]]
|title= [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget]]
|years=June 6, 2001–January 3, 2003
|after=[[Don Nickles]] R-[[Oklahoma]]}}
{{succession box
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|title= [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget]]
|years=January 4, 2007–present
|after=''[[Incumbent]]''}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box
| before= [[Kent Johanneson]]
|title= [[North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party|Democratic-NPL]] nominee for [[United States Senator]] from [[List of United States Senators from North Dakota|North Dakota]] ([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 3]])
|years=[[United States Senate election in North Dakota, 1986|1986]]
|after=[[Byron Dorgan]]}}
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{{end box}}
{{ND-FedRep}}
{{Current U.S. Senators}}
{{USSenND}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Kent}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Current members of the United States Senate]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni]]
[[Category:German-American politicians]]
[[Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:American Unitarian Universalists]]
[[Category:United States Senators from North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Bismarck, North Dakota]]
[[Category:North Dakota Tax Commissioners]]
[[Category:North Dakota Democrats]]
[[Category:Congressional opponents of the Iraq War]]

[[fr:Kent Conrad]]
[[ja:ケント・コンラッド]]
[[pl:Kent Conrad]]
[[fi:Kent Conrad]]
[[sv:Kent Conrad]]

Thomas Agro

2007-05-19T18:44:03Z

SteveMacIntyre: In fourth paragraph, changed "boomaking" to "bookmaking"

{{POV}}
{{Unreferenced|date=May 2007}}

'''Thomas Agro''' (akas: T.A., Tipp) was born on the Upper East Side of [[New York City]]. He was a soldier in the [[Gambino crime family]]. He is the brother-in-law of Paul Stanisci Jr. He confessed to [[Joe Ianuzzi]] to the murders of [[Anthony DeSimone]] and [[Thomas DeSimone]], whose murder would be graphically portrayed in [[Martin Scorcese]]'s, movie ''[[Goodfellas]]'', but was never convicted of them because Ianuzzi's tape recorder was off at the time.

==Biography==
Agro was married to a [[French people|French]]-[[Laotian]] woman who had handled the liquor accounts for Regine's and "Club A". He had previously been married to a [[Puerto-Rican]]-[[Chinese]] woman named LuAnn Yaden. He became a made soldier in 1975 or 1976 and while he was promoted above a street level soldier, certain privileged relationships allowed for an unusual amount of communication between him and [[Paul Castellano]]. Agro had been sponsored for mob membership by Joe N. Gallo, the family's consigliere. He worked under [[Joseph Armone]], one of Castellano's most trusted associates. Agro was a smiling pudgy little man always immaculately dressed and manicured. He wore a jet black toupee that was so sleek it reflected flashing disco lights creating bizarre effects of sparks coming out of Tommy's head {{Fact|date=May 2007}}.

Standing 5'5 he was a classic bully who was known to take genuine pleasure in beating up people {{Fact|date=May 2007}}. Since he was sickly as well as small, he always needed a couple of henchmen to hold his victims down so he could administer his punishment in safety. He was known to carry a pair of sharpened scissors on him at all times. A favorite method of Tommy's was to approach quite slowly with a knife, giving his pinioned victim ample time to urinate his pants before the stabbing would begin. Agro's attacks were more spontaneous than planned though. According the the FBI Agro had a prescription for [[Lithium]]. Additionally he took medications for a lung ailment as well as two medications for heart problems (due to high blood pressure).

Agro had previously served time for bookmaking. By 1976 Agro was dividing his time between New York and [[Palm Beach County, Florida]]. It was in Florida that he tapped Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi to act as his representative. Iannuzzi enjoyed the attention and respect he received when Agro was in down south. The two were known to hit all the top nightspots and engage in track betting. It was while at the tracks that Agro coined Iannuzzi's nickname "Joe Dogs".

Iannuzzi was given free reign to operate on behalf of Agro and by extension the Gambino crime family. Iannuzzi operated bookmaking and loansharking while engaging in the occasionaly robbery and burglary. While Agro's sponsor into the Gambino criminal syndicate, Joe N. Gallo, visited Florida; Iannuzzi would often look after him.

The Agro/Iannuzzi relationship began to fizzle in 1980. Agro had previously lent Ianuzzi a sizeable amount of money to be used to facilitate a loanshark book. Ianuzzi was to pay Agro several percentage basis points (commonly referred to as ''points'') a week. Ianuzzi would then lend offer loans to fellow criminals and gamblers at several additional points. The difference or the 'spread' would be for Iannuzzi's pockets. Often times Ianuzzi would hold several weeks or months worth of interest (or ''vig'' as it is known in mafia vernacular), delivering it to Agro when he visited New York. Other times Agro would visit Iannuzzi in Florida to collect the interest. Agro had plans to invest the illegal interest into legitimate businesses.

After failing to deliver several months worth of interest and snubbing Agro while visiting New York, Agro paid Ianuzzi a visit at Don Ritz Pizzeria on [[Singer Island, Florida]] on January 19, 1981. The visit resulted in a severe beating received by Iannuzzi. Ianuzzi was near death but made a miraculous recovery, later working for the FBI in a case against the Florida mobsters.

As Agro had used a baseball bat during the incident the FBI agents appropriately dubbed the case Operation Home Run. In an unbelievable turn of events Agro welcomed Iannuzzi back to his fold. Iannuzzi paid the interest owed to Agro using funds furnished by the FBI. He also wore a hidden listening device taping hours of conversations with Agro and other mobsters operating in Florida. One tape detailed Agro in his own voice assuring Iannuzzi that the only reason he lived past day of the January attack was because the pizzeria owner's wife walked in and interrupted the moment.

Agro was prosecuted at one of the Home Run trials in Florida in 1984 and 1985 of loan sharking, extortion and attempted murder for which he was sentenced to fifteen years in a federal penitentiary. Agro went on the lam in and went to [[Quebec]] where his ex-wife LuAnn followed shortly after his escape from the law. They later moved to [[Nuns' Island]] where he deserted LuAnn for another woman, a half-[[Japanese people|Japanese]] woman named Ann Okcha. He was arrested by the [[RCMP]] in [[Quebec]] in 1984 . He was released from prison in 1986 due to an inoperable brain tumor and died the following year.

==References==
*''Boss of Bosses: The Fall of The Godfather: The FBI and Paul Castellano'', by Joseph F. O'Brien and Andris Kurins

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agro, Thomas}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]
[[Category:American mobsters]]
[[Category:Brain tumour deaths]]
[[Category:Gambino crime family]]
[[Category:Italian-Americans]]
[[Category:People from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from Palm Beach, Florida]]

Thomas Agro

2007-05-19T18:41:08Z

SteveMacIntyre: Second paragraph corrected "communication between he and" to "communication between him and" (Object of the preposition)

{{POV}}
{{Unreferenced|date=May 2007}}

'''Thomas Agro''' (akas: T.A., Tipp) was born on the Upper East Side of [[New York City]]. He was a soldier in the [[Gambino crime family]]. He is the brother-in-law of Paul Stanisci Jr. He confessed to [[Joe Ianuzzi]] to the murders of [[Anthony DeSimone]] and [[Thomas DeSimone]], whose murder would be graphically portrayed in [[Martin Scorcese]]'s, movie ''[[Goodfellas]]'', but was never convicted of them because Ianuzzi's tape recorder was off at the time.

==Biography==
Agro was married to a [[French people|French]]-[[Laotian]] woman who had handled the liquor accounts for Regine's and "Club A". He had previously been married to a [[Puerto-Rican]]-[[Chinese]] woman named LuAnn Yaden. He became a made soldier in 1975 or 1976 and while he was promoted above a street level soldier, certain privileged relationships allowed for an unusual amount of communication between him and [[Paul Castellano]]. Agro had been sponsored for mob membership by Joe N. Gallo, the family's consigliere. He worked under [[Joseph Armone]], one of Castellano's most trusted associates. Agro was a smiling pudgy little man always immaculately dressed and manicured. He wore a jet black toupee that was so sleek it reflected flashing disco lights creating bizarre effects of sparks coming out of Tommy's head {{Fact|date=May 2007}}.

Standing 5'5 he was a classic bully who was known to take genuine pleasure in beating up people {{Fact|date=May 2007}}. Since he was sickly as well as small, he always needed a couple of henchmen to hold his victims down so he could administer his punishment in safety. He was known to carry a pair of sharpened scissors on him at all times. A favorite method of Tommy's was to approach quite slowly with a knife, giving his pinioned victim ample time to urinate his pants before the stabbing would begin. Agro's attacks were more spontaneous than planned though. According the the FBI Agro had a prescription for [[Lithium]]. Additionally he took medications for a lung ailment as well as two medications for heart problems (due to high blood pressure).

Agro had previously served time for boomaking. By 1976 Agro was dividing his time between New York and [[Palm Beach County, Florida]]. It was in Florida that he tapped Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi to act as his representative. Iannuzzi enjoyed the attention and respect he received when Agro was in down south. The two were known to hit all the top nightspots and engage in track betting. It was while at the tracks that Agro coined Iannuzzi's nickname "Joe Dogs".

Iannuzzi was given free reign to operate on behalf of Agro and by extension the Gambino crime family. Iannuzzi operated bookmaking and loansharking while engaging in the occasionaly robbery and burglary. While Agro's sponsor into the Gambino criminal syndicate, Joe N. Gallo, visited Florida; Iannuzzi would often look after him.

The Agro/Iannuzzi relationship began to fizzle in 1980. Agro had previously lent Ianuzzi a sizeable amount of money to be used to facilitate a loanshark book. Ianuzzi was to pay Agro several percentage basis points (commonly referred to as ''points'') a week. Ianuzzi would then lend offer loans to fellow criminals and gamblers at several additional points. The difference or the 'spread' would be for Iannuzzi's pockets. Often times Ianuzzi would hold several weeks or months worth of interest (or ''vig'' as it is known in mafia vernacular), delivering it to Agro when he visited New York. Other times Agro would visit Iannuzzi in Florida to collect the interest. Agro had plans to invest the illegal interest into legitimate businesses.

After failing to deliver several months worth of interest and snubbing Agro while visiting New York, Agro paid Ianuzzi a visit at Don Ritz Pizzeria on [[Singer Island, Florida]] on January 19, 1981. The visit resulted in a severe beating received by Iannuzzi. Ianuzzi was near death but made a miraculous recovery, later working for the FBI in a case against the Florida mobsters.

As Agro had used a baseball bat during the incident the FBI agents appropriately dubbed the case Operation Home Run. In an unbelievable turn of events Agro welcomed Iannuzzi back to his fold. Iannuzzi paid the interest owed to Agro using funds furnished by the FBI. He also wore a hidden listening device taping hours of conversations with Agro and other mobsters operating in Florida. One tape detailed Agro in his own voice assuring Iannuzzi that the only reason he lived past day of the January attack was because the pizzeria owner's wife walked in and interrupted the moment.

Agro was prosecuted at one of the Home Run trials in Florida in 1984 and 1985 of loan sharking, extortion and attempted murder for which he was sentenced to fifteen years in a federal penitentiary. Agro went on the lam in and went to [[Quebec]] where his ex-wife LuAnn followed shortly after his escape from the law. They later moved to [[Nuns' Island]] where he deserted LuAnn for another woman, a half-[[Japanese people|Japanese]] woman named Ann Okcha. He was arrested by the [[RCMP]] in [[Quebec]] in 1984 . He was released from prison in 1986 due to an inoperable brain tumor and died the following year.

==References==
*''Boss of Bosses: The Fall of The Godfather: The FBI and Paul Castellano'', by Joseph F. O'Brien and Andris Kurins

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agro, Thomas}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]
[[Category:American mobsters]]
[[Category:Brain tumour deaths]]
[[Category:Gambino crime family]]
[[Category:Italian-Americans]]
[[Category:People from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from Palm Beach, Florida]]

Thomas Agro

2007-05-16T15:57:24Z

SteveMacIntyre: Corrected spelling by adding letter h to "discotheque"

Thomas Agro a.k.a. T.A. a.k.a. Tipp a.k.a. Thomas Ambrosio was born on the Upper East Side of [[New York City]]. He was a soldier in the [[Gambino crime family]]. He is the brother-in-law of Paul Stanisci Jr. He confessed to [[Joe Ianuzzi]] to the murders of [[Anthony DeSimone]] and [[Thomas DeSimone]], whose murder would be graphically portrayed in Martin Scorcese's, movie [[Goodfellas]], but was never convicted of them because Ianuzzi's tape recorder was off at the time.

==Biography==

Thomas was married to a [[French people|French]]-[[Laotian]] who handled the liquor accounts for the discotheques, Regine's and "Club A". He had previously been married to a [[Puerto-Rican]]-[[Chinese]] woman named LuAnn Yaden. He became a made soldier in [[1975]] or [[1976]] and while he was promoted above a street level soldier, certain privileged relationships allowed for an unusual amount of communication between he and [[Paul Castellano]]. Agro had been sponsored for mob membership by Joe N. Gallo, the family's consigliere. He worked under [[Joseph Armone]], one of Castellano's most trusted associates. Agro was a smiling pudgy little man always immaculately dressed and manicured. His face is said to have shone like a polished apple. He wore a jet black toupee that was so sleek it reflected flashing disco lights creating bizarre effects of sparks coming out of Tommy's head. Standing at barely 5'5 he was a classic bully who was known to take genuine pleasure in beating people up. Since he was sickly as well as small, he always needed a couple of henchmen to hold his victims down so he could administer his punishment in safety. He was known to carry a pair of sharpened scissors on him at all times. A favorite method of Tommy's was to approach quite slowly with a knife, giving his pinioned victim ample time to urinate his pants before the stabbing would begin. Agro's attacks were more spontaneous than planned though. He had a prescription for [[Lithium]] including medications for his lungs so they would not fill up with liquid, as they would when he laid down or breathed, and two medications for heart problems due to his high blood pressure. Tommy was prosecuted at one of the Home Run trials in Florida in [[1984]] and [[1985]] of loan sharking, extortion and attempted murder for which he was sentenced to fifteen years in a federal penitentiary. Agro went on the lam in and went to [[Quebec]] where his ex-wife LuAnn followed shortly after his escape from the law. They later moved to [[Nuns' Island]] but left LuAnn for another girlfriend, half-[[Japanese people|Japanese]] woman named Ann Okcha. He was arrested by the [[RCMP]] in [[Quebec]] in [[1984]].

==References==

Boss of Bosses: The Fall of The Godfather: The FBI and Paul Castellano by Joseph F. O'Brien and Andris Kurins