Anthony Joseph Zerilli - One-time Boss

One-time Boss

By 1964, Tony was recognized as the leader of his own unit or "crew" within the Detroit Mafia. This meant that Tony was officially the leader of his own group of criminal operators and was recognized as a leader within the Detroit partnership and the local underworld. This added power and influence gave the young Zerilli a heightened and more significant status not only within the Detroit underworld, but within the national underworld as a mid-level mobster. This was obviously an attempt to solidify the Zerilli family's hold upon the Detroit underworld, mainly in the areas of gambling and labor racketeering as Tony and various influential underlings were recorded by law enforcement bugs discussing various criminal plots, including gambling operations, kidnapping International Brotherhood of Teamsters chief Jimmy Hoffa, police payoff policies and the easing of internal disputes. The tapes which were recorded in the offices of Anthony Giacalone between 1961 and 1964 demonstrating Zerilli's position in the Partnership despite being omitted from the families charts during the Valachi Hearings. Giacalone is heard at one point complaining bitterly about Pete Licavoli's dominance of area gambling operations despite being out of the Detroit area for many years. Zerilli is heard placating Giacalone finally promising to have the matter heard before his father Joe Z. Zerilli and Papa John Priziola, the only two remaining senior members of the chair who could sit in judgement of Licavoli. Shortly after these tapes were recorded, Tony would succeed his father as the boss of the Partnership until his incarceration in 1974. Tony would be demoted while in prison and has never been recognized as the official boss of the Detroit Partnership since. His cousin, Jack Tocco, son of Detroit Partnership patriarch, Giacomo "Jack" Tocco assumed control of the crime family by 1978 with the death of his uncle Joe Zerilli, but Tony was named underboss and has allegedly remained in this highly powerful and influential position within the organization since. Like several other legendary Mafia offspring such as Santo Trafficante Jr. (Tampa), Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno (Bonanno), Anthony Carolla (New Orleans), Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico (Colombo), Joseph "Big Joe" Todaro Jr. (Buffalo) and his cousin Jack Tocco, Tony Zerilli is considered "American Mafia Royalty" and at one time led one of America's most powerful Mafia crime families and was called "The Boss."

On April 4, 2008, Zerilli was released from federal prison.