Vincent Papa
Vincent Papa (ca. 1920 New York City - July 1977 Atlanta, Georgia) was an American criminal who became notorious for stealing the French Connection heroin" from the NYPD property office.
Early Years
"Vinnie Papa" was born and raised in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York. A longtime partner of
French Connection Theft
A major narcotics distributor for many years, Papa plotted the famous French Connection drug thefts. Between 1969 and 1972 during six individual visits, thieves stole approximately $70,000,000 in confiscated drugs from the New York City Police Property Clerk's office in Lower Manhattan. Over 400 pounds of heroin and cocaine disappeared back into the streets. Although some of the drugs were eventually recovered, the majority were lost forever. The French Connection theft became the biggest corruption scandal in NYPD history and one of the most spectacular crimes in city history.
Papa's crew, whose members included Anthony Loria, Sr. and Virgil Alessi, distributed close to $1 million in heroin along the East Coast of the United States during the early seventies. It was widely suspected that Papa used drugs stolen from the property office.
Prison and Death
In 1972, Papa was convicted and sent to the Atlanta Federal Prison in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1977, Vincent Papa was stabbed to death in prison by fellow inmates. The motive for Papa's murder remains unclear. However, when prosecutors were still investigating the French Connection thefts, they spread the word that Papa had turned informant. This misinformation may have prompted the Lucchese family to order his murder in prison.
Aftermath
Papa is buried in Queens, NY, in St. John's Cemetery, the so-called "Mafia's Boot Hill". This cemetery holds infamous underworld figures such as Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Joe Profaci, Vito Genovese, Joe Colombo, and Carlo Gambino.
As for the French Connection thefts, Papa must have known who signed out the drugs from the NYPD property office. However, he took that secret to the grave. The thefts remain officially unsolved.
Reference
- Gregory Wallance: Papa's Game (Ballantine Books, New York, and Random House of Canada, Toronto, in arrangement with Rawson, Wade Publishers, 1981, ISBN 0-345-30168-4)
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