An old man wandering around in his pajamas, a bathrobe, and a ratty pair of house slippers muttering to nobody in particular is a fairly typical sight in New York City, but Vincent Gigante was anything but typical.Partly because he wandered the streets of Greenwich Village in an elaborate performance of insanity, Mafia boss Vincent Chin Gigante eluded prosecution for decades as a supposedly unstable and incompetent man.New York Daily News/Getty ImagesVincent Gigante in court following the shooting of mob boss Frank Costello.Meanwhile, this sly fox of a crime boss built the Genovese family into an expansive empire that is thought to have brought in more than $100 million a year at its height.In the end, Vincent Gigante was one of the most successful and notorious Mafia Dons in American history.The Early Career of Vinny The Chin GiganteUS Department of Justice/Wikimedia CommonsA mugshot of Vincent Gigante taken in 1960.Born in New York City on March 29, 1928, Vincent Gigante was one of five sons of Salvatore and Yolanda Gigante, both first-generation immigrants from the Italian city of Naples.While his parents were honest workers Salvatore was a watchmaker and Yolonda a seamstress Gigantes life of crime began shortly after he dropped out of high school at age 16 to become a boxer.Nicknamed The Chin (which was inspired by his mothers heavy-accented Italian pronunciation of the diminutive of the Italian form of his name), Vincenzo Gigante would go on to win 21 of 25 fights in his brief career. Though an able boxer, it would be his battles outside of the ring that would quickly become his lifes work.Phil Stanziola/Library of CongressVincent Gigante in 1957.Powerful Mafia boss Vito Genovese soon took a liking to the young Gigante and became his mentor. Gigante, in turn, took his mob apprenticeship seriously, doing anything asked of him, to the point that he was arrested seven times before he turned 25 for crimes ranging from auto theft to arson.By the 1950s, Vincent Gigante had risen to become a full-time gangster, working as an enforcer for the Genovese family, where his career in organized crime began to ascend to historic heights.The Attempted Murder Of Frank CostelloAl Aumuller/Library of CongressIn 1951, Frank Costello testified before the Kefauver Committee during its investigation of organized crime.Though named for him, Vito Genovese wasnt the founder of the Genovese crime family. Charles Lucky Luciano founded the family in the 1930s with Genovese as one of his most trusted allies.In the 1940s, however, Lucianos luck in the U.S. finally ran out and after a brief stint in prison, he was deported back to Italy. Shortly thereafter, he appointed Frank Costello to head up the Genovese family to the chagrin of Genovese, who had hoped to lead the family himself.Genovese was a loyal subordinate to Luciano, but he was furious at Costellos ascension. Though it would take nearly a decade, Genovese was determined to take Costello out of the picture and would eventually turn to Gigante to help make it happen.Phil Stanziola/Library of CongressVito Genovese in 1959.On the evening of May 2, 1957, Costello returned home after enjoying dinner with his wife and a few friends. As Costellos taxi arrived at his apartment building near Central Park and Costello made his way to the front door, a black Cadillac slowly pulled up to the curb behind it.As Costello entered the vestibule of the building, a shot rang out. Staggering into the lobby, Costello collapsed onto a leather couch while a gunman ran out the door and jumped into the waiting Cadillac, which immediately sped away.Though the intent was obviously to murder Costello, the bullet only grazed his skull and he survived the assassination attempt. Police officers questioned Costello about the man who tried to kill him, but he repeatedly told them that he never got a good look at his attacker; he even claimed to not have heard the gunshot.Police were more successful with the doorman, however, who described the gunman as a six-foot-tall man with a stocky build. The New York Police Department put 66 detectives on the case, and soon the doorman identified Vincent Gigante as the shooter.Apic/Getty ImagesVincent Chin Gigante in custody after his failed assassination attempt on Genovese family boss Frank Costello. August 20, 1957.Vincent Gigante was arrested and was tried for attempted murder in 1958. Even with the doormans identification, however, prosecutors couldnt secure a conviction since Costello maintained that he could not identify his attacker, and without a positive identification, Gigante was acquitted.According to reporters in the courtroom, following Gigantes acquittal, he was overheard saying to Costello, Thanks, Frank. Costello clearly took the hint from Genovese and retired soon afterward, leaving Genovese as the undisputed boss of Lucianos family in New York.New York Daily News/Getty ImagesVincent Gigante with his parents Yolanda Gigante and Salvatore Gigante in court.Genovese would not enjoy his time at the top for long, however; at least not as a free man.In 1959, Gigante and Genovese would both be convicted in federal court on charges of heroin trafficking, largely believed to have been arranged by Luciano and rival family head Carlo Gambino. Gigante was sentenced to seven years about half of Genoveses sentence after the sentencing judge read a slew of letters attesting to Gigantes good character and work on behalf of New York City youth.Vincent Gigante was paroled after five years, and Genovese died a few years later, in 1969, the same year Gigante began his notorious, decades-long ruse.The Elaborate Ruse Of The OddfatherFBI/Wikimedia CommonsVincent Gigante (second from the right) wearing a bathrobe sometime between 1983 and 1985. An undercover police detective testified that the Oddfather acted normally when not playing the role of an unstable man.In 1969, Vincent Gigante was indicted in New Jersey for a bribery scheme in which members of the Old Tappan Police Department would tip him off whenever he was being surveilled. Now a capo, or captain, in the Genovese family, his higher profile brought a lot more heat than a foot soldier had to contend with, so Gigante went all-out and began his now-infamous pretense of mental illness to avoid prosecution.His lawyers presented reports from psychiatrists at his trial that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and he was declared unfit to stand trial and the charges against him were dropped.His power and influence within the Genovese family grew over the next decade or so and, according to mob informers, Vincent Gigante took over complete control of the family in a peaceful transition following the retirement of the Genovese family boss, Philip Lombardo, due to declining health.Upon assuming control, Gigante established strict internal security protocols. No one was to say his name, instead they were to touch their chin or form the letter C with their hand if they ever needed to refer to him.Gigante also stepped up his public performance of mental incapacity, wandering around Greenwich Village in his pajamas and bathrobe, talking to parking meters, and urinating in the street.Gigantes family was an integral part of the ruse, with his younger brother, Louis, a Roman Catholic priest, repeatedly attesting to Gigantes various mental illnesses.Vincent is a paranoid schizophrenic. He hallucinates. Hes been that way since 1968, he said, swearing that his brother took several medications to treat his debilitating conditions, adding considerable credibility to the mobsters defense in court.Psychologists and other mental health professionals attested to Gigantes condition, claiming that he had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals more than two dozen times between 1969 and 1995.Meanwhile, Gigante built the Genovese crime family into the largest mob family in the country. Gigante expanded the operations of the family in all areas, from loan-sharking to bookmaking to extortion and bid-rigging for New York City infrastructure contracts. Under Gigantes leadership, this powerhouse criminal enterprise brought in around $100 million a year at its height, making it the most lucrative Mafia enterprise in American history.The Feds Finally Bring Vincent Gigante To JusticeNew York Daily News/Getty ImagesA bathrobe-clad Vincent The Chin Gigante in custody and placed under arrest.The elaborate pretense of insanity that Vincent Gigante put on for decades was put to its ultimate test in 1990 when he was indicted on federal charges in Brooklyn along with 14 other defendants for a bid-rigging scheme for multi-million dollar contracts with the New York City Housing Authority to install new windows in public housing units.Those charges were followed up in 1993 with an indictment that charged him with ordering the murders of several mobsters as well as conspiracy to commit murder in three other cases. This included ordering a hit against John Gotti, who became the boss of the Gambino crime family after he had the previous family boss, Paul Castellano, killed in 1985.For years throughout these trials, Gigantes lawyers presented evidence of Gigantes unfitness, but in 1996, the federal judge in the case had enough, ruling that Gigante was mentally competent to stand trial. Vincent Gigante was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder on July 25, 1997, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.Bettmann/Getty ImagesVincent The Chin Gigante enters a car after he was arrested along with several other top mob figures.Later that year, the sentencing judge in Gigantes case said, He is a shadow of his former self, an old man finally brought to bay in his declining years after decades of vicious criminal tyranny.Gigante was said to continue to run the Genovese family from prison until 2003. That year, Gigante finally admitting to faking his insanity in a plea deal on obstruction charges stemming from the 1990 and 1993 charges.Gigantes lawyer said after the plea, I think you get to a point in life I think everyone does where you become too old and too sick and too tired to fight.Soon after, Vincent Gigante died in prison at the age of 77, following a more than 50-year run as one of Americas most powerful mobsters.After learning about Vincent Gigante, discover some of the deadliest Mafia hitmen of all time. Then, discover the story of feared crime boss Anthony Casso.The post Vincent Gigante, The Oddfather Mob Boss Who Pretended To Be Crazy appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationsElizabeth Beth Thomas and Tad Cummins, her former teacher.On March 13, 2017, 15-year-old high school student Elizabeth Thomas disappeared. After an Amber Alert and a 38-day search, she was found in northern California, where she was being held by a 50-year-old married father of two named Tad Cummins, her former health teacher at Culleoka Unit School in Tennessee.While Cummins kidnapping of Thomas was already reprehensible, the situation was made all the more tragic when Thomas revealed that she had initially viewed Cummins as a mentor and protective figure only for him to then abuse that connection and groom the teenager for months prior to her disappearance. Cummins even tried to twist his actions in court, claiming that Thomas had wanted to run away and he was concerned about her going out on her own, so he joined her.In truth, however, Tad Cummins had been actively grooming his young student. Just before the kidnapping, he was suspended from his position as a teacher after another student saw him kissing Thomas on school grounds.Her family claimed that he had spent months pressuring Thomas into spending time with him. Cummins ultimately wound up pleading guilty to federal counts of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual conduct.How Tad Cummins Groomed And Manipulated Elizabeth ThomasOn the morning of March 13, 2017, Tad Cummins left a note for his wife in which he wrote that he was leaving to think. He also asked her not to call the police.Later that same evening, Anthony Thomas reported his daughter missing. What followed was a 38-day manhunt for Cummins and Thomas that led police to a remote cabin in Cecilville, California a small, four-walled shack where Cummins had holed up in with his underage victim. Despite Cummins initial claims during police interviews that he never touched another woman in his 31 years of marriage, investigators uncovered a series of shocking revelations after his arrest. Tad Cummins/TwitterTad Cummins was 50 years old when he began a sexual relationship with 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas.According to The Tennessean, Tad Cummins first set his sights on Elizabeth Thomas while she was enrolled in his health class. Tad Cummins was described as a masterfully manipulative predator, pressuring Thomas to go out with him and threatening her with repercussions at school if she refused. A petition filed by Thomas father explained that the teenage girl told friends she was scared of Cummins and felt in over her head. She had just recently begun making the transition from homeschooling to public school. Thomas also said that her mother had abused her growing up, and perhaps that is why she initially felt such a strong connection to Cummins.He made me feel like I didnt have anyone else, and no one really cared about me like he did, she recalled to ABCs 20/20. Whenever I tried to seek mental help, he told me no. I was feeling real low and he told me no and not to do it cause itd change who I was.Thomas was given a seat near Cummins desk in his class. Other students also reported seeing him initiate physical contact with her during school hours, including rubbing her shoulders and back.Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationsTad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas in his classroom.At one point, when she was alone in the classroom with her, he told her, Youd look pretty nice naked.Then, when a student saw Cummins kiss Thomas at school, it took a week before the teacher was suspended. During that week, he was the chaperone for a field trip Thomas went on.He reportedly also picked Thomas up from her home and took her out to meals, threatening her with repercussions at school if she refused. Even after he was suspended, he continued to pursue Thomas, showing up at her after-school job. According to court papers, she would often hide from him and ask her coworkers to lie and say she wasnt at work. He said if he couldnt have me, hed kill himself, Thomas recalled. Any time he threatened himself, hed threaten my family.But Thomas reportedly felt guilty about Tad Cummins suspension and equally worried that he would find a way to punish her for it. In a way, she was right, as Cummins ultimately showed up one day in his wifes Nissan Rogue and told Thomas to get in. He convinced her to run away with him and, as a silent threat, placed a gun on the console. He threatened my family, Thomas later said. My little sister was there and my whole family was there and if I didnt go something bad would happen to them I knew once I got in that car, I wasnt getting out.The Kidnapping Of Elizabeth ThomasTad Cummins wanted to be sure that he wouldnt get caught. After he took Thomas away with him, he made her throw her phone off a bridge, disconnected the GPS in his wifes car, and even went as far as to unhook the radio.Cummins drove them across nine states, renting a different hotel room each night, usually in rooms with only one bed. His control went further, though, as he even controlled what Thomas ate.He told me he likes skinny girls, she said. And I ate what he told me to cause if I didnt, I wouldnt get it at all.Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Elizabeth Thomas told friends that she was both in love with Tad Cummins and terrified of him.I know hes a bad man, she told 20/20. He only used me for one thing.Thomas also said that Tad Cummins had sexually abused her and that they had sex nearly every night while they were on the run. Cummins also admitted to this during an interview with the FBI. Cummins used his own name when booking hotel rooms for the two to stay in. A Walmart security camera in Oklahoma captured images of the two in the store together, but for a time it seemed like their trail had gone cold. Then, another Tennessee native named Griffin Barry made a phone call that led investigators right to Cummins.Barry had been a caretaker for the California property where the cabin that Cummins and Thomas were staying in was located. He recognized Cummins face from news reports and photographs, and called in a tip. Authorities moved in and arrested Cummins, and Thomas was flown home to be reunited with her family. Of course, it wasnt easy for Thomas to put everything behind her, and the emotional damage she suffered as a result of the experience lingered for years.Elizabeth Thomas Describes The Abuse She Faced At The Hands Of Tad CumminsWhat you did to me was unspeakable, Thomas said to Cummins in a statement during his trial. You saw a broken girl, who was lonely, scared and traumatized. You made her feel safe and loved because you saw what she needed and made her believe you would be her protector All you were was a man who wanted sex Tad Cummins is a sick, disgusting criminal. Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationsTad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas caught on camera at an Oklahoma Walmart. Two years after the abduction, when Thomas spoke with 20/20 for the first time, she detailed how the manipulation skewed her perceptions of trust and love. Other teachers at the school had teased her following Cummins suspension. Other students bullied her. She was a girl from a damaged home, trying to fit in like everyone else, and instead, a man she wanted to trust took advantage of her. Cummins had repeatedly told Thomas that the devil made him pursue a relationship with her. But if thats true, then you are the devil, her statement continued. Your choices were yours and yours alone. A 17-year-old girl should not have to tell a 52-year-old man this, but choices have consequences. Your choices destroyed not just my family, but also yours. Thomas also expressed anger at Cummins demeanor in court, during which he wept and appeared to show remorse for his actions. Where was any of that when you directed me into your classroom closet and violated me over and over again for months? Thomas asked. Where was any of that when you spent untold amounts of time and effort into manipulating, pressuring, and deceiving me into thinking that you were the only person who cared about me? Before his sentencing in court, Tad Cummins once again appeared emotional and apologetic.To the victim, I want you to know: I agree. This was not your fault. You were a kid. My misguided attempt to help you went sideways, he said. Anything I can do to give you closure, I stand ready.After reading about Tad Cummins crimes, read the disturbing story of Nathaniel Kibby, the New Hampshire man who kidnapped a 14-year-old girl and held her prisoner for nine months. Then, read the story of Andrey Emelyannikov, the student who took a selfie with the body of a teacher he murdered just before killing himself.The post Tad Cummins, The Tennessee Teacher Who Kidnapped His 15-Year-Old Student And Claimed The Devil Made Him Do It appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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