The 86-year-old man who was reportedly run over and decapitated by a Department of Transportation (DOT) truck on June 12 has been identified as New York gangster Anthony Conigliaro, aka “Tony Cake,” according to the New York Post.
Conigliaro's lawyer and law enforcement officials confirmed the identity of the elderly man on Friday after a video showing him apparently dead went viral. according to To the outlet. (Related article: Police baffled after discovery of human skull chained to exercise equipment: Report)
“He kept looking back and forgot to look both ways before crossing the road,” the media reported, citing a police source.
🇺🇸Genovese gangster 'Tony Cakes' decapitated by truck in New York City
Anthony Conigliaro (86), the alleged former boss of the Genovese crime family known as “Tony Cakes,” was run over and decapitated by a Municipal Transportation Agency truck in Brooklyn on June 12.
Conigliaro had been living a quiet life in Bay Ridge… pic.twitter.com/uNYcRoplBp
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 21, 2024
Security camera footage that appears to have captured the incident was posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, showing Conigliaro crossing the road when a large Ministry of Transport truck turns right and plows into the ex-Mafia boss.
According to the New York Post, Conigliaro's head was found several feet away from his body, meaning the impact reportedly caused his decapitation. Footage from after the accident appears to show officials at the scene and the truck driver, who is clearly distraught over the incident as he sits in the middle of the road and someone appears to be trying to comfort him.
“We miss him. We miss everyone,” one of Conigliaro's neighbors told the New York Post, adding that the 86-year-old Conigliaro was always looking out for others.
In 2005, Conigliaro was indicted by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn as a loan shark for the Genovese crime family, one of New York's notorious Italian-American mafia families, according to the New York Post. Conigliaro later pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and received a 13-month sentence, according to the Post.
According to the New York Post, the former mob boss was arrested on loan sharking charges in 1999 and grand theft charges in 2006, but his cases have since been sealed.
Authorities are still investigating the incident, the media reported. It is unclear whether the driver will face charges.
