On February 14, 1969, Vito Genovese dies of congestive heart failure, at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri; he had been imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas. An attorney for his estate said he left approximately $1,000 to his heirs, including $5 to his step-daughter Maria, with the rest divided between his other two children, Philip and Nancy. Three days later, Vito’s private funeral was held at the William S. Anderson Funeral Home on Broad St. in Red Bank. About 20 members of his family were in attendance. A private service was held at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Atlantic Highlands. Vito is buried in a family plot at Saint John Cemetery, Queens, New York. In 1982, Anna Petillo Genovese, age 77, died of a stroke, and was buried next to Vito.
Editor’s note: The full story of Anna Genovese mostly takes place in New York City, but is no less fascinating than that of Vito in Monmouth County. She was ahead of her time both in her business acumen and as bisexual woman during a time when that was simply not done, especially by a mobster’s wife. A wonderful source of great new information about Anna Genovese and her family, including Vito, is now available through a great new podcast called Mob Queens (Season One).
Sources:
Lawyer Says Vito Left $1,000 Estate. The Daily Register (Red Bank), June 24, 1969, P. 1.
Genovese Funeral Puts Red Bank in Spotlight. (1969). The Daily Register (Red Bank), February 17, 1969, P. 1.
Grave of Anna Genovese. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143243630
Mob Queens. (2019). https://www.facebook.com/MobQueensPod/
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