Vincent Papa

Vincent Papa "Vinnie Papa" was born and bred in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York. A noted mafiosa and drug kingpin, Papa was an important figure in the famous French Connection heroin scandal and the aftermath NYPD Corruption Scandal which is still considered by many to be one of the most spectacular crimes in New York City's history wherein an appromimate $70,000,000 worth of narcotics was taken from the NYPD main property and evidence room to be distribted on the streets by Mafiosa and drug kingpins. A longtime partner of Long Island fellow drug kingpin Anthony Loria Sr. and associate of the Lucchese crime family, Papa became a respected underworld figure and major narcotics distributor for many years until his conviction and incarceration at the Atlanta Federal Prison in the mid 1970's. In 1977, he was murdered in Atlanta Federal Prison by being stabbed repetedly. Theory's regarding the motive for his murder are still debated. He is buried in St. John's Cemetary in Queens, NY - Ironically the same cemetary where many of his past underworld assoicates are laid to rest as well. (Lucky Luciano, Joe Profaci, Vito Genovese, Joe Columbo and Carlo Gambino.) This has become know to many as the "Mafia's Boot Hill". He is known as the "Man Who Stole The French Connection". He took the final "piece of the puzzle", the infamous MR.X, to the grave. Mr. X was to be the final piece of the puzzle the government could not solve in the NYPD evidence room corruption Scandal.

"Papa's Game" by Gregory Wallance, is a book about Vincent Papa's role in the French Connection scandal.

• sources:

NY Newsday Pulitzer Prize Award Winning Investigative Article Series

"Papa'a Game" - by Gregory Wallace (1981)