Frankie Yale

My Al Capone Museum | home

New York gangster extraordinaire Francesco Ioele also known as Uale and or Yale.

Born 1893 in Italy, he was the son of Domenico and Isabella Simone Ioele.

Yale had arrived to America at age 7.

Police records for Yale; Uale are the following;

In 1910, is fined $70 in by the Magistrate for disorderly conduct.

In 1912, he is arrested and dismissed on a homocide charge.

In 1913, he is sentenced to the penitentiary for a year on the disorderly conduct charge.

In 1914, he receives a suspended sentence for this disorderly conduct charge.

Robbery complaints were pressed against him, but later dropped in 1916.

A larceny charge was dropped that same year.

In 1917, he is charged for carrying a revolver. The charge is almost dropped until a Judge by the name of Fawcett upholds the charge, and sends Yale for year to prison.

Frankie Yale was head of the New York mob called the Black handers.

The other rival gang at that time were a group of Irish called the White handers lead by Wild Bill Lovett and Peg Leg Lonergan.These two factions would constantly fight each other for control of the lucreative docks. (Fish markets and shipping).Yales' crew eventually prevails.Back in New York during his younger days, Al Capone went to work for Yale tending bar and even supplying muscle at Yale's *Harvard Inn at Coney Island. Yale tutored Al on the ways of gangstering.Yale was said to be sometimes kind, but was also known as very wicked. One instance had Yale beating the crap out of his younger brother Angelo to teach him a lesson.On his nicer side he liked to help out the fellow italians with food for the poor and coal to heat their homes.He had a vain personality as seen with the manufacturing of his own line of cigars with his likeness on the box.These cigars were apparently atrocious for their smell and taste. He didn't care as long as he made $ from them.He was known as a fixer and managed to beat the rap on many cases against him. He was into bootlegging, racketeering. He also held repectable businesses such as a funeral parlor and a cafe. On his death certificate his name is Frank Uale and his profession is listed as an undertaker.

* The Harvard inn was a two story building situated on Seaside Walk, between the Bowery and the Beach at Coney Island. The Harvard Inn was destroyed by fire at 2:30 am on January 24, 1925.

A young Frankie Yale mugshot early 1900's.

He recruited many a young Italian for their specific qualties whether it be brain or brawn. If they had no qualities they were taught how to fight or shoot and how to use muscle. Most of his employees had been referred from Paul Kelly's Five Point Gang.Many famous gangsters of later years were in or associated to this gang. Names such as Al Capone, Johnny Torrio, Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Al hadn't yet refined himself as a polished gangster and his anger sometimes got the best of him. His scars were acquired back at the Harvard inn in 1918, after telling some hoods' sister that she had a really nice ass. The hood a man by the name of Frank Galluccio took out his knife and defended his sisters' honor by giving Al three scars across the left side of his face. This story is now very questionable at best. SEE Origins of the scars. According to the lore and considering the circumstances, Al could have been in trouble for insulting a made man of the mob. Al was later told by the mob at a sit down with Galluccio to not ever think of retribution. Al apologized and even used Gallucio as bodyguard on his later visits to New York. A ***supposed story went as follows that one day Al was sent by Yale to collect some money from a hoodlum that was owed to Yale. Al stopped the hood after he exited gambling dive.The hood had been lucky that evening winning a fair amount of cash. Al asked for the dough, but the hood refused. Al beat and then shot the hood dead. Witnesses had noticed a man with scars and so Al was on the run the year is 1918. Frankie yale had Al Capone sent to Chicago for safe keeping. He was sent to work with the newly established Johnny "The Fox" Torrio who was keeping black handers at bay for a Chicago boss named James "Big Jim " Colosimo. Frankie received favors and gave favors to the Chicago Outfit. He loaned himself out as a killer and was no sissy when it came to the heavy work. He was contacted to participate in Colosimo's hit in Chicago.

*** This story is just a handed down and embellished through time. We know Capone was scarred in winter of 1918, and got married in Brooklyn so this discredits that date and probably that event. Capone was in fact in Brooklyn right up until the end of 1920 and was first mentioned being in Illinois around 1921.

Vanella, Torrio and Yale meet up as they do ever so often. This documented entry is just a couple of weeks before Big Jim Colosimo is executed.

The Standard Union April 27,1920.

The hit took place on May 11,1920. Johnny Torrio's boss was stuck in his ways and refused to participate in bootlegging. He wanted to stick to vice (Prostitution and gambling).Torrio pleaded with him citing the immense profits to be had. Colosimo wanted no part of it. He was in love with a new young flame by the name of Dale Winter. He had all the money that he needed and was weary about getting in trouble with the feds because of prohibition. His fate was sealed. Torrio made a trip to New York a week before Colosimo was killed. Torrio met up with his best pal Robert Vanella and Frankie Yale for a sit down. After the meeting Frankie Yale was sent to Chicago and sent a bullet crashing behind Colosimo's head while the latter was waiting for a shipment of liquor to arrive at his restaurant that afternoon.

Colosimo's Restaurant.

Colosimo dead in the entrance of his restaurant thanks to Frankie Yale of New York. This photo was taken before the doctor and police turned the body over.

(Special thanks to Author Bill Helmer)

A lifeless Colosimo stretched out in the vestibule after a visit from Yale.

Yale was questioned by police in this killing and was confronted by a porter working at Colosimo's by the name of Joe Gabreala. Gabreala was asked if he had seen this suspect leaving the premises after the killing.He became frightened once his eyes met Yales' and denied ever seeing him. Once again Yale walked away,this time $10,000 richer from this hit. In 1922, Yale is living at 605 Fourteenth Avenue, Brooklyn.

Spoon from Colosimo's

Yale does the job for Torrio and Capone.

Frankie Yale has a christening party for his daughter.

The Brooklyn Citizen July 25, 1920.

On November 10,1924, Dean O'Banion is murdered in his Chicago flower shop. Frankie Yale, who is in town is suspected of having participated in the killing. Yale is stopped on a train with his friend Sam Pollaccia enroute to New York. He says he was in town for Merlo's funeral. He is released by police who have no proof against Yale.

Frankie Uale (1) and Sam Pollaccia (2) in Chicago court just prior to being released. They were suspects in Dean O'Banion's handshake murder.

Frankie Yale returns to New York. Things later change in Chicago as Torrio is repaid for the hit on O'Banion. Shot by the O'Banion Gang. He is lucky in that he survives the attack and retires to Italy. He turns over all the mob over to Frankie Yale' younger crime student Alphonse "Scarface" Capone.The year is 1925.

Capone asks his old friend Frankie Yale to oversee safety of booze shipments enroute to Chicago. Yale is upset that Capone has chosen Tony Lombardo to be in charge of the Unione Siciliana without talking about it first with Yale. Yale favors another man.(Aiello) Yale starts to become arrogant and talks bad about Capone. He probably doesn't fathom the possiblity of the Capone gang coming to whack him on his own territory. After all, Yale taught Capone a few tricks and sent him on his way to gangland fame in Chicago. Yale had even killed a few for the Torrio/Capone combine. He could get away with a few back jabs couldn't he?

There is talk that Yale would like to burn down one of Capone's dogtracks in Chicago by aligning hismself with Aiello. Also, Booze shipments begin to disappear. In 1927, Al Capone sends one of his New York men to investigate. James D'Amato calls Capone from New York telling him that Yale is indeed dipping into the Capone shipments. Capone is furious at the mounting disloyalty from his one time mentor. D'Amato is found out by the Yale gang and on July 7, 1927, he is shot while standing on a corner at 153 21st street. Three shots are fired from a black sedan containing three men. One shot misses but one bullet hits D'Amato in the neck and the other in the chest. An ambulance is summoned, but it's useless as D'Amato passes on before it reaches him.

Killed. 40 year old James (Ralph) D' Amato. One of Capone's eyes and ears in New York. In 1925, He was arrested with Capone for the Adonis club slaying of Richard "Peg Leg" Lonergan and Cornelius "Needles" Ferry.

Frankie Yale before his death. Breaking ground after donating money to the church for a school with money from his various nefarious enterprises.

(The Brooklyn Daily Eagle July 2, 1928).

Capone learns of this and makes plans for Yale. As with all the Capone hits planning and patience is key. A year later, almost to the day of D'Amato's killing, four killers are sent to New York in a Packard. According to story the Packard has either Illinois or Indiana license plates. On July 1, 1928, Frankie Yale is at his bar when a phone call comes in stating something is wrong with his new wife. He leaves immediately to rush to Lucita's side. There is another story where his wife just called to go for a car ride. (Yale is also a bigamist having already a wife named Maria and two children from her). Yale hits the road enroute to his home. The Capone hitmen spot Yale's new brown Lincoln and race up beside him. The killers identify him and begin shooting. Yale panics and tries to out drive them. The pursuers again get beside his car and let him have a volley of shots from a ** shotgun, and **two tommy guns.

Yale is hit in the back of the head and rams his car into a fence of a house at 923 forty-fourth street.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

** The manner of his killing is sometimes questioned. The weaponry used to kill Yale is described differently in different accounts. Some claim shotgun, .45 auto's, .45 Colt revolver, Thompsons etc...

One thing for sure is that he received a shot gun blast to the neck / face area, this according to first responders who placed him on the ground next to his automobile. And assuming Goddard did get the New York sent .45's in a ballistics test with Fred Burke's Thompsons, then we can safely say that possibly one Thompson was indeed at the scene. His official autopsy shows that a shotgun was leveled at Yale's left side of his face. Another hood at the same time fired either a Colt Thompson or .45 Colt automatic. (Never explained or pinpointed with proof, just different claims)

The proof in the autopsy shows two shots rip out Yale's left face. The shotgun blast leaves a hole 3x 2 inches with a larger exit wound. This exit wound shows brain matter protruding from his skull.

A second .45 pistol round is found under his left eye. Yale's face is a mess. His lower jaw bone is exposed.

Yale killed by the Capone gang

Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1930

A close up of one time Capone pal Frank Uale

This deceiving view leaves one to think that the automobile door was strafed by multiple gun fire.

(Special thanks to Author Bill Helmer)

In this cleaner version, we can see that it's merely a reflection of Frankie Yale's body on the ground.

Previous to his murder, the automobile was washed and polished.

I asked my buddy William Helmer, noted gangland author his thoughts on the Yale hit. Many think the Thompson may have not been used on the hit due to one .45 bullet in his head. Some suggest a pistol or automatic handgun. A massacre Thompson was connected to the hit in 1930. Some say this was fake news. Now we know they picked up three shells. One was tested and according to Helmer, who owned and wrote a book on the Thompson states that a .45 pistol or handgun have a different rifling and ejector markings than that of a Thompson, so if the authorities and ballistics experts said it came from a machine gun, then you would be hard pressed to say otherwise. Helmer also states that crime scenes back then were NOT the NCIS like today. You could see kiddies walk up to the dead corpse, people take stuff etc... They did not cordon off and thoroughly investigate a crime scene like today. So three spent shells, one shot out tire, one .45 in brain and a shot gun blast to the face.

Three .45 shells picked up at the Yale murder scene and one .45 slug taken out of his body. These were all sent to Chicago for analysis by ballistics expert Major Calvin Goddard. In his findings, the conclusion came out that one of Fred Burke's Thompsons used in the St. Valentine massacre linked itself to Yale's murder. The decision was later questioned by another ballistics expert. While some still question these findings, the only real way of settling this matter would be to access the Yale shells and slug evidence and test them today in comparison with the massacre guns currently at Berrien County. This, in itself, might make an interesting future documentary?

Uale's official autopsy shows a shotgun blast the to left side of the face. There is also a .45 round shot below the left eye.

Guns connected to Uale (Yale) murder are found in massacre suspect Fred "Killer" Burke's home.

Surprisingly, Yale's automobile is not bullet ridden. The front driver tire was punctured and what looks like one bullet hole in the body of the automobile.

Now, the possibility of a Thompson used could mean they had it on semi auto and shot it only as needed. Maybe because it was a residential neigbourhood and the killers didn't want to attract too much attention? They cornered his automobile and fired the shot gun into his neck. By that time, Yale panicking, probably had no time to get to his .32, which would have been futile against Capone's well armed killers. Once his auto crashes into a house at 923 44th Street, the killers either finish him off with a thompson or .45 automatics.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````

Frankie Yale Cigars was one of his enterprises. Located at ***1606 and 74th street this was merely a business front, as the cigars were of low grade and not high grade as announced on the store window.

Yale's face adorned the box and on each cigar label. As a tobacconist, you had to buy them or else!

The store became a barber shop in 1932.

(Home Talk, The Star August 31,1928)

***It's also the building part of 7402 New Utrecht Avenue.

On his lifeless body is found a huge amount of uncashed checks and cash. His finger is adorned with a 4 carat diamond ring and his diamond belt buckle contained a total of 75 diamonds. He is also wearing a pearl pin which is all covered in blood. Yale at the time of his death was living at 6605 14th avenue which was across the street from his funeral home which was situated at 6604.

At first, it is thought that Yale has amassed a fortune worth well over $300,000. His first wife wants the documented estate worth $5,000 dollars. He leaves behind two wives and two daughters from the first wife, Rose and Isabelle and a baby with his second wife. Needing money, his last wife sells the diamond buckle Capone gave him for $500.

Yale is given a lavish gangland funeral paid by friends and is buried in Holy Cross cemetary, Kings County, New York.

Yale's first wife Maria and two daughters Rose and Isabelle. Even though Frank was with another woman at the time, Maria still took charge of the funeral.

Yale's expensive silver casket placed on top the tonneau of a car. Yale wanted his funeral to surpass that of Dean O'Banion's.

Friends and family getting ready for the funeral procession.

Frankie Yale's mother

Yale's histerical grieving women. While Yale's mother screamed Mio Frankie! Mio Frankie!, Yale's first wife wanted to throw herself into his open grave. At the grave site, his sister was so distraught that she tried to pull her hair off her own head.

Frankie Yale's funeral procession.

Frankie Uale's first wife Mary, and daughter Isabella at Uale's grave.

It is later found that the killers were part of Capone's new killer crew called the American boys.

Fred Burke, Fred Goetz, Gus Winkeler.

Capone bodyguard Louis "Little New York" Campagna is also sent with the American boys as he knows New York like the back of his hand. He makes a mistake that infuriates Capone by calling his girl back home in Chicago from his mother's house. Authorities had tapped the lines. No one will be sought for the murder of Yale.

Probably because police are happy that one less gangster is alive in their city. The abandoned car is found with a thompson submachine gun in it and it is linked to gangland armourer Peter Von Frantzius back in Chicago.

First Posted June 2004