Dominick Oliveto

Dominick Oliveto was born on December 24, 1906 in New Jersey, the son of Italian-born parents, Antonio and Maria Oliveto. Newspaper and other written accounts show a spelling of Olivetto which is incorrect. His father had come to America in 1901 from Muro Lucano, Italy and in 1905 sent for his mother, two older brothers, William (Vito) and Philip (Felice), and sister Anna Maria and Catherine. Dominick was born the following year, and he was followed in turn by Rose, Angelina (Lena), Lucy, and Daniel.

Anthony Oliveto found work in the Pennsylvania Railroad freight yards that were located just south of the Market Street Ferry. The Oliveto family lived at 214 Taylor Avenue when the 1910 Census was enumerated, and had moved to 510 Federal Street by 1914. When the older Oliveto boys registered for the draft in June of 1917 and through at least 1929 the family lived at 422 Stevens Street.

The 1927 and 1929 Camden City Directories show Dominick Oliveto living at 422 Stevens Street with his parents and brothers. In 1927 he was working as shipper, most likely at Campbell Soup. The 1929 directory states that he was working as a salesman for the Camden Electric Appliance & Radio Company at 449 South 5th Street, a business owned by John Girgenti of 323 Benson Street.

In April of 1930 Dominick Oliveto and his wife Mae were living at 4104 Westfield Avenue in Camden. He was employed as the chauffer to a private family, according to the Census records. The census records his name as “Olivett.”

At some point Dominick Oliveto became involved in running numbers, possibly around 1927 when he was working as a shipper. In 1932 he was arrested on gambling charges and fined $100, and was arrested on a larceny charge in 1937. Newspaper accounts state that he was living at 444 Royden Street in February of 1933, a short walk from the bar at 601 South 4th Street (the southwest corner of South 4th & Royden Streets) owned by Giacinto Sciamanna and known locally as Sherman’s Cafe. This bar would become a regular haunt of Marco Reginelli.

Marco Reginelli came to Camden sometime in the 1930s. By June of 1939 Reginelli had established himself as a power in Camden and South Jersey organized crime circles, and Dominick Olivetto was his trusted lieutenant. The 1940 Polk’s City Directory shows Reginelli living at the Plaza Hotel at 500 Cooper Street. He had purchased a home at 2403 Baird Boulevard at the time the 1943 directory was published, and was still there in 1947.

The 1947 Camden City directory shows Dominick Oliveto as Dominick Olivette, living at 1151 Magnolia Avenue in Parkside. He was then, according to the Directory, operating a garage at 517 Main Street in North Camden. The Directory gives his wife’s name as Rose.

In the years after World War II up until his death in 1956, Marco Reginelli, whose specialty was gambling, all but ran the Philadelphia family from his base in Camden, New Jersey upon his promotion to under-boss. While in control of the Philly family, Reginelli promoted many of his gambling associates to mid-level management positions including Angelo Bruno, a numbers specialist.

Highly respected in Mafia circles, Marco Reginelli died from natural causes on May 26th of 1956, at Baltimore MD. He was interred at Calvary Cemetery in what was then Delaware Township (present-day Cherry Hill) NJ. Dominick Oliveto, with the consent of Philadelphia boss Joe Ida and Vito Genovese of New York, took over Reginelli’s operations after his death, maintaining the rackets that he had built. Oliveto was one of the many Mafiosi arrested at the Appalachin conference in upstate New York in November of 1957, and in fact had come to the meeting in conference with Vito Genovese.

Dominick Oliveto was still residing at 1151 Magnolia Avenue in December of 1957 when he was called to Trenton to testify before a grand jury about the Appalachin conference. By this time he was the father of three children.

After the Appalachin arrest and the attention it brought with it, Joseph Ida fled the country to Italy. Dominick Oliveto, coming under similar scrutiny from local and federal authorities, stepped aside. Angelo Bruno would take control of the Philadelphia and South Jersey mob.

Last a resident of 6401 Walton Avenue in Pennsauken, New Jersey, Dominick Oliveto died on January 26, 1969 and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Pleading non vult to charge of operating a “numbers” headquarters raided by the police last July, Dominic Olivette, 28, of 444 Royden street, was fined $100 and given a suspended sentence of six months in criminal court yesterday.

Olivette was arrested by a detail of police led by former Director of Public Safety Charles V. Dickinson and Lieutenant George Frost when they captured 17 men in the Royden street house.

In police court the day following the raid Olivette was fined $100 by Judge Garfield Pancoast on charges of violating Section 422 of the city ordinances prohibiting disorderly persons from congregating in a building.

Olivette paid the fine and was later indicted by the grand jury following an investigation by Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin. Judge Shay, in imposing the fine, refused Olivette’s plea that he be allowed to pay the sum on installments.

One other man charged with “numbers” writing was fined $100 with the privilege of paying at a $2 weekly rate. He is Herbert Lantry, 35, of 519 Ray street, arrested by Lieutenant Herbert Anderson November 26. He was held for the grand jury by Judge Pancoast when arraigned in police court.