Anthony Carfano was born in November 1895 on Oliver Street in Manhattan, the son of Giovanni Carfagno and Dongetta Visocchi, both immigrants from Naples, Italy.
In retaliation for supporting Costello, Vito Genovese ordered his right-hand-man and caporegime Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo to murder Carfano.
Drake had been previously called in as a witness to testify on gangland slayings of Manhattan Nathan Nelson and Gambino crime family boss Albert Anastasia.
Carfano offered to drive Janice home after supper to her apartment in Rego Park, Queens, where her 13-year-old son, Michael, was sleeping.
When Carfano and Drake left the restaurant, they were allegedly heading to La Guardia Airport in Queens to board a flight to Miami.
Underworld rumor has it that after Costello was deposed as boss of the Luciano crime family in late 1957, Carfano took it upon himself to show disregard and even contempt for the new leadership.
He apparently spent most of his time overseeing his criminal and legitimate interests in South Florida and traveled to New York only when necessary, and by 1959 had begun making plans to expand his gambling operations into Cuba.