John "Johnny Boy" D'Amato (June 13, 1940 – January 6, 1992) was an American mobster and former acting boss of the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey from 1990 to 1992.

[1] After being promoted to caporegime during the 1980s by Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi, D'Amato became heavily involved in large labor and construction racketeering operations with prominent New Jersey mobsters Gioacchino "Jake" Amari and Girolamo "Jimmy" Palermo.

D'Amato, of the powerful Elizabeth faction of the DeCavalcante crime family, was soon cooperating with high-ranking members Charles "Big Ears" Majuri and Gaetano "Corky" Vastola in illegal gambling and loansharking operations.

[1] Riggi was convicted of his charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1990, which meant that Vastola kept running the day-to-day activities of the family.

[3] As Anthony Capo described it in court testimony in 2003: "Nobody's going to respect us if we have a gay homosexual boss sitting down discussing La Cosa Nostra business.

"[4] The three men ordered D'Amato's execution and gave the job to Anthony Capo, Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo and James Gallo.

In contravention of Cosa Nostra rules on the killing of a family boss, the plotters did not ask permission from the Mafia Commission in New York.

[3] In 2003, capos Philip "Phil" Abramo, Giuseppe "Pino" Schifilliti and the reputed consigliere Stefano Vitabile were charged in organizing various crimes, including the murder of D'Amato.