Old Mobsters Never Die…They Just Shoot Up Car Dealerships

“Springfield Sam”

Salvatore “Springfield Sam” Manarite – given this moniker due to his birthplace being Springfield, Massachusetts – worked his way up the ranks of the Genovese crime family until he earned the rank of capo. Manarite operated all over the country, but he spent most of his time in the mob based in Las Vegas.

Over the course of his career progression in the Mafia, Springfield Sam faced several arrests and convictions for crimes as varied as burglary, extortion, assault, and the interstate transportation of obscene materials. Manarite’s illicit enterprises landed him in federal and state penitentiaries for a good portion of his life, especially in his later years.

When Manarite was released from prison on extortion charges in the early-00’s, the elderly mobster was well-known to Vegas law enforcement. Sure, Manarite still talked tough – especially around the premises of Astro Auto Sales at 1430 South Main Street where his son was employed – but nobody paid much heed to the octogenarian Genovese family member that was all bark at this stage in his life.

But age did not change who Sam Manarite was at his core – a mafioso that had dedicated over a half-century to La Cosa Nostra and continued to live by the violent virtues of his profession.

The local Vegas press covered the variety of criminal enterprises in which mobster Sam Manarite engaged during his time living in the city. Noted Vegas journalist John L. Smith often made Manarite the topic of his weekly column in the Review-Journal. (Las Vegas-Clark County Library District/LVRJ)

a criminal career

“Springfield Sam” Manarite dabbled in everything from casino chip scams to pornography production, but his bread and butter was loansharking. And Springfield Sam was known for not being shy about using violence and intimidation in the course of collecting from his clients. He was even reputed to have carried out hits on behalf of the mob.

In the 1970’s, Manarite was convicted of threatening to beat one of his clients – Paul Villani – to death with a golf club in an effort to collect a debt.

Then in 1984 the mobster was convicted of offering an associate $900 to pour acid into the eyes and mouth of Villani after learning that Manarite’s former client was cooperating with federal agents. Manarite was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Roger Foley in relation to this crime and other offenses. The gangster’s attorney told the court that such a long sentence would ensure his then 65-year-old client would die in prison.

The hardened mobster defied his attorney’s predictions and was again released from prison after a few years. But his legal troubles continued when Manarite and his wife Jeanne were arrested in 1993 in relation to a boat burglary in California and for his role in a chip cashing scheme at the off-Strip Maxim Hotel. These crimes would land both Manarite and his wife in prison for several more years.

It was shocking when octogenarian mobster Sam Manarite shot up a car dealership in 2002, prompting local Vegas press to highlight the shooting in relation to Manarite’s long criminal record. (Las Vegas-Clark County Library District/LVRJ)

never too old for a shootout

After his parole in 2001, 83-year-old “Springfield Sam” Manarite was a frequent visitor to Astro Auto Sales, where he was known to routinely exhibit his famous temper by yelling at his son while he was on the clock as a salesman for the dealership. The elder Manarite’s obscenity-laced tirades caused friction with Dino Boggiano, the owner of Astro Auto, for driving away potential customers.

Manarite was known to turn his anger toward Boggiano. But Boggiano brushed off the old man’s threats, especially after on one occasion Manarite called Boggiano to apologize for his behavior on the car lot.

But on the afternoon of September 9, 2002, Springfield Sam stormed into the offices at Astro Auto Sales and demanded that the giant repo man known as “Big Mike” leave the building. When Big Mike refused to budge, Manarite pulled out a .357 revolver and aimed past him at Boggiano as the dealership owner sat at a desk about 25-feet away.

Manarite emptied every round from the revolver in a wild spray.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Boggiano suffered a bullet through his wrist and another round that flew through a wall nearly struck John Pasqualone, an employee of the dealership. Boggiano pulled a 9 mm handgun he kept for protection and returned fire, striking Manarite in the shoulder. The elderly gangster ran from the building as fast as his 83-year-old body would allow and sped off in his white Cadillac.

Boggiano was shocked over the attack as he had been unaware of Manarite’s criminal background. “Even when I saw him pull the gun out, I still didn’t think he’d shoot,” the dealership owner told reporters. Boggiano owed his life to luck as he believed that he certainly would have been shot to death if he had been in closer proximity to Manarite when the attack happened.

Manarite was arrested later the same day of the shooting at the car dealership. Even though he was in his eighties, two key witnesses failed to show up to Manarite’s preliminary hearing on attempted murder charges. Even in the early 2000’s, there were plenty of folks that preferred to not end up on the wrong side of the Mafia.

While Manarite initially argued that he shot Boggiano in self-defense with a gun he happened to find discarded near the car dealership, the old gangster was ultimately sentenced to two years in federal prison as part of a plea bargain he reached in relation to the shooting at Astro Auto Sales. Manarite was apparently prompted to shoot up the car dealership over a “lemon” that had been sold to his son.

The judge presiding over Manarite’s sentencing in relation to extortion charges in the 1970’s told the mobster he was “the ultimate manifestation of success for criminals.” Three decades later, the old-time goodfella was continuing this career success as he counted down his final years in the Nevada desert.

SOURCES:

‘Springfield Sam,’ 83, accused in car lot shooting

Las Vegas-Review Journal archives covering Manarite