Frank Valenti

Who was Frank Valenti?

Frank J. Valenti was boss of the criminal organization known as the Rochester crime family from 1964 to 1972. As the head of the organization he oversaw gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets operating in the city of Rochester, New York.

Frank and his brother Constenze "Stanley" Valenti were among the 100+ Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Frank was underboss of the family. Joe Valachi identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963. Valachi also stated that Frank was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family of New York City.

According to the U.S. Social Security Death Index, Frank was born in Pittsburgh, PA where he became a powerful crime figure throughout the 1930s - 1950s. Valenti also owned a chain of Spaghetti Village restaurants in PA. In 1958, Frank's brother Stanley was boss of the Rochester crime family and refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, Constenze was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jake Russo took this opportunity to seize control of the family.