Pasquale Conte’s story starts under the Sicilian sun—born on March 12, 1925, in Sicily—and eventually transplanting that heritage into the leafy streets of Roslyn, New York. Far from a rough-and-tumble stereotype, Conte cultivated a reputation as an "old-school Sicilian businessman"—a capo with legitimate investments alongside his criminal influence. He held a 23.9% stake in Tapps Supermarkets, a family-run chain, and served on the board of several Key Food supermarkets, blending his brute force with boardroom savvy. His son, Pasquale Jr., presided over Tapps as vice president and treasurer.

Conte’s criminal journey began in February 1987, when federal agents arrested him at JFK Airport on charges of ordering the shooting of Sicilian mob figure Pietro Alfano. The image of Conte boarded for Puerto Rico, hands full of $7,000 cash, painted a brass-knuckles portrait—until the government dropped all charges by May 20, 1987, without explanation.

The more consequential drama unfolded with the 1990 murder of Louis DiBono, whose body was found riddled with bullets inside a Cadillac at the World Trade Center garage. Conte was charged in February 1993, but that trial hit a roadblock—a hung jury led to a mistrial in January 1994. Rather than ride the roller coaster of a retrial, Conte cut a deal. On June 21, 1994, he and two associates pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder DiBono, earning a 7.5-year sentence.

His legal woes didn’t stop there. In 2001, he was handed an additional 3.5 years for racketeering. After a landlocked jail stretch, Conte walked free on September 26, 2003. He passed away December 27, 2017, at the age of 92.