Antonio Caponigro, who served as Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo Bruno’s consigliere, was found dead in the trunk of a car in the Bronx, N.Y., on April 18, 1980. Caponigroe, 68, had been beaten and was naked. His brother-in-law, Alfred Salerno, was dead in the trunk with him.
Prior to his own murder, Caponigro ordered the assassination of Bruno. The murder had not been approved by the mafia’s ruling body, the Commission, and they immediately called Caponigro in to answer for Bruno’s death. Caponigro attempted to claim Genovese boss Frank Tieri ordered the hit on Bruno, but Tieri denied it, which led to Caponigro’s murder.