Straight from my mind to your screen—here’s a collection of my thoughts, from the heartfelt to the odd, and everything in between.
Alfonso "Fonso" Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, loved to gamble….on sure things. Growing up, Yo-Yo contests were held daily in Little Italy. The entry fee was 5 cents per play. Fonso knew his opponents were bigger and older, but he had a streak of larceny in his ice water veins. Minutes... Learn More
DATE: Mar.19.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
During World War II every American contributed to the war effort by receiving and using ration stamps to ensure everyone shared the pain. But, there were those like Alfonso "Fonso" Gravenese and his Mafia cronies who made a handsome profit in the black marketing of goods and services through the use of... Learn More
DATE: Mar.18.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
When Alfonso "Fonso" Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, was a 9-year old kid, his father asked him to help sell fresh fish from his ice-filled cart after school to their neighbors on Spring Street in Little Italy. "Fonso" quickly learned if he stuffed ice into the fish's mouth with some of the... Learn More
DATE: Mar.17.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
Alfonso "Fonso" Gravenese obsession with the accumulation of wealth knew few bounds. By the 1950's he had scammed more than half a billion dollars from government do-good programs. With that war chest, he would create the "Mona Lisa" of white-collar scams. Fonso traveled offering then developing third world countries like Egypt, Argentina,... Learn More
DATE: Feb.24.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
It was a simple, despicable, immoral elegant scheme. Alfonso Alfonso" Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, paid off government officials to get awarded contracts to provide underprivileged kids with a balanced free lunch. Then to reimburse himself for the bribes and make a crapload of "bonus" profits, Fonso reduced his operating costs by... Learn More
DATE: Feb.23.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
Alfonso "Fonso" Gravenese's vegetable oil became a business darling on Wall Street. To add credibility, American Express Bank made numerous secured loans against the company's growing inventory. Unbeknownst to all but a few, Fonso AKA the Salad Oil King, the 128 tanks filled with inventory along the New Jersey Turnpike were 90 percent... Learn More
DATE: Feb.22.2022 | CATEGORY: True Crime
The many white-collar scams of Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese finally brought him to his knees. He hired the best lawyers money could buy, and built a simple defense. “Sorry about that judge. You got me.” Since nobody could prove that any of the people that disappeared on his rise to the top, and his... Learn More
DATE: May.27.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime
Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese obsession with the accumulation of wealth knew few bounds. By the 1950’s he had scammed more than a half a billion dollars from government do-good programs. With that war chest, he would create the “Mona Lisa” of white-collar scams. Fonso traveled to developing third world countries like Egypt, Argentina,... Learn More
DATE: May.27.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime
During World War II every American contributed to the war effort by receiving and using ration stamps to ensure everyone shared the pain. But, there were those like Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese and his Mafia cronies who made a handsome profit in the black marketing of goods and services through the use of... Learn More
DATE: Jan.16.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime
It was a simple, despicable, immoral, elegant scheme. Alfonso Alfonso” Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, paid off government officials to get awarded contracts to provide underprivileged kids with a balanced free lunch. Then to reimburse himself for the bribes, and make a crapload of “bonus” profits, Fonso reduced his operating... Learn More
DATE: Jan.06.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime
