Frankie DePaula and the Mob Frankie DePaula found himself in so deep he could not get out, writes Steve Bunce THERE is too much comedy and violence in the life, times and crimes of light-heavyweight contender Frankie DePaula. The fighter bashed and crashed and slammed his way through a boxing career, his life inside and outside the New Jersey mob for years until he was gunned down in an alley. In DePaula’s circle, men called Mad Dog shot people for fun to please the bosses of the Genovese crime family. It was a time when boxing and the mob lived together.