Book on Theresa Ferrara, Goodfella Tommy DeSimone's Alleged Girlfriend, Available

Nick Christophers wrote the following based on his interview with Maria Stewart, niece of Theresa Ferrara, Tommy DeSimone's alleged girlfriend. 

Theresa Ferrara was found brutally murdered

Stewart authored  Looking for Closure, the Theresa Ferrara Story.

There have been quite a few mob-related books and television shows told from a women’s point of view. Antoinette Giancana and Rosalie Bonanno, both of whom were related by blood or marriage to American Cosa Nostra royalty: one was a mob boss's daughter and the other was a wife of one.

A nonfictional work by Linda Milito, author of Mafia Wife whose late husband, Gambino mobster Louie Milito, had been Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano's compadre when the two were seeking admittance to the Gambinos. Depending on who you believe, Louie Milito may have gotten Sammy in with the Gambinos, rather than the other way around. Mlito made fatal mistakes, having the unfortunate luck to be imprisoned during John Gotti's rise so he was out of touch with the true power in the Gambino family. He unwisely forged business dealings with the soon to be extinct Castellano faction, putting him on the outs with his former friend. He disappeared forever soon after the Castellano - Billotti hits.

Maria Stewart in her book lays out the details of the story about her doomed aunt. It is a quite compelling dark history of a side of mob life seldom seen. Theresa Ferrara, a heart-achingly beautiful woman gained notoriety when February 1979 New York Times editorial noted that after receiving a phone call at her salon, Theresa told her niece, Maria née Sanacore (Stewart), who was there that she was meeting someone at a Long Island at a diner.

Ferrara told Sanacore to look for her if she wasn't back in 15 minutes. Ferrara left behind her purse, car keys, and a mink coat, telling her niece that she had an opportunity to earn $10 grand. 

Ferrara was never seen alive again.

On May 18, 1979, a dismembered female torso was found floating in Barnegat Inlet near Toms River, New Jersey. At the Saint Barnabas Community Medical Center in Toms River it was confirmed, due to a recent breast augmentation surgery, that the body belonged to Ferrara.

Her aunt Theresa Ferrara was in the thick of the mob while Maria, only 18 at the time was somewhat of a spectator.

Theresa was in deep with the infamous Robert’s Lounge crew of Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, and Tommy DeSimone. It wasn’t the best crew to be connected to, but Theresa was a wild one and was attracted to that crowd. She ran around with them and was allegedly dating Tommy D or Angelo Sepe. She was privy to some of the action these criminals dabbled in and that may have resulted in her demise at their hands.

Purchase on Amazon here.

Her aunt's disappearance the subsequent finding of her dismembered corpse was, of course, traumatic for young Maria. The disappearance triggered Maria to question and investigate what happened.

At the time she received very little information. Hence, that is when she decided to do her own legwork and began to gather details and as the years passed and with the advancement of technology she was able to help her research.

In  Looking for Closure: The Theresa Ferrara Story,  she breaks down her journey for the truth.

"We were more like sisters than niece and aunt. I found out after she disappeared that she was involved with the wiseguys responsible for the Lufthansa heist. It was amazing to me that the FBI could not help, her murder and many others at the hands of these men who are glorified on film. None of these murders were ever solved or the money ever found.”

It was believed that after Theresa was caught with cocaine in a club the authorities offered her an opportunity to either relay info on the crew or go to jail. She obviously was up against a wall and had no other alternative. This can be one of the possibilities for her disappearance. Maria, of course, wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Maria already had a book signing and has been interviewed on shows like The Book Review and the Village Connection.

Currently, she is working with director Sal Rinella (Good Friday) to bring the book into script form. There has been a screenplay written but Maria wanted to revise it with his assistance.

Her goal is to expose a true story from a woman’s point of view connected to the underworld. She would like to take the earnings from the book and open a foundation in her aunt’s name.

 It’s a riveting book with information that would be new and shocking to anyone who followed the Lufthansa case. Look for her book on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and anywhere books are sold.