FRANCIS A.J. IANNI

Dr. Ianni was my professor at Teachers College in 1975 for one course. He was an outstanding teacher and very encouraging of independent work.

Having just returned from the American Society of Criminology conference in San Francisco, I was elated to see the new crop of organized crime researchers who have taken the baton from the likes of Fritz. In my many discussions with Maurizio Catino (MAFIA ORGANIZATIONS) and Matthew Yeager (ILLICIT ENTERPRISE), Fritz's name constantly comes up. Needless to say, Fritz let an indelible mark on the field of organized crime. His research was a break-through in our understanding of illegal...

I am typing for my mother, Jean K. Boek, who remembers Fritz well. She and my father, Walter E. Boek, now deceased (Nov. 2012) were sociologists and anthropologists and students with Fritz at Michigan State while they were pursuing their doctorates there. My mother fondly recalls his fast-talking charm, and irrepressible ambitions. She is chuckling as she says that nothing could hold him back! He could talk his way through anything. She liked Fritz a great deal.
My parents went on...

I was honored to have been discovered by Fritz while I was a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University. Besides the many dynamic course I took with him, he convinced me to work with him and his wife Liz on an anthropology study conducted to ascertain differences if any, between male and female police officers. Just a wonderful experience for me. Fritz was also my sponsor at TC, and it was his leadership along with Professor Dot Strickland, which enabled me to obtain my...

To Nina Ianni, James Ianni, and Fritz's sons:

I only learned this month that Fritz is no longer with us. I want you to know I have carried him inside me a full 50 years.

My former Dean recruited me to come to the US Office of Education in Washington in the spring of 1964. There was a vacancy in the curriculum development branch (my training was in history and philosophy; go figure!), and Keppel pressed hard for me to come interview, so I did. Three people stood out in those...

To his family----Your husband and father was a most kind and generous person. When I was a fledgling student of organized crime, he took me under his wing and mentored me. Dinner at his home was always a special treat! A role model and creme-de-le-creme of scholars! Thank you for sharing him with me and so many others!!!! Love to all Fred Martens

Frannie, I will be seeing you soon. Findow C. Heck

At the sugestion of Francis Keppel I had Fritz as a speaker at an education conference I helped run in Toronto in 1965. He was brilliant!

Later, when he was in his Mafia period, he treated me to some fine grappa-fueled times, including a crawl through Mulberry Street with all the trimmings.

When I went to work for the Congress, doing education legislation, his high and decent standards were an inspiration.

A pleasure and an honour -- and a loss.

-dlj.

I just learned of your passing and am so sad. You provided incredible opportunities and the good times we shared will stay with me always.