Former Teamster official Ettore Zappi was a caporegime in the Gambino crime syndicate. He lived next door to family boss Carlo "Don Carlo" Gambino in Massapequa, New York. Zappi was involved in multiple rackets and supplied the Gambinos with mattresses. In Florida, Ettore owned a drive in. By the mid 1970s he was expanding his operations into the lucrative California market. During this time the Mafia was immersing itself in the flourishing pornography industry. The Teamsters Union loaned millions to a La Costa, California resort.