The Vanished Podcast

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Joseph “Joe Lupo” Rulli’s story. You learned about his rise in the boxing world at a young age, his battle with Polio that tragically ended his career too soon, and Joe’s eventual rise within the mafia. For a while, things were looking good for Joe, but by April of 1971, a mafia turf war was raging. Several of Joe’s associates, including his partner, had been murdered. Joe was warned that he was next. He was a marked man.In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Joe had a tense encounter at his doorstep. FBI agents, along with his older brother, Dennis, an investigator for the New Jersey State Police, offered Joe a way out: become an informant and receive protection. But Joe refused. He wasn’t a rat.Not long after, Joe hosted a going-away dinner for one of his higher-ups. This event was supposed to mark a new chapter for him. But before the party even started, Joe stepped out for what he claimed was a quick errand, and he never returned. His wife, Cynthia, arrived at the par