Following the February 1930 murder of Gaetano Reina, mob boss Giuseppe Masseria tried to take control of Reina's gang by backing Pinzolo, a close supporter, as Reina's replacement. Pinzolo may have been responsible for Reina's killing, though the most widely-suspected culprit for that crime remains Vito Genovese. "As big a shit as Masseria was, he didn't hold a candle to Pinzolo. That guy was fatter, uglier and dirtier than Masseria was on the worst day when the old bastard didn't take a bath, which was most of the time."