ot ics ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁government ▁inform ant . ▁His ▁front ▁was ▁ownership ▁of ▁an ▁o live ▁oil ▁importing ▁business . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Att ardi ▁was ▁arrested ▁for ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in ▁Houston , ▁Texas . ▁While ▁in ▁prison , ▁his ▁wife ▁died ▁and ▁the ▁bank ▁forec l osed ▁on ▁his ▁front ▁business . ▁Following ▁his ▁release ▁from ▁prison , ▁Att ardi ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁dil ap id ated ▁a partment ▁on ▁Del ance y ▁Street ▁on ▁New ▁York ' s ▁Lower ▁East ▁Side . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁U . S . ▁Tre as ury ▁Ag ents ▁asked ▁Att ardi ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁inform ant . ▁F ear ing ▁for ▁his ▁life , ▁Att ardi ▁initially ▁refused ▁their ▁offer . ▁However , ▁six ▁months ▁later ▁Att ardi ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁and ▁agreed ▁to ▁assist ▁agents ▁in ▁a ▁st ing ▁operation . ▁The ▁st ing ▁began ▁when ▁Att ardi ▁introduced ▁under cover ▁agent ▁Joe ▁T rem og lie ▁to ▁several ▁of ▁his ▁associ ates . ▁ ▁Within ▁ten ▁months ▁T rem og lie ▁had ▁become ▁associated ▁with ▁major ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ers ▁and ▁organized ▁crime ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁Ben ny ▁Bell an ca ▁and ▁Pietro ▁Bed dia . ▁Att ardi ' s ▁efforts ▁let ▁T rem og lie ▁to ▁in fil tr ate ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁M af ia ' s ▁drug ▁trade ▁and , ▁assist ing ▁in ▁police ▁surve ill ance , ▁helped ▁ensure ▁the