Zappi was a close cousin to Carlo Gambino and quickly ascended through the ranks of the Gambino crime family and was given his own crew to run in Florida. Zappi dealt in loansharking and bookmaking, but is most remembered for his involvement in the pornography racket, at the birth of the porn business in California Zappi sent William Haimowitz west to scope out territory and investment potential, Haimowitz made strong contacts with the Los Angeles crime family, primarily through Jimmy "the weasel" Fratianno. Zappi also had connections to mobsters in Cleveland and Atlanta.