I haven’t seen San Vito Sullo Ionio documented as having a Camorra back in the day, but we can presume that only some fraction of the Societies that existed were targeted by the authorities in trials. Today I’m not aware of ‘Ndrangheta specifically in San Vito, but I’m no authority on the subject, of course. There is an ‘ndrina in the neighboring town of Chiaravalle (locale of Torre di Ruggiero), however, so it would presumably have influence in San Vito.
Even if there was no documented Camorra presence in a given town, also important to keep in mind that if a guy had a criminal background in Italy and went to prison there, he could well have been initiated in prison, regardless of where he was from.
What was the Combaneesh?
Moderator: Capos
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PolackTony
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Definitely.
Something that should be pointed out (which you and Angelo know) is that a guy being Calabrian or Neapolitan doesn't mean he was involved with the Camorra but that said, our interest in the mainland networks has shown it was a far greater influence than many previously realized.
Just like many of the Sicilians came from certain hometowns, bloodlines, or at least mafia-linked networks, some of the mainlanders had their own history and traditions that were different from the Sicilians but made them amenable to the mafia and turned American Cosa Nostra into the dynamic beast that it was.
Something that should be pointed out (which you and Angelo know) is that a guy being Calabrian or Neapolitan doesn't mean he was involved with the Camorra but that said, our interest in the mainland networks has shown it was a far greater influence than many previously realized.
Just like many of the Sicilians came from certain hometowns, bloodlines, or at least mafia-linked networks, some of the mainlanders had their own history and traditions that were different from the Sicilians but made them amenable to the mafia and turned American Cosa Nostra into the dynamic beast that it was.
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PolackTony
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
For sure.
The point that I would stress is that the Southern Mainlanders merit being analyzed in the manner that we’ve done with the Sicilians for some time. While not every Sicilian who wound up in the American mafia was necessarily from a mafia heritage in Sicily, the dynamics of hometown/provincial origin networks intersected with mafia dynamics in ways that shaped the networks of mafia recruitment and association in the US. As the Mainlanders had their own Honored Societies, which were present all over the Mezzogiorno, they should be assessed in the same fashion. Even if we don’t know that a given guy had a background in the Camorra, the Camorra Societies intersected with paesani dynamics before and after immigration, and thus hometown/provincial origin of the Mainlanders was not incidental or unrelated to the history of evolution of the American mafia. In short, these guys also had histories and a context that in many cases surely shaped the ways that they affiliated during and after arrival in America.
The general picture that emerges from this perspective is one of greater complexity in the threads that wound up influencing or contributing to the American mafia. This counts for not just the Mainlanders but also the Sicilians, given that the Camorra was a pan-Mezzogiorno phenomenon and that there were Sicilian Camorristi not just in the prisons of Italy but also in Sicily as well as in the US. The more we delve into these questions, the more complex and interesting this history gets.
The point that I would stress is that the Southern Mainlanders merit being analyzed in the manner that we’ve done with the Sicilians for some time. While not every Sicilian who wound up in the American mafia was necessarily from a mafia heritage in Sicily, the dynamics of hometown/provincial origin networks intersected with mafia dynamics in ways that shaped the networks of mafia recruitment and association in the US. As the Mainlanders had their own Honored Societies, which were present all over the Mezzogiorno, they should be assessed in the same fashion. Even if we don’t know that a given guy had a background in the Camorra, the Camorra Societies intersected with paesani dynamics before and after immigration, and thus hometown/provincial origin of the Mainlanders was not incidental or unrelated to the history of evolution of the American mafia. In short, these guys also had histories and a context that in many cases surely shaped the ways that they affiliated during and after arrival in America.
The general picture that emerges from this perspective is one of greater complexity in the threads that wound up influencing or contributing to the American mafia. This counts for not just the Mainlanders but also the Sicilians, given that the Camorra was a pan-Mezzogiorno phenomenon and that there were Sicilian Camorristi not just in the prisons of Italy but also in Sicily as well as in the US. The more we delve into these questions, the more complex and interesting this history gets.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
The "Combaneesh" tape is a perfect example. You have guys who weren't made into Cosa Nostra until the 1940s but even guys like DeCarlo and Ciaffone who didn't attain the formal position of Camorristi were clearly part of the minor society, schooled in organized Italian underworld activity, aware of Camorra rituals/ranks, and the most telling comment of all is that they say the Camorra was the same thing as the mafia.
No, the Camorra was not the mafia in a strictly formal sense and that's not what they're implying when they say it was the same thing, but they were aware of the undeniable similarities between the groups and they themselves are a testament to that given they graduated from the world of the Camorra to become important Cosa Nostra members.
A key point too is that although the Camorra fed into Cosa Nostra and brought with it mainland attitudes, it didn't Camorra-ize the mafia. The mafia still had the exact same structure, ranks, and rules it always did going back to 1800s Sicily and these Camorristi and their affiliates molded to that while using their own influences and networks to attain important positions without changing who they are but also not fundamentally changing what Cosa Nostra is. However, we do see a number of sources blame mainlanders for pushing Cosa Nostra further in an explicit criminal direction and an argument could be made for that although those arguments also tend to downplay the amount of criminal activity the Sicilians were already involved in, which was just more subtle rather than nonexistent.
No, the Camorra was not the mafia in a strictly formal sense and that's not what they're implying when they say it was the same thing, but they were aware of the undeniable similarities between the groups and they themselves are a testament to that given they graduated from the world of the Camorra to become important Cosa Nostra members.
A key point too is that although the Camorra fed into Cosa Nostra and brought with it mainland attitudes, it didn't Camorra-ize the mafia. The mafia still had the exact same structure, ranks, and rules it always did going back to 1800s Sicily and these Camorristi and their affiliates molded to that while using their own influences and networks to attain important positions without changing who they are but also not fundamentally changing what Cosa Nostra is. However, we do see a number of sources blame mainlanders for pushing Cosa Nostra further in an explicit criminal direction and an argument could be made for that although those arguments also tend to downplay the amount of criminal activity the Sicilians were already involved in, which was just more subtle rather than nonexistent.
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Angelo Santino
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Another thing to take into account is the shelf-life for some of these groups, they are formed and broken up not long after. It's amazing given how structured this group is, but you can see it in real time in PA. 1904 was the year where societies were forming up all over the place only to be busted. Take Bari, in 1890's there was the Mala Vita which presumably was broke up, and then in the next century Sacra Corona Unita came into existence with seemingly no connection to the earlier rendition.PolackTony wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:03 am I haven’t seen San Vito Sullo Ionio documented as having a Camorra back in the day, but we can presume that only some fraction of the Societies that existed were targeted by the authorities in trials. Today I’m not aware of ‘Ndrangheta specifically in San Vito, but I’m no authority on the subject, of course. There is an ‘ndrina in the neighboring town of Chiaravalle (locale of Torre di Ruggiero), however, so it would presumably have influence in San Vito.
Even if there was no documented Camorra presence in a given town, also important to keep in mind that if a guy had a criminal background in Italy and went to prison there, he could well have been initiated in prison, regardless of where he was from.
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Angelo Santino
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
That's what I noticed. I have a list of members who were formerly associated with the camorra at a high level who joined the LCN and, they took their shoes off at the door. Even some of these guys who went onto to become LCN bosses don't give me the sense they were sitting back, rubbing their hands together thinking how they could Camorra-cize the mafia. The potential for such a thing was very possible in Pittsburgh but they never did that. What they did do is bring a dogmatic approach to rules and regulations, some were arguably better members than other Sicilians depending on how you look at it.B. wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 4:58 pm The "Combaneesh" tape is a perfect example. You have guys who weren't made into Cosa Nostra until the 1940s but even guys like DeCarlo and Ciaffone who didn't attain the formal position of Camorristi were clearly part of the minor society, schooled in organized Italian underworld activity, aware of Camorra rituals/ranks, and the most telling comment of all is that they say the Camorra was the same thing as the mafia.
No, the Camorra was not the mafia in a strictly formal sense and that's not what they're implying when they say it was the same thing, but they were aware of the undeniable similarities between the groups and they themselves are a testament to that given they graduated from the world of the Camorra to become important Cosa Nostra members.
A key point too is that although the Camorra fed into Cosa Nostra and brought with it mainland attitudes, it didn't Camorra-ize the mafia. The mafia still had the exact same structure, ranks, and rules it always did going back to 1800s Sicily and these Camorristi and their affiliates molded to that while using their own influences and networks to attain important positions without changing who they are but also not fundamentally changing what Cosa Nostra is. However, we do see a number of sources blame mainlanders for pushing Cosa Nostra further in an explicit criminal direction and an argument could be made for that although those arguments also tend to downplay the amount of criminal activity the Sicilians were already involved in, which was just more subtle rather than nonexistent.
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JoelTurner
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Would Frank Mazzocchi have been a leader in the camorra?
He was a the leader of a "gang" in Newark until Richie Boiardo had him killed in 1930 and took over. The timeline would match both Boiardo and DeCarlo's time as part of this organization.
If I have the right one, he would have been from Lauro, Avellino, Campania.
Interestingly, at lease one of his killers also appear to have been from there. He was killed by Joseph Bassone, George Petrucelli, and Frank Piraino. Bassone was also from Lauro. Piraino may have been from Vaccarizzo Albanese, Cosenza, Calabria; I couldn't find a POB other than just Italy for Petrucelli.
He was a the leader of a "gang" in Newark until Richie Boiardo had him killed in 1930 and took over. The timeline would match both Boiardo and DeCarlo's time as part of this organization.
If I have the right one, he would have been from Lauro, Avellino, Campania.
Interestingly, at lease one of his killers also appear to have been from there. He was killed by Joseph Bassone, George Petrucelli, and Frank Piraino. Bassone was also from Lauro. Piraino may have been from Vaccarizzo Albanese, Cosenza, Calabria; I couldn't find a POB other than just Italy for Petrucelli.
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Yeah, I believe the Mazzocchi brothers were likely leaders within the First Ward Camorra group given Boiardo started out with them before their conflict. That conflict was probably an internal Camorra war.
These guys were all involved w/ the Mazzocchi group:
Frank, John, and Dominick Mazzocchi
Richie Boiardo
Jerry "Sweat" Rullo
"Jeff Lane" Malanga
Joseph Rossi
Ralph Russo (older brother of Anthony and John)
John Russo
Joseph Juliano
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo
Anthony Nappi
Rullo, the Russos, Juliano, Nappi and DeCarlo all went with Boiardo when the dispute erupted.
Frank and Dominick Mazzocchi, Rossi, and Rullo were ultimately killed, and Juliano was shot and "chased" from the First Ward. Most of the murders were believed to have been ordered by Boiardo, including those of his own associates. He also had Ralph Russo murdered later on in Pennsylvania or Ohio, an area with tons of Camorra influence. John Russo and Nappi were convicted of the Rossi murder and Nappi flipped, Russo later joining the Genovese after getting out of prison.
Moretti then recruited a bunch of Boiardo's guys as Genovese associates when Boiardo was in prison and though we lack specifics it looks like Boiardo fell in line as a mafia associate by the late 1930s after his release.
These guys were all involved w/ the Mazzocchi group:
Frank, John, and Dominick Mazzocchi
Richie Boiardo
Jerry "Sweat" Rullo
"Jeff Lane" Malanga
Joseph Rossi
Ralph Russo (older brother of Anthony and John)
John Russo
Joseph Juliano
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo
Anthony Nappi
Rullo, the Russos, Juliano, Nappi and DeCarlo all went with Boiardo when the dispute erupted.
Frank and Dominick Mazzocchi, Rossi, and Rullo were ultimately killed, and Juliano was shot and "chased" from the First Ward. Most of the murders were believed to have been ordered by Boiardo, including those of his own associates. He also had Ralph Russo murdered later on in Pennsylvania or Ohio, an area with tons of Camorra influence. John Russo and Nappi were convicted of the Rossi murder and Nappi flipped, Russo later joining the Genovese after getting out of prison.
Moretti then recruited a bunch of Boiardo's guys as Genovese associates when Boiardo was in prison and though we lack specifics it looks like Boiardo fell in line as a mafia associate by the late 1930s after his release.
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JoelTurner
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Genovese member Anthony "Jack Panels" Santoli was also part of this group. He switched to DeCarlo's gang in ~1936, specifically after Ralph Russo was killed in Imperial, PA; just outside of Pittsburgh. Another one was William "Billy Jinks" Cardinale (family from Acerno, Salerno, Campania) who got hit in 1951.B. wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:58 pm Yeah, I believe the Mazzocchi brothers were likely leaders within the First Ward Camorra group given Boiardo started out with them before their conflict. That conflict was probably an internal Camorra war.
These guys were all involved w/ the Mazzocchi group:
Frank, John, and Dominick Mazzocchi
Richie Boiardo
Jerry "Sweat" Rullo
"Jeff Lane" Malanga
Joseph Rossi
Ralph Russo (older brother of Anthony and John)
John Russo
Joseph Juliano
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo
Anthony Nappi
Rullo, the Russos, Juliano, Nappi and DeCarlo all went with Boiardo when the dispute erupted.
Frank and Dominick Mazzocchi, Rossi, and Rullo were ultimately killed, and Juliano was shot and "chased" from the First Ward. Most of the murders were believed to have been ordered by Boiardo, including those of his own associates. He also had Ralph Russo murdered later on in Pennsylvania or Ohio, an area with tons of Camorra influence. John Russo and Nappi were convicted of the Rossi murder and Nappi flipped, Russo later joining the Genovese after getting out of prison.
Moretti then recruited a bunch of Boiardo's guys as Genovese associates when Boiardo was in prison and though we lack specifics it looks like Boiardo fell in line as a mafia associate by the late 1930s after his release.
John "Jeff Lane" Malanga was killed by Boiardo in '73. I don't know how well known this was but his family (from Caposele, Avellino, Campania) was pretty well connected:
- brother William was a Gambino member
- sister Grace was married to Gambino capo Anthony Paterno
- brother Alfred aka "Fritzy" was a suspected Gambino member
- cousin Geraldine Malanga was married to Gambino member Joseph Zoppo (family from Teora, Avellino, Campania)
Genovese member Carl Silesia lived up a few houses away from the Malanga family in the First Ward, he was at 162 Parker St and they were at 154 Parker St. He remained close to them his whole life.
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Viewing the Mazzocchi bros v. Boiardo conflict as an internal camorra war actually casts the situation in new light. The whole situation with Dominck Tetta/Thomas Tato, who was supposedly Al Capone's cousin, being a peacemaker makes more sense. DeCarlo even names him as a member.
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Didn't know about all the Malanga connections. Maybe the Gambinos took in some Newark Camorra affiliates as well.
It's spelled "Tato" on the DeCarlo transcript but I think he's referring to Toddo Del Duca. When they refer to Del Duca on other tapes they transcribe his name "Tato" and on this one they're referring to the Camorristi by first name and they're all Genovese members that everyone in attendance (some from NYC) is familiar with, Tommy Tato being a more obscure figure from way in the past. Doesn't make a huge difference though as Tato and Del Duca are both strong candidates for the Camorra who were connected to the same people.
This is something you could help with, but since there was at least one Camorra group active in Newark it opens the possibility that the Newark Family brought some in. Luigi Russo who was murdered with Monaco may have been from Maddaloni di Caserta. Not aware of other possible mainlanders with them but most of the research on Newark members has come through relation and shared Sicilian hometowns and it's hard to find leads on members outside of that.
Pacelli is another question in all this since he was someone of importance killed in 1930.
It's spelled "Tato" on the DeCarlo transcript but I think he's referring to Toddo Del Duca. When they refer to Del Duca on other tapes they transcribe his name "Tato" and on this one they're referring to the Camorristi by first name and they're all Genovese members that everyone in attendance (some from NYC) is familiar with, Tommy Tato being a more obscure figure from way in the past. Doesn't make a huge difference though as Tato and Del Duca are both strong candidates for the Camorra who were connected to the same people.
This is something you could help with, but since there was at least one Camorra group active in Newark it opens the possibility that the Newark Family brought some in. Luigi Russo who was murdered with Monaco may have been from Maddaloni di Caserta. Not aware of other possible mainlanders with them but most of the research on Newark members has come through relation and shared Sicilian hometowns and it's hard to find leads on members outside of that.
Pacelli is another question in all this since he was someone of importance killed in 1930.
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
This is a more accurate interpretation of the DeCarlo transcript edited with key words fixed:
- The "sneaked in" aspect once fueled theories that the "Combaneesh" was a kind of maverick outfit used by Masseria to sneak members in when he wasn't supposed to, but since they were referring to the Camorra we know this wasn't the case. Still, what did he mean by "sneaked in"? The context is Camorristi who were brought into Cosa Nostra but it's not 100% whether the org he's saying these guys were sneaked into was the Camorra or Cosa Nostra. It doesn't make sense for these guys to be "sneaked" into the Camorra though so it's fairly clear he's saying these were Camorristi who were snuck into the mafia.
- But why did they have to be snuck in? Did Masseria induct them without approval? Was there a mafia edict barring/limiting the induction of Camorristi at this time? They had already been inducting mainlanders, some of whom were likely Camorristi, so it doesn't seem like there was a blanket rule against this in the 1920s. In Pittsburgh around the mid-late 1910s, the national mafia leadership had to hold an Assemblea and approve the entry of Camorristi into the Pittsburgh Family so maybe there was protocol required that Masseria ignored. Another possibility is DeCarlo was using "sneaked in" more generally to simply say they were made.
- Upstate probably refers to the White Plains group under Rocco Pellegrino. Others sources confirm he was not only a Camorrista but once part of the White Plains Camorra leadership.
- What about Reno? Can't see DeCarlo randomly inserting Nevada into this so maybe this was misheard.
- Al is certainly Al Capone. When Fred says Al was working "over there" for "maybe ten years", this fits Al Capone moving to Chicago and operating there for close to a decade before being made into the Genovese. Fred saying Al was a neighborhood Camorrista fits Augie Maniaci and Teddy DeRose who both said Al Capone was a Camorrista before being made into Cosa Nostra.
- It isn't clear who is saying it, but at least two of them know about introduction protocol where a match is ripped in half and the head is given to the person you are introducing yourself to. It's first phrased as if this was done by the Sicilians but someone asserts that this was actually the Camorristi. Ciaffone then explains that although mafia members can't introduce themselves to other members, Camorra affiliates could introduce themselves through coded language and how much they said indicated their dote (rank/degree).
- Swats Ciaffone says that the Camorra had a degree system, like first, second, and third degree. He's referring to the doti, which in the Camorra included Camorrista, Picciotto, and Giovinotti Onorati. Camorra affiliates went through a different initiation for each degree and these often included initiation fees.
- It's evident that not only DeCarlo but also Swats Ciaffone and "Fred" are well-acquainted with the Camorra. "Fred" was very likely Alfred Toriello, so as a Campanian made in the 1910s it would be no surprise if he once affiliated with the Camorra. Ciaffone was around Funzi Tieri and the Genovese Family's Brooklyn Neapolitan faction which puts him in an epicenter of Camorra activity when he was coming up. Ciaffone is not just familiar with Camorra protocol but aware of their rituals which suggests he either underwent one (they did rituals for the minor society, so it wouldn't necessarily mean he was full Camorrista) or was told about it.
- "Louis", I'm guessing Percello, seems familiar as well, as he says "Yeah, I know" when they are explaining how Camorristi would indicate their dote (rank/degree) through coded language. "Benny" might be Lombardo and he is the one who is confused about the word "Camorrist" when DeCarlo first says it. He does know the word "picciotto" but that's a more universal term not only in Italian language but it was used in the mafia as well. If it is Lombardo, he was Sicilian and came up in the 116th St crew so it might not be a coincidence that "Benny" is less familiar with the Camorra.
- DeCarlo is saying that at the time the Camorristi were brought into the mafia, being a mafia member was still a good thing and membership was secretive. He seems to make a distinction between the members inducted during this era vs. the inclusion of "Americanized guys" later when membership became more publicized.
- DeCarlo says the Camorra and the mafia were the same but indicates they were formally separate then "joined up together", again pointing out several Genovese leaders who were originally Camorristi. As I said earlier, when he says they were the "same", he isn't saying they were literally the same group, he is pointing out that they were both Italian underworld secret societies with similar rituals/rules and that Camorristi eventually joined the mafia somewhat seamlessly.
- Don't know what to make of "un batura". Tony suggested it was "un battuto", which would mean "a beat" or maybe "a beating". Could imagine that term relating to the Camorra but DeCarlo responds with "That's a bad guy" which suggests the term referred to a type of person, almost like a malandrino.
- I don't understand how a "bad guy" relates to whatever point DeCarlo is making about boss and underboss or how bocce relates to those ranks either. We're obviously missing context. Maybe he's trying to explain how the "boss" and "underboss" type roles within the Camorra were different or as is typical in these conversations it was a tangent about something else entirely.
--
Keep in mind by this time these guys are well-established Cosa Nostra members and likely haven't been around the Camorra for decades but they still remember it in detail. There's no indication any of them held the dote of Camorristi (Toriello being a possibility though) but a few of them must have been picciotti or giovinotti. The latter two doti, especially giovinotti, were not difficult to attain and the Camorra liberally brought in recruits and associates who could attain those roles. Since some of these guys did start out around the Camorra it's almost certain they were at least part of the minor society.
It's also a pretty casual conversation. To us it's like "Holy fuck, they're talking about their history with the Camorra" but they're just sort of like "Yeah, we used to be around the Camorristi and they had all kinds of rituals and ways of doing things, kind of like this thing we're part of now. Remember those days?" before moving on. It's not like they all lock hands and recite an incantation before talking about it.
My notes:RAY: Well, we were with the Camorristi at the time.
BENNY: Combination - what combination?
RAY: Camorristi! We were with the Camorristi! They were no babies either! Vito was a Camorrista. Ritchie and all them guys were Camorristi. Before they got in here. Most of those guys upstate and in Reno got sneaked in. Willie Moore got sneaked in. They got sneaked in! Vito got sneaked in. I think he told me, in 1923. Al Amici?
FRANK: Al?
FRED: Yeah.
RAY: He got sneaked in.
FRED: Over there....And we would say he's working, when he was there - for years. Maybe 10 years...
FRED: Al was a neighborhood Camorrista.
: You see we taught all these fellows how to talk Italian. The Sicilians, when two fellows would meet and they wanted to introduce themselves, one would say (Italian phrase).
RAY: What would he ask for?
: A Match.
: So you had to cut it in half and give him the head part.
: That was the Camorristi.
: Yeah.
SWAT: Them was the people that's got the pig language and then with us you can't introduce yourselves. But the (Italian) the guy wants to knock on the door, the guy with the (Italian). He could talk the pig language and the more you knew about talking it, the bigger the guy you was. Of course, that's all ----
LOUIS: Yeah, I know.
SWAT: It's like the first, second and third degree. You see they got what they call picciotti.
RAY: Them are the kids.
BENNY: Recruits.
RAY: The Camorristi and the Mafia is the same.
SWAT: Sure.
: But I'm telling you this ----
RAY: They joined up and got together ---Ritchie was a Camorrista, Vito was a Camorrista, "Tato" (ph) was a Camorrista.
SWAT: that's right and it was the same ritual. Don't think it was any different. As far as ---- the same thing.
RAY: And they all got sneaked in, the Camorristi and that was when it was a good thing, when they had ----. When they had it all by themselves, nobody knew them, who the hell they were. And when they started letting Americanized guys in ---this guy a button guy, that guy a button guy, he's a button guy --introduced.
SWAT: Do you know what un batura (ph) means?
RAY: That's a bad guy. The boss and underboss. That's how they got the game bocce, boss and underboss.
- The "sneaked in" aspect once fueled theories that the "Combaneesh" was a kind of maverick outfit used by Masseria to sneak members in when he wasn't supposed to, but since they were referring to the Camorra we know this wasn't the case. Still, what did he mean by "sneaked in"? The context is Camorristi who were brought into Cosa Nostra but it's not 100% whether the org he's saying these guys were sneaked into was the Camorra or Cosa Nostra. It doesn't make sense for these guys to be "sneaked" into the Camorra though so it's fairly clear he's saying these were Camorristi who were snuck into the mafia.
- But why did they have to be snuck in? Did Masseria induct them without approval? Was there a mafia edict barring/limiting the induction of Camorristi at this time? They had already been inducting mainlanders, some of whom were likely Camorristi, so it doesn't seem like there was a blanket rule against this in the 1920s. In Pittsburgh around the mid-late 1910s, the national mafia leadership had to hold an Assemblea and approve the entry of Camorristi into the Pittsburgh Family so maybe there was protocol required that Masseria ignored. Another possibility is DeCarlo was using "sneaked in" more generally to simply say they were made.
- Upstate probably refers to the White Plains group under Rocco Pellegrino. Others sources confirm he was not only a Camorrista but once part of the White Plains Camorra leadership.
- What about Reno? Can't see DeCarlo randomly inserting Nevada into this so maybe this was misheard.
- Al is certainly Al Capone. When Fred says Al was working "over there" for "maybe ten years", this fits Al Capone moving to Chicago and operating there for close to a decade before being made into the Genovese. Fred saying Al was a neighborhood Camorrista fits Augie Maniaci and Teddy DeRose who both said Al Capone was a Camorrista before being made into Cosa Nostra.
- It isn't clear who is saying it, but at least two of them know about introduction protocol where a match is ripped in half and the head is given to the person you are introducing yourself to. It's first phrased as if this was done by the Sicilians but someone asserts that this was actually the Camorristi. Ciaffone then explains that although mafia members can't introduce themselves to other members, Camorra affiliates could introduce themselves through coded language and how much they said indicated their dote (rank/degree).
- Swats Ciaffone says that the Camorra had a degree system, like first, second, and third degree. He's referring to the doti, which in the Camorra included Camorrista, Picciotto, and Giovinotti Onorati. Camorra affiliates went through a different initiation for each degree and these often included initiation fees.
- It's evident that not only DeCarlo but also Swats Ciaffone and "Fred" are well-acquainted with the Camorra. "Fred" was very likely Alfred Toriello, so as a Campanian made in the 1910s it would be no surprise if he once affiliated with the Camorra. Ciaffone was around Funzi Tieri and the Genovese Family's Brooklyn Neapolitan faction which puts him in an epicenter of Camorra activity when he was coming up. Ciaffone is not just familiar with Camorra protocol but aware of their rituals which suggests he either underwent one (they did rituals for the minor society, so it wouldn't necessarily mean he was full Camorrista) or was told about it.
- "Louis", I'm guessing Percello, seems familiar as well, as he says "Yeah, I know" when they are explaining how Camorristi would indicate their dote (rank/degree) through coded language. "Benny" might be Lombardo and he is the one who is confused about the word "Camorrist" when DeCarlo first says it. He does know the word "picciotto" but that's a more universal term not only in Italian language but it was used in the mafia as well. If it is Lombardo, he was Sicilian and came up in the 116th St crew so it might not be a coincidence that "Benny" is less familiar with the Camorra.
- DeCarlo is saying that at the time the Camorristi were brought into the mafia, being a mafia member was still a good thing and membership was secretive. He seems to make a distinction between the members inducted during this era vs. the inclusion of "Americanized guys" later when membership became more publicized.
- DeCarlo says the Camorra and the mafia were the same but indicates they were formally separate then "joined up together", again pointing out several Genovese leaders who were originally Camorristi. As I said earlier, when he says they were the "same", he isn't saying they were literally the same group, he is pointing out that they were both Italian underworld secret societies with similar rituals/rules and that Camorristi eventually joined the mafia somewhat seamlessly.
- Don't know what to make of "un batura". Tony suggested it was "un battuto", which would mean "a beat" or maybe "a beating". Could imagine that term relating to the Camorra but DeCarlo responds with "That's a bad guy" which suggests the term referred to a type of person, almost like a malandrino.
- I don't understand how a "bad guy" relates to whatever point DeCarlo is making about boss and underboss or how bocce relates to those ranks either. We're obviously missing context. Maybe he's trying to explain how the "boss" and "underboss" type roles within the Camorra were different or as is typical in these conversations it was a tangent about something else entirely.
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Keep in mind by this time these guys are well-established Cosa Nostra members and likely haven't been around the Camorra for decades but they still remember it in detail. There's no indication any of them held the dote of Camorristi (Toriello being a possibility though) but a few of them must have been picciotti or giovinotti. The latter two doti, especially giovinotti, were not difficult to attain and the Camorra liberally brought in recruits and associates who could attain those roles. Since some of these guys did start out around the Camorra it's almost certain they were at least part of the minor society.
It's also a pretty casual conversation. To us it's like "Holy fuck, they're talking about their history with the Camorra" but they're just sort of like "Yeah, we used to be around the Camorristi and they had all kinds of rituals and ways of doing things, kind of like this thing we're part of now. Remember those days?" before moving on. It's not like they all lock hands and recite an incantation before talking about it.
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
My idea of "sneaking in" was making members without approval from the other Families, and that it could have applied to Al Capone. He would certainly have fit in with being a Camorrista. If it meant "sneaking in" Camorristi (it's possible that being a Camorra was a generalization that wasn't necessarily literal but included potential members from the Mezzogiorno, but especially those from Naples and Calabria), it could have applied to Rocco Pellegrino, Joe Adonis, Frankie Yale, Augie Carfano, and others. If it was only the Masseria borgata that was "sneaking in" non-Sicilians, it makes me wonder if D'Aquila had made some sort of ruling in order to prevent Masseria from building up his borgata.
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chin_gigante
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Re: What was the Combaneesh?
I think one of the more likely theories for why Masseria would want to 'sneak in' camorristi is that he was doing it in anticipation of a conflict with D'Aquila. There's a logic in Masseria consolidating his strength on the sneak, especially by bringing in more Neapolitans and Calabrians that D'Aquila probably would have been less familiar with.
Valachi described the Gagliano faction doing the same thing in anticipation of the conflict with Masseria. By using previously unknown members to avenge Reina's murder, the group could avoid immediate blowback because it wouldn't so obviously lead back to them. It was also deemed less risky to recruit new members than it was to try and win over existing members to their cause. From his testimony:
Valachi described the Gagliano faction doing the same thing in anticipation of the conflict with Masseria. By using previously unknown members to avenge Reina's murder, the group could avoid immediate blowback because it wouldn't so obviously lead back to them. It was also deemed less risky to recruit new members than it was to try and win over existing members to their cause. From his testimony:
There's something else to be said for the political loyalty that can be earned from inducting new members. About sixty years later, there's the incident where Gotti encouraged Gigante to fill the vacancies in the Genovese books but Gigante politely declined, not wanting to create a bloc within his own family who were indebted to Gotti for getting their buttons.Mr DUFFY. Following the murder of Mr Reina, Mr Valachi became a proposed member. This is an undeclared war. Will you explain, Mr Valachi, why this was an undeclared ware at this time?
Mr VALACHI. Senator, they were what they call sneaking.
The CHAIRMAN. What?
Mr VALACHI. In other words, they did not declare any war outright. They were trying to get all they could get before they found out. That was the idea of getting new members. The idea was, they figured the opposite mob wouldn't know us. They wouldn't know us. That is why they thought getting new members was good; besides, there were only about 15 at this time. Therefore, you know, Gagliano has 200, 250 at that time. It wasn't as much as it is today. They couldn't trust everybody. There was about 15 of them that trust one another. They felt that if they go further they may find somebody who would betray them. Actually, these 15 went out to get now [sic.] ones rather than approach more soldiers, as we put it, as we know now. They didn't want to gamble. They only trusted, among themselves, these particular groups.
Mr DUFFY. What Mr Valachi is saying at this time, Mr Gagliano wanted to recruit new individuals in this gang unknown to Joseph Masseria. This way they would be able to avenge the death without being able to trace the actions to this family. If they traced the actions to this family, then open war would be declared between these two groups. Mr Gagliano didn't want that to happen. He recruited Mr Valachi and a number of others.
'You don't go crucifying people outside a church; not on Good Friday.'
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
JoelTurner wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 7:59 pm The Combaneesh (or Combonish) is an organization mentioned twice on the DeCarlo wiretaps.
WHO IS BENNY?
Q: What doesn't work when it's fixed?
A: A jury!
A: A jury!
Re: What was the Combaneesh?
Gentile said Capone was made with the approval of the "governo centro" of the US mafia which if true doesn't fit being "sneaked in". He says it coincided with the contract to kill Lombardo and Aiello, which would place Capone's induction during D'Aquila's national admin or if the induction occurred shortly after Lombardo's murder it would be during Masseria's reign, both D'Aquila and Masseria representing the "governo centro" in either case. Maniaci's timeline seems to place Capone's induction a couple years earlier while Joe Bonanno implies Capone was made after Morello's August 1930 murder which is a bit too late. I lean toward Gentile.
DeCarlo says Genovese told him he was "sneaked in" around 1923 which would be years before Capone and around the end of the early 1920s war when Masseria was only recently the boss of his own Family. I could see Masseria inducting some of these guys around that time to bolster his new group but it doesn't seem the Camorristi named by DeCarlo were made at the same time or during the same exact circumstances if the range is 1923-1928. As with the Valachi excerpt Chin posted, some of these names may have been inducted during the tension / conflicts of the 1920s but then you have the "governo centro" allegedly approving Capone which would be the opposite of "sneaking".
It's clear to me that DeCarlo is using Camorrista literally given they discuss the specific rules, rituals, and doti of the Camorra in context w/ these guys.
DeCarlo says Genovese told him he was "sneaked in" around 1923 which would be years before Capone and around the end of the early 1920s war when Masseria was only recently the boss of his own Family. I could see Masseria inducting some of these guys around that time to bolster his new group but it doesn't seem the Camorristi named by DeCarlo were made at the same time or during the same exact circumstances if the range is 1923-1928. As with the Valachi excerpt Chin posted, some of these names may have been inducted during the tension / conflicts of the 1920s but then you have the "governo centro" allegedly approving Capone which would be the opposite of "sneaking".
It's clear to me that DeCarlo is using Camorrista literally given they discuss the specific rules, rituals, and doti of the Camorra in context w/ these guys.