by maxiestern11 » Fri May 24, 2019 5:45 am
Paul Sciacca - born in Sicily in 1909, lived in Brooklyn for many years until settling in Massapqaua, LI. by the early 1960’s. Very low profile longtime member who only sustained one arrest well into his 60’s. He was a business oriented soldier, gaining partnership in several large garment factories early in his career. First operating Sands Fashions, and later expanding with a second operation under the name S. & S. Garments Inc., both in Brooklyn. At one point in the 1960’s his clothing firms won a government contract worth over $1,000,000. to manufacture military uniforms. This was a huge sum of
money for that era, and reflects on the size capacity of his “contract shops” to service the contract bid. Sciacca was such a low profile mob member, that he was able to infiltrate and control the Hackensack Bank and Trust Co., of Hackensack, New Jersey, becoming a “director” on the board of the bank. Sciacca blended into the “woodwork” so to speak for many decades. With the advent of the “Bonanno War” conflict, Sciacca was forced to take sides, choosing to support his “compare” Gaspare DiGregorio in his bid for the big seat. It’s unclear when Paul was “bumped up” to capo di decina, but by the time of conflict he was indeed a “skipper”, supervising a crew that included a brother. As the conflict progressed, Di Gregorio was clearly not up for the fight, he was a “weak sister”. In time, Di Gregorio stepped down, and Sciacca was promoted almost out of left field to the “Acting Boss” position. He promoted several of his associates within the hierarchy, Michele (Mikey Adams) Adamo, Frank (Frankie T) Mari and Gaetano (Smitty) D’Angelo among them. These men were among the “powers” in the family, “capable” as they say for the street fighting that would follow. Each were promoted to “Capo” status or higher. In time, each would meet his maker, Adamo and Mari “disappearing” in one of the biggest blows to Sciacca’s position in 1969 and “Smitty” D’Angelo machine-gunned to death in a high-profile triple killing at the Cypress Gardens Restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens in 1967. (the other two murder victims being Smitty’s brother James and Frank (Frankie 500) Telleri, a major policy banker for the family). Another casualty of the fighting was Pietro (Skinny Pete) Crociata, a old timer who had only been promoted to consigliere a short time before Joe Bonanno’s gunman shot him six times near his Ridgewood home. Crociata was a close friend and advisor to Sciacca, counted on for swaying some of the “old timers” toward the Sciacca “rebel” faction. In spite of support by “commission” members Stefano Magaddino, Carlo Gambino and the young boss Joe Colombo, Sciacca found it hard to consolidate the splintered factions of the family. The massive publicity generated over the years by the bloodletting also exposed Sciacca to a level of LE scrutiny that unsettled him. He was called before several local and federal grand juries investigating the war, by DA’s and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Nassau, which resulted in “contempt of court” charges. A year or two later he was indicted in a nationwide sweep of dozens of wholesale heroin traffickers, getting picked up at dawn by agents at his home at 31 Lake CT., in Massapequa. He and close aide Michael Casale charged with drug conspiracy. Despite the big splash arrest, the charges were quietly dropped in the ensuing months for lack of evidence. All this was too much for Sciacca, who wanted nothing more than to fade quietly into the rafters in his retirement years. Subsequently, he stepped down in favor of Natale (Joe Diamond) Evola, a influential and highly respected “Capo” from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Evola was able to consolidate the troops in large part, thanks to his reputation and the respect he carried. The commission fully supported Evola, a veteran garment racketeer and heroin dealer (Evola was a defendant in the 1959 heroin trial of Vito Genovese, Carmine Galante, etc). Unfortunately Evola didn’t last long dying in the early 1970’s..... (but that’s a story for another day). Sciacca quietly lived out his days in the south shore of LI. I believe he died late 70’s-early 80’s. Having only sustained a burglary arrest in his youth, a contempt of court charge and the ill-fated narcotics conspiracy charge in 71’, Sciacca had a relatively smooth “career” in his chosen profession! ..... just one more storied tale in the saga that is organized crime!
Paul Sciacca - born in Sicily in 1909, lived in Brooklyn for many years until settling in Massapqaua, LI. by the early 1960’s. Very low profile longtime member who only sustained one arrest well into his 60’s. He was a business oriented soldier, gaining partnership in several large garment factories early in his career. First operating Sands Fashions, and later expanding with a second operation under the name S. & S. Garments Inc., both in Brooklyn. At one point in the 1960’s his clothing firms won a government contract worth over $1,000,000. to manufacture military uniforms. This was a huge sum of
money for that era, and reflects on the size capacity of his “contract shops” to service the contract bid. Sciacca was such a low profile mob member, that he was able to infiltrate and control the Hackensack Bank and Trust Co., of Hackensack, New Jersey, becoming a “director” on the board of the bank. Sciacca blended into the “woodwork” so to speak for many decades. With the advent of the “Bonanno War” conflict, Sciacca was forced to take sides, choosing to support his “compare” Gaspare DiGregorio in his bid for the big seat. It’s unclear when Paul was “bumped up” to capo di decina, but by the time of conflict he was indeed a “skipper”, supervising a crew that included a brother. As the conflict progressed, Di Gregorio was clearly not up for the fight, he was a “weak sister”. In time, Di Gregorio stepped down, and Sciacca was promoted almost out of left field to the “Acting Boss” position. He promoted several of his associates within the hierarchy, Michele (Mikey Adams) Adamo, Frank (Frankie T) Mari and Gaetano (Smitty) D’Angelo among them. These men were among the “powers” in the family, “capable” as they say for the street fighting that would follow. Each were promoted to “Capo” status or higher. In time, each would meet his maker, Adamo and Mari “disappearing” in one of the biggest blows to Sciacca’s position in 1969 and “Smitty” D’Angelo machine-gunned to death in a high-profile triple killing at the Cypress Gardens Restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens in 1967. (the other two murder victims being Smitty’s brother James and Frank (Frankie 500) Telleri, a major policy banker for the family). Another casualty of the fighting was Pietro (Skinny Pete) Crociata, a old timer who had only been promoted to consigliere a short time before Joe Bonanno’s gunman shot him six times near his Ridgewood home. Crociata was a close friend and advisor to Sciacca, counted on for swaying some of the “old timers” toward the Sciacca “rebel” faction. In spite of support by “commission” members Stefano Magaddino, Carlo Gambino and the young boss Joe Colombo, Sciacca found it hard to consolidate the splintered factions of the family. The massive publicity generated over the years by the bloodletting also exposed Sciacca to a level of LE scrutiny that unsettled him. He was called before several local and federal grand juries investigating the war, by DA’s and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Nassau, which resulted in “contempt of court” charges. A year or two later he was indicted in a nationwide sweep of dozens of wholesale heroin traffickers, getting picked up at dawn by agents at his home at 31 Lake CT., in Massapequa. He and close aide Michael Casale charged with drug conspiracy. Despite the big splash arrest, the charges were quietly dropped in the ensuing months for lack of evidence. All this was too much for Sciacca, who wanted nothing more than to fade quietly into the rafters in his retirement years. Subsequently, he stepped down in favor of Natale (Joe Diamond) Evola, a influential and highly respected “Capo” from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Evola was able to consolidate the troops in large part, thanks to his reputation and the respect he carried. The commission fully supported Evola, a veteran garment racketeer and heroin dealer (Evola was a defendant in the 1959 heroin trial of Vito Genovese, Carmine Galante, etc). Unfortunately Evola didn’t last long dying in the early 1970’s..... (but that’s a story for another day). Sciacca quietly lived out his days in the south shore of LI. I believe he died late 70’s-early 80’s. Having only sustained a burglary arrest in his youth, a contempt of court charge and the ill-fated narcotics conspiracy charge in 71’, Sciacca had a relatively smooth “career” in his chosen profession! ..... just one more storied tale in the saga that is organized crime!