THE BLACK HAND FORUM

B. wrote: ↑Sat Oct 17, 2020 12:58 pm

Frank wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:49 am I forgot, do we know if Mike Merlo is related to the New Jersey. Merlos

It's possible there is some distant relation, but probably not. Merlo was from Sambuca di Sicilia which is about an hour drive from Ribera today. In that part of Agrigento you see many of the same last names in different villages and sometimes intermarriage between villages, though it's not that common to find direct relation in available records.

However, we have found that Phil Bacino had relatives from Burgio / Lucca Sicula and Pasquale Lolordo's wife was from Caltabellotta. Both Burgio / Caltabelotta are closer to Merlo's hometown Sambuca than Ribera. This could lend itself to the idea that the Riberesi had ties to other towns, too, like Sambuca, but I haven't seen anything.

The Merlos were one of the first Riberese families established in Elizabeth and I have no doubt Pasquale Lolordo and Phil Bacino knew of them when they lived in NYC. If there was a connection to Mike Merlo, they would have known it. Either way, these guys were all part of the tight-knit Agrigento network.

Frank wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:49 am I forgot, do we know if Mike Merlo is related to the New Jersey. Merlos

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 11:24 pm I think you make a good point, and like I wrote I personally think that Glimco and Coli were made. I still want to put his information out there because he is still a knowledgeable source. While we don't always agree, we still ought to carefully consider what he says.

Villain wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:15 pm

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:01 pm

Villain wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:20 am

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:15 am I personally think that Glimco and Coli were made and have them in my list, but on the other hand Joe Fosco believes none of the union leaders were made guys until after Ricca died. Aiuppa replaced the non-made guys with made guys, which is why Senese was forced out. So according to him, not even Glimco was made.

Damn i didnt expect this and thats why i laughed ...i thought Glimco was Riccas long time friend and the last one who visited him before his death right?...werent Foscos people too low level or young at the time to know about these stuff? The list I gave you was regarding 50s and early 60s.

Fosco has connections going back to the 1920s: Armando Fosco, Tony Iorii, and others. Willie Messino also told him a lot, including things Accardo and Cerone told him.

None of the union guys were made huh? What about Pilotto, Circella or Lardino? Solano was probably made before Ricca died...Ask him that the next time you talk to him....Thats cool but i have to be honest that i will never accept Foscos claim that Glimco was never made, same as Juniors claims that Accardo personally blew off Giancanas head... and so i really dont want so start posting docs and stuff so we will leave it like that. Its almost bedtime over here, cheers

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:01 pm

Villain wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:20 am

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:15 am I personally think that Glimco and Coli were made and have them in my list, but on the other hand Joe Fosco believes none of the union leaders were made guys until after Ricca died. Aiuppa replaced the non-made guys with made guys, which is why Senese was forced out. So according to him, not even Glimco was made.

Damn i didnt expect this and thats why i laughed ...i thought Glimco was Riccas long time friend and the last one who visited him before his death right?...werent Foscos people too low level or young at the time to know about these stuff? The list I gave you was regarding 50s and early 60s.

Fosco has connections going back to the 1920s: Armando Fosco, Tony Iorii, and others. Willie Messino also told him a lot, including things Accardo and Cerone told him.

Villain wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:20 am

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:15 am I personally think that Glimco and Coli were made and have them in my list, but on the other hand Joe Fosco believes none of the union leaders were made guys until after Ricca died. Aiuppa replaced the non-made guys with made guys, which is why Senese was forced out. So according to him, not even Glimco was made.

Damn i didnt expect this and thats why i laughed ...i thought Glimco was Riccas long time friend and the last one who visited him before his death right?...werent Foscos people too low level or young at the time to know about these stuff? The list I gave you was regarding 50s and early 60s.

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:15 am I have hundreds of FBI files and more, went to the National Archives in Chicago, Maryland, Washington DC, and Southern California. I know made guys and many families of made guys. I've eaten with the grandson of Tom Neglia and others. I've been doing this research for over 30 years, and there's still plenty I don't know.

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:15 am I personally think that Glimco and Coli were made and have them in my list, but on the other hand Joe Fosco believes none of the union leaders were made guys until after Ricca died. Aiuppa replaced the non-made guys with made guys, which is why Senese was forced out. So according to him, not even Glimco was made.

B. wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:14 am Great post, Antliar.

I still see the Chicago family as one continuous entity from its inception that was heavily influenced by Americanization and its local environment, and these interactions between the "Sicilian" and the "Americanized" factions (to use Magaddino's ~1931 terms for them) are very interesting, especially when they become violent and involve multiple mafia families like the conflict(s) you wrote about here.

- Filippo Candela was a member of the Madison family and from Montelepre, like John DiBella. They were apparently related as well.

- Dominick DiBella's family was from Alimena, so unlikely they were connected to John DiBella. Were there really two brothers named Giovanni DiBella in the same blood family? I have always believed that John DiBella of Grande Cheese, who is believed to have been made in Sicily then transferred to the Bonanno family, is the same one that was part of the Schiro-Bonanno family in Brooklyn. If there are two Giovanni/John DiBellas who were mafiosi and brothers, they were both members of the Bonanno family.

- John DiBella was also influential in getting Saputo Cheese started in Canada. Giuseppe Saputo was his compaesano from Montelepre who tried to immigrate to the US in the early 1950s but was not allowed, so he moved to Montreal and started Saputo. Interesting his immigration came on the heels of this cheese war and DiBella's acquisition of Grande. DiBella allegedly hooked Saputo up with Joe Bonanno, who invested in the Saputo company in Canada. While I can't prove it, I believe Giuseppe Saputo was a Sicilian mafia member who became part of the Montreal Bonanno decina.

- Not only was Nick DeJohn's mother's 1923 naturalization witnessed by Michele Merlo (who was boss at the time), but Nick DeJohn's father Giovanni was business agent for the Chicago International Hod Carriers Union prior to his death, a position previously held by Chicago mafia boss Antonino D'Andrea. Seems likely Giovanni DeJohn DiGiovanni was a member of the Chicago mafia, especially given his son's dedication to the old Sicilian faction years later.

- Jim DiGeorge came from the old Riberesi element that included the Lolordos, Bacino, and possibly other early figures. Giuseppe Cocchiaro lived in Chicago before moving to Elizabeth and becoming part of the local NJ family, same with Vincenzo DiMaria. DiMaria was an in-law of DeCavalcante member Salvatore Caterinicchia, who may have had his own ties to Chicago. DiMaria's marriage was witnessed by Joseph Lolordo. DeCavalcante member Pietro Galletta was married to a DiGiorgi from Ribera who appears to have ties to Chicago. Phil Bacino's son later married a girl from Elizabeth. Many, many connections. I suspect this group was close with Mike Merlo given they were from a nearby part of Agrigento and the Lolordos and Bacino moved to Chicago when Merlo was boss.

^ What I'm curious about is whether the Riberesi were all originally under one crew in Chicago. It seems likely given how tightknit they were, but from your research it seems like DiGeorge and Bacino for example ended up with crews based on their location. I suspect that was the result of Americanization in Chicago.

Antiliar wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:22 am How are you figuring out these crews? I haven't seen any North Side sub crew lists. Galiano operated in the North Side but was under Battaglia and Alderisio. So was Butch Loverde. Sammy Louis might have been direct to Ricca. Hot Dog Lisciandrello was a North Side guy, and his brother Ruffy.