THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Why no mention of Frank Depasquale? I know not 100% if confirmed member or not but assuming he’s confirmed he is a modern day example.

Philly seems to have a thing with lawyers being members or wannabe members like Avena

Great info. So that's two lawyers originally from Pittston who were made.

I never heard of Allio and looked him up. His family comes from far-northern Italy in what's now Croatia. Kind of like Senator Louis Boschetto who was from far-north Italy in what was once Austria and was identified as a made member in Wyoming (likely with the Pueblo family).

Bufalino Consigliere Remo Allio

Giorgio "The Lawyer" De Stefano , very powerful 'Ndrangheta member , also member of masonic lodge in south Italy(forgot the name, they mentioned it during the trial). He is currently in prison after he managed to avoid it multiple times due to his connections.

I also think Guttadauro's have lawyer as made member but i forgot his name, for example Giuseppe Guttadauro,boss of Brancaccio mandamento was prime of Palermo hospital and he is also surgeon.

Adam wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:32 pm It didn't happen, but I think Sal Avena in Philly was caught on the bug in his office that he referenced that some day he was going to ask Stanfa for his button.

Sal Avena went on trial accused of being part of a criminal enterprise but was found innocent by the jury.

https://apnews.com/article/bd3bbdc3898d ... a4870b3db6

Adam wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:39 pm And I don't think he was and no one has ever said he was, but if William Bufalino in Detroit had gotten made at some point in some low key ceremony, I would not have been surprised. Again, I don't think that ever happened, but he was about as close to being made as possible for a "legitimate" guy.

Was going through some notes, and FBI informant Sal Costanza (San Jose member) ID'd William Bufalino as a made member. He knew William's brother Gene who lived in LA and was also a made member.

A more recent example for the Sicilan mafia: the lawyer and local politician (member of the Christian Democrat party) Raffaele Bevilacqua is the boss of Barrafranca in the Enna province, and later became the provincial representative in the mafia commission. He was first arrested in 1992 and in the 2000s was sentenced to life in prison for the 2003 murder of the mafioso Domenico Calcagno who was asking protection money to businessmen already protected by Bevilacqua; released to house arrest for health reasons in 2018, he become again involved in mafia activity and now has been arrested again.
https://www.articolo21.org/2020/09/la-s ... evilacqua/

Giovanni Bontate

Nino Mandala was a lawyer and politician? (he was involved in Burscolini’s party, I am not sure if he was an actual politician) and the boss of Villabate. His son Nicola Mandala (currently imprisoned for life) was the one with Gianni Nichi in NYC meeting with Frank Cali.

Good examples. Those guys were as close to being members as you can get.

I remember that about Avena. Even though he left the room for certain meetings they were open with him about the inner workings. Apparently Bruno was open around him as well. He had some obscure knowledge of old members that came out in his testimony.

Detroit still has many question marks. I remember when Chris Christie tried to dig into the 1960s, he found there was little solid confirmation on most ranks and membership. Obviously certain people were well-known, but there wasn't any CI at that time who was able to provide a deep look into the family like you had in other cities. Could see a family like that with strong Sicilian ties making some professionals.

And I don't think he was and no one has ever said he was, but if William Bufalino in Detroit had gotten made at some point in some low key ceremony, I would not have been surprised. Again, I don't think that ever happened, but he was about as close to being made as possible for a "legitimate" guy.

It didn't happen, but I think Sal Avena in Philly was caught on the bug in his office that he referenced that some day he was going to ask Stanfa for his button.

Leonardo's sister is also a lawyer and practiced at the same firm. I believe both worked on their father's extradition case.

Leonetti said in his book that the hardest part of his cooperation was when he had to testify against Bobby Simone.

I should add that according to Nick Caramandi, Scarfo wanted to make Simone. Caramandi also implicated Simone in one of the extortion schemes they had going.


Pogo

Dishonorable Mentions:

Leonardo Rizzuto - Membership not confirmed, but alleged to be heading the old Rizzuto faction in Montreal. Arrested for organized crime activity.

Joseph Corozzo Jr. - Not made to the best of our knowledge, but previously considered for membership according to a source. Sources have also given examples of him using attorney privilege to facilitate communication between mafia members. Seems to be everything but a member, as evidenced by him confronting a made member during a court break.