THE BLACK HAND FORUM

At one point were Boston/Providence not separate Families? At least according to Vincent Teresa. Not, admittedly, the most trustworthy source.

Tom and Charlie Campisi were members of the Genovese family, and a couple younger ones joined the Gambino and Colombo families. Tom and Charles' father Pietro is believed to have been a Newark member who transferred to the Genovese.

joeycigars wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:33 pmCampisis

Weren't they mostly drug dealers spread across several families? I suppose at one time before the 5 families were established they might have been their own small Newark outfit.

Update:
In the Frank LaBruzzo FBI files there is a quote referring to the existence of 34 LCN Families. This was in the mid-1960s, but even with extinct Families would the number approach 34?

Families Active in 1960s:
1. Bonanno
2. Genovese
3. Gambino
4. Lucchese
5. Profaci
6. Buffalo/Niagara Falls (Magaddino)
7. New England (Boston and Providence)
8. Philadelphia
9. Pittston/Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Bufalino)
10. Pittsburgh
11. Chicago
12. New Orleans
13. Detroit, MI
14. Milwaukee, WI
15. Rockford, IL
16. Madison, WI
17. Elizabeth, NJ (Decavalcante)
18. Pueblo (includes Denver)
19. Dallas, TX
20. Kansas City, MO
21. St. Louis, MO
22. Los Angeles
23. San Francisco
24. San Jose
25. Cleveland
26. Rochester, NY
27. Tampa
28. Springfield, IL

Extinct Families/Possible Families:
29. Utica, NY?
30. Flint, MI?
31. Birmingham, AL
32. Houston, TX?
33. Newark, NJ
34. Chicago Heights, IL
35. Gary, IN
36. Toledo, OH?

Unless I missed some it appears that even including extinct and possible Families that the number is less than 34. EDIT: We're now past 34, but that includes Families that may or may not have existed. I agree with B that there were extinct Families in Utica and Flint. Houston is a remote possibility - it may have been a satellite of New Orleans. Regarding Toledo, there's still questions but B made a good case for its inclusion. Cavita mentioned Galveston, but a source I have said the Maceos weren't made members, so as far as I'm concerned that rules out Galveston. Baltimore was a Camorra stronghold that later went to the Gambinos, perhaps through Albert Anastasia. I've found nothing to support the idea that San Diego was ever its own borgata. Frank Bompensiero was made into the L.A. Family in the 1920s and his home base was San Diego.

Philly d wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:07 pm Always suprised no Baltimore family

Too close to D.C. Hard to operate in the "belly of the beast", so to speak.

Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:01 pm The Rizzitello family in LA
The Colacurcio family in Seattle
The Atlanta family
The Cincinnati family


Pogo

Yes, Jiggy's extra crime families.

Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:01 pm The Rizzitello family in LA
The Colacurcio family in Seattle
The Atlanta family
The Cincinnati family


Pogo

Other possibility The Ponti Family in Hoboken NJ

Maybe included Omaha,Nebraska (under the Outfit) and San Diego (under L.A.)?

The Rizzitello family in LA
The Colacurcio family in Seattle
The Atlanta family
The Cincinnati family


Pogo

Campisis

I wonder if the "34 families" informant was Bill Bonanno. A chunk of info in that file is from him.

In his book he said the mafia was in San Diego before LA which could mean a small colony family later merged with LA. No clue if anything would back that up... almost every SD LA guy was a transplant.

34 is such a specific number.

Always suprised no Baltimore family

Galveston, Texas a possibility?

In 1930, Gentile mentioned the Maranzano meetings and "ten bosses from the Far West." Never knew what to make of that.

Chicago Heights was its own family pre-1930s.

Possibles:

- Celeste Morello believes Norristown was its own family of Sciacchitani (there is some evidence to support this, though nothing concrete).

- She also believes Endicott / Binghamton was its own family, but then again, she thinks Pittston wasn't a family. I could see it being its own small family before joining Pittston but have seen no evidence.

- Gary, Indiana, is another possible you and I have discussed.

- Philly likely had at least three families pre-1919 according to Riccobene and this is supported by some research into the different compaesani.

- Bompensiero suggested Toledo, Ohio, was its own family before being merged with Detroit.

Related thread: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6661