THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Great info thanks B. Looks like Mangano was an influential figure from quite early on.

Probably 277 Union Street, atleast back in 1923. That address appears to have been a residental house. The club bought the house and used it as hq.

Sorry, don't have the address but I believe it was in one of the neighborhoods by the Brooklyn docks.

Have an address for the club?

Interesting names for sure.

Also a 1918 club committee included Joseph Castellano and Louis Scotto -- Vincenzo Mangano used Scotto's mailing address when he applied for his 1920 passport. I assume Louis Scotto is related to the future Gambino members given the ties to Mangano and Castellano.

Michael Laura was the longtime leader of the club. Seems to be non-Sicilian. No indication the club was involved in mafia affairs though the Gambino names speak for themselves and show that D'Aquila's people were civically engaged.

The Oberdan Club was a large and socially important organization in Brooklyn that included influential members of the D'Aquila/Gambino Family. Below is a list of the male committee members for the sixth annual ball, a Spring 1922 event that included numerous festivities. I've bolded the names of significant Gambino members. Curious if any of the other names stand out to anyone.

[size=150]Oberdan Club (Brooklyn) Sixth Annual Ball Committees
April 1922[/size]

Executive - Joseph Buono
Chairman - Frank Crupi

Reception -
Anthony Tuozzo
Francis LaDuca
Frank Pane
Michael Stabile
A. D'Ajello
Anthony Patti
Gabriel Scarana
A. Strianese
Michael D'Esposito
D. LaFace
Paul Ruffino

Arrangements -
N. Della Santi
Joseph Negri
Louis Sabbatino
Nicholas Rosato
James DeMaio
Joseph Parascandola
Lawrence Vuppa
[b]Joseph Castellano[/b]
M. Buono

Floor -
Leon LaGrande
[b]Emil Camarda[/b]
Charles Celli
Salvatore Raitano
Emilio Pernopich
J. Farina
Anthony Vaccacio
Emanuel Esposito
Samuel Patti

Guest -
Matthew Abruzo
Francis Carrao (Corrao?)
John Savarese
Peter Brancata
Louis Priola
Joseph Sessa
Magistrate Caspar Liota
John Danzilo
Frank Mosca
Andrew Yacenda
Charles Fusullo

Entertainment -
H. Laura
[b]Andrew Torregrossa[/b]
Domenic Del Prepe
Frank Miloro
D. Tommasino
[b]Philip Mangano[/b]
Frank Dominici
F. Laura
Raffaele Ioconna
M. Annitrano
T. Oteri

Press -
Joseph Sergi
Vincent Mizzella
Filippo Scandovino
Vito Miceli
Christopher Scozzarri
Vincent Aquila
D. Panella
Anthony Ingenito
Joseph Leon
Vincent Ferrara
Ignazio Scuderi

Club Officers:

President - Sylvester Sabbatino

Vice Presidents - [b]Vincent Mangano[/b], Antonio Lucaro, Giuseppe Priola

Secretary - Harry Rigano

Treasurer - Anthony Aquila

Financial Secretary - Joseph D'Esposito

Sergeants-at-arms - Louis Laura, Sal Barace, S. Marchiaro

--

So Vincent and Philip Mangano, Joseph Castellano, Emil Camarda, and Andrea Torregrossa were influential members of this club. I notice some other surnames familiar to the Gambino Family but don't know if they're connected. Also many other Sicilian names.