THE BLACK HAND FORUM

B. wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 5:04 pm I have Lamela's father John (a member too) born in Tampa to parents from Alessandria della Rocca, Agrigento. Vincenzo LaBarbera was another member from Tampa / Alessandria and like the Lamelas had property in Marlboro, NY.

Be curious if anyone can ID Joe Miranda's origins as he had property in Marlboro as well. Marlboro had a small but strong Sicilian community with people from the usual Agrigento towns.

Lamelas have operated a sanitation business out of Marlboro for over 50 years. Ulster county/Marlboro sanitation has been dominated by the Lamela and Russo family.

B. wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 5:04 pm I have Lamela's father John (a member too) born in Tampa to parents from Alessandria della Rocca, Agrigento. Vincenzo LaBarbera was another member from Tampa / Alessandria and like the Lamelas had property in Marlboro, NY.

Be curious if anyone can ID Joe Miranda's origins as he had property in Marlboro as well. Marlboro had a small but strong Sicilian community with people from the usual Agrigento towns.

Based on the info that Chin posted, I believe that the the father of Joseph Anthony Miranda was Giuseppe Miranda of Partinico (parents Giuseppe Miranda and Giuseppe LaSpia). Joseph’s mother was named Pauline, but I haven’t confirmed her maiden name or origin. Though Joe Miranda was born in Lodi, he grew up on the UES in Manhattan, in the area around E 77th/76th and Second Ave, in what was then a largely German/Hungarian neighborhood. Father Giuseppe worked as a tailor and I believe died in 1932.

I have Lamela's father John (a member too) born in Tampa to parents from Alessandria della Rocca, Agrigento. Vincenzo LaBarbera was another member from Tampa / Alessandria and like the Lamelas had property in Marlboro, NY.

Be curious if anyone can ID Joe Miranda's origins as he had property in Marlboro as well. Marlboro had a small but strong Sicilian community with people from the usual Agrigento towns.

Louis Consalvo:
- His sister Romilda married Phil Abramo
- Maternal grandparents and paternal great-grandparents hail from Campania
- Naples, Naples
- Nocera Superiore, Salerno
- Aversa, Caserta

Also looking to include Italian origin if there's enough out there for each member. I've made a start on it:

Ribera

- Rosario Cocchiaro
- Carl C. Corsentino
- Francesco Gatto
- Francesco Guarraci
- Girolamo Guarraggi
- Joseph Merlo, Jr.
- Michael Merlo
- Emanuel P. Riggi
- John J. Riggi
- John M. Riggi (mother’s family from Vallata)
- Vincent J. Riggi

Ribera Club members or relatives of members

I'm aware membership is not exclusive to Ribera

- Domenico Colletti
- Giacomo Colletti
- Pietro Colletti
- Anthony Falzone
- Paolo Farina
- Stefano Vitabile

==

Charles N. Majuri:
- Paternal grandfather from Corleone
- Maternal grandparents from Ribera

Frank Renda:
- Father from Ribera
- Mother's family from Corleone and Ribera

Frank S. Nigro:
- Father Francesco Nigro was a lifetime member of the Vallatese Club in Elizabeth
- Maternal grandfather Salvatore Marino was born in Marsala

Gaetano Alessi:
- Father from San Giovanni Gemini

Speaking of 2015, when John Riggi died that year Sonny Franzese signed his obituary guestbook:

https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/star ... d=17897460

Franzese signs his name along with his nephew Michael, probably Michael Catapano the Colombo member.

I think it's authentic as I've seen surveillance of Sonny Franzese meeting with one of Riggi's sons. Obviously someone signed it for him, maybe Catapano.

There are two Anthony Falzones included there, do we know if either is the DeCav member? I'm assuming the son-in-law on the right as opposed to the younger gentleman in the middle.

Yeah it's his son-in-law in the photo who is made.

Updated information for the chart:

BOSS
John M. Riggi
"The Eagle"
DOB: 02/01/25
Edison, NJ

ACTING BOSS (possible captain)
Charles N. Majuri
"Big Ears/ Fat Charlie/ Horse"
DOB: 12/29/40
Linden, NJ

STREET BOSS (possible underboss)
Joseph Merlo, Jr.
"Milk"
DOB: 08/15/60
Morganville, NJ

CONSIGLIERE
Frank S. Nigro
"Shipe"
DOB: 09/03/42
Toms River, NJ

===

CAPTAINS

Joseph P. Collina
"Joey"
DOB: 08/12/45
Brick, NJ

Emanuel P. Riggi
"Manny"
DOB: 10/--/47
Edison, NJ

Charles Stango
"Beeps/ Charlie the Hat"
DOB: 05/07/43
Henderson, NV

===

SOLDIERS

Philip C. Abramo
"Phil"
DOB: --/--/45
Incarcerated

Gaetano Alessi
DOB: 02/16/39
Bayonne, NJ

Daniel Annunziata
DOB: --/--/39
Colts Neck, NJ

Ciro Balzano
"Jerry"
DOB: 11/14/62
Toms River, NJ

James B. Castaldo
DOB: 07/30/55
Beachwood, NJ

Rosario Cocchiaro
"Russ"
DOB: 08/05/41
Staten Island, NY

Domenico Colletti
Middletown, NJ

Giacomo Colletti
Wall, NJ

Louis M. Consalvo
"Louie Egg"
DOB: --/--/57
Old Bridge, NJ

Carl C. Corsentino
DOB: 08/--/35
Elizabeth, NJ

Nicholas Cottone
"Nick the Plumber"

Frank D'Amato
DOB: --/--/46
Fort Lee, NJ

Anthony Falzone

Paolo Farina
"Paul"
DOB: 07/02/26
Carteret, NJ

James Gallo
"Jimmy"
DOB: --/--/44
Incarcerated

Francesco Gatto
"Peppe"
DOB: 04/11/41
Carteret, NJ

Joseph Giacobbe
"Joe"
DOB: 07/02/23
Long Island City, NY

Leonardo Giacobbe

Francesco Guarraci
"Frank"
DOB: 12/07/54
Elizabeth, NJ

Girolamo Guarraggi
"Gerry/ Mommo"
DOB: --/--/49
Hamilton, NJ

Felice La Mela
"Phil the Undertaker"
DOB: 08/--/33
Marlboro, NY

Nicholas LaMela

Anthony Mannarino
"Marshmallow"
DOB: --/--/45
Boca Raton, FL

Domenico Marzullo
"Mimmo"
DOB: --/--/64
Montclair, NJ

Michael Merlo

Joseph A. Miranda [deceased 2014]
DOB: 12/07/23
Marlboro, NY

Luigi Oliveri
"Dog"
DOB: --/--/73
Elizabeth, NJ

Francesco Paparatto
"Frank the Painter"
DOB: --/--/40
Cranford, NJ

Gregory Rago
"Greg"
DOB: --/--/59
Bayonne, NJ

John Riggi, Jr.
DOB: 03/--/54
North Plainfield, NJ

Vincent J. Riggi
DOB: 03/27/51
Middletown, NJ

Giuseppe Schifilliti
"Pino"
DOB: --/--/38
Toms River, NJ

Joseph Sclafani
"Tin Ear"
DOB: --/--/38

Gaetano D. Vastola
"Corky"
DOB: 05/20/28
Colts Neck, NJ

Stefano Vitabile
"Steve the Truck Driver"
DOB: 12/07/35
Millstone, NJ

===

SUSPECTED MEMBERS

Pietro Colletti
DOB: --/--/67
Clark, NJ

Robert Collina

Jerry Costabile

Frank Renda

===

COOPERATING WITNESSES

Anthony Capo [deceased]

Vincent Palermo
"Vinny Ocean"

Anthony Rotondo

Stuff I've found from my digging on Rosario "Russ" Cocchiaro:

Indicted on RICO charges as a made member of the DeCavalcante family in the Southern District of Florida in December 1987 (https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/re ... -5242.html)

The above individual is referred to as the son of Frank A Cocchiaro (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ov ... frontcover)
The 1950 federal census shows Frank Cocchiaro and his wife Tessie had an 8 year old son Rosario, and the NYC birth index shows a Rosario Cocchiaro was born 5 August 1941

This DOB also lines up with a Rosario Cocchiaro in the US Public Records Index who resided in Staten Island in 1992

Reporting on the Florida RICO case describes Rosario Cocchiaro as living in Staten Island, however the age does not line up

In various articles from January 1988, Rosario's age is listed as 32 (which would put his DOB in 1955/56)

In this case either the age is wrong or this Rosario Cocchiaro isn't Frank's son

Carmelo Cocchiaro also has a son named "Russ Cocchiaro" (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fl ... d=21267241), both Rosarios named after their paternal grandfather

SonnyBlackstein wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 11:50 am

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 12:53 am
There's one in his obit: https://www.reillybonnerfuneralhome.com ... h-merlo-jr

Thanks Chin. Went young. 61, not old.

61, a fucking kid

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 12:53 am
There's one in his obit: https://www.reillybonnerfuneralhome.com ... h-merlo-jr

Thanks Chin. Went young. 61, not old.

Joseph Miranda might have died in 2014, though if it is him it seems he was living in NJ at the time.

From the NJ death index:
Lines up with his DOB and middle initial from the Organized Crime in America Senate report from 1983 (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Or ... sq=miranda):

Anyone know how Joseph Merlo, Jr. died? Cancer?

2016 obituary for Francesco Guarraci with a picture.
https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/star ... d=17195764

Is Domenico, Giacomo, and Pietro Colletti all brothers around their 50s? If so Pietro died in 2020.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nj ... id=8710221

B. wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 2:54 am JD mistook Gaetano Alessi for another Guy Alessi who was a Patriarca associate in Florida. Gaetano of NJ was still alive as of 2018: https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/jers ... d=11635061

Also Farina was still alive in 2016:
https://www.rennamedia.com/wp-content/u ... PAug16.pdf

Appreciate the correction on both. Good recent pictures of Farina there too. There are two Anthony Falzones included there, do we know if either is the DeCav member? I'm assuming the son-in-law on the right as opposed to the younger gentleman in the middle.

Also realised I missed Michael Merlo so can add him as well.