THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Vincenzo Figlia was related to the Ferrito & Profaci families:

- Dominic & Paola Ferrito were his 2nd Cousins. His paternal grandmother MarieAngela Castello and their paternal grandmother Rosa Castello were sisters.

- Joe Profaci was his 2nd-cousin-once-removed. His father Emmanuele Figlia and Profaci’s grandfather Samuele Profaci were 1st cousins.

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While they may not have been super close biologically, Figlia probably knew the Ferrito family before moving to SJ. In 1922, he was arrested for bootlegging in Baltimore alongside a 25-year old Giovanni Ferrito.

I’d guess that he was related to Bonanno member Nicholas Castello (father from Villabate) but I can’t tell yet.

Though he was dead by 1963, Stefano “Steve” Cerrito was almost certainly a member. He moved to San Jose at some time between 1935-40.

His wife’s brother Domenic Ferrito was a member. His daughter Mary married member Emanuel “Manny” Figlia; his sons Salvatore & Joseph became members with the latter rising to boss.

Most interestingly, he was a first-cousin-once-removed to Carmela Fontana (mother to the Magliocco bros and Joe Profaci’s wife Nina) and to Salvatore Fontana. His father Giuseppe was their first cousin via grandmother Maria Fontana.

He was likely close to Salvatore Fontana as he witnessed his naturalization alongside a Bartolo Scola:



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This connection isn’t super shocking as they were all from Villabate. In fact, I was more surprised that he was living in Manhattan. I had thought that the Profaci family was fully in Brooklyn.

The Salvatore Fontana mentioned was the same one who Newark boss Gaspare D’Amico refused to kill resulting in his own attempted murder.

Bompensiero identified Genovese as a San Francisco member. I've seen him on lists for both Families and he was close to both Lanza and Cerrito. I know he insured his dental practice through Lanza.

LCN Bios posted a 1962 San Jose chart. It crews them up and adds a few new names (in bold):

Boss: Joseph Cerrito (51y)

'Council of three'
1. Charles 'Stanley' Carbone (69y)
2. Philip Morici (74y)
3. Stefano 'Steve' Zoccoli (67y)

Captains:

1. Emanuel 'Manny' Figlia (44y)

Soldiers
- Alex Camarata (56y)
- Salvatore Cerrito (49y)
- Salvatore Costanza (50y)
- Antonio Ditri (42y)
- Donato 'Dan' Ditri (30y)
- Gerald 'Joe' Gallo (67y)
- Nicolo 'Nick the Knifer' Guastella (66y) [Monterey, CA]
- Pietro Misuraca (57y)
- Salvatore Vassallo (65y) [Monterey, CA]
- Stefano 'Steve' Zoccoli (67y)

2. Angelo Marino (38y)

Soldiers
- Domenic Anzalone (59y)
- Charles 'Stanley' Carbone (69y)
- Giuseppe Caruso (62y)
- Domenico Ferrito (57y)
- Dr. Gregory Genovese (27y)
- Anthony Maggio (57y) [Redwood City, CA]
- Salvatore Marino (64y) [Former Capodecina]
- Philip Morici (74y)
- Thomas Nicosia (66y)
- Frank Sorce (46y)

3. Modesto, CA [Formerly headed by Joe Cusenza (1893-1961)]

Soldiers
- Frank Buffa (52y)
- Leo Cusenza (49y)
- Pietro Ruffino (70y)

Unknown Crew
- Alfonzo Conetto (78y) [Former Boss]
- Vincenzo Figlia (74y) [Figlia Crew?] [Former Capodecina]
- Salvatore Riccobono (75y) [Figlia Crew?]
- Anthony Scavuzzo (71y) [Modesto Crew?] [Campbell, CA]
- Giuseppe Ventimiglia (82y) [Martinez, CA]
- Filippo Zoccoli (63y) [Figlia Crew?]
- Others

Confirmed Members: 32

Possible Members
- Antone 'Tony' Anastasi (46y)
- Mario Balistreri (61y)
- Angelo Giammona (50y) [Proposed by 1962] [Confirmed Member by 1965]
- Mariano Guttadauro (51y)
- Samuel Vizzini (61y) [Transfer from Pittsburgh c. Mid-1930s?]
- Others

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Wasn't Dr. Gregory Genovese Joe Bonanno's SIL and in the San Francisco family?

The Bonannos had a strong presence Upstate along the Hudson and Guastella lived in Wappingers Falls where he worked for Maranzano so I'd say Vassallo too would have been with the Bonannos.

thekiduknow wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 11:07 pm

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 6:14 pm Was he not the Sam Vassallo who was living on Bushwick Ave in 1930?

They're the same age but the SJ member still lived in Croton in 1930. I haven't tracked down that Vassallo yet, although there's almost no shortage of Salvatore Vassallo's to check.

What family would the SJ member have been with in Croton?

Ah, thank you for setting it straight.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 6:14 pm Was he not the Sam Vassallo who was living on Bushwick Ave in 1930?

They're the same age but the SJ member still lived in Croton in 1930. I haven't tracked down that Vassallo yet, although there's almost no shortage of Salvatore Vassallo's to check.

Was he not the Sam Vassallo who was living on Bushwick Ave in 1930?

Nick Guastella's wife Carmela Vassallo was born in 1899 Tommaso Natale to Giuseppe Vassallo and Anna Lauro. Guastella arrived in 1921, heading to his BIL Melchiorre Vassallo at 217 Ave A. The original address was 213-214 E 13-14th st was crossed out. When he arrived back in 1926, he listed 430 E. 14th street as his residence, and when he petitioned to become naturalized. . When his wife and daughter arrived, they listed 215-217 Ave A as his address.

SJ member Salvatore Vassallo was born in 1897 in Sferracavallo to Francesco Vassallo and Pietra LoCicero. He arrived in 1920 and headed to his brother Francesco who lived at 20 Brook St in the village of Croton on Hudson in Westchester, NY., about 24 miles north of Yonkers. This was his primary residence from 1920 until approximately 1935 when he moved to Pacific Grove in Monterey CA. However when his BIL Iganzio Troia arrived in 1925, he stated he was heading to Salvatore who lived at 502 E. 14th St. When Salvatore arrived back to the US in 1927, he listed 503 E 14th St as his address, although 502 is more likely as that’s the address Troia listed when he became naturalized. Salvatore married Josephine Fiorino/Fiorrino in Staten Island in 1931. She was born at 422 E 14th, which is the same area that a lot of these people lived at one time or another.

Their marriage didn't last long. On the 1940 Census he's listed as single and living with his nephew Anthony Troia. They officially divorced in 1945, and in 1947 he married Rose DiFilippi who lived in Bath Beach. Her parents were Dominick DiFilippi and Rosaria Giallo. I've been looking to see if they were from CDG but haven't found anything yet.

Rick posted in the East Side Gambino thread that Joe Riccobono's sister married a Salvatore Vassallo. This one listed his address as 207 1st Ave when they got married in 1910, although he lived in Hoboken NJ at the time. Salvatore Vassallo was born in 1884 Tommaso Natale Palermo to Lorenzo and mother was Maria Randazzo. He died 1926 in Hoboken, NJ.

I haven't found direct connections between these different branches but it's almost certain they were all related to each other. Even though Salvatore wasn't the brother of Nick Guastella's wife, he witnessed Nick's naturalization in California and they moved to the same area at around the same time.

It's a different Salvatore Vassallo who was from Flint / Detroit, though that one had a long history with the Cusenzas so it's confusing. The one who was a San Jose member was from NYC and married Nick Guastella's sister in Palermo. He was likely a Bonanno member like Nick and he lived in Williamsburg for a time although his lineage suggests Gambino.

Nearly all of the members of the San José family were from somewhere else. Here’s a look at where they were from originally:

Pittsburgh, PA

Angelo Marino - 547 Cedar Ave, Sharon, PA

Charles Carbone - 194 Elk St, Johnsonburg, PA

Dominic Anzalone - 240 Beacon St, N Belle Vernon, PA

Philip Zoccoli - 865 Virginia Ave, Midland, PA

Salvatore Marino - 547 Cedar Ave, Sharon, PA

Steve Zoccoli - 861 Virginia Ave, Midland, PA

Detroit, MI

Antonio Ditri - 2336 Kincaid St, Melvindale, MI

Joseph Cusenza - 382 Chalmers St, Detroit, MI

Leo Cusenza - 382 Chalmers St, Detroit, MI

Peter Misuraca - 923 Durand St, Flint, MI

Salvatore Vassallo - 1018 Plum St, Detroit, MI

NYC - Colombo Family

Domenic Ferrito - 620 2nd Ave, NYC, NY

Emanuel Figlia - 210 President St, Brooklyn, NY

Vincenzo Figlia - 210 President St, Brooklyn, NY

Salvatore Cerrito - 620 2nd Ave, NYC, NY

Los Angeles, CA

Frank Sorce - 1617 Oxley St, S Pasadena, CA

Geraldo Gallo - 1913 Montana St, LA, CA

Philip Morici - 3202 S Chapel Ave, Alhambra, CA

Newark, NJ

Alex Cammarata - 74 Frederick St, Belleville, NJ

Anthony Scavuzzo - 2069 Stanley Terrace, Union, NJ

Joseph Cerrito - 133 Harper Ave, Irvington, NJ

NYC - Bonanno Family

Prospect Mule - 1671 Dahill Rd, Brooklyn, NY

Nicholas Guastella - 430 E 14th St, NYC, NY

Buffalo, NY

Thomas Nicosia - 68 Water St, Jamestown, NY

Philadelphia, PA

Anthony Maggio - 506 S 6th St, Vineland, NJ

Chicago, IL

Joseph Chiana Jr - 910 22nd Ave, Melrose Park, IL

St. Louis, MO

Joseph Chiana Sr - 3140 Chouteau Ave, St Louis, MO

Tampa, FL

Alfonso Conetto - 349 Oak St, W Tampa, FL

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N/A

Angelo Giammona - Born in MI, but grew up entirely in SJ

Danny Ditri - Immigrated straight to Capitola, CA

Salvatore Costanza - Born and raised in Martinez, CA. However, Rat Trap blog says he was born in Sicily.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2023 12:53 pm Not sure about the Nastasio variation, but the name Nastasi is very big in Partanna, Trapani. Partanna also neighbors Salaparuta and Poggioreale which were Trapani comuni big in Southern Colorado (the Desimones were from Salaparuta while the Chiappettas were from Poggioreale). I'd guess Morici was Trapanese rather than Palermitan but I have never looked deep into him.

Filippo Morici, born about 1888 in Partanna, arrived in NYC in 1905 bound for Pueblo. Should be him. The Morici surname is well-documented in Partanna and Castelvetrano.

Not sure about the Nastasio variation, but the name Nastasi is very big in Partanna, Trapani. Partanna also neighbors Salaparuta and Poggioreale which were Trapani comuni big in Southern Colorado (the Desimones were from Salaparuta while the Chiappettas were from Poggioreale). I'd guess Morici was Trapanese rather than Palermitan but I have never looked deep into him.

thekiduknow wrote: ↑Sun Aug 28, 2022 8:46 pm
Morici, Philip
DOB: 1/13/1888
POB: Palermo, Sicila
F: Unk
M: Unk
Wife: Unk
Occupation:43 N Second Street, San Jose
Origin: Palermo
Address: 1317 Belwett, San Jose(1968)

Here’s some info on him:

- Born FILIPPO MORICI to Rosario Morici and Rosalia Ferrante.

- Immigrated to a brother Vincenzo in Pueblo, CO

- Married Margaret Cestari (family from Salerno, Campania) in 1919

- Registered for WW1 - living at 2216 Hunter St, LA, CA

- 1920 - at 207 Lincoln Park Ave, LA, CA

- Naturalized in 1929 - living at 4722 Topaz St, LA, CA

- 1930 - same address

- Wife died on Sep 12 1931

- 1934 - married Antoinette Gaudesi (1913-1999). Parents were Ciro Gaudesi and Paula Livoti, Sicilians

- 1940 - lived at 1344 Biggy St, LA, CA

- Registered for WW2 - living at 830 S Stoneman Ave, Alhambra, CA

- 1950 - living at 3202 S Chapel Ave, Alhambra, CA

- 1956 - traveled to Italy giving address as 827 S Stoneman Ave, Alhambra, CA

- Died Dec 29 1972 in LA, CA

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- He usually listed his birthplace as Palermo but his sister and parents were born in Partanna. I think it could be Partanna, Palermo.

- He was probably a long-time LA member. I don’t know why he was briefly in San José in the ‘60s.

- I’m not sure if I have the right guy for his immigration. The info a match but I haven’t seen any other references to a brother named Vincenzo.

(https://www.familysearch.org/tree/sourc ... J8?context)

His siblings were Anthony, Domenico, Concetta Nastasio

If it is the right one, Pueblo -> LA would be the same path that Rosario DeSimone took too.