THE BLACK HAND FORUM

In Jan 1955, John LaMela returned to his home in Marlboro, NY.

In addition to the LaMelas, there was another Tampa-Born figure heading home to Marlboro, Antonio Settecase.

Born Dec 16 1907 to Giuseppe and Angelina Setticase, from Alessandria della Rocca; he was married to Catherine Centineo. She was born Feb 27 1917 to Jack Centineo and Angelina Tomasella in Nanty-Glo, PA in Cambria county near Johnstown. Family from Caltanissetta.

He had several criminal charges. Notably, in 1962, he was arrested as a part of a huge narcotics ring alongside mafia members: Anthony Castaldi, Harry Tantillo, Angelo Buia, Alfred Eppolito, Benedetto Cinquegrana, and Carmine LoCascio.

Despite the feds finding a whooping 43 lbs of heroin in his house, which was being used as the gang’s storeroom, he was acquitted in Dec 1963.

He passed away the next year in Aug 1964 and is buried in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Similar path/background as DeCavalcante members John LaMela and Vincenzo LaBarbera.

LaBarbera’s wife was Maria Settecasi, also from ADR. I don’t know if she was related.

Yep, looks like you found him. Now the question is if he was an actual member like the book says since the transcript doesn't give much indication.

I think I solved the whole Jerry Perrone mystery. Only thing is, their name wasn’t Perrone at all.

Nick Quarino’s daughter Virginia “Jean” Quarino was married to Frank Ricciardelli.

Frank Ricciardelli (14 Feb 1941; Elizabeth, NJ - May 31 2017; Sarasota, FL) was the son of Gerard Ricciardelli and Concetta Maria Orazzio.

Concetta’s sister Elsie Orazzio was married to Alfonso Roccamonte. Their son was Arthur Roccamonte. Jerry’s brother-in-law was Alfonso Roccamonte.

Effectively, Gerard “Jerry” Ricciardelli would have been the Jerry Perrone on the tapes.

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This was Jerry:

GERARD ANTHONY RICCIARDELLI
(Jerry, Jerry Perrone ?)
DOB: Jan 25 1915
POB: Newark, NJ
F: Francesco Ricciardelli (Avellino, Avellino, Campania)
M: Giuseppa “Josephine” Parozza (Family from Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples, Campania)
W: Concetta Maria Orazzio
Occupation: Proprietor - Sheet metal company
Address: 312 Amity St, Elizabeth, NJ
Prior addresses: 32 Drift St, Newark, NJ
Death: Jan 19 1983

There weren’t really any other members born in Newark so that’s interesting too. By 1940, he was living less than 5 minutes from the Ribera Club so he could have joined based on proximity.

It does look like Amari visited Italy, as Gentile said in an interview that Amari came to Italy and met with Charlie Luciano and Joe Doto. Not sure where he places it in the timeline but the Genovese had been their avugad so there was a relationship. Amari visited Ribera with Phil Bacino and Nicola Diana of Chicago in the late 1940s so maybe it was this trip too.

With Carubia, it was Marco Carubia who a source believed was a member of the Arcuri decina of the Gambino Family because he spent so much time at the Arcuri club but most of the Manhattan-Queens DeCavalcantes spent time there so it's possible the source was confused. Tony Carubia was definitely a DeCavalcante and a source said Frank Cocchiaro was actually made to protect him from Carubia.

ANTONIO CARUBIA
(Anthony, Joseph Lombardo, Carubbia)
DOB: Jun 18 1919
POB: NYC, NY
F: Francesco Carubia (Ribera, Agrigento, Sicily)
M: Calogera Lucia DiCaro (Camastra, Agrigento, Sicily)
W: Angelina “Anna” Mettachone
Occupation: Owner - Stationary store
Address: 37-07 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, NY
Prior addresses: 1099 1st Ave, NYC, NY; 42-4 Astoria Blvd, Queens, NY;
Death: Mar 12 1981

As far as I can tell, theNewYorkmafia is the only source calling him “Tony the Hoodlum”. They also say he was a Gambino member; I don’t think that’s correct.

FRANCESCO CARBONE
(Frank)
DOB: Jan 11 1902
POB: Palazzolo Acreide, Syracuse, Sicily
F: Francesco Carbone
M: Lucia LaPira
W: Tanya Zagarodney
Immigrated: 27 Mar 1911
Occupation: Owner - Scrapyard
Address: 63 Salem Rd, East Hartford, CT
Prior addresses: 82 Grove St, Hartford, CT
Death: Nov 18 1973

Guerriero and deceased member John Grande were also from Syracuse Province.

FILIPPO AMARI
(Philip, Phil)
DOB: Dec 15 1899
POB: Ribera, Agrigento, Sicily
F: Giuseppe Amari
M: Carmela Truncale
W: Mary Angelina Masapoli (family from Canicatti, Agrigento, Sicily)
Occupation: Home construction
Address: 15 Betty Ann Dr, Edison, NJ // 2620 S Mayflower Ave, Arcadia, CA
Prior Address: 534 3rd Ave, Elizabeth, NJ; 648 1st Ave, Elizabeth, NJ; 316 John St, Elizabeth, NJ; 343 E 48th St, NYC, NY
Death: Sep 24 1963 - Arcadia, CA

Phil Amari doesn’t seem to have fled to Italy. He died at his daughter’s house in Arcadia, CA. Per his obituary, he had been vacationing there for five weeks prior to his demise.

That's really interesting, my gut feel says that they would have been connected to the Newark family. I'm going to check him out.

This relates to either the Decavalcante Family or Newark. In a post made to a recent podcast of the Mob Archaeologists, mention was made of a Russell Vassallo who wrote a book about the Mafia in New Jersey and New Orleans. It turns out he wrote several books, but since he died three years ago they all went out of print. Fortunately, I was able to dig up some information. Russell Vassallo said that his grandfather was a Mafia don in Newark who previously lived in New Orleans. His name was Rosolino Vassallo. According to the unavailable book Mafia Honor, Rosario first became involved with the Mafia in New Orleans.

According to information found on Ancestry.com, Rosolino was born March 25, 1879 in Alia, Palermo, Sicily, and died on May 14, 1944 in New Jersey (his wife Concetta Cortese was also from Alia). Alia lies almost between Lercara Friddi and Valleldolmo. He moved to New Jersey sometime between 1910 and 1915. In 1910 he lived at 4206 Magazine Street, New Orleans with his wife and two children. A third child, Anthony Vassallo, isn't enumerated for some reason, but he was the father of Russell. In 1922 and 1930 they lived at 205 Chestnut Street in Newark (in 1920 they lived on 17 1/2 Goble Street). Rosolino's naturalization was witnessed by Salvatore Cortese (who I guess may have been Concetta's brother) and a Salvatore Lulumello or Tulumello. Both of the witnesses were shoemakers, just like Rosolino. In 1940 Rosolino's occupation was farmer.

Worth noting that Rosolino's parents also lived in New Orleans. His father was Antonino Vassallo, born July 8, 1840 in Alia and passing on October 19, 1931 in New Orleans. Rosolino's mother and Antonino's wife was Nunzia Manno. They arrived in Louisiana in 1895. The Vassallo family tree goes back to around the 1740s or 1750s.

In a subsequent book called Mafia Diary, Russell wrote about an associate of his grandfather named Gaetano Badalamenti (mentioned on the Amazon page for the unavailable Kindle book). No additional details given on Badalementi. In 1942 he lived at 19 Aspen Street in Passaic, NJ. He was born June 9, 1894. It looks like his wife's name was Edith Costello. He arrived on May 12, 1920 on the SS Madonna from Palermo, and his mother was Maria Ferrara. He was also a shoemaker. His final destination was to his cousin Calogero Trentacoste, 2219 84th Street, Brooklyn. In 1940 he"Thomas Badalamenti" was living with his stepfather "Salvester Lotocomo" and his mother at 67 Third Street in Passaic. He died April 10, 1972. In 1930 he was a lodger living with Paul and Rosie "Comonico" (probably LoMonico) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I think that this is John Grande :



https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6765186 ... d-courant/

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He died in 1956 which matches the Johnny Grande who died ~7 years before 1963.

If I have the right guy, his father was from Avola, Syracuse, Sicily.

I buy the theory that this satellite crew evolved out of a an older Riberese colony; however I wonder why they don’t seem to really have any Riberese members by ‘63

I’d be interested in finding out if his sister Vina Santuccio of Hartford was related to Bobby Doyle Santuccio also of Hartford

JoelTurner wrote: ↑Mon Oct 31, 2022 11:45 am Here’s what Harold "Kayo" Konigsberg said about the DeCavalcante family:



He mentions 3 groups outside of Elizabeth describing a presence in Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA. I don’t know who’s Johnny Grande or Frank Castillo.

I think he was probably confusing the Genovese’s crew in Springfield as a DeCavalcante group.

Johnny Grande was definitely someone of significance in DeCavalcante CT circles before his death. He's mentioned by other sources. I don't know much about him beyond that but here's another reference:



- The boss in Trenton could have been Sam DeCavalcante given he was from there originally, or just a reference to NJ.

- "Jacobi" is likely a reference to Lorenzo Giacobbe.

Chris Christie wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:26 am Here's whose left, I need more information on these guys, DOB's or DOD's, something-

Anthony Carubia Tony The Hoodlum New York NYC
Marco Carubia New York NYC
Pietro Colletti
Vincenzo DiMaria
Paolo Farina "Paul" North Jersey 7/15/1926 105 Ash St, Cateret, NJ
Vincenzo LaBarbera
Giovanni LaMela "John Lonello" New York 11/15/1908 Tampa, FL 91 Ridge Rd, Marlboro, NY
Carmen LNU
Joseph Mariani "Maddiani?" North Jersey NJ
Joseph Anthony Miranda Marlboro, NY 12/7/1923 Lodi, NJ 400 E 78th St, New York City, NY
"Joseph Patrino"
Gerard Perrone Jerry 2 Algonquin Ave, Clifford, NJ
Michael Puglia "Mickey Poole" Connecticut 6/5/1915 Bridgeport, CT 383 Myrtle Ave, Bridgeport, CT
Larry Schiro New York NYC
Frank Carbone Connecticut CT

I never knew Anthony Carubia went by "Tony the Hoodlum." I thought he only went by "Tony"? Always learn something new on this board. And that's a genuine comment...not being a smart ass.

Here’s what Harold "Kayo" Konigsberg said about the DeCavalcante family:



He mentions 3 groups outside of Elizabeth describing a presence in Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA. I don’t know who’s Johnny Grande or Frank Castillo.

I think he was probably confusing the Genovese’s crew in Springfield as a DeCavalcante group.

I found that Digiovanna's father was from Sambuca di Sicilia (which is close to Santa Margherita di Belice). However, the birth year listed was off, I wasn't sure if it was the same guy so I didn't include it.

The Birmingham connection is interesting, I don't really know anything about them

An Ancestry tree as John DiGiovanna from Santa Margherita di Belice, and Pauline Falcetta from "Parana", which I assume to be Partanna.

I quickly looked into it just to see, but I don't see a direct connection between these DiGiovannas and the Bonanno DiGiovannas. That name does appear a few times from that same town, so could be a distant relation.

Some years ago JD had DiGiovanna with heritage from Agrigento, like the Bonanno DiGiovannas. Might have been Santa Margherita di Belice like them, can't recall the town. As mentioned earlier there was a Ribera/Agrigento colony in Connecticut and DeCavalcante leader Lorenzo Giacobbe lived there in the 1910s so I believe the mainland guys who became members up there branched off from them since an informant knew Giacobbe to still be in contact with the CT guys before his death.

Something interesting is Phil's brother Vincenzo Amari was named for his grandfather and so was their first cousin Vincent Mangiaracina in Birmingham. Mangiaracina's father was from Castelvetrano and I suspect he was a Birmingham member -- his wife was Phil and Vincenzo Amari's father's sister. Vincent Mangiaracina in turn married Alabama mafioso Pasquale Amari's daughter.

Here's Louis DiGiovanna

Connecticut

LUIGI DIGIOVANNA
(Louis, Lulu)
POB: Hartford, CT
DOB: Dec 26 1915
F: John Digiovanna
M: Pauline Falcetta
Occupation: Never listed; served in Army from 2/19/42 - 10/17/45 as infantry
Address: 321 Main St, Bristol, CT
Previous Addresses: 42 North St, Bristol CT; 126 Maple St, Bristol, CT; 111 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT
Death May 27 1966