THE BLACK HAND FORUM

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 2:02 am

thekiduknow wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 7:09 pm Great work as always Chin.

I haven't read Cicale's book, but does he talk about Basciano bringing back the gun/knife, and the way I read it finger pricking at ceremonies? Even if it was for a brief time that's very interesting and I don't think I've seen that covered before.

Another thing about that I thought was particularly interesting was that Basciano told him to say 'yes' when asked if he knew why he was there. It's a throwaway line in the testimony and they don't revisit it or delve deeper so it's hard to tell if Cicale misspoke, but I can't think of any other inductee who was specifically told to say yes to knowing why they were there.

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:06 am - Basciano stated that he thought DeFilippo and John Spirito could beat the case by pinning it on Giovanni and Pietro Ligammari

There was two gentlemen who were – I think the father was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family, him and his son, the Ligammaris. They had hung themselves shortly after George Sciascia was killed. […] They could use the excuse that the Ligammaris feared for their life because it might have looked like they killed George Sciascia.

B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:45 pm Since Rudy Pipolo of the Gambinos was in the Bronx I'm curious if Cicale's cousins were related to him.

B. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 3:24 pm You can gauge a man's portfolio by the number of nicknames he has. Vinny Blimpie, Vinny Gorgeous, Vinny Pills. Vinny Acting Boss.

Basciano is one of the more entertaining guys.

PolackTony wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:33 am Sant’Antimo in the past was in the same province as Nola, but they were in different districts. It’s a common enough surname that I wouldn’t suspect that Cicale’s ancestors were likely to have had any direct relation to Gaetano Ronga.

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:56 am

PolackTony wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:29 pm I’m interested in the Blimpie’s location too, lol. There’s hardly any of them left now.

The most in-depth information about Basciano's Blimpie franchise I could find was from Anthony DeStefano's book Vinny Gorgeous:

At the end of 1988 or early 1989, not long after state police interviewed him about the Colangelo case, Bascaino, released from his work-release program on the gun charge, went back home to his wife Angela, and their three sons in the Bronx - their youngest son, Michael, not yet born. Parole officials, state records show, were impressed with the 'excellent support base' Basciano had at home, meaning his wife and children. He also had two video rental outlets to which he returned for work, and he was preparing a Blimpie sandwich franchise store nearby as another venture in his business empire on East Tremont Avenue.
The Blimpie operation was little more than another food joint in an ethnic Italian and Hispanic neighbourhood. Basciano worked behind the counter himself, slicing the provolone and salami and serving customers. The neighbourhood liked that kind of service from an owner, and Basciano's chattiness endeared him to customers. When business was slow in the sandwich store, he could always go next door to the video store.
Unable to compete against bigger video chain stores, Basciano began transitioning his businesses soon after he left state custody. Records show that in November 1991 he incorporated Tremont Nail & Tanning Salon, Inc, which he ultimately named Hello Gorgeous, on East Tremont. With both Vinny and Angela on the premises, Hello Gorgeous did well for a while. Nicknames don't always stick, and his businesses sometimes provided him with new ones. Vinny from the Bronx had become 'Vinny Blimpie', and now the salon inspired his latest moniker, the one that stuck: 'Vinny Gorgeous.'

I also checked my notes on Cicale's ancestry. His connection to the Rongas comes from his paternal grandmother. As far as I've been able to figure out, her parents were from Sant'Antimo in Naples.

dave wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:14 pm

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:58 am There's a Peter Cicale credited in the cast of Goodfellas playing Pete the Killer Abinanti. Might have been Cicale's uncle.

Yep, he is Dominick's uncle. Dom just talked about it at the start of his interview with OC Shortz (00:39)
https://youtu.be/TZMB3OiuR4E

B. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:18 am With Joe Marsala, he started as an associate of Vinny Asaro. Marsala ran a gas station and gave Asaro free gas but Marsala later decided to ask Asaro for payment. Asaro became unhinged and Marsala sought protection from Sal Vitale and Joe Massino, who was on the lam. Vitale carried a message from Massino to Asaro to lay off Marsala but Asaro flew into a rage because Vitale was still only an associate. Vitale went to Rastelli who sent him back to Asaro to tell him Vitale was authorized by Rastelli to carry the message. Marsala ended up being released to Massino as a result.

BASCIANO: … Did you get the money by the way? I sent your wife money.
MASSINO: Yeah, I think she got da sixty.
BASCIANO: Plus another ten.
MASSINO: No.
BASCIANO: (UI)
MASSINO: She’s got sixty.
BASCIANO: No (UI)
MASSINO: As of Thursday.
BASCIANO: No, another ten…
MASSINO: It was in a bottle, bottle of champagne. Cardboard’s wife bought it.
BASCIANO: … I got I gave him the tickets and if he ask for tickets to the play and the basket –
MASSINO: But they put money in the wine.
BASCIANO: And then put ten. Yeah, right. Champagne. Now there’s ten…

MASSINO: Just ask me there was rumours going around with Cardboard. He’s gonna get straightened out when Bruno comes home.
BASCIANO: C’mon, Bruno. Bruno (UI) I think Bruno is gonna get pinched.
MASSINO: Do I gotta tell you what I use? Do you hear what I just say? Do I gotta tell you what I fuckin’ hear?
BASCIANO: You’re too smart for that game, beau.
MASSINO: No, not really because if he sells Bruno a ticket, Bruno’s stupid enough to put him in. What do you think of that? You’re smart enough, not Bruno. Listen to me if you’re not here I’m not here there’s a good shot Cardboard goes in.
BASCIANO: I made a mistake with his – I made a mistake with his nephew so maybe alright. Made a mistake. His cousin Allie should’ve never straightened him out. As soon as (UI) I should have never straightened him out. Never. He comes with five thousand.

PolackTony wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:29 pm I’m interested in the Blimpie’s location too, lol. There’s hardly any of them left now.

At the end of 1988 or early 1989, not long after state police interviewed him about the Colangelo case, Bascaino, released from his work-release program on the gun charge, went back home to his wife Angela, and their three sons in the Bronx - their youngest son, Michael, not yet born. Parole officials, state records show, were impressed with the 'excellent support base' Basciano had at home, meaning his wife and children. He also had two video rental outlets to which he returned for work, and he was preparing a Blimpie sandwich franchise store nearby as another venture in his business empire on East Tremont Avenue.
The Blimpie operation was little more than another food joint in an ethnic Italian and Hispanic neighbourhood. Basciano worked behind the counter himself, slicing the provolone and salami and serving customers. The neighbourhood liked that kind of service from an owner, and Basciano's chattiness endeared him to customers. When business was slow in the sandwich store, he could always go next door to the video store.
Unable to compete against bigger video chain stores, Basciano began transitioning his businesses soon after he left state custody. Records show that in November 1991 he incorporated Tremont Nail & Tanning Salon, Inc, which he ultimately named Hello Gorgeous, on East Tremont. With both Vinny and Angela on the premises, Hello Gorgeous did well for a while. Nicknames don't always stick, and his businesses sometimes provided him with new ones. Vinny from the Bronx had become 'Vinny Blimpie', and now the salon inspired his latest moniker, the one that stuck: 'Vinny Gorgeous.'

chin_gigante wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 5:33 pm Spent a year and five months on the street after being straightened out.