THE BLACK HAND FORUM

[quote=JoelTurner post_id=253536 time=1677362913 user_id=7603]
Joe Bruno [...] lived in Cortland, NY (Upstate).
[/quote]

Although he immigrated to the US at age 18 on Sep 5 1907, he moved to the Bristol-Trenton area sometime between 1915-20, when he was 26-31 years old. During the intervening period, he lived in Cortland, NY. This city is 35 minutes from Syracuse and 45 minutes from Binghamton, both cities having a known mob presence. Of course, this is by car and on the I-81 which was built in 1959. No idea how long it would have taken in that era.

During his time in Cortland, he married Pauline Cicciari, also from Barcellona, Messina, Sicily. Her brother, Cosimo "Gus" Cicciari became a criminal in the New Brunswick, NJ area. However, his brother Santo "Sam" Dovi (didn't change his name to Bruno) who immigrated with him, remained in Cortland till his death in 1950. As far as I can tell, he wasn't a criminal.

Interestingly, his time in that city was not without drama. In 1910, he was shot by an Italian named Frank Kavecqua/Buawak. Per other articles, this issue had originated as an attempted duel over Frank slandering Bruno's (known at the time as Joseph Dovi) wife.


[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/a4252da4be6ae0e6f71dd993e6480578.jpeg[/img]

I don't know when he was made, but I think it's possible, if not likely, that he had been inducted by another family before moving to the Trenton area.

Someone who may have started out as an associate of the Philly Trenton group was Charles Tourine.

- In 1939, he was arrested with Michael Cammarata, Carl Ippolito, and Frank Pollastrelli.

(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119848171)

None of them were made at the time; Tourine became a member in 1947. However, he didn’t really mix with Boiardo crew. In the ‘60s, DeCarlo was unsure if he was with him or direct with Mike Miranda.

- Also, in the early ‘60s, he saved Philly Trenton associate Felix “Bucky” Tucillo after a beef with the Profaci organization.

(https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=116205#relPageId=14)

These incidents, decades apart, show that he maintained a connection with this group/area despite living in NYC and operating far away (Florida/Caribbean).

Here’s something interesting, in 1940, MICHAEL ‘SKINNY MIKE’ PECORARO was arrested on liquor charges with FRED SALERNO.

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/c33b63f4d357e898b0e9e14598f73176.jpeg[/img]

The Kearny part is a mistake; neither of them lived there. It was the right guy too. His census info confirms that he was “Michael J”.
(https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/291982446:62308)

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PECORARO was a NY Gambino member who later moved to California. It could be nothing but it also could be a rough indication of when the CAPONIGRO group operated with the Gambino family.

MIKE PECORARO had his own connections to NJ too. In addition to being related to MARCO LIMANDRI, likely Newark->Gambino->LA member, he was also married to EDITH MOLINARO whose family produced a few Newark criminals.

Good detail. Does look like the case.

[quote=B. post_id=255547 time=1678577550 user_id=127]
Still not clear if he was Genovese or Gambino.
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I’d lean towards him being a Genovese member.

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/a70b8b25e46f8401debaca3a51fb0f4f.jpeg[/img]

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/f7e07f6139ea34681c8c2625c27a3919.jpeg[/img]

On 2 separate occasions, GENE CATENA was contacted over an issue related to him. He had a lot of autonomy and didn’t seem to hang out with the rest of their crew so it make sense that he was hard to identify.

aside from joe butch

who were the PEOPLE that sodano was associated with?

Another good one.

He's one of those guys where most of our knowledge is "operational" -- he was a soldier but a major player who mingled with bosses. Still not clear if he was Genovese or Gambino.

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/0cda7dd3b6c4e8c8882a09917955e204.jpeg[/img]

JOE BRUNO and JOSEPH ‘JOE ROGERS’ STASSI had a numbers operation together in Trenton in the 1930s, the reference to JOHN ‘JOHNNY EVANS’ EVANGELISTA limits it to pre-1939.

STASSI was nearly 20 years younger than him, another example of BRUNO working with young North Jersey up-and-comers.

Between this and his close ties to the DeCavalcante family, STASSI was punching way above his weight. I’m not even sure which family he was actually with.

Luke's always seemed very tight with north NJ Philly guys in the 80s and 90s

Sodano was a lucchese NJ crew associate before he was transfered to Philly

didnt sodano know a lot of guys across the river that coudlve interceded on his behalf? Who was he tight with?

Amazing that a mutt like Natale could wipe him out w no repercussions.

Yeah that is a great find. Never knew that.

His senior age when he was killed and intermarriage with the Scafidis suggest he was a mafioso. Antonino Casella was killed in 1926, wonder if the situations were connected at all since this was a tight-knit bunch.

Joe Perella was proposed for the 1969 ceremony that got delayed and years later Rocco Scafidi told the FBI that Frank Sindone from that group got made but I don't recall if Perella was ever confirmed.

[quote=JoelTurner post_id=253942 time=1677631495 user_id=7603]
His father, Anthony Perella Sr., was gunned down in November 1924. Here’s an article about it.

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/33c10a3998c6ecbe0c93e66fa3568d94.jpeg[/img]

- Joseph Scarfield was Joseph [b]Scafidi[/b]

- As far as I can tell, despite his family being arrested, nobody was actually charged.

I’ve got a strong feeling that Perella Sr. was an early Philly member
[/quote]

Very interesting. Bridgeton is bad now. Definitely need to be bilingual to go there now.

His father, Anthony Perella Sr., was gunned down in November 1924. Here’s an article about it.

[img]http://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/33c10a3998c6ecbe0c93e66fa3568d94.jpeg[/img]

- Joseph Scarfield was Joseph [b]Scafidi[/b]

- As far as I can tell, despite his family being arrested, nobody was actually charged.

I’ve got a strong feeling that Perella Sr. was an early Philly member