THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Don Mosseria wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 5:31 pm Yeah, I was already thinking after Ivan’s post that Ludovico, whilst in Italian form, is a very Central European/Austrian/German sounding name. Maybe I’m wrong and lots of Southern Italians have that name? But it makes me think of the likes of Ludwig van Beethoven performing for high society in Vienna.

I recently discovered via research on Ancestry.co.uk that I have a 6x Great Grandfather who was Northern Italian. Comite was the family name iirc, apparently meaning “from Como” or some such. I wonder if I am eligible for membership - haha

I’ll have to read that article B. I was also meaning to say that your recent audio episode on Manfredi Mineo was brilliant! Really helped clarify some questions for me, even if a lot was clarifying what we don’t know!

Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 12:10 pm Here's his family tree:

https://pauljgatto.tripod.com/luzzi_descendants.htm

Ivan wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 10:11 am

NJShore4Life wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 10:05 am Angelo Lutz’s family/ancestors changed/Americanized their last name to Lutz , I forget what it originally was…..

Luzzi

NJShore4Life wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 10:05 am Angelo Lutz’s family/ancestors changed/Americanized their last name to Lutz , I forget what it originally was…..

Don Mosseria wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 12:57 am Thanks man. Ah, Louis Boschetto was the guy B mentioned on your show that I was thinking of! Gonna screenshot these names - appreciated. I knew it was very rare. I’ve spent quite a bit of time googling the issue (not real primary research like you guys, just secondary stuff), and only found Senter and Scarpa, and knew you fellas had mentioned one other (Boschetto). And now it turns out my only two named guys weren’t even Northern anyway - lol. It’s embarrassing. But now I have two named guys again from your comment above - sweet!

One guy I was wondering about in this regard who wasn’t made, but was definitely an associate and talks about being Italian a lot is Joey Merlino’s mate Angelo Lutz. I know he was caught up in the big Philly case with Merlino and gang back in the day, and now he’s got the Kitchen Consiglieri restaurant and he’s done various interviews and things, where he talks about being Italian, and growing up with Italian food in the family and stuff. But Lutz is a German name. I wasn’t able to find any articles that mention his heritage, and didn’t do any primary research, but I was wondering if maybe he has ancestry going to South Tirol or something? Or maybe his family Germanised their name for some reason? If you don’t know off the top of your head no worries, not super important as he’s not made. But it piqued my interest in this regard… Cheers

Ivan wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 8:24 am

PolackTony wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 12:00 am Although there were many Northern Italians who immigrated to the US, and plenty of them in cities with mafia Families, very very few members have to date been identified as having Northern ancestry (within which I’m not including Central Italy, like Tuscany and the Marche). This is in itself an interesting historical question, but speaks to the major cultural differences between Northerners and Meridionali.

I've always wondered if the fact that Ludovico "Schemer Drucci" D'Ambrosio was Northern Italian might have been part of the reason why he chose to run with the NW European/Slavic/Jewish North Side Mob instead of his "fellow Italians." Some subtle ethno-cultural affinity (or aversion to Southern Italians) thing. I'm probably reading too much into it though.

PolackTony wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2023 12:00 am Although there were many Northern Italians who immigrated to the US, and plenty of them in cities with mafia Families, very very few members have to date been identified as having Northern ancestry (within which I’m not including Central Italy, like Tuscany and the Marche). This is in itself an interesting historical question, but speaks to the major cultural differences between Northerners and Meridionali.