by B. » Tue Dec 11, 2018 6:08 pm
Another mandatory article.
Here are my thoughts reading it:
- The Sica brothers who you mentioned were originally from New Jersey were apparently relatives of some kind to Willie Moretti. In the thread about his murder, I mention his ties to Southern California and it was apparently through the Sicas. Interestingly in an FBI report from the 1960s they list a number of informants, a number of which are ID'd as made members of the LA family, but they also list a member informant said to be with the "New Jersey family". I am pretty sure the entire doc was about California so that stood out to me -- I don't think the informant was necessarily with the DeCavs, but could have been an NJ-based member of an NYC family. Moretti and the non-member Sicas came to mind but probably no connection.
- I had come across a similar but slightly differently worded bit about Neapolitans not being able to rise to the same stature in the organization but it probably came from Piscopo as well; I wonder if he meant the administration, as we know Fratianno was promoted to capodecina prior to Piscopo's cooperation.
- In the Real Thing excerpts that are online (through the same site as Rat Trap), Valachi also says bosses were supposed to retire at 65. So that is two sources.
- I believe an induction ceremony is mentioned in Dave Critchley's book (or another source on early years) that involved sucking of the blood/wound. Pretty sure this was an early Camorra induction the US, would have to check, but there was some kind of early induction that described this same process.
- The bit about Costello and Genovese is great. Along the same lines as the info pointing to Moretti's murder having less (or nothing) to do with Genovese conspiring against Costello/Anastasia and instead originating from Bomepensiero/Dragna's suspicions, it also looks like Genovese may not have been out to get Costello on his own to the degree that "diabolical Don Vito" hype has suggested. A lot of info I've seen on Tony Strollo points to him being a troublemaker in the organization, including his alliance with Augie Carfagno, so this isn't terribly surprising to hear he may have instigated problems.
- Curious if the "peace meeting" in Chicago supposedly attended by Bompensiero, Dragna, Ardizzone, and Al Capone, as mentioned to Bompensiero by St. Louis member John Mirabella (also in attendance) was after Ardizzone stepped down. I incorrectly thought the shooting with Basile was when Ardizzone himself was killed, but I suppose this info about Ardizzone's disappearance opens up the possibility that he was in fact ambushed getting off the train if it's true he was killed after leaving Chicago.
- Interesting too that he backs up the idea that Anastasia was killed because of the Frank Scalise murder.
- The boss being promoted from capodecina rather than underboss makes sense when you figure that the underboss was historically appointed by the boss and not elected like the boss or consigliere, meaning he may not have been someone popular with the membership.
Another mandatory article.
Here are my thoughts reading it:
- The Sica brothers who you mentioned were originally from New Jersey were apparently relatives of some kind to Willie Moretti. In the thread about his murder, I mention his ties to Southern California and it was apparently through the Sicas. Interestingly in an FBI report from the 1960s they list a number of informants, a number of which are ID'd as made members of the LA family, but they also list a member informant said to be with the "New Jersey family". I am pretty sure the entire doc was about California so that stood out to me -- I don't think the informant was necessarily with the DeCavs, but could have been an NJ-based member of an NYC family. Moretti and the non-member Sicas came to mind but probably no connection.
- I had come across a similar but slightly differently worded bit about Neapolitans not being able to rise to the same stature in the organization but it probably came from Piscopo as well; I wonder if he meant the administration, as we know Fratianno was promoted to capodecina prior to Piscopo's cooperation.
- In the Real Thing excerpts that are online (through the same site as Rat Trap), Valachi also says bosses were supposed to retire at 65. So that is two sources.
- I believe an induction ceremony is mentioned in Dave Critchley's book (or another source on early years) that involved sucking of the blood/wound. Pretty sure this was an early Camorra induction the US, would have to check, but there was some kind of early induction that described this same process.
- The bit about Costello and Genovese is great. Along the same lines as the info pointing to Moretti's murder having less (or nothing) to do with Genovese conspiring against Costello/Anastasia and instead originating from Bomepensiero/Dragna's suspicions, it also looks like Genovese may not have been out to get Costello on his own to the degree that "diabolical Don Vito" hype has suggested. A lot of info I've seen on Tony Strollo points to him being a troublemaker in the organization, including his alliance with Augie Carfagno, so this isn't terribly surprising to hear he may have instigated problems.
- Curious if the "peace meeting" in Chicago supposedly attended by Bompensiero, Dragna, Ardizzone, and Al Capone, as mentioned to Bompensiero by St. Louis member John Mirabella (also in attendance) was after Ardizzone stepped down. I incorrectly thought the shooting with Basile was when Ardizzone himself was killed, but I suppose this info about Ardizzone's disappearance opens up the possibility that he was in fact ambushed getting off the train if it's true he was killed after leaving Chicago.
- Interesting too that he backs up the idea that Anastasia was killed because of the Frank Scalise murder.
- The boss being promoted from capodecina rather than underboss makes sense when you figure that the underboss was historically appointed by the boss and not elected like the boss or consigliere, meaning he may not have been someone popular with the membership.