by Bruno187 » Fri Jul 15, 2016 9:12 am
HairyKnuckles wrote:InCamelot wrote:
I asked about who the East Harlem Purple Gang kicked up to in the other forum, and its partly behind my curiosity about Buckalo(o) Ferro specifically, as I had saw somewhere he was the 116th captain(?) around that time. I'm curious to who they "answered" to while selling drugs, especially to a crew that was powerful enough to "not need" nor "condone" drug dealing (at least openly right). Was it Buckaloo they kicked up to? Or another? Or a few?
Who oversaw those who eventually became made and made it so they graduated properly to more traditional LCN activities?
I don´t think the Purple Gang kicked up to anyone. They were a wild bunch who were sometimes used by elements of the Mafia for hits, moving drugs, muscle and other dirty work. Joe Pagano used them in the early 1970s when he extorted the sanitation business. Tramunti allegedly used them in the narcotics business. And it is said that the gang was behind the Papadio murder in 1976. Rumors say they killed him for Lilo Galante. They were a wild bunch, uncontrollable and not connected to any Mafia member specifically. By the very late 1970s, they were on the outs and clashed with the Mafia. In 1981, a source told the FBI that both the Gambinos and the Genoveses "continue to have serious problems with the Purple Gang of East Harlem". What the problem exactly was, I don´t know. But possibly they had used unsactioned violence against made members. The Mafia solved the problem by inducting some of the gang´s brigthest lights and left the others to wither. I´m not an expert on the Purple Gang but it seems to me that once those guys were inducted, the gang lost its power.
An Antonio Ferro is mentioned a couple of times in Angelo Mascia´s file. I´m not sure it´s the same guy, but Mascia was a partner with this Ferro in metal scrap businesses (if I remember correctly) located up in Connecticut. So, if it is the same guy, Ferro, the Genovese member had interests up there. I think Ferro was indicted and convicted on an extortion charge in 1976 but the court showed leniency, due to his illness, and senteced him only to one year in prison. He died as a 60 year old in 1978. His status or rank is still uncertain. But he may have been an acting captain for Lombardo in the early 1970s. Mafiawiki have him as the consigliere, but I wouldn´t put much stock in what can be found there.
There was another wild kid from Belmont in the early-mid 70's who basically went to war with the Purples...they got to him a few times and shot him up, he killed a few of them, they killed his brother and left him in the trunk of his burning car all chopped up....went back and forth for a while.
He was one of the older guys when I was a kid that all of us younger guys used to "look up to" and talk about as if we were talking about a sports star in a highlight reel. "Did you hear what so-and-so did last night?" "Holy shit!!"
Ultimately he wound up in the can doing a really long bid. Basically saved his life. Got out in the late 90's if my memory serves me. Still around and in the life, I believe he's actually made now.
I look back now and can only laugh about how fucking stupid we were.
[quote="HairyKnuckles"][quote="InCamelot"]
I asked about who the East Harlem Purple Gang kicked up to in the other forum, and its partly behind my curiosity about Buckalo(o) Ferro specifically, as I had saw somewhere he was the 116th captain(?) around that time. I'm curious to who they "answered" to while selling drugs, especially to a crew that was powerful enough to "not need" nor "condone" drug dealing (at least openly right). Was it Buckaloo they kicked up to? Or another? Or a few?
Who oversaw those who eventually became made and made it so they graduated properly to more traditional LCN activities?[/quote]
I don´t think the Purple Gang kicked up to anyone. They were a wild bunch who were sometimes used by elements of the Mafia for hits, moving drugs, muscle and other dirty work. Joe Pagano used them in the early 1970s when he extorted the sanitation business. Tramunti allegedly used them in the narcotics business. And it is said that the gang was behind the Papadio murder in 1976. Rumors say they killed him for Lilo Galante. They were a wild bunch, uncontrollable and not connected to any Mafia member specifically. By the very late 1970s, they were on the outs and clashed with the Mafia. In 1981, a source told the FBI that both the Gambinos and the Genoveses "continue to have serious problems with the Purple Gang of East Harlem". What the problem exactly was, I don´t know. But possibly they had used unsactioned violence against made members. The Mafia solved the problem by inducting some of the gang´s brigthest lights and left the others to wither. I´m not an expert on the Purple Gang but it seems to me that once those guys were inducted, the gang lost its power.
An Antonio Ferro is mentioned a couple of times in Angelo Mascia´s file. I´m not sure it´s the same guy, but Mascia was a partner with this Ferro in metal scrap businesses (if I remember correctly) located up in Connecticut. So, if it is the same guy, Ferro, the Genovese member had interests up there. I think Ferro was indicted and convicted on an extortion charge in 1976 but the court showed leniency, due to his illness, and senteced him only to one year in prison. He died as a 60 year old in 1978. His status or rank is still uncertain. But he may have been an acting captain for Lombardo in the early 1970s. Mafiawiki have him as the consigliere, but I wouldn´t put much stock in what can be found there.[/quote]
There was another wild kid from Belmont in the early-mid 70's who basically went to war with the Purples...they got to him a few times and shot him up, he killed a few of them, they killed his brother and left him in the trunk of his burning car all chopped up....went back and forth for a while.
He was one of the older guys when I was a kid that all of us younger guys used to "look up to" and talk about as if we were talking about a sports star in a highlight reel. "Did you hear what so-and-so did last night?" "Holy shit!!"
Ultimately he wound up in the can doing a really long bid. Basically saved his life. Got out in the late 90's if my memory serves me. Still around and in the life, I believe he's actually made now.
I look back now and can only laugh about how fucking stupid we were.