by B. » Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:17 pm
I do think there was at least one Sicilian mafia group operating in North Jersey earlier than is documented/known, but whether they were a family, a crew, or just some random members of other group(s) is another question. Riberesi with strong mob bloodlines were in not just New Jersey, but specifically the Peterstown section of Elizabeth shortly after the turn of the 20th century. No proof that they were full-fledged mafiosi, but it's likely they were. Specifically talking about the Riggi, Caterinicchio, and Merlo families, with several others like the Giaccobes and Collettis, etc. close behind.
D'Arco's info is strange because it is so specific and he was told by Joe Schiavo, a longtime member who was a business partner and close associate of Tommy Lucchese. I don't think what he said is accurate, and at age 80+ recalling a random story he was told (among countless other stories), he may have distorted it. There is reason to speculate that the Lucchese NJ crew traces directly to the Newark family when it was disbanded, so my thinking is that he somehow confused this information or got his wires crossed. Still, he is so damn specific about the Lucchese family coming from New Jersey and being called "la Chiesa" I can't completely let it go. If he was a Jersey guy, I might just chock it up to him trying to make NJ seem more important than it was, but because he's a Brooklyn guy who hung out in the heart of Little Italy with many old timers it's especially confusing. Then as I'm sure we discussed to death earlier in this thread, there is the recording of Stango saying the five families split off from the DeCavalcantes (whether you want to trust a guy who says "attackness" is another story), and Rotondo saying they were one of the earliest families in the US.
Though I don't consider these "facts" at all, I like to bring them up whenever this comes up because three high-ranking members made these statements and there could be some percentage of what they're saying that's true, but similar to what Scootch said, the oral history of a secret society filled with liars and criminals is bound to get distorted, especially when you figure that the earlier history was known only by guys who spoke a completely different language. Many things could have been lost in translation -- literally -- as new members came in who were not as fluent in Sicilian dialect or even the Italian language itself. Even Joe Valachi could barely understand basic Italian and though his knowledge of the neighborhood he grew up in was really sharp, same with events that happened during his time, for a guy who hung out with Maranzano regularly and must have met countless old timers, his actual knowledge of the organization's history is really fuckin' thin. But once again he may not have been asked all of the right questions.
One thing I do believe, though, is that mafiosi who were already members or would become future members of the DeCavalcantes were active in New York, New Jersey, and possibly elsewhere (Alabama being a good guess thanks to Rick) before the 1920s. Whether they were officially affiliated with the Newark family, a New York family (most likely Gambinos though could have been Morello, too), or a Sicilian cell from Ribera is a complete guess. When the Newark family got established is another total guess though a few of us speculated that they may have been created for the Corleonese Badami (which lends itself to the idea that the Newark family had ties to the Morello/Reina families), who must have already been a significant Sicilian mafia member when he came here in the late 1920s.
Screw it, let's just say San Jose was the first family and call it a day.
I do think there was at least one Sicilian mafia group operating in North Jersey earlier than is documented/known, but whether they were a family, a crew, or just some random members of other group(s) is another question. Riberesi with strong mob bloodlines were in not just New Jersey, but specifically the Peterstown section of Elizabeth shortly after the turn of the 20th century. No proof that they were full-fledged mafiosi, but it's likely they were. Specifically talking about the Riggi, Caterinicchio, and Merlo families, with several others like the Giaccobes and Collettis, etc. close behind.
D'Arco's info is strange because it is so specific and he was told by Joe Schiavo, a longtime member who was a business partner and close associate of Tommy Lucchese. I don't think what he said is accurate, and at age 80+ recalling a random story he was told (among countless other stories), he may have distorted it. There is reason to speculate that the Lucchese NJ crew traces directly to the Newark family when it was disbanded, so my thinking is that he somehow confused this information or got his wires crossed. Still, he is so damn specific about the Lucchese family coming from New Jersey and being called "la Chiesa" I can't completely let it go. If he was a Jersey guy, I might just chock it up to him trying to make NJ seem more important than it was, but because he's a Brooklyn guy who hung out in the heart of Little Italy with many old timers it's especially confusing. Then as I'm sure we discussed to death earlier in this thread, there is the recording of Stango saying the five families split off from the DeCavalcantes (whether you want to trust a guy who says "attackness" is another story), and Rotondo saying they were one of the earliest families in the US.
Though I don't consider these "facts" at all, I like to bring them up whenever this comes up because three high-ranking members made these statements and there could be some percentage of what they're saying that's true, but similar to what Scootch said, the oral history of a secret society filled with liars and criminals is bound to get distorted, especially when you figure that the earlier history was known only by guys who spoke a completely different language. Many things could have been lost in translation -- literally -- as new members came in who were not as fluent in Sicilian dialect or even the Italian language itself. Even Joe Valachi could barely understand basic Italian and though his knowledge of the neighborhood he grew up in was really sharp, same with events that happened during his time, for a guy who hung out with Maranzano regularly and must have met countless old timers, his actual knowledge of the organization's history is really fuckin' thin. But once again he may not have been asked all of the right questions.
One thing I do believe, though, is that mafiosi who were already members or would become future members of the DeCavalcantes were active in New York, New Jersey, and possibly elsewhere (Alabama being a good guess thanks to Rick) before the 1920s. Whether they were officially affiliated with the Newark family, a New York family (most likely Gambinos though could have been Morello, too), or a Sicilian cell from Ribera is a complete guess. When the Newark family got established is another total guess though a few of us speculated that they may have been created for the Corleonese Badami (which lends itself to the idea that the Newark family had ties to the Morello/Reina families), who must have already been a significant Sicilian mafia member when he came here in the late 1920s.
Screw it, let's just say San Jose was the first family and call it a day.