THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Re: Carmelo Gallo, aka Carlo Gallo, Carmen Gallo

The [i]Maclean's[/i] magazine article for which Fab provided a screenshot a few posts back is referenced in the Thomas Renner-authored book that has a couple of titles: [i]Mafia assassin: the inside story of a Canadian biker, hitman, and police informer[/i] and [i]Mafia enforcer: a true story of life and death in the mob[/i]. The book [i]Police undercover: the true story of the biker, the mafia & the mountie[/i] by Mark Murphy, the Mountie who retired from the RCMP because he wasn't treated very well by his employer, treads some of the same ground as Renner's. Later I'll try to provide quotes from each book about Gallo and Joe Gentile but for now I'll say that Murphy refers to Gallo as Gentile's "underling" -- a view that is consistent with James Dubro's assessment of Gallo -- and that Murphy believed there were about 6 members in Gentile's group.

Gallo's original online funeral-home obit is no longer available. AFAIK, there was no print obituary. However, it's easy to find some links to some "obituary" pages that were derived from the original:

https://www.echovita.com/ca/obituaries/bc/vancouver/carmelo-gallo-6468795

https://necrocanada.com/obituaries/carmelo-gallo-1945-2017/ (photo of Gallo below is found at https://necrocanada.com/obituaries/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Carmelo-Gallo-1945-2017.jpg)

[img]https://necrocanada.com/obituaries/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Carmelo-Gallo-1945-2017.jpg[/img]

An Ancestry user provided the details about Gallo's funeral-home obituary by citing from the following link that is no longer operational and does not appear to have been captured on the Wayback Machine:

https://www.everhere.com/ca/obituary-vancouver-carmelo-gallo-6468795

The details at https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/26025737/person/392041739571/facts (see the second "obituary" listed as an unsourced citation):

Carmelo Gallo Location Vancouver, British Columbia Date Deceased : November 22, 2017 Birth : July 3, 1945 Obituary Here is Carmelo Gallo’s online obituary. Please accept Everhere’s sincere condolences. Sadly, on November 22nd 2017, at the age of 72, we had to say goodbye to Carmelo Gallo (Vancouver, British Columbia). You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. You may also light a candle in honor of Carmelo Gallo. For the visitation and funeral service information please see event section below.

The print obituary for Carmelo's father, Giuseppe Gallo, will be found online at https://www.newspapers.com/image/492706772:

[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/1ed97c1f80cced4c149bc1f350a12d33.jpg[/img]

The aforementioned Ancestry user traces Giuseppe's ancestry to Iatronoli, Reggio di Calabria.

Link to Giuseppe Gallo's registration of death:

[img]https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/genealogy-images/004479374/004479374_01371.jpg[/img]

Belmonte Mezzagno and Termini fit Syracuse as the wider region stretching from Syracuse to Albany attracted mafia-affiliated Palermitani from places like Bagheria, Villabate (near Belmonte), Termini Imerese, and other towns. The Buffalo decina that covered that jurisdiction also had close ties to Canada.

^^^^
You and I have found the same details so far. James Dubro wrote in [i]Mob rule[/i] that Joe Romano was from Syracuse, NY (you've probably seen that the Romanos were specifically in Onondaga County). This is what I've got for Romano and his ancestors to date:

[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/64cd1fb0db7b5abb6aa5d5cc5445c963.png[/img]

[quote=antimafia post_id=284080 time=1726979562 user_id=113]
[quote=antimafia post_id=284074 time=1726976049 user_id=113]
[quote=B. post_id=284071 time=1726974075 user_id=127]
Dr. Giuseppe Romano was from Termini Imerese if that helps at all. As you and I have discussed before there was a large colony from Termini in the Toronto area so it is a paesan group with a strong Canadian connection.
[/quote]

Yes, Giuseppe Romano's precise POB in Palermo is helpful, as initially I was only getting hits that he was born in Palermo. There are tons of records for him.

I've seen two YOBs for his son-in-law Anthony Mangione: 1900 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62L7-ZKFF) and 1901 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPX7-HN2). Lots of records for him and his wife, Maria Concetta Romano.

Unfortunately, I'm not finding records that would help me flesh out Joe Romano's family tree, despite his having resided in both the US and Canada. I've been able to piece together that he a) was likely born in 1932, b) was married, c) had 5 or 6 kids, d) was said to have been from New York, and e) had gone to San Francisco for a trip before being ordered deported.
[/quote]
So if some of the newspaper reporting in Canada about Joe Romano is correct, his full name was Joseph James Romano, he was born in Argentina, and he died in LA toward the end of July 1987.

The 1950 US Census record below lists a 17-year-old Joseph Romano who was born in Argentina, while his parents -- James and Frances -- and his younger sister were all born in New York State.

[img]https://cf.myheritageimages.com/records/original/1950census/43290879-new_york/43290879-new_york-019657/43290879-new_york-019657-0021.jpg?X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Security-Token=FwoGZXIvYXdzEHYaDDZfWd9r17ciDdwTUyK4AcfTjxxMkfHew1NuGD3ShTZAzIEiAfNZfrKcw%2BnHXpzrfak1%2FxOLq%2F3Ycxi5oLInEKts4IMwDRHF9oawISAwWNacyzQrxwpmw8q8k2FjUJzy8V1MUGxQv5q5hGZoyDQdDIsiK0nNOJIXpsfEE%2FZ98CweTo7csk2cMJWHgNJKqbQHY%2BaML0qoXMTTXjNLfrlLE5RdnXSeu9L37FEV2TUjFc5XAktEF9k%2FiQnTmNwpIZYUsEFrRURVpfkox7O%2BtwYyLZ9UbsLKz1RsbwtKZORnA%2F8PMyQhZhlr%2F73rvea8ApEFIFEfseo1rLT9bV5Ahw%3D%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQZXES5W6X4V7YZIQ%2F20240922%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240922T041846Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=345600&X-Amz-Signature=fc979faf21788b75a2b67790d7217205dbbe0cd637b6fd9b507a68ce0523c2ef[/img]
[/quote]
I agree that this is likely to have been the same Joseph J Romano that you’ve reported on as connected to Vancouver.

While he was born in Argentina, his parents were both born in Syracuse, NY, where he also grew up. Father James Romano was born in Syracuse to Vito Romano of Belmonte Mezzagno and Ignazia Russo of Tèrmini Imerese. Joseph J Romano’s mother, Frances Ranieri, was born in Syracuse to Calabrian parents from Catanzaro province. So while he in fact was of partial Termitano ancestry, the Romano surname in his case came from Belmonte.

B, here is an article about Carmelo "Carlo" Gallo published in Macleans magazine in 1982. Gallo turned himself in to police in January 1983 and was subsequently sentenced to life.

According to Cecil Kirby, Gallo was a member of the 'ndrangheta in Vancouver so it is hard to say if he was under the authority of Joe Gentile. One thing is for sure is that in addition to Violi, he was largely connected to the Commisso brothers and the Siderno Group
[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/a09aeb5a4fa26e837ab837bbf331f49b.png[/img]

What is known about Carlo Gallo in terms of background?

Along with Joe Gentile being presumed by us to have been a made member and now likely a confirmed ex-LA member via Piscopo, it's very likely Gerlando Gentile was a made member, affiliation unknown. You have to wonder how many fully-initiated members lived in Vancouver at different times. Probably not many but something is there.

This Vancouver element is turning out to be very interesting given the "boss" was a nephew of an influential early US mafia leader across many locations, there were close ties to the Bonanno Montreal decina via the Calabrian Violi, and as you've highlighted there were also close ties to the broader Calabrian group in Ontario. It wasn't one-dimensional, i.e. Siculianesi being connected to paesans in other locations, but something wider.

Link to my Evernote item containing the page seen farther below, which is taken from Wade Rowland's [i]Making Connections[/i] book:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/5678ab47-552b-4501-8d4f-e25023ff922e/rTxCnE1btEYIkU1faY6otxh3yANQEB9CtWfVaxEPfveszovtQFf4lF05HA

NB: The author incorrectly identfied Domenico Luppino as being the son-in-law of a "Remo" Commisso of Toronto. Upon marrying Rosetta Commisso, Luppino became the son-in-law of the Cosimo Commisso b. Feb. 12, 1912; this Cosimo's wife, Pasqualina Stalteri b. May 9, 1916, was said to be a cousin of the Vincenzo "Jimmy" Deleo who was an early member of the Siderno Group's [i]camera di controllo[/i] in Toronto.

The other references to "Remo" Commisso are to the Rocco Remo Commisso who, along with his two brothers, is well known to us mobwatchers. His relationships with Violi and Gallo are correctly depicted, save the use of the word "associates."

[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/78d806dbe700e617cef267983c4b31c8.png[/img]

[quote=antimafia post_id=284074 time=1726976049 user_id=113]
[quote=B. post_id=284071 time=1726974075 user_id=127]
Dr. Giuseppe Romano was from Termini Imerese if that helps at all. As you and I have discussed before there was a large colony from Termini in the Toronto area so it is a paesan group with a strong Canadian connection.
[/quote]

Yes, Giuseppe Romano's precise POB in Palermo is helpful, as initially I was only getting hits that he was born in Palermo. There are tons of records for him.

I've seen two YOBs for his son-in-law Anthony Mangione: 1900 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62L7-ZKFF) and 1901 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPX7-HN2). Lots of records for him and his wife, Maria Concetta Romano.

Unfortunately, I'm not finding records that would help me flesh out Joe Romano's family tree, despite his having resided in both the US and Canada. I've been able to piece together that he a) was likely born in 1932, b) was married, c) had 5 or 6 kids, d) was said to have been from New York, and e) had gone to San Francisco for a trip before being ordered deported.
[/quote]
So if some of the newspaper reporting in Canada about Joe Romano is correct, his full name was Joseph James Romano, he was born in Argentina, and he died in LA toward the end of July 1987.

The 1950 US Census record below lists a 17-year-old Joseph Romano who was born in Argentina, while his parents -- James and Frances -- and his younger sister were all born in New York State.

[img]https://cf.myheritageimages.com/records/original/1950census/43290879-new_york/43290879-new_york-019657/43290879-new_york-019657-0021.jpg?X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Security-Token=FwoGZXIvYXdzEHYaDDZfWd9r17ciDdwTUyK4AcfTjxxMkfHew1NuGD3ShTZAzIEiAfNZfrKcw%2BnHXpzrfak1%2FxOLq%2F3Ycxi5oLInEKts4IMwDRHF9oawISAwWNacyzQrxwpmw8q8k2FjUJzy8V1MUGxQv5q5hGZoyDQdDIsiK0nNOJIXpsfEE%2FZ98CweTo7csk2cMJWHgNJKqbQHY%2BaML0qoXMTTXjNLfrlLE5RdnXSeu9L37FEV2TUjFc5XAktEF9k%2FiQnTmNwpIZYUsEFrRURVpfkox7O%2BtwYyLZ9UbsLKz1RsbwtKZORnA%2F8PMyQhZhlr%2F73rvea8ApEFIFEfseo1rLT9bV5Ahw%3D%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQZXES5W6X4V7YZIQ%2F20240922%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240922T041846Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=345600&X-Amz-Signature=fc979faf21788b75a2b67790d7217205dbbe0cd637b6fd9b507a68ce0523c2ef[/img]

[quote=B. post_id=284071 time=1726974075 user_id=127]
Dr. Giuseppe Romano was from Termini Imerese if that helps at all. As you and I have discussed before there was a large colony from Termini in the Toronto area so it is a paesan group with a strong Canadian connection.
[/quote]

Yes, Giuseppe Romano's precise POB in Palermo is helpful, as initially I was only getting hits that he was born in Palermo. There are tons of records for him.

I've seen two YOBs for his son-in-law Anthony Mangione: 1900 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62L7-ZKFF) and 1901 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPX7-HN2). Lots of records for him and his wife, Maria Concetta Romano.

Unfortunately, I'm not finding records that would help me flesh out Joe Romano's family tree, despite his having resided in both the US and Canada. I've been able to piece together that he a) was likely born in 1932, b) was married, c) had 5 or 6 kids, d) was said to have been from New York, and e) had gone to San Francisco for a trip before being ordered deported.

Dr. Giuseppe Romano was from Termini Imerese if that helps at all. As you and I have discussed before there was a large colony from Termini in the Toronto area so it is a paesan group with a strong Canadian connection.

Re: Joe Romano of Vancouver:

The Canadian federal government ordered his deportation to the US in February 1981.

I'll post some newspaper clippings at some point later but I can tell you now that Joe Romano was an American citizen from New York -- I still haven't researched his place of birth (POB); his YOB is likely 1932 -- who had been living in Vancouver since 1967.

^^^^
[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/66be0e644ce97d50123d9352f96e3141.png[/img]

[img]https://theblackhand.club/forum/ext/dmzx/imageupload/files/e007ea9fd708282ea9ece91f4057fc45.png[/img]

My Evernote links to the above:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/640941ad-6d1b-45de-81ee-906d697ff9de/9oS79VO8BcUpBrsIvE29YvsUiA2eB0yHuxZh_3B82ERdpHP3FBUZoyf_EA

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/c49f1d16-062d-4461-a6ff-878ac2726128/z1ZBz2H5QXyr3xUkqtKvw97Nrs665uST9K7gX7ZEaX8RvG3KYjQo_JBDtg

The LCNBios blog post to which Fab linked several hours earlier indicates that Mangione’s father-in-law was Dr. Giuseppe Romano, a onetime boss of Cleveland. Recall that the Joe Romano in British Columbia has been alleged to be a “mob associate” — see my post at
https://theblackhand.club/forum/viewtopic.php?p=99683&hilit=Vancouver+mob+associate+Joe+Romano#p99683 (same thread). I’ll try to see whether these two Romanos are related in any way.

When newspapers generally reported at the time about the death of Giacomo Luppino in Hamilton, they remarked on his ties to Joe Gentile of Vancouver.

In my next post I’ll attach screenshots of 2 pages from Wade Rowland’s book.

Wow yeah. There were several recurring connections placing Mangione in the same network as the Gentiles so I'd suspect the "LCN member" in Vancouver named Joe Gentile was indeed Nick's nephew.

Very possible Gentile was a remote member of LA in Vancouver, as someone doesn't need to have lived in the city they're affiliated with, but given Piscopo said he was a "former" LA member it raises the question of who he would have transferred to. Joe Gentile was close to Montreal Bonanno figures but who knows. This is at least the most substantial lead on his membership.

LCNBios has updated the bio of Anthony Mangione, a member of the Los Angeles Crime Family, indicating that Mangione was in contact with a Joseph Gentile from Vancouver.

Gentile is identified by Piscopo as a former member of the L.A. borgata. There is no evidence that this is Giuseppe Gentile the Vancouver boss (I have never seen anything indicating that Giuseppe Gentile lived in California), but it definitely looks like at least a relative.

In the coincidence department: Anthony Mangione was from Siculiana and like Giuseppe Gentile, he ran a pizzeria

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2024/02/anthony-mangione-los-angeles.html