THE BLACK HAND FORUM

[quote="Pogo The Clown"]Had no idea Long John was proposed and shot down for membership in 1960s or that he was a possible informant. Good info guy's.


Pogo[/quote]

It's news to me too that he might have been an informant but also not surprising. Some of the info provided at the time very well could have come from him.

I am not sure if they were formally proposed for membership, but supposedly someone suggested both Long John and Mario Riccobene Jr. as new members and Harry Riccobene was "violently opposed" to it. Riccobene didn't approve of most new members in the 50's and 60's and wasn't shy about it. There is the one report of Phil Testa introducing Nicky Scarfo to Harry as a member when they were all in jail together and Harry got angry and started ranting about how Cosa Nostra was over. It's not a surprise he rebelled when Scarfo became boss.

The possible involvement of DeLuca in the Bruno murder makes you wonder if Riccobene himself could have been involved. I personally lean toward no, but despite his independent position in the family he had problems with Bruno going back to when he was in prison. Supposedly Bruno, who I believe was a trusted associate at the time, was tasked with looking after some of Riccobene's gambling rackets but eventually shut Harry out to some extent.

I have also wondered about Riccobene's relationship with Pete Casella after they both got out of prison. I don't know whether they got along or not, but both are suspected of participating in hits together during the Sabella/Avena days and they did business together when they were young. Both heroin dealers who did long sentences, too.

Had no idea Long John was proposed and shot down for membership in 1960s or that he was a possible informant. Good info guy's.


Pogo

[quote="Ed"]I came across evidence that suggested to me, at least, that Martirano was feeding Intel to the FBI in the 1960s. If he was an informant, he probably told the FBI how the murder went down. (Minimizing his guilt of course).[/quote]

Without knowing the specific evidence, Martirano is a good candidate for being a CI. He was proposed for membership but shot down during the 1960's, which may have been one reason he was upset with Bruno, and he also had some of the other traits common with other CIs: drug dealer, very willing to use violence, out for himself, etc.

If he was still providing info during the 1980's, I don't believe he would have admitted to knowing who killed Bruno, though.

It is interesting that he wasn't allowed to be made during Bruno's reign (though it was Riccobene who personally shot his name down), but he was made not too long after Bruno died. That would certainly be one motivating factor for his involvement in the murder.

I came across evidence that suggested to me, at least, that Martirano was feeding Intel to the FBI in the 1960s. If he was an informant, he probably told the FBI how the murder went down. (Minimizing his guilt of course).

This is discussed extensively elsewhere, but DeLuca was seen in the area right before the murder by multiple witnesses and police suspected him of being involved.

I strongly believe that Long John Martirano was involved in the conspiracy and may have set up the actual murder. Someone at Cous' had to call the shooter(s) and tell them that Bruno was leaving and not only did Martirano beg off from driving Bruno home, but he was at Cous' that night. He was also extremely paranoid after the hit, traveling with armed bodyguards who would stake out the street before he'd get out of his car. Seems overly paranoid for an associate.

I've tried to do research into the relationship between DeLuca and Martirano and while I don't know of any strong connections, they definitely knew each other and may have done business together. Long John's drug business put him into contact with a lot of people, especially the rough crowd that ended up siding with Riccobene later.

Phil Leonetti has said that the shotgun was provided to Caponigro by Felix Bocchino but I have no idea how he would know that and why Bocchino wasn't killed for being involved. I know that Bocchino came to Testa/Scarfo and pledged his loyalty, so it's possible during this time he told them about the shotgun and said he didn't know how it would be used or something... i.e. "Tony asked me for a shotgun and I got him one."

[quote="Pogo The Clown"]According to George Freselone, Caponigro pulled the trigger himself. Another suspect often thrown around was Capongiro's brother-in-law Alfred "Freddy" Salerno (who was of course whacked with Caponigro).


Pogo[/quote]

Didn't crazy phil say it was tony bananas as well?

Raymond Martorano was certainly part of the plot, Stanfa was the fill in for him as driver , I dont believe in coincidences

[quote="Pogo The Clown"]According to George Freselone, Caponigro pulled the trigger himself. Another suspect often thrown around was Capongiro's brother-in-law Alfred "Freddy" Salerno (who was of course whacked with Caponigro).


Pogo[/quote]

How could a guy expect to become the new boss if he had to do it all by himself? In order to take over the family he needed his own muscle, especially to prepare himself against any retribution from Bruno loyalists.

[quote="Rocco"]I am pretty sure we had a long thread on who killed Bruno...? No ?[/quote]

Now that you mention it I do remember that. Did the thread also focus on the actual assassin?

[quote="Hailbritain"]Deluca and pedulla both flipped , surely they would have tole the Feds[/quote]

Forgot about that, thanks. I still don't see Caponigro coming down from Newark to pop Bruno, it was someone in Philly.

Deluca and pedulla both flipped , surely they would have tole the Feds

Sindone is a suspect to me, and B. made a good point that it may have been Vic DeLuca & Joe Pedulla.

I've read blood oath and fresolone seemed convinced it was caponigro himself . He said believe me if he wanted a guy killed he did it himself

According to George Freselone, Caponigro pulled the trigger himself. Another suspect often thrown around was Capongiro's brother-in-law Alfred "Freddy" Salerno (who was of course whacked with Caponigro).


Pogo

I am pretty sure we had a long thread on who killed Bruno...? No ?