THE BLACK HAND FORUM

This ties into what’s being said about small families, I believe that there were several families that were absorbed by Buffalo. Looking at some of the cities where they had a presence: Utica - Frankfort, Rochester, Auburn, Syracuse, Erie, Etc These cities weren’t exactly close. For example, the di...

Cefalu isn't from the 18th Avenue group, nor were DiMaria and Paradiso "Gotti" guys as this seems to suggest.

I'm guessing this is from GR.

I forgot about that map -- thanks for sharing it again. What year was it from? I'm curious about the Philadelphia 'ndrangheta ties given there is a long history of Calabrians in the local Family, many of which were likely Camorristi / 'ndranghetisti originally and maintained close ties to Calabria i...

Interestingly enough, the fellow who was arrested and convicted with Failla, Vincenzo Scampolino, was shot to death in an apparent gangland shooting in 1925. Scampolino was married to a Failla, probably related to Salvatore, but not a sister. Interesting one of his associates was killed during the ...

Thanks a ton, brother! I appreciate the kind words. I don't get too bothered in most cases if people lift things or don't credit as it's inevitable -- I've certainly borrowed from other researchers countless times but it's just a simple courtesy to give credit, especially with a guy like Silinonte w...

Some Bonanno guys are still lingering. Vincent Tarantola John Aquaro Frank Labruzzo (a clear photo) Joe Di Maria Vincent "Jimmy" De Pasquale Giuseppe Silinonte Pietro " Skinny Pete" Crociata Domenico "Mimi" Sabella Michael Angelina "Big" Mike Allegato A Reddi...

Yep, Chin posted something from Cafaro who said Manna became consigliere on March 30, 1980, which happens to be the same day Alongi died. That would also be 9 days after Angelo Bruno was killed so it would fit that Manna was consigliere during the aftermath even if he wasn't official yet for another...

Here is a post I made a couple years ago on the Adragnas. There was speculation in the Gentile Informer issue that "Joe l'Alcamese" may have been Joe Adragna Sr. It doesn't match up from what I can see but Gentile's recollection of Joe the Alcamese may not be entirely accurate or there cou...

That at least settles my speculation about his early death from the original post.

Still curious if the elder Failla was affiliated with the mafia. If so, his hometown origins would suggest it came about in America rather than tracing back to Catania.

I've seen the charts listing Catena as consigliere before but have never known what to make of it. A lot of guys have been named as having admin spots in the late 70s and early 80s, it still being unclear in some cases exactly who held which spot and when. I don't recall any member sources or wireta...

Very nice. Good observation about Alcamo and France, too. We see heavy connections between Trapani province and Tunis (former French protectorate) and Joe Bonanno mentioned a cousin living in Paris so maybe there are more Trapani connections to France proper than we're aware of. The Adragnas were as...

I've wondered too if Denoia was a captain (acting or otherwise) given Moretti was an acting part of the administration on a seemingly recurring basis for many years. In addition to listing him as a capodecina, Valachi identified Denoia as being under Richie Boiardo in an FBI interview although we kn...

Belief with no evidence: There's probably several more smaller families that died out before the 1930s, like the Birmingham family, that we may never learn about. My guess is there may have been a separate family in Galveston, Houston, or Bryan, Texas before the 1930s. Then, maybe the few remaining...

Thank you for the kind words, man. Always great to see intelligent, analytical threads like this. Glad to have you here. Regarding bosses being deposed, Cosa Nostra allows its members to vote to have a boss taken down and both American and Sicilian sources have referred to it. Phil Amari was voted o...

Tony Lima claimed he successfully deposed Frank Lanza for discussing a murder contract assigned to Lima in front of other members who weren't part of the contract, a protocol error Lima used against him. It's "controversial" whether Lima truly deposed Lanza circa ~1930 as some accounts hav...