Empire Yeast

[B.]

The early US mafia saw a few of these "super companies", where a number of high-ranking members from the time owned or were otherwise involved together with one company in a particular industry. This appears to have been considered a sophisticated move at the time for mafia leaders and likely helped them to gain and maintain influence in a given industry.

Empire Yeast was one of these that connected mafia members in New York City, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Between 1928 and 1931, three top figures in the company would also be murdered.

The following have been identified in connection with Empire Yeast Company:

Giuseppe Traina - High-ranking and influential member of the Gambino family and national mafia scene going back to the 1910s and continuing into the 1970s. President of Empire Yeast beginning in 1928. From Belmonte Mezzagno.

Vincenzo DiLeonardo - Captain in the Gambino famiy and close associate of Traina. Identified by his grandson, captain Michael DiLeonardo, as having an interest in Empire Yeast. From Bisacquino.

Antonino Paterno - New Jersey captain for the Gambino family by the time of his death in early 1957, at which point he was succeeded by his more well-known son Joseph. Settled in Newark by 1930, making him a possible Newark member. In 1933, Paterno traveled to Sicily with Utica-based Buffalo member Joseph Falcone. Paterno was from his namesake town of Paterno in Catania province.

Antonio Calio - Early Philadelphia soldier in the decina of Gaetano Scafidi. One of four mafia partners in the Philadelphia branch of Empire Yeast. From Enna like other early Philly members.

Giovanni Cappello Sr. - Possible Newark member in the 1920s and early 1930s who moved to Philadelphia later in the 1930s and served as captain for a time. From Belmonte Mezzagno.

Tommaso Gagliano - Needs no introduction. Partner along with other Corleonesi Morello and Cecala.

Gaetano Scafidi - Longtime Philadelphia captain. Another partner in the Philly branch. From Belmonte Mezzagno.

Salvatore Scafidi - Philadelphia soldier and son of Gaetano Scafidi. Another one of the four partners in the Philly branch.

Domenico Dioguardi - Possibly an early Lucchese member. Well-known son John Dioguardi would also hold a job at Empire Yeast. From Baucina in Palermo province.

Antonio Cecala - President of the company at the time of his 1928 murder. Close to Morello. From Corleone.

Giuseppe Morello - Infamous former boss of bosses, Masseria advisor, and Corleone native. Killed 1930.

Giuseppe Siragusa - Pittsburgh mafia leader killed in 1931. Operated a Pittsburgh branch of Empire Yeast. Palermo background.

From the above, we have 4 guys from Belmonte Mezzagno, 3 from Corleone, 2 from general Palermo area, and 1 each from Catania and Enna. The Enna member was in the Scafidi crew so he could probably be included with the Belmonte group given they were his link to the business.

Appears to connect membership in the Lucchese, Genovese, Newark, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh families. Whether or not any of this can be seen in political terms is anyone's guess, but we see one of D'Aquila's top men involved with the former boss of bosses / D'Aquila nemesis Morello, along with the paesan and future boss of Morello's old family, Gagliano, all working together. You can't fault someone for seeing that in symbolic terms.

I'm sure there were more mafia-connected names involved. Anyone know other names connected in some way to Empire Yeast? Or other cities that had a branch?

The Scafidis told authorities they were on their way to Baltimore to do business on behalf of Empire Yeast during their 1936 bombing case. They were trying to lie their way out of the bombing charge, but it makes me wonder if there was an element of truth in that Empire Yeast did have ties to Baltimore. It was a Gambino city and future Gambino members in Baltimore would be influential in the local cheese business. These cheese businesses would do business with Maggio Cheese of Philly, whose owner Michael Maggio had been a soldier under Scafidi.

[maxiestern11]

I believe what later became Poland Springs Water or a similar popular name started out on Christie Street in Lower Manhattan. Lorenzo (Chappie) Brescio was said to have been an early investor.....and of course we have the famed “Grande Cheese Co” which was dominated by the Chicago mob (Ross Prio) until taken over by Joe Bonanno.

[sdeitche]

Must be something about yeast companies. Longy Zwillman controlled US Yeast Corporation.

[B.]

Must be something about yeast companies. Longy Zwillman controlled US Yeast Corporation.

He worked with Newark family members in other operations, would be curious if he did business with Empire Yeast given the possible Newark family element in the company. Zwillman was a major bootlegger, so no surprise he was into yeast.

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Antonino Paterno being Vice President of Empire is an indication he was already a significant mafia figure in Jersey by the 1920s / 1930s. It could also be one explanation for why he ended up with the Gambinos, being VP under President Joe Traina.

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Curious, too, what anyone knows about the Cecala murder. He is killed in 1928 a few years before his fellow Corleonesi Reina and Morello. D'Aquila would be killed some months after Cecala. It appears the Cecala murder happened independent of these events, but given his business relationship to D'Aquila's top man Traina and his long history with Morello, who by 1928 had reclaimed some status, we can't be sure how much or how little Cecala was involved in high-level NYC politics. Cecala had also been close with Lupo in the early 1900s, so he was no stranger to the D'Aquila/Gambino family.

The Cecala murder was handled similarly to the 1930 murder of Manfredi Mineo and Stefano Ferrigno in that the murderers hid out in a vacant apartment near the Empire Yeast office that Cecala walked by every day. At least two shooters fired through two open windows. A bag of sandwiches, two shotguns, and a handgun were found in the vacant apartment, while Cecala was found with his money still on him, indicating a thoroughly-planned mafia murder. Similarity in hits could be a coincidence or could be an indication that conspirators in the Cecala plot were later involved in the Mineo/Ferrigno plot; though Maranzano shooters killed Mineo/Ferrigno, the Lucchese family was involved in the conspiracy, which could be a connection to Cecala.

Cecala had operated at high-levels of the mafia for decades and was President of the company before Traina, but there is no information on Cecala's exact rank or status in the NYC mafia at the time of his death. Bill Feather has him listed as a Lucchese member, which would fit Cecala's Corleonese background, but I haven't seen confirmation and he may have been one of the minority Corleone members who joined Morello under Masseria. Either way, his murder doesn't appear to have been a source of conflict like other murders from this era, indicating it may have been sanctioned by his own group. It's also an indication that he wasn't simply an old has-been from the early 1900s when you consider his role within the important Empire Yeast Company and the apparent "necessity" of his murder.

Cecala and Morello were also involved with the United Lathing Company, which was a Corleone-centric version of what we see with businesses like Empire Yeast. The lathing industry in general was dominated by the early Corleone mafia element in NYC. I'm not aware of any mafia domination in the entire yeast industry despite this strong early interest from mafiosi, but obviously the yeast business tied into bootlegging, so this gave them a legitimate reason to handle yeast and would have been a major advantage in illegal bootlegging, which continued for years after prohibition.

[AlexfromSouth]

I'm so sorry becsuse this is of topic but was Johnny Dio ever a capo?

[bronx]

i do not think so

[B.]

I'm so sorry becsuse this is of topic but was Johnny Dio ever a capo?

No need to apologize, man. I'm interested in knowing more about the Dioguardis as well.

Most if not all of the references I've seen to him being a captain are from journalists. He was an infamous and influential member which can be a recipe for misinfo where suddenly soldiers are called captains, captains are bosses, and the Commission is the National Crime Syndicate.

The Valachi chart has John Dioguardi as a soldier. The Valachi charts aren't the gold standard of accuracy, but he was close to the Luccheses and knew the membership well, so I would give some weight to Valachi's take on this particular family.

In 1966, an informant reported that one of the reasons for the La Stella meeting involved John Dioguardi being "scheduled" for promotion to a higher position. Dioguardi was a soldier, so if true it could mean he was in consideration for captain. The wording implies the promotion either didn't happen or the informant simply didn't know. The following year Dioguardi was allegedly in consideration for a bigger promotion.

After Tommy Lucchese died, some of the candidates for Lucchese boss mentioned by informants were Anthony Corallo, Carmine Tramunti, Vincent Rao, James Plumeri, and John Dioguardi. Rao was the consigliere and Corallo, Tramunti, and Plumeri were captains. Dioguardi is the only candidate not identified as a captain or higher on a corresponding family chart from the time, but was clearly an influential enough name to be mentioned alongside the other candidates.

[bronx]

his name was high profile, but from what i know he was never a captain..but i was not there..lol

[nowandlater]

Isn't yeast an ingredient used in the production of beer? Is it possible given the mentioned time frame (late 1920's, 1930's) the ownership and control of yeast put them in control of a segment of the liquor industry (or what would eventually become the liquor industry after prohibition) whether the beer was produced legally or illegally yeast would have been a necessary ingredient giving them a foot in the door and a controlling interest at that time and into the future.

[Raven]

Yes, yeast is used in beer. It,s a main ingredient.

[B.]

Siragusa's involvement in the yeast industry was believed by law enforcement to have been directly connected to bootlegging. I'd guess Empire Yeast in general had endless connections to bootlegging. A number of Philly members active alongside the Scafidis were involved in the legitimate beer business after prohibition. Seems likely Empire supplied them.

In DiLeonardo's Q&A on the board, he says his grandfather was another name connected with Empire Yeast, so I added him to the original post.

[AlexfromSouth]

Thanks B. And bronx for your answers.