Misc. older Philly info

[B.]

Saw a snippet of a report confirming that Rocco Scafidi was still informing on the Philadelphia family in 1975. He identified Phil Testa as the underboss and Frank Sindone as a "high-ranking member" of the family. This confirms that Sindone was inducted by this time (and likely had been for a few years), but the designation as "high-ranking" adds to my belief that Sindone was direct with the administration. He was sponsored by Angelo Bruno and one of the member informants said that each boss in the organization's history had a decina of his own, as did the underboss. This was true of underbosses Reginelli and Denaro, as well as the consigliere Rugnetta. Angelo Bruno is believed to have had Harry Riccobene directly under him in addition to a number of associates, so there does appear to have been a "decina" under Bruno. When Caramandi was placed direct with Scarfo, he described it in terms akin to becoming like a high-ranking member without the title, so this would explain why Sindone was seen this way if he was direct with Bruno/admin.

Because my old Philly thread got archived and was an unmanageable length anyway, I might use this to post random bits on this family. Here is the original: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=128

[Pogo The Clown]

Phil Leonetti continued to have his old crew report to him while he was UnderBoss as well. Don't think Pete Casella or Chucky Merlino had crews though.


Pogo

[chin_gigante]

Sindone was working direct with Testa in some of his loan sharking activities during the seventies. Around 1972/3 I believe, one of the individuals who had borrowed money from Sindone wanted to lend cash to another person, and to do this he had to get permission from Sindone and Testa

[chin_gigante]

While working for Sindone, Ciancaglini was responsible also for coordinating a few numbers operations and delivering cash straight to Bruno. Further evidence of Sindone being direct with the administration

[B.]

There's a ~1980 government report where Ciancaglini is said to have become a member in 1973. The same report said that Stanfa had been a member of the Sicilian mafia before joining the Philly family which appears to be true. Knowing now that Scafidi was still providing up to date information on the family as of 1975 and was previously forthcoming about inductions and member identifications, it's possible he provided this info on Ciancaglini or even Stanfa. Similar reports pull their information from both contemporary and historic informants. Who knows what other sources in Philly the FBI may have had by the 1970s in addition to Scafidi. Riccobene was back on the street and Caramandi was told by Chucky Merlino that they wanted to kill him because he was an FBI informant, which turned out to be true. The question is if Riccobene was still actively informing in the 1970s/80s and how Scarfo/Merlino learned of it.

Ciancaglini wasn't proposed with Sindone and the others in the delayed 1969 ceremony unless he was one of the associates proposed by Lulu Esposito who got shot down. We still don't know the exact date/year when the ceremony finally happened and can't be sure what names were added/subtracted by the time it finally went down. Ciancaglini is made out to be a driver/subordinate of Sindone until his death which is a strange arrangement if they were both technically soldiers. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he was inducted in the same ceremony as Sindone.

[jmack]

B, I know you have a very good understanding of that timeframe in Philly. Do you think it was common knowledge that Riccobene was an informant? I figured that were using the rat label just as another justification to have him killed. In the past I think that term gets used somewhat loosely when they want someone to go.

[B.]

B, I know you have a very good understanding of that timeframe in Philly. Do you think it was common knowledge that Riccobene was an informant? I figured that were using the rat label just as another justification to have him killed. In the past I think that term gets used somewhat loosely when they want someone to go.

It wasn't common knowledge, as Caramandi didn't believe it. I don't know of any other Philly contracts during Scarfo's era or earlier where someone was falsely labeled an informant. This is why it'd be great if Leonetti didn't some kind of Q&A, as he is one of few people who could tell us where they got the information about Riccobene being an informant, which was accurate.

[B.]

- During the incarceration of Nick Scarfo, Phil Testa, and Rocco Scafidi, captain Nick Piccolo actively visited the jail ostensibly to visit his nephew Scarfo, but was in actuality bringing messages to and from the incarcerated members. During these visits, Piccolo was a part of discussions, along with Scarfo and Testa, to murder underboss Ignazio Denaro. It was felt that Denaro may flip due to an indictment against him. Denaro had also fallen out with Angelo Bruno a few years earlier which no doubt was a factor, though mention isn't made of Bruno's approval or involvement in the plot.

- Issues between Ignazio Denaro and Angelo Bruno were talked about in the earlier thread and probably elsewhere on the board. One of the "later" incidents involved a letter between Denaro and Giuseppe Traina that was brought to Bruno's attention by another member who came into possession of it (believed to be Sam Scafidi, who is a logical middleman). There was also a meeting between Denaro and Carlo Gambino where Gambino allegedly took Bruno's side. An earlier incident involved Denaro meeting with Joe Profaci in NYC prior to his (Profaci's) death, which may have been what initially drew Bruno's ire.

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- One Philly informant was associate Edward Veneziale. He was willing to cooperate in particular against Angelo Bruno because Bruno was the main suspect in the murder of his brother Marshall Veneziale. Not sure how extensive Veneziale's information was and haven't cross-referenced to see what all he may have provided. Another brother, Charles Veneziale, was an associate on record with Felix DeTullio.

- James Scafidi identified as an associate of Felix DeTullio circa early 1960s. This might be James Scafidi Jr. (b. 1928, Philadelphia), can't confirm. Not sure how this Scafidi connects to the well-known Scafidis but DeTullio had a history with the South Jersey Barrale/Scafidi guys and Rocco Scafidi reported that DeTullio had buried murder victims at the farm property previously owned by Francesco Barrale, so there was some relationship.

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- Dominick Oliveto may have been Pasquale Massi's acting captain prior to Jack Lanciano. Angelo Bruno held monthly meetings of the family leadership in his early years as boss and when Pat Massi wasn't available to attend (Massi frequently traveled and had a home in Italy) he was reportedly represented by Oliveto. In another report, Oliveto was identified by Rocco Scafidi as a capodecina along with the familiar captain names of the period. Later it would be reported that Oliveto was active as a soldier under Lanciano. The most likely explanation is that Oliveto was Massi's acting captain for a time after Oliveto left the administration.

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- LE surveillance logs from the late 1970s showed that in addition to expected names like Raymond Martorano, Phil Testa, Frank Narducci, and other close Bruno members/associates, Nicky Scarfo was a regular visitor to Angelo Bruno's home. From Leonetti's testimony we also know that Angelo Bruno visited Scarfo in Atlantic City and the two socialized together with members of other families.

[Ivan]

- LE surveillance logs from the late 1970s showed that in addition to expected names like Raymond Martorano, Phil Testa, Frank Narducci, and other close Bruno members/associates, Nicky Scarfo was a regular visitor to Angelo Bruno's home. From Leonetti's testimony we also know that Angelo Bruno visited Scarfo in Atlantic City and the two socialized together with members of other families.

That whole "Bruno hated Scarfo for his violent ways and banished him to AC" thing seems to have been a complete and total myth, not really substantiated by anything. I'm guessing it was mostly propagated by law enforcement figures who personally disliked Scarfo.

[chin_gigante]

That whole "Bruno hated Scarfo for his violent ways and banished him to AC" thing seems to have been a complete and total myth, not really substantiated by anything. I'm guessing it was mostly propagated by law enforcement figures who personally disliked Scarfo.

One of the crime commission reports from the 1990s, that contains a lot of accurate information from Phil Leonetti's testimony, mentions that tensions between Bruno and Scarfo (over Scarfo's closeness to Phil Testa) got to such a point that Scarfo suspected in the late 1970s John Calabrese had attempted to set him up to be hit on behalf of Bruno. So, at least after the New Jersey gaming referendum, tensions between Scarfo and Bruno were real. Previous to this, Ivan, you would be right in that Scarfo's biggest problem wasn't being hatee by Bruno but rather Joe Rugnetta trying to get him killed

[PHL_Mob]

Scarfo built a wall behind his Georgia Ave home so that people couldn’t shoot into the kitchen during the time of severe tension with Bruno. Scarfo rebuffed Bruno’s offer to pay him to side with him over Testa and just said “Una Familia” meaning we shouldn’t pick sides against one another. Frank Sheeren was even sent down by Bruno to stalk Scarfo. You can still see the wall today behind Nicky’s house. Kind of cool relic...

[NJShore4Life]

Scarfo built a wall behind his Georgia Ave home so that people couldn’t shoot into the kitchen during the time of severe tension with Bruno. Scarfo rebuffed Bruno’s offer to pay him to side with him over Testa and just said “Una Familia” meaning we shouldn’t pick sides against one another. Frank Sheeren was even sent down by Bruno to stalk Scarfo. You can still see the wall today behind Nicky’s house. Kind of cool relic...

Yep that wall is still there. Nothing better than a great meal at Angeloni’s followed by a walk down Georgia Ave past the old Scarfo compound in Ducktown.

[B.]

Some info on obscure short-lived soldier Robert Lumio:
- Grew up in Philadelphia, living in South Jersey by the early 1960s. Friend of Frank Gerace since high school.
- Made his rounds as a popular bartender and nightclub manager, primarily in the Atlantic City area.
- Earlier in the 1960s worked at the Tradewinds then in the mid-1960s become manager at the Fort Pitt nightclub in Atlantic City. Lumio's position at the club put him in contact with popular musical acts of the era.
- In 1971, the daughter of "Diamond Lil" Lillian Reis' was opening a nightclub called the Celebrity Room, named after the infamous club Lil Reis and her boyfriend Junior Staino previously operated, and Bobby Lumio was going to be the manager. It's unclear if this panned out. Later, Junior Staino's nephew Anthony Staino would be an official for Local 54, which held Lumio as its treasurer until his 1981 death so there is another connection.
- Busted in 1973 on a federal gambling arrest for sports betting w/ Gary Garramone, Albert Catalano Jr., Emilio Tramontino Jr., resulting in a 1974 conviction. Garramone was involved with union scams as well, running a consulting company dealing with dental benefits.
- Later in the 1970s Lumio worked as bartender at Saul Kane's "My Way" lounge, a well-known mob hangout where the Scarfo crew operated from.
- Began living in the Scarfo apartment building by the later 1970s. Frank Gerace's mother also lived in the Scarfo building and both Lumio and Gerace regularly met and socialized with Scarfo given their proximity.
- Became secretary-treasurer for Local 54 in 1979. Lumio had no labor union experience, having been working as a bartender immediately prior to his appointment. Technically appointed by his close friend Frank Gerace, though Scarfo boasted that he was responsible for appointing both Lumio and Gerace. Joseph Salerno, who lived in the Scarfo apartments as well during this time, testified that he heard Scarfo regularly berate Lumio, even in front of others. Lumio was described as an independent-minded individual and union decisions he made without consulting Scarfo were often the source of Scarfo's anger. Note that this was prior to Lumio's induction as a made member.
- Phil Leonetti, who also lived in the building and was inducted alongside Lumio, described Lumio as a cousin of Angelo Bruno in his testimony. It appears "Lumio" is a variation of the name Lumia, a name commonly found in Villalba, Angelo Bruno's hometown. While I can't confirm the details, Lumio's family likely came from Villalba which lends itself to Leonetti's statement.
- Despite the alleged relationship to Angelo Bruno, Lumio appears to have been an associate in the Scarfo crew from at least the late 1970s onward while Bruno was still alive with no indication that he was particularly close to Bruno, though much about Lumio remains unknown.
- It isn't clear if Lumio was still a resident of the Scarfo building at the time of his induction, but this induction ceremony is interesting as four of the attendees were either still living or had been living until recently in the same small apartment building; this would be the inductees Lumio, Leonetti, and Lawrence Merlino, along with consigliere Scarfo.
- Lumio was still the treasurer of Local 54 at the time of his death. He was replaced by family associate Albert Daidone, who was close to Long John Martorano. Scarfo immediately proposed Daidone for mafia membership following Lumio's death and Daidone's appointment, indicating to Leonetti that it was important to have a made member in this position. However, Daidone would not be inducted given his conviction alongside Martorano for the McCullough murder.

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Random stuff on Frank Monte and Belmonte Mezzagno:
- Frank Monte's grandfather came to Philadelphia from Belmonte Mezzagno, Sicily, like the Scafidis, Casellas, Cappellos, and Barrales.
- Monte grew up in the house of his grandfather with neighbors who emigrated from Belmonte alongside the elder Monte. Though these neighbors have no known mafia affiliation it nonetheless shows that this was a close-knit, if not related group of paesani.
- The Belmonte background could be one reason Monte was close to Rocco Scafidi, their close friendship being evident through Scafidi's cooperation with the FBI. Monte may have become associated with Phil Testa when Testa was a soldier in the crew of Gaetano Scafidi, Rocco's father. Perhaps coincidentally, Scafidi was taken off the shelf and reinstated into the family at the same induction ceremony where Monte was inducted.
- Like countless other Philadelphia members, Monte worked at bars in South Jersey and Philadelphia, later working at Phil Testa's restaurant Virgilio's.
- As has been mentioned before, Rocco Scafidi provided info to the FBI that indicated Felix DeTullio had a close relationship with the Belmontesi members in South Jersey and buried murder victims at Cheech Barrale's farm, which was also used for early family meetings. This relationship carried over to DeTullio's protege Nicky Scarfo, who as a soldier had a gambling partnership in the Vineland area with Barrale relatives Joseph and Samuel Scafidi. Scarfo also committed the murder of Dominick "Reds" Caruso at a Vineland bar owned by Joseph Scafidi's brother-in-law, soldier Anthony Perella. Scarfo of course was also very close with Frank Monte, with Monte replacing Scarfo as consigliere when Scarfo became boss.
- Another member who appears to have had heritage from Belmonte Mezzagno was Salvatore "Shotsie" Sparacio. Though there are no known indications that he was close to the other Belmontesi, Sparacio closely associated with Scarfo cousin and soldier Tony Piccolo prior to his induction and through their time as family leaders under Stanfa. Just sort of interesting that despite hype about the "Calabrians vs. Sicilians" (which was a real rivalry), we have examples of the Belmontesi, who formed the core of the Sicilian group, having close friendships with key members of the Calabrian group spanning decades.

[B.]

- Carl Ippolito came from Villalba and his mother was a Vizzini, first cousin of the infamous Calogero Vizzini given their fathers were brothers. There was also an associate of the Philly family in Trenton, Angelo Vizzini, son of Ippolito's maternal uncle, making him Carl Ippolito's first cousin.

- Angelo Bruno Annaloro and his relatives were accompanied by a Lucia Vizzini from Villalba when they arrived in the US. Lucia's father in Sicily was named Angelo Vizzini and she was headed to her husband Salvatore Annaloro in Trenton, which would explain why she accompanied the Bruno Annaloros. It also shows the Annaloro name had an early presence in Trenton along with the other relatives / paesani there.

- On his office bug, Angelo Bruno described his friendship with an elder "amico nostra" in the Philly family who was Bruno's father Michele Bruno Annaloro's "compare". The FBI believed this person was the best man at Annaloro's wedding (which took place in Sicily), though I think they were just making an assumption based on the word "compare" and it wasn't necessarily Annaloro's best man. This member was still alive in late 1963 and I'm curious if it was someone we're already familiar with or an unknown older member.

[Ivan]

Frank Sheeren was even sent down by Bruno to stalk Scarfo.

Scarfo's quote on this matter was a doozy: "You tell Angie if I see that guy in Atlantic City again I'm gonna send him back to Philadelphia in six trash bags. Two for his arms, two for his legs, one for his torso, and one for that big stupid fucking Irish head of his."