Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose, Emeryville) Deep Dive

[Extortion]

San Jose had 3 members out of like 20-25 all fbi informants during the 1960s. There was a guy made named salvatore constanza who became an informant shortly after he joined. He was not a street guy but just a sicilian neighbor of this guy named alex camarata who purposed his neighbor and basically after they asked this guy to kill somebody he flipped and all the killings got prevented.

There was a shakedown attempt that went on for 10 years where they Could not collect $100,000 from a casino owner in the 50s and 60s simply because the guy had wanted his stepmother killed but decided against it later and nothing ever transpired or got paid out (which makes sense) but the guy peter misasuca was let down by not being able to kill or collect the money

Eventually the shakedown attempt starting making headlines and embarassing the san jose family.

[Geekgang666]

Here's a new video called: San Jose Crime Family Bosses Timeline (1940-1990s) click on the link below to view the video. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/2I-QSu0IRdA

[sdeitche]

Alfonso Conetto was born in 1884 and appears to have been living or staying in Florida in the late 1910s during WWI, but was a resident of San Jose by 1920.

According to his WWII card, he was from "Allesandro, Italy" (sic). This may be a reference to Alessandro di Camporeale, Sicily.

"Allesandro" is actually a reference to Alessandria della Rocca in Agrigento. Along with Conetto living in Florida before San Jose, his son-in-law was named Frank Valenti and lived in Tampa prior to San Jose. The Tampa connection is a great clue that Connetto was from Allesandria della Rocca given that was the hometown of most Tampa mafia members. Connetto himself lived in West Tampa prior to San Jose.

The brother of Santo Trafficante Sr., Epifanio, also moved to the Bay Area, so that is another connection to Alessandria della Rocca and Tampa in the area.

Epifanio was Santo Jr's brother (born in 1918). I have never seen information he lived in the Bay Area. I'm not sure that's accurate. I have regular file mentions of him from his youth through the 1980s in Tampa.

[Antiliar]

Alfonso Conetto was born in 1884 and appears to have been living or staying in Florida in the late 1910s during WWI, but was a resident of San Jose by 1920.

According to his WWII card, he was from "Allesandro, Italy" (sic). This may be a reference to Alessandro di Camporeale, Sicily.

"Allesandro" is actually a reference to Alessandria della Rocca in Agrigento. Along with Conetto living in Florida before San Jose, his son-in-law was named Frank Valenti and lived in Tampa prior to San Jose. The Tampa connection is a great clue that Connetto was from Allesandria della Rocca given that was the hometown of most Tampa mafia members. Connetto himself lived in West Tampa prior to San Jose.

The brother of Santo Trafficante Sr., Epifanio, also moved to the Bay Area, so that is another connection to Alessandria della Rocca and Tampa in the area.

Epifanio was Santo Jr's brother (born in 1918). I have never seen information he lived in the Bay Area. I'm not sure that's accurate. I have regular file mentions of him from his youth through the 1980s in Tampa.

This Epifanio Trafficante, born in 1896.

Trafficante, Epifanio (b1896) WWII Draft Reg Card.jpg

[sdeitche]

Alfonso Conetto was born in 1884 and appears to have been living or staying in Florida in the late 1910s during WWI, but was a resident of San Jose by 1920.

According to his WWII card, he was from "Allesandro, Italy" (sic). This may be a reference to Alessandro di Camporeale, Sicily.

"Allesandro" is actually a reference to Alessandria della Rocca in Agrigento. Along with Conetto living in Florida before San Jose, his son-in-law was named Frank Valenti and lived in Tampa prior to San Jose. The Tampa connection is a great clue that Connetto was from Allesandria della Rocca given that was the hometown of most Tampa mafia members. Connetto himself lived in West Tampa prior to San Jose.

The brother of Santo Trafficante Sr., Epifanio, also moved to the Bay Area, so that is another connection to Alessandria della Rocca and Tampa in the area.

Epifanio was Santo Jr's brother (born in 1918). I have never seen information he lived in the Bay Area. I'm not sure that's accurate. I have regular file mentions of him from his youth through the 1980s in Tampa.

This Epifanio Trafficante, born in 1896.
Trafficante, Epifanio (b1896) WWII Draft Reg Card.jpg

Do not believe it's a direct relation. There was a Santo Trafecante in Tampa, as well as a few others with that spelling in Florida. Santo Sr did not have a brother Epifanio that I found from genealogical research. Also, Santo Sr did not live at that address.

I do wonder, though, if there is some familial connection back in Allessandrai Della Rocca (the Trafficantes originally just had one 'f' in their name back there).

Regarding Conetto, he had a brother Ciro, who I imagine also moved out to California?

[Antiliar]

I found a passenger manifest for the Vincenzo Florio arriving in New York on May 7, 1901, carrying a Santo Traficante, 15, and an Epifanio Traficante, 5, with their mother Lucia Marino, 38. Their last residence was Bivona and their destination was to an uncle named Gioacchino Riggio on 8th Avenue in Tampa. Also found a Petition for Naturalization from Epifanio Trafficante (with two f's) who said he was born on November 17, 1894 (on other records I found November 18 or 19 and years ranging from 1890 to 1897), and he came from Ciancimina. In 1923 he lived at 1503 20th Street in Tampa. The witnesses were Pasquale Cacciatore and G. Ferlita. Says he arrived on the Lombardia on September 3, 1902. According to the California Death Index, his dates are: NAME: Epifanio Trafecante
BIRTH: 19 Nov 1890 - Other Country
DEATH: 28 Sep 1975 - Santa Clara

The World War II Draft Registration Card that I posted gives a birth date of August 19, 1896 and gives his brother as Santo Trafficante of 1503 20th Street in Tampa, so despite the different dates they are the same Epifanio Trafficante. So his brother was a Santo Trafficante who was born in 1886 in Ciancimina and whose mother was Lucia Marino.

According to a Declaration of Intention for a Santo Trafficante born on May 28, 1886 in Ciancimina, he also arrived on the Lombardia on September of 1902, but says the day was the 28th. I didn't get any results for passenger manifests for the Lombardia in September 1902 carrying the Trafficantes. Don't know if that info helps or not, but that's what I found.

[sdeitche]

I found a passenger manifest for the Vincenzo Florio arriving in New York on May 7, 1901, carrying a Santo Traficante, 15, and an Epifanio Traficante, 5, with their mother Lucia Marino, 38. Their last residence was Bivona and their destination was to an uncle named Gioacchino Riggio on 8th Avenue in Tampa. Also found a Petition for Naturalization from Epifanio Trafficante (with two f's) who said he was born on November 17, 1894 (on other records I found November 18 or 19 and years ranging from 1890 to 1897), and he came from Ciancimina. In 1923 he lived at 1503 20th Street in Tampa. The witnesses were Pasquale Cacciatore and G. Ferlita. Says he arrived on the Lombardia on September 3, 1902. According to the California Death Index, his dates are: NAME: Epifanio Trafecante
BIRTH: 19 Nov 1890 - Other Country
DEATH: 28 Sep 1975 - Santa Clara

The World War II Draft Registration Card that I posted gives a birth date of August 19, 1896 and gives his brother as Santo Trafficante of 1503 20th Street in Tampa, so despite the different dates they are the same Epifanio Trafficante. So his brother was a Santo Trafficante who was born in 1886 in Ciancimina and whose mother was Lucia Marino.

According to a Declaration of Intention for a Santo Trafficante born on May 28, 1886 in Ciancimina, he also arrived on the Lombardia on September of 1902, but says the day was the 28th. I didn't get any results for passenger manifests for the Lombardia in September 1902 carrying the Trafficantes. Don't know if that info helps or not, but that's what I found.

Wow, I just had a major brain slip. I looked at the intro to MY book The Silent Don and yes, his brother Epifanio is there (all the other info that you have is correct- not sure where the Lombardia info comes from as I've seen it before in various files (FBI, DEA). The Lombardia did not dock in Sept 1902.) Not sure where my head was at. In all fairness I haven't read the book since I wrote it in 2005!

So much info in my head, some of it spills out! My apologies.

I did not, however, know he moved to California. So that's new.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

What connections did the Lanzas have with NY? I know there was a Lanza with Luciano, Joseph "Socks" Lanza. Any relation to the Frisco Lanzas?

Socks had a great mug, too.

[Antiliar]

Francesco Lanza was probably a member of the Schiro crime family in Brooklyn before he moved out the San Francisco.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Francesco Lanza was probably a member of the Schiro crime family in Brooklyn before he moved out the San Francisco.

Thanks.

A wikipedia entry on Schiro's page about Schiro members going on to be bosses in other cites references what I believe is your book as a source.

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/739915

Might have to get this on my reading list. Looks good.

[matteogalante38]

Apologies for starting this thread then going AWOL, just been juggling a lot. I had been having an email conversation with Lennert from this forum but that has also slowed down a bit. Anyway, from that discussion and my own notes, I think I’m in a good place to jump back in... I appreciate all of the responses thus far.

I read a book called Reno: Mob City. The writing was rather amateurish yet still informative. A lot about Bones Remmer and his association with the early Reno big wigs like Wingfield.

I recently picked up (a $4 Kindle copy of) Mob City: Reno, and I gotta say, while the writing does have quite a few grammatical errors, the info is great and I'm enjoying it. 

Re: Sam Lima being San Fran consigliere in 1929. This is a good piece of info not just for the trivia of it, but because we have few confirmed examples of the consigliere position pre-1931...

I have very little in my notes about Sam Lima after moving to California, aside from what's in this thread, and that he was questioned around 1947 in connection with narcotics rackets in Northern CA. Is there any other significant info about his CA activities, or about who may have been the next consigliere? 

What connections did the Lanzas have with NY? I know there was a Lanza with Luciano, Joseph "Socks" Lanza. Any relation to the Frisco Lanzas?

I don't believe there was any connection between these Lanzas...

Was joe piazza the guy tied up in the sly fanner  murders  in Cleveland
Joe piazza aka. Dominic lonardo

I believe so

It sounds like it , so he is saying that piazza was killed

- Gentile also talks about Joe Piazza, who he says was a young man during the above events, obviously living in the SF area at the time. What year did the Lonardo "Joe Piazza" flee from Cleveland? Was it early 1920s?

Off the top of my head I think The shooting was in 1919 , so yeah early 20’s , if I am not mistaken there are some marry ferrel reports of a former consigliere moving from Cleveland to San Fran  could establish some connection as to why he went to sams Fran . Again we don’t know if the reports on marry Ferrell are true , but piazza beat extradition to Ohio and at some point was reported missing assumed whacked

Regarding Dominic “Joseph Piazza” Lonardo, I had also assumed that Lonardo could be Frank Lanza’s underboss, though I'm still wrestling with that idea. The Sly-Fanner murders seem to have occurred in December, 1920. I'm not sure when Dominic Lonardo was born, but I'm guessing after 1884, so would it make sense for an underboss to be around that age? And does Gentile ever mention (doesn't seem like it) that Joe Piazza could be from Ohio or related to the Lonardos? If not, is that odd?

Is there any evidence that San Jose soldier Joseph L. Piazza was related to underboss Piazza? It sounds like (Lima) had suggested the elder Piazza was a grandfather of Joseph L., though I haven't found any proof. It sounds like neither of Joseph L.'s grandfathers were named Giuseppe...

[Patrickgold]

What about these families in the 80’s and 90s. Interesting that Frank Vellota, the burglar friend Jimmy the Weasel, was listed as the boss of San Fran in the 90s. How true is that? Another name that comes up frequently is Angelo Commito, who before moving to the Bay Area from Chicago, was a Chicago Outfit associate involved in white collar crimes.

[Stroccos]

What about these families in the 80’s and 90s. Interesting that Frank Vellota, the burglar friend Jimmy the Weasel, was listed as the boss of San Fran in the 90s. How true is that? Another name that comes up frequently is Angelo Commito, who before moving to the Bay Area from Chicago, was a Chicago Outfit associate involved in white collar crimes.

I doubt frank was even made

[Grouchy Sinatra]

San Francisco was active as hell during Prohibition. A mini-Chicago. Not many big players since the elder Lanza and Bones Remmer, who was with Luciano/Costello. After he moved to Tahoe, it was mostly Joe Bonanno allies who owned food distributorships and ran small vice rackets.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Remmer's old joint the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville is still open.