General Mob Questions

[maxiestern11]

I think Rudy Santobello (Genovese) operated there as well

[Cactus]

Deff good question. Bronx Tale is touring rn. I will be seeing it in Detroit not this Tuesday but next Tuesday. This time it's a musical...

https://youtu.be/IfblQ8aqCK0

That's a quick interview w Palmeteri where he says it's about his family and his dad was bus driver.

There is a sequel to this that iv never seen and want to. Jimmy whispers returns to the Bronx. (Or possibly returns to mulberry st)

But I am assuming that Sonny was possibly Lucchese family.... What do we know about Belmont Ave???

3 crews. Genovese, Gambino and Lucchese guys

[bronx]

daquila was a bronx guy also ,moved back forth b
from bath beach to bronx

[RicoJames_93]

Thanks for the details guys.

[Hired_Goonz]

I have a completely random question. In the 80s a bunch of guys from the Lucchese Jersey crew went on trial for RICO which they ended up beating, and I believe it was at the time the longest trial in US history or something like that. They were indicted in 85 and acquitted in 88. My question is, were they all out on bail during the whole process or were they locked down? If they were held without bail, does anyone know who was running things on the street?

[scagghiuni]

Most, if not all, of Chicago guys were made without an actual ceremony. A lot of the DeCavalcante guys didn't go through the traditional ceremony until Gotti found out and made them go through it again. For a long time the Bonannos didn't use a traditional ceremony either. I guess you could count them as incomplete ceremonies.


Pogo

who said it? massino, vitale

[johnny_scootch]

Most, if not all, of Chicago guys were made without an actual ceremony. A lot of the DeCavalcante guys didn't go through the traditional ceremony until Gotti found out and made them go through it again. For a long time the Bonannos didn't use a traditional ceremony either. I guess you could count them as incomplete ceremonies.


Pogo

who said it? massino, vitale

Yes Massino and many other informants, here is some info from LCNBios


June 14, 1977

Location: Bar (Queens)

Attendees
- Carmine Galante (67y) (Acting Boss) [Murdered 1979]
- Nicholas Marangello (64y) (Underboss) [Died 2000]
- Stefano Cannone (64y) (Consigliere) [Died 1985]

- Alfred 'Al Walker' Embarrato (67y) (Soldier) [Died 2001]

Members Inducted
1. Joseph 'Junior' Chilli (43y) [Died 2008]
2. Emanuel 'Manny' Guaragna (44y) [Died 2008]
3. Joseph 'J.B.' Indelicato (46y)
4. Joseph Massino (34y) [Flipped 2004]
5. Anthony Spero (48y) [Died 2008]

Notes:

- Ceremony conducted at night in back of bar. Business not closed and other patrons were present at location. In an attempt to deflect suspicion, food was laid out and "Happy Birthday" was played on the jukebox to make it appear the group was assembled for a party.

- Induction through verbal oath only. Massino: "They said, 'Normally, we put a gun and knife on the table. But the way times are, there's no gun and knife on the table. But imagine that it is.'"

c. September 1984

Location: Apartment (Marine Park, Brooklyn)

Attendees:
- Joseph Massino (41y) (Underboss) (Flipped 2004)
- Stefano Cannone (71y) (Consigliere) (Died 1985)

- Louis Attanasio (40y) (Captain)
- Frank Lino (46y) (Acting Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Anthony Spero (55y) (Acting Captain) (Died 2008)

Members Inducted:
- James 'Big Louie' Tartaglione (47y) (Flipped 2003) [Sponsored by J. Massino]
- Salvatore Vitale (37y) (Flipped 2003) [Sponsored by J. Massino]

Ceremony presided over by Cannone.

Vitale: "At the table was Mr. Massino, Louie Ha-Ha [Attanasio] and Stevie Beef [Cannone]. Stevie Beef was the official consigliere..They asked us to wait in another room. They brought us in, they sat us down, they told us you know what you're here for, we're not going to play any games with you, we're looking for a few good men, yous two have been picked, would you like to join our organized crime family. Right then and there we could have said no and left [with] no repercussions. We decided to join and they inducted us into their family."

Induction through verbal oath only:

Tartaglione: "They were giving us the rules. Before they gave us the rules, they turned around and said generally, we have a gun and knife here, but because of hard times, we are not going to have these things here."

Vitale: "It gets much more entailed than the way [Cannone] did it. [The] proper way to do it is you're supposed to have a gun, a knife, and a stake on the table, and the individual explains to you that the gun means that you came to this life with a gun in your hand, you leave with a gun in your hand. The dagger is that, if you came with a dagger, you're gonna leave with a dagger [and also] to prick your finger [and] to put the stake in your hand and to burn it, and you repeat after what they tell you, that, if you decide to cooperate, your soul will burn in Hell for eternity, just like the stake will burn in your hands, and then they explain the dos and don'ts to you, but [Cannone] didn't go through all that. He made it very short and sweet."



July 1990

Location: Storefront / Social Club (Bath Ave, Brooklyn)

Attendees:
- Anthony Spero (61y) (Consigliere) (Died 2008)

- Frank Lino (52y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Frank Porco (61y) (Acting Captain)
- Salvatore Vitale (42y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)

- Alfred Embarrato (80y) (Soldier) (Died 2001)

Members Inducted:
- Richard Cantarella (46y) (Flipped 2002) [Sponsored by A. Embarrato]
- Robert Lino Jr. (24y) [Sponsored by F. Lino]

Ceremony presided over by Vitale.

Induction through verbal oath only. Cantarella: "It was a very quick ceremony. [We] all held hands, and I swore to secrecy, and given some of the rules, and I was [assigned] to a captain, and that was it."


August 17, 1991

Location: Barbieri Residence (Astoria, Queens)

Attendees:
- Anthony Spero (62y) (Consigliere) (Died 2008)

- Patrick DeFilippo (52y) (Acting Captain) (Died 2013)
- Louis Restivo (56y) (Captain) (Died 2014)
- Gerlando Sciascia (57y) (Captain) (Murdered 1999)
- James Tartaglione (54y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Salvatore Vitale (44y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)

Members Inducted:
- Generoso 'Jimmy General' Barbieri (32y) (Flipped 2005) [Sponsored by J. Tartaglione]
- Anthony 'Tony Nicole' Frascone (42y) [Sponsored by P. DeFilippo]
- Pietro Ligammari (30y) (Suicide 1999) [Sponsored by G. Sciascia]

Ceremony presided over by Spero and Vitale.

Induction through verbal oath only.

Barbieri: "They asked us do we know why we're here. Of course we all said no..Then they told us some different rules about the Bonanno Family; that if you had any problems with anybody before this day, you didn't do anything about it, you couldn't do anything about it anymore. Never to speak to law enforcement. Never go out with another guy's wife. Not to sell drugs. [Because] of the FBI surveillance, they didnt use a knife and a gun..Vitale and Spero, they went through the ceremony, telling us all different things about what to do, what not to do. Then we locked hands and basically that's how it went."


c. Early 1998

Attendees:
- Joseph Massino (55y) (Boss) (Flipped 2004)
- Salvatore Vitale (51y) (Underboss) (Flipped 2003)

- James Tartaglione (60y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Other Unspecified Captain(s)

Members Inducted:
- Sandro Aiosa (55y) [Sponsored by V. Asaro]
- Joseph Grimaldi (27y)
- Anthony Navarra (26y) [Sponsored by A. Urso]

CW Francesco Fiordilino later claimed he was told the following by Grimaldi: "[Grimaldi] said they drove out to the [Long Island Expressway], two cars, they went out there, they stopped [and exited the vehicles], they told him: Listen, we are not going to go through the ceremony and these guys are made, don't tell nobody."

CW Tartaglione stated he was present when the above were inducted but mentioned nothing unusual in how it was carried out.


PJ Pisciotti ceremony

In December 1997 formally inducted into Bonanno Family in ceremony held inside Long Island hotel room. Those present were Boss Joseph Massino, Underboss Salvatore Vitale and Capodecinas Frank Coppa and Frank Lino. Inducted were Pisciotti and 'somebody named Richie', believed referring to Lino crew member Richard Riccardi. Pisciotti: "We sat around a table, Joe [Massino] explained the rules of the Family, how he wanted people to conduct themselves in the Family. He told us how we're supposed to act, spoke in Italian, said some things. At the end of the day we shake hands, kissed each other. That was the end of it."

[Amershire_Ed]

Most, if not all, of Chicago guys were made without an actual ceremony. A lot of the DeCavalcante guys didn't go through the traditional ceremony until Gotti found out and made them go through it again. For a long time the Bonannos didn't use a traditional ceremony either. I guess you could count them as incomplete ceremonies.


Pogo

who said it? massino, vitale

Yes Massino and many other informants, here is some info from LCNBios


June 14, 1977

Location: Bar (Queens)

Attendees
- Carmine Galante (67y) (Acting Boss) [Murdered 1979]
- Nicholas Marangello (64y) (Underboss) [Died 2000]
- Stefano Cannone (64y) (Consigliere) [Died 1985]

- Alfred 'Al Walker' Embarrato (67y) (Soldier) [Died 2001]

Members Inducted
1. Joseph 'Junior' Chilli (43y) [Died 2008]
2. Emanuel 'Manny' Guaragna (44y) [Died 2008]
3. Joseph 'J.B.' Indelicato (46y)
4. Joseph Massino (34y) [Flipped 2004]
5. Anthony Spero (48y) [Died 2008]

Notes:

- Ceremony conducted at night in back of bar. Business not closed and other patrons were present at location. In an attempt to deflect suspicion, food was laid out and "Happy Birthday" was played on the jukebox to make it appear the group was assembled for a party.

- Induction through verbal oath only. Massino: "They said, 'Normally, we put a gun and knife on the table. But the way times are, there's no gun and knife on the table. But imagine that it is.'"

c. September 1984

Location: Apartment (Marine Park, Brooklyn)

Attendees:
- Joseph Massino (41y) (Underboss) (Flipped 2004)
- Stefano Cannone (71y) (Consigliere) (Died 1985)

- Louis Attanasio (40y) (Captain)
- Frank Lino (46y) (Acting Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Anthony Spero (55y) (Acting Captain) (Died 2008)

Members Inducted:
- James 'Big Louie' Tartaglione (47y) (Flipped 2003) [Sponsored by J. Massino]
- Salvatore Vitale (37y) (Flipped 2003) [Sponsored by J. Massino]

Ceremony presided over by Cannone.

Vitale: "At the table was Mr. Massino, Louie Ha-Ha [Attanasio] and Stevie Beef [Cannone]. Stevie Beef was the official consigliere..They asked us to wait in another room. They brought us in, they sat us down, they told us you know what you're here for, we're not going to play any games with you, we're looking for a few good men, yous two have been picked, would you like to join our organized crime family. Right then and there we could have said no and left [with] no repercussions. We decided to join and they inducted us into their family."

Induction through verbal oath only:

Tartaglione: "They were giving us the rules. Before they gave us the rules, they turned around and said generally, we have a gun and knife here, but because of hard times, we are not going to have these things here."

Vitale: "It gets much more entailed than the way [Cannone] did it. [The] proper way to do it is you're supposed to have a gun, a knife, and a stake on the table, and the individual explains to you that the gun means that you came to this life with a gun in your hand, you leave with a gun in your hand. The dagger is that, if you came with a dagger, you're gonna leave with a dagger [and also] to prick your finger [and] to put the stake in your hand and to burn it, and you repeat after what they tell you, that, if you decide to cooperate, your soul will burn in Hell for eternity, just like the stake will burn in your hands, and then they explain the dos and don'ts to you, but [Cannone] didn't go through all that. He made it very short and sweet."



July 1990

Location: Storefront / Social Club (Bath Ave, Brooklyn)

Attendees:
- Anthony Spero (61y) (Consigliere) (Died 2008)

- Frank Lino (52y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Frank Porco (61y) (Acting Captain)
- Salvatore Vitale (42y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)

- Alfred Embarrato (80y) (Soldier) (Died 2001)

Members Inducted:
- Richard Cantarella (46y) (Flipped 2002) [Sponsored by A. Embarrato]
- Robert Lino Jr. (24y) [Sponsored by F. Lino]

Ceremony presided over by Vitale.

Induction through verbal oath only. Cantarella: "It was a very quick ceremony. [We] all held hands, and I swore to secrecy, and given some of the rules, and I was [assigned] to a captain, and that was it."


August 17, 1991

Location: Barbieri Residence (Astoria, Queens)

Attendees:
- Anthony Spero (62y) (Consigliere) (Died 2008)

- Patrick DeFilippo (52y) (Acting Captain) (Died 2013)
- Louis Restivo (56y) (Captain) (Died 2014)
- Gerlando Sciascia (57y) (Captain) (Murdered 1999)
- James Tartaglione (54y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Salvatore Vitale (44y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)

Members Inducted:
- Generoso 'Jimmy General' Barbieri (32y) (Flipped 2005) [Sponsored by J. Tartaglione]
- Anthony 'Tony Nicole' Frascone (42y) [Sponsored by P. DeFilippo]
- Pietro Ligammari (30y) (Suicide 1999) [Sponsored by G. Sciascia]

Ceremony presided over by Spero and Vitale.

Induction through verbal oath only.

Barbieri: "They asked us do we know why we're here. Of course we all said no..Then they told us some different rules about the Bonanno Family; that if you had any problems with anybody before this day, you didn't do anything about it, you couldn't do anything about it anymore. Never to speak to law enforcement. Never go out with another guy's wife. Not to sell drugs. [Because] of the FBI surveillance, they didnt use a knife and a gun..Vitale and Spero, they went through the ceremony, telling us all different things about what to do, what not to do. Then we locked hands and basically that's how it went."


c. Early 1998

Attendees:
- Joseph Massino (55y) (Boss) (Flipped 2004)
- Salvatore Vitale (51y) (Underboss) (Flipped 2003)

- James Tartaglione (60y) (Captain) (Flipped 2003)
- Other Unspecified Captain(s)

Members Inducted:
- Sandro Aiosa (55y) [Sponsored by V. Asaro]
- Joseph Grimaldi (27y)
- Anthony Navarra (26y) [Sponsored by A. Urso]

CW Francesco Fiordilino later claimed he was told the following by Grimaldi: "[Grimaldi] said they drove out to the [Long Island Expressway], two cars, they went out there, they stopped [and exited the vehicles], they told him: Listen, we are not going to go through the ceremony and these guys are made, don't tell nobody."

CW Tartaglione stated he was present when the above were inducted but mentioned nothing unusual in how it was carried out.


PJ Pisciotti ceremony

In December 1997 formally inducted into Bonanno Family in ceremony held inside Long Island hotel room. Those present were Boss Joseph Massino, Underboss Salvatore Vitale and Capodecinas Frank Coppa and Frank Lino. Inducted were Pisciotti and 'somebody named Richie', believed referring to Lino crew member Richard Riccardi. Pisciotti: "We sat around a table, Joe [Massino] explained the rules of the Family, how he wanted people to conduct themselves in the Family. He told us how we're supposed to act, spoke in Italian, said some things. At the end of the day we shake hands, kissed each other. That was the end of it."

It’s amazing the Bonanno Family is viable at all today.....because Pistone’s infiltration combined with a boss, underboss, and several captains cooperating over the course a 20 year period would typically be too much to overcome.

[johnny_scootch]

It’s amazing the Bonanno Family is viable at all today.....because Pistone’s infiltration combined with a boss, underboss, and several captains cooperating over the course a 20 year period would typically be too much to overcome.

Their resiliency is astounding yet not surprising for a 120 year old criminal organization.

[Tonyd621]

Is Joe "Cafe" DeSena the one related to Pete Tuccio related to the Desena who created the Spartan Race and is in various publications (outsider magazine, CNBC, etc)

[Pogo The Clown]

It’s amazing the Bonanno Family is viable at all today.....because Pistone’s infiltration combined with a boss, underboss, and several captains cooperating over the course a 20 year period would typically be too much to overcome.

Their resiliency is astounding yet not surprising for a 120 year old criminal organization.

Since 2002 they have had 16 made members flip including the Boss, UnderBoss and 10 Capos or former Capos. And 6 of the 16 were wired for sound. Pretty incredible that they are still standing and functioning at the level they still are.


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

It’s amazing the Bonanno Family is viable at all today.....because Pistone’s infiltration combined with a boss, underboss, and several captains cooperating over the course a 20 year period would typically be too much to overcome.

Their resiliency is astounding yet not surprising for a 120 year old criminal organization.

Since 2002 they have had 16 made members flip including the Boss, UnderBoss and 10 Capos or former Capos. And 6 of the 16 were wired for sound. Pretty incredible that they are still standing and functioning at the level they still are.


Pogo

It's pretty much the case for all the New York families. As long as they are able to replenish themselves, they are essentially indestructible. Law enforcement keeps it contained and chips away over the years but only attrition will finally end them at some point.

[Slumpy]

Speaking of the Bonannos, do we know exactly when Montreal stopped sending 'envelopes' to NY?

[B.]

They were still paying tribute via Salvatore Montagna while Vincent Basciano was acting boss according to CW Cicale. There has been no public information since then to my knowledge.

[Slumpy]

That would have been, what? 2004, 2005ish? For all we know they could still be kicking up?