Philly making ceremonies (1990's-present) and misc. research

[dack2001]

There were several pictures of her published in the local papers during the trial.

[chin_gigante]

Some of you might remember a while ago I posted the first part of a biography I wrote for Joseph Ciancaglini. I never got around to finishing it as I was busy with other things and got distracted with more Philadelphia research. I plan on posting a finished bio for Ciancaglini soon but in the mean-time I thought I might post what I have on the research I’ve done into his induction and the conflicting information around that.

In 1970, Frank Sindone was a caporegime in the Bruno Crime Family. Frank Sindone introduced, and had inducted, Joseph Ciancaglini into the Bruno La Cosa Nostra crime family. Ciancaglini’s role was that of chauffeur and bodyguard to Sindone, becoming a “made” member of the Bruno family in the early 1970’s.
[…]
Since Ciancaglini’s induction into the Bruno La Cosa Nostra family in 1970, he has risen to the number three position.

Profile of Organized Crime: Mid-Atlantic Region, 1983, pp.261-262 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SFB ... ni&f=false

Ciancaglini was inducted into the “Bruno family” in the early 1970’s and was active as a gambler and “enforcer.”

Organized Crime in America, 1983, p.162 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitiz ... 2NCJRS.pdf

[Alvin] Feldman was murdered by Santo Idone, Joseph Scalleat, Frank “Chickie” Narducci and Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini. All were La Cosa Nostra members at the time except for Ciancaglini who was made later.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-stat/ ... t-1992.pdf

All three sources generally agree that Ciancaglini was made in the first half of the 1970s, but I’m interested in the discrepancies. The first source provides contradictory information, stating that he was ‘inducted’ in 1970 at Sindone’s wishes but was ‘made’ in the early-1970s. From how I read that passage it stuck out to me that the author of the report perhaps thought being inducted was different from being made or perhaps confused or conflated being proposed for membership with being inducted. Ciancaglini had already been tried and acquitted for the murder of Robert DeGeorge by 1970 so he had displayed a willingness to commit violence for the organisation. However, the DeGeorge killing was more of an impromptu shootout than a planned hit from how I’ve interpreted it so it may not have ‘counted’ as work for the family. Bruno was also jailed for contempt in October 1970 so that could explain a ‘delay’ in Ciancaglini being made. The fact also that everyone else identified as participating in the Feldman murder was confirmed as made at the time indicates that perhaps Ciancaglini was involved as a way of having more work under his belt. Leonetti and Scarfo heard about the Feldman murder through Sindone as Ciancaglini reported to him at the time. That could mean that Ciancaglini was still an on-record associate of Sindone’s though it’s not certain, as Ciancaglini continued reporting to Sindone after he was made (despite the fact that both men were only soldiers).

[NJShore4Life]

Some of you might remember a while ago I posted the first part of a biography I wrote for Joseph Ciancaglini. I never got around to finishing it as I was busy with other things and got distracted with more Philadelphia research. I plan on posting a finished bio for Ciancaglini soon but in the mean-time I thought I might post what I have on the research I’ve done into his induction and the conflicting information around that.

In 1970, Frank Sindone was a caporegime in the Bruno Crime Family. Frank Sindone introduced, and had inducted, Joseph Ciancaglini into the Bruno La Cosa Nostra crime family. Ciancaglini’s role was that of chauffeur and bodyguard to Sindone, becoming a “made” member of the Bruno family in the early 1970’s.
[…]
Since Ciancaglini’s induction into the Bruno La Cosa Nostra family in 1970, he has risen to the number three position.

Profile of Organized Crime: Mid-Atlantic Region, 1983, pp.261-262 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SFB ... ni&f=false

Ciancaglini was inducted into the “Bruno family” in the early 1970’s and was active as a gambler and “enforcer.”

Organized Crime in America, 1983, p.162 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitiz ... 2NCJRS.pdf

[Alvin] Feldman was murdered by Santo Idone, Joseph Scalleat, Frank “Chickie” Narducci and Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini. All were La Cosa Nostra members at the time except for Ciancaglini who was made later.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-stat/ ... t-1992.pdf

All three sources generally agree that Ciancaglini was made in the first half of the 1970s, but I’m interested in the discrepancies. The first source provides contradictory information, stating that he was ‘inducted’ in 1970 at Sindone’s wishes but was ‘made’ in the early-1970s. From how I read that passage it stuck out to me that the author of the report perhaps thought being inducted was different from being made or perhaps confused or conflated being proposed for membership with being inducted. Ciancaglini had already been tried and acquitted for the murder of Robert DeGeorge by 1970 so he had displayed a willingness to commit violence for the organisation. However, the DeGeorge killing was more of an impromptu shootout than a planned hit from how I’ve interpreted it so it may not have ‘counted’ as work for the family. Bruno was also jailed for contempt in October 1970 so that could explain a ‘delay’ in Ciancaglini being made. The fact also that everyone else identified as participating in the Feldman murder was confirmed as made at the time indicates that perhaps Ciancaglini was involved as a way of having more work under his belt. Leonetti and Scarfo heard about the Feldman murder through Sindone as Ciancaglini reported to him at the time. That could mean that Ciancaglini was still an on-record associate of Sindone’s though it’s not certain, as Ciancaglini continued reporting to Sindone after he was made (despite the fact that both men were only soldiers).

Why don’t you just go to Stogie Joe’s Tavern and ask Chickie questions for your research . LOL guy is ALWAYS out front there having a coffee without a care in the world like clockwork. Great food there at Stogie Joes by the way!

[chin_gigante]

Why don’t you just go to Stogie Joe’s Tavern and ask Chickie questions for your research . LOL guy is ALWAYS out front there having a coffee without a care in the world like clockwork. Great food there at Stogie Joes by the way!

Haha, that would unfortunately require me to jump on a transatlantic flight

[dack2001]

I know he is listed in various places as a captain but I don't think Sindone was an official captain. I do think Sindone was direct with Bruno so Ciancaglini could very well have reported to Sindone. I agree with you that Sindone got in first in late 69 and Chang probably got in in the early 70's.

[B.]

One report I've seen specifically says Ciancaglini was made in 1973. No idea who or what the source of that report was.

I probably mentioned it in this thread earlier, but CI Rocco Scafidi ID'd Sindone as a "high-ranking member" in 1975, though he didn't specify what that meant.

[chin_gigante]

Some highlights that stuck out to me from the Stefanelli transcripts Chaps posted in the FBI Files section (the following are all from the October 2010 discussion between Joseph Licata, Nicholas Stefanelli and Louis Fazzini):

Anthony Staino’s wedding and Dominic Grande’s making ceremony:

LICATA: So it was perfect. So, now the kid’s there. The nephew. The rat’s brother. And they love that kid Dominic.
STEFANELLI: Yeah. Yeah. I met him.
LICATA: … they’re gonna straighten him out. They’re gonna straighten him out.
STEFANELLI: Joey’s nephew.
LICATA: Yes…
STEFANELLI: Yeah, his brother [unintelligible].
LICATA: … his brother, his brother, ah, Wayne’s son.
STEFANELLI: That’s right. I, I met him on a visit…
LICATA: Beautiful kid. Yeah, nice boy.
STEFANELLI: … met him on a visit.
LICATA: So, he was there. The kid’s circling all around [unintelligible].
STEFANELLI: Are they gonna do something? Are they gonna do something for the kid? Yeah?
LICATA: Yes, they are. Couple of months…
STEFANELLI: Well, he loves his uncle Joey, his uncle Joey.
LICATA: … couple of months. Yeah.
STEFANELLI: Good.
LICATA: ‘Cause they’re waitin’ for Stevie, the consigliere, to get of [sic.] supervised release. They’re gonna make his brother. They told me, whoever I wanted to bring from here. I said, I’m not ready yet. Just, just do it. You know? It’s all OK.
STEFANELLI: Good.

Discussion about the Luchese family and the Scarfos:

• Licata talks how the Lucheses don’t recognise the Philadelphia family, but he doesn’t care because he thinks it’s just Vic Amuso putting on a show to ‘save his title’

• Scarfo Jr approached Joey Grande and told him he was on the wrong side as part of a bigger plan to recruit ‘disenchanted’ guys from Philadelphia

• Stefanelli mentions how they aren’t allowed to do that and how ‘[his] Nicky’ (possibly Corozzo) put a stop to that previously

• Joey Grande was honest about how he was approached by Scarfo and took Michael Lancellotti with him (this could possibly indicate that Grande was assigned to Lancellotti upon his release from prison)

• Scarfo Jr offered to make Grande a captain, but with Scarfo Sr rather than with the Lucheses (this could also indicate that Salvatore Piccolo and Anthony Persiano, rather than being made with the Lucheses, were made with Scarfo Sr as ‘official’ – as far as the Lucheses saw it – Philadelphia members)

The then-upcoming making ceremony and proposed members from Newark:

• Anthony Staino proposed Dominic Grande for membership

• Once Joe Grande was released from prison he asked Ligambi to make Dominic only to find out he was already proposed (though Licata suspects Ligambi was making Dominic more because of his uncle’s suggestion than Staino’s)

• Licata says that, when he wants to propose new members of his crew, he passes a list only to the Gambino and Genovese families, but he also says he wasn’t ready to propose new members as of the date of the conversation

• Licata had Joseph Servidio in mind for membership when he gets out of prison but didn’t want to make him in a halfway house (I think Licata meant more having Servidio made while he was still technically in custody rather than physically holding a making ceremony in a halfway house)

• Stefanelli mentioned that Servidio gets into trouble for gambling on the horse races but apart from that is a good guy

• Licata says 'he' has another kid in mind for membership (it’s unclear who the ‘he’ is, possibly Servidio or Fazzini)

• Licata asked Ligambi about this other kid, but Ligambi said no (Licata then asked him to ‘let it lay’ because Ligambi was planning on making a few guys in a couple of months, naming ‘Stevie’s brother’ and Dominic)

• Ligambi asked Licata if he wanted to ‘bring the kid in’ (which contradicts what Licata said above) but Licata declined as he felt he wasn’t ready

• Licata also told Ligambi that Servidio was still in prison only to find out on the day of the recorded conversation with Stefanelli that Servidio would soon be entering a halfway house

• Stefanelli asks if Licata has anyone else in mind and he identifies Vito Malgeri (it seems Malgeri is different from the other kid Licata mentioned above)

• Licata and Fazzini were still unsure about Malgeri, in part because Malgeri was with Vincent Centorino and they hadn’t discussed it with him yet (though they said they’d ultimately propose him if they wanted to regardless of what Centorino said)

• Licata wanted to put Malgeri with Fazzini so they could decide whether or not to propose him

• Raymond LePore approached Licata about four or five years prior and told him he had been proposed for membership by Pete Caprio; Licata told him to forget it because anything Caprio brought up was no longer honoured

• Mazzone finished his supervised release in February I think, Servidio was released from the halfway house in April and Ligambi was arrested in May, so it’s possible that they managed to squeeze Servidio in and get him made with Sonny Mazzone and Dom Grande before Ligambi’s arrest

Misc. notes

• Licata recalled that, as part of his attempt to get Joey Grande killed, Joe Punge told Ligambi and Staino that Grande was talking about taking over the family and was referring to himself as a captain

• Pungitore also claimed either he punched Grande or Grande punched him (I think Grande punching Pungitore is more likely but it's difficult to tell, I got lost in all of the pronouns; a lot of hes and hims)

• Licata discusses how the Pungitores sided with Merlino over Scarfo and linked it to how Scarfo made Pungitore take part in the Salvie Testa hit

• Licata describes the Pungitores as ‘zillionaires’ and dislikes them (he referred to one brother as a piece of shit), particularly in how Joe Punge intended to settle in Florida upon getting out of prison, as opposed to Joey Grande, who Licata likes and describes as a ‘gangster’

• Joe Sodano was encouraged not to answer to Merlino and Natale by a ‘Micky’ (presumable Michael Ricciardi)

• Licata takes responsibility for getting Merlino made in 1992

• Licata says he didn’t like Felix Bocchino

• Licata identifies Michael Ciancaglini as the boss of the Merlino crew in the early 1990s

[dack2001]

The conversation was that Pung dropped Joe Grande with a punch....sucker punch...dropped him to the floor....thats was how I read it.

[chin_gigante]

The murders of Greek organised crime figures Harry Peetros and Chelsais Bouras:

Peetros was last seen 23 May 1981 and his body was found in the trunk of a car 26 May. Barry Saltzburg was cleared of the murder but found guilty of robbing the corpse.
The next day, two gunmen walked into Meletis restaurant and shot Bouras to death (one shot into the ceiling, while the other killed Bouras). Bouras was dining with Raymond Martorano, Jerry Blavat and several others. Jannette Curro was also killed in the crossfire.
Neil Ferber was wrongfully convicted (and later cleared) for the Meletis murders, with the belief it was linked to the Peetros murder. LE at first believed Saltzburg had been Ferber's accomplice, and later Anthony DiPasquale. Both theories were proven wrong.
While incarcerated with Ferber, Frank Vadino came to the conclusion that he wasn't involved in the Bouras murder. John Berkery, while a fugitive in Ireland, echoed this sentiment.
Ronald Raiton, Mario Riccobene, Willard Moran, Thomas DelGiorno, Lawrence Merlino and Philip Leonetti all tied Raymond Martorano to the Bouras murder.
None of the above have ever mentioned the Peetros murder as coming from the Scarfo organisation. Frank Friel also did not believe the Peetros murder was related to the Scarfo organisation.
DelGiorno and Merlino identified Frank Vadino and George Martorano as the shooters but didn't know the identity of the driver (Friel believed Martorano fired the shots into the ceiling and that Vadino killed Bouras and Curro).
Friel recalls that Vadino once considered cooperating if there was strong evidence connecting him to the murder (as there wasn't enough evidence to go to trial - and LE didn't want to reopen the Meletis case and admit they got it wrong with Ferber - this never happened).
Friel did not believe that John Berkery was a part of the hit team.
Ralph Natale echoed the sentiment about George Martorano and Frank Vadino being the shooters but also tied the Bouras murder to the Peetros murder.
Natale claimed Martorano got Bouras to kill Peetros and then had Bouras killed.
Moran claims that Martorano had originally hired him to kill Bouras at Meletis but Moran called it off after spotting a police officer outside. If Martorano wanted Bouras to kill Peetros, why would he have Moran set up to kill Bouras first?
Natale also recalls details of Martorano's conversations with Bouras that he would not have no earthly way of knowing. Natale's statements about the Peetros murder are, in my opinion, complete fabrications (like many other claims he made in his book).

[Heathen]

In Mafia Prince, Leonetti says Martorano set it up but he wasn't one of the shooters

[chin_gigante]

In Mafia Prince, Leonetti says Martorano set it up but he wasn't one of the shooters

Yeah, Raymond Martorano set it up but his son George (according to DelGiorno and Larry Merlino) was the second shooter

[B.]

Cool to see various info surrounding the murders pulled together. Would be great to see you give the same treatment to other murders of the era.

[chin_gigante]

Cool to see various info surrounding the murders pulled together. Would be great to see you give the same treatment to other murders of the era.

Cheers, I'm planning on doing a more in depth post on Philly murders in general sometime in the future.

[dack2001]

There are a few murders from the 80's hanging out there unsolved. Tippy Panetta's murder is one that is very interesting. He was very close with Frank Sindone, a lot of motives and suspects there. Frank Stilitano's murder was never prosecuted. Frankie Forline got killed in the mid-80's, never solved. There are a few others that never got solved either that may be OC linked.

I don't believe that Phil volunteered much that wasn't known from the RICO or that he wasn't directly involved in. Definately more going on than even we would or can know from all the rats in the 80's. Some only Scarfo and few others would know and maybe not even him if guys did stuff on the sneak.

[chin_gigante]

Jerry Blavat's time as an associate of Nicky Scarfo

• Blavat had previously been with Bruno and then Testa but was put on record with Scarfo after he became boss in 1981 (Blavat remained an associate of Scarfo at the time Leonetti flipped in 1989)

• After going direct with Scarfo, Blavat became partners in a loansharking operation with Marc Puppo – Angelo Bruno’s grandson (Scarfo approved the loansharking partnership as log as he received a third of the proceeds)

• When Scarfo ordered family associate Frank D’Alfonso to be beaten, Blavat unwittingly interfered in the plan as he was constantly around D’Alfonso

• When Scarfo told Blavat about the problems he was causing him, Blavat offered to set D’Alfonso up for the beating but instead was told to just stay away

• Scarfo got Blavat a job performing at the Deptford Tavern, which was owned by associates Sy Hoeflich and Sonny Gutin

• When Blavat travelled he would use Scarfo’s name to impress people and was treated with respect as a result

• On several occasions, Blavat secured Scarfo a suite at the Doral Inn in Manhattan for just $100 a night

Memories nightclub:

• Blavat acquired a liquor license in 1974 and opened the club Memories in Margate City

• Blavat paid Scarfo $500 a week in tribute during the summer when Memories was open full time

• Blavat would deliver tribute to Scarfo and Leonetti at Scarfo’s apartment every Sunday; when Scarfo went to prison for a couple of years on his gun charge, Blavat delivered the tribute to Leonetti and shorted him a couple of times; when Scarfo and Leonetti were both incarcerated, Blavat delivered the tribute to Nicky Scarfo Jr

• Scarfo also made it clear to Blavat that, if he ever sold Memories, he wanted a third of the sale price for the club

• Scarfo did not have to pay for drinks at Memories, but Leonetti ran a tab because he bought a lot of drinks for friends

• Leonetti, Salvatore Grande, Martin Angelina, Salvatore Merlino and Joseph Merlino were often involved in fights at Memories, and Blavat frequently complained to Scarfo about it (as well as damage caused by roofing contractor and mob associate Rick Casale and his people) as he was afraid of losing his liquor license

• Scarfo usually told people involved in fights at Memories that he was unhappy with their conduct, but on a couple of occasions told Blavat to forget the incidents

• Blavat’s connections to Scarfo also stopped Memories from being unionised by Local 54

• Blavat operated a nightclub called Memories West in Camden County from 1986 to 1987 (renting the building from Genovese family associate Edward Halloran), and gave Scarfo a tribute amount varying from week to week

• Either just before Scarfo went to prison in 1982 or just after he got out in 1984, Blavat got family soldier Samuel Scafidi, and his son-in-law, a job at Memories as Scafidi was a member of Leonetti’s crew (Scafidi got paid $100 every night he worked the door at Memories and also worked at Memories West)

Involvement with other LCN families:

• In the early-1980’s, Blavat wanted to produce an album but needed to acquire the release rights for songs from Morris Levy; as Levy was an associate of Vincent Gigante, he refused to release the songs without permission from Gigante

• Scarfo sent Ralph Napoli to contact Gigante, through Louis Manna, to get him to give Levy permission

• Gigante granted the request on the condition that Scarfo secure 50% of the profits from the album and give a share to Gigante

• To boost the sales of the album, Scarfo told Frank Gerace and Steven Traitz to bulk buy the record to sell to the union members of Local 54 and Local 30, respectively

• After a few weeks, Blavat delivered approximately $10,000 to Scarfo as his share of the album

• In 1986, Blavat told Scarfo and Leonetti that he had been in contact with Levy and they wanted to rehabilitate a building on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia to open a Strawberries record store (Gigante had already approved the plan)

• Scarfo sent word to Traitz to keep the roofers union out of the contract to keep costs down and in return, the contract for the concrete work was given to Scarf Inc.

• In a bid to keep costs lower, Levy also used Triangle Builders Inc. (which was owned by Scarfo, Leonetti and associate John Palumbo) to complete much of the work

• Levy refused to pay the remaining $5,000 owed to Triangle Builders and Bobby Manna told Scarfo to forget about the money he was owed (Scarfo suspected that Levy lied to Manna about the money and Manna believed him)

• At Scarfo’s request, Blavat got Colombo family soldier Joseph Gorgone’s son a job due to his contacts in a stagehand union

Blavat's involvement in Scarfo's Florida propert:

• Blavat was one of several family associates and members who provided cheques to a front company established to legitimise Scarfo’s purchase of his Fort Lauderdale home (Blavat gave the company $12,000 – which was later returned to him)

• Blavat also fronted for Scarfo when he bought a boat in Florida (when Scarfo’s front company appeared to have enough funds to purchase the boat from Blavat, he did so)

Blavat's involvement in murder plots:

• In 1984, Blavat approached Scarfo and asked him to have DJ Hy Lit killed as Lit was competing with Blavat

• Scarfo didn’t want to go through with having Lit killed or beaten and put Blavat off by telling him he’d think about it

• In 1984, family associate Kenny Shapiro was called before a grand jury to testify

• As Blavat lived in the same apartment complex as Shapiro, Scarfo and Leonetti told Blavat to tell Shapiro not to mention anything damaging regarding the family when called to testify (Blavat offered to kill Shapiro by poisoning his coffee but Scarfo told him just to deliver the message)

• As Scarfo didn’t trust Shapiro, he began making plans to have him killed and told Blavat to work with Tommy DelGiorno and Faffy Iannarella in staking out Shapiro’s building for locations to kill him (Scarfo eventually abandoned the plan)