FBI chart Mafia meetings 1928 to 1957

[nash143]

Anyone have any info on the May 18th 1956, NYC meeting?

[JCB1977]

Sam Olivero was really Salvatore Oliveri who was representing the Calumet City area. He had fled Chicago during the Capone/Aiello war and took refuge in Rockford where he was listed as a member of that family. He eventually passed away in that city in 1969.

Good info! Thx

[B.]

Sam Oliveri was also from Corleone and closely linked to the future Lucchese family in NYC. His first cousin married Tom Reina and her brother and father (also Sam's cousin and uncle) appear to have been early Reina/Lucchese members. Oliveri also traveled to the US from Sicily with a Nicolosi, related to early Corleonesi Chicago mafia figures Carmelo and Giuseppe Nicolosi. The Nicolosis also had relatives involved with the Reina/Lucchese family and were related by marriage to another early Chicago mafia figure.

I interpreted these 5 year annual meets as a continuation of the General Assembly- national meeting of bosses and underlings. We know the Commission met infrequently but was composed of 5-7 bosses, hence not the G.A. To me, Appalachin is the last GA meeting in the US.

If you believe Bill Bonanno, Costello was made official boss in 1946 at one such GA meeting on a boat off the course of Florida if I recall correctly.

I don't think the 5 year meetings were General Assembly, as the 5 year meetings were Commission-centric and one was held in 1956, while Apalachin was a year later. I would definitely agree Apalachin appears to be a General Assembly and was the last. I am under the impression the General Assemblies were called for specific reasons and not regularly scheduled but can't say for sure.

Valachi said in the "Real Thing" that Costello was still acting boss until the early 1950s. If true, crazy to think how long Luciano was a "remote" boss. I mean, the official boss and underboss were both absent for a significant amount of time when that sort of things was unheard of and they kept their titles and influence.

[Angelo Santino]

Sam Oliveri was also from Corleone and closely linked to the future Lucchese family in NYC. His first cousin married Tom Reina and her brother and father (also Sam's cousin and uncle) appear to have been early Reina/Lucchese members. Oliveri also traveled to the US from Sicily with a Nicolosi, related to early Corleonesi Chicago mafia figures Carmelo and Giuseppe Nicolosi. The Nicolosis also had relatives involved with the Reina/Lucchese family and were related by marriage to another early Chicago mafia figure.

I interpreted these 5 year annual meets as a continuation of the General Assembly- national meeting of bosses and underlings. We know the Commission met infrequently but was composed of 5-7 bosses, hence not the G.A. To me, Appalachin is the last GA meeting in the US.

If you believe Bill Bonanno, Costello was made official boss in 1946 at one such GA meeting on a boat off the course of Florida if I recall correctly.

I don't think the 5 year meetings were General Assembly, as the 5 year meetings were Commission-centric and one was held in 1956, while Apalachin was a year later. I would definitely agree Apalachin appears to be a General Assembly and was the last. I am under the impression the General Assemblies were called for specific reasons and not regularly scheduled but can't say for sure.

Valachi said in the "Real Thing" that Costello was still acting boss until the early 1950s. If true, crazy to think how long Luciano was a "remote" boss. I mean, the official boss and underboss were both absent for a significant amount of time when that sort of things was unheard of and they kept their titles and influence.

Well before the Commission it could be argued that the GA were Boss of Bosses centric. Both were mass meetings of leaders from across the country who didn't sit on any formal ruling body who were ultimately looking to the higher power- be it boss of bosses or the commission- for leadership. Had a commission not been formed and it went to Luciano or Mangano they likely could have imposed something similar. But one of the functions of these 5 year meetings was to reconfirm the commission. It's likely that the reasons for these meetings changed.

Also, it's interesting to me about Philadelphia, as we see now, Merlino, Ligambi and Borgesi evidently kept their official positions throughout incarceration. All the speculation about Ligambi getting sanctioned by NY or him sending guys to see Joey to inform him he's taking over the family, all of that was smoke.

[Villain]

Sam Oliveri was also from Corleone and closely linked to the future Lucchese family in NYC. His first cousin married Tom Reina and her brother and father (also Sam's cousin and uncle) appear to have been early Reina/Lucchese members. Oliveri also traveled to the US from Sicily with a Nicolosi, related to early Corleonesi Chicago mafia figures Carmelo and Giuseppe Nicolosi. The Nicolosis also had relatives involved with the Reina/Lucchese family and were related by marriage to another early Chicago mafia figure.

I interpreted these 5 year annual meets as a continuation of the General Assembly- national meeting of bosses and underlings. We know the Commission met infrequently but was composed of 5-7 bosses, hence not the G.A. To me, Appalachin is the last GA meeting in the US.

If you believe Bill Bonanno, Costello was made official boss in 1946 at one such GA meeting on a boat off the course of Florida if I recall correctly.

I don't think the 5 year meetings were General Assembly, as the 5 year meetings were Commission-centric and one was held in 1956, while Apalachin was a year later. I would definitely agree Apalachin appears to be a General Assembly and was the last. I am under the impression the General Assemblies were called for specific reasons and not regularly scheduled but can't say for sure.

Valachi said in the "Real Thing" that Costello was still acting boss until the early 1950s. If true, crazy to think how long Luciano was a "remote" boss. I mean, the official boss and underboss were both absent for a significant amount of time when that sort of things was unheard of and they kept their titles and influence.

Well before the Commission it could be argued that the GA were Boss of Bosses centric. Both were mass meetings of leaders from across the country who didn't sit on any formal ruling body who were ultimately looking to the higher power- be it boss of bosses or the commission- for leadership. Had a commission not been formed and it went to Luciano or Mangano they likely could have imposed something similar. But one of the functions of these 5 year meetings was to reconfirm the commission. It's likely that the reasons for these meetings changed.

Also, it's interesting to me about Philadelphia, as we see now, Merlino, Ligambi and Borgesi evidently kept their official positions throughout incarceration. All the speculation about Ligambi getting sanctioned by NY or him sending guys to see Joey to inform him he's taking over the family, all of that was smoke.

Who really gathered the new commission? I mean most of general info says it was Luciano but ive also seen some references regarding Mangano. Afterall he was the chairman right?

[Angelo Santino]

We don't know. After Masseria was murdered, Vincenzo Troia proposed abolishing the boss of bosses and replacing it with a commission. Maranzano shot it down. Joe Bonanno, who was there, really doesn't go into who founded it. After Maranzano's murder, Bonanno said he and Luciano met and agreed the Bonannos and Genoveses wouldn't have an issue and made it sound like a commission was agreed upon by the NY Families.

Bill Bonanno, however, claims it was his father's idea to form a "commissione del pace" and Luciano was said to have said: "I can't even fucking pronounce it, just call it the commission." However even Joe didn't claim that he founded it.

Gentile doesn't go into it either.

As far as Luciano goes, I've posted my thoughts before on what he did and didn't do between 1931 and 1936. He didn't think of the idea of a commission, he didn't create the structure, nor did he have the mystical abilities to modernize the American Mafia.

[Villain]

We don't know. After Masseria was murdered, Vincenzo Troia proposed abolishing the boss of bosses and replacing it with a commission. Maranzano shot it down. Joe Bonanno, who was there, really doesn't go into who founded it. After Maranzano's murder, Bonanno said he and Luciano met and agreed the Bonannos and Genoveses wouldn't have an issue and made it sound like a commission was agreed upon by the NY Families.

Bill Bonanno, however, claims it was his father's idea to form a "commissione del pace" and Luciano was said to have said: "I can't even fucking pronounce it, just call it the commission." However even Joe didn't claim that he founded it.

Gentile doesn't go into it either.

As far as Luciano goes, I've posted my thoughts before on what he did and didn't do between 1931 and 1936. He didn't think of the idea of a commission, he didn't create the structure, nor did he have the mystical abilities to modernize the American Mafia.

Sounds reasonable, thanks. Yeah i also dont believe in many of Lucianos myths, although it seems quite possible that he always held some high position. What about Mangano, meaning wasnt he the chairman?

[Pogo The Clown]

According to Bonanno, Managano was the first chairman of the Commission.


Pogo

[Villain]

According to Bonanno, Managano was the first chairman of the Commission.


Pogo

Thanks. Do you know something regarding the advantage behind his position? Was he the most senior one at the time?

[Angelo Santino]

No. I remember Bonanno said that, which is interesting because doesn't make Luciano out to be anyone of influence on the body. Mangano was older than most of them, he was also head of the oldest Family, Palermitan, maybe that had something to do with it.

[Villain]

No. I remember Bonanno said that, which is interesting because doesn't make Luciano out to be anyone of influence on the body. Mangano was older than most of them, he was also head of the oldest Family, Palermitan, maybe that had something to do with it.

Thank you also

[Pogo The Clown]

If I recall correctly Bonanno said Manago didn't get extra authority from the position. He was just responsible for getting them together and handling all the formalities associated with the Commission. He still had only 1 vote like all the other Bosses.


Pogo

[Angelo Santino]

If I recall correctly Bonanno said Manago didn't get extra authority from the position. He was just responsible for getting them together and handling all the formalities associated with the Commission. He still had only 1 vote like all the other Bosses.


Pogo

That's true.

[Villain]

What about Lucianos power? I mean he had the ear of Chicago and he also had many non-Italians close to him, so were these the main reasons for his alleged "fame" among the rest of the commission guys?

[Angelo Santino]

What about Lucianos power? I mean he had the ear of Chicago and he also had many non-Italians close to him, so were these the main reasons for his alleged "fame" among the rest of the commission guys?

I think a great deal of Luciano's prestige might have been what he represented, just like Gotti represented a "new era" without any notices being sent out. There was a great deal of charisma and show of force. Remember, the bosses of NY at the time were Mangano, Bonanno, Gagliano and Profaci who all lead quiet, married family lives, contrast that with Luciano living in a hotel, fucking hookers, living the high life. The New York scene from the bottom level was likely composed of growing number of Sicilian and Italians who were encountering "the organization" in the US and their take on gangsterism might have been more in-line with Luciano then the conservative Mafia-homelife of the others. Valachi even stated Luciano "represented" the final breakdown of regional disputes with Sicilian him, Calabrian Costello and Neapolitan Genovese. The only other family at that time who had a non-Sicilian in the admin were the Gambinos in Anastasia.

But as it stands, he did NOT-
-Create the hierarchy
-Create the commission
-Form La Cosa Nostra (there is not a single member- Gentile, Bonanno to name two, who discuss the death of an "old organization" to make way for a new "Cosa Nostra.") It's not there, all these Families can be traced back 1,2 3 decades before 1931.
-Teach Sicilians not to be prejudiced against mainlanders and other groups.
-Have 60 bosses killed nationally.
-Breathe American Business pixie dust on its members.