Pittston informers

[Ed]

Recently, we talked about an informer in PIttston who gave up Intel about the Bufalino Crime Family. The informer was identified as Samuel LaTorre, the son of former boss Steve LaTorre. It turns out, Steve LaTorre had two sons talking to agents going back decades. One of the sons was sharing information with the FBI about the Mafia years before Apalachin and Valachi. He didn't use terminology like La Cosa Nostra or caporegime when describing the "Organization" but he did give the FBI more than enough credible information by the early 1950s, that federal law enforcement couldn't plausibly deny the existence of Italian Organized Crime.

I go into it in my latest Rat Trap article.

https://mafiahistory.us/rattrap/inflatorre.html

[Frank]

It's not the first time I've read that Russell Bufalino replaced Sciandra not Barbara

[Ed]

The succession of Pittston bosses is a bit of a grey area. I tend to support what Tom Hunt believes (found at his website) namely, that the line of succession went LaTorre, Volpe, Sciandra and Bufalino. Joe Barbara wasn't a boss but probably "only" an influential Buffalo caporegime who took a deep interest in Pittston LCN matters because of his close connection to the area and the people. His position as influential Castellammarese likely boosted his underworld standing and led some observers to think he was a boss when he wasn't.

But it's hard to really know because some statements from Joe LaTorre and Carmine Lombardozzi undermine that thinking and suggest Barbara had ultimate authority in Pittston.

[Hailbritain]

Absolutely excellent read that Ed

[johnny_scootch]

Really good article, thank you for posting.

[B.]

Great article.

I have seen information strongly indicating Joe Barbara was with the Pittston family along with the other Castellammarese in the Endicott area. There is a report where he is identified as having been a capodecina in the Pittston family -- if I come across it again I will send it. Anthony Guarnieri was said to be under Barbara and he is identified as a Bufalino capodecina by the early 1970s.

[Ed]

Thanks Halibritain, Scootch and B.

B, If you can find that Barbara report, I'll update the article. Pittston's one of those underreported families with a lot of mystery.

[B.]

Thanks Halibritain, Scootch and B.

B, If you can find that Barbara report, I'll update the article. Pittston's one of those underreported families with a lot of mystery.

Will do, my friend. The report I saw, along with Barbara's attendance at the LaTorre "trial" convinced me he was a Pittston figure, though we know in the latter example there are exceptions (i.e. Bonanno underboss Frank Garafola attending a San Francisco induction ceremony).

It appears that both the Pittston and Buffalo families each had a large group from Caltanissetta province and a small but powerful faction from Castellammare Del Golfo. Not sure why lower SWNY appears to have belonged to Pittston opposed to Buffalo, especially given the Castellammarese connection, but we know these families didn't draw their boundaries from state lines and mafia politics get confusing.

The Lucchese -> Bufalino confusion of the 1950s/60s is also interesting when we consider early Morello (i.e. half or more of the Lucchese family) figure Tommaso Petto moved to that area in the early 1900s, where he was killed, and future Lucchese boss Bonaventura Pinzolo came to the US from Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, during that period and his arrival destination upon immigration was Pittston, where he had a brother-in-law.

[nash143]

Looks like Pittston member Louis Consagra (mentioned in Ed's article as being 'under' John Parrino) 1891-1959 was also informing on Pittston & Russell Bufalino. Like a lot of other Pittston members of his time, he was heavily involved in local Coal industry.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 4&tab=page

[Tonyd621]

I can't wrap my head around all these people telling on their friends and family like that.