Origins of non-Patriarca crews in NE

[B.]

This talk of the Springfield Genovese and Gambino CT crews has me thinking about New England crews in general who weren't with the Patriarcas. Along with the ones I mentioned, there was also a DeCavalcante CT crew that had its own underboss and capo. I guess the Colombos could be said to have had a presence there more recently with DeLeo and maybe some other crews and families have had things going on there, I'm not sure. We know most of the big players were over the years in these crews, but what's not clear is how they started.

- In Springfield the first capo I've heard of was Sam Cufari. Was there anyone before him, and either way what led to the Genovese setting up shop there?

- The Gambino CT crew was just an extension of an NY crew before it broke off into its own entity (and then apparently back again), and their base of operations really isn't far from NYC anyway. Having people in Stamford is not much different from having people in Jersey or Long Island. I'd be curious who the first members were up there. Seems we know all of the main players from the 1950s onward.

- DeCavalcante CT operations is something I've looked into quite a bit and still don't have answers. Underboss Joe LaSelva was from CT, but the family had two underbosses (only time that's ever happened to my knowledge) with one in Jersey. Still, LaSelva was treated as a leader during his semi-regular visits to Jersey. On top of that the DeCavs had a separate capo in CT who reported to LaSelva. What makes this more mysterious is that the members in CT were not from Ribera or Agrigento province like the core membership in NJ/NYC, but also not Sicilian. The NY families were frequently looking to expand their operations so it makes sense that they would branch into New England, but the DeCavs one is confusing since they weren't as aggressive about planting their flag.

- DeLeo was just a prison buddy of Allie Boy Persico who got made and put in a position because the Colombos were desperate, right? The Colombos had no connection to his area of MA before he joined up to my knowledge. Seems he had a small crew of associates and that's it.

[B.]

Jimmy Plumeri also ended up there. So that is another family.

[johnny_scootch]

The FBN book has 5 Connecticut guys listed

Paul Agresta whose criminal associates are Frank Piccolo of Bridgeport, Sam Accardi and John Ormento of NY.

William Conforte whose associates are Raymond Maresca, Frank Piccolo and Paul Agresta of Conn. Paul Zerbo of NY.

Ignazio Marchese whose associates are Frank Piccolo, Ray Maresca, Paul Agresta of Conn. Anthony Castaldi & Vincent Corrao of NY.

Ray Maresca whose associates are Carmine Locascio & Vincent Squillante of NY.

Frank Piccolo whose associates are Paul Agresta, Ignazio Marchese of Conn. Anthony Castaldi & Rocco Mazzie of NY.

[Pogo The Clown]

Ralph "Whitey" Tropiano was a Colombo made member who was active in Connecticut in the 60s and 70s (he got whacked in 1980).


Pogo

[HairyKnuckles]

I think it was Frank Costello who brought in most of the Massachussetts guys in the late 1940s/early 1950s. During the prohibition, he was in partnership with most of them. However, the earliest Genovese captain up in Connecticut, seems to have been Bobby Doyle who had moved up there from NY in the 1950s. An informant claimed that he was a captain but I´m not sure if all Connecticut/Massachussetts Genoveses were under him. Around 1963/1964 he was listed as a retired captain due to LE scrutiny. By that, he probably paved the way for Cufari to take over.

Biondo is also said to have had connections up in Connecticut. When he was shelved by Gambino, it is said that he hid out up there. I wouldn´t be surprised if it was Biondo who originally brought in the Connecticut based Gambinos. Several informants told the FBI that most of these soldiers ended up under Arthur Leo/ Tony Baker Napolitano, after Biondo´s death with a small portion also going to Domenico Arcuri. These three were all NY based skippers. One interesting Gambino up there was Davey Iacovetti. Before moving to Florida, he was directly assaigned to Biondo.

Interesting topic indeed. I wish we knew more about all the crews and individuals who operated up there during the 1950s and 1960s. It´s amazing that there is no book for example (at least not to my knowledge) that covers this topic to a larger extent.

[B.]

I think it was Frank Costello who brought in most of the Massachussetts guys in the late 1940s/early 1950s. During the prohibition, he was in partnership with most of them. However, the earliest Genovese captain up in Connecticut, seems to have been Bobby Doyle who had moved up there from NY in the 1950s. An informant claimed that he was a captain but I´m not sure if all Connecticut/Massachussetts Genoveses were under him. Around 1963/1964 he was listed as a retired captain due to LE scrutiny. By that, he probably paved the way for Cufari to take over.

Biondo is also said to have had connections up in Connecticut. When he was shelved by Gambino, it is said that he hid out up there. I wouldn´t be surprised if it was Biondo who originally brought in the Connecticut based Gambinos. Several informants told the FBI that most of these soldiers ended up under Arthur Leo/ Tony Baker Napolitano, after Biondo´s death with a small portion also going to Domenico Arcuri. These three were all NY based skippers. One interesting Gambino up there was Davey Iacovetti. Before moving to Florida, he was directly assaigned to Biondo.

Interesting topic indeed. I wish we knew more about all the crews and individuals who operated up there during the 1950s and 1960s. It´s amazing that there is no book for example (at least not to my knowledge) that covers this topic to a larger extent.

Thanks for the post, Harry. Do you know what year Gambino shelved Biondo? It sounds like you could be very right that the CT operations were under him when some of the CT people were made in the 1950s. Seems Piccolo and others were pretty well-connected to things down in the city and not quite the outsiders that other remote crews would have been.

[HairyKnuckles]

I think it was Frank Costello who brought in most of the Massachussetts guys in the late 1940s/early 1950s. During the prohibition, he was in partnership with most of them. However, the earliest Genovese captain up in Connecticut, seems to have been Bobby Doyle who had moved up there from NY in the 1950s. An informant claimed that he was a captain but I´m not sure if all Connecticut/Massachussetts Genoveses were under him. Around 1963/1964 he was listed as a retired captain due to LE scrutiny. By that, he probably paved the way for Cufari to take over.

Biondo is also said to have had connections up in Connecticut. When he was shelved by Gambino, it is said that he hid out up there. I wouldn´t be surprised if it was Biondo who originally brought in the Connecticut based Gambinos. Several informants told the FBI that most of these soldiers ended up under Arthur Leo/ Tony Baker Napolitano, after Biondo´s death with a small portion also going to Domenico Arcuri. These three were all NY based skippers. One interesting Gambino up there was Davey Iacovetti. Before moving to Florida, he was directly assaigned to Biondo.

Interesting topic indeed. I wish we knew more about all the crews and individuals who operated up there during the 1950s and 1960s. It´s amazing that there is no book for example (at least not to my knowledge) that covers this topic to a larger extent.

Thanks for the post, Harry. Do you know what year Gambino shelved Biondo? It sounds like you could be very right that the CT operations were under him when some of the CT people were made in the 1950s. Seems Piccolo and others were pretty well-connected to things down in the city and not quite the outsiders that other remote crews would have been.

Biondo was shelved in 1965. An informant claimed the reasons were his involvment with drugs and unathorized killings.

[Cheech]

Ralph "Whitey" Tropiano was a Colombo made member who was active in Connecticut in the 60s and 70s (he got whacked in 1980).


Pogo

and Midge was Genovese and Billy was Patriarca. Always the gambit here.

[Cheech]

a lot of associates here. there might not even be any made guys here anymore that were born here.

[lennert]

The Genoveses appear to have had a Springfield connection since the 1920s/1930s. There was Carlo Siniscalci, or something like that, whose connection goes back to the Brooklyn Camorra. He was shot dead in 1921. Genovese was among the visitors to Paretti in the death house, so there was a connection between the Brooklyn Camorra guys and Genovese. Siniscalci's successor appears to have been Antonio Miranda, the brother of Michele. When he died in 1932, Genovese was among those who send flowers. Miranda had married Siniscalci's widow. Likely as not following Miranda was Mike Fiore, who also became involved with Siniscalci's widow. I think the widow was gunned down in 1932, in an attempt on Mike, who in turn was shot dead in 1933. It appears Cufari was next in line. Some figures involved in the Boccia murder hid out in Springfield, and if I am not mistaken, they went there under the protection of Cufari.

[lennert]

Just checked, and it was Nick Cammerota under whose protection the Boccia case figures went to Springfield, not under Cufari's.

[HairyKnuckles]

Thanks Lennert for posting. Nice to see. I now also recall that Sal Celambrino, the future Genovese captain, had some involvement with the Pasqualina Siniscalchi Miranda slaying up in Springfield, Massachussetts back in the early 1930s. The details are scetchy, but I remember reading that the case dragged on for years and eventually Celambrino was freed.

[Cheech]

at one point you had Midge (wests side) whitey (colombo) and Billy (Patriarca)
always been a hodge podge but like i said. i dont even think there is a made guy alive today in CT. volpe is dead right?

[HairyKnuckles]

at one point you had Midge (wests side) whitey (colombo) and Billy (Patriarca)
always been a hodge podge but like i said. i dont even think there is a made guy alive today in CT. volpe is dead right?

Yep, Volpe died back in 2010. And I think you´re right Cheech. Not many (if any at all) made guys around that area today.

[Cheech]

which is odd considering proximity