1976 Commission Meeting (and 1976 Gambino Family Meeting)

[Chaps]

B posted about this meeting over a year ago.....

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4254&p=100021&hilit=Amodeo#p100021

Ah, sorry. I even posted in that thread! This was just something that I found with the Commission meeting info. Thanks to B for initially discovering it.

No worries at all, buddy. I'm all about going over the same info more than once and having different perspectives, so the more the merrier.

As for Galante, that and the Chicago boss attending were what most interested me most beyond the internal Colombo politics.

Carmine Galante declared himself official boss (without Commission sanction) during the first week of June 1977 according to Joe Massino. Prior to that he was acting boss. It wouldn't be unprecedented for an acting boss to represent an official boss on the Commission, but I'm under the impression the Bonannos didn't have a seat on the Commission. It's possible they attended for another political reason and not necessarily to offer a vote -- we know for example that Carmine Galante had an alliance with Carmine Persico, who at this time was not yet underboss but was aligned with DiBella.

Interestingly, Dom Cicale was told by a Genovese figure in prison that Galante was not killed because of internal issues within the Bonanno family, but because the other families were concerned about him making the Bonannos formidable again. We do know Galante had a large support base within the family and other families were concerned with him, though of course there was a major internal dispute within the family, too. With these sorts of rumors I tend to believe there is a little bit of truth in all of them even if it's not the sole explanation.

I reckon my biggest takeaway or point of interest is Tom DiBella. From everything that's come out about him, he wasn't recognized by law enforcement as a gangster, allegedly when he became boss he didn't know how certain rackets worked and I believe worked a legitimate job (am I off on anything?) Such an individual represents everything "street guys" like an John/Gene probably wouldn't like. And yet, when it came to politics none of that mattered. This Commission rule went with "the boss of the boss" and instructed everyone to accept that and go along with what DiBella decides, which included demoting everyone who tried to go against him. DiBella's father Salvatore was boss between Mineo and Profaci, beyond that there's little on him.

Both Tom DiBella and his father Salvatore were stevedores on the Brooklyn docks. That seems to be the extent of Tom DiBella's influence in underworld activities before he became boss and he's described by sources as primarily legitimate, though we can deduce he may have inherited his dock position/influence from his father. I've never seen anything on his year of induction, but he would have been old enough to have become a member while his father was alive and/or boss.

It may have been JD who originally posted it, but many years ago someone posted a clipping from an FBI report where a source mentioned that DiBella's father had been the boss before Profaci, so at least some element of the Colombo family knew the history. Magaddino also makes reference to a Toto DiBella attending a meeting circa the Castellammarese War.

Agreed on your take, re: Tom DiBella as boss. There were still members living who would have known of Salvatore DiBella, so I wonder if that factored into Tom DiBella's "unexpected" rise as boss. Nepotism is uncommon when electing bosses, but pedigree does matter, though by the time of DiBella's election the family was rapidly losing its Sicilian roots. In the fully street criminal mafia of the 1970s Colombos DiBella seems out of place, but guys like him commonly gained stature in the early days as you well know.

My feeling (and this is an educated guess) is that everyone understood Carmine would become boss. Interim they chose DiBella because he was safe. He worked the docks. His FBI file speculated he did some loansharking on the side. And the old-timers remembered his father.

[B.]

DiBella had also been a soldier in Carmine Persico's decina in the 1960s. Not sure how close they were personally, but there was an ongoing relationship between him and Persico within the organization.

[CornerBoy]

Mostly concerned with Chicago but occasionally I'll come across something interesting from other families.

An informant advised that an LCN Commission meeting was held in New York in 1976 (month not given but probably late 1976).

The purpose of the meeting was to settle a leadership dispute among the Colombo Family, presently bossed by Thomas DiBella.

The others present at the meeting were Frank Tieri (Genovese), Carmine Galante (Bonanno), Tony Corallo (Lucchese), and Joey Aiuppa (Chicago). It did not appear that the Gambinos sent anyone (see next post). Several others from the Colombo Family were also present, including underboss Anthony Abbatemarco and capos Joseph Brancato and James Clemenza. One additional attendee was redacted. Another redacted member of the Colombo Family failed to show up.

After dinner, the Commission discussed some of the dissatisfaction that the Colombos had with DiBella's leadership. Abbatemarco seemed to have been speaking on behalf of those members who had beef with DiBella. The Commission did not rule in favor of removing DiBella and stated that there was to be no conflict over this decision. Additionally, there was to be no bloodshed if or when DiBella decided to demote anyone who had spoken out against him.

After the Commission meeting, DiBella made the following personnel changes in the Colombo Family:

-Demoted Joe Brancato and placed his crew directly with him (DiBella).
-He decided to leave James Clemenza on as a capo as he was moving to Florida, where his entire crew was.
-Salvatore Lombardino was demoted from capo.
-Allie Giannatassio was given his old crew back but was told he would be demoted again should he not control his drinking.
-DiBella intended to demote Abbatemarco as underboss but Abbatemarco did not show up when requested. The source claimed that this was the second time Abbatemarco had failed to show up when called and that a third failure would result in his murder. Abbatemarco disappeared in 1977, so we can assume that he got his third strike.
-Two other captains (redacted) also failed to show when called. One of them had also failed to show up to two meetings already.
-Two other members were promoted to capo (both names are redacted).

Source advised that when a change in leadership is made (both promotions and demotions), the capo and his entire crew are called before the boss and informed of the decision.

Source closed by stating that now that the Colombos have resolved their leadership issues they will make new members and issue additional promotions.
[/quote]

It surprises me Galante was at this meeting. I thought the Bonanno’s were banned from the Commission at this time.
[/quote]

Sonny Black told Pistone that the Bonanno’s were “controlled” by the commission for about 10 years, so at least sometime in the early 70s.

That might be way Rastelli was only “acting” boss, he might have been backed by the Commission on a provisional basis.
[/quote]

No. Rastelli was official boss that´s documented. After being jailed, Lilo Galante took over but wasn´t recognized as boss by the Commission.



Excuse me if this has been covered already, but if Galante wasn't recognized then why was he at Commission meeting in '76[/b][/u][/u][/i][/b]

[JeremyTheJew]

DiBella had also been a soldier in Carmine Persico's decina in the 1960s. Not sure how close they were personally, but there was an ongoing relationship between him and Persico within the organization.

Isn't DiBella looked at as Persicos sit in boss till he came out???