Bosses who accepted a lower rank in the family

[B.]

Something got me thinking about bosses who have accepted a demotion, either by their own choice or not, and continued to operate as a lower ranking member of the family. One of the big goals in the mob is to climb the ranks and being in a position to become boss would take crazy luck. Once someone is a boss, they can't be easily deposed and it could be seen as a shame for a former boss to accept a lesser role in the family. But it has happened.

Antonio Pollina - I always thought he was more or less shelved after he was replaced by Angelo Bruno, but he actually did continue to be involved in family affairs as a semi-active soldier who had access to his former rival Bruno.

Salvatore Sabella - He stepped down as boss and continued as a semi-active soldier for some time. I don't know the full circumstances of it, but it was voluntary.

Frank Scalise - He was a Maranzano ally who was also likely the leader of the secret anti-Masseria faction under Mineo. He became boss and was removed as boss both because of his ties to Maranzano and he remained a powerful captain and future member of the administration, so there likely wasn't much bad blood because of his demotion. More an obvious political decision related to Maranzano's death.

Angelo Caruso - Similar situation to Scalise. Caruso was Maranzano's underboss and they wanted a clean slate. He continued to be a high-ranking captain and held sway in the family through the 1960s.

Thomas DiBella - He was the official boss from the mid 1970s to the early 80s and stepped down into a consigliere role. He had always been a placeholder boss for Persico so not much to say about this.

Giuseppe Morello - Seems he gave his position up to his close allies during his prison term, but after the death of his relatives/allies and a shift in power during his prison stay, it seems he wanted to gain his influence back. He accepted a role in Masseria's administration but some believe this was just a way for him to take the power back. He really didn't join the exact same family he used to head (just part of it combined with other elements) so he doesn't fit in with the above guys as well.

There are probably other I am forgetting. I am purposely not including guys who completely retired, stepped down due to old age, or stepped down due to spending life in prison.

[JCB1977]

Frank Amato Sr, former boss of a Pittsburgh from 1937-1956 voluntarily stepped down due to illness and LaRocca made him Consigliere until he died in 1973. Amato was Neapolitan but came up around the same time with many Calabrians as well as with Calabrese Boss Gianni "John" Bazzano Sr. Amato Sr. was deep involved in Black Hand crimes in the earlier years.

[bronx]

joe traina ..consiglieri to captain

[bronx]

frank valenti

[SonnyBlackstein]

Mike SaBella.

Captain demoted to soldier post the cigar guys hit

Bronx: regards the above, which family and any more deets?
Cheers mate.

[bronx]

traina was from daquila. valenti was from rochester attended the 57 meet

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks Bronx. A little confused by your answer though. Could you elaborate?

[Costigan]

Didn't Raymond Patriarca jr. go from being the NE boss to soldier?

[Pogo The Clown]

Ray Patriarca Jr. did go from Boss to Soldier but I believe he was shelved after he was forced to step down. If my memory serves me right he even started crying when he was forced to step down by the family.


In regards to your question Sonny Frank Valenti was the Boss of the Rochester family but was forced to step down after the family found out he was not sharing certain profits with the guy's. After his demotion he remained active as a Soldier. His brother Costenze “Stanley” Valenti was also an early Boss of the family and after he stepped down he became a Capo.


Pogo

[Rocco]

Frank Costello accepted a lower rank after ducking bullet......

[HairyKnuckles]

One have to mention Frank Costello who gracefully stepped down when finding out he had no support from the captains. I believe he was first shelved by Genovese but allowed back in as a soldier a couple of years later when he reconciled with Genovese.

[bronx]

Hello Sonny, pogo got it right about valenti, he was put with pete milano later on in life when he moved to AZ. joe traina was consig. for daquila, he stood in that position for a while longer after daquila was killed. traina was a quiet , but influential guy during those wars and transitions..history knows little about him.but had a huge impact on the peace made after several bosses were killed..he lived to a about 100 years old. his crew still exists today, he has the second oldest ongoing crew.

[Pete]

One have to mention Frank Costello who gracefully stepped down when finding out he had no support from the captains. I believe he was first shelved by Genovese but allowed back in as a soldier a couple of years later when he reconciled with Genovese.

Gracefully stepped down? Lol they tried to kill him

[HairyKnuckles]

One have to mention Frank Costello who gracefully stepped down when finding out he had no support from the captains. I believe he was first shelved by Genovese but allowed back in as a soldier a couple of years later when he reconciled with Genovese.

Gracefully stepped down? Lol they tried to kill him

Right. But what I meant is that he didn´t make any fuss about it. He accepted his fate.

[B.]

Thanks for the responses. Was Costello actually active in the years after he stepped down? He was pretty old and no doubt he still had some operations going on, but I was under the impression he was more or less done with the family by then.

I'm not including underbosses, consiglieres, or captains in this, though, as there have been countless examples of them stepping down and being demoted and continuing as soldiers. I'm also not including acting bosses since it's pretty common for guys to temporarily act as boss and go back to where they were at.

The Commission apparently offered Joe Bonanno the opportunity to start over again as a soldier but he did not accept it. I think the assumption is that they would have killed him even if he took the demotion.