Los Angeles odds & ends

[Angelo Santino]

Vengeance is Mine:
Acting boss:

"Fratianno lived fast for the months he led the Los Angeles Family of La Cosa Nostra. While it enabled him to make a giant impact- expanding operations in gambling, loan sharking and pornography- it ultimately left him with powerful enemies.

Dominic Brooklier and the hierarchy of the LA mob were sent to prison in June 1975 on a federal conspiracy charge. In their absence, Brooklier authorized Fratianno, who had been living in SF, to become acting underboss for LA, the number two man for West Coast operations, working in concert with the acting boss, Louie Dragna. But when Fratianno found Dragna, a millionare ladies' dress manufacturer, suffering from a bad case of cold feet, he took it upon himself to play the role of number one in LA, the boss- a title of nobility by his reckoning. And, as the weeks and months passed, he found it necessary and comforting- in order to achieve his goals of enriching himself and the LA Family- to introduce himself as the boss, sometimes neglecting to mention his partnership with Dragna.

During the next 18 months, he initiated some potentially profitable deals, generally conspiring with or taking orders from Dragna. A few times he visited with Brooklier in prison, to fill him in.

Fratianno did not make a lot of money, but- and this was more important to him- he made friends and gained influence. His name was circulated in every mob stronghold in the US, he made sure of that by traveling the length of the country, to towns and cities he had never been seen before, to introduce himself and proclaim his respect for the ways of LCN.

By 1977, he had initiated deals, arranged investments, or fought turf wars in NYC, Hollywood, Florida, Cleveland, Las Vegas, SF, Albuquerque, Palm Springs and elsewhere.

As opportunities presented themselves, Fratianno began making unilateral decisions about the LA Fam- a small enterprise compared to the east coast Families. He initiated one new member, sought others, and was arranging long term investments. It was inevitable that when "the old man" Brooklier, got out of prison he would take offense at Fratianno's free-wheeling lifestyle.

By Jan of 1977 Brooklier was back in control. And by June, when he sent word out to the bosses of LCN in other cities that Fratianno had been "misrepresenting himself," all the new friendships dissolved. He tried straightening things out with his partners and colleagues but one one would listen.

The other bosses recognized their own vulnerability in Fratianno's actions. They would never abandon Brooklier.

On Joe Bonanno:

According to informants, Bompensiero was traveling around the country, talking to bosses, plotting to get Bonanno reinstated so they could take over.

"There may have been rumors, but there was no fuckin' plot. Look, Bomp wasn't interested in taking over LA. You have to be elected boss by the members and Bomp didn't have the juice for that. And Bonanno knows there's no way he's going back into action. I don't even know the guy, never spoke to him. But he know NY would clip him in a hot fucking minute if he tried to get back into this thing."

"I know Bomp used to talk like that. I mean, he'd say things like "I'm taking over this Family" and "Those guys don't tell me what to do in SD, this is my town." But the only guy who ever thought about taking over was me. I had the juice to get elected boss if Sciortino and Brooklier weren't in the way."

Joe Bonanno

"The government didn't want Fratianno to take the stand in my case because the government knew ahead of time that Fratianno had nothing bad to say about me. If he had been given the chance to testify, Fratianno would have said that he didn't know me and that the Bonannos were not part of organized crime.

In October 1980, Fratianno got to say as much anyway in the Los Angeles trial of five men implicated in the death of Frank Bompensiero.

In that trial, Fratianno said: "Joe Bananas ain't got nothing to do with organized crime."

Attorneys kept badgering Fratianno about the Bonanno family and one point Fratianno blurted out: "Sir, you've asked me that twenty times. I never met anybody in that family. I don't know what they look like."

Should be noted that this book DOES NOT mention Fratianno's alleged transfer to and back from Chicago.

[Villain]

It's understandable why the Chicago leadership failed to properly communicate Fratianno's transfer to each other. When you have a top boss, chairman, boss, underboss, four territory bosses, sixteen crew bosses, and thirty-two crew underbosses in a pear tree it's easy for things to get lost in the mail. Especially when you trust those non-Italians to do everything... how are they going to know proper transfer protocol?

Ol' Scarface never told anyone about transfers during the short months he was on the street as rappresentante officiale (he just magically became a member of the Chicago family after Masseria). You can't blame Chicago given they were no longer a mafia family as of 1931. "Transfer? What do you mean? It better come in an envelope. We're the Outfit!"

That's why you need an official consigliere to send a mass letter out to every single member letting them know your plan. That can have its downsides, though...

Fortunately on LA's end it was simple. Desimone didn't clear the transfer with Fratianno's captain and Licata says the transfer is void. Where's the 3D chess game? I thought there'd be secret envelopes of cash and front bosses somewhere in here. How disappointing.

The reality is, Joe Batters and Paul the Waiter knew the second they okayed Fratianno's transfer that they'd be answering to Jimmy in a matter of months, maybe weeks. The Outfit hierarchy would have a new leadership tier above the Man, above Chairman, even above Top Boss: the Weasel.

JFLM. Jimmy Fratianno's Life Matters. Say his name!

You forgot to mention the most important and key info regarding some Sicilian clans being also present on the moon, and they control our whole planet....i wonder if they have bloodlines from Mars or Jupiter? Some say that both Shiva and Jesus were also Sicilian...a Greek male, Spanish goat and wala!! maybe you should check that out fast andale andale arriba

[Confederate]

It's understandable why the Chicago leadership failed to properly communicate Fratianno's transfer to each other. When you have a top boss, chairman, boss, underboss, four territory bosses, sixteen crew bosses, and thirty-two crew underbosses in a pear tree it's easy for things to get lost in the mail. Especially when you trust those non-Italians to do everything... how are they going to know proper transfer protocol?

What a stupid ignorant comment. What part of "Giancana didn't tell anybody because the Outfit never wanted Fratianno in first place" do you not understand? What's wrong, it didn't fit into your "Sicilian theory/protocol book" that wasn't followed half the time anyway? These guys were basically "sociopathic criminals" that you can't seem to separate from normal non criminals. These guys were interested in making money. The cultural part of it played a "distant" second. You place way too much emphasis on the cultural aspect of it. These guys were criminals first & foremost beyond anything else that you want to fantasize about in your Sicilian head.

[Angelo Santino]

Tony Rome:
(My musings in red)

"Rizzitello's world was complex. He had been a player in the world of oc most of his adult life. He had fought in the Gallo war in NY, had done time off and on since the 1960s. For all his love of tradition, he wasn't much interested in carrying on in the Dragna family and had no patience for the soft hands of the Peter Milano crew. Rizzitello dreamed of bigger things, of a family of his own just as Joey Gallo had years earlier, and he planned to talk Anthony Fiato with him. And Rizzi had the credentials to do the job.

In the 1970's, California's traditional mob families were undergoing a dramatic transition. As the ranking underboss acting on behalf of an aging and incarcerated Dominic Brookliere, Jimmy Fratianno ran LA's street operations and worked closely with Rizzitello, who had long since distinguished himself as a capable killer in the Gallo insurrection and had designs on So Cal's lucrative rackets.

Fratianno and Rizzitello were traditionalists, men who had risen in OC through violence. As such, both had spent portions of their lives in prison. neither had much respect for the acting boss of the family, Louis Tom Dragna, whose business interests were in part legitimate.

I wouldn't regard Fratianno or Rizzitello as traditionalists, but this gives us a sense of Tony Rome's position. He's a street guy along the ilk of Fratianno etc who hold a grudge against "the deadheads" that make up the majority of these groups.

Fiato joined Rizzitello at Page's coffee shop in the San Fernando Valley. The normally taciturn Rizzi was in an especially upbeat mood, and over coffee Fiato learned why: Thanks to Fratianno, Rizzi was now a made member of LCN.

"I remember he was wearing a pair of tennis shorts and a tennis shirt like he'd just come in off the court. It was early in the morning and he was going to plan tennis. He didn't tell me all the circumstances, I later learned that the heat was all over them and Rizzi got made in the back seat of a car. Fratianno was there along with Bomp and Louie Dragna. He tells me they're going to bring the whole family together, really strengthen it, and I'm psyched up about it.

Then he says, 'I'm a capo and I'm bringing you into this thing. Nobody will be higher with me than you. But, remember, it's for good, there's no getting out. You come in alive and the only way out is dead. I want you to take a couple, three days to think it over.' But I told him I didn't need time to think about it. After all, it's what I wanted to hear most of my life. It's what I've been waiting for. When the time was right, I'd be made into the family.'

Rizzi said he's already talked to people and they liked my attitude, the way I conducted myself. He says, "We're going to do this the right way, a way its never been done out here.' He's as happy as can me. Before he leaves for his tennis match, we arrange to meet again and talk the next morning. He tells me to wear a suit. The rest of the day I'm on a cloud. I figure I'm on my way. You know, this is something you work and strive for. It's like getting called up to the Big Leagues, getting made. I've got visions of grandeur running through my head. I'm a kid at xmas.

The next morning I'm up early (and well dressed.) He shows up and Rizzi orders him to extort someone.

1 Louie Dragna being there for Rizzi's car ceremony cements that it was legitimate.
2 Was Mike Rizzi Fresoloned and made skipper the same day he was made?
3 He shows up expecting to be made and Rizzi gives him an order. He was being punked.

...After the bust and Fratianno flip...

"The old bosses were in jail, and Mike should have been in line for a shot at the head of the family. But he was on the outs with the family because he had been so loyal to Jimmy Fratianno and had gone to bat for Jimmy even after he'd been suspected of being a rat, which he turned out to be. Mike was an outcast and was shunned by D. Brooklier. That put Pete Milano in line to assume the role of boss of the family. Milano was a capo who wasn't known as much of a tough guy, but he was handed the mantle to become acting boss of the LA Family. In response, Mike went to NY and got sanctioned by Neil Dellacroce of the Gambino Family. While Pete was collecting soldiers and making new members, Mike was doing the same.

Mike Rizzi and his guys represented Neil Dellacroce and the Gambino crew. Rizzi didn't think much of Pete Milano, but Mike was in no shape to go pulling anything.

With the Milanos apparently disinterested in doing any real work, and Rizzitello laying low as he prepared to return to the pen, Fiato decided he had returned to Hollywood for good.

1 In his mind, Mike should have been in line. But in reality he was member for a year, Milano was a member for decades. It means something.

With Mike Rizzitello's days on the outside numbered, Anthony Fiato was in line to emerge as the acting boss.

Sensing Fiato's increasing power, Rizzi met with him.

"I'm going on record with you. You're going to be made in our family. I'm flying to NY and will meet with Neil. You and that kid Puggy are doing it right. I can make you the Lucky Luciano of this town. That's why I'm going on record with you."

These were the words Fiato longed to hear. He was to become a made member. He was excited, but he also understood Rizzitello was merely covering his bases.

'I was a doer and Mike liked the doers in his family. He knew he was going to go away eventually and turned his family over to me by making me a lieutenant. And he was sanctioned to do it."

Rizzitello flew to NY and met with Aniello Dellacroce, the Gam Under whose power in LCN was 2nd only to Castellano. As a sign of his emerging status, Fiato began receiving instructions from Gambino Family messangers speaking on behalf of Dellacroce, who had sanctioned Rizzi's Los Angeles family.

Rizzi appears to have been an LA capo who was demoted and shelved by LA, who used his connections to NY to go on record with Neil. He had no made members under him. So maybe he transferred and became a soldier or maybe he was just on record with Neil. Fiato and this acting boss stuff is just words. It's like the guy in Cleveland who worked for a CL soldier and was told "you're going to be my underboss."

I was dreaming big, but in a matter of months I'd replaced Rizzitello, built a solid crew of a dozen men and was rolling in cash. Why? Because I enforced the principals of La Cosa Nostra. The other guys were trying to evade all the consequences. I was out to grab it all and rule by intimidation. I was willing to take whatever came. What Rizzi called an uncontrollable hothead was a man who was willing to stand up for himself. And it was not easy. You've got heat following you constantly. Back East, everyone paid off the neighborhood cops. But in CA the neighborhoods were miles long, or didnt exist at all. A few cops were friendly but there was no system in place. And I was like new blood that came along.

He wasn't a member, he doesn't know Cosa Nostra.

... Rizzi gets relased and finally meets his family...

"Rizzi got to meet all the family that was involved with me. They had been working for him and, because of circumstances, he couldn't sit down with them and hadn't met most of them. The bd party gave us a shot at getting togther. There was a line of people waiting to meet him. He and I sat down and introduced people to him one at a time. All the while I figured the cops or FBI or some LEO was watching us, but I didn't give a fuck. I was proud of the family I had put together. Not only for Rizzi, but for myself, too.

A crew of associates isn't a family.

... Gets raided by the feds later....

"We discovered through several confidential sources.... that they were running with a capo of the LA family named Mike Rizzitello, and they had a rather extensive loansharking operation then...." FBI Agent Bill Weichert.

"They asked me about my relationship with Mike Rizzitello. From their questions I could tell my brother had told the everything about me in the past, Boston, the whole works. They knew that Pete Milano wanted to make me in his crew, and they knew Rizzitello had already put me on record with Neil Dellacroce.

Agent Bill Weichert seems to confirm his story is innacurate and instead laid it out simply.

Rizzitello had already started his own family, sanctioned by Neil Dellacroce, and made me a lieut. in that family. Now Louie Gelfuso was approaching me to be made in the Milano crew, which as far as I was concerned was made up of a bunch of do nothing bookmakers. I would never had agreed to sit down with Louie Gelfuso if I hadn't been working with the FBI.

After exchanging pleasantries, Gelfuso got down to business, Fiato is wired:

LG: I just want to ask you a couple of questions. First all, how do you spell your last name?
AF: F-I-A-T-O
LG: And your first name, what gives?
AF: Anthony, Craig Anthony.
LG: Craig Anthony?
AF: Right
LG: All right now. Your father was full-blooded Italian?
AF: Yeah
LG: I knew your father.
AF: Johnny Fiato/
LG: Yeah, I met him. I knew him. He was the bartender at the Villa Capri.
... bs about knowing his dad.
LG: You know that it's for the rest of your life. Make sure you want it.
AF: Louie, if I'm here I want to do it.
LG: There's no backing out. Well, these are just things I got to say to you, you know, cause it's going to be said again.
AF: Alright
LG: I want you to think it over.
AF: No
LG: Make sure.
AF: There's nothing I should ask. I know, I know the ballgame and I know you're in for good and that's it.
LG: You understand my position and we're going to do this right, not like it used to be with fucking everybody running in different directions. Ah, if you're going to do anything, you got my number. Check with me.
AF: All Right.
LG: Because, ah, I talk to him (Peter Milano) almost every day, but rather than get a lot of heat on him, just let somebody know what you're doing. It's not because nobody don't trust you.
AF: Right.
LG: It's because you're doing something with somebody and one of the other guys is doing something with the same guy, we want to know so we can tell one guy to either back off or, you know, you know what I'm saying.
AF: Right
LG: It's not going to be that I made a fucking score and I put it in my fucking pocket.
AF: I like that, Louie.
LG: You got the ok to do what the fuck you want right now... When you do it, you know what to do. if there's a situation that's not right, you back off for a minute and we'll sit down. Just call and say you know what, let's get together. We'll meet somewhere but we'll stay away from joins where we see each other.
AF: I don't run around. I don't hang out. I don't do any of that shit. I just do my own thing.
LG: I'll never ask you to do anything that I wouldn't fucking do myself. If I thought it's wrong, I'll say to you I think you should leave it alone. We'll get to it a different way. Nobody needs to go to jail. Pete's out of trouble.

I had to be sponsored by another made guy. JR Russo was on the lam at that time and I couldn't get him. I had to wait until Jack LoCicero got out of prison, but that wasn't for four months. Jack was consigliere of the family.

We waited until JL got out of jail and Luigi set up a meeting between him, me, and JL. We arrived first. I hadn't seen Jack in a few years because of the Forex beef, and as he approached the table he said: "I know thisa guy. Your father he work at the Villa Capri. You like this fuckin life. I tole you many times to be careful."

"Jack tells Louie in front of me, 'You want him in? He's in.' At that point I'm part of the family. At that point the ceremony was a mere formality.
...
Anthony Fiato was a nominated member of the Milano crime family. he had direct access to Milano and was on par with Luigi Gelfuso.

1 A ceremony isn't a mere formality
2 Being on record doesn't put you on par with Gelfuso no matter how shitty of a capo he may be.

This is an outsider's perspective. It's useful, but important to bare in mind.

[Cheech]

If you wanted a chronology of LA books-

The Last Mafioso (1950-1980)
Veangeance is Mine - Fratianno testifying, additional bg info. (1980's)
The Animal in Hollywood - came up under Mike Rizzi and seen things from his perspective. (1980's-1990's)
Beakshot - Kenji Gallo (1990's- 2000's)

I'll post some excerpts later on today like I did with TLM and I might even pull Joe Bonanno's book off the shelf as he discusses Fratianno from his perspective.

what are you on drugs?

[Angelo Santino]

If you wanted a chronology of LA books-

The Last Mafioso (1950-1980)
Veangeance is Mine - Fratianno testifying, additional bg info. (1980's)
The Animal in Hollywood - came up under Mike Rizzi and seen things from his perspective. (1980's-1990's)
Beakshot - Kenji Gallo (1990's- 2000's)

I'll post some excerpts later on today like I did with TLM and I might even pull Joe Bonanno's book off the shelf as he discusses Fratianno from his perspective.

what are you on drugs?

I don't like people who take drugs. Like airport security.

[Angelo Santino]

Breakshot by Kenji Gallo. Up to this point every source has characterized Milano as a weak and ineffective boss. Gallo sang that tune when we first met, by the time his book was published he had began to see him in a new light. (I typed enough today plus I got an appointment, so I'm including 5 pages of his book but it serves as a marketing tool, the entire book is worth a read, especially when it comes to the Colombos.

Anyway, Regarding Milano...

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..."Louis Caruso's second, Tommaso Gambino"...

[Cheech]

If you wanted a chronology of LA books-

The Last Mafioso (1950-1980)
Veangeance is Mine - Fratianno testifying, additional bg info. (1980's)
The Animal in Hollywood - came up under Mike Rizzi and seen things from his perspective. (1980's-1990's)
Beakshot - Kenji Gallo (1990's- 2000's)

I'll post some excerpts later on today like I did with TLM and I might even pull Joe Bonanno's book off the shelf as he discusses Fratianno from his perspective.

what are you on drugs?

I don't like people who take drugs. Like airport security.

me either.

[B.]

You forgot to mention the most important and key info regarding some Sicilian clans being also present on the moon, and they control our whole planet....i wonder if they have bloodlines from Mars or Jupiter? Some say that both Shiva and Jesus were also Sicilian...a Greek male, Spanish goat and wala!! maybe you should check that out fast andale andale arriba

Hahaha. The Sicilian clans on the moon are more like the American branch of the mafia. Same parent organization, same rules/protocol, but the unique environment has given the Moon Mafia certain... unique qualities. That said, they still send spaceships back to Earth when they need to approve transfers. Mafia protocol transcends gravity.

--

Chris Christie -- I appreciate the excerpts.

- It confirms that Fratianno was in fact acting underboss (which he appears to have testified to in 1980) and not acting boss. It also shows that Dragna was included in Rizzitello's induction, so that induction was legitimate.

- Have you seen anything that could give credence to the FBI agent's 1984 testimony that Mike Rizzitello was Brooklier's underboss? The hierarchies he lists for other families are correct, so I thought it was strange he threw Rizzitello's name into the mix as the underboss.

- Fratianno appears to have lied about his relationship with Joe Bonanno, as evidenced by Bompensiero's cooperation. Taken from this thread: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4119

- Bompensiero told the FBI in 1968 that when he was released from prison around 1960-1961, he and Jimmy Fratianno, along with San Diego-based member Biagio Bonventre (deceased by this time), held several meetings with Joe Bonanno to discuss Joe Bonanno's plans to take over "LCN west coast activities." Later Bompensiero was contacted by west coast Bonanno member Antonio Bello who had interests in San Diego. Bello told Bompensiero that LA boss Frank Desimone saw him (Bompensiero) as a threat to his leadership and had placed a murder contract on him. However, Bompensiero saw no signs that this was true. Later, Bello told Bompensiero that "they" (Desimone / Los Angeles) were planning to kill him (Bompensiero) via car bomb, which upset Bompensiero as he shared his car with his daughter who used the car to drive her children.

- Bompensiero was so upset that he visited Los Angeles with Fratianno and Bonventre to surveil the Los Angeles family leadership for multiple nights but did not see anything unusual that would indicate they were planning to kill Bompensiero. Bompensiero ended up kidnapping Los Angeles capodecina Angelo Polizzi at gunpoint and forced him to lay on floor of the backseat of his car. Bompensiero and Bonventre took Polizzi to an apartment they rented in San Diego, where Polizzi claimed there was no contract on Bompensiero. They then brought Antonio Bello to the apartment where he admitted that the contract was a hoax and Joe Bonanno had forced Bello to tell Bompensiero of the "contract" in order to get Bompensiero to kill the Los Angeles family leadership, which would pave the way for Bonanno to take over. Bello was allowed to leave the apartment and told to return that night to New York City and never return to San Diego. He apparently died in New York around 1967 according to the report.

- Now why would Fratianno lie about his relationship to Bonanno? I suspect it's because it involved a plot to break the rules and take out the LA leadership. Fratianno tries to make himself out to be the only stand-up guy in LA who got a raw deal from the leadership and wanted to hide the fact that he met with Joe Bonanno in a plot to "illegally" take out the LA leadership. While he doesn't hide his misgivings about the LA leadership, I don't believe he admits in his book that he, Bompensiero, and Roselli were trying to underhandedly take over the family and this included participating in Joe Bonanno's conspiracy against Desimone.

Interestingly former SF boss and FBI informant Anthony Lima claimed Fratianno received approval from Dominic Brooklier to take over the Bay Area in the mid-1970s. From this thread: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5355&p=127223&hili ... no#p127223

- Dominic Brooklier, underboss of LA circa 1972 (and boss by April 1975), was the one who told Jimmy Fratianno that Joe Bonanno was attempting to make a move into the San Jose area, which Fratianno then passed on to Lima and boss Lanza was also informed. Lima wanted to determine what friends Bonanno had in San Jose and said that if there was an opportunity to earn enough money, he would help Bonanno himself.

- As of 1975, Lima was in regular contact with both Jimmy Fratianno and Frank Bompensiero. Interesting that Lima had expressed an interest in helping Joe Bonanno given Fratianno and Bompensiero's history of meeting with Bonanno in relation to alleged takeover plots as far back as the early 1960s. Also interesting that Lima, Fratianno, and Bompensiero were all informants... raises a few eyebrows to say the least.

- In 1975, Jimmy Fratianno told Lima that he was planning to tell Jimmy Lanza that he (Fratianno) would be "taking over" in Northern California and that he had contacts from back east to support him. Fratianno had also met with Joe DiCarlo of the Buffalo family in Las Vegas, possibly just a social visit, and DiCarlo had told him to say hello to Lanza, who he knew apparently from the Apalachin meeting

- Around mid-1975, Fratianno apparently received the okay from LA boss Brooklier to "take over" Northern California and the plan was to include Bompensiero, who Fratianno would "straighten out" concerning the matter to get his support. Fratianno apparently met with Jimmy Lanza and told him he wanted to make money in the area and Lanza said he wouldn't interfere with anything Fratianno did. Fratianno did not expect Bonanno to give him trouble as Joe Bonanno was no longer recognized by the mafia.

- A phone call was made around this period where an unknown caller, said to be an ex-green beret, from LA described a plan to kill Jimmy Lanza and Manny Figlia. The call was traced to someone who denied involvement. Lanza, through the advice of someone else, believed this originated from Fratianno, who may have been trying to scare the powers in the Bay Area given his plans to "take over". However, Lanza and Fratianno were ostensibly "close friends" according to Lima.

So according to Anthony Lima, Fratianno was trying to take over the SF area in the immediate years before he became LA acting underboss (and used that as an opportunity to lie about being "acting boss"). This shows Fratianno was aggressively trying to become a mafia leader in the mid-1970s whether he was in the Bay Area or LA.

Informant expert Ed Valin has put forth the theory that the FBI was actively encouraging some of its informants to attempt coups within their organizations. There is reason to believe the FBI was encouraging CIs Bill Bonanno and Frank Bompensiero to do exactly this. I suspect the FBI was also behind CI Anthony Lima's attempts to reclaim his previous title of SF boss.

Now here is another angle: there is reason to believe Fratianno was a CI before he became a cooperating witness. I have seen documents from a source living in Sacramento who knew details about Fratianno's personal life. I believe Ed may have more information on this. I can't confirm it myself, only suspect it.

[Angelo Santino]

Re. Bonanno, interesting because Joe Bonanno denied it too. Fratianno did in both books. That's pretty rare for both people to keep quiet about that, but if the evidence says they did then they did. Frat does claim that it was Bomp telling stories about him which may coincide with that.

Rizzi/Under, Not from any of the sources I posted. Fiato, despite gravely inflating his position in this "Rizzi Family," I think probably laid it out. Rizzi was Fratianno's guy, if not for him he wouldn't have been made there. We know Dragna witnessed it so it was 'legitimate' and according to Fiato he was made and promoted at the same time. Just went back to Fratianno and he makes no mention of promoting him to capo instantly, later in CL Frat. says: 'We just made Mike a few months ago." It's when he's in NYC and meeting with Tieri he introduces Mike as "my skipper in LA."

Rizzi/Promotio, So was Rizzi gaming Fiato when he says he met he was made and now a capo? Sounds like it. First he told him he was a member which you don't do, second he tells him to dress up the next day and when Fiato does he sends him to extort someone. It's either a he said-she said or he was quite treacherous.

Rizzi/Dellacroce, Fiato claims that after Fratianno, LA wanted nothing to do with Rizzi. Did they shelve him officially? How would that fit with Neil Dellacroce putting him on-record with him. We can't dismiss it because Rizzi was with the Gallos who had an ally in Dellacroce so there was a connection there. Was he possibly transferred, becoming a Gambino soldier? If you see what Gallo wrote about Milano, it paints him as wanting absolutely nothing to do with anyone who would attract heat so it's very possible he didn't mind Rizzi being out there, in fact it may have taken the heat off of him.

Above are my Opinions all, I don't know. Have a look at everything and let me know your takeaway.

One thing I notice, what makes it very crystal clear, is the difference between a gangster and a mafioso. Fiato and Gallo couldn't understand or appreciate it, they based their worth on how active in criminality they were. Gallo once even said: "You can't work a job and call yourself a gangster, LA dabbles in crime."......... Seems like they are describing what the mafia is. Thoughts?

[Costigan]

Rizzi/Dellacroce, Fiato claims that after Fratianno, LA wanted nothing to do with Rizzi. Did they shelve him officially? How would that fit with Neil Dellacroce putting him on-record with him. We can't dismiss it because Rizzi was with the Gallos who had an ally in Dellacroce so there was a connection there. Was he possibly transferred, becoming a Gambino soldier? If you see what Gallo wrote about Milano, it paints him as wanting absolutely nothing to do with anyone who would attract heat so it's very possible he didn't mind Rizzi being out there, in fact it may have taken the heat off of him.

All of you guys, great posts and great questions. IF, as Fiato claims, Neil Delacroce sanctioned Rizzitello in Los Angeles, you would think there would be some other evidence for it. A NY wiretap catching a comment about something in California, or a confidential informant report? Maybe, maybe not.

About Bonanno and his California ambitions, I remember the book about the wiretaps in Sam DeCavalcantes office, he was caught on tape saying something in the early 60's about Bonanno attempting to take over someone's territory in California. Taking over Stammano's outfit, something like that.

[Angelo Santino]

Rizzi/Dellacroce, Fiato claims that after Fratianno, LA wanted nothing to do with Rizzi. Did they shelve him officially? How would that fit with Neil Dellacroce putting him on-record with him. We can't dismiss it because Rizzi was with the Gallos who had an ally in Dellacroce so there was a connection there. Was he possibly transferred, becoming a Gambino soldier? If you see what Gallo wrote about Milano, it paints him as wanting absolutely nothing to do with anyone who would attract heat so it's very possible he didn't mind Rizzi being out there, in fact it may have taken the heat off of him.

All of you guys, great posts and great questions. IF, as Fiato claims, Neil Delacroce sanctioned Rizzitello in Los Angeles, you would think there would be some other evidence for it. A NY wiretap catching a comment about something in California, or a confidential informant report? Maybe, maybe not.

About Bonanno and his California ambitions, I remember the book about the wiretaps in Sam DeCavalcantes office, he was caught on tape saying something in the early 60's about Bonanno attempting to take over someone's territory in California. Taking over Stammano's outfit, something like that.

I agree. I'm in the same paranza as you, a big if. Also Fiato's book was rushed to capture in on the OJ trial so how knows if that had any impact on it's authenticity. However, as he described, Rizzi came to him and said he was now a made man and a captain (Fratianno claims he was promoted later) and then tells Fiato to dress up tomorrow, leaving Fiato to think he's getting his button. He shows up and is told to extort someone. So it's quite possible Rizzi was lying or embellishing the Dellacroce connection. So many ways to speculate about it.

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Why would anyone as high up as Dellacroce even care about the Los Angeles family, much less "sanction" anyone or anything, when the Gambinos already had guys out there?

[MightyDR]

Now here is another angle: there is reason to believe Fratianno was a CI before he became a cooperating witness. I have seen documents from a source living in Sacramento who knew details about Fratianno's personal life. I believe Ed may have more information on this. I can't confirm it myself, only suspect it.

Fratianno admits becoming a paid CI when he got out of prison in 1973 in his first book. At first he gave them "worthless information", but then he decided to give them information that "would serve his purpose in his effort to gain control of the San Francisco family".

[Costigan]

Why would anyone as high up as Dellacroce even care about the Los Angeles family, much less "sanction" anyone or anything, when the Gambinos already had guys out there?

Exactly. It sounds like Rizzi was bullshittin' Fiato, trying to make himself sound important. Big plans and all that.