Trafficante Crime Family

[Cheech]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

[B.]

However, after reading Edward Velin's informant profiles, I'm curious if there was ever a close associate in Tampa who provide information in the 1960s. When I'm done with my new book early next year I may take some time to try and parse that out. I do not think any of the major made guys were informants, but there may be some associates.

Yeah, I have yet to see anything myself suggesting any Tampa members became CIs during that 1960s period when the FBI cultivated a lot of those sources around the country. All of the member sources with info on Tampa seem to be from other families. Would be interesting if Ed has seen anything as he is the man in that department.

[sdeitche]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

[sdeitche]

However, after reading Edward Velin's informant profiles, I'm curious if there was ever a close associate in Tampa who provide information in the 1960s. When I'm done with my new book early next year I may take some time to try and parse that out. I do not think any of the major made guys were informants, but there may be some associates.

Yeah, I have yet to see anything myself suggesting any Tampa members became CIs during that 1960s period when the FBI cultivated a lot of those sources around the country. All of the member sources with info on Tampa seem to be from other families. Would be interesting if Ed has seen anything as he is the man in that department.

Wow, talk about weird timing. I just heard from a local investigator reminding me of another snitch from more recent times, who recently had his records expunged. Need to look into this one. He wasn't made but was a pretty connected associate involved with narcotics.

[B.]

Here is an older post from Felice about Raffa being from Alessandria della Rocca, having relatives in the Sicilian mafia, and being close to Frank Polizzi of the DeCavalcante family:

JD, Steve LNU is Steve Raffa.
Frank Scarabino in his testimony talks about Raffa being really close to Polizzi. He was often in NJ along sicilian mafiosi from Florida. Raffa was heavily involved in narcotics along Polizzi. Scarabino talks about two made guys close to both Raffa and Polizzi, a Joe De Santis and a guy who was introuced to him as "Gerard". the guy was later identified as Nicolò Amari, a made guy from Ribera. Another made guy heavily involed in narcotics, according to Scarabino, was Frank Guarraci

Raffa is agrigentino, he born in Alessandria della Rocca, his cousins were made members there. I don't understand when you say they are from the same town, Polizzi family should be from San Giuseppe Jato.

It is extremely bizarre that Raffa committed suicide in 2000 after his paesani the Ligammaris killed themselves in 1999. I thought it was suspicious the Ligammaris killed themselves so soon after their friend Gerlando Sciascia was killed, but it is made that much more curious by Raffa's suicide.

Here is JD's post Felice was responding to:

- The relationship between DeCavs and the Tampa Family: Steve LNU, described as the Tampa Underboss, was close with the local DeCavs. At some point prior to the mid-1990s the Tampa Family (maybe Steve included) killed someone and the DeCavs, including Stefano Vitabile and Jimmy Palermo, helped out by providing a burial site. Steve LNU and Frank Polizzi were from the same town and Polizzi was used to negotiate territorial disputes between the two Families in the mid-to-late 1990s. The Tampa guys tried to move in on a couple of businesses operated by the DeCavs both legal and illegal, usually involving Philip Abramo and his crew. At one of these meetings Steve LNU was accompanied by Frankie LNU, a Tampa Soldier. [Anyone familiar with Tampa have an idea who Steve and Frankie are?]

So appears Steve (Raffa?) was not from the same town as Polizzi but the two were close we know.

Also very interesting Tampa and the DeCavalcantes co-conspired in a murder and were negotiating territorial disputes throughout the 1990s.

[sdeitche]

Here is an older post from Felice about Raffa being from Alessandria della Rocca, having relatives in the Sicilian mafia, and being close to Frank Polizzi of the DeCavalcante family:

JD, Steve LNU is Steve Raffa.
Frank Scarabino in his testimony talks about Raffa being really close to Polizzi. He was often in NJ along sicilian mafiosi from Florida. Raffa was heavily involved in narcotics along Polizzi. Scarabino talks about two made guys close to both Raffa and Polizzi, a Joe De Santis and a guy who was introuced to him as "Gerard". the guy was later identified as Nicolò Amari, a made guy from Ribera. Another made guy heavily involed in narcotics, according to Scarabino, was Frank Guarraci

Raffa is agrigentino, he born in Alessandria della Rocca, his cousins were made members there. I don't understand when you say they are from the same town, Polizzi family should be from San Giuseppe Jato.

It is extremely bizarre that Raffa committed suicide in 2000 after his paesani the Ligammaris killed themselves in 1999. I thought it was suspicious the Ligammaris killed themselves so soon after their friend Gerlando Sciascia was killed, but it is made that much more curious by Raffa's suicide.

Here is JD's post Felice was responding to:

- The relationship between DeCavs and the Tampa Family: Steve LNU, described as the Tampa Underboss, was close with the local DeCavs. At some point prior to the mid-1990s the Tampa Family (maybe Steve included) killed someone and the DeCavs, including Stefano Vitabile and Jimmy Palermo, helped out by providing a burial site. Steve LNU and Frank Polizzi were from the same town and Polizzi was used to negotiate territorial disputes between the two Families in the mid-to-late 1990s. The Tampa guys tried to move in on a couple of businesses operated by the DeCavs both legal and illegal, usually involving Philip Abramo and his crew. At one of these meetings Steve LNU was accompanied by Frankie LNU, a Tampa Soldier. [Anyone familiar with Tampa have an idea who Steve and Frankie are?]

So appears Steve (Raffa?) was not from the same town as Polizzi but the two were close we know.

Also very interesting Tampa and the DeCavalcantes co-conspired in a murder and were negotiating territorial disputes throughout the 1990s.

So I wonder if there is a way to access more of this testimony from Scarabino. Very interested in this murder plot as well.

Do you have a link to this thread? I couldnt find it in search.

[B.]

It was in one of JD's DeCavalcante threads.

I know some of the info is here:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=435&p=5244&hilit=scarabino#p5244

[Patrickgold]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

[scagghiuni]

You said a few years back that Galatolo wrote you from prison. Why did he write you and what was he writing about?

The Federal BOP page says a John Galatolo was released in May 2020 and is 75 years old, which seems to match the articles from 1990 when he got busted, referring to him being 44 in early ‘90. So I assume it’s the same guy and he got thirty years.

He seemed to have been well connected with the Corleonesi faction back in Sicily but may have been from Palermo. Is that correct?

interesting article from 1990 on him from the NY Times. Dude seemed to be close to the Cali cartel, moving coke from Colombia to Sicily.

I also found this super detailed 28 page long PDF about the South American cartel connections to Italy and Sicily. Galatolo is mentioned, as are the Caurana-Cuntreras.

john galatolo is a cousin of vincenzo galatolo, boss of arenella family (palermo)

[Rocco]

Here is an older post from Felice about Raffa being from Alessandria della Rocca, having relatives in the Sicilian mafia, and being close to Frank Polizzi of the DeCavalcante family:

JD, Steve LNU is Steve Raffa.
Frank Scarabino in his testimony talks about Raffa being really close to Polizzi. He was often in NJ along sicilian mafiosi from Florida. Raffa was heavily involved in narcotics along Polizzi. Scarabino talks about two made guys close to both Raffa and Polizzi, a Joe De Santis and a guy who was introuced to him as "Gerard". the guy was later identified as Nicolò Amari, a made guy from Ribera. Another made guy heavily involed in narcotics, according to Scarabino, was Frank Guarraci

Raffa is agrigentino, he born in Alessandria della Rocca, his cousins were made members there. I don't understand when you say they are from the same town, Polizzi family should be from San Giuseppe Jato.

It is extremely bizarre that Raffa committed suicide in 2000 after his paesani the Ligammaris killed themselves in 1999. I thought it was suspicious the Ligammaris killed themselves so soon after their friend Gerlando Sciascia was killed, but it is made that much more curious by Raffa's suicide.

Here is JD's post Felice was responding to:

- The relationship between DeCavs and the Tampa Family: Steve LNU, described as the Tampa Underboss, was close with the local DeCavs. At some point prior to the mid-1990s the Tampa Family (maybe Steve included) killed someone and the DeCavs, including Stefano Vitabile and Jimmy Palermo, helped out by providing a burial site. Steve LNU and Frank Polizzi were from the same town and Polizzi was used to negotiate territorial disputes between the two Families in the mid-to-late 1990s. The Tampa guys tried to move in on a couple of businesses operated by the DeCavs both legal and illegal, usually involving Philip Abramo and his crew. At one of these meetings Steve LNU was accompanied by Frankie LNU, a Tampa Soldier. [Anyone familiar with Tampa have an idea who Steve and Frankie are?]

So appears Steve (Raffa?) was not from the same town as Polizzi but the two were close we know.

Also very interesting Tampa and the DeCavalcantes co-conspired in a murder and were negotiating territorial disputes throughout the 1990s.

The Ligammaris Father Son Suicide just doesn't sit right with me. Who does that? what are the chances? I always thought they were murdered. Were they informers ? Were they under indictment? From what I remember the father had served time in Prison for heroin dealing. I don't believe they were under indictment at the time. Were they threatened or fear they would be killed so they killed each other. Father son. So fucking strange. And according the Massino's trial Gerlando Sciascia was killed because he had an issue with TG called him a coke head or something. So I don't think that his death had anything do to with their suicide.

[sdeitche]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

Tampa Underground Airline is 100% true. I know some of the guys involved.

The other, I highly doubt.

[Patrickgold]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

Tampa Underground Airline is 100% true. I know some of the guys involved.

The other, I highly doubt.

The woman that wrote the ladonna book claims she ran a whore house for Trafficante and that Trafficante did a lot of business with Hy Lerner from Chicago. She would help wash the money for him.

Who did the Tampa underground guys report too? Did Trafficante get a cut of their drug action? I’m not sure what time period the book takes place

[Villain]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

Tampa Underground Airline is 100% true. I know some of the guys involved.

The other, I highly doubt.

The woman that wrote the ladonna book claims she ran a whore house for Trafficante and that Trafficante did a lot of business with Hy Lerner from Chicago. She would help wash the money for him.

Who did the Tampa underground guys report too? Did Trafficante get a cut of their drug action? I’m not sure what time period the book takes place

Thanks for the additional info on Larner. Was there a member or at least an associate of the Tampa family known as William Dentamaro? This guy was allegedly connected to Chicago quite a bit....

[sdeitche]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

Tampa Underground Airline is 100% true. I know some of the guys involved.

The other, I highly doubt.

The woman that wrote the ladonna book claims she ran a whore house for Trafficante and that Trafficante did a lot of business with Hy Lerner from Chicago. She would help wash the money for him.

Who did the Tampa underground guys report too? Did Trafficante get a cut of their drug action? I’m not sure what time period the book takes place

Yeah she wanted us to interview her, but her 'publicist' sent some weird rambling press release that smacked of a scam, so we politely declined.

The Underground Auirline was run by a group of friends that included Angleo Bedami Jr, Joe Bedami Sr's son and Angleo Sr' grandson. His uncle, Silent Sam Lorenzo, was also involved. He told me they didn't have to kick up because of what happened to his Dad (his Dad went missing in '68). THey have some really funny stories about pot smuggling in the 70s. It was more Jimmy Buffet than Goodfellas, for sure.

[sdeitche]

Scott. Focus on The Purples! Lol. Really looking fwd to that one.

Don't worry, I am!

ott, what is your take on the books “Ladonna: the bossalina of Miami” and “Tampa’s Mafia Underground Airline”? Are these books in anyway accurate? Or just bull

Tampa Underground Airline is 100% true. I know some of the guys involved.

The other, I highly doubt.

The woman that wrote the ladonna book claims she ran a whore house for Trafficante and that Trafficante did a lot of business with Hy Lerner from Chicago. She would help wash the money for him.

Who did the Tampa underground guys report too? Did Trafficante get a cut of their drug action? I’m not sure what time period the book takes place

Thanks for the additional info on Larner. Was there a member or at least an associate of the Tampa family known as William Dentamaro? This guy was allegedly connected to Chicago quite a bit....

William Vito Demtamaro was a Trafficante and Chicago associate based out of South Florida. Very active form late 50s through early 70s. He died in 1980.