Philadelphia's Boston Crew

[Wiseguy]

I'll take the blame for the Sicilian mafia tangent in a thread about the Philly family's thriving Boston faction but I can't stop now...


Drawing parallels between active mafia organizations who maintain ties to each other isn't a problem, it's how we understand the overall organization they're part of. They like to network and expand their interests... so they network and (try to) expand their interests.

--

From the Sicilian investigations:

- It came out of the recent Accursio Dimino investigation that the Sciacca family in Sicily had slot machines in NYC through a Sicilian Bonanno associate and this was part of an international operation involving multiple Sicilian families and N.American mafia contacts in NYC and Montreal. The same Sicilian Bonanno associate was surveilled in 2013 at a Bonanno social club with many Bonanno leaders (acting boss Tommy DiFiore, capodecina Vincent Asaro, acting capodecina John Spirito Jr., etc.).

- It came out of the recent Castellammare case that a Bonanno boss "Joe" (Cammarano?) sent a Bonanno soldier to ask the Castellammare boss Francesco Domingo for a favor. Domingo's brother travels between the US and Sicily as a liaison. Another Bonanno soldier arranged a meeting with Domingo for another issue. The investigation also showed that the Bonanno members were arranging contact with mafiosi in Alcamo and had some contact with Sciacca boss Accursio Dimino, mentioned above for his Bonanno ties. One of those arrested with Domingo was a US-based Sicilian mafa figure who had earlier traveled to Sicily with Sal Montagna's brother.

- Frank Cali was born in America but was named in discussions between two Palermo mafia bosses as their main man in the US. He's a relative and product of the Sicilian Gambino clan and served a very "Sicilian-American" role between the groups. To simply call him an American is dismissive of his role. The recent arrest that included Joe's son Tommy Gambino also included the boss of Passo di Rigano, an Inzerillo related to the Sicilian figures in the Gambinos.

Point being, those initial rumors of NYC families restoring Sicilian ties have developed into evidence of significant networking between NYC and Sicily that not even I would have expected five years ago, let alone 10+. You weren't the only one giving major pushback to the article at that time, so I'm not trying to single you out, but I'm glad to see you've accepted the evidence that certain NYC and Sicilian families have strengthened ties. It's big of you to walk back some of those earlier hardline opinions, which admittedly were a long time ago now.

--

Where this gets back to Philly-Boston is that they have a made member in Boston who visits South Philly and maintains ties to the Borgesis. It wouldn't be a major leap to think that South Philly might try to gain more momentum in Boston through their made member(s) who lives there. I'm reserving judgment on these references to a captain and new members in Rhode Island, but it's not difficult for me to believe Philly would give their New England interests another push.

It's more believable to me that Philly would make another go in NE than it is that the Bonannos would have direct contact with bosses in Sicily after their own boss flipped, yet the latter happened. A new Philly-Boston angle is completely within the realm of possibility.

None of what you listed above about ties to Sicily surprises me. These are the types of things I've always assumed continued even before Old Bridge. Again, if I remember right, my skepticism was toward the ties taking form of a return to French or Pizza Connection-level trans-Atlantic drug trade. At least that's the impression I got from comments from others at the time. Also, I was also skeptical of the claims by many of Sicilians completely taking over the leadership of the Gambino and Bonanno families, which hasn't happened.

A NY family and the Philly family may both be active LCN organizations but that doesn't mean they have the same resources, scope, etc. Philadelphia having an active standing crew in New England today would be a bigger and more unlikely feat than anything you listed about the NY families above.

[cdc]

What I don’t understand is the tone of the conversation. Clearly it’s a debatable topic with good points on either side yet the belittling and borderline insulting posts from a certain someone seems unnecessary. One thing that kills these boards Sometimes is perceived the need to “destroy” the other side of the argument.

Nearly everyone here has multiple years on this forum and many others from the past. A bit more mutual respect would go a long way.

[Wiseguy]

Not trying to derail this thread, but since more of my reporting is being disparaged lol.....Detroit LCN still playa a role in SE Michigan narcotics affairs, obviously not to the extend it did in the "Heroin Super Highway" days of Papa John and Jimmy Q in the 50s, 60s and 70s, but they have a presence no doubt. Johnny Sciorotta just took a coke bust last year. The D'Anna brothers have a big heroin business (ALLEGEDLY) on the eastside and the Giacalones and Corrados have interests in Detroit proper and the suburbs. The marijuana legalization a few years ago has actually ramped up Det LCN drug activity. The fact that up until recently boss Jackie Giacalone was using Pete "Gotti" Tocco (allegedly a major drug guy) as his driver and messenger tells you a lot.

25% you said, absolute nonsense

And the John Sciarotta coke bust was not an LCN operation. According to the indictment the leader of ring (small time to begin with) was a Latino and LCN is not even mentioned.


Pogo

And unless you want to count Vito Parisi (former associate of Nove Tocco) getting busted for dealing marijuana, those are the only two drug related cases I've seen regarding Detroit in the past 20+ years.

You can go back and look at the national drug threat assessments or the Michigan HIDTA reports for years now. Mexican DTOs are the dominant transporters and wholesale distributors of drugs in the region. Black DTOs are next on the ladder as major wholesalers and the main retailers. Various other groups are mentioned, i.e. Caucasians, Asian (usually Vietnamese), Middle Eastern (usually Chaldean, Lebanese, and Ghanaian), and Albanian; as well as street and motorcycle gangs.

I suppose the LCN would fit under "Caucasian" but, if they had any significant involvement, one would think law enforcement would mention it. If the share of the local trade by whatever is left of the LCN in Detroit was even 5 or 10%, let alone 25%, we would have seen more busts over the past two decades.

[Angelo Santino]

Soooo... going back to the late 90's, we can only confirm Luisi, Vetere, Paul Pepicelli and Robert Gentile by way of COURT DOCUMENTS. Is that all?

Re. Luisi stating people were made after he was off the scene, that could be referencing after he was incarcerated but prior to his "capo to Christian" deflection. Also, if he remained connected to Paul Tanso (made or not) then it's a possibility he remained connected to that world enough to hear things. He wouldn't be the first informant to do so.

Felice Anno Nuovo!

[scott22]

Vito Parisi was part of Giacalone crew - he is Frank Bommarito's brother in law. Bommarito was acting capo of the crew from 1998-2012. In the 80s, Nove Tocco was doing a lot of coke dealing with the Giacalones.

SMB

P.S. - Echoing what cdc said, the snide, belittling nature of the comments (at least the one's aimed at me) are the biggest turn off to me in terms of posting and engaging on this particular forum, not the fact that some people disagree with what I report.

[B.]

I always welcome your posts, Scott. You've accomplished a lot in this field during a time where there's not as much interest in mafia stories. Impressive that you've made a real go of it.

[CabriniGreen]

I'll take the blame for the Sicilian mafia tangent in a thread about the Philly family's thriving Boston faction but I can't stop now...


Drawing parallels between active mafia organizations who maintain ties to each other isn't a problem, it's how we understand the overall organization they're part of. They like to network and expand their interests... so they network and (try to) expand their interests.

--

From the Sicilian investigations:

- It came out of the recent Accursio Dimino investigation that the Sciacca family in Sicily had slot machines in NYC through a Sicilian Bonanno associate and this was part of an international operation involving multiple Sicilian families and N.American mafia contacts in NYC and Montreal. The same Sicilian Bonanno associate was surveilled in 2013 at a Bonanno social club with many Bonanno leaders (acting boss Tommy DiFiore, capodecina Vincent Asaro, acting capodecina John Spirito Jr., etc.).

- It came out of the recent Castellammare case that a Bonanno boss "Joe" (Cammarano?) sent a Bonanno soldier to ask the Castellammare boss Francesco Domingo for a favor. Domingo's brother travels between the US and Sicily as a liaison. Another Bonanno soldier arranged a meeting with Domingo for another issue. The investigation also showed that the Bonanno members were arranging contact with mafiosi in Alcamo and had some contact with Sciacca boss Accursio Dimino, mentioned above for his Bonanno ties. One of those arrested with Domingo was a US-based Sicilian mafa figure who had earlier traveled to Sicily with Sal Montagna's brother.

- Frank Cali was born in America but was named in discussions between two Palermo mafia bosses as their main man in the US. He's a relative and product of the Sicilian Gambino clan and served a very "Sicilian-American" role between the groups. To simply call him an American is dismissive of his role. The recent arrest that included Joe's son Tommy Gambino also included the boss of Passo di Rigano, an Inzerillo related to the Sicilian figures in the Gambinos.

Point being, those initial rumors of NYC families restoring Sicilian ties have developed into evidence of significant networking between NYC and Sicily that not even I would have expected five years ago, let alone 10+. You weren't the only one giving major pushback to the article at that time, so I'm not trying to single you out, but I'm glad to see you've accepted the evidence that certain NYC and Sicilian families have strengthened ties. It's big of you to walk back some of those earlier hardline opinions, which admittedly were a long time ago now.

--

Where this gets back to Philly-Boston is that they have a made member in Boston who visits South Philly and maintains ties to the Borgesis. It wouldn't be a major leap to think that South Philly might try to gain more momentum in Boston through their made member(s) who lives there. I'm reserving judgment on these references to a captain and new members in Rhode Island, but it's not difficult for me to believe Philly would give their New England interests another push.

It's more believable to me that Philly would make another go in NE than it is that the Bonannos would have direct contact with bosses in Sicily after their own boss flipped, yet the latter happened. A new Philly-Boston angle is completely within the realm of possibility.

None of what you listed above about ties to Sicily surprises me. These are the types of things I've always assumed continued even before Old Bridge. Again, if I remember right, my skepticism was toward the ties taking form of a return to French or Pizza Connection-level trans-Atlantic drug trade. At least that's the impression I got from comments from others at the time. Also, I was also skeptical of the claims by many of Sicilians completely taking over the leadership of the Gambino and Bonanno families, which hasn't happened.

A NY family and the Philly family may both be active LCN organizations but that doesn't mean they have the same resources, scope, etc. Philadelphia having an active standing crew in New England today would be a bigger and more unlikely feat than anything you listed about the NY families above.

I'll add two cents......

1. Old Bridge WAS an attempt at a Transatlantic cocaine ring, involving ALL the mafia families, so as to not create jealousy or rivalries. So was New Bridge, however, this was much more " clickish", as these contacts were for the Ursino alone. In fact in New Bridge they were trading coke for heroin.... you lost me there.......


2. I think we might be overestimating the nature of these contacts with the Bonnanos. I didnt read it as an international gambling syndicate.

First of all there were machines, not an online gambling infrastructure. Nothing like you see with the Martiradonna clan. A true gambling empire......


Machines........That's territory based, location based operations. It would take a decent crew to operate multiple locations and a lot of machines. We heard about slots in 2 bars. It sounded more like an individual operation.


Diminio talk about going to the states, almost just to make a living. He even talks of hiring himself out as a paid killer, this from a Mafia boss....( He was actually a Gym teacher and fish merchant)

Domingo seems like he sponsored mafiosi who couldnt earn well in Sicily, to emigrate to the US, negotiating soft landings for them in NY. Finding them work, and lodging. I think it might be closer to the Sopranos, how Tony got Furio the " No Work" job at Arties, for paperwork purposes. Then they help the guy earn somehow, if they can.

Those guys, Turriciano and the other one... they seem like solo operators to me... I dont know if the Trapani mafia has a large slot business in NY, same with Montreal I think. I think Ribera people, under the same Madamenti as the Agrigento based Rizzuto people, are probably small, independent operators......not sure....
There are cryptic references to Sicilian mafia people up there.....

[CabriniGreen]

Also, on Buffalo, I feel like Dom Violi is about to get out? A year? Maybe 2?

[Angelo Santino]

Vito Parisi was part of Giacalone crew - he is Frank Bommarito's brother in law. Bommarito was acting capo of the crew from 1998-2012. In the 80s, Nove Tocco was doing a lot of coke dealing with the Giacalones.

SMB

P.S. - Echoing what cdc said, the snide, belittling nature of the comments (at least the one's aimed at me) are the biggest turn off to me in terms of posting and engaging on this particular forum, not the fact that some people disagree with what I report.

I respect your work as a journalist and author very much. I'm glad you post here. I've vocalized my disagreements with some of your statements and you've never taken them the wrong way when you're at a level where most develop an ego. As long as there's a mutual respect for the other's integrity, there shouldn't be an issue.

[TommyGambino]

Vito Parisi was part of Giacalone crew - he is Frank Bommarito's brother in law. Bommarito was acting capo of the crew from 1998-2012. In the 80s, Nove Tocco was doing a lot of coke dealing with the Giacalones.

SMB

P.S. - Echoing what cdc said, the snide, belittling nature of the comments (at least the one's aimed at me) are the biggest turn off to me in terms of posting and engaging on this particular forum, not the fact that some people disagree with what I report.

Forgive me for not taking every word as gospel when you say detroit lcn control 25 percent of the drug trade, where did you come up with that? You've clearly been right on a a few things regarding philly recently so fair play but I get why people are sceptical

[Pogo The Clown]

It's funny that during the entire history of these forum mob authors and reporters are never held on any kind of s pedestal. Everyone from Carlo, Volkman, Davis, Balsamo, Roemer etc are regularly ravished and often in vicious ways. Even Capeci is regularly shit on. I mean Christ for years many posters have openly refered to Dave Schratwieser as 'Mayo Face' and no bats an eye at any of it. Yet if you question Scott B you will see a certain segment of the forums get up in arms over it. It is like a Twilight Zone alternate reality.


Pogo

[cdc]

I wasn’t referring to anything to do with Scott in particular when I made the comment. It was the discussion between wiseguy and b.

Pogo: this is a genuine question here. Do you think it’s good that authors are given a hard time on these forums?

[Pogo The Clown]

I don't know that they are given a hard time specifically because they are authors. I think it is just that they are generally not treated any different than any other poster who makes a highly questionable claim. Though it seems that Scott B gets a pass on this more often than not.


I brought up this example years ago. Let's imagine for instance that a new author comes on the scene making comparable claims about the NY families that Scott has made about Detroit, Chicago and others. Like for instance say this new author claims that the Gambinos have 400 made members with 14 members making up their administration, are active in 12 states and Canada and control 25% of the drug trade in NYC or that the Colombos have 250 made members. How do you honestly think this author would be received on the forums? Would his claims be given any weight?


Yet for years when I or others question comparable claims from Scott we are met with a variation of "How dare you question Scott, why are you attacking him, he is published author so who the fuck are you to question him" or some variation of the above.


Pogo

[cdc]

I can only speak for myself but I have absolutely no issue with you, wiseguy or anyone else questioning anyone’s claims. I actually think they are needed and bring a level of credibility to this board. My main point, and what I don’t understand, is the need to insult and belittle. There have been many fantastic discussions over the years which haven’t descending into insults and point scoring which just kills discussion and ultimately these boards.

[Wiseguy]

I wasn’t referring to anything to do with Scott in particular when I made the comment. It was the discussion between wiseguy and b.

It offends me that you didn't find my waiting room comment hilarious.

I don't know that they are given a hard time specifically because they are authors. I think it is just that they are generally not treated any different than any other poster who makes a highly questionable claim. Though it seems that Scott B gets a pass on this more often than not.


I brought up this example years ago. Let's imagine for instance that a new author comes on the scene making comparable claims about the NY families that Scott has made about Detroit, Chicago and others. Like for instance say this new author claims that the Gambinos have 400 made members with 14 members making up their administration, are active in 12 states and Canada and control 25% of the drug trade in NYC or that the Colombos have 250 made members. How do you honestly think this author would be received on the forums? Would his claims be given any weight?


Yet for years when I or others question comparable claims from Scott we are met with a variation of "How dare you question Scott, why are you attacking him, he is published author so who the fuck are you to question him" or some variation of the above.


Pogo

I think part of it may be because Scott, unlike those other authors, posts on the forums. Some posters don't want to lose that so they support whatever is reported.

Second, I get the new guys who have no context but the posters here who go back far enough to the RD apparently have short memories. Have we forgotten all the trouble Scott's Detroit charts alone caused? Something like 8 or 10 variations over the years, anywhere from 30 to nearly 60 members. More hierarchical than General Motors (as I've said many time). What happened to that formidable Mafia family people argued for (because of the charts) all those years ago? It's been 15 years since any kind of even half-way significant bust. Questions and criticisms of Scott's reporting on Detroit were proven right but it's the same thing all over again here on this forum.

I'm not dismissing all of Scott's reporting. He does get things right from time to time. As I've said, I very much liked his Leonetti book. But, frankly, he can be sloppy and and has a tendency to embellish. Detroit being bigger than it is. Chicago being bigger than it is. Now Philly having an active crew in New England. Fool me once...