Enzo and Piddu's Excellent Adventure

[B.]

I haven't seen this come up before and it's a pretty interesting find that might give insight into Vincent Mangano's position under Salvatore D'Aquila.

Mangano and Traina Visit Italy

- It's well-known that Vincenzo Mangano and Giuseppe Traina attended the 1928 Cleveland meeting together as representatives of the former Salvatore D'Aquila family. D'Aquila had recently been murdered and no doubt this would be a point of discussion in Cleveland.

- Over three years earlier, in August 1925, both Vincenzo Mangano and Giuseppe Traina arrived back in the US together following a trip to Italy. Their ages and Brooklyn addresses on the ship manifest confirm that this is the same Mangano and Traina we all know, who would later attend the Cleveland meeting in 1928.

- No doubt they were visiting Sicily together and did not coincidentally arrive home on the same ship. They are listed together. At this time Mangano lived on President street in Caroll Gardens and Traina lived in the heart of Bensonhurst. Nobody else on the ship manifest stood out as a known mafia name though it's hard to know for sure.

- In 1922, Giuseppe Morello and his allies, including D'Aquila member Umberto Valente, visited Sicily where they petitioned the Sicilian mafia leadership to protect them from a death sentence imposed by Salvatore D'Aquila. This was resolved for Morello, Ignazio Lupo, and others, though Valente was killed after returning to New York. This issue appears to have been settled by 1925, so it seems unlikely Mangano and Traina would have traveled to Sicily in connection with this issue three year later.

- Shortly after Mangano and Traina returned from Italy, though, a war among the Palermo mafia broke out in Sicily relating to differing political alliances, as described by Sicilian mafia pentito Dr. Melchiorre Allegra. Among those murdered was Giulio D'Agati, the boss of Villabate and a relative by marriage to the Profaci and Magliocco families. D'Agati was killed in 1926 and apparently his opponents were murdered, including the LoGiudice brothers who were murdered in NYC in 1927.

- Melchiorre Allegra said that the New York mafia was involved in the Palermo conflict of the mid-late 1920s. He stated that Salvatore D'Aquila in fact sent money to back his allies in Palermo. A relative of NYC boss Manfredi Mineo was also involved in the conflict in Palermo, further indication that NYC was interested. Was it a coincidence that two of D'Aquila's men visited Italy a relatively short time before a violent mafia war broke out, one that D'Aquila and other NYC figures were invested in? There is no way to say, but we can be confident that Mangano and Traina visited Sicily as D'Aquila's representatives for a specific reason in 1925.

- Another high-level D'Aquila figure visited Sicily and returned less than a year previous. Vincenzo "Jimmy" DiLeonardo, identified by his grandson Michael as a capodecina and D'Aquila loyalist, returned from a trip to Sicily in late 1924. DiLeonardo was a business partner of Giuseppe Traina and like Traina could have served as a representative/messenger for D'Aquila in Sicily. DiLeonardo would again visit Sicily in 1929, this time with Mineo/D'Aquila member Andrea Torregrossa. Torregrossa had previously visited Italy in 1925 and 1928.

- Melchiorre Allegra also claimed that a 1928 dispute within the Sicilian mafia concerning money over a public contract resulted in three different delegations from the US mafia visiting to mediate the issue. He said these US delegations were unsuccessful in this case, but it's another example of US mafia members traveling to Sicily in the 1920s for official mafia affairs.

Mangano and Traina's Ranks in the 1920s

- All of the sources we have from the Castellammarese War agree that Vincenzo Mangano was one of the leading members of the Mineo (former D'Aquila) family during the late 1920s / early 1930s period. This trip with Giuseppe Traina is the first indication I'm aware of that Mangano was a leading member while D'Aquila was alive. Though that isn't surprising, it shows that his rise wasn't dependent on D'Aquila's murder, his alliance with Masseria/Mineo, nor the events of the Castellammarese War.

- Traina was one of the top leaders in the D'Aquila family and even served as D'Aquila's substitute in national duties as capo dei capi. Traina was reported to have been involved in the election of Salvatore Sabella as boss of the Philadelphia family in 1919/1920 and Traina represented D'Aquila again during a high-level Pittsburgh meeting during the mid-1920s to help settle issues concerning Pueblo and Kansas City. Gentile described Traina as D'Aquila's "sostituto", literally substitute, but used in Italian to refer to a deputy or "someone appointed to help a person and take over some of his jobs if necessary". That is to say, Traina was D'Aquila's acting boss in certain instances.

- Mangano and Traina's presence at the 1928 Cleveland meeting appears to have reflected an ongoing arrangement as representatives of D'Aquila and we know now the two were already experienced traveling partners by this time. If Traina was D'Aquila's acting boss, making him an obvious representative for D'Aquila, what was Mangano's formal position? Admin, capodecina, or influential soldier? We can only guess, but he was an important member.

- Aside from his role as "sostituto" for D'Aquila, we can't be sure what Traina's official rank was under D'Aquila. While he would be a capodecina after the Castellammarese War, he may have been part of the administration under D'Aquila given his extraordinary power and ability to serve not simply as an acting boss but also acting capo dei capi.

Mangano and Traina During the Castemmallarese War

- Around September 1930, Traina was given authority by the national leadership, including interim capo dei capi Gaspare Messina, to form a "commission" comprised of high-ranking members who would attempt to convince Salvatore Maranzano to settle for peace. Despite being on this peace committee, Traina, who still resented the murder of his friend D'Aquila, privately told Nick Gentile he felt the war could only end if Joe Masseria were killed. Traina felt Vincenzo Mangano should carry out the murder as Masseria had total trust in Mangano.

- The November 1930 double murder of Manfredi Mineo and Stefano Ferrigno took place after a high-level meeting that also included Joe Masseria and Vincent Mangano. These figures, along with Masseria's underlings like Charlie Luciano and Vito Genovese, are referred to by most sources as the core pro-Masseria leadership and all of these men were targeted by the Maranzano/Gagliano rebel group.

- Stefano Ferrigno is suspected of being Manfredi Mineo's underboss, which could suggest Mangano was a Mineo capodecina or the consigliere during the war. However, Ferrigno's brother would become a member of the Profaci family, which was likely led by Mineo before he transferred to D'Aquila's group. A lack of concrete sources and possible fluidity between D'Aquila->Mineo and Mineo->Profaci leadership make it difficult to positively map out ranks below the boss position, which itself is confusing.

- Nick Gentile says that Vincenzo Mangano was part of a neutral faction under Manfredi Mineo when the war started and that this group was tied to Masseria. He says Maranzano, who had succesfully recruited former D'Aquila supporters as allies, was not happy with the faction Mangano was a part of. Gentile says a "secret accusation" resulted in a murder attempt that wounded Mangano around this time. Is this attack on Mangano documented elsewhere?

- After returning to the US from Sicily during the war, Gentile met with Mangano and his faction, who told Gentile they had promised Joe Masseria not to betray or turn against him like others already had. This indicates that Mangano was already aware of other Mineo (ex-D'Aquila) leaders who supported Maranzano, but he was unwilling to join them. We know from Gentile that Mangano's traveling companion Giuseppe Traina was among this pro-Maranzano group and several sources have confirmed that Frank Scalise was another. Carlo and Paolo Gambino (the latter of which was not yet made) also sided with Maranzano, probably as part of the Bronx Palermitani faction under Scalise, and indicates the Castellano/Castellanas and their other relatives supported Maranzano.

- It should be noted that unlike Scalise and Traina, Mangano lived and operated out of the same territory as Mineo around Red Hook/Caroll Gardens/South Brooklyn. Perhaps this, among other factors, influenced Mangano's loyalty to the Masseria / Mineo faction. We also have to consider that the Masseria / Mineo group represented the official mafia leadership and Masseria was the capo dei capi. Mangano might have been reluctant to violate protocol and turn against the officially sanctioned bosses.

- Mangano remained on Maranzano's alleged "hit list" along with other Masseria family leaders following Masseria's murder after the war. Maranzano allegedly wanted his ally Frank Scalise to murder Mangano, but Scalise balked. Scalise was initially the new boss of the Mineo/D'Aquila family at the end of the war, but Scalise would step down following Maranzano's murder and be replaced by Mangano.

- Traina, as mentioned, was on the peace committee despite quietly plotting against Masseria and presumably his boss Mineo. When the peace committee was formed, Gentile recalled that Traina asked the national leadership whether this committee should only include bosses or if it could include other ranks. While we know Traina was not an official boss, his question is further indicatation that he was among the highest-ranking members in New York City, as previously evidenced by his role as D'Aquila's "sostituto". He was apparently comfortable including himself on a committee that might be limited to bosses.

Aftermath of Castellammarese War

- As is well known, Vincenzo Mangano became the boss of the former Mineo/D'Aquila family in 1931 and retained the role until his 1951 disappearance at the hands of his longtime underboss Albert Anastasia. Giuseppe Biondo served as the family consigliere beginning in 1931 though it's not clear if Biondo held this position throughout all of Mangano's reign.

- Giuseppe Traina was a capodecina by 1931 and retained this position until his death in the 1970s. In the 1940s, US authorities received information from the Italian Treasury that identified Traina, in addition to Mangano, as a member of the a "Grand Council" of US mafia leaders. This source is not further identified but it might very well be Nick Gentile given the terminology the source used. The info suggests that Traina retained some of the status he had in the 1920s.

- While Traina was not an official member of the Commission, a position held only by bosses, there is some truth to the above report. Sources reported that Traina continued to serve as the liaison between the Philadelphia family and the Commission for decades, with reports of Philadelphia members contacting Traina to send messages and receive guidance from the Commission. He also had the authority to arbitrate disputes and, as he did in 1919/1920, he would play a role in the election of a new Philadelphia boss in the late 1950s.

- Though Mangano and Traina had differing loyalties during the Castellammarese War, Traina's status as an influential capodecina under Mangano's leadership afterward suggests the two men had no problems between them. Traina was not a threat to Mangano's leadership. Mangano did not attempt to hold Traina back or force him into retirement. Perhaps the two men had fond memories of their 1925 trip to Italy.

[The Greek]

Awesome post B!

[Chaps]

Awesome post as always B. As an aside, has it been clarified why exactly Anastasia had the Mangano brothers killed? I've read conflicting theories over the years.

[axx]

Nice, thanks for the hard work! This period is less confusing for me now.

[B.]

Awesome post as always B. As an aside, has it been clarified why exactly Anastasia had the Mangano brothers killed? I've read conflicting theories over the years.

Not sure. If I remember right, at least one source said Anastasia claimed Mangano was going to kill him, so he acted first, which is the same argument Anastasia's killers used when they killed him. I imagine this is just about the only justification someone could use to get away with the unsanctioned murder of their boss.

I've always been surprised Anastasia got away with it. He killed his boss and the boss's brother, who by all accounts was also a high-ranking member. Years later, sources said that Anastasia's own downfall was influenced by the murder of Frank and Joe Scalise. Sources have said there was a rule where even the boss of a family had to receive Commission approval to murder a high-ranking member of his own family, so Anastasia may have violated that rule when he killed the Scalises but that seems so minor compared to the Mangano murders. He didn't just get away with the Mangano murders, but was rewarded by becoming an official boss and Commission member.

Joe Bonanno's stance is also strange. He had a high opinion of Mangano and claimed to be a Sicilian traditionalist, but Bonanno readily became an ally of Anastasia afterward. Then again, this is the same guy who fawned over his mentor Salvatore Maranzano then quickly turned away from him and benefited from his death.

Glad you enjoyed the post.

[Pogo The Clown]

Joe Bonanno also quotes Anastasia as saying he acted in self defense in that Mangsno was going to kill him when he was brought before the Commission. If my memory is correct Anastasia brought in witnesses who backed up his claim. Who knows what the real story was between Mangano and Anastasia.


Pogo

[B.]

Joe Bonanno also quotes Anastasia as saying he acted in self defense in that Mangsno was going to kill him when he was brought before the Commission. If my memory is correct Anastasia brought in witnesses who backed up his claim. Who knows what the real story was between Mangano and Anastasia.


Pogo

Thanks, Pogo. Curious who those witnesses were.

When Carlo Gambino replaced Anastasia, the rest of his administration ended up being the men who conspired against Anastasia (Biondo and Riccobono).

Given how often the mafia follow similar trends, maybe Anastasia's witnesses were among the men who became part of the administration in the 1950s. Probably not Scalise or Carlo Gambino, but Toto Chiri and Nino Conte come to mind.

[Antiliar]

According to Vincenzo DiLeonardo's grandson, Traina was D'Aquila's consigliere.

[TwoPiece]

fascinating and well written as usual B. thanks.

[B.]

Thank you. I have a backlog of random stuff I'm throwing out there all at once, but glad people are taking the time to read through.

I suspect Traina continued on as consigliere under Mineo. The consigliere position didn't change with a new boss like underboss did, so if he was already the consigliere he would have to step down or be deposed by the family. Given that Ferrigno was most likely the underboss and Traina's role seems to have been as a high-level mediator (hence chairing the peace "commission" during the war), he would fit the profile of consigliere through the end of the war.

LCNBios' post about the SanFilippos says that Traina's in-law Giuseppe SanFilippo was described by a source as a mafia "Don" and "consigliere of judgment" in the Gambino family. Different possibilities there, but the later marital connection to the Trainas would suggest these guys were birds of a feather.

[B.]

So it looks like D'Aquila was gearing up to help Antonino Grillo as early as 1924 and had plans to send someone to Palermo. I don't see Mangano and Traina being "armed commandos" but they could have been there for the same purpose as political representatives of D'Aquila.

It should be pointed out that Grillo, in addition to being boss of Resuttana, was the brother-in-law of Manfredi Mineo and was with Mineo when he arrived in the US in 1911. Interesting that D'Aquila was a Grillo ally given his close Mineo connections.

Grillo's connection to Baltimore stands out because Baltimore's mafia was a crew of the D'Aquila/Gambino family.

[B.]

Cross-posting from the files section just to have the info here. Thanks to Chaps for providing the files where these come from.

From Arcuri's FBI file:

- Informant described "Don Pupine" (ph) as "Carlo Gambino long before Gambino", who was now retired. Was seen visiting the Arcuri liquor store more than once between 1963 and 1964. I'm guessing this was in reference to Giuseppe Traina (known as "Don Piddu") as he was known to visit the Arcuri store and isn't otherwise mentioned. If so, describing him as "Gambino long before Gambino" is further indication of his early status and likely admin position under D'Aquila.

From a taped 1961 conversation between Genovese member Michele Clemente and an unidentified member "Al" or "Sal", where Clemente is explaining how Commission representation of smaller families works:



- The reference to the "old guy there that used to be in Albert's seat - he was the underboss with the old boss." From context during the conversation, Albert is definitely Anastasia, so is this a reference to Vincent Mangano? Some of us have speculated that Mangano was D'Aquila's underboss, but it seems strange that this would be referenced here. He could also mean Anastasia was underboss to the old boss (Mangano), which is true. Either way, he is referring to a boss before Anastasia, but why would he bring Mangano up here?



- Giuseppe Traina wasn't dead at this time like it says, but interesting he comes up. We know Traina served as the liaison between the Philadelphia family and the Commission and a 1940s Italian Treasury source identified Traina as a member of the Commission. Though he wasn't a Commission member, this is another indication of Traina's important position and role as a Commission aide.

-------------------------------------------

The possible Mangano reference is vague, but if it was referring to him as "underboss to the old boss", it would seem he was saying Mangano was either D'Aquila or Mineo's underboss, which fits with the picture we have of Mangano in the 1920s and 1930-1931 before he became boss. I don't know why the unknown member "Al" or "Sal" would be talking about that, but we know from examples like the Magaddino tapes these guys can be all over the map with their references and context isn't always clear. We don't know the age (or anything else) about "Al" / "Sal", so for all we know he was around in the 1920s/1930s. Clemente, who he is talking to, would have been around 20 when D'Aquila was killed so that period might not be totally foreign to him either.

^ Also, the FBI clarifies below this that they refer to someone named Frank, who they believe is not Frank Majuri. Maybe this is a reference to Frank Scalise, who would have fit into a conversation about the earlier Gambino admin.

If "Don Pupine" (ph. -- probably Peppino) is Traina as I suspect, the reference to him as "Carlo Gambino before Carlo Gambino" is very interesting, as Gambino was the boss at the time of this report. Traina was never an official boss but he was D'Aquila's "sostituto" (acting boss) on multiple occasions so we know he had high stature. Seems later sources may have been aware of this. The reference in the Clemente conversation also reinforces Traina's stature, including the FBI's reference to Traina being an "old power" in the mafia.

[bronx]

traina was liason for many cities ,clev, balt ,pittsburgh ,n.o.

[bronx]

After daquila was killed ,he was sent to cleveland also

[bronx]

believe it was in december ,daquila was killed in oct.