Was doing some research on early Genovese family consigliere Alessandro Pandolfo and noticed some items of interest.
Pandolfo Background
- Born in Naples, Pandolfo immigrated to NYC in his mid-20s, initially living at 25 Thompson. In 1927, he married Angelina Marafino, born in NYC. Interestingly, her mother's maiden name is listed as "Giganti." Her mother's death record and a sibling's birth record show the spelling "Gigante" and her father's name was Nicolo. The Marafinos lived at 171 Thompson in South Greenwich Village.
- Pandolfo's own mother's maiden name is listed on one record as "Piccirilli" and another as "Piccierillo." We can assume it was something similar, but Pandolfo's death record says his mother's maiden name was "Giganti," like his wife's mother's maiden name. The death record gets his mother's first name correct, Virginia, yet has her surname as "Giganti." While possible, it's strange they would confuse his mother's maiden name for his mother-in-law's maiden name while getting his mother's first name correct. It makes me wonder if both Pandolfo and his wife had their own maternal relation to the "Giganti" name. It would also fit with that era for Pandolfo to marry a cousin of some kind.
- At the time of Pandolfo's 1931 naturalization, he was living in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh mafia had a significant Neapolitan faction with close ties to Vito Genovese, as evidenced by Genovese's involvement in the fallout/retribution from the Neapolitan Volpe murders. In NYC, Pandolfo was a part of the Genovese-Strollo faction, so it hardly seems like a coincidence that Pandolfo was in Pittsburgh around the period that Vito Genovese was involving himself in the Pittsburgh family's affairs.
- By 1940, Pandolfo was living at 71 Washington Square South, near Greenwich Village, which makes sense given his involvement with the Genovese-Strollo faction. At the time of his 1948 death, he was living at 68 W 3rd street, near his 1940 address.
- Joe Valachi's book refers to Pandolfo as both a "counselor" to Tony Strollo and the "Family counsel." From my own research I've learned that Peter Maas and perhaps the FBI changed some of Valachi's terms so they would be more palatable to the American public, so it's likely Valachi knew Pandolfo to be the family consigliere.
- Pandolfo's position as consigliere makes sense within mafia politics. In large families, there is a tendency for different admin positions to represent different factions of the family, something we've seen in the Genovese, Gambino, and even families like Philadelphia. At the time Pandolfo presumably became the consigliere, Vito Genovese was in Italy and the family was being run by Frank Costello and Willie Moretti, who represented another faction. Pandolfo would have been elected to represent the Genovese-Strollo faction on the administration. There is no indication he was a particularly influential or powerful member, with most available info indicating some level of subservience to Anthony Strollo. Strollo, however, was a much more polarizing figure and it's possible Pandolfo was elected to the administration because he was a Genovese loyalist but also more agreeable to the wider family than Strollo.
Vincent Gigante's Family
- Salvatore Gigante's brother Luigi used the spelling "Giganti," which isn't surprising, as records show the Gigante/Giganti spellings as interchangeable in early records of those with the surname, including the Pandolfo relatives as mentioned. Salvatore's father in Naples was Vincenzo Gigante, so we can rule out Salvatore Gigante being the brother of Pandolfo's mother-in-law Lucia Gigante given her father was Nicolo Gigante. If there is a relation, it goes back at least an additional generation.
- The Gigantes lived at 183 Thompson street in South Greenwich Village. This is the exact same block where Pandolfo's in-laws the Marafino-Gigantes lived, 171 Thompson. So Pandolfo's mother-in-law Lucia Gigante Marafino lived just a few doors down from Salvatore Gigante and his infamous sons. Remember, too, that Pandolfo first lived on Thompson street when he came to NYC. Beyond that, records show that Pandolfo and the Gigante brothers consistently lived in the same area south of Greenwich Village during the same period.
- The popular story for Vincent Gigante's rise in the Genovese family has some holes. I'm not sure that a firsthand source has confirmed exactly how the Gigante brothers became close to Vito Genovese and earned their membership. When Vito Genovese left for Italy, the Gigantes were young boys and when Genovese returned after WWII, he lived in New Jersey and spent much of his time there. While Genovese still spent time in Greenwich Village in the 1940s / 1950s, it seems unlikely he would be focused on recruiting young locals. Someone probably referred the Gigantes to Genovese and gave him confidence in them.
Conclusion?
I'm not suggesting this is some definitive discovery. It is an interesting set of coincidences if nothing else: a high-ranking member of the Genovese-Strollo faction, Alessandro Pandolfo, lived on Thompson street and around the South Village, had a marital connection to the Gigante name (and possibly his own blood relation to it as well), meanwhile Vincent and Mario Gigante grew up on Thompson street a few doors down from Pandolfo's in-laws (one of which was a Gigante). The Gigante brothers first made a name for themselves in the Genovese-Strollo faction around the time Pandolfo was consigliere, with the brothers becoming close to NJ-based boss Vito Genovese. They are all Neapolitan.
If these were Sicilians, our alarm bells would be going crazy and we could practically count on this connection. While the Genovese family's mainlanders didn't have mafia bloodlines or follow the exact same patterns as Sicilians, we do see where relations naturally factored into recruitment. Many sons, nephews, and cousins were still part of the Genovese organization. It doesn't appear the Gigante brothers were nephews or close relatives of Pandolfo, if they were at all, but the above coincidences are hard to deny and I also haven't found any information that outright dismisses a connection.
I'm admittedly limited in my knowledge of the Genovese family, so let me know if there is something I've overlooked. Also please feel free to correct and contribute to this research as you see fit.
Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Moderator: Capos
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Connecting to the consiglio thread, it's likely Pandolfo was one of the "three geeps" Michele Clemente referenced as part of a mediating body in the mafia. He implied it existed before Sal Profaci's time (inducted in the 1950s) which would match with Pandolfo (died 1948). The term "geep" is sort of like "zip," except it wasn't specific to Sicilians. Pandolfo came to the US from Naples well into adulthood, so he was certainly a "geep."
Also, Valachi said the NYC consiglio included Joe Biondo and Vincent Rao, both consiglieri of their respective families. It would be logical that Pandolfo, as consigliere of the Genovese, would have been on it as well given he was a contemporary of Biondo and Rao when they held the same position. It's also logical that Clemente would generalize the entire consiglio as "geeps" given the representative from his own family was one -- this might have colored his perception of the whole consiglio.
Also, Valachi said the NYC consiglio included Joe Biondo and Vincent Rao, both consiglieri of their respective families. It would be logical that Pandolfo, as consigliere of the Genovese, would have been on it as well given he was a contemporary of Biondo and Rao when they held the same position. It's also logical that Clemente would generalize the entire consiglio as "geeps" given the representative from his own family was one -- this might have colored his perception of the whole consiglio.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
One fly in the ointment is that Valachi thought Pandolfo was still alive "around 1952" (admittedly an estimate on his part), when he said Strollo cut up a narcotics payment between himself, Vito Genovese, Pandolfo, and others. He was remembering an event from at least a decade previous, so he may have messed up the timeline or he simply remembered that the payment was cut up among the leadership and mistakenly included a deceased leader. Pandolfo wasn't central to the story and he seems to have had no direct interaction with Pandolfo in the matter.
Valachi told the FBI that "Sandino Pondolfo" [sic] was dead by the time of his cooperation in the early 1960s. There was an Alexander Pandolfi who lived in Greenwich Village in the 1910s, but moved to Queens and then Staten Island, where he died in 1966. None of that follows the pattern of a Genovese-Strollo crew member and doesn't fit what we know of "Sandino." Alessandro Pandolfo on the other hand fits "Sandino" to a tee except for Valachi's belief he was still alive in 1952.
Valachi describes "Sandino" as a "greaseball" in his book, which is consistent with Alessandro Pandolfo, who came to the US well into adulthood, unlike the other guy Alexander Pandolfi who was in the US much earlier. Valachi's description of him as a "greaseball" would also fit Clemente's use of the word "geep" for the consiglio members.
Valachi wouldn't be the first to misremember the exact DOD of another member/leader, and it's actually quite common. In this case, 4 years isn't egregious, especially when you consider he gives no indication in his extensive cooperation that he was close to "Sandino."
I have also suspected that Valachi was involved in heroin dealing before he claims to have gotten into it in the 1950s and downplayed his ongoing involvement in that trade. Assuming he correctly remembered Pandolfo's involvement in the heroin payment, that would place Valachi's heroin story at 1948 or earlier, as Pandolfo died in 1948.
Valachi told the FBI that "Sandino Pondolfo" [sic] was dead by the time of his cooperation in the early 1960s. There was an Alexander Pandolfi who lived in Greenwich Village in the 1910s, but moved to Queens and then Staten Island, where he died in 1966. None of that follows the pattern of a Genovese-Strollo crew member and doesn't fit what we know of "Sandino." Alessandro Pandolfo on the other hand fits "Sandino" to a tee except for Valachi's belief he was still alive in 1952.
Valachi describes "Sandino" as a "greaseball" in his book, which is consistent with Alessandro Pandolfo, who came to the US well into adulthood, unlike the other guy Alexander Pandolfi who was in the US much earlier. Valachi's description of him as a "greaseball" would also fit Clemente's use of the word "geep" for the consiglio members.
Valachi wouldn't be the first to misremember the exact DOD of another member/leader, and it's actually quite common. In this case, 4 years isn't egregious, especially when you consider he gives no indication in his extensive cooperation that he was close to "Sandino."
I have also suspected that Valachi was involved in heroin dealing before he claims to have gotten into it in the 1950s and downplayed his ongoing involvement in that trade. Assuming he correctly remembered Pandolfo's involvement in the heroin payment, that would place Valachi's heroin story at 1948 or earlier, as Pandolfo died in 1948.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Thoughts on the Genovese consigliere position:
- There's no way to know if Pandolfo took over immediately following the murder of previous consigliere Saverio Pollaccia. There is a 16 year window when he could have taken over between 1932 and his 1948 death. For all we know "Chee Gusae" (ph) was consigliere before Pandolfo given the early tendency for consigliere to be "sostituto."
- We also don't know who would have taken over the position following Pandolfo's 1948 death, assuming he still held the position at the time. It's not a given that someone was immediately elected for the position either. When Profaci consigliere Joe Buffa died in 1959, the family did not elect an official replacement until 1964.
- The impression we have of the Genovese family is that crews and factions were heavily autonomous, managing their own affairs except in cases of major conflict between groups. With Vito Genovese back in the US in the 1940s and my belief that Pandolfo was elected as consigliere to represent the Genovese faction on the administration in Vito's absence, they may not had a political need to elect an immediate replacement.
- There's no information about a Genovese consigliere until 1957, when Vito Genovese took over, with Mike Miranda becoming consigliere. Some writers have erroneously mistaken Miranda for a simple Genovese loyalist when in fact he was head of his own faction that split into a whole group of new decinas by the 1960s and according to recordings of Genovese members this group led by Miranda posed a significant threat to Genovese's power after his imprisonment.
- It's possible the Genovese family went 9 years without naming an official consigliere. If the more traditional Profaci family would go 5 years, who is to say the Genovese family wouldn't go 9?
- Clemente's comment implying the "three geeps" (consiglio) may have ceased in the 1950s could fit with Pandolfo not being replaced. The consiglio seems to have been made up of consiglieri from each family, so if the Genovese didn't name a new consiglio representative (i.e. they didn't have a consigliere), that could have led to the dissolution of the consiglio.
- There's no way to know if Pandolfo took over immediately following the murder of previous consigliere Saverio Pollaccia. There is a 16 year window when he could have taken over between 1932 and his 1948 death. For all we know "Chee Gusae" (ph) was consigliere before Pandolfo given the early tendency for consigliere to be "sostituto."
- We also don't know who would have taken over the position following Pandolfo's 1948 death, assuming he still held the position at the time. It's not a given that someone was immediately elected for the position either. When Profaci consigliere Joe Buffa died in 1959, the family did not elect an official replacement until 1964.
- The impression we have of the Genovese family is that crews and factions were heavily autonomous, managing their own affairs except in cases of major conflict between groups. With Vito Genovese back in the US in the 1940s and my belief that Pandolfo was elected as consigliere to represent the Genovese faction on the administration in Vito's absence, they may not had a political need to elect an immediate replacement.
- There's no information about a Genovese consigliere until 1957, when Vito Genovese took over, with Mike Miranda becoming consigliere. Some writers have erroneously mistaken Miranda for a simple Genovese loyalist when in fact he was head of his own faction that split into a whole group of new decinas by the 1960s and according to recordings of Genovese members this group led by Miranda posed a significant threat to Genovese's power after his imprisonment.
- It's possible the Genovese family went 9 years without naming an official consigliere. If the more traditional Profaci family would go 5 years, who is to say the Genovese family wouldn't go 9?
- Clemente's comment implying the "three geeps" (consiglio) may have ceased in the 1950s could fit with Pandolfo not being replaced. The consiglio seems to have been made up of consiglieri from each family, so if the Genovese didn't name a new consiglio representative (i.e. they didn't have a consigliere), that could have led to the dissolution of the consiglio.
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Pogo The Clown
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Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
B. wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:20 pm Thoughts on the Genovese consigliere position:
- There's no way to know if Pandolfo took over immediately following the murder of previous consigliere Saverio Pollaccia. There is a 16 year window when he could have taken over between 1932 and his 1948 death. For all we know "Chee Gusae" (ph) was consigliere before Pandolfo given the early tendency for consigliere to be "sostituto."
I believe it was written in Bill Bonsnnos second book that Frank Costello was the Consigliere in 1931. No doubt the info would have come from his father. I haven't read the book but that is what others have quoted.
Pogo
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Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
The mother's maiden name connection and proximity in Greenwich Village between Pandolfo and the Gigantes make it pretty unlikely that there is no connection.
Vincent Gigante's (rapid?) rise is often attributed to his closeness to either Vito Genovese or Phillip Lombardo. Questions about the likeliness of the Vito reason is mentioned by B, and as for Lombardo - he's East Harlem. Agreed that there is likely another "rabbi" closer by.
Vincent Gigante's (rapid?) rise is often attributed to his closeness to either Vito Genovese or Phillip Lombardo. Questions about the likeliness of the Vito reason is mentioned by B, and as for Lombardo - he's East Harlem. Agreed that there is likely another "rabbi" closer by.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Yeah, when I saw Pandolfo's wife's family the Gigante Marafinos lived on the same block a few doors down from Vincent Gigante I started to think there might be something to it. If nothing else part of the same immediate Neapolitan colony.InCamelot wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 10:50 pm The mother's maiden name connection and proximity in Greenwich Village between Pandolfo and the Gigantes make it pretty unlikely that there is no connection.
Vincent Gigante's (rapid?) rise is often attributed to his closeness to either Vito Genovese or Phillip Lombardo. Questions about the likeliness of the Vito reason is mentioned by B, and as for Lombardo - he's East Harlem. Agreed that there is likely another "rabbi" closer by.
Should be mentioned that Pandalfo's mother-in-law Lucia Gigante Marafino died the year before he came to the US, but wouldn't really make a difference given the relation (if it exists) would be passed along to her children.
Let me make one correction to the original post -- Pandolfo wasn't living in Pittsburgh in 1931. He was living in Pittsburgh when he applied for his naturalization in 1925. Still interesting given Vito Genovese's close ties to the Pittsburgh Neapolitan faction, but Pandolfo wasn't living there in the early 1930s when the Volpe situation happened. He still could have factored into the situation given his ties, but wanted to correct that part -- between 1924-1927 his trajectory was Naples->NYC->Pittsburgh->NYC.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Great research, B. Chin's father and his uncles started using the Gigante name after their immigration to the USA. They went by Esposito, their original name, when they were still in Italy. Even after relocating to America they went for a few years by 'Esposito Vulgo GIgante' in some documents. Lucia Marafino could very well have been a relative, but it's not a given just because she had the same name.
Vito Genovese knew the Esposito - Gigante family before they moved to the USA . Before Vito fled to Italy in 1937, he helped them financially because Yolanda, Chin's mother, needed some kind of emergency medical intervention. Mario Gigante came up as a muscle and debt collector for members in the Greenwich Village Crew, including Tommy Eboli and Strollo. Chin got a boxing license in 1944, when he was only 16 years old and too young to fight, with the help of the absent Genovese and Eboli. Eboli was even his manager in a few boxing fights, and when Vito returned to the States, Chin became his driver and the rest is history. Before becoming Vito's driver Chin did some 'important job' for him, likely murdering a witness in the 1934 Ferdinand Boccia murder Vito was immediately charged for on his return from Naples.
Pandolfo was the acting consigliere for the family until his death in 1947. It seems he was bumped up after Costello became acting boss.
Vito Genovese knew the Esposito - Gigante family before they moved to the USA . Before Vito fled to Italy in 1937, he helped them financially because Yolanda, Chin's mother, needed some kind of emergency medical intervention. Mario Gigante came up as a muscle and debt collector for members in the Greenwich Village Crew, including Tommy Eboli and Strollo. Chin got a boxing license in 1944, when he was only 16 years old and too young to fight, with the help of the absent Genovese and Eboli. Eboli was even his manager in a few boxing fights, and when Vito returned to the States, Chin became his driver and the rest is history. Before becoming Vito's driver Chin did some 'important job' for him, likely murdering a witness in the 1934 Ferdinand Boccia murder Vito was immediately charged for on his return from Naples.
Pandolfo was the acting consigliere for the family until his death in 1947. It seems he was bumped up after Costello became acting boss.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Never knew about the Esposito name....this might explain some of the old connections between the Gigante families and Chicago....thanks Eboli
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Manhattan_
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Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Can it be possible that Pandolfo is Chee Gusae ?Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:58 pmB. wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:20 pm Thoughts on the Genovese consigliere position:
- There's no way to know if Pandolfo took over immediately following the murder of previous consigliere Saverio Pollaccia. There is a 16 year window when he could have taken over between 1932 and his 1948 death. For all we know "Chee Gusae" (ph) was consigliere before Pandolfo given the early tendency for consigliere to be "sostituto."
I believe it was written in Bill Bonsnnos second book that Frank Costello was the Consigliere in 1931. No doubt the info would have come from his father. I haven't read the book but that is what others have quoted.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
According to Valachi, Chee Gusae died before Costello took over as acting boss. This happened around 1936-1937.Manhattan_ wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:59 amCan it be possible that Pandolfo is Chee Gusae ?Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:58 pmB. wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:20 pm Thoughts on the Genovese consigliere position:
- There's no way to know if Pandolfo took over immediately following the murder of previous consigliere Saverio Pollaccia. There is a 16 year window when he could have taken over between 1932 and his 1948 death. For all we know "Chee Gusae" (ph) was consigliere before Pandolfo given the early tendency for consigliere to be "sostituto."
I believe it was written in Bill Bonsnnos second book that Frank Costello was the Consigliere in 1931. No doubt the info would have come from his father. I haven't read the book but that is what others have quoted.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
B do your files say Pandolfa was born in 1892?
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
No, he was born in the late 1890s. I'm guessing you saw that year on Bill Feather's site -- he is prone to error on those kinds of details and he lists an "Alexander Pandolfi" who died in the mid-1960s, after Valachi's cooperation (who said Pandolfo was already dead in the early 1960s).
Elsewhere on Bill's site he seems to identify the right Pandolfo but has some different DOD-DOB details -- not sure where he got them.
Thanks for reminding me of this. I had it in my head that Costello was consigliere but forgot where I saw it. This would make sense with my theory -- that Pandolfo was elected consigliere to represent the Genovese faction after Vito left the USA and when the Costello-Moretti faction took over the family.Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:58 pm I believe it was written in Bill Bonsnnos second book that Frank Costello was the Consigliere in 1931. No doubt the info would have come from his father. I haven't read the book but that is what others have quoted.
I think Bonanno might have been off slightly, though, as Pollaccia was killed in 1932, assuming he still held the position. We know consigliere technically isn't supposed to change when a new boss is elected, so Pollaccia may have continued on after Masseria's death which would put Costello in around 1932.
Thanks, man. A few things...eboli wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 5:18 am Great research, B. Chin's father and his uncles started using the Gigante name after their immigration to the USA. They went by Esposito, their original name, when they were still in Italy. Even after relocating to America they went for a few years by 'Esposito Vulgo GIgante' in some documents. Lucia Marafino could very well have been a relative, but it's not a given just because she had the same name.
Vito Genovese knew the Esposito - Gigante family before they moved to the USA . Before Vito fled to Italy in 1937, he helped them financially because Yolanda, Chin's mother, needed some kind of emergency medical intervention. Mario Gigante came up as a muscle and debt collector for members in the Greenwich Village Crew, including Tommy Eboli and Strollo. Chin got a boxing license in 1944, when he was only 16 years old and too young to fight, with the help of the absent Genovese and Eboli. Eboli was even his manager in a few boxing fights, and when Vito returned to the States, Chin became his driver and the rest is history. Before becoming Vito's driver Chin did some 'important job' for him, likely murdering a witness in the 1934 Ferdinand Boccia murder Vito was immediately charged for on his return from Naples.
Pandolfo was the acting consigliere for the family until his death in 1947. It seems he was bumped up after Costello became acting boss.
Where does the information come from that specifies "acting" consigliere?
His death record says he died August 1948. It's Pandolfo's death record that interestingly says his own mother was a "Giganti," too, like his mother-in-law. Other records make it clear his mother didn't have the maiden name Giganti, but maybe his mother's mother had that name or something. It's possible they confused it with the surname of his long-deceased mother-in-law, but that doesn't sit right with me.
I agree the relation isn't a given, but that's incorrect about the Gigante surname. Salvatore Esposito Gigante immigrated to the US in January 1921 and was already using the Gigante surname, as was his brother Luigi (who Louis Gigante is named for). His naturalization the following year confirms this. The idea that he adopted the Gigante surname in the US seems to be a myth -- maybe he did it in Naples, but I'm not sure what info would be available to suggest or confirm that.
Do you know what the source is for Genovese's long-standing Italian connections to the Gigantes and direct involvement in his boxing career? Or some of the other details? Not challenging you here, but I've had trouble confirming where some of the "lore" surrounding Gigante's rise in the organization comes from.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
The 'acting' part for Pandolfo was somewhere in the Strollo files I browsed somewhat recently when I was doing the write-up on him. It definitely didn't say 'acting consigliere', and it was more in lines how Costello promoted Moretti and Pandolfo as his aides when he became AB or something of the sort. Before posting I checked CC's west side lineage chart, I saved a long time ago, and he has Moretti and Pandolfo as acting UB and acting consigliere, respectfully, so maybe there are other references I'm forgetting about right now or I've missed entirely.B. wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:10 pm Thanks, man. A few things...
Where does the information come from that specifies "acting" consigliere?
His death record says he died August 1948. It's Pandolfo's death record that interestingly says his own mother was a "Giganti," too, like his mother-in-law. Other records make it clear his mother didn't have the maiden name Giganti, but maybe his mother's mother had that name or something. It's possible they confused it with the surname of his long-deceased mother-in-law, but that doesn't sit right with me.
I agree the relation isn't a given, but that's incorrect about the Gigante surname. Salvatore Esposito Gigante immigrated to the US in January 1921 and was already using the Gigante surname, as was his brother Luigi (who Louis Gigante is named for). His naturalization the following year confirms this. The idea that he adopted the Gigante surname in the US seems to be a myth -- maybe he did it in Naples, but I'm not sure what info would be available to suggest or confirm that.
Do you know what the source is for Genovese's long-standing Italian connections to the Gigantes and direct involvement in his boxing career? Or some of the other details? Not challenging you here, but I've had trouble confirming where some of the "lore" surrounding Gigante's rise in the organization comes from.
From what I found on the Gigante name, it seems to be connected to Luigi initially. Chin's grandfather Vincenzo was listed as Esposito in everything I found about him (which was not much), including his birth certificate. When Salvatore got married to Yolanda, he was listed as Esposito. Then he emigrated and was listed as Esposito Vulgo Gigante and Gigante in various documents, including ship manifests, while his older brother Luigi was known simply as Gigante. If Salvatore started calling himself Gigante while he was still in Italy, it had to be shortly before he left the country. What's even stranger is that even decades later their descendants continued to refer to Salvatore as E.V. Gigante, and to Luigi simply as Gigante. That can be seen in their obituaries, and interestingly, even in that of Yolanda as late as 1997. It looks confusing to me, and I'm certain there had to be a good reason for the discrepancy.
The part about Vito's personal ties to the Gigantes and Chin's very early undocumented rise as Vito's chauffeur comes from Rita Gigante. It's based almost entirely on Yolanda Gigante's stories of the period. And some were based on Reverend Gigante's recollections. I think some claims are impossible to be verified, and for others it's nearly impossible, unless Mario or Louis decide to spill the beans. All things considered, they sound plausible and are not like some other myths surrounding the family like how Chin got his nickname and so on. The part about the boxing license looks 100% legit. Chin made his debut on July 18, 1944, when he was only 16 years old. He got his license a month earlier and used to train at the same gym Tommy Eboli trained his main guy at the time - Rocky Castellani. In some of his earlier fights, in 44 and 45, Chin was listed as 'Vince Gigante/Giganti' and Eboli was listed as his manager in some of them. Then Vito comes back - > Chin does the 'important job' for him which coincides with several murders connected to Vito - > Chin leaves boxing after his wig was split in 47 - > in 49-50 he was pinched for rigging basketball games out of a print shop while on probation for criminal mischief, etc.
Re: Pandolfo -> Gigante connection?
Thanks for the follow-up, man. I'll keep an eye out for more on Pandolfo -- assuming the info didn't come from Valachi, that's further indication he was part of the Costello administration.
Also thanks for the other bit from Rita Gigante. I imagine she has to rely on outside sources on his underworld background, but as his daughter her take is important even though she's a bit out there.
The reason I'm asking for clarification on sources is that some of the most famous mafia figures are sometimes the most misrepresented -- you'd think it would be the opposite given there is more info on them, yet we still end up with documentaries where Carlo Gambino is said to have been "sent" to the US by Cascio Ferro, etc. Some of the info on Gigante has been repeated so many times it's taken for granted, but no doubt he was close to Eboli and became popular with the Genovese faction at a young age. If there is a Pandolfo connection, that could be a reason why.
Just to clarify, re: Esposito/Gigante...
Immigration records show that Salvatore was using the Gigante name during his 1921 immigration, so he would have registered to travel/immigrate with the Gigante name when he departed from Naples.
So he used the Gigante name while he was still technically in Naples, though I don't know that he actually used it prior to getting on the boat. From your research it sounds like he didn't. He did arrive in the US as a Gigante, though, with the additional names you mentioned.
I'm sure we're on the same page, but just wanted to make it clear to everyone Salvatore Eposito Gigante was using Gigante as his surname from the time he left Naples. The name must have had some significance to the family there and it def raises an eyebrow that he lived next to the Marafino-Gigantes who in turn had Pandolfo as their son-in-law.
Also thanks for the other bit from Rita Gigante. I imagine she has to rely on outside sources on his underworld background, but as his daughter her take is important even though she's a bit out there.
The reason I'm asking for clarification on sources is that some of the most famous mafia figures are sometimes the most misrepresented -- you'd think it would be the opposite given there is more info on them, yet we still end up with documentaries where Carlo Gambino is said to have been "sent" to the US by Cascio Ferro, etc. Some of the info on Gigante has been repeated so many times it's taken for granted, but no doubt he was close to Eboli and became popular with the Genovese faction at a young age. If there is a Pandolfo connection, that could be a reason why.
Just to clarify, re: Esposito/Gigante...
Immigration records show that Salvatore was using the Gigante name during his 1921 immigration, so he would have registered to travel/immigrate with the Gigante name when he departed from Naples.
So he used the Gigante name while he was still technically in Naples, though I don't know that he actually used it prior to getting on the boat. From your research it sounds like he didn't. He did arrive in the US as a Gigante, though, with the additional names you mentioned.
I'm sure we're on the same page, but just wanted to make it clear to everyone Salvatore Eposito Gigante was using Gigante as his surname from the time he left Naples. The name must have had some significance to the family there and it def raises an eyebrow that he lived next to the Marafino-Gigantes who in turn had Pandolfo as their son-in-law.