Mafia Lawyers

[Antiliar]

Since B created the topic of Mafia doctors, attorney is another legitimate white collar professional position that is not usually associated with the public's perception of typical gangsters and racketeers. Here's some names to start off the list:

1. Frank Desimone. A criminal defense attorney who graduated from USC, he succeeded Jack Dragna as the boss of the Los Angeles Family from 1956 until his death in 1967.

2. Joseph Balistrieri. The son of the boss of the Milwaukee Family from 1961 to 1993 who ruled with the aid of the Chicago Outfit, Joseph and his brother John, both lawyers, were both deeply involved in aiding their father. Joseph was reportedly a caporegime and acting boss for several years.

3. Joseph Bulger (born Giuseppe Imburgio). Born in Louisiana, he was an attorney and served as mayor/president of Melrose Park in the 1930s and headed the Italo-American National Union. He was also a made member of the Chicago Outfit who made regular visits to Paul Ricca and Louis Campagna when they were in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, serving time for extorting Hollywood studios and unions in the 1940s. After he died in a plane crash it was discovered that he was a bigamist with two families.

EDIT: Maybe in the future we can add Mafia police, Mafia priests, and Mafia politicians.

[B.]

Read my mind, my friend, haha.

Sicilian mafia lawyers ID'd by Allegra:

Antonino Puleio - Boss and mayor of San Giuseppe Jato circa 1914-1920, maybe again later.
FNU Beninati - Made into Alcamo family circa 1926. Became son-in-law of Puleio after marrying his daughter.
FNU San Filippo - Family not named
FNU LoMonte - Family not named
FNU Maggio - Family not named

Funny story with Beninati. He was a close friend of Allegra and soon after he was made, he violated introduction protocol and confided in Allegra that he had been inducted. Beninati had been told after his induction that Allegra was also a member, but just hadn't had the opportunity to be formally introduced yet. He begged Allegra not to tell anyone that he had violated introduction protocol and later on they were properly introduced. Aside from John Veasey in Philly, this might be the only time I've heard about someone outright violating this rule. Buscetta said it was the only rule that never gets broken.

Something interesting, too... Beninati's marriage to Puleio's daughter was arranged by the Alcamo mafia leaders very soon after his induction. Puleio was from San Giuseppe Jato, so this seems to have been a strategic move by the Alcamo and San Giuseppe Jato families and it's interesting it coincided with Beninati's induction. Dr. Gregory Genovese was inducted in SF right around the time he married Joe Bonanno's daughter, so makes you wonder if these arranged mafia marriages often coincided with a man's induction.

I wonder if they purposely wanted the lawyer Beninati to marry the daughter of another lawyer. It's sort of like Allegra hanging out with so many mafia doctors, i.e. the mafia having its own peer groups, water finding its own level, etc.

Another interesting bit is that Beninati's new father-in-law Puleio "reserved the right" to be the one to make the formal membership introduction between Beninati and Melchiorre Allegra. Allegra was a close personal friend of both men, but it sounds like in the Sicilian mafia it was considered an honor to be the individual who introduces certain people to one another as members and an important member could "reserve the right" (Allegra's words) to do this.

[Pogo The Clown]

If Nicky Scarfo had had his way for a few more years we could have put Bobby Simone on this list.


Pogo

[B.]

Dishonorable Mentions:

Leonardo Rizzuto - Membership not confirmed, but alleged to be heading the old Rizzuto faction in Montreal. Arrested for organized crime activity.

Joseph Corozzo Jr. - Not made to the best of our knowledge, but previously considered for membership according to a source. Sources have also given examples of him using attorney privilege to facilitate communication between mafia members. Seems to be everything but a member, as evidenced by him confronting a made member during a court break.

[Pogo The Clown]

I should add that according to Nick Caramandi, Scarfo wanted to make Simone. Caramandi also implicated Simone in one of the extortion schemes they had going.


Pogo

[Amershire_Ed]

Leonetti said in his book that the hardest part of his cooperation was when he had to testify against Bobby Simone.

[Slumpy]

Leonardo's sister is also a lawyer and practiced at the same firm. I believe both worked on their father's extradition case.

[Adam]

It didn't happen, but I think Sal Avena in Philly was caught on the bug in his office that he referenced that some day he was going to ask Stanfa for his button.

[Adam]

And I don't think he was and no one has ever said he was, but if William Bufalino in Detroit had gotten made at some point in some low key ceremony, I would not have been surprised. Again, I don't think that ever happened, but he was about as close to being made as possible for a "legitimate" guy.

[B.]

Good examples. Those guys were as close to being members as you can get.

I remember that about Avena. Even though he left the room for certain meetings they were open with him about the inner workings. Apparently Bruno was open around him as well. He had some obscure knowledge of old members that came out in his testimony.

Detroit still has many question marks. I remember when Chris Christie tried to dig into the 1960s, he found there was little solid confirmation on most ranks and membership. Obviously certain people were well-known, but there wasn't any CI at that time who was able to provide a deep look into the family like you had in other cities. Could see a family like that with strong Sicilian ties making some professionals.

[SB1825]

Giovanni Bontate

Nino Mandala was a lawyer and politician? (he was involved in Burscolini’s party, I am not sure if he was an actual politician) and the boss of Villabate. His son Nicola Mandala (currently imprisoned for life) was the one with Gianni Nichi in NYC meeting with Frank Cali.

[Dwalin2014]

A more recent example for the Sicilan mafia: the lawyer and local politician (member of the Christian Democrat party) Raffaele Bevilacqua is the boss of Barrafranca in the Enna province, and later became the provincial representative in the mafia commission. He was first arrested in 1992 and in the 2000s was sentenced to life in prison for the 2003 murder of the mafioso Domenico Calcagno who was asking protection money to businessmen already protected by Bevilacqua; released to house arrest for health reasons in 2018, he become again involved in mafia activity and now has been arrested again.
https://www.articolo21.org/2020/09/la-s ... evilacqua/

[B.]

And I don't think he was and no one has ever said he was, but if William Bufalino in Detroit had gotten made at some point in some low key ceremony, I would not have been surprised. Again, I don't think that ever happened, but he was about as close to being made as possible for a "legitimate" guy.

Was going through some notes, and FBI informant Sal Costanza (San Jose member) ID'd William Bufalino as a made member. He knew William's brother Gene who lived in LA and was also a made member.

[davidf1989]

It didn't happen, but I think Sal Avena in Philly was caught on the bug in his office that he referenced that some day he was going to ask Stanfa for his button.

Sal Avena went on trial accused of being part of a criminal enterprise but was found innocent by the jury.

https://apnews.com/article/bd3bbdc3898d ... a4870b3db6

[Strax]

Giorgio "The Lawyer" De Stefano , very powerful 'Ndrangheta member , also member of masonic lodge in south Italy(forgot the name, they mentioned it during the trial). He is currently in prison after he managed to avoid it multiple times due to his connections.

I also think Guttadauro's have lawyer as made member but i forgot his name, for example Giuseppe Guttadauro,boss of Brancaccio mandamento was prime of Palermo hospital and he is also surgeon.