Made guys?

[HairyKnuckles]

Compiled here a list of guys said by LE to have been members of Cosa Nostra but don´t know if LE actually were correct. Any info is much appreciated.

- Louis Anthony Avitabile "Louie the Gimp" (1911-1992). Seen him listed as a Gambino Family member on LE charts from the 1980s.
- Gaetano Balzo (1915-1995). Said to have been a Genovese member, lived in Westchester County and was allegedly involved with the Michael Grillo murder in 1950.
- Joseph Barone. Murdered in 1992. His son then worked as an informer for the FBI to avenge the murder. See article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/r ... e-1.137994
- Matthew "Jerry" Billiteri or Billitieri. Died in 1971. Mudered??? Said to have been a Genovese member.
- Angelo Frank Calanna. Died in 1986. Said to have been a Gambino member.
- Joseph DiBono (1900-1980). Said to have been a Gambino member. Lived in Queens, Relative of the more famous Gambino soldier Louie DiBono??? A partner with Mario Veronisi in Mario and DiBono Plastering Company which was robbed by hoodlums several times in the late 1950s.
- Jerome DiMaggio. Said to have been a Genovese member. Died in 1987.
- Eugene Frania. Said to have been a Genovese member. Died in 1991.
- Thomas John Salerno "Bobby Lyons" (1904-1985). Said to have been a Genovese member, allthough an informant specifically said back in the mid 1960s that he wasn´t made. Was he made later?
- Thomas Vastano "Tommy the Blond" (1909-1980). Said to have been a Genovese member. Lived in Stratford, Connecticut. Shot to death in a "gangland slaying".

[Rocco]

gotta love that nick name lmao..."Louie the Gimp"

[B.]

- Joseph Spadaro. Alleged Bonanno soldier, related to Joe Bonanno. There was also an Anthony Spadaro listed as a member. Joe was involved with the American Cloak and Suit Manufacturers, which had heavy ties to Bonanno members, but Spadaro seems to have been a legit businessman aside from that. Became extremely upset when he was listed as a Bonanno soldier in the 1960s.

- Ralph Rosania. Not listed on any charts as a member, but a prison informant claims to have accidentally walked in on a ceremony where Vincenzo Piazza was making Rosania. Rosania was associated with Silvio DeVita and was convicted in the same murder case. Seems to have lived a legitimate life after getting out of prison and then passed away a couple years back. I am curious if Piazza was acting on behalf of a family (Genovese?) or if he was making his own prison family. Thanks to info from Rick, we know that Piazza was an unhinged and dangerous killer who spent most of his adult life in prison, so wouldn't be too surprising if he was doing this on his own accord.

[HairyKnuckles]

- Ralph Rosania. Not listed on any charts as a member, but a prison informant claims to have accidentally walked in on a ceremony where Vincenzo Piazza was making Rosania. Rosania was associated with Silvio DeVita and was convicted in the same murder case. Seems to have lived a legitimate life after getting out of prison and then passed away a couple years back. I am curious if Piazza was acting on behalf of a family (Genovese?) or if he was making his own prison family. Thanks to info from Rick, we know that Piazza was an unhinged and dangerous killer who spent most of his adult life in prison, so wouldn't be too surprising if he was doing this on his own accord.

Probably. I doubt a making ceremony in prison would have counted as valid in the boss´s eyes. Unless he had the permission to make Rosania of course. In any case, Piazza doesn´t seem to have been stable. Read that he tried to kill himself in prison around 1958.

[B.]

- Ralph Rosania. Not listed on any charts as a member, but a prison informant claims to have accidentally walked in on a ceremony where Vincenzo Piazza was making Rosania. Rosania was associated with Silvio DeVita and was convicted in the same murder case. Seems to have lived a legitimate life after getting out of prison and then passed away a couple years back. I am curious if Piazza was acting on behalf of a family (Genovese?) or if he was making his own prison family. Thanks to info from Rick, we know that Piazza was an unhinged and dangerous killer who spent most of his adult life in prison, so wouldn't be too surprising if he was doing this on his own accord.

Probably. I doubt a making ceremony in prison would have counted as valid in the boss´s eyes. Unless he had the permission to make Rosania of course. In any case, Piazza doesn´t seem to have been stable. Read that he tried to kill himself in prison around 1958.

He also killed his own pregnant daughter and son-in-law, and admitted to LE that he killed four others.

Anwyay, Rosania probably wasn't a good candidate for this topic. Great topic, by the way... the obscure guys always have me interested.

[HairyKnuckles]

Just found out that Avitabile was an acting skipper briefly in the late 1960s. I don´t know of which Gambino crew, but Avitabile was based in the Bronx/Westchester area.
Joseph DiBono also made. I´m interested to know any family ties to Louie DiBono.
Jerome DiMaggio was made in Wisconsin I found out. So the FBI reference on him being a Genovese soldier is most likely incorrect.
Tommy Vastano also made. Probably Bobby Lyons too.

[B.]

Joseph DiBono also made. I´m interested to know any family ties to Louie DiBono.

Louis DiBono was Joseph's son. They both started out with the Scalise/Amodeo regime and Scalise was involved in their plastering company, along with Gambino member Angelo Mannino and Mario Veronesi who might have just been a business associate. All from Palermo and early on situated in Harlem/Corona. The son wound up under Pasquale Conte, don't know if the father did as well.

Have to wonder if the Palermo roots factored into him ending up with Conte.

[HairyKnuckles]

Compiled here a list of guys said by LE to have been members of Cosa Nostra but don´t know if LE actually were correct. Any info is much appreciated.
- Eugene Frania. Said to have been a Genovese member. Died in 1991.

Maybe a typo of Eugene Farina, Boiardo crew member that died in 1974?

Could very well be. The typist must have had a serious case of dyslexia.

Here´s another one:

"Nookie", identified as a made Genovese member in 1980 by CI. Desrcibed as a loanshark operating in the area around E 187th Street in the Bronx. Probably under John Buonarobo.

[B.]

Compiled here a list of guys said by LE to have been members of Cosa Nostra but don´t know if LE actually were correct. Any info is much appreciated.
- Eugene Frania. Said to have been a Genovese member. Died in 1991.

Maybe a typo of Eugene Farina, Boiardo crew member that died in 1974?

I've come across quite a few obscure probable members, trying to get more info where possible but quite a few will probably remain unknown.

Here's two that are pretty interesting, maybe others here can help figure it out:

1.) FNU 'Spudsy' LNU - Identified by member source as a made member of the Bonanno Family, possibly related to the Morale brothers. Supposedly committed suicide by gunshot on Prince Street in February 1964.

2.) Johnny Grande - Described as the guy Joseph LaSelva took over for in Connecticut. Died around mid-1950s. Don't know whether that specifically means he was a made DeCavalcante or just prominent criminal (affiliated or otherwise) in the CT area.

On the Magaddino tapes he and Paul Sciacca talk about a Bonanno member called "Marco Angelo" (ph) who was close to Johnny Morale and had committed suicide sometime before the recording. I was thinking it could be Michael Angelina aka "Mike Angelo", a Manhattan Bonanno member who died in that timeframe. However, I don't know how Angelina died. Whether it's Angelina or not, it sounds like the guy Magaddino talks about is probably one and the same as "Spudsy", as I can't imagine more than one Bonanno member close to Morale killed himself in such a short amount of time.

The bit about Grande piques my interest. I figure the DeCavalcantes had to have someone there before LaSelva and the time frame would make sense.

[HairyKnuckles]

- Joseph Barone. Murdered in 1992. His son then worked as an informer for the FBI to avenge the murder. See article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/r ... e-1.137994

According to the new book on Chin Gigante, Barone was a made guy, member of Bellomo´s crew.

[furiofromnaples]

Sorry for the dumb questo but LE means ?

[Snakes]

Law Enforcement

[furiofromnaples]

Thanks Snake

[B.]

Here's one for this topic:

Nicholas Zapprana - Identified as a Bonanno soldier on the Valachi chart (no photo). Haven't been able to find any references to him anywhere else or name variations that would fit. Weird that he would be included considering how few Bonanno soldiers are on this chart, but the chart includes a few non-Bonannos so it could be a mistake. The other mistakes are at least easy to identify unlike Zapprana.

[HairyKnuckles]

Here's one for this topic:

Nicholas Zapprana - Identified as a Bonanno soldier on the Valachi chart (no photo). Haven't been able to find any references to him anywhere else or name variations that would fit. Weird that he would be included considering how few Bonanno soldiers are on this chart, but the chart includes a few non-Bonannos so it could be a mistake. The other mistakes are at least easy to identify unlike Zapprana.

It´s most likely a reference to Zaffarano.