Thanks to JCB for sending me some info that confirms Michael Russo is the same Russo from NJ who attended the 1928 Cleveland meeting. He not only spent time in Pittsburgh, but also Boston. He also had earlier connections to Cleveland years before the 1928 Cleveland bust, so he got around.
So he was a major figure in different families between 1928-1932 at least, and if Sam DeCavalcante's comment relates to him, it sounds like Russo lost standing at some point and tried to receive Commission representation/protection (not unlike Gaspare DiGregorio, Carmine Persico, etc. did during their own conflicts). This could be why we hear very little of him later on. Given Russo's place in NJ, the Newark family conflict of the mid-late 1930s could relate to the issue described by DeCavalcante unless it was an incident specific to Russo.
Should be noted Russo is not related to the suspected Newark member Luigi Russo who was killed with underboss Monaco. That Russo was from Maddaloni, Caserta, like possible Newark family figure Aniello Santagata (whose nickname was "O'Maddalonese"). Mike Russo was from Cerda, Sicily.
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Re: Bonanno induction.
I used to think Bonanno didn't go into the details about his induction because it was still "sacred" to him (ala what Bob Luisi is doing now), but when it came out that the Bonannos had verbal-only ceremonies between the 1940s-2000s it changed my view. Not that I'm convinced Bonanno's induction was exactly as he described it, only that it is believable in light of what we know now.
I was surprised by the early 1970s Bonanno member CI (likely Frank Fauney D'Angelo) who was inducted in a full-on traditional ceremony officiated by Joe Bonanno at Natale Evola's house. The ceremony included a celebratory dinner (like Bonanno's own induction) but it did include the gun, knife, and rituals we all know and love.
This ceremony would have been in the 1940s or 1950s. During the same period other Bonanno members were initiated without the traditional ceremony, which makes it stand out. D'Angelo and his sponsor were both Castellammarese, as were all of the other participants ID'd by the CI, so I wonder if special emphasis was placed on this ceremony for reasons of heritage or if the family was just inconsistent in how they handled inductions and some of it dependeded on circumstance.
Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 10:59 am
He briefly mentioned Italiano. After Maranzano was killed he said the family held an election with all of the members present. He said he didn't want to be drafted into the spot so he put up Italiano (who he said was probably the member who liked him the least) as a candidate against him. He said Italiano got about 7 votes while he got "about 300".
Great reminder. It plays into my take that Rappa and Italiano were elected consiglieri to represent elements of the family that weren't directly aligned with the Castellammarese. After their murders we see the entire administration become Castellammarese for the first time. What I'm mainly referring to though is that he completely omitted the murders of two former administration members, so Benny Gallo isn't too egregious with that in mind, the difference being that Bonanno likely ordered the Rappa and Italiano murders while he likely had no part in the Gallo murder.
Though he must have been aware of Gallo, Gallo's death may not have been a significant event to Bonanno at the time (November 1930) when the Castellammarese War was in full bloom. It's also possible newspapers made Gallo out to be more important than he was.