DeCarlo and Rega first inducted by Philly?

[B.]

Been going through some of the DeCarlo tapes again and something caught my eye about Ray DeCarlo and Cy Rega's induction. The conversation took place in 1961.

Joe Bruno and the Genovese Family

- Shortly after the Genovese began inducting new members in NJ in the early-mid 1940s, DeCarlo says Joe Bruno told Willie Moretti if he wasn't going to make DeCarlo and Rega, Bruno would make them and this led to the two men being inducted. I initially thought this happened simply through Bruno's "suggestion, but DeCarlo follows this by saying that (DeCarlo) and Rega were made in June 1944 and were "transferred" back to Moretti. If he's referring to Philly boss Joe Bruno, he seems to be saying DeCarlo and Rega were technically inducted into the Philly family and then quickly transferred to the Genovese.

- It's strange because it indicates Bruno either took the initiative himself without the Genovese family's approval or the Genovese willingly allowed Bruno to induct the men with the plan of transferring them. The latter seems more realistic, as DeCarlo and presumably Rega had been associates of Willie Moretti since the early 1930s and it would be a major violation of rules/protocol for the Philly boss to make them without some kind of consent.

- Bruno lived in New Brunswick where DeCarlo had associates and from other conversations we know DeCarlo was personally familiar with Philly boss Joe Bruno and the family's Trenton members, so I suspect it's the same Joe Bruno and not someone with a similar name/nickname. We know Joe Bruno was very close to the Genovese family from other sources, especially Vito Genovese himself. Even Joe Valachi knew Bruno and attended the wedding of a Bruno relative.

Similar Examples

- We know from Ray Patriarca's own words on his tapes that he inducted New England members on behalf of the Genovese family, too, and similarly transferred them to the Springfield crew.

- Joe Bruno also did something similar with Sam DeCavalcante around the same time, who was recorded saying Bruno was going to induct him which led Sam's father to take the initiative to make him instead. DeCavalcante and DeCarlo's accounts are surprisingly similar, with Bruno feeling that the two families in question (Philly and Genovese) were overlooking viable candidates in NJ. Though in Sam's account, his father Frank ultimately brought him into the DeCavalcante family, we can see Bruno was influential in convincing other families to induct certain members.

- We have accounts from Sicily of Toto Riina inducting members who were part of other families and there is the example of Maranzano inducting Lucchese associates in a joint ceremony. Melchiorre Allegra also mentioned the leaders of Alcamo taking a proposed member into Palermo to be made, though we don't have further detail.

- In the same conversation, DeCarlo says Jerry Catena, Richie Boiardo, and Nick Delmore all made in 1943/1944 together in the same ceremony. Another source also said that Boiardo and Delmore were inducted together. DeCarlo says he got made six months after those three. The Delmore situation also fits in with the above... it sounds like he may have been inducted by the Genovese family, which would mean he then transferred to the DeCavalcantes, the reverse of what happened with DeCarlo and Philly. Delmore had a long, close association with the Genovese family.


Other Thoughts

- If this is the right interpretation of what DeCarlo said, it also shows the Philly family was willing to induct guys in Newark as early as 1944, which could tell us something about the roots of the Down Neck Philly group. Makes you wonder if others were inducted during this period who stayed with the Philly family at the time.

- This is the same conversation where elderly Genovese member "Fred" LNU says he was made in 1916 or 1917. "Fred" also mentions a "Joe Mucceria" (believed by the FBI to be Masseria, which makes sense in context) when the conversation gets into how early bosses were more hands-on with leadership, while the current bosses don't do much to run the family (a common complaint about Catena in other conversations on these tapes).

- A "Benny" TNU in this same conversation says he was made in or around 1949. Another unidentified Genovese member in attendance was a "Frank" LNU, though he is the only one who doesn't mention when he was made and there is no other identifying info.

--

We are getting the impression that it wasn't uncommon, at least with certain families, to induct members from other groups even when the intention was to immediately transfer them to the family they were originally associated with. Why this was done, I have no idea. If Moretti approved of his associates DeCarlo and Rega becoming Genovese members and obviously welcomed their transfer, why did he let the boss of another family conduct the ceremony?

No doubt other details and context are missing, and maybe there is another interpretation of DeCarlo's words, but in the same breath he says Bruno wanted to make them, then the two men were inducted followed by a "transfer" back to "Willie".

[Pogo The Clown]

I have in my notes that DeCarlo was made in the home of Carmine Battaglia. He was a Philly member so that seems that is what happened.


Pogo

[B.]

Yeah, Battaglia adds more confusion to it.

I've been trying to find out why the FBI carried him as a Philadelphia captain and all I've been able to come up with are two incidents involving Caponigro:

- In a dispute between Caponigro and Genovese members, Battaglia helped mediate on Caponigro's behalf. Whether he formally represented Caponigro or was there as a neutral party or witness on Caponigro's behalf isn't clear.

- Maybe related to the same incident, DeCarlo talked about how he didn't like the idea of Battaglia attending a meeting with other Genovese members where the dispute with Caponigro was discussed because DeCarlo felt Battaglia would run and tell Caponigro what was said and they would reach out to Angelo Bruno behind the scenes.

He was also from Enna like other Philly members, though I don't think that factored into the FBI reports.

The problem is the Philly Newark members were under John Simone and with all of the info on Philly during that era there is really nothing that points to Battaglia being an additional captain up there except that FBI list. The FBI was very confused about the NJ affiliations during that period.

Someone posted an excerpt from an FBI report many years ago that said Battaglia was sponsored for membership by Pietro Campisi and that Battaglia in turn sponsored Campisi's sons, both of which were identified as Genovese members. Valachi said he knew Tom Campisi to be a Genovese member but he was confused about a lot of NJ affiliation.

I'm pretty sure Battaglia was actually a Genovese member by the 1960s. I believe he was a close friend of Caponigro and not particularly close to other Genovese figures like DeCarlo and Boiardo but may have been closer to Catena.

He and the elder Campisi may have first been Newark members and with all of this info pointing to transfers between the different families operating in that area, I'm wondering if Battaglia may have transferred from Philadelphia at some point. We have indications that a guy like Al Barrasso transferred from the Colombo NJ crew to the DeCavalcantes, so with one family being disbanded and a bunch of other families taking in members in NJ, I'm thinking transfers between families in Newark weren't totally rare when the dust was settling there.

We also know from both Fresolone and Licata (on the Stefanelli tape) that Caponigro and Louie Luciano were first with the Gambino family before Philadelphia. Whether they were associates or members who transferred, no idea, but it lends itself to all of this.

[B.]

However... if Battaglia was a Genovese member when DeCarlo and Rega were made at his house, then why did they "transfer" back to Moretti? Even if Joe Bruno officiated the ceremony, if Genovese family members attended then you'd think they would have immediately been considered members of that family.

All I can figure is maybe Battaglia was with the Philadelphia family after Newark, which would explain his close relationship with Philly figures and some of the later confusion, and he transferred at some point. If he sponsored the Campisis into the family, seems he would have been with the Genovese family by the late 1950s.

[B.]

- This is the same conversation where elderly Genovese member "Fred" LNU says he was made in 1916 or 1917. "Fred" also mentions a "Joe Mucceria" (believed by the FBI to be Masseria, which makes sense in context) when the conversation gets into how early bosses were more hands-on with leadership, while the current bosses don't do much to run the family (a common complaint about Catena in other conversations on these tapes).

- A "Benny" TNU in this same conversation says he was made in or around 1949. Another unidentified Genovese member in attendance was a "Frank" LNU, though he is the only one who doesn't mention when he was made and there is no other identifying info.

An FBI report two years later confirms Fred is Poagy Torriello and Frank is Celano.

[Eld]

Regarding Carmine Battaglia. At one point the feds listed Carmine Battaglia and Bonanno member Charlie Battaglia as brothers. Probably a misstake but perhaps there was some sort of family relation.

[B.]

Never seen that one. Thanks for sharing.

Charlie Battaglia was born and raised in Buffalo to a father from San Cataldo, Caltanissetta. Not terribly far from Enna, where Carmine was from, but no obvious connection I can see.

[B.]

Just making this a general DeCarlo tapes thread.

- Anyone know who "Roberto Caglione" (ph) in Bergenfield, NJ, might be? DeCarlo thought he was a "mustache" and someone else thought "Caglione" was originally a New York guy.

- DeCavalcante CT captain Mickey Poole Puglia comes up in a discussion and DeCarlo said Puglia was consigliere in "Lips' mob". No clue what this means or who "Lips" is, unless it's a nickname for Nick Delmore or Sam DeCavalcante. Not sure if DeCarlo meant it as past or present, but it's well-established Puglia was a captain. Maybe he confused his position with LaSelva, who was CT underboss in the 1950s-60s.

[B.]

- Pussy Russo says he met a guy called "Chigger" (ph) from Worcester, MA. Ray DeCarlo says this is Charlie Cecchetelli (phonetically transcribed with the "-cch-" as a "g"), so guessing his nickname is close to Chick/Chicky like the younger guy who is around Springfield today.

[B.]

- DeCarlo and Boiardo soldier Gino Farina were recorded discussing a plan to make tape recordings of politicians they were paying off to use as blackmail should the politicians not do what they want. They felt that the politicians would make similar recordings of them if it was to their advantage, but the difference is the politicians would turn their tapes over to LE, whereas the mafia wouldn't. Seems the mafia would just use the tapes as an empty threat to keep their political benefactors in line.

- DeCarlo said Lilo Galante was known for going around the country and making beefs. Galante was described as a "sadist" who enjoys making beefs.

[B.]

Confirmed made by the late 1950s:

- Andy Gerardo
- Jimmy Higgins Palmieri

[B.]

- DeCarlo says Richie Boiardo once confessed to DeCarlo that he committed a number of murders without permission from the Genovese leadership. DeCarlo, in contrast, claimed that he (DeCarlo) always sought permission before committing a murder and seemed disturbed by Boiardo's admission.

- Boiardo also had a reputation for killing members/associates from his own crew. In one conversation, they talk about how Willie Moretti once confronted Boiardo about killing so many of his own men. We know this trend would continue, as Boiardo crew members continued to be murdered on his orders long after this conversation.

[MightyDR]

- DeCarlo says Richie Boiardo once confessed to DeCarlo that he committed a number of murders without permission from the Genovese leadership. DeCarlo, in contrast, claimed that he (DeCarlo) always sought permission before committing a murder and seemed disturbed by Boiardo's admission.

- Boiardo also had a reputation for killing members/associates from his own crew. In one conversation, they talk about how Willie Moretti once confronted Boiardo about killing so many of his own men. We know this trend would continue, as Boiardo crew members continued to be murdered on his orders long after this conversation.

I remember reading that darkly humorous part. DeCarlo said how Willie Moretti sat Boiardo down once and said instead of asking to kill one of them every six months, he should just get them all together and kill them all at once!

[B.]

More from the tapes:

- Swats Mulligan Ciafone explained that he and Corky Vastola are second cousins. Vastola also married Mulligan's sister's daughter, making him also his nephew through marriage. He told Louis LaRasso that Vastola was very trustworthy, tough, and capable of violence, but didn't feel Vastola should be made.

- Louis LaRasso says before Apalachin, the DeCavalcantes were approved (presumably by the Commission) to induct seven new members but didn't make them. After Apalachin, the books were closed so they couldn't fill the spots they had been given.

- In a conversation with old time Genovese members, they discuss how Vito Genovese helped Charlie Luciano financially when Luciano moved to Italy. Apparently under Vito's direction, the Genovese family gave Luciano 10,000 when he left for Italy and arranged for Luciano to receive $2000 a month from the Vegas Casino skim, then later upped it to $3000 before Luciano died. They also sent Luciano $50,000 to pay off bills.

[B.]

Not from DeCarlo's bug but relevant:

- In a recorded conversation between Gene Catena and Tommy Eboli, it appears Danny Noto was a Genovese member who transferred his membership to the DeCavalcantes around the early 1960s. The Genovese leadership was happy to let him go as they weren't fond of him.

- Makes some sense Noto started out with them given Noto's brother Dr. Philip Noto was a Genovese member. The Notos were from Agrigento, which may have helped Danny fit in with the DeCavalcantes.

Just more evidence that transfers with the NJ groups weren't entirely rare up to a point.