Los Angeles odds & ends

[Antiliar]

The "Ricca family" mention comes from a poorly informed informant. He seemed to know a lot in certain areas, but in others he looked beyond his skiis. I think he made educated guesses about some people he was informing on and this is one example.

Regarding Matranga, there were two or three (I forget) in southern Cali. I believe the ex-Chicago one was unrelated to the others although he came from PDG. I have the names of his parents, but ran into a genealogical brick wall. The vital record index is incomplete and Catholic church records for Piana aren't available online. Many belonged to an Orthodox church anyway and may not have been listed. So it's possible that there's a connection going several generations back.

[B.]

I know zero on the Matrangas so thanks to Antliar for any info on them. What I saw of that informant was mainly commenting on business and social ties to local Sicilian-American figures. Because he wasn't top echelon I would guess he either wouldn't or couldn't supply much active knowledge on the inner workings.

Detroit playing such a big role with LA in the Moretti murder is big, too. LA seems to have bounced it off Priziola and received Detroit's support. Probably an important political gesture given the gravity of the accusation.

One of the LA informants mentioned that the promotion for SD captain was between Bomp and Tony Mirabile (like the LA spot being between Fratianno/Licata) with Bomp getting it. As with the succession of SD captains supplied by Bomp, no reference to anyone before him.

[PolackTony]

The "Ricca family" mention comes from a poorly informed informant. He seemed to know a lot in certain areas, but in others he looked beyond his skiis. I think he made educated guesses about some people he was informing on and this is one example.

Regarding Matranga, there were two or three (I forget) in southern Cali. I believe the ex-Chicago one was unrelated to the others although he came from PDG. I have the names of his parents, but ran into a genealogical brick wall. The vital record index is incomplete and Catholic church records for Piana aren't available online. Many belonged to an Orthodox church anyway and may not have been listed. So it's possible that there's a connection going several generations back.

Thanks for the reply. The Orthodox Church being an issue for the records makes sense, given that PDG was an Albanian community. I do think it’s interesting to note that this SD T-1 informant was related to the Matrangas (so perhaps himself of PDG background, though maybe the relation was via marriage) and connected to Lorenzo Mangano, who was probably linked with Gaspare Matranga as part of the same faction in the Chicago “war”. Obviously the latter Matranga was not the only Northside Chicago guy connected to LA, as we also had Tony Pinelli, but it’s possible that this informant is helping to shed light on other connections.

The error by the informant notwithstanding, there was a period of time (like in the 40s/50s?) where LE believed that Chicago and the Genovese were the same organization. Perhaps this informant’s claim that Moretti was with Chicago wouldn’t have sounded far-fetched to them.

[B.]

"Eastern representative for the Ricca family" doesn't read to me like the CI was saying Moretti was a Chicago member. Sounds like a pretty accurate way of saying a high-ranking Genovese member served as designated liaison to Chicago, which we know to be true of others before and after Moretti.

Other families had designated representatives to each other, too, not only Genovese/Chicago. That's how I see that comment at least.

[Antiliar]

The only liaison between the Genovese and Chicago that I'm aware of was Gaetano Ricci (AKA Tony Gobels). He seems to have served in that role from the 1920s to the 1960s.

[B.]

From Al D'Arco's testimony:

The Genovese Family has always had an extremely close relationship with the Chicago Family. The Genovese Family is the only LCN family I have ever known to have a member designated as "il messaggero," a messenger between the Genovese and Chicago Families.

There are so many relationships/contacts between ranking Genovese and Chicago members back to the 1920s, some might be casual but others could be formal like this.

[Villain]

Thanks for the reply. The Orthodox Church being an issue for the records makes sense, given that PDG was an Albanian community. I do think it’s interesting to note that this SD T-1 informant was related to the Matrangas (so perhaps himself of PDG background, though maybe the relation was via marriage) and connected to Lorenzo Mangano, who was probably linked with Gaspare Matranga as part of the same faction in the Chicago “war”.

I dont remember who it was but someone once mentioned that Nitto allegedly had some Albanian blood in him....dont know how true is that...

[Villain]

The only liaison between the Genovese and Chicago that I'm aware of was Gaetano Ricci (AKA Tony Gobels). He seems to have served in that role from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Same here.

[Villain]

From Al D'Arco's testimony:

The Genovese Family has always had an extremely close relationship with the Chicago Family. The Genovese Family is the only LCN family I have ever known to have a member designated as "il messaggero," a messenger between the Genovese and Chicago Families.

There are so many relationships/contacts between ranking Genovese and Chicago members back to the 1920s, some might be casual but others could be formal like this.

It is possible that guys or members like Ricci were the official ones, but it seems sometimes there were other "substitutes" too...

[B.]

I just checked and the source who said Moretti was the "Eastern representantive for the Ricca family" is the same Lucchese member who told the FBI that Roselli had acted as "sottocapo" (his term) in LA. So it is an NYC member source saying Moretti held this relationship with Chicago. Not that his info is 100% correct but his alleged membership gives him more weight.

This is of interest to Los Angeles:

On August 19, 1966 NY 1839-C-TE, an admitted member
of the LUCHESE 'family" of LCN, advised SA ANTHONY R. VILLANO
of the following information concerning subject.

Informant advised that he first met ROSSELLI many
years ago and was aware that ROSSELLI was originally from
Chicago and had an uncle who was an old time Mafiosa.

According to informant, ROSSELLI started in "the rackets" at
the age of 15 and was at an early age associated with AL
CAPONE. Informant said during the mid 1940s ROSSELLI received
a 10 year sentence for extortion in connection with the movie
industry and that also involved in this extortion was PAUL RICCA,
JOE DIAMOND (deceased), CHARLIE JOY (deceased), and LOUIS
COMPAGNA (deceased).

Informant said previously ROSSELLI was sent to
Los Angeles by RICCA, acted as a "sottocapo" and took over
Los Angeles and extended his influence to Las Vegas.

Again it's not necessarily fact, but good to get a perspective on Roselli from a Lucchese guy who says he served time with Roselli in Atlanta between 1943 and 1946/47. He said Roselli kept a girlfriend in NYC and was close to Frank Costello, Tommy Lucchese, and Vito Genovese. The informant met with Roselli in NYC. Roselli was also in contact with Lucchese member Pete Beck DiPalermo.

As in the excerpt Antiliar posted, he describes Moretti as "Eastern representantive" for Chicago and "contact man" for Roselli. Roselli became upset because Moretti was telling people about his contacts with Roselli. He says Roselli was also close to Genovese figures Mike Coppola and Tony Salerno. A lot of Genovese/Chicago connections swimming around Roselli, giving an impression he helped facilitate contact between them. Roselli's contact with Tommy Lucchese and DiPalermo could come through his affiliation with LA, who were represented by Lucchese.

I know Rat Trap has been eager to uncover this informant for years but his identity still mysterious. He was serving time in Atlanta from at least 1943-1947 and may have been a member before that. As of now his info is def not throwaway, though, and could give us insight into some of these relationships.

[Antiliar]

Of note, SA Anthony Villano was the agent who turned Gregory Scarpa. The informant, although he was apparently a made member, gets a lot of things wrong. Rosselli wasn't from Chicago. He was born in Italy and raised in Boston. Rosselli also didn't have any uncles who were members. Rosselli didn't meet Capone as a teen and never "took over" Los Angeles.

[B.]

Here's a candidate for the Lucchese informant:

- John Ormento was sentenced to eight years in 1941 for narcotics trafficking. That would place him in prison during the same period as the informant and Roselli between 1943 and 1946/1947. Ormento started out at FCI Milan in Michigan circa 1942, but can't determine if he transferred. The informant said he did time with Roselli in Atlanta.

- The CI specifically says Roselli's association with Frank Costello, Tommy Lucchese, and Vito Genovese was before Genovese became boss, so it is pre-1957. The CI's street info from this report is centered on the 1950s, after Ormento was released from prison and before he was sent back on another conviction. He had ongoing legal trouble, including his Apalachin arrest and other narcotics charges. At the time of this 1966 report Ormento was in prison but nothing I've seen from the source indicates he was on the street, as it recalls info from the 1940s-1950s. There could well be more reports out there, though, this is just a snippet. This report does match the timeline of Ormento's legal/prison situation.

- In a paragraph directly after the CI says he met with Roselli in NYC, he says that although John Ormento attended a meeting with Roselli in NYC, the two were not "close associates". In contrast with Ormento, the CI cites Costello, Lucchese, and Genovese as Roselli's "close associates" in NYC. Very interesting that he felt the need to clarify that Roselli and Ormento met in NYC but did not "closely associate" right after the informant claims to have also met with Roselli in NYC -- it also implies the informant was at the meeting between Roselli and Ormento. If the informant was Ormento, he may have been trying to downplay their relationship, claiming it was purely social (former prison buddies) opposed to the political/criminal mafia association of Roselli's relationship with the three NYC bosses listed.

- The informant comes across as if he was established already in mafia circles by 1943. John Ormento was in his 30s and at least associated with the mafia in NYC by this time.

-

If we can place Ormento in Atlanta during the 1940s or otherwise match up Ormento/Roselli during their respective 1940s prison sentences that would heavily point to Ormento. I can't ID any other Lucchese members who were in federal prison during the same 1943-1947 stretch but if someone can find one they'd be a candidate too.

[B.]

Of note, SA Anthony Villano was the agent who turned Gregory Scarpa. The informant, although he was apparently a made member, gets a lot of things wrong. Rosselli wasn't from Chicago. He was born in Italy and raised in Boston. Rosselli also didn't have any uncles who were members. Rosselli didn't meet Capone as a teen and never "took over" Los Angeles.

Yeah, definitely not a reliable biographer of Roselli (about on par with a lot of published mafia biographies, though).

Considering he is said to be an NYC Lucchese member who gained most of his knowledge on Roselli 20+ years before this 1966 interview, there was plenty of time to misremember/confuse/exaggerate his understanding of Roselli's background, assuming Roselli told him his real background to begin with.

Roselli was deliberately manipulative about his true background and used a fake name and birthplace, with his best friend Salvatore Piscopo originally telling authorities Roselli was born in California or Chicago (similar to what the Lucchese CI claimed). Roselli's true background was not publicly known in the 1940s and he may have fed the Lucchese CI a fake story in prison, just as Piscopo told similar lies to authorities before his cooperation.

Roselli only told Piscopo his true background because of their unique friendship and even after Piscopo gave the FBI some of the real details he went back and forth on them. Seems unlikely Roselli would risk telling a random prison buddy his true origins.

-

My read on the relationship between the CI and Roselli:

- The two men were mafia members/associates who did ~4 years of prison time together and became close.
- In prison they pass the time by talking, so the two men shared stories about their backgrounds.
- Piscopo told the FBI Roselli was consistently very protective of his true identity/birthplace due to fear of deportation and being connected to early murders. He said this dated back to their early association in the 1920s.
- Roselli likely told his new prison buddy some lies and half-truths about his origins with the above in mind, with time/memory doing little to help the matter when the CI discussed Roselli 20+ years later.
- Upon visiting NYC, Roselli met socially with his prison friend the CI but they did not engage in significant mafia/criminal "association".

-

The FBI was in a position to easily verify that the CI did prison time with Roselli in the 1940s, so hard to imagine he would invent the whole scenario. He seems to have had a circumstantial friendship with Roselli and did his best to make sense of Roselli's invented background and other Roselli anecdotes he heard in the yard.

The "uncle" could have referred to a non-relative who Roselli regarded as a mentor or senior figure when he was coming up. Plenty of Italians and especially mafia members use "uncle" and "zio/zu" loosely, so he could have misinterpreted Roselli's meaning and taken it literally. The report doesn't say Roselli met/associated with Capone as a teen, only that he was active as a teenager and worked with Capone at an "early age". Isn't that fairly accurate?

"Taking over" Los Angeles might be open for interpretation. All of the LA informants/witnesses make Roselli out to be a power behind the throne and Piscopo told the FBI Roselli had the power to decide who could be LA boss and pulled strings in LA even after his transfer to Chicago. Bompensiero says Roselli was with the LA admin at the meeting with John Priziola where they discussed the Moretti situation, further indication he was active at the highest levels.

[Villain]

The informant, although he was apparently a made member, gets a lot of things wrong. Rosselli wasn't from Chicago. He was born in Italy and raised in Boston. Rosselli also didn't have any uncles who were members. Rosselli didn't meet Capone as a teen and never "took over" Los Angeles.

Same informant?

[Antiliar]

Of note, SA Anthony Villano was the agent who turned Gregory Scarpa. The informant, although he was apparently a made member, gets a lot of things wrong. Rosselli wasn't from Chicago. He was born in Italy and raised in Boston. Rosselli also didn't have any uncles who were members. Rosselli didn't meet Capone as a teen and never "took over" Los Angeles.

Yeah, definitely not a reliable biographer of Roselli (about on par with a lot of published mafia biographies, though).

Considering he is said to be an NYC Lucchese member who gained most of his knowledge on Roselli 20+ years before this 1966 interview, there was plenty of time to misremember/confuse/exaggerate his understanding of Roselli's background, assuming Roselli told him his real background to begin with.

Roselli was deliberately manipulative about his true background and used a fake name and birthplace, with his best friend Salvatore Piscopo originally telling authorities Roselli was born in California or Chicago (similar to what the Lucchese CI claimed). Roselli's true background was not publicly known in the 1940s and he may have fed the Lucchese CI a fake story in prison, just as Piscopo told similar lies to authorities before his cooperation.

Roselli only told Piscopo his true background because of their unique friendship and even after Piscopo gave the FBI some of the real details he went back and forth on them. Seems unlikely Roselli would risk telling a random prison buddy his true origins.

-

My read on the relationship between the CI and Roselli:

- The two men were mafia members/associates who did ~4 years of prison time together and became close.
- In prison they pass the time by talking, so the two men shared stories about their backgrounds.
- Piscopo told the FBI Roselli was consistently very protective of his true identity/birthplace due to fear of deportation and being connected to early murders. He said this dated back to their early association in the 1920s.
- Roselli likely told his new prison buddy some lies and half-truths about his origins with the above in mind, with time/memory doing little to help the matter when the CI discussed Roselli 20+ years later.
- Upon visiting NYC, Roselli met socially with his prison friend the CI but they did not engage in significant mafia/criminal "association".

-

The FBI was in a position to easily verify that the CI did prison time with Roselli in the 1940s, so hard to imagine he would invent the whole scenario. He seems to have had a circumstantial friendship with Roselli and did his best to make sense of Roselli's invented background and other Roselli anecdotes he heard in the yard.

The "uncle" could have referred to a non-relative who Roselli regarded as a mentor or senior figure when he was coming up. Plenty of Italians and especially mafia members use "uncle" and "zio/zu" loosely, so he could have misinterpreted Roselli's meaning and taken it literally. The report doesn't say Roselli met/associated with Capone as a teen, only that he was active as a teenager and worked with Capone at an "early age". Isn't that fairly accurate?

"Taking over" Los Angeles might be open for interpretation. All of the LA informants/witnesses make Roselli out to be a power behind the throne and Piscopo told the FBI Roselli had the power to decide who could be LA boss and pulled strings in LA even after his transfer to Chicago. Bompensiero says Roselli was with the LA admin at the meeting with John Priziola where they discussed the Moretti situation, further indication he was active at the highest levels.

No need to go through the trouble of defending him. I understand how someone can obtain misinformation or disinformation by trusting an unreliable source. Undoubtedly Rosselli was a great con man who was always guarding his identity. Back in the 1930s and probably up to the 1950s Rosselli was a trusted close adviser to Jack Dragna. Mickey Cohen wrote in his autobiography (if I recall correctly) that when Bugsy Siegel called him in to explain himself to Dragna, Rosselli was next to him and did much of the talking. When Al Capone visited Los Angeles in 1927, Rosselli may have been the only Los Angeles member to see him. He also had access to Chicago big shots Paul Ricca, Louis Campagna, and Sam Giancana. So Rosselli was highly respected until his fall out with the Outfit around 1970. After that he had few made friends and was essentially dead man walking.