Paul Castellano

[B.]

Paolo Gambino stayed in the Bronx for a long time after Carlo moved to Brooklyn. I'm guessing Joe Gambino's presence in the Bronx was connected to Paolo given Joe was a "zip" and Paolo was the contact for Sicilians. Apparently Joe Gambino had two unidentified Brooklyn-based Sicilian members under him when he was a Bronx captain.

The Bronx->Brooklyn pipeline and vice versa was big with the early Gambino Palermitani. D'Aquila and Ferrigno moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx, then you have Carlo doing the opposite. Some of those guys like Scarpulla lived in the Bronx but were active in Brooklyn. Nino Gaggi probably started under Scalise in the Bronx and Manhattan but ended up in Brooklyn.

[Antiliar]

I think you have to take housing development into consideration, plus the white flight phenomenon. For example, as East Harlem became majority black and Puerto Rican many of the whites moved to Bronx. I also wouldn't doubt if Bronx was experiencing a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, which created opportunities for New Yorkers to move up from apartments or tenements to houses. Later many moved to Staten Island or New Jersey for the same reason. They want their families to live in houses with fences and backyards and decent schools for their children. It's the American dream.

[PolackTony]

I think you have to take housing development into consideration, plus the white flight phenomenon. For example, as East Harlem became majority black and Puerto Rican many of the whites moved to Bronx. I also wouldn't doubt if Bronx was experiencing a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, which created opportunities for New Yorkers to move up from apartments or tenements to houses. Later many moved to Staten Island or New Jersey for the same reason. They want their families to live in houses with fences and backyards and decent schools for their children. It's the American dream.

The East Bronx was experiencing a massive building boom in the 1920s/30s, following the extension of the IRT 6 line out to Pelham Bay. Even areas like Soundview and Castle Hill were basically rural until that point, and even then most of the construction happened along the Westchester Ave corridor (which is why that section of the southeast Bronx is much denser than the areas closer to the water which were dominated by postwar low rise houses and large NYCHA projects). Several older friends of mine from the area used to go hunting pheasants with rifles in the woods that still dominated areas by Classon Point (Soundview Park today) in the 1950s.

My current landlords are Napulitani from East Harlem and left as part of the en masse outflux of Italians into the East Bronx. In their account the whole community was simply transplanted practically overnight to Pelham Bay, Country Club, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, etc. When they first moved here (Country Club) back in the day it was more like something out on the Island than the Bronx, with summer home estates for the wealthy on huge lots. Many who moved here from Harlem simply developed their own properties and built their own houses.

And it wasn’t just fences and schools, of course. A lot of Italians put a huge premium on being able to cultivate their own gardens, both flowers and fruit/vegetables. Here they were able plant groves of fruit trees, stands of rose bushes, go fishing, collecting mussels and trapping crabs and lobsters (before the Sound got too warm for the latter). Italians in Chicago were similar, of course, and many moved out of the old “Patches” to suburban areas as soon as they could afford to.

[Antiliar]

I think you have to take housing development into consideration, plus the white flight phenomenon. For example, as East Harlem became majority black and Puerto Rican many of the whites moved to Bronx. I also wouldn't doubt if Bronx was experiencing a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, which created opportunities for New Yorkers to move up from apartments or tenements to houses. Later many moved to Staten Island or New Jersey for the same reason. They want their families to live in houses with fences and backyards and decent schools for their children. It's the American dream.

The East Bronx was experiencing a massive building boom in the 1920s/30s, following the extension of the IRT 6 line out to Pelham Bay. Even areas like Soundview and Castle Hill were basically rural until that point, and even then most of the construction happened along the Westchester Ave corridor (which is why that section of the southeast Bronx is much denser than the areas closer to the water which were dominated by postwar low rise houses and large NYCHA projects). Several older friends of mine from the area used to go hunting pheasants with rifles in the woods that still dominated areas by Classon Point (Soundview Park today) in the 1950s.

My current landlords are Napulitani from East Harlem and left as part of the en masse outflux of Italians into the East Bronx. In their account the whole community was simply transplanted practically overnight to Pelham Bay, Country Club, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, etc. When they first moved here (Country Club) back in the day it was more like something out on the Island than the Bronx, with summer home estates for the wealthy on huge lots. Many who moved here from Harlem simply developed their own properties and built their own houses.

And it wasn’t just fences and schools, of course. A lot of Italians put a huge premium on being able to cultivate their own gardens, both flowers and fruit/vegetables. Here they were able plant groves of fruit trees, stands of rose bushes, go fishing, collecting mussels and trapping crabs and lobsters (before the Sound got too warm for the latter). Italians in Chicago were similar, of course, and many moved out of the old “Patches” to suburban areas as soon as they could afford to.

You ought to publish this so I can quote you!

[TSNYC]

Did gambino live in east harlem too?? Maybe before living in little Italy I’d guess?

I’ve never seen any indication of Gambino living in Little Italy (the one in downtown manhattan). One thing to note from old nyc articles on Italian community is that the first reported “Little Italy” (say, in a nytimes archive search) was Italian Harlem, and then there were multiple so called Little Italies, before the touristy geared singular downtown little Italy.

[JeremyTheJew]

Did gambino live in east harlem too?? Maybe before living in little Italy I’d guess?

I’ve never seen any indication of Gambino living in Little Italy (the one in downtown manhattan). One thing to note from old nyc articles on Italian community is that the first reported “Little Italy” (say, in a nytimes archive search) was Italian Harlem, and then there were multiple so called Little Italies, before the touristy geared singular downtown little Italy.

I thought he lived on mott street where it was all gold and marble on the inside

I might have this wrong…

[PolackTony]

I think you have to take housing development into consideration, plus the white flight phenomenon. For example, as East Harlem became majority black and Puerto Rican many of the whites moved to Bronx. I also wouldn't doubt if Bronx was experiencing a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, which created opportunities for New Yorkers to move up from apartments or tenements to houses. Later many moved to Staten Island or New Jersey for the same reason. They want their families to live in houses with fences and backyards and decent schools for their children. It's the American dream.

The East Bronx was experiencing a massive building boom in the 1920s/30s, following the extension of the IRT 6 line out to Pelham Bay. Even areas like Soundview and Castle Hill were basically rural until that point, and even then most of the construction happened along the Westchester Ave corridor (which is why that section of the southeast Bronx is much denser than the areas closer to the water which were dominated by postwar low rise houses and large NYCHA projects). Several older friends of mine from the area used to go hunting pheasants with rifles in the woods that still dominated areas by Classon Point (Soundview Park today) in the 1950s.

My current landlords are Napulitani from East Harlem and left as part of the en masse outflux of Italians into the East Bronx. In their account the whole community was simply transplanted practically overnight to Pelham Bay, Country Club, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, etc. When they first moved here (Country Club) back in the day it was more like something out on the Island than the Bronx, with summer home estates for the wealthy on huge lots. Many who moved here from Harlem simply developed their own properties and built their own houses.

And it wasn’t just fences and schools, of course. A lot of Italians put a huge premium on being able to cultivate their own gardens, both flowers and fruit/vegetables. Here they were able plant groves of fruit trees, stands of rose bushes, go fishing, collecting mussels and trapping crabs and lobsters (before the Sound got too warm for the latter). Italians in Chicago were similar, of course, and many moved out of the old “Patches” to suburban areas as soon as they could afford to.

You ought to publish this so I can quote you!

Footnote 1: Tony, Polack. Personal communication. 10/18/2021.

As it’s me you will have to use “Chicago style” citation format lol

[TSNYC]

That’s interesting, I never saw a mott st address for gambino.

[HairyKnuckles]

The Bronx->Brooklyn pipeline and vice versa was big with the early Gambino Palermitani. D'Aquila and Ferrigno moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx, then you have Carlo doing the opposite. Some of those guys like Scarpulla lived in the Bronx but were active in Brooklyn. Nino Gaggi probably started under Scalise in the Bronx and Manhattan but ended up in Brooklyn.

Another case was the one with Greg DePalma, a member of Gaggi´s crew. He moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx.

Do we know if Gaggi had any blood relation to the Scalise brothers?

One interesting question is what happened to Frank Scalise after his tenure as boss? Could it be that he was put with the crews later headed by Carlo Gambino or Paul Castellano? That could explain why Gaggi (who came up under Castellano) was supposedly close with Frank Scalise.

[Chaps]

The Bronx->Brooklyn pipeline and vice versa was big with the early Gambino Palermitani. D'Aquila and Ferrigno moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx, then you have Carlo doing the opposite. Some of those guys like Scarpulla lived in the Bronx but were active in Brooklyn. Nino Gaggi probably started under Scalise in the Bronx and Manhattan but ended up in Brooklyn.

Another case was the one with Greg DePalma, a member of Gaggi´s crew. He moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx.

Do we know if Gaggi had any blood relation to the Scalise brothers?

One interesting question is what happened to Frank Scalise after his tenure as boss? Could it be that he was put with the crews later headed by Carlo Gambino or Paul Castellano? That could explain why Gaggi (who came up under Castellano) was supposedly close with Frank Scalise.

According to Dominick Montiglio there was a familial relationship between the Gaggi's and Scalise's. If I remember correctly, he said that Frank Scalise was a cousin to Nino's father.

[HairyKnuckles]

The Bronx->Brooklyn pipeline and vice versa was big with the early Gambino Palermitani. D'Aquila and Ferrigno moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx, then you have Carlo doing the opposite. Some of those guys like Scarpulla lived in the Bronx but were active in Brooklyn. Nino Gaggi probably started under Scalise in the Bronx and Manhattan but ended up in Brooklyn.

Another case was the one with Greg DePalma, a member of Gaggi´s crew. He moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx.

Do we know if Gaggi had any blood relation to the Scalise brothers?

One interesting question is what happened to Frank Scalise after his tenure as boss? Could it be that he was put with the crews later headed by Carlo Gambino or Paul Castellano? That could explain why Gaggi (who came up under Castellano) was supposedly close with Frank Scalise.

According to Dominick Montiglio there was a familial relationship between the Gaggi's and Scalise's. If I remember correctly, he said that Frank Scalise was a cousin to Nino's father.

Thanks for the answer. Makes sense.

[NYNighthawk]

Castellano was a fool for not acting first on Gotti and he certainly paid the price for that in a avery big way. When he ordered the tapes to be turned over to him - Neil Dellacroce stammered and side stepped that request. Paulie should have then taken out Neil as an example to Gotti. Phuck Big Paul - I never liked him from the first time I met him!

[Shellackhead]

Who was Paul Castellano under before being bumped up to captain if he was ever a captain?

[B.]

Another case was the one with Greg DePalma, a member of Gaggi´s crew. He moved from Brooklyn to the Bronx.

Do we know if Gaggi had any blood relation to the Scalise brothers?

One interesting question is what happened to Frank Scalise after his tenure as boss? Could it be that he was put with the crews later headed by Carlo Gambino or Paul Castellano? That could explain why Gaggi (who came up under Castellano) was supposedly close with Frank Scalise.

I looked up Nino Gaggi's father some years back and his mother was a Scalici in Palermo, so what Montiglio said in his book seems to be true. He said Gaggi got his start in Manhattan and then moved to New Jersey but implies he still had connections to Manhattan when he got involved.

Frank Scalise had members in New Jersey early on like Patty Delcha and I'm guessing had a presence in Manhattan. Wouldn't surprise me if Nino Gaggi was initially in the Scalise crew and later switched to Castellano or one of the Brooklyn crews given his relation. Montiglio was pretty adamant Gaggi's roots were with Scalise.

With the Gambinos/Castellanos, there is reason to believe their relationship with the Scalises goes back to the 1800s in Palermo. Patsy Conte told the FBI his family knew the Gambino/Castellanos in Palermo before coming to the US and I believe the Contes were close with the Scalises as well.

Not sure if anyone has said outright Scalise became a captain right after he was taken down as boss or if he was a soldier for a while like Angelo Caruso in the Bonannos. I'm under the impression he kept some kind of rank in the 1930s.

[AlexfromSouth]

I think you have to take housing development into consideration, plus the white flight phenomenon. For example, as East Harlem became majority black and Puerto Rican many of the whites moved to Bronx. I also wouldn't doubt if Bronx was experiencing a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, which created opportunities for New Yorkers to move up from apartments or tenements to houses. Later many moved to Staten Island or New Jersey for the same reason. They want their families to live in houses with fences and backyards and decent schools for their children. It's the American dream.

The East Bronx was experiencing a massive building boom in the 1920s/30s, following the extension of the IRT 6 line out to Pelham Bay. Even areas like Soundview and Castle Hill were basically rural until that point, and even then most of the construction happened along the Westchester Ave corridor (which is why that section of the southeast Bronx is much denser than the areas closer to the water which were dominated by postwar low rise houses and large NYCHA projects). Several older friends of mine from the area used to go hunting pheasants with rifles in the woods that still dominated areas by Classon Point (Soundview Park today) in the 1950s.

My current landlords are Napulitani from East Harlem and left as part of the en masse outflux of Italians into the East Bronx. In their account the whole community was simply transplanted practically overnight to Pelham Bay, Country Club, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, etc. When they first moved here (Country Club) back in the day it was more like something out on the Island than the Bronx, with summer home estates for the wealthy on huge lots. Many who moved here from Harlem simply developed their own properties and built their own houses.

And it wasn’t just fences and schools, of course. A lot of Italians put a huge premium on being able to cultivate their own gardens, both flowers and fruit/vegetables. Here they were able plant groves of fruit trees, stands of rose bushes, go fishing, collecting mussels and trapping crabs and lobsters (before the Sound got too warm for the latter). Italians in Chicago were similar, of course, and many moved out of the old “Patches” to suburban areas as soon as they could afford to.

I wonder if it was the same situation for the B'hurst/Bath beach part of Brooklyn?