"Society of the Banana": Rules and Protocol

[PolackTony]

Came across this 1910 article in the Chicago Tribune mentioning the "Society of the Banana" case in Ohio involving Salvatore Lima. Not sure if people have delved into this here, but the list of purported rules/protocol for the society is interesting (if factual).

I came across it while looking into the Ignoffo surname. One of the individuals named with Lima in this "black hand" case was Joseph Ignoffo. There were Ignoffos in Chicago from both Termini Imerese, Palermo, and Sambuca, Agrigento, hence my interest. Justin Cascio's blog post on the Society of the Banana notes that mafiosi produce dealers from Termini were influential in mafia networks in PA and the midwest in this period (https://mafiagenealogy.wordpress.com/20 ... s-bananas/). Termitani also played a major role in the Chicago mafia. Does anyone know where this Joseph Ignoffo wound up? I note that there were also Ignoffos in San Jose in later decades, at least. Otherwise, I think it's a possibility that he may have gone to Chicago, but I'm not sure.



EDIT: Saw after posting that a thread was done on this several years back (viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3568), apologies for posting it again. It may be worthwhile revisiting the topic, considering Cascio's recent blog post on it also. Is the thinking still that the "Society of the Banana" was simply part of the Pittsburgh family? Antiliar made a comment in another thread that they seem to have had their own induction practice, but didn't elaborate.

[motorfab]

Some months ago an Italian jounalist/writer post this article she wrote about the società banana on one of my Facebook group. In case your interested https://www.monicazornetta.it/il-segret ... -la-mafia/

[B.]

No idea how to interpret the "Society" itself but notes from a couple years ago when I looked into Tony Lima:

- I believe Sebastiano Lima in this case was SF boss Tony Lima's father and the Salvatore Lima in the case was his cousin -- not to be confused with Tony's uncle Salvatore who he ID'd as the SF consigliere under Frank Lanza. The Limas were incestuous even by mafia standards so a lot of confusion w/ names.

- The Salvatore in this case had a brother Giuseppe who was an early San Jose member ID'd by Tony Lima during an FBI interview. He said Giuseppe Lima was made into the mafia in Trabia before coming here.

- Tony and his uncle were Pittsburgh members before SF so these relatives were likely Pitt members also.

- They were also in Portland, Oregon which has raised the question of what group they were affiliated with while living there.

---

Given how important the banana industry was to Pittsburgh members (Catanzaro was "the Banana King"), maybe the trade took on symbolic importance. During an induction ceremony, the mafia in Favara wore hoods used in the mining trade controlled by the Family. I can't remember the Family, but another group's ceremony in Sicily used the thorn from a citrus tree to prick members' fingers and they similarly dominated that industry.

Not quite cargo cult level i.e. "Society of the Coke Bottle", but maybe early Sicilians incorporated aspects of local trade into their euphemisms/rituals.

[lennert]

On the Lima family, there were a couple of thrm involved in this “Society of the Bananas.” Not trying to say I am right, but my notes differ a little from B’s. I’m fairly sure this is how it is though:

The Salvatore Lima, I believe, was the same guy as the San Francisco consiglieri, who ended up in Lodi, CA, and whose daughter would marry SF’s Tony Lima. Correspondence from Salvatore Lima’s inmate file seems to prove this.

Tony Lima’s father was indeed named Sebastiano (although he went be the name “Frank” in the US) but it appears he was not involved in the case. He was a brother of Salvatore. The Sebastiano Lima involved was a distant cousin of them, he died in 1927.

There was also an Antonio Lima, who escaped arrest. This was the father of Salvatore and “Frank,” so the grandfather of Tony. He was once arrested in New Orleans on a murder charge.

Giuseppe Lima, identified as an early San Jose member, was a brother of Sebastiano. He died in 1934.

Giuseppe Ignoffo was a brother-in-law of Salvatore and “Frank,” having married their sister Pietrina. Their son Anthony Ignoffo married the daughter of former Pittsburgh and later San Francisco member Robert Garioto. Giuseppe Ignoffo died in California in 1964.

B - Not meaning to correct or offend you of course!


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[B.]

No offense ever taken, my friend. I trust your info 100% and your research is a bonus to any topic. Between the two sets of brothers named Salvatore and Sebastiano I'm sure I just swapped them.

Weren't the two branches of Sebastiano/Salvatore Limas also directly related by marriage, i.e. a sister of one branch married one of the brothers from the other branch, making them all brothers-in-law in addition to being cousins?

[lennert]

Indeed, Catarina Lima, sister of Salvatore and Frank, was married to Sebastiano.


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[B.]

Great, thanks.

- They connected the Society of the Banana to Buffalo and Niagara Falls along with PA and OH. Buffalo member Sam Rangatore was an infant in Niagara Falls at the time but his family was from Trabia and he had ties to PA later. Some of the Rangatores in NF previously lived in the Johnstown PA colony where the Limas lived.

- Sam Rangatore married a distant cousin of Angelo Bruno from Villalba and don't know if his father Salvatore was involved in Cosa Nostra, but a Francesco Rangatore from Trabia in Niagara Falls was a defense witness in the murder of a Dominick Musolino in 1912. The killer was Gaetano Marino but don't know his background -- Gentile had a friend named Gaetano Marino in the Boston Family but a common name.

- A different Francesco Rangatore from Trabia in Niagara Falls lived in Johnstown PA from 1900 to 1921 and was a fruit dealer, which practically ensures he knew the Limas and he was living in Johnstown when the "Society" was active.

- Sam Rangatore's father Salvatore had an interest in Cataract Fruit & Produce, so he was in the fruit business as well.

[lennert]

I can not say I am very familiar with the Rangatores, but definitely something worth to look into!


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