Series of Mafia summits on the French Riviera (1980-1981-1989)/Locale 'ndrangheta (1994)

[PolackTony]

It's almost as if there are more Corsicans in Marseille than in Corsica.

I believe there are more than twice as many Corsicans living in Mainland France than in Corsica today. There are also probably more Corsican descendants in Puerto Rico than in Corsica itself (though of course many of them there are mixed with other ethnic groups).

[motorfab]

Thanks alek

I might be misremembering here, but didn’t Mariano Piazza figure in this drug case involving San Jose’s/former Pittsburgh mobster George Adragna and his wife? This also involved the Cherry Hill Gambinos if I remember correctly…

It's possible, but I don't know this story, do you have more details? The other day I was watching a video from the 80s and it said that M. Piazza had a cousin of the same name, also involved in drugs, maybe it was him. The only things I have on M. Piazza are his involvement in "Operation Phoenix" and his connection to the Calabrians.

B., I completely agree on the rural side of the mafiosi and the Sicilians, but the Corsicans are I think even more closed and suspicious than the Sicilians towards foreigners on their island, that's why I don't believe it.

To come back like you on the initial subject, the word cosca is used by European journalists to designate a crime family, I have already seen Italian articles use it to talk about the 'ndrangetha, so I think that as the "cosca" was anyway created by De Stefano & Libri it is above all a 'ndrina. The meetings with Zaza, Nuvoletta, Fidanzati and the others were I think above all "work meetings" to organize between the different mafiosi from the various organizations present in the region

Another key guy that I did not mention is Giovanni Tagliamento, he's close to Zaza, described by the press (therefore also by the police) as the representative of the Camorra on the Riviera and his name often comes up when we talks about the different mafiosi present in the area

[B.]

Great stuff, thanks for clarifying. If it was an 'Ndrangheta group I need to correct some of what I said earlier but it's that much more interesting.

[Angelo Santino]

I wondered this as well. I see some surnames that appear Italo in origin.

You mean Corsican surnames?

Yeah.

[motorfab]

I wondered this as well. I see some surnames that appear Italo in origin.

You mean Corsican surnames?

Yeah.

Sorry I didn't see your question at first.

The island of Corsica belonged from the XIIth to the XVIIIth centuries to Italy and to the Republic of Genoa (before that to the Republic of Pisa). Louis XV and the kingdom of France bought the island in 1768. Corsica was then briefly autonomous with the collaboration of the English between 1794 and 1796 before being reconquered by Napoleon and returning definitively to France.

Southern France was also briefly conquered by the Italians during the French Revolution -and probably on other occasions- before being defeated by Napoleon (I believe he was an artillery captain if memory serves)

Short version of the history of Corsica but it explains why the majority of Corsicans have Italian names and share the same culture as their Sicilian cousins.

[cobra]

Fab -- When we talked about it before, I remember finding out a huge percentage of the Grenoble Italians come from Sommatino so makes sense it is a decina in their Family. A lot of them also moved to Germany so wonder if they have something there.

--

Zaza was a member of both the Camorra and Cosa Nostra too so could have been included in formal talks between the two groups.

Gaetano Fidanzati's brother Stefano (also a Cosa Nostra member) was at the NYC Bono wedding in 1980. Gaetano had been close to both the Bono brothers and Michele Zaza.

There was also a Camorra leader at the Bono wedding but can't remember his name. He's the guy in this photo on the left:



We know there were a ton of Gambino members at the wedding. Given it happened during the same time as the meetings Fab talked about, seems a lot of possible connections.

-nunzio guida

[motorfab]

-nunzio guida

Awesome thank you

Another interesting point that I read in a book for my research:

-According to Francesco Marino Manoia, Zaza designated Alfonso Bono as his compariello (godfather in Neapolitan), on the other hand Mannoia does not know if it was in the sense of his baptism or if Bono was his boss within the Cosa Nostra

-Alfredo Bono was a big gambler and his debts were paid by Zaza. Bontate told Mannoia that Zaza was paying Bono's debts out of huge heroin trafficking profits. Still according to Mannoia [and that's where it ties in with this thread] Zaza, and the Bono brothers were supplied with heroin by a group of Marseille drug trafficker working for Gaetan Zampa, Marseille's most important boss since he took over after assassinated Antoine Guérini in 1967. Gaetan Zampa being in addition of Neapolitan origin we can easily imagine why Zaza addresses to him

[B.]

A+

Another idea is Bono could have been Zaza's sponsor into Cosa Nostra. The Sicilians use godfather/godson to refer to induction also.

[CabriniGreen]

A+

Another idea is Bono could have been Zaza's sponsor into Cosa Nostra. The Sicilians use godfather/godson to refer to induction also.

I could be wrong, but I thought the Grecos controlled the 3 families in Naples. The Nuvolettas represented Naples in the Cupola, and were in turn, controlled by the Grecos.....

[B.]

Could be, don't know much. The Sicilian mafia allows members from other Families to serve as sponsor sometimes, so just one possibility for Bono being "compariello" to Zaza since padrino/figlioccio are used to refer to sponsor/inductee in Sicily.

[CabriniGreen]

Could be, don't know much. The Sicilian mafia allows members from other Families to serve as sponsor sometimes, so just one possibility for Bono being "compariello" to Zaza since padrino/figlioccio are used to refer to sponsor/inductee in Sicily.

Gotcha..... this is all a great read... great thread.....

[motorfab]

Gotcha..... this is all a great read... great thread.....

Thanks man, glad you enjoy it

I could be wrong, but I thought the Grecos controlled the 3 families in Naples. The Nuvolettas represented Naples in the Cupola, and were in turn, controlled by the Grecos....

From what I have understood from my various readings, I believe that Greco was above all the representative of the Neapolitans on the Commission.

Not sure who inducted them but it's possible it was Greco who inducted the Nuvolettas. According to Calderone there were so many of them that they [the Nuvolettas] alone represented a decina.

According to Carmine Schiavone, Bardellino was inducted by Rosario Riccobono and I think I read somewhere that Carmine was inducted by Liggio in Milan. No idea if Francesco Schiavone was inducted as well.

It seems that Bono, Riccobono or Leggio inducted the Neapolitans and that the latter were then represented by Michele Greco at the Cupola. Damn, that too deserves a thread ^^

[PolackTony]

-nunzio guida

-According to Francesco Marino Manoia, Zaza designated Alfonso Bono as his compariello (godfather in Neapolitan), on the other hand Mannoia does not know if it was in the sense of his baptism or if Bono was his boss within the Cosa Nostra

Curious to know what was the source for compariello as “godfather” in Napolitan’. Compariello (gumbariell’) in Napolitan’ literally is the diminutive of compare, so it doesn’t literally mean godfather, so far as I’m aware. Common uses are along the lines of a henchman or “gofer”. But I believe it may have been used in the Camorra to also refer to the bonds that bound someone to their boss.

Worth noting in this context that Paul Ricca’s nickname was “il comparello”. It’s unclear to me if this was related to his status as boss or if it was more the equivalent of “the waiter”.

[motorfab]

-nunzio guida

-According to Francesco Marino Manoia, Zaza designated Alfonso Bono as his compariello (godfather in Neapolitan), on the other hand Mannoia does not know if it was in the sense of his baptism or if Bono was his boss within the Cosa Nostra

Curious to know what was the source for compariello as “godfather” in Napolitan’. Compariello (gumbariell’) in Napolitan’ literally is the diminutive of compare, so it doesn’t literally mean godfather, so far as I’m aware. Common uses are along the lines of a henchman or “gofer”. But I believe it may have been used in the Camorra to also refer to the bonds that bound someone to their boss.

Worth noting in this context that Paul Ricca’s nickname was “il comparello”. It’s unclear to me if this was related to his status as boss or if it was more the equivalent of “the waiter”.

Ah ? I take that in an old French book of the 80's, I confess that I didn't checked the translation. The author probably made a mistake in the translation. Thanks for the correction

[PolackTony]

-nunzio guida

-According to Francesco Marino Manoia, Zaza designated Alfonso Bono as his compariello (godfather in Neapolitan), on the other hand Mannoia does not know if it was in the sense of his baptism or if Bono was his boss within the Cosa Nostra

Curious to know what was the source for compariello as “godfather” in Napolitan’. Compariello (gumbariell’) in Napolitan’ literally is the diminutive of compare, so it doesn’t literally mean godfather, so far as I’m aware. Common uses are along the lines of a henchman or “gofer”. But I believe it may have been used in the Camorra to also refer to the bonds that bound someone to their boss.

Worth noting in this context that Paul Ricca’s nickname was “il comparello”. It’s unclear to me if this was related to his status as boss or if it was more the equivalent of “the waiter”.

Ah ? I take that in an old French book of the 80's, I confess that I didn't checked the translation. The author probably made a mistake in the translation. Thanks for the correction

It's possible that they made a mistake, but it's also possible that the word was used in a very specific context in a way that I might be aware of. The fact that Zaza uses it to describe Bono is important either way, though to me it's not clear exactly what was meant by it.