2004 FBI figures

[johnny_scootch]

I thought these FBI figures from 2004 could use a thread of their own.

GENOVESE:
142 soldiers, 22 capos.
Boss: Vincent “Chin” Gigante
Acting Boss: Liborio “Barney” Bellomo
Underboss: Michele “Mickey Dimino” Generoso and Lawrence Dentico
Consigliere: James “Jimmy” Ida

GAMBINO:
168 soldiers, 17 capos.
Boss: Peter Gotti
Acting Boss: Arnold “The Beast” Squitieri
Underboss: Anthony “Tony Connecticut” Megale
Consigliere: Joseph “JoJo” Corozzo.

LUCHESE:
82 soldiers, 9 capos.
Boss: Vittorio “Vic” Amuso
Acting Boss: Louis “Cross Bay” Daidone
Underboss: Steven Crea
Consigliere: Joseph Caridi

BONNANO:
131 soldiers, 15 capos.
Boss: Joseph Massino
Underboss: Salvatore Vitale
Consigliere: Anthony Spero

COLOMBO:
60 soldiers, 5 capos.
Boss: Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico
Acting Boss: Joel “Joe Waverly” Cacace
Underboss: Thomas Gieoli
Consigliere: Ralph Lombardo

[Pogo The Clown]

Are these Fed numbers or numbers from that cosa nostra news blog? Some of those numbers look wrong as do some of the hierarchy's.


Pogo

[Wiseguy]

Those NY Post figures were already posted in another thread (on both forums, I think) and I question whether they're really from the feds because they don't match other official estimates at the time. I wondered if the article was referring to active members but that really wouldn't really add up either.

Anyway, the total membership figures for the NY families have been pretty consistent in recent years. The Genovese and Gambinos at approximately 200 each, and the other three families at around 100 or so each.

[Wiseguy]

GENOVESE FAMILY -

193 known members in 1983

195 known members in 1987

201 known members in 1988

200 members cited in 2007 Leo case

200 members cited in 2014 article




GAMBINO FAMILY -

182 known members in 1983

202 known members in 1987

207 known members in 1988

192 known members cited in Isgro case in 2000

200 members cited in Marino case in 2010




LUCCHESE FAMILY -

102 known members in 1983

116 known members in 1987

117 known members in 1988

110+ members cited in New Jersey organized crime report in 2004

100 members cited in 2009 article

100 members cited in 2011 article

100 members cited in 2014 article




COLOMBO FAMILY -

87 known members in 1983

101 known members in 1987

110 known members in 1988

112 members cited in New Jersey organized crime report in 2004

100 members cited in 2009 article

100 members cited in 2014 article




BONANNO FAMILY -

120 known members in 1983

110 known members in 1987

112 known members in 1988

111 known members in 2001

100+ members cited in 2002 Graziano case

Frank Lino testified the family had 100 soldiers and 12 captains in 2003

Wiretaps showed the family had under 100 soldiers in Basciano case in 2006

115 members cited in 2009 article

100 members cited in 2013 article




I should note that I leave out the outlier figures that one comes across from time to time, choosing to go with the more consistent figures.

For example, the 2004 New Jersey organized crime report had the Genovese at 250-300 members. As did several articles in the 1990's. I think those were inflated.

Selwyn Raab, who I otherwise consider to be one of the better journalists on the mob, has always seemed to have inflated figures.

The write up for New York Magazine by Jerry Capeci, who I also consider one of the better journalists on the mob, also had inflated figures. Well, except for the Colombos, who he seemed to low ball a bit. But the DeCavalcantes he got right.

[toto]

It looks like the source of these numbers is this article dated 8 February 2004

http://nypost.com/2004/02/08/mob-wants- ... ly-to-651/

[Pogo The Clown]

250-300 members for the Gambinos and Genovese in the 80s into the 90s seems accurate considering just how big these families were at their peak. In the 80s they still had a very large number of guy's from the 30s-50s era still kicking and as that generation died off (faster than they made new members) their numbers leveled off.


Some government numbers from 1988.


Gambino - 300 Members with 650 Associates
Genovese - 275 Members with 600 Associates
Lucchese - 100 Members with 500 Associates
Colombo - 120 Members with 450 Associates
Bonnano - 100 Members with 375 Associates

Some other figures.

Philly - 60 Members with 250 Associates
DeCavalcante - 50 Members with 80 Associates


The Associate numbers fluctuate greatly depending how one defines an Associate. For example I've seen the list the Gambinos at 3,000 Associates in the 80s.


Pogo

[Pogo The Clown]

It looks like the source of these numbers is this article dated 8 February 2004

Thanks for finding this. Yeah these numbers look like BS. The Bonannos going from 85 in 2001 to 146 by early 2004? The Colombos dipping from 90 in 2001 to 65 in early 2004? The Gambinos making 38 new memers in less than 3 years?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOB WANTS YOU; RECRUITING DRIVE SENDS WISEGUY TALLY TO 651

By Al Guart

February 8, 2004

The city’s embattled Mafia families recruited 94 new wiseguys – pushing the number of made men in the Big Apple to more than 600 for the first time in years, confidential FBI reports show.

And the mob has come up with new strategies to evade lawmen that include recruiting Sicilians and picking leaders from other states.

The Gambino crime family and the all-but-invisible Bonannos recently beefed up their ranks, swelling the Mafia’s roster to 651, the reports show. Defections and deaths had whittled the wiseguy ranks to a low of 570 by January 2001.

The Gambinos, reeling from the June 2002 death of John “Dapper Don” Gotti and the conviction of his brother, Peter, inducted 38 soldiers to become the city’s most powerful clan.

In a new tactic to dodge law enforcement, the Gambinos chose leaders from other states, sources said.

“The move is to put in leaders from outside of New York,” a veteran federal agent said. “Their acting boss is from New Jersey, and their new underboss comes from Connecticut. Nice idea, but it’s not going to work.”

Arnold “The Beast” Squitieri, who hails from the Garden State, now serves as acting boss, while underboss Anthony “Tony Connecticut” Megale is from the Nutmeg State.

The Bonannos, long ignored by authorities and their fellow Mafia families, shot from 85 made men in 2001 to 146 by the end of last year, the FBI reports show.

“They were on shelf for while, and were under the radar screen,” said Matt Heron, new head of the FBI’s New York organized crime bureau. “They used that time to bring people over from Sicily to re-energize themselves.”

Recruiting goodfellas from Sicily gave the crime ring an edge by having thugs who could operate in anonymity, Heron said.

“They are an unknown entity over here,” Heron said.

As the other four families struggled with racketeering charges and damaging defections, the Bonannos surpassed the Colombo and Luchese clans in manpower.

Since 2001, the Colombos dwindled from 90 to 65 members. And despite an earlier recruiting drive, the Lucheses lost 22 members over the past three years, leaving then with 91 hoods.

THE MAFIA’S LINEUP FOR 2004

GENOVESE: 142 soldiers, 22 capos. Boss: Vincent “Chin” Gigante (left). Acting Boss: Liborio “Barney” Bellomo.

Underboss: Michele “Mickey Dimino” Generoso and Lawrence Dentico. COnsigliere: James “Jimmy” Ida

GAMBINO: 168 soldiers, 17 capos. Boss: Peter Gotti (right). Acting Boss: Arnold “The Beast” Squitieri. Underboss: Anthony “Tony Connecticut” Megale. Consigliere: Joseph “JoJo” Corozzo

LUCHESE: 82 soldiers, 9 capos. Boss: Vittorio “Vic” Amuso (above). Acting Boss: Louis “Cross Bay” Daidone. Underboss: Steven Crea. Consigliere: Joseph Caridi

BONNANO: 131 soldiers, 15 capos. Boss: Joseph Massino (above). Underboss: Salvatore Vitale. Consigliere: Anthony Spero

COLOMBO: 60 soldiers, 5 capos. Boss: Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico (above). Acting Boss: Joel “Joe Waverly” Cacace. Underboss: Thomas Gieoli. Consigliere: Ralph Lombardo

[TommyGambino]

I'd say both the Gambino & Westside are anywhere from 200-230. The rest around 100-130.

[LcnBios]

The totals given for the Bonanno Family are interesting, particularly the one about Frank Lino saying the membership was at 100. I don't know where that number came from, but it doesn't match up with what he said in court.

Estimates given by Bonanno witnesses for membership totals c. 2002/2003:

Coppa: 15 Captains, c. 160 Members
Lino: 15 Captains, c. 130 Member [EDIT: More specific he said somewhere around 120-150']
Vitale: 15 Captains, c. 150 Members

Not clear if the Member numbers above include the admin/captains.

[Lupara]

250-300 members for the Gambinos and Genovese in the 80s into the 90s seems accurate considering just how big these families were at their peak. In the 80s they still had a very large number of guy's from the 30s-50s era still kicking and as that generation died off (faster than they made new members) their numbers leveled off.


Some government numbers from 1988.


Gambino - 300 Members with 650 Associates
Genovese - 275 Members with 600 Associates
Lucchese - 100 Members with 500 Associates
Colombo - 120 Members with 450 Associates
Bonnano - 100 Members with 375 Associates

Those numbers conflict quite a bit with the numbers from 1988 posted by Wiseguy, how's that?

[Wiseguy]

Philly - 60 Members with 250 Associates
DeCavalcante - 50 Members with 80 Associates


Pogo

Do you recall where those came from?

Capeci cited 40-50 members for the DeCavalcantes in that article he did for New York Magazine in 2005. The 2004 New Jersey OC report cited approximately 40 members and at least 50 associates.

The 2004 New Jersey OC report cited roughly 50 members for Philadelphia. It also said that there were approximately 100 associates, whereas there were 270 a decade before.

The totals given for the Bonanno Family are interesting, particularly the one about Frank Lino saying the membership was at 100. I don't know where that number came from, but it doesn't match up with what he said in court.

Estimates given by Bonanno witnesses for membership totals c. 2002/2003:

Coppa: 15 Captains, c. 160 Members
Lino: 15 Captains, c. 130 Member [EDIT: More specific he said somewhere around 120-150']
Vitale: 15 Captains, c. 150 Members

Not clear if the Member numbers above include the admin/captains.

"When he was arrested in January 2003, Lino said the family has 12 key captains, 100 soldiers, and somewhere between 200 and 500 associates..." (King of the Godfathers)
https://books.google.com/books?id=rJkau ... ns&f=false


"When Frank Lino was arrested in 2003, the Bonanno Family consisted of only 12 captains and 100 soldiers..."
https://books.google.com/books?id=pDbnH ... ns&f=false


Those figures you posted above have always been hard to believe. Maybe if you counted the 20 or so members in the Montreal Crew but could they really still be included in 2002/2003 after the supposed break following the 1999 murder of Sciascia?

250-300 members for the Gambinos and Genovese in the 80s into the 90s seems accurate considering just how big these families were at their peak. In the 80s they still had a very large number of guy's from the 30s-50s era still kicking and as that generation died off (faster than they made new members) their numbers leveled off.


Some government numbers from 1988.


Gambino - 300 Members with 650 Associates
Genovese - 275 Members with 600 Associates
Lucchese - 100 Members with 500 Associates
Colombo - 120 Members with 450 Associates
Bonnano - 100 Members with 375 Associates

Those numbers conflict quite a bit with the numbers from 1988 posted by Wiseguy, how's that?

The numbers I posted dealt with specific members who had actually been identified and listed. The numbers Pogo posted were general estimates.

[Wiseguy]

Here's part of that 2005 article Capeci did for New York Magazine. I'm not sure what he means when he talks about there being "no official numbered list of mobsters" in the families. We can see from past lists that the feds have kept them for decades now. And they certainly would continue to maintain those records of made members. But the rest is interesting.


The Life, By the Numbers
By Jerry Capeci


The numbers of family members in “What’s Left of the Mob,”are estimates gleaned from court records, Mafia turncoats, FBI documents, and interviews with law-enforcement and underworld sources. Contrary to the prevailing wisdom, there is no official numbered list of mobsters in the Genovese family. Or any other family, from the Gambinos (estimate: 160 to 180 members) to the tiny DeCavalcante clan. There are, however, procedures and rules that govern the induction of new members:

• New members can be “made” only as replacements for mobsters who have died, although each family is allowed to add two new members at Christmastime.

• Names of proposed members, and the deceased members they replace, must be circulated to the other families, who have two weeks to lodge an objection—for example, the candidate is an informer or the candidate is an associate of another family.

• Families may not replace a defector who cooperates with the government, until he dies.

• Families may never replace a member the family has killed.

• Both parents of an inductee must be of Italian heritage, a change in previous policy requiring that only the father’s lineage be Italian.

There are exceptions to every rule, however, especially with a career criminal devoted to beating any system, including the one he vows to live by. “Sometimes,” former Bonanno underboss Salvatore Vitale told the FBI, “I would make up names of dead guys so we could induct more members than the rules allow,” adding that on at least one occasion, he got names “out of the phone book.”

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/crimelaw/features/10871/

[Lupara]

Those figures you posted above have always been hard to believe. Maybe if you counted the 20 or so members in the Montreal Crew but could they really still be included in 2002/2003 after the supposed break following the 1999 murder of Sciascia?

Yes, because these guys were inducted into the Bonanno family. And if there ever was a break it wasn't official. Most of the members of the old crew sided with Montagna against the Rizzutos.

If Vitale estimated 150 members he most likely included Montreal. I think 100 members during Massino's reign is on the low end. Especially because they made up names of dead guys in order to make new members.

[LcnBios]

"When he was arrested in January 2003, Lino said the family has 12 key captains, 100 soldiers, and somewhere between 200 and 500 associates..." (King of the Godfathers)
https://books.google.com/books?id=rJkau ... ns&f=false


"When Frank Lino was arrested in 2003, the Bonanno Family consisted of only 12 captains and 100 soldiers..."
https://books.google.com/books?id=pDbnH ... ns&f=false


Those figures you posted above have always been hard to believe. Maybe if you counted the 20 or so members in the Montreal Crew but could they really still be included in 2002/2003 after the supposed break following the 1999 murder of Sciascia?

Thanks for the citation on Lino. Not sure why the difference between what he told the FBI when arrested and what he said a few years later in court, but he was very clear in answering the question 'how many Soldiers' with 'close to about 120 and 150'. The thing is Vitale said 150 as well, and he was specifically tasked by Massino with overseeing membership figures. He kept a running list of guys who died going into at least mid-2001, and comes across as having a good hold on the Family's size.

That said, I agree that the high-end estimate of 150-160 seems unlikely. Could just be referring to its absolute peak/cap. 120-130 is definitely reasonable though.

Here's a membership list as of January 1, 2002. A couple of names were taken from the 1988 Federal list and are pretty much unmentioned otherwise.
- Accardi, Nicholas
- Adamo, Frank
- Aiosa, Sandro
- Altadonna, Alfred
- Amarante, Vincent
- Amato, Baldassare
- Asaro, Jerome
- Asaro, Vincent
- Attanasio, Louis
- Attanasio, Robert

- Badamo, Vito Sr.
- Barbieri, Generoso
- Basciano, Vincent
- Benanti, Joseph
- Bonanno, Giuseppe [The CW]
- Bonanno, Joseph
- Bonanno, Salvatore
- Bonventre, Antonio
- Bonventre, Giacomo
- Bruno, Salvatore

- Caccamise, Salvatore
- Cacioppo, Antonio
- Calabrese, Anthony
- Calabrese, Peter
- Caltagirone, John
- Cammarano, Joseph
- Cammarano, Joseph Jr.
- Cantarella, Paul
- Cantarella, Richard
- Capparelli, William
- Cardello, Michael
- Carlucci, Ronald
- Catalano, Salvatore
- Cerasani, John
- Chilli, Gerry
- Chilli, Joseph
- Chilli, Joseph Jr.
- Cicala, John
- Coppa, Frank
- Coppa, Frank Jr.
- Cosoleto, Peter
- Criscitelli, Perry

- D'Amico, Joseph
- D'Antoni, Vincenzo
- DeAngelis, Albert
- DeCicco, Louis
- DeFilippo, Patrick
- DeFrancisci, Fabritzio
- DeSimone, Joseph
- DiFiore, Thomas
- Dolce, Ralph

- Faraci, John
- Faraci, Vincent
- Felline, Edward
- Frascone, Anthony
- Furino, Anthony

- Galante, James
- Galestro, Gino
- Genna, James
- Giallonza, Ronald
- Giglio, Salvatore
- Graziano, Anthony
- Grimaldi, Joseph
- Grimaldi, Vito
- Guaragna, Emanuel

- Indelicato, Anthony
- Indelicato, Joseph

- Licata, John
- Lino, Frank
- Lino, Joseph
- Lino, Robert Jr.
- LoCurto, Stephen
- Loiacono, Joseph
- Lorenzo, Ronald
- Lucido, Anthony

- Maiorino, Salvatore
- Mancuso, Michael
- Mannone, Anthony
- Marchese, Salvatore
- Mascitti, Bari
- Massino, Joseph
- Mele, Louis
- Messina, Frank
- Messina, Joseph
- Militano, Vito
- Mirabile, John
- Mistretta, Frank [Note: The 1983 NYPD List had the wrong person, the Bonanno member only recently died]
- Mongelli, Daniel
- Montagna, Salvatore
- Morale, Salvatore
- Musillo, Charles

- Navarra, Anthony
- Navarra, Philip

- Palazzolo, John
- Palazzolo, Wally [Last name could be Polizzotto, Palazzo, etc]
- Pisciotti, Nicholas
- Pitera, Thomas
- Porco, Frank
- Primiano, Michael [1988 List]

- Rabito, Anthony
- Rea, Armando
- Restivo, Louis
- Riccardi, Richard
- Riviello, William
- Rosa, Pietro

- Sabella, Dominick
- Sabella, Joseph
- Sammartino, Joseph
- Santora, Nicholas
- Scala, Ronald [1988 List]
- Sclafani, Anthony
- Scudiero, Salvatore
- Spero, Anthony
- Spina, Paul
- Spirito, John

- Taglianetti, Joseph
- Taormina, Joseph

- Tartaglia, Philip
- Tartaglione, James
- Torre, Joseph
- Travella, Charles

- Urso, Anthony

- Virtuoso, Michael
- Vitale, Salvatore

- Zancocchio, John

There's a little over 120 members there. There's another dozen or so excluded for different reasons:

There are made guys identified with a nickname, or by first name only, who may or may not be referring to someone on that list above [ie 'Joe Beans', Sally 'Pens' LNU, Mario LNU, Sylvio LNU].

There's also a few guys who might have already been made by this point but aren't included [Joe Bosco, Augie Yannucci, Vincent DiSario]. Michael 'Box' DeMaria was made either late 2001 or very early 2002 so he's left off as well.

There's probably a couple up there who were dead already. I haven't seen any mention of Philip Tartaglia past the late 1970s for example. Scarpa reported Joseph Savarese being made in the mid-1980s. Only mention I know of him is being present when Sonny Black was killed, nothing about him being inducted later on.

On the other hand I strongly doubt the above list comprises every single Bonanno member alive at the time so there could be a couple of under the radar guys missing.

Then there's Montreal. Maybe there was some kind of formal release carried out, or an informal break, but if so it doesn't appear to have happaned yet. Urso's on a wire making reference to the Bonanno Family's guys in Montreal in late December 2003. Safe to say as of 2002 at least some of them can be added. Some not all because of Vitale's trip to Montreal, where he was told they had 19 made guys but had expected the number to be 9 (minus recently murdered Sciascia). So they were inducting guys and apparently not telling the admin. That stil leaves the nine or so confirmed to be formally authorized Bonanno members. Whatever their feelings towards the Bonanno leadership after Sciascia was killed, they were still Bonanno members.

If anyone has names to take off or add let me know. And Soliai feel free to move this if you think it's too much of a tangent for this thread.

[Pogo The Clown]

Do you recall where those came from?

They, along wth those for the 5 families, came from the 25 Years After Valachi hearings.


Those Bonanno numbers look pretty accurate considering they are coming from Vitale, Lino and Coppa. All very high level informants. They are really not that hard to believe since Bonanno did grow exponentially under Massino. So much so that the feds even had them surpassing the Gambinos as the numbr 2 family in NY.


Edit: GREAT post JD.


Pogo