Random historic info

[johnny_scootch]

Speaking of Schiro's 1912 election here is what a 1958 Newark informant said about him being removed from power. Posted this a couple years ago. Report also mentions Schiro's close ties to CA bosses Frank Lanza and the Desimones, including a 1947 letter between Schiro and Frank Desimone.



Wonder what Newark figure would know this kind of stuff about Schiro in 1958? Even if some of it's questionable, it's very specific knowledge of him -- where he operated in Brooklyn, that he was removed from power in ~1929, and had close ties to Frank Lanza in SF.

The $300,000 it says Schiro had to pay, is that the money he was forced to give Masseria?

[B.]

Scootch -- Bonanno said Schiro paid $10k tribute to Masseria, which was around $160k back then. No way did they force him to pay $300k in 1929 money... that'd be $5 mil today.

In the 1960s the Commission forced Joe Magliocco to pay $40k to reimburse travel expenses so maybe there was a financial angle with Schiro but the idea of Masseria forcing a punitive tax or demanding flat tribute from a fellow boss on its own doesn't sound right. If there was a national controversy involving Lanza maybe the national leaders "charged" him for alleged costs.

Also doesn't make sense for the national leaders to openly support a kidnap/ransom plot against a sitting boss unless Masseria/Mineo were trying to remove or undermine a political enemy behind the scenes. What we know of D'Aquila and Masseria's schemes when they were capo shows they were strategic.

Tony Lima said Lanza stepped down because he saw other bosses being killed around the country and was scared of being killed himself. If Schiro lost power first, Lanza lost a major national ally and that may have contributed to his decision.

Which brings me to wonder is Grisafi became a member rather than transferred his membership. Considering his name had to he passed around, Gentile never mentioned that as part of the process when he transferred to Schiro over the objections of LoCicero.

So by 1910 we can ID at least 4 Gambino crews in the city
1) East Harlem- Castellanos
2) East 39- LoCicero (Arcuri crew)
3) East 12- Virzi (Riccobono-Scalise)
4) Little Italy- DiMino (Corrao)

Re. Arcario, he was an SS Agent. Not connected.

Calamonaci (Ribera), Canicatti, Sciacca, and Porto Empedocle already affiliated w/ Lupo and D'Aquila. Possibly Caltabellotta too. Whatever brought the Agrigentini into that Family, it seems to have happened during or before Lupo. Great job IDing these early guys.

[Angelo Santino]

There's an entire 40 year gap in knowledge between 1860-1900 that we only have snippets of info on. We know there was something there but we don't know the extent of it. What the Agrigentini played in NY First's Family has yet to be discovered. I guess looking into when the Italian colonies on E39 sprung up may give us further insight. But that doesn't account for Brooklyn which had a colony in Red Hook since the 1860's.

Maybe some of the Agrigentin, primarily Riberesi, split off in 1912 and became the DeCavs while others stayed. Needs further study.

[B.]

A Ribera colony existed in Manhattan since at least the early 1890s, that's all I know with them.

[Angelo Santino]

Cina farm bought by John Castellano

[Angelo Santino]

Early member John Comparetto- could be Gambino or Bonanno. Both he and "John Visconte" are referred to as part of the Brooklyn Gang and I seen Schiro referred to as the head of the Brooklyn Gang in other passages. But we know the Gambinos were also in Brooklyn and around this time the Colombo family was getting off the ground so who knows.

Also, John Comparetto was in business with a Giovanni Lo Bono, saloon keeper at (what looks like) 67th and 1st Ave.


Frank Bonanno and Lo Bue (Morello cousin) were both Genoveses who got into a shootout over a drink. The Lo Bue's had relatives in Chicago, Morello was in contact with them. But this shootout is interesting, if it were covered in the papers it would read "Racket Fued between Black Handers ends in shootout." They were involved in rackers, they didn't have a dispute over them.

[B.]

Only Giovanni Comparetto I found (b. 1879) in NYC was from Naro, Agrigento and lived just down from Midtown Manhattan. Leans hard Gambino in that case and Naro could put him with that pre-Arcuri crowd. You're really uncovering the early Agrigento guys.

[bronx]

err on the side he was a pre daquila man, those guys from naro were arcuri ,franco crews going back to that era

[Angelo Santino]

Only Giovanni Comparetto I found (b. 1879) in NYC was from Naro, Agrigento and lived just down from Midtown Manhattan. Leans hard Gambino in that case and Naro could put him with that pre-Arcuri crowd. You're really uncovering the early Agrigento guys.

I uncovered it? Before reading your post I didn't know he was from Naro. I tried years ago to try and look up these names and had no luck. Credit goes to you on this one. He was likely a Gambino based on his heritage. Salut.

[Angelo Santino]

err on the side he was a pre daquila man, those guys from naro were arcuri ,franco crews going back to that era

Agreed. I've been loosely in contact with Salvatore Mangiamelli (guy who went to kill Gravano and was deported and jet skied back into the US from Canada) and his family was from Naro. He was close to Michael DiLeonardo whose family is from Bisacquino.

--

The Bisacquinese are an interesting faction because from 1895-1905 all indicators point to this faction being Morello/Genovese but in more recent times they appear to be Gambinos. Vito Cascio Ferro was associated with Sal Clemente and Stella Frauto and later on with Morello every day. But guilt-by-association isn't always an indicator. I go where the evidence takes me and right now, I don't know. Aside from Cascio Ferro there was a Giuseppe Boscarino (and wtf, people are making money off of my shit- https://www.ebay.com/itm/265302215866. Assclowns).

In Sicily, Bisacquino fell under "the power" of the Corleonese. There was once a family in that city but like Johnstown or Steubensville in the US, the city declined in economic importance and there doesn't appear to be a family there any longer, but when they did, they were allied with the Corleonese. Sicily isn't America but certain affiliations carried on. It's interesting and I don't have a definitive answer.

Anyways-


And Gius. Boscarino was another early Bisacquinese, and he seemed linked to Morello/Corleonese et al.

[Angelo Santino]

But in regards to the larger picture- the shootout between Bonanno and LoBue and then the other guys jumping in, is another example that "mob disputes" aren't over rackets but big egos. If we were to read about a dispute over refusing a drink today, if John Pennisi were to discuss a similar event, people would mock and comment on it as an example of the decline of The May-fia, "the once monolithic criminal organization that has come apart at the seams." When in reality its always been like this- big egos.

[B.]

Only Giovanni Comparetto I found (b. 1879) in NYC was from Naro, Agrigento and lived just down from Midtown Manhattan. Leans hard Gambino in that case and Naro could put him with that pre-Arcuri crowd. You're really uncovering the early Agrigento guys.

I uncovered it? Before reading your post I didn't know he was from Naro. I tried years ago to try and look up these names and had no luck. Credit goes to you on this one. He was likely a Gambino based on his heritage. Salut.

The names, brother. The names. Without those I'd be throwing darts at a wall of nothing.

Agreed on the egos -- even the larger political disputes revolve mainly around ego. Leggo my ego.

[Angelo Santino]

I see him and on paper, John Comparetto has NOTHING that would even imply he was affiliated. He died in 1957.

It's a testament to how many members escaped scrutiny early on.

[Angelo Santino]

John Visconte no cigar, there is a chance he might not be Sicilian. John (or was it Joe?) DeMarco was a member by 1913 with the Gens and he wasn't Sicilian which if so, would push back the timeline even more when non-Siggies were joining up.

[PolackTony]

John Visconte no cigar, there is a chance he might not be Sicilian. John (or was it Joe?) DeMarco was a member by 1913 with the Gens and he wasn't Sicilian which if so, would push back the timeline even more when non-Siggies were joining up.

DeMarco was Calabres’?

With Visconte I would imagine the original spelling would have been Visconti. If it actually was the case that he wasn’t Sicilian my bet would be Napolitan’/Campanian.