Consigliere part 2 - Change from elected position to a rank that's boss appointed.

[scott22]

Joe Z stepped down briefly in the late 60s-early 70s, naming his son Tony Z as acting boss. When Tony Z got nailed for skimming The Frontier and sent to prison, Joe Z returned to the boss role and named Jack Tocco his acting boss & successor.

SMB

[PolackTony]

Scarface Joe Bommarito was the DET LCN "street boss" from the 1930s until he was forced into retirement in early 60s because of health reasons (he died in FLA in 1965). Tony Jack took his spot as street boss.

“Street boss” for Detroit was like an acting boss? Was it a formal position or more of a responsibility that Bommarito had (assuming this means that he was the intermediary between the admin and the capos)?

[Adam]

Jimmy Q was Jack's acting consigliere when Polizzi was away. Jimmy Q was always a defacto consigliere after he relinquished the post in '81.

SMB

Thanks Scott! That makes total sense. I like the Paul Corrado/Nove Tocco wiretap from the early 90s that shows them seeming to like "Jimmy Q". Compared to how they felt about Jack Tocco.

[B.]

Bless Tommaso L Gionne, consigliere of titles.

Will try and find the quote that references Genovese and Morello. Could have sworn it was Bonanno but not seeing it from the index. I remember it being vague not necessarily indicating Morello took the position of underboss, but it relates the change to another Family that does name a confirmed underboss. Overall point being, the timeline and descriptions don't make it clear if Morello was underboss, consigliere, or even neither one, and the descriptions lend themselves to both.

Still the question too of Steve Rannelli's rank. Valachi says in the Real Thing that Buster Domingo told him the initial pact was made between Maranzano and Rannelli which is interesting, though no doubt Gagliano and Lucchese were on board. Joe Bonanno also puts Rannelli with Gagliano and Lucchese as leaders in the rebel Lucchese faction. The murdered Reina was Corleonese and so were Gagliano and John DiCaro (who Bonanno names as part of this group), though we know this faction started out very small (according to Valachi) and the most instrumental members of this group named by Valachi at that stage were Gagliano (Corleonese), Lucchese (Palermitano), Rannelli (Palermitano), and Petrilli (Abruzzese). Probability would tell us other Corleonese were part of the plot, like DiCaro, but it doesn't seem to have necessarily been a Corleone-centric group.

The new boss Pinzolo they were against also wasn't Corleonese, but probability would again suggest some Corleonesi were on his side. Joe Bonanno says it was a Corleonese "paesano" of Tom Reina who betrayed him by reporting Reina's disloyalty to Morello, leading to Reina's murder, so Morello still held influence with at least someone in that Family which is unsurprising. It's noteworthy to me that Bonanno noted it was a fellow Corleonese who betrayed Reina to Morello.

Interestingly after Morello was killed Joe Valachi says in the Real Thing he was told Morello was "the boss of bosses". He words it as if that was current and may not have understood the historic significance but shows after Morello's murder there was still gossip about his former position. Quite a trophy for Buster.

[B.]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

[PolackTony]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

You forgot the segretariu and gaborgunsuler’ and sottugunsuler’ for each gunsuler’ on each gunsugliu.

Instead of “buttons”, Luciano instituted the system of referring to made guys as “shaving kits”. Only the Genovese and Chicago used this nomenclature but it was never caught on wiretap. In the 2000s Nick C told the Feds that Chicago called them “Remingtons” and gave him shaving tips at his ceremony but he was never questioned on the stand about this.

[B.]

Everyone's lucky we have a conscience haha. Imagine the fan fiction we could get away with if we all backed each other up...

[Angelo Santino]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

You forgot the segretariu and gaborgunsuler’ and sottugunsuler’ for each gunsuler’ on each gunsugliu.

Instead of “buttons”, Luciano instituted the system of referring to made guys as “shaving kits”. Only the Genovese and Chicago used this nomenclature but it was never caught on wiretap. In the 2000s Nick C told the Feds that Chicago called them “Remingtons” and gave him shaving tips at his ceremony but he was never questioned on the stand about this.

Look what moving to NY did to you? Capone is probably looking down at you too thinking the same thing he thought about Accardo after Gotti ruled against Bonanno to let Chicago have Vegas- "Polack Tony, Polack Tony, how you have failed me."

Everyone out west knows its
Top Boss
Side Boss
Front Boss
Underboss
Underboss to the Underboss
Area Bosses
AB Underbosses
10 Capos for AB
Personal Underboss to the Capo
10 Lieutenants per Capo
10 Soldiers per Lieutenant.

[PolackTony]

Everyone's lucky we have a conscience haha. Imagine the fan fiction we could get away with if we all backed each other up...

My sources tell me that the real final straw for Tony Spilotro was the mustache. He grew it out to hide his cocaine use, but the Old Man Out West found out about it and called him back to Chicago. The original plan was to lure him to a house in Bensonville and forcibly shave him, but things got out of hand.

Also, the 1940s war in Chicago was only ostensibly about controlling the cheese racket. Benevento had been running around telling all of the Sicilian members to grow their mustaches out, as it wasn't befitting a true Sicilian Don to walk around barefaced like a woman. One of the Outfit lackeys working in the City inspections department broke the news that Benevento was stocking mustache wax in his cheese store, and the rest is history. Not a coincidence that Gaetano Oneglia was clipped while at his barber. Jim DeGeorge got off with a warning, but the Old Man called him in to be shaved in front of the Board of Directors and as a punishment, they forced him to use aftershave made from overproof alcohol cooked in an abandoned still found in Pete Genna's basement. Non-Itals didn't have to shave, but Teddy DeRose did just so people thought he was Italian.

[PolackTony]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

You forgot the segretariu and gaborgunsuler’ and sottugunsuler’ for each gunsuler’ on each gunsugliu.

Instead of “buttons”, Luciano instituted the system of referring to made guys as “shaving kits”. Only the Genovese and Chicago used this nomenclature but it was never caught on wiretap. In the 2000s Nick C told the Feds that Chicago called them “Remingtons” and gave him shaving tips at his ceremony but he was never questioned on the stand about this.

Look what moving to NY did to you? Capone is probably looking down at you too thinking the same thing he thought about Accardo after Gotti ruled against Bonanno to let Chicago have Vegas- "Polack Tony, Polack Tony, how you have failed me."

Everyone out west knows its
Top Boss
Side Boss
Front Boss
Underboss
Underboss to the Underboss
Area Bosses
AB Underbosses
10 Capos for AB
Personal Underboss to the Capo
10 Lieutenants per Capo
10 Soldiers per Lieutenant.

Each District Man and Ward Boss also had a personal Board of Directors, each member of which also had a personal underboss, a driver, and a Right Hand Man.

Secretly, I'm the Messaggero to the Bronx or the Polish faction of the Outfit, which today is run by Casey Szaflarski with Porky Poradyla as semi-retired Polish boss emritus. In Chicago we still control the mop-bucket and flat-white primer paint rackets.

[Angelo Santino]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

You forgot the segretariu and gaborgunsuler’ and sottugunsuler’ for each gunsuler’ on each gunsugliu.

Instead of “buttons”, Luciano instituted the system of referring to made guys as “shaving kits”. Only the Genovese and Chicago used this nomenclature but it was never caught on wiretap. In the 2000s Nick C told the Feds that Chicago called them “Remingtons” and gave him shaving tips at his ceremony but he was never questioned on the stand about this.

Look what moving to NY did to you? Capone is probably looking down at you too thinking the same thing he thought about Accardo after Gotti ruled against Bonanno to let Chicago have Vegas- "Polack Tony, Polack Tony, how you have failed me."

Everyone out west knows its
Top Boss
Side Boss
Front Boss
Underboss
Underboss to the Underboss
Area Bosses
AB Underbosses
10 Capos for AB
Personal Underboss to the Capo
10 Lieutenants per Capo
10 Soldiers per Lieutenant.

Each District Man and Ward Boss also had a personal Board of Directors, each member of which also had a personal underboss, a driver, and a Right Hand Man.

Secretly, I'm the Messaggero to the Bronx or the Polish faction of the Outfit, which today is run by Casey Szaflarski with Porky Poradyla as semi-retired Polish boss emritus. In Chicago we still control the mop-bucket and flat-white primer paint rackets.

Sounds like you're doing better than me. Between us I was straightened out but no one ever told me about the "friend of ours/friend of mine" and I hadn't seen Donnie Brasco yet so I'm walking up to guys like an asshole asking: "I'm in the Mafia, if you are too then tell me." I got put on the shelf for that shit.

[PolackTony]

I thought you were going to suggest that he was on an early Genovese consiglio. Maybe he taught Paul Ricca the ropes, lol.

He was part of Masseria's personal consiglio. Each admin member had his own consiglio consisting of five men, who in turn each had their own private consiglio. Masseria appointed (not elected) Morello as the consigliere di consigli.

The structure looked like this:

Boss
- Consiglio
Underboss
- Consiglio
Consigliere
- Consiglio
[Consigliere di Consigli]

Luciano didn't form the Commission or develop a corporate philosophy, he simply abolished the multi-consiglio system. I dare you to prove me wrong. Each consiglio member also had multiple mustaches, with each mustache signifying his status like military stripes. "Mustache Pete" was a reference to Mustache Pete Morello -- even his weird little hand had its own mustache.

Luciano made them all shave.

You forgot the segretariu and gaborgunsuler’ and sottugunsuler’ for each gunsuler’ on each gunsugliu.

Instead of “buttons”, Luciano instituted the system of referring to made guys as “shaving kits”. Only the Genovese and Chicago used this nomenclature but it was never caught on wiretap. In the 2000s Nick C told the Feds that Chicago called them “Remingtons” and gave him shaving tips at his ceremony but he was never questioned on the stand about this.

Look what moving to NY did to you? Capone is probably looking down at you too thinking the same thing he thought about Accardo after Gotti ruled against Bonanno to let Chicago have Vegas- "Polack Tony, Polack Tony, how you have failed me."

Everyone out west knows its
Top Boss
Side Boss
Front Boss
Underboss
Underboss to the Underboss
Area Bosses
AB Underbosses
10 Capos for AB
Personal Underboss to the Capo
10 Lieutenants per Capo
10 Soldiers per Lieutenant.

Each District Man and Ward Boss also had a personal Board of Directors, each member of which also had a personal underboss, a driver, and a Right Hand Man.

Secretly, I'm the Messaggero to the Bronx or the Polish faction of the Outfit, which today is run by Casey Szaflarski with Porky Poradyla as semi-retired Polish boss emritus. In Chicago we still control the mop-bucket and flat-white primer paint rackets.

Sounds like you're doing better than me. Between us I was straightened out but no one ever told me about the "friend of ours/friend of mine" and I hadn't seen Donnie Brasco yet so I'm walking up to guys like an asshole asking: "I'm in the Mafia, if you are too then tell me." I got put on the shelf for that shit.

In Chicago, when they "shelve" you, they put the shelf in the trunk of a car and then put you on top of the shelf.

Chicago actually had a four-dimensional admin; along with the top boss, underboss, the front boss, the back boss, and two side bosses (the Left Hand Man and the Right Hand Man), they also had before and after bosses. Also, they never said "amico nostro", Nick C just made that up so that his FBI handlers would keep bringing him beef sangwhiches with extra giardiniera during the interviews. After he entered the WPP, he admitted that in Chicago they just say "yeah, I know two or tree a dose dere guys from over by dere" for introductions.

[B.]

Haha. In Sicily they literally put you on a wooden shelf in a barn with a bucket.

[PolackTony]

Haha. In Sicily they literally put you on a wooden shelf in a barn with a bucket.

That’s true, but after WW2 they stopped doing that because they were taking all the buckets and melting them down for shoddy construction material.

BTW, some people think the whole mustache thing goes back to King Umberto I, or even to the Garduña in Toledo, Spain, but it actually was an Arbereshe tradition. They formed the first Society of the Mustache when they were fighting the Turks. The Arbereshe surname Musacchia is derived from an old Albanian word for mustache, and even before Pete Morello there was Pietro Musacchia, the first boss of the Contessa Entellina Society of the Mustache.

Americanization of the mafia began when the first guy in the US put shaving cream on his upper lip. It’s been all downhill ever since.