Bonanno 1960s chart

[Angelo Santino]

Great maps. There was also a report of "partiti" in Mazara del Vallo going back to ~1800, which I believe may be the earliest known reference to an apparent mafia organization in Trapani province (?).

For the island-wide map, do you think it would make sense to also include the "Sacra Unione" that was reported to have been active over a wide area based in what is now Enna province in the 1820s-30s?

It was my intention of mapping the earliest groups. I'm not familiar with the partiti and I heard of the Sacra Unione but never knew where they were or the time frame. If you have the files/info I'd love to hear more on them.

[PolackTony]

Didn't realize Bagheria used the name Fratuzzi like Corleone did. When the Corleonesi were running Sicily much later guys like Provenzano used Bagheria as their base of operations. Not surprised it was used by multiple Families, like Fratellanza.

One wonders if "fratuzzi" was just a common dialect term for brotherhood (perhaps not supported by what I understand to be distinct dialetti spoken in Corleone vs. coastal Palermo, but that doesn't mean that they didn't have many if not most words in common still) in the 19th century, or if this indicates a particular close connection between Corleone and Bagheria. In the 1880s, "fratuzzi" was used to describe the organization of the Amoroso Bros in Palermo Citta (of which Salvatore Amoroso was described as "capo squadrone"), while it was also used to describe that of the Agoglias in Bagheria (who reportedly used the term "decinoprimo" to refer to the head of a group of 10 within the "fratuzzi"), as well as a group in Altavilla. Just after the period that "fratuzzi" was documented in both Corleone and Bagheria/Altavilla, we see mafiosi from both areas interacting closely in Chicago.

It was my intention of mapping the earliest groups. I'm not familiar with the partiti and I heard of the Sacra Unione but never knew where they were or the time frame. If you have the files/info I'd love to hear more on them.

I don't have the reference for Mazara handy, so maybe they didn't use "Partiti" (which Felice stated was the term used in reference to the ~1830s in Trapani province, though I'm not sure where exactly), but the claim was that there was a mafia-type organization in Mazara ~1800. Gotta find the original source for that.

For the Sacra Unione, this was covered by Letizia Paoli and others, as the phenomenon was documented by officials in 1839 (alleged to have been operating since the 1820s) in what was then Caltanissetta province (later Enna). Allegedly, the leader was a priest and it include a couple of monks. It was alleged to be based around Mazzarino and to control a wide criminal network focused on cattle-rustling in present-day Enna province and into neighboring Catania (Aidone, Caltagirone, Mirabella, Delia). Given that Delia is very close to Canicatti, I would suspect that the later Fratellanza may have had some links to this Sacra Unione.

Apologies for veering quite far away from the actual topic of this thread. Enna has barely figured in the narratives on the deeper history of the mafia, but it would seem that there was something substantial there quite early.

[Angelo Santino]

Didn't realize Bagheria used the name Fratuzzi like Corleone did. When the Corleonesi were running Sicily much later guys like Provenzano used Bagheria as their base of operations. Not surprised it was used by multiple Families, like Fratellanza.

One wonders if "fratuzzi" was just a common dialect term for brotherhood (perhaps not supported by what I understand to be distinct dialetti spoken in Corleone vs. coastal Palermo, but that doesn't mean that they didn't have many if not most words in common still) in the 19th century, or if this indicates a particular close connection between Corleone and Bagheria. In the 1880s, "fratuzzi" was used to describe the organization of the Amoroso Bros in Palermo Citta (of which Salvatore Amoroso was described as "capo squadrone"), while it was also used to describe that of the Agoglias in Bagheria (who reportedly used the term "decinoprimo" to refer to the head of a group of 10 within the "fratuzzi"), as well as a group in Altavilla. Just after the period that "fratuzzi" was documented in both Corleone and Bagheria/Altavilla, we see mafiosi from both areas interacting closely in Chicago.

It was my intention of mapping the earliest groups. I'm not familiar with the partiti and I heard of the Sacra Unione but never knew where they were or the time frame. If you have the files/info I'd love to hear more on them.

I don't have the reference for Mazara handy, so maybe they didn't use "Partiti" (which Felice stated was the term used in reference to the ~1830s in Trapani province, though I'm not sure where exactly), but the claim was that there was a mafia-type organization in Mazara ~1800. Gotta find the original source for that.

For the Sacra Unione, this was covered by Letizia Paoli and others, as the phenomenon was documented by officials in 1839 (alleged to have been operating since the 1820s) in what was then Caltanissetta province (later Enna). Allegedly, the leader was a priest and it include a couple of monks. It was alleged to be based around Mazzarino and to control a wide criminal network focused on cattle-rustling in present-day Enna province and into neighboring Catania (Aidone, Caltagirone, Mirabella, Delia). Given that Delia is very close to Canicatti, I would suspect that the later Fratellanza may have had some links to this Sacra Unione.

Apologies for veering quite far away from the actual topic of this thread. Enna has barely figured in the narratives on the deeper history of the mafia, but it would seem that there was something substantial there quite early.

I suspect Fratuzzi was a dialect term as well. It was listed as being used in Bagheria so that's how I listed it but I don't know much more beyond that.

I have Paoli's book, I will have to revisit it.

Like I said, this chart is open to being updated it. Side note but your early Chicago compaesani stuff I'd like to chart out as well. It doesn't have to be May-fia related.

[B.]

Here was a good thread from scagghiuni on this stuff: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8678

Question I have is how the Bonannos referred to the mafia earlier on under JB. We have independent verification he was referred to as the "Father" like he says in his book but not sure about the idea he and his Family actively referred to the mafia as their "tradition" (or equivalent) like he says, at least outside of JB's philosophical conversations over cognac. Maybe he did use that phrase as he says but it's never come up elsewhere. Obviously the mafia was a tradition to many of these guys and could be referred to that way, but JB says he used it instead of "cosa nostra" or other phrases.

The 1896 CDG case didn't say how the mafia group referred to themselves. The "society unto themselves" was a description from authorities, not a name/phrase they used themselves. Curious if CDG had their own regional/local euphemism for the organization like we see around the island during that period and whether this was carried on to the Bonanno Family given all the continuity.

[B.]

I wonder too what sources Italian LE had in the 1896 case.

- They knew who the top leadership was and the men identified in the case appear to have been the upper-echelon of the organization (some of their surnames would give indication of that too).

- LE knew Girolamo Asaro was tasked with organizing/supervizing the Costa murder with direction from the top leaders and Martino Buccellato earned membership by serving as the shooter which means a well-connected source cooperated or they were able to pick up valuable gossip somewhere.

- Asaro could have been a "soldier" supervising associates but I think he was higher ranking as the letter from the elder Stefano Magaddino a decade later indicates Asaro either sponsored Magaddino for membership or presided over the ceremony ("that oath you had me take") and there are other indications he was a leader of some kind. Personally I think he was a capodecina, a rank the Asaro clan has held for every generation in NYC. Asaro's Manhattan saloon was a hub for the Castellammarese before Petrosino busted him, just as his store in CDG was identified as a center of operations in Sicily before he fled.

- The group of mafiosi who would meet at the Ingoglia's farmhouse don't seem to be the entire Family (unless they were very small but I think CDG was one of the bigger Families in Trapani if not the biggest) so I suspect it was a meeting of the leadership given these meetings were centered around discussing/approving a murder plot. Joe Bonanno's account supports this as he says Pepe Bonanno was head of the Bonventre-Magaddino-Bonanno clan and he was one of the men identified in 1896, suggesting he may have been a capodecina over their group. JB's book indicates members of his clan reported to Vito Bonventre in NYC in the 1920s which adds to the idea of a decina in CDG being at partially clan-based. It also sounds like Maranzano was with the Bonventre-Magaddino-Bonventre clan in Sicily so it makes sense he was a "soldier" in Vito Bonventre's decina in Williamsburg as Bonanno implies. Like Jimmy has said, I believe Bonanno inflated the long-term importance of his clan in CDG but there's no question they were still important, which might be consistent with a decina in which the capo- was selected primarily from within the Bonanno clan. The Asaros seem to operate similarly over the years.

- CC has suggested before there may have been more made members from Castellammare in the United States (and for that matter the Bonanno Family) than in CDG itself. That is true for Terrasini based on Buscetta's info and I agree with CC's idea for CDG. I think the relatively few names ID'd in 1896 are too few to be the whole Family given how many of the US members were from mafia clans/lineages and what's known about the CDG Family over the years but that doesn't mean they had anywhere near the number of Castellammarese members in the US. However, the Family in Trapani citta was known to be very small, having only 7 members at one point. I'd guess Castellammare had more than the bare minimum (~10) but probably didn't have more than 50. Total guess though. Whatever their size, CDG was the main political force in Trapani province for generations.

- The recent investigation into CDG shows the current leadership has a low opinion of mafiosi from Alcamo so there's a rivalry with their neighbors. I think it's significant that the capomandamento position shifted back to CDG from Alcamo. Just like the Inzerillos returning to power in Passo di Rigano, it looks like CDG has returned to power over the Alcamo mandamento now that the Corleonesi influence has dropped.

- The most recent article on the CDG Family says it was Salvatore Maranzano's son Mariano who apparently married current boss Francesco Domingo's aunt which makes more sense age-wise. There was confusion before whether it was Maranzano's brother Mariano who married her, but the brother would have been way too old to have married an aunt of Domingo. Salvatore Maranzano's close relationship to Buster Domingo comes to mind too given his son may have married a Domingo relative.

[PolackTony]

Good info. Has the direct familial link between Sebastiano Domingo and Francesco Domingo ever been confirmed? I'm assuming that there was one but was wondering if an exact relation is known.

[B.]

Not that I know of. Lack of access to genealogy records for modern Sicilian guys is a roadblock. If those records become available I think we might find some twists. CDG acting boss Mariano Asaro is said to be a distant cousin of the NYC Asaros and I believe both descend from Vinnie Asaro's great-great-grandfather Mariano.

Current CDG member Felice Buccellato is the nephew of former boss Nicola Buccellato -- pretty sure they descend from the brothers Felice, Nicola, and Martino Buccellato, the first being Joe Bonanno's godfather / early CDG boss and the latter being the Costa killer supervised by Girolamo Asaro. Nash found Felice and Martino's brother Nicola married an Asaro so it makes sense his brother Martino reported to Girolamo Asaro in 1896. 125 years later and current top members are Domingo, Asaro, Buccellato -- can set your watch to these names. Felice/Nicola/Martino's father was ID'd in the 1896 case.

Vinnie Asaro was said by Valenti to be sympathetic with Bonventre and Amato when they had problems with Rastelli and in a meeting Asaro attended with Bonventre, Amato, and Rastelli, Asaro and the two zips spoke in Sicilian in front of Rastelli which insulted the boss as he couldn't understand them. Valenti thought Asaro and the two zips were plotting a murder immediately afterward but it turned out they were "just" looking at a boat or something on Long Island in the middle of the night. Asaro seems like your typical American wiseguy hanging out with John Gotti, Jimmy Burke, and the Vario crew, but Capeci and Valenti's accounts show he's been close to the CDG Sicilians for decades. The Sciacchitano zip Sergio Gucciardi was surveilled by the FBI with Vinnie Asaro in 2013.

[thekiduknow]

Inspired by JDs 1979 layout, here is what I have so far for 1963:

Administration

Boss: Joseph “Don Peppino” Bonanno
-Acting Boss: Frank LaBruzzo[Successor to John "Johnny Burns" Morales]

Underboss: Vacant[Frank Garofalo retired in 1957]
-Acting Underboss: John "Johnny Burns" Morales

Consigliere: John Tartamella[semi-retired/infirm]
-Acting Consigliere: Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno

Crews

Nicolo Alfano(NJ/Yonkers)

1. Anthony Crisci
2. Nicholas Buttafuoco

John Aquaro(Greenpoint/LES)

1. Pasquale “Cha Cha” Giganti

Salvatore “Bill” Bonanno(Arizona)[Successor to James Venza?]
-Acting Captain: Charles “Charlie Batts” Battaglia

1. Rosario “Russ” Andalaro
2. Antonio “Nino” Badalamenti
3. Antonio Bello(?)
4. Salvatore Bruno
5. Antonio Cacioppo
6. Peter Cinquemani*
7. Michael Cosenza
8. Joseph Genovese
9. Santo Manfre*
10. Felix Mule*
11. Vito Mule
12. Peter Sciortino
13. Anthony Sciuto
14. Carl "Buddy" Simari
15. Giuseppe Titone*

Angelo Caruso(East Village/NJ)[Successor to James Colletti]

1. Antonio “Nino” Busciglio(NJ)
2. Liborio “Leo” Carlino(UI)
3. Angelo Salvo(NJ)

Vincenzo Cotroni

1. Peter Adamo*
2. Joseph Vincent Asaro
3. Romeo Bucci
4. Giuseppe “Big Pep” Cocolicchio*
5. Nicola “Zio Cola” Colio
6. Giuseppe Cotroni (IP)
7. Frank Cotroni
8. Frank Dasti
9. Luigi Greco
10. Nicola “Cola” Di Iorio*
11. Diodato Mastraccio* (IP)
12. Calogero Renda
13. Nicola Rizzuto
14. Vincenzo Soccio
15. Salvatore Sorrentino
16. Giuseppe Saputo*
17. Paolo Violi

Gaetano “Tommy/Smitty'' D'Angelo(Ridgewood)[Not sure now if he was a captain at this time. He definitely was by April, 1964 when he became Frank Bonomo’s captain, and may have absorbed the rest of Morales' crew. If not a captain, he may have been in Morales crew, and promoted after Morales became underboss]

Gaspare DiGregorio(Brooklyn/Long Island): 10

1. Michael Adamo
2. Jerome “Jerry” Asaro
3. Pietro “Skinny Pete” Crociata
4. Joseph DiFilippi
5. Matteo DiGregorio
6. Antonio Domingo
7. Anthony “Pat” Messina
8. Joseph Messina
9. Dominick “Little Mimi” Sabella

Anthony “Tony DeJohn” DiGiovanna(Brooklyn)

Carmine “Lilo” Galante(IP)
-Acting captain: Joseph Notaro(Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey)

1. Michael Consolo
2. Vito DeFilippo
3. Salvatore Giglio
4. Anthony Lisi
5. Frank Mari
6. John Petrone
7. Armando Pollastrino
8. Angelo “Little Moe” Prisinzano
9. Frank Prisinzano
10. Philip “Rusty” Rastelli
11. Joseph Sciacca
12. Paul Sciacca
13. Anthony Vigneri
14. Michael Zaffarno
15. Joseph “Bayonne Joe” Zicarelli

Giuseppe Grimaldi(Queens)

Frank LaBruzzo(Bushwick)

1. Joseph DiMaria(acting capo?)
2. Pietro Licata

John “Johnny Burns” Morales(Williamsburg/Manhattan)

1. Vincenzo Asaro
2. Frank Bonomo
3. Stefano “Stevie Beefs” Cannone
4. Nicholas ‘Nick the Battler” DiStefano
5. Salvatore Farrugia
6. Vito Liacvoli
7. Rosario “Sally Burns” Morales

Nicholas “Nicky Glasses” Marangello(Manhattan)

Biaggio “Benny” Restivo(Bushwick)

Michael “Mimi” Sabella(Manhattan, Florida)[Successor to Giovanni Bonventre]

1. Antonio Adamo
2. Epifano “Frank/Fauney” D’Angelo
3. Alfonso “Big Al” DeMarinis
4. Vito “Willie the Tile Maker” Darra

Matteo Valvo(Sheepshead Bay)[Successor to John Tartamella’s crew he had while Consigliere]

1. Salvatore “Toto” Mirabile
2. Benjamin “Coney Island Benny” Valvo

Crew Unknown

1. Pietro Alese
2. Stefano Barranca
3. Carmelo Bivona [“Bushwick crew”, could be under LaBruzzo?]
4. Giovanni Bonventre [Italy]
5. Dr. Martin Bonventre
6. Pietro Bonventre
7. Vito Bonventre
8. Giuseppe Buccellato
9. Vincent "Jimmy Fort Lee" Capasso[Maybe Galante?]
10. Vito Caradonna
11. Nicholas Castello[LaBruzzo?]
12. Antonio Curatolo
13. Jerome "Jerry" D'Angelo[Maybe D’Angelo if he was a captain, if not maybe Morales?]
14. Patrick DeFilippo[Galante?]
15. Paul "Legs" DiCocco[Upstate NY, Galante?]
16. John DiBella[WI]
17. Natale “Joe Diamond” Evola[IP]
18. Giovanni Fiordilino[DiGregorio?]
19. Ciro Gallo
20. Frank Garofalo[Italy]
21. Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone[Maybe was part of Bonventre’s crew, so maybe in Sabella’s crew?]
22. Elia “Leo” Giardina
23. Salvatore Ippolito
24. Anthony Leone
25. Anthony Lucido[DiGregorio?]
26. Salvatore Marchese[LaBruzzo?]
27. Gaspare Mione
28. Vincenzo Morsellino
29. Peter Passalacqua
30. Anthony Raimondi
31. Antonio Riela
32. Domenico “Mimi” Sabella[DiGregorio?]
33. Thomas Scardino
34. Russell Silionote
35. Steve Silionote
36. Frank Sinacore
37. Joseph Sinacore
38. Antonio Spadaro
39. Joseph Spadaro
40. Dr. Mario Tagliagambe
41. Vincent Tarantola
42. Francesco Tartamella
43. Sereno "Bobby T" Tartamella[DiGregorio?]
44. Pasquale Zirpoli

Suspected Members

1. Joseph Adragna
2. Michael Allegat
3. Andrew "Curly" Bucaro
4. Mario Campanella
5. John Candela
6. Phil Candela (Maybe Madison?)
7. Angelo Castello
8. Pasquale Cosoleto
9. Francesco Crociata
10. Anthony “Scotty” D’Angelo
11. Alberto “Benny” D’Aguanno
12. Anthony DiGregorio
13. Bartolomeo DiGregorio
14. Iganzio DePasquale
15. Natale DePasquale
16. Vincenzo DePasquale
17. Vincenzo Garofalo
18. Leonardo Genna
19. Angelo Lanzo
20. Angeo Lapi
21. Vito Licata
22. Nicholas "Nicky Red" Lorenzo
23. Joseph Mastricola
24. Frank Mistretta
25. Frank Messina
26. Charles Musillo
27. Angelo Monte
28. Anthony Parisi
29. Joseph Puma
30. Antonio Rizzuto
31. John Scordato
32. Giuseppe Silinote
33. Angelo Sparaco

Total:174

As always, any corrections are welcome. I took a bit of a break working on this so there might be some things/guys missing.

[B.]

Great job man. I would just add Mariano LNU under confirmed members since Dara said he was still alive.

[Antiliar]

Fantastic list.

[thekiduknow]

Thanks B. and Antiliar. Thanks for the reminder, I’ll add Mariano LNU

Forgot to say that this is specifically outlines the Bonannos in December of 1963. That’s when LaBruzzo became acting boss, replacing Morales.

[jimmyb]

Not that I know of. Lack of access to genealogy records for modern Sicilian guys is a roadblock. If those records become available I think we might find some twists. CDG acting boss Mariano Asaro is said to be a distant cousin of the NYC Asaros and I believe both descend from Vinnie Asaro's great-great-grandfather Mariano.

Current CDG member Felice Buccellato is the nephew of former boss Nicola Buccellato -- pretty sure they descend from the brothers Felice, Nicola, and Martino Buccellato, the first being Joe Bonanno's godfather / early CDG boss and the latter being the Costa killer supervised by Girolamo Asaro. Nash found Felice and Martino's brother Nicola married an Asaro so it makes sense his brother Martino reported to Girolamo Asaro in 1896. 125 years later and current top members are Domingo, Asaro, Buccellato -- can set your watch to these names. Felice/Nicola/Martino's father was ID'd in the 1896 case.

Vinnie Asaro was said by Valenti to be sympathetic with Bonventre and Amato when they had problems with Rastelli and in a meeting Asaro attended with Bonventre, Amato, and Rastelli, Asaro and the two zips spoke in Sicilian in front of Rastelli which insulted the boss as he couldn't understand them. Valenti thought Asaro and the two zips were plotting a murder immediately afterward but it turned out they were "just" looking at a boat or something on Long Island in the middle of the night. Asaro seems like your typical American wiseguy hanging out with John Gotti, Jimmy Burke, and the Vario crew, but Capeci and Valenti's accounts show he's been close to the CDG Sicilians for decades. The Sciacchitano zip Sergio Gucciardi was surveilled by the FBI with Vinnie Asaro in 2013.

Great stuff gentlemen. There is some misreporting in the press regarding the Buccellato family. I read the article where it says Felice is don Cola's nephew. Cola was a beloved figure, not only in our family, but among other Mafiosi. In Calderone's book, he says Provenzano referred to him as "Zu Cola." Anyhow, the Felice arrested is related to don Cola, but not his literal nephew. In fact, based on the official family tree, don Cola did not have any brothers that survived into adulthood.

There maybe confusion because there was another "Nicola Buccellato" who was likely a Mafioso. Joe Buccellato from Brooklyn, the Bonanno member had a brother Nicola. Nicola's son "Martino Buccellato" was killed in 1982. He was acting as Toto Minore's bodyguard. They were lured to a meeting by the Corleonesi and murdered. Anyhow, the Felice arrested is from this line of the family. Filippo Buccellato was his great uncle, for example.

Going back further, don Felice Buccellato (JB's godfather) was "Zu Cola's" father. Felice did not have a brother named "Cola," however. Just a son. Interestingly, don Felice did have a sister named Vincenza. She was married twice. I believe her first husband was Giuseppe Bosco (Borruso). Her second husband was Antonino Bosco (Magaddino). But I could have the order wrong. Meanwhile, the murdered Detroit Buccellato brothers (Felice and Giuseppe---their other brothers were Giovanni and Francesco) had a sister Francesca, She was married to Giovanni Bosco. Fascist authorities identified Bosco as an enforcer for the Buccellato faction (see Lupo). Bosco is yet another name still relevant in CDG.

Anyhow, hope this helps.

[B.]

Great stuff -- thanks for setting it straight!

[motorfab]

Amazing breakdown bro

[jimmyb]

The Buccellatos were leading members in CDG for at least 70 years by the 1960s (probably longer) and the 1896 investigation showed the Family was working close with guys from different Trapani towns. I'm sure they knew guys all over but if they were able to recruit guys from other towns to help Bonanno that'd be big.

Wonder how much substance there was to what Ronsisvalle heard.

And remember Nino Buccellato was married to Vincenzo Rimi's daughter. Cola Buccellato was close with Rimi too. And don Cola's son was married to Toto Minore's niece. So it def seems possible the Buccellatos could have pulled hitters from across Trapani.