Here is what Anthony Rotondo told authorities about the San Giuseppe orphanage in Ribera, which was set up by the DeCavalcante Family. This is translated from Italian:
"The San Giuseppe di Ribera orphanage was subsidized by the DeCavalcante family and by Joe Bonanno, boss of the Bonanno family in New York. Although I don't know directly, it is likely that the orphanage was used to launder money. Each year in Elizabeth the members of the Ribera Club organized a ball which was attended by about a thousand people. On this occasion, we were selling tickets for $100 each. The teachers of the orphanage, who were religious, came to America with 10-15 children and stayed in the homes of the members of the DeCavalcante family. The ball was no longer organized after 1994, also because about two years earlier Lou LaRasso and John D'Amato, who were deputies of the DeCavalcante family, had been killed. From 1995 the dance was no longer held but the money continued to be collected and sent to Ribera. The party was held in May. I do not exclude that Elizabeth's DeCavalcante have continued to organize receptions, but they certainly were not of the level of the previous ones. I just sent the money. I heard that the money came from Elizabeth to members of the Ribera family. "
Note Joe Bonanno was in Sicily at the time of the grand opening of the orphanage and attended the ceremony. I've never heard of him actually being involved with it. Based on what Rotondo said the Ribera Family handled the Sicilian side of orphanage activities which makes sense as it was in their village.
Also Frank Scarabino said he attended at least three receptions at the Ribera Club attended by Sicilian "men of honour". He said the actual members of the Ribera Club were either American or come from the town of Ribera. Scarabino felt the orphanage was used to launder drug trafficking money.
dack2001 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 22, 2022 5:30 am
Sometimes an orphanage is just an orphanage...
100% in agreement. Wild Bill was passionate about cancer research. Biker gangs do charity runs for sick kids or Toys for Tots. Who wouldn’t give money to a orphan?
Each year in Elizabeth the members of the Ribera Club organized a ball which was attended by about a thousand people. On this occasion, we were selling tickets for $100 each. The teachers of the orphanage, who were religious, came to America with 10-15 children and stayed in the homes of the members of the DeCavalcante family. The ball was no longer organized after 1994, also because about two years earlier Lou LaRasso and John D'Amato, who were deputies of the DeCavalcante family, had been killed. From 1995 the dance was no longer held but the money continued to be collected and sent to Ribera.
One of the DeCavalcante informants (either Palermo, Rotondo or Capo) testified that Charlie Majuri and Joseph Caruano would often just pocket the money.
Pogo
It's a new morning in America... fresh, vital. The old cynicism is gone. We have faith in our leaders. We're optimistic as to what becomes of it all. It really boils down to our ability to accept. We don't need pessimism. There are no limits.
I doubt Scarabino's speculation that it was connected to drug trafficking -- not a lot of evidence to me the DeCavalcantes as a whole were involved in drugs on that level, but Scarabino was associated with Polizzi who was closely tapped into the heroin network and that may have colored his view. If you hang out with drug traffickers all the time you might see everything that way.
I don't think the orphanage was purely a "front" (hate the way that term gets used) but members definitely had the perception it was used for more than just philanthropy.
