Revisiting Detroit (genealogy)

[Antiliar]

Tony Termine born 1906 to Saverio and Vincenza Lo Verde (Polizzi Generosa). One source says he was from Pollizza, Ciciliano on the mainland but I'm trying to confirm. Where was Salvatore Lo Verde of Chicago from?

Toto Loverde was from Palermo citta.

[Angelo Santino]

1963 lists 3 Ruggirellos-

Anthony Ruggirello
Salvatore Ruggirello Toto
Luigi Ruggirello Louie

In 2019, Scott reported Antonino Ruggirello of dying at age 85, his father was also named Antonino and his brother was Luigi.
https://gangsterreport.com/one-of-the-l ... ies-at-85/

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They got the attention of the Secret Service in 1925-

5/26/1925 - At 2 I left the office and was engaged in making confidential inquiries regarding the CHKNE Sugar Co, Chene and Jay Streets, where ctft suspect MIKE MESSINA took Agent Cooper and Informant Abe las evening. I learned that this place is owned and operated by an Italian named TOTO ROGERELLI and undoubtedly this is the man TOTO referred to by suspect MIKE in his conversation with Agent Cooper, in which he stated that he secured the ctft 10 bills from a man named TOTO who in turn secured them in NY. ROGERELLI is the owner of the Chane Sugar Co and he supplies the various bootleggers in the city with sugar which they us in the manufacture of illicit liquor. he is a well known italian gunman in this city and was at one time apprehended and held for several weeks in the connection wit the killing of ISADORO CANTOR, a Jewish sugar merchant, which case caused considerable attention and notoriety, Cantor's body later being recovered by the NY authorities in the Hudson River. This sugar house is quite a hang out for the Italian gangsters of the city, as is else the Italian poolroom located at the corner of Jay and Gratior Ave, which is a short distance from the sugar house.

5/26/1925 - There is also an Italian gangster named BILL TOCCO alias BLACK BILL who is an habitual visitor to the sugar house, and this man drives a new Ford Coupe auto. He answers the description of one of the passers of these 10 bills who was using a Ford Coupe auto while passing these notes. I returned to the office at 5 and was here engaged until 5:30

5/28/1925 - I mentined that Agent Boos was instructed to conduct a confidential investigation that dat, relative to owner and persons associated with the CHENE Sugar Company located at CHENE and Jay Streets, as a result of his investigation I learned that the above sugar company is operated by an italian, known as TOTO RUGGERELLO. In Agent Cooper's report of the 26th, you will recall counterfeiting suspect MIKE MESSINA, informed Agent Cooper and Informant Abe Stolarsky, while in the vicinity of Chene Sugar Co, that he, MIKE, was to receive his spurious money from an Italian Black Hand leader and gangster, known under the name of TOTO. Further, when suspect MIKE left Cooper and Informant Abe at the corner of Chene and Jay St, Suspect was seen by Agent Cooper to enter the building, known as Chene Sugar Comp. Upon car arrival to Police HW, we connected with Lieut Charles Carmody from whom I secured a photo of TOTO together with a description. I also secured a pic of TOTO'S brother, known as TONY, together with his description, Agent ??? and I then called at the office of police inspector Bert McPherson, in charge of the Black Hand Squad. Upon showing Mr. McPherson the pics of TONY AND TOTO RUGGERELLO, we ere advised that TOTO recently opened the Chene Sugar Comany, and that there is another Italian in this company with TOTO, but Inspector McPherson was unable to furnish me with the partner's name. I further learned from McPherson that TOTO is recognized among the Italians of this city as a BLACK HAND LEADER and has a police record in a number of large cities throughout the US as a professinal gun-man. TOTO has been tried in this city 5 times on murder charges, and a number of times on robbery armed charges, but so far the police have been unable to secure a conviction against TOTO as the witnesses have always been terrorized by members of his gang. McPhereson also informs me that TOTO is engaged at the present time as a wholesale bootlegger using the CHENE Sugar Company as headquarters, for his activities along this line.

6/2/1925 - Surveilled going to Ruggirello's place of business: JOE PALERMO, 10932, Shoemaker. BLACK BILL TOCCO and MARIO CANNIZZARO. MRKEL? RUGGIRELLO, 4521 McCellan Ave.. L Gelburn, 1987 Mbaline Ave? HARRY FRANKEL, 3352 Stuarterant St. JAMES WALSH, 2267 W Philadelphia St. WM WALTERS, 3855 St Clair, JOHN SPIGA, 11600 Hawthorone, C/G LICERI, 2105 Russell St, V. CAMARDA, 1305 St Aubin St, ALECK FRANZONI, 2947 Sherman St, FICARA & SIPPONERE, 1209 Holocomb Ave, I MUMIAN, 1404 E High St, A MCGILIVARY, 3429 Harding St, PHILLIP EMOLA/EVOLA 9622 Petoskey St, FRANK CIGAL, 13365 Cedar Grove

So in the 1920's there was a Tony and Toto Ruggirello with the latter regarded as a Detroit leader. The two born later- Tony and Louis must be the sons of the Tony mentioned in the SS.

[scott22]

Carlo Licata died on July 30, 1981.

Licata is the son of LA mob don Nick Licata, son-in-law to Black Bill Tocco, brother-in-law to Jack & Tony Tocco.

His death is related to the Hoffa hit.

[Angelo Santino]

Calogero Licata (1926-2016) was born to Vincenzo Licata and Maria Milazzo (both of Camporeale).

Licata's great great grandfather Baldassarre Licata (1804-1872) came from Sambuca di Sicilia, Agrigento. His grandmother on his mother's side was a Vincenza Rizzuto (Camporeale).

Right info, wrong guy. Spoke to Scott who corrected it in 3 seconds. Right guy is Nick Licata's son and the Tocco's bro-in-law.

Calogero Licata was born 12/29/1924 in Detroit to Nicolo Licata (Camporeale) and Sarafina Cracchiolo and married Josephine Tocco

[PolackTony]

Tony Termine born 1906 to Saverio and Vincenza Lo Verde (Polizzi Generosa). One source says he was from Pollizza, Ciciliano on the mainland but I'm trying to confirm. Where was Salvatore Lo Verde of Chicago from?

I have Anthony Termine born 1906 in Detroit. His parents were both from Polizzi Generosa. Neither Termine nor Lo Verde are mainlander surnames (Lo Verde is well recorded in Polizzi Generosa). On his WW2 draft card, Saverio reported that he was born in 1879 in "Pollizza, Sicily" [sic].

[Angelo Santino]

Who is Paul Tocco? I thought it was Jack's brother, did I confuse him for Tony who died in 2012? Was there even a Paul Tocco?

[jimmyb]

Who is Paul Tocco? I thought it was Jack's brother, did I confuse him for Tony who died in 2012? Was there even a Paul Tocco?

Burney is the right guy to ask, but I think Paul Tocco was Jack's cousin. I believe Paul married Joe Zerilli's daughter. His sons are Joe and Nove Tocco. But again, Scott is the expert.

[jimmyb]

Edward Guarrella was born 1918 to Salvatore and Serafina Riccobono (both from Capaci). Serafina's parents were Erasmo Riccobono 1866-1939 and Ninfa D'Aleo (1866-1938).

Wasn't there an Erasmo Riccobono who was part of the 12th Street or 39th Street, New York, group?

I was thinking the Sangiorgi but couldn't locate the name in there. I know I heard that name before as well but I disremember where.

Erasmo and Ninfa Riccobono, living at 189 First Avenue, Manhattan, in 1910:
Riccobono, Erasmo (b1866) 1910 US NY Census - 189 First Ave NYC - w Ninfa.jpg

Good early Gambino-Detroit connection.

Speaking of which, remember the Cracchiola surname? There was a Detroit member who later retired to Arizona named Andrea Cracchiola, b 12/13/1914. Are you able to work your magic and see who his parents and wife were?

My grandmother was a Cracchiolo. Her family was from Carini. My aunt put together an extensive family tree. I'll look at it and see if there's any good info. I believe Joe Bonanno's guy from Detroit/Tucson was Cracchiol(o) not Cracchiola.

[Angelo Santino]

Who is Paul Tocco? I thought it was Jack's brother, did I confuse him for Tony who died in 2012? Was there even a Paul Tocco?

Burney is the right guy to ask, but I think Paul Tocco was Jack's cousin. I believe Paul married Joe Zerilli's daughter. His sons are Joe and Nove Tocco. But again, Scott is the expert.

Wasn't Jack and Tony Tocco made at the same time?

[Angelo Santino]

Who is Paul Tocco? I thought it was Jack's brother, did I confuse him for Tony who died in 2012? Was there even a Paul Tocco?

Burney is the right guy to ask, but I think Paul Tocco was Jack's cousin. I believe Paul married Joe Zerilli's daughter. His sons are Joe and Nove Tocco. But again, Scott is the expert.

Wasn't Jack and Tony Tocco made at the same time?

I meant Tony Tocco and listed a Paul instead and don't know enough about these guys to have caught it. Scratch Paul.

https://i.ibb.co/k4S7MLk/DETROIT-NOTES.jpg

[PolackTony]

Doubt any of this is news to those who know Detroit, but thought Joe Massei is an interesting figure given that, so far as I know, he was the only half-Italian made by Detroit. Not positive, but I think it's quite possible that his Italian father was also a northerner. As with Jimmy Marcello later in Chicago, Joe Massei's stepmother was Italian, so his half-Irish ancestry may not have been known.

Joesph Daniel Massei was born in 1899 in Wyandotte to Daniele "Daniel" Massei and Margaret "Maggie" Daley. Maggie was born about 1870 in Ireland (not sure what County) and Daniel was born about 1868 in Italy, though I haven't been able to confirm where exactly. Massei is much more commonly a northern surname, but there was one guy named Clemente Massei in Detroit who was from Palermo Città. It would seem that the family lived in Ohio before relocating to Wyandotte, as Joe's older sister Angeline was born in 1896 in Lima, OH. In 1909, Maggie drowned to death in the Detroit River in Wyandotte and Daniel remarried Emelda Baldocco [sic], who was born about 1876 in Italy and lived in Trenton, MI, in Detroit in 1910. On the marriage document, Daniel's parents are listed as Joseph and Rosina. I strongly suspect that "Baldocco" was actually Baldacci, which is a surname strongly clustered in Toscany and Emilia-Romagna and there were Toscani Baldaccis in the Detroit area. Worth noting that Massei is also strongly clustered in Tuscany. I've been unable to locate records for the Masseis after 1910 in Michigan, and I'm thinking that they could have moved to Windsor around that time (could also just be an issue with the spelling of the surname, but I've looked under different spellings). Those who know Detroit will probably know whether Joe Massei's parents lived in Canada.

In 1925, Joe Massei married Vera Melba Hoel (born to an Anglo-American family in Montezuma, Ohio) in Wayne County. In 1933, Joe Massei returned to Wyandotte from Windsor, where he stated that he had been living and working as a "salesman", to turn himself in as a suspect (along with Pete Licavoli) in the 1932 Ezra Long murder. Hard to make out the text, but he seems to list his father as his contact in Canada and an Abe Huchberg in Detroit as his arrival contact. Massei of course moved to Florida in 1936, and in 1940 he was living in Miami Beach with his wife and mother-in-law, though in his 1942 WW2 draft card he stated that he was living in Detroit (4729 Seminole, near Pingree Park on the East Side) but "self-employed" in Miami Beach.

[Eline2015]

Paul Tocco (father of turncoat Nove) was married to Joe Zerilli daughter and wasn’t related to Detroit Outfit Toccos

[B.]

For Erasmo Riccbono, there was one identified in the Sangiorgi report (son of Francesco) who lived in Capaci.

For Joe Massei, I thought we found his father's side came from Terrasini but would have to check.

[scott22]

Paul "Pops" Tocco was a cousin to the "mob royalty" Toccos. He married Joe Zerilli's daughter. He was made. His sons are Nove (rat) and Joe (active). His grandson, "Little Joey" is a very big bookie on the Eastside right now. He's 45.

SMB

[scott22]

Joe Massei was the Detroit mob's capo in Florida for 40 years. He was half Irish. Very close to Joe Zerilli, Black Bill Tocco, Angelo Meli, Machine Gun Pete Corrado, Pete Licavoli & Papa John Priziola, the "founding fathers" of Detroit LCN. Everyone in Detroit called him "Beach Bum Joe" for his escape to Miami at the end of Prohibition. Had a shit ton of juice in South FLA from the 1930s until he died in the early 1970s.

SMB