New LCNBios posts

[Eld]

Good write up on the Lapi crew. One of Joe Pistone's first targets as an undercover agent was Joe Zito's crew so his ultimate target at that time was probably to infiltrate the Lapi crew, but I didn't come to anything and he got in with a Colombo crew instead.

[thekiduknow]

A few notes on Angelo Lapi’s involvement in the Bonanno war:

He and Hank Perrone were referred to as “partners”, so that must be how he got involved in the first place. Not sure if they mean just partners in crime, or actual business partners.

Lapi was spotted at the funeral of Joseph Notaro, along with Hank. Both were described as “button men” in the Bonanno family, and Hank was said to have been under Pete after Joseph Notaro’s death Pete was “taking over” after Notaro’s death. Pretty sure they mean Peter Notaro, but might be Peter Magaddino.

Lapi, Perrone, and “Lou” were reported to be the three in the car that shot and wounded Frank Mari. George Guarino, the associate who was with Mari, was said to have returned fire, and killed one of the men in the car. “Lou” is referred to later, so I think the story got exaggerated that Guarino killed one of them. Or it just wasn’t reported.

Lapi was spotted at the Shoreview Social Club, hangout for Bonanno loyalists, meeting with Bill Bonanno, Perrone, Vito DeFilippo, and Angelo Lapi.

Perrone and Lapi’s partnership amicably ended by August of 1967, due to “changes of interests”.

[Pogo The Clown]

Updated with a bio on a Milwuakee member.


Pogo

[Pogo The Clown]

Updated with more Milwaukee info.


Pogo

[JoeNGallo]

Updated with a 1957 Genovese induction ceremony

[Pogo The Clown]

Updated with some Gambino info.


Pogo

[B.]

Great one -- wonder what the background was for John DeMatteo being liaison to Paolo Violi and Montreal on behalf of the Bonannos.

[Chaps]

B.

Wondered the same thing myself. Seems to me it was a personal connection and obviously John was trusted enough to carry such a message. Just to keep my origins straight, the DeMatteo's were from Campania while the Violi's were Calabrese?

[B.]

Could also be something simple, like DeMatteo was going on a trip to Montreal for his own reason and the leadership instructed him to take a message.

One of the reasons members have to check in with their captain before traveling is so the leadership can ask him to carry a message if needed. They had the same rule for US members traveling to Sicily and random guys would carry messages overseas even if they weren't affiliated or connected to the groups in question. Similar thing happens in prison, i.e. Andy Russo telling Massino he was now Bonanno boss.

Just one possibility but very curious stuff.

[Chaps]

I get where you're coming from B. But that was a pretty large world back then. Would the Bonanno's have known John DeMatteo as a Gambino well enough as a soldier to carry that message?

[B.]

Might not have needed to if he was an amico nostra in good standing, but he must have already been formally introduced to Violi or someone was in Montreal at the time who could do it. Def could be more to it.

Should be noted the Montreal members were heavily tied to the Bronx faction of the Bonannos, so could be a connection there as DeMatteo was a Bronx guy.

[antimafia]

From the October 2016 edition of Stephen Schneider’s Iced (updated from 2009 edition):

[Paolo] Violi’s leadership ambitions were given a boost on October 20, 1973, when he met with Gambino capo John De Matteo in New York City. The Gambino Family had taken control of the Bonanno Family following Joseph Bonanno’s forced retirement and De Matteo was inviting Violi to represent the Cotroni wing at an upcoming meeting in New York to elect a new leader for the family. The position was to be voted upon by all of the Bonanno Family captains and, much to Violi’s delight, his vote was being courted by one of the candidates, Philip Rastelli. On February 25, 1974, Violi left Montreal for New York City and, at the meeting held at the Americana Hotel, helped elect Rastelli as the new head of the family.

[antimafia]

From the 2014 edition (3rd) of The Sixth Family, p. 74:

On October 20, 1973, John DeMatteo, a Bronx-based member of the Gambino Family, visited Violi at the Reggio Bar and passed along a message from New York. Violi was told to attend a meeting at the Americana Hotel in Manhattan. On November 6, Rastelli himself called Violi, inviting him to the same meeting and telling him to bring Vic Cotroni’s brother Frank with him.

[antimafia]

In his 2014 book, Pierre de Champlain† (buonanima) writes about De Matteo in a paragraph on p. 366.

[antimafia]

In de Champlain’s 1979 book, pp. 217-18, he wrote:

En octobre 1973, la decina de Montréal se prépare donc à choisir celui qui remplacera éventuellement Evola, et elle appuie ouvertement la candidature de Rastelli. Le 20 octobre, Paolo Violi et Zio Nicola Collio reçoivent la visite d’un certain John DeMatteo, soldat appartenant à la famille Gambino, de New York, et agissant à titre de messager. Il est venu informer le decina de Montréal que celle-ci devra envoyer l’un de ses membres à un meeting préparatoire à l’élection de Phil Rastelli qui se tiendra à New York. Le messager prévient Paolo Violi qu’on lui fera savoir plus tard quand il devra se rendre à New York. Violi répond qu’il est prêt à s’y rendre n’importe quand et il suggère que le meeting se tienne à l’hôtel Americana, sur la 7e avenue, à Manhattan. Enfin, le messager fait savoir à Violi qu’il recevra sous peu un appel téléphonique de Phil Rastelli. Violi demande qu’on l’appelle de préférence le matin au Reggio Bar. Et le messager de quitter la Gelateria en disant: « I will leave
the date you have to be in New York. »