Revisiting Philadelphia 1963

[B.]

Quaranta was also Nicky Scarfo's landlord in Philly before he moved to SJ.

[B.]

- Phil Leonetti said both the Neapolitan (Leonetti) and Calabrian (Scarfo) sides of his family were involved with the "mafia" in Italy. Said his grandfather Christopher Leonetti was killed in NYC's Little Italy in the 1920s after his crew tried to shake down a couple "siggies" who turned out to be important Sicilian mafiosi.

- Nicky Buck Piccolo was married to the sister of Phil's murdered grandfather Christopher. So Leonetti's maternal great-uncle was married to his paternal great-aunt in addition to Phil's parents marrying between these two clans. Interesting Nick Piccolo married the sister of a Neapolitan gangster, especially since the Scarfos and Piccolos lived in NYC for a while.

- Joe Rugnetta was married to the Piccolo brothers' aunt, so the clan connects to him and Reggio as well as Mammola. Wonder where specifically in Naples the Leonettis were from and if more can be found about his grandfather.

[PolackTony]

- Phil Leonetti said both the Neapolitan (Leonetti) and Calabrian (Scarfo) sides of his family were involved with the "mafia" in Italy. Said his grandfather Christopher Leonetti was killed in NYC's Little Italy in the 1920s after his crew tried to shake down a couple "siggies" who turned out to be important Sicilian mafiosi.

- Nicky Buck Piccolo was married to the sister of Phil's murdered grandfather Christopher. So Leonetti's maternal great-uncle was married to his paternal great-aunt in addition to Phil's parents marrying between these two clans. Interesting Nick Piccolo married the sister of a Neapolitan gangster, especially since the Scarfos and Piccolos lived in NYC for a while.

- Joe Rugnetta was married to the Piccolo brothers' aunt, so the clan connects to him and Reggio as well as Mammola. Wonder where specifically in Naples the Leonettis were from and if more can be found about his grandfather.

Various documents give Christopher Leonetti as born in either NY or PA, sometime around 1900. His parents were Pasquale Leonetti and Antonia Calvano. Antonia seems to have been from Benevento province, so it's possible that Pasquale was from there also. 1900 the family was living in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, NY, where they remained closely tied. Sometime in the 1920s, Christopher moved to Philly. In 1931, Christopher and younger brother Harry Leonetti (born 1909 in Amsterdam) were implicated in the killing of a guy by the surname of Guglielmo in Philadelphia. Several papers reported that he was a brother-in-law of the Leonetti brothers and that there had been a feud between the two families that involved a kidnapping; Christopher confessed and took the rap and was imprisoned in PA in 1931. According to the papers, he was later freed and was shot and killed in 1935. Christopher's wife, and mother of Phil Leonetti's father Pasquale Charles "Pat" Leonetti, was Virginia Williams, born ~1904 in PA. I had initially thought she was Anglo (several of the Leonetti siblings did marry Anglos) but turns out it was just an Americanization of Guglielmo. The other Leonetti siblings seem to have all remained in NY state. Not sure where the Guglielmos were from.

[Angelo Santino]

Is there any further information on Joseph "Joe The Gent" Girgenti and son John Girgenti, 60's members in Camden, NJ? There's a Joe and John, father and son, Girgenti in Camden born 1914 and 1932-2019 but I don't think it's them. For one, Joseph the Gent was arrested with Sabella in 1923 so he would have had to have been at least 20, and had an older Philadelphia member died in 2019 it would have made news.

Felix John DeTullio is hard to chase down as well. Born 8/3/1907 in Philadelphia, his mother was Rose Amodeo and he married a Hildegard. I hit a brick wall.

[Angelo Santino]

John Simone, 1913ish, murdered 9/13/1980, Trenton... can't find him in records.

[Angelo Santino]

Subject to change but as it stands, the family wasn't "mostly Calabrese" by the 1960's.

[B.]

Is there any further information on Joseph "Joe The Gent" Girgenti and son John Girgenti, 60's members in Camden, NJ? There's a Joe and John, father and son, Girgenti in Camden born 1914 and 1932-2019 but I don't think it's them. For one, Joseph the Gent was arrested with Sabella in 1923 so he would have had to have been at least 20, and had an older Philadelphia member died in 2019 it would have made news.

Celeste Morello put the Girgentis in with the Belmontesi but I've never confirmed if they were from there or just associated with them. There was John Girgenti, his son Joe, and then Joe's son John who all became members. The elder John Girgenti was dead by this time I believe.

John Simone, 1913ish, murdered 9/13/1980, Trenton... can't find him in records.

He was born 1911 in Florence, Pennsylvania, to parents from Villalba. Original surname Mastrosimone.

[B.]

Here are how many of the Western Sicilians break down. Tried to remove anyone who was dead by 1963 but could have missed somebody. Also likely missing a few other names at least.

Villalba
- Angelo Bruno
- John Simone
- Michael Cammarata
- Michael Tramontana
- Carl Ippolito
- Charles Costello
- Joseph Costello
- Michal Amico (from nearby Mussomeli)

Caccamo
- Domenico Pollina
- Filippo Pollina
- Joseph Fusci
- George Scimeca
- Orlando Puppo
- Vincent Catania

Castrogiovanni (Enna)
- Harry Riccobene
- Ernest Perricone
- Giuseppe Sabato

Belmonte Mezzagno
- Rocco Scafidi
- Salvatore Scafidi
- Samuel Scafidi
- Joseph Scafidi
- Frank Monte
- John Cappello Jr.
- Salvatore Cappello (deceased by 1965)
- Peter Casella
- Peter Casella (cousin)
- Salvatore Casella
- Vincenzo "Jimmy Christy" Gioe
?- Anthony Perella (related to Scafidis + name might be a variation of Barrale)
?- Joseph Girgenti (Celeste Morello put the Girgentis in with the Belmontesi but I'm not sure)
? - John Girgenti (deceased by 1965)

Campobello di Mazara
- Peter Maggio
- Joseph Maggio
?- Ignazio DiGirolamo (from Marsala; possible DeCavalcante member)

Castellammare del Golfo:
- Leonard Galante

Canicatti
- Vincenzo Turco
- Angelo Turco

Palermo
- Ignazio Denaro (possibly Acquasanta)

Phil Leonetti said Frank Narducci was Sicilian, don't know if that's true.

[PolackTony]

Great breakdown. Not sure myself of Chickie Narducci's ancestry, but Narducci isn't a Sicilian surname. Very likely Napolitan'.

[B.]

Several papers reported that he was a brother-in-law of the Leonetti brothers and that there had been a feud between the two families that involved a kidnapping; Christopher confessed and took the rap and was imprisoned in PA in 1931. According to the papers, he was later freed and was shot and killed in 1935.

So his timeline was off but his grandfather was definitely murdered. Sounds like a dispute within the family, curious if there really were Sicilian mafiosi involved.

[PolackTony]

Several papers reported that he was a brother-in-law of the Leonetti brothers and that there had been a feud between the two families that involved a kidnapping; Christopher confessed and took the rap and was imprisoned in PA in 1931. According to the papers, he was later freed and was shot and killed in 1935.

So his timeline was off but his grandfather was definitely murdered. Sounds like a dispute within the family, curious if there really were Sicilian mafiosi involved.

Papers also gave the brother-in-law’s surname as Di Guglielmo. There were a bunch of Abruzzes’ Di Guglielmos in Philly. I’ll see if I can confirm Pat Leonetti’s mother Virginia’s ancestry, but I’m thinking they probably weren’t Siciliani.

Gunning it out with a bunch of Sicilian mafiosi in Manhattan’s “Mulberry Bend” definitely sounds a lot cooler than a couple of guys from up by Schenectady having a fight with their in-laws. This is assuming that he was actually killed because of what went down with his brother-in-law, of course.

[Angelo Santino]

Book 1 refers to Joe Girgenti as one of Sabella's Mafiosi (which she means as traditional) Lived in Bridgeton in 1923 when arrested with Sabella.
Book 2 rehashes Book 1
Book 3 said "friend of Salvatore Sabella and the gang from Belmonte Mezzagno."

[Angelo Santino]

This is who I'm having problems identifying-

Note: Morello said Fusci lived in an area populated by Caccamese, she didn't state he was from there.

1 Nino Marino Philadelphia

2 William Averone Willie 8/24/1914 Philadelphia 2830 South 8th Street , Philadelphia

3 Carmine Battaglia Little Carmine Newark, NJ

4 Louis Campbell 10/17/1897 Philadelphia 639 RANDOLPH ST, Camden, NJ

5 Joe De Bella Philadelphia

6 Felix John DeTullio Skinny Razor 8/3/1907 Philadelphia 2367 Baird Blvd, Camden, NJ

7 Albert Esposito LULU 2119--South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA

8 Joseph V Fusci Caccamo?? Philadelphia

9 James Gatto Lefty Philadelphia

10 John Girgenti Camden

11 Joseph Girgenti Joe The Gent Camden

12 Frank Greco 6640 ElmWood Ave, Philadelphia

13 Joseph Lazzaro Joe Gibbons 1891-1964

14 Frank Narducci 1/26/1932 Hamilton Phi, Pennsylvania Philadelphia

15 John Orafallo Philadelphia

16 Anthony Parella Vineland, NJ

17 Sam Pungitore Philadelphia

18 Giuseppe Sciglitano Joseph 04/17/1895 820 W 3rd St, Chester

19 John Simone Johnny Keys;" "John Casablanca" 1913? 710 President Avenue, Laurence Township, NJ

[B.]

- Already gave you info on Simone above. Parents Michael and Phyllis from Villalba.

- Nino Marino = Nino Sciglitano, Marino was his nickname. The Sciglitanos were from Seminara, Reggio Calabria.

- Carmine Battaglia was from Enna but not a Philly member. Genovese member close to the Philly Family.

- Anthony Perella -- have had trouble confirming his origins but he was part of the Belmonte colony in Vineland/Bridgeton and was Joe Scafidi's bro-in-law. When Rocco Scafidi cooperated he pronounced Cheech Barrale's name "Berella", which makes me wonder if the Perellas branched off from the Barrales and took on a phonetic name. Joe Scafidi was related by marriage to both the Barrales and Perellas so could be a connection. Jimmy Gioe (from Belmonte) was also said to be a bro-in-law of Perella but haven't confirmed it.

[Angelo Santino]

- Already gave you info on Simone above. Parents Michael and Phyllis from Villalba.

- Nino Marino = Nino Sciglitano, Marino was his nickname. The Sciglitanos were from Seminara, Reggio Calabria.

- Carmine Battaglia was from Enna but not a Philly member. Genovese member close to the Philly Family.

- Anthony Perella -- have had trouble confirming his origins but he was part of the Belmonte colony in Vineland/Bridgeton and was Joe Scafidi's bro-in-law. When Rocco Scafidi cooperated he pronounced Cheech Barrale's name "Berella", which makes me wonder if the Perellas branched off from the Barrales and took on a phonetic name. Joe Scafidi was related by marriage to both the Barrales and Perellas so could be a connection. Jimmy Gioe (from Belmonte) was also said to be a bro-in-law of Perella but haven't confirmed it.

Yeah, thank you but I'm still not able to locate him and I'm not seeing a Florence, PA, there's a Florence, NJ and but no hits there either.