Castellammare Post-WWII

[jimmyb]

We've talked about Castellammare in a handful of other threads, so let's centralize it one category here.

I'm sticking to post-WW II. So I'll only bring up early 1900s stuff if it's needed for context.

In some of our calls we've speculated on the size and scale of the CDG borgata. Here's some information from the mid-1960s. The following information was from research presented to the Parliamentary Commission of Enquiry in 1965. I think the Commission was connected to or was the same thing as the Antimafia Commission. Either way, here are names identified as primary Mafiosi in CDG (and surrounding towns).

Liborio Munna (deceased at the time, identified as the boss, related to Diego Plaja)

Gaspare Magaddino (replaced Munna as boss; related to US Bonannos and Magaddinos)

Giuseppe Magaddino (Gaspare's son; married to Plaja's daughter)

Diego Plaja (alligned with the Magaddinos)

Vincenzo Plaja (Diego's brother)

Giuseppe Munna (Liborio Munna's son; CDG Mayor)

Nino Barone (politician of some sort)

Antonino Buccellato (married to Vincenzo Rimi's daughter)

Cola Buccellato ("greatly feared as violent man")

Salvatore Vitale ("of an old mafia family;" *I do not believe this is the same "Salvatore Vitale" from Partinico, who was connected to Detroit and San Diego; instead I assume this person was related to Vito Vitale of CDG).

Leonardo Vitale (related to Salvatore)

Bernardo Stabile (married to Gaspare Magaddino's sister; moved to the US after attempt on his life)

Nino Belnome ("executive mafioso;" *not sure what that means)

Mario Ferro (connected to Barone; killed 10 yrs earlier)

Francesco Marchese (one of Magaddino's main guys, but not Mafioso)

Andrea Mancino (lived in Tunisia; sided with the Fascists pre WWII)

Gaspare Bonventre (big landowner, spends significant time in US)

Vito Messina (*seems to be the liaison between Mafiosi and local police)

Martino Di Bennetto (wine merchant)

Giovanni Bonventre (Bonanno member)

Joe Garofalo (*I'm not sure who this is; do they mean Frank Garofalo? If not, probably Frank's relative)

The Di Maggio, Fiordilino, and Lentini Families (no first names given; described as "secondary mafiosi")

Amici from other towns:

Alcamo

Vincenzo Rimi (not the official boss, but def the most significant Mafioso in Alcamo)

Carlo Rimi (Vincenzo's brother)

Filippo Rimi (Vincenzo's son; married to Vito Vitale's daughter)

Giovanni Stellino (official boss of Alcamo)

The Gallo Brothers (the only first name given is "Tata")

Serafino Mancuso (part of Frank Coppola's drug network)

Stefano Leale

Peppino Cottone (described as "most influential")

Leonardo Renda (murdered politician; *I can't tell if he was mafioso, but definitely connected guy)

Trapani

Giuseppe Minore (brothers were Calogero and Toto; his daughter married Cola Buccellato's son)

[Antiliar]

Fantastic information. I thought Vincenzo Rimi was the Alcamo boss and never heard of Giovanni Stellino, as far as I can recall. So thanks for the correction and for sharing. Question: When was Liborio Munna's reign?

[motorfab]

Fantastic information. I thought Vincenzo Rimi was the Alcamo boss and never heard of Giovanni Stellino, as far as I can recall. So thanks for the correction and for sharing. Question: When was Liborio Munna's reign?

I think Rimi, was the boss of Alcamo and then become capomandamento with Stellino runs the cosca. But me too, never heard of Stellino before, same for Giuseppe Minore

Great infos jimmyb !

[jimmyb]

That would make sense about Rimi not being capomafia at the time. There was somewhat of a parallel in Partinico around the same time. Frank Coppola was never the boss, but was the real the shot caller there.

Good question about Munna. Honestly I can't find that much about him. This is from the book "Mafia Mystique" by Rino Coluccello: " . . . the permanent link between the mafiosi . . . and Mattarella, was maintained by Liborio Munna, defined by a witness as 'a mafioso in clean clothes, an urban rather than an agricultural mafioso; Munna was Mattarella's godfather and the father of the present mayor.'"

So if he was Mattarella's godfather, I'm guessing Munna was from the Salvatore Bonanno/don Felice Buccellato generation of Mafiosi. He was already deceased by the time the report was issued (1965), but the fact they mention him indicates to me that he was only recently deceased. But that's conjecture.

I should also mention that even though the commission did not identify Mattarella as Mafioso, he was at the center of the inquiry. In fact, all the names I mentioned above, the point was Mattarella associated with these guys.

[B.]

A+. Thanks for sharing.

Another important name from this era is Andrea Fazio from Trapani citta. He was capoprovincia of Trapani province after WWII and Calderone said he was the defacto capo dei capi of the entire Sicilian mafia. Not sure whether he was boss of Trapani before capoprovincia as they elected soldiers for regional/national positions sometimes.

[jimmyb]

Another fun bit of information about CDG during this time: we all know about the 1957 summit in Palermo at the Hotel et des Palmes. In his autobio, JB mentions his trip to Castellammare around this time, but if I recall failed to mention he attended a separate meeting of Mafiosi in CDG. Here's who we know was there: Gaspare Magaddino, Giuseppe Magaddino, Vincenzo Rimi, Diego Plaja, "Joe" Garofalo (I really think they mean Frank), Cola Buccellato, "the Vitales," and Vito Messina.

I strongly suspect Nino Magaddino, Giovanni Bonventre, Gaspare Bonventre, and Nino Buccellato were there too, but I'm not positive.

[B.]

Is that the same Giuseppe Magaddino who was Gaspare and Peter's father? I know he was a mafioso but interesting if he was there.

[jimmyb]

Is that the same Giuseppe Magaddino who was Gaspare and Peter's father? I know he was a mafioso but interesting if he was there.

No, this was Gaspare's son Giuseppe. I'm not sure if the old man was still around in 57. When did Bill Bonanno go to CDG? When he was there he met with the old man Giuseppe Magaddino and heard stories about the blood feud w/the Buccellatos. He recounts some of this conversation in "Bound by Honor." I talked about it in my book. I think the trip was for his honeymoon (1956?). Idk, maybe the old man was still around in 57, but either way the Giuseppe Magaddino in question was Gaspare's son.

[B.]

Thanks for setting straight which one it was.

Bill was married in 1956 and told not to go to Villabate because of the mafia war there (Cottone murdered in August 1956) so I'd guess he went to Sicily in late 1956.

[jimmyb]

Another fun bit of information about CDG during this time: we all know about the 1957 summit in Palermo at the Hotel et des Palmes. In his autobio, JB mentions his trip to Castellammare around this time, but if I recall failed to mention he attended a separate meeting of Mafiosi in CDG. Here's who we know was there: Gaspare Magaddino, Giuseppe Magaddino, Vincenzo Rimi, Diego Plaja, "Joe" Garofalo (I really think they mean Frank), Cola Buccellato, "the Vitales," and Vito Messina.

I strongly suspect Nino Magaddino, Giovanni Bonventre, Gaspare Bonventre, and Nino Buccellato were there too, but I'm not positive.

Now that I think about it, Carmine Galante was probably there too. I'm thinking Bonnano's entourage from the 57 Palermo meeting would have followed him to meet with amici in CDG.

[jimmyb]

During one of our conference calls we discussed social activists in Castellammare fighting for water rights. The Mafia controlled access to natural resources. That was during the 1970s and 1980s. Well, I was looking through Michele Pantaleone's "The Mafia and Politics" and came across something similar. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Mafia was behind illegal fishing in CDG. Poaching was a big problem and was squeezing out lower income fishermen. The author claims many of the poachers were also smugglers. He talks about "a man named Milazzo" smuggling some of Giuliano's gang from CDG to Tunisia.

"Their passages to Tunisia were arranged by a man called Milazzo from Castellammare del Golfo. He owned a motor boat which, it was revealed at the trial of Giuliano's gang, was used not only for illegal fishing but also for frequent trips to Tunisia." p. 188

Kind of interesting imo.

[Antiliar]

It is interesting. Have to point out though that Pantaleone's credibility has taken a hit over the past few decades. Some think his description of Calogero Vizzini is biased by the personal feud the two had. There's also a lot of skepticism of his story over the L-flag and Lucky Luciano. Hopefully the CDG material is unaffected by his more controversial claims. Makes one wonder if Milazzo was a relative of Gaspare.

[B.]

Thanks Jimmy -- directly addresses my question about the mafia being involved in maritime activity in CDG. Even if there are issues with Pantaleone the idea was in the air.

Make sense Castellammare was used for trips to Tunisia. In the 1920s the port of Trapani was used by the mafia to take stolen cattle to Tunis (Vincenzo Troia would accompany the cattle to Tunis posing as an animal rights advocate) and the Tunis Family had strong representation from Castellammare and Trapani province.

[jimmyb]

Thanks guys. Yeah I'm aware of the problems with the Luciano/WWII landing story. I tend to believe the author about the poaching though. Dolci confirmed it in his reports too.

I thought the same thing about Milazzo. Gaspar Milazzo is the only CDG mafioso I can think of with that name. There were, however, Milazzo mafiosi in nearby Alcamo. Vincenzo Milazzo was capo mafia in the early 90s. The Corleonesi whacked him (1992). Another example of a guy who supported Corleone, but they turned on him anyhow. It was particularly ghastly because they killed his girlfriend too. Or his wife, I can't remember. But I think Milazzo's father and maybe his uncle were men of respect too.

[B.]

Another Milazzo was Onofrio Milazzo, a zip who came over and appears to have transferred to the Lucchese NJ crew in the 1960s before being deported. His cousin was Jimmy Sinatra Craparotta (the one murdered w/ golf clubs) whose family was from Trapani, so I'm sure Milazzo was Trapanese but not sure the exact hometown. He was described by authorities as a Sicilian mafioso.

Only other connection I know is Endicott-Pittston member Bartolo Guccia from CDG whose mother was a Milazzo.