Two Plots to Take Over & Unify California (Bompensiero)

[thekiduknow]

His father was Damiano DiGirolamo(1887-1954) and mother was Caterina Foggia(1893-1962). I looked on various family trees on Ancestry, but didn't find a Stefano that was closely related, so pretty sure you're right. But there definitely could be something I'm missing.

Damiano also lived in Tunis before coming to the US.

[B.]

Tunis might as well have been called "Little Trapani".

I see Jimmy's mother was from Mazara del Vallo and they lived on the Williamsburg/Bushwick border by the mid-1920s. Looks like the grandfather Vincenzo DiGirolamo was already in NYC by 1906.

[PolackTony]

DiGirolamo was hanging around Bompensiero since the early 70s, and apparently met with Bompensiero the day before he was murdered

From 1974




The Brooklier is Anthony Brooklier, a lawyer and Domenic's son.

Not sure how much of this is true, but the connections seem to there and are interesting nonetheless. This article from 1979 says that DiGirolamo was plotting with LA associates to take over the California families with Anthony Spilotro.



And you're right B., he's described as a "burgler, hijacker, and loan shark".

Interesting stuff, kid.

B. and I recently were discussing Chicago’s activities and affiliates in Arizona. He came across some FBI intel that stated that Spilotro had met with Joe Bonanno around 1974. Some other intel had a redacted name as a Chicago affiliate (no mention of made or not) residing in San Jose. Now I’m wondering if he could possibly have been DiGirolamo. A guy who was a “burglar, hijacker, and loan shark” would certainly fit in well with the boys from Chicago, lol.

In regard to B.‘s original post from a few years back. Maybe someone else has already brought it up, but I recall seeing FBI intel related to Tampa that stated that Chicago had plans earlier in the 1960s to consolidate the CA families under its control. This was, IIRC, around the same time that Bonanno was weaving his plot. Supposedly, Trafficante and Detroit were supporting Chicago’s plan. Perhaps Detroit’s backing fell apart when they developed the tensions with Chicago over Vegas.

[B.]

From the original post:

- Bompensiero explained to the FBI that the plan was for Roselli to use his influence with Chicago family leaders and New York families, while Fratianno would use his own unspecified connections, and Bompensiero would talk with Trafficante, with the overall plan to convince the majority of the Commission to approve Roselli as the boss of the entire state of California. Bompensiero felt, however, that they would face strong opposition from the Detroit family leaders due to their close ties to LA family leaders. During this period, Bompensiero identified Roselli as a member of the Chicago family and issues had developed between Chicago and Detroit concerning Las Vegas, which we can assume was another factor in the concern over Detroit not supporting the plan to elevate Roselli. St. Louis boss Tony Giardano, who had shared interests with Detroit in Vegas, had previously tried to smooth out Roselli's issues with Detroit concerning Vegas to no avail.

He said Roselli recruited Trafficante into the plot but Bomp was supposed to talk to him, probably because of Bomp's long history with Tampa.

- Detroit was the one they felt would oppose the move and the Chicago vs. Detroit rivalry he talks about is interesting. Remember Detroit had been given a Commission seat in the 1960s, so all of the sudden another formidable midwest Family has a vote and their own alliances. There's that Accardo tape we talked about where he's worried in 1958 how Joe Bonanno is going to offset the votes on the Commission if he gains influence on the West Coast. Here we have a plan for Chicago and LA members to take over California but the Family they're worried about is Detroit, who is now a national equal to Chicago and exerting their own influence over LA.

- Curious if the Luccheses continued to be the avugad for LA or if that changed to Detroit after they joined the Commission and/or Tommy Lucchese died. The Luccheses apparently didn't name an official boss for years, don't know how that would impact representing other Families. Here Bomp says Detroit would oppose the CA plot because of their relationship to the LA Family. We also see in the 1960s and 1970s the LA bosses were former Detroit guys -- this is right on the heels of Detroit joining the Commission. Have to wonder if LA switched to them or if there's evidence of the Luccheses representing them later.

- Zerilli was part of the committee sent to talk to Joe Bonanno at the start of the Bonanno War but I can't remember anything about him playing a significant role in the anti-Bonanno camp. Bonanno says Giancana was part of the group actively working against him on the Commission but doesn't name Zerilli. Given Bonanno said he and Profaci were part of the "conservative" faction I'd bet Zerill voted similarly. He seems to have gone along with what happened to Bonanno but there was no choice and if any boss rightfully deserved to be taken down if not killed it was Joe Bonanno. He gave his allies no way to argue for him.

[JoePuzzles234]

From the 1978 Organized Crime Control Commission report for California:

DIGIROLAMO, VINCENT JAMES

DiGirolamo was the president of a San Jose construction company where Salvatore Bonanno was
employed during 1974, just after Bonanno~s release
from prison. The construction company was the subject of a consumer fraud investigation by a San
Jose newspaper, which uncovered a link between
DiGirolamo's company and another in San Diego which
was operated by organized crime figures. In 1974,
the newspaper documented meetings between
DiGirolamo, Bonann% and Mafia members James
Fratianno and the late Frank Bompensiero.
DiGirolamo was arrested in 1976 for offering to buy
stolen goods from undercover agents posing as
burglars. According to affidavits filed in the
case, DiGirolamo told the agents that he was a member of the Mafia and the head of a burglary ring.

Sort of interesting that he isn't specifically linked to any family despite his membership. Though the report is inconsistent in this aspect:

DRAGNA, LOUIS TOM

Louis Tom Dragna is the nephew of the late Jack
Dragna, who, until his death in 1957, was the leader
of the Southern California Mafia. Louis Dragna is
closely associated with many California organized
crime figures and has been named as a high-ranking
Mafia member by the California Assembly Subcommittee
on Rackets [1959) and the U.S. Congressional Record
(1969). He was convicted of extortion in 1959, and
in February of 1978, was indicted for extortion,
along with other Mafia members James Fratianno, Sam
Sciortino, Dominic Brooklier, Michael Rizzitello,
Jack LoCicero, and Thomas Ricciardi. In the extortion case, the defendants are also charged with
conspiracy in the murder of San Diego Mafia member
Frank Bompensiero.

- doesn't explicitly state that Dragna is a Los Angeles member, for example

DEROSA, RAYMOND

DeRosa is a close associate of the Los Angeles Mafia
organization which was controlled by Nick Licata
until his death in 1974. DeRosa has been convicted
for theft from interstate shipment, grand theft and
extortion/racketeering. In £he racketeering case,
DeRosa and other California organized crime figures
such as Sam Sciortino, Dominic Brooklier, and Peter
Milano were charged with extorting Southern California bookmakers and loan sharks by demanding
"tribute" payments, a traditional Mafia activity.
In 1975, DeRosa was sentenced tO the federal prison
at McNeill Island, Washington, for this conviction.
He was released in March of 1978, and he immediately
returned to LOS Angeles.

- another example, where DeRosa is pretty clearly identified as a Los Angeles associate

Regardless, I was wondering if it could be possible that DiGirolamo perhaps transferred to the San Jose family? Per that newspaper article, he did seem fed up with Bonanno's antics and he would not be the first Bonanno member to transfer to SJ (Guestalla and Prospect Mule etc.), though it does seem to conflict with Bonanno telling the informant that DiGirolamo was one of his soldiers.

[B.]

It's a good question. The informant was Bompensiero -- I didn't read it as Bonanno calling him his soldier on the phone but Bomp telling the FBI he knew DiGirolamo to be a Bonanno soldier. Bomp was specific with ranks so it does seem he knew DiGirolamo to be a member with Bonanno. Haven't seen anything that tells us whether he was made young in the 1950s or snuck in later and Bonanno's West Coast people weren't supposed to be recognized anyway.

[jimmyb]

Wasn't JB disappointed Zerilli stayed neutral during the unrest in NY? Didn't JB assume Zerilli would actively support Profaci?

[B.]

Wasn't JB disappointed Zerilli stayed neutral during the unrest in NY? Didn't JB assume Zerilli would actively support Profaci?

No clue myself -- that actually fits what I'm thinking though. That Zerilli was initially an ally of Bonanno and Profaci's "conservative" faction when he joined the Commission but had no choice but to distance himself when it came out what Bonanno and Magliocco were up to. Supporting Bonanno by late 1964 was political suicide.

[PolackTony]

Wasn't JB disappointed Zerilli stayed neutral during the unrest in NY? Didn't JB assume Zerilli would actively support Profaci?

No clue myself -- that actually fits what I'm thinking though. That Zerilli was initially an ally of Bonanno and Profaci's "conservative" faction when he joined the Commission but had no choice but to distance himself when it came out what Bonanno and Magliocco were up to. Supporting Bonanno by late 1964 was political suicide.

I wonder if it was like the period before the US Civil War where they were admitting slave and free states in pairs so as not to upset the balance of power nationally. I’m thinking maybe the Commission admitted Detroit as a “conservative” vote and Philly as a “liberal” vote.

A related question. Is it 100% confirmed that every family with a Commission seat also was considered avugad, or could a family have a Commission seat without necessarily representing another family as avugad? Detroit possibly representing LA is an interesting hypothesis. Has it ever been confirmed that Philly represented another family as avugad while they were on the Commission? When Bruno had his issue with Tony Perella ~1962, the FBI was told that Bruno thought Perella was going to an avugad, and when Bruno later warned his members to not go to another family about internal issues he specifically mentioned NYC and Chicago. In any document, was Bruno himself ever referred to as an avugad?

[thekiduknow]

Regardless, I was wondering if it could be possible that DiGirolamo perhaps transferred to the San Jose family? Per that newspaper article, he did seem fed up with Bonanno's antics and he would not be the first Bonanno member to transfer to SJ (Guestalla and Prospect Mule etc.), though it does seem to conflict with Bonanno telling the informant that DiGirolamo was one of his soldiers.

He's still described as a Bonanno member in this report from 1992:



He definitely would not the sole member "fed up" with Bonanno's antics. From 1968 on, he really seemed to alienate a lot of the Arizona members, no doubt the San Jose ones also got tired of him. Even before the split, he wasn't super liked by the AZ members I think.

Interesting stuff, kid.

B. and I recently were discussing Chicago’s activities and affiliates in Arizona. He came across some FBI intel that stated that Spilotro had met with Joe Bonanno around 1974. Some other intel had a redacted name as a Chicago affiliate (no mention of made or not) residing in San Jose. Now I’m wondering if he could possibly have been DiGirolamo. A guy who was a “burglar, hijacker, and loan shark” would certainly fit in well with the boys from Chicago, lol.

Thanks man.

Interesting that Spilotro met with Bonanno in 1974. Bill was getting out of jail around then, and thats when they started trying to get support for their take over of California. Is there anything on what the meeting was about?

[B.]

Going back to Zerilli joining the Commission, it happened by the late 1950s since Tony Accardo referred to Zerilli being on the Commission in 1958. He also said Joe Ida had been on the Commission, so Angelo Bruno inherited the seat if that's true.

If LA's avugad switched to Detroit at some point there is precedent as it apparently happened in St. Louis, where a source said they were initially under Chicago's influence but it changed to Detroit.

This also indicates Detroit was the avugad for St. Louis under Giordano:

[PolackTony]

Going back to Zerilli joining the Commission, it happened by the late 1950s since Tony Accardo referred to Zerilli being on the Commission in 1958. He also said Joe Ida had been on the Commission, so Angelo Bruno inherited the seat if that's true.

If LA's avugad switched to Detroit at some point there is precedent as it apparently happened in St. Louis, where a source said they were initially under Chicago's influence but it changed to Detroit.

This also indicates Detroit was the avugad for St. Louis under Giordano:

Accardo also stated that “Raymond from Boston”, i.e., Patriarca, was on the Commission in the 50s.