Sciascia and Montagna

[B.]

I read through that little thing that Dom Cicale wrote with "Ed Scarpo", a couple of people who haven't exactly been the most popular figures on the boards.

Anyway, Scarpo's online reputation aside, I didn't find anything too offensive. He basically relayed the same background info on the Bonannos from the other well-known books, which themselves aren't 100% on point but overall good sources of info. Cicale strokes his own ego as expected (at one point saying something like, "I was the best kept secret in the NY mob until Basciano blabbed to Tartaglione about me being a capo") and comments on a couple things outside of his scope, but overall he sticks mostly to what he knows -- late 90s and early 2000s Bonanno happenings, especially in the Bronx.

The whole thing is the length of about one or two chapters from an ordinary book and I'm not sure what the overall point was because the "narrative" is all over the place, but the most interesting thing and one of the central stories is the Sciascia murder, plus some comments about Sal Montagna.

- Cicale confirms what some of us had suspected, that Sal Montagna had been part of George Sciascia's crew before his murder. It's not clear if he was made yet, but it sounds like he was. After Sciascia was killed, Montagna was placed under Patty DeFilippo, who Massino asked to keep an eye on Montagna. This could mean he was much less of a stranger to the crew in Montreal than anyone first believed.

- Despite being part of a Bronx crew, as we already know Montagna's business was in Bushwick and he spent time hanging in Ridgewood with various other zips, including Baldo Amato, a fellow Castellammarese. He was involved in a beef in Ridgewood with Giuseppe Gambina, Ace Aiello's cousin and a zip associate under Basciano and Cicale (who based on other info not from Cicale was apparently proposed for membership by Basciano and then was "taken down"... he ultimately flipped). Montagna reported it to Dom Cicale and wasn't happy with Cicale's response, so he beefed on Cicale to Michael Mancuso. It was eventually settled without incident.

- Basciano selected Montagna as acting boss after Mancuso went down.

- George Sciascia and Vinny Basciano had been close friends and Massino put out feelers to Basciano before Sciascia was killed to see if there would be any issue. I assume there's a drug connection here.

[Pogo The Clown]

(at one point saying something like, "I was the best kept secret in the NY mob until Basciano blabbed to Tartaglione about me being a capo")

Funny as Cicale wasn't even a Capo while Tartaglione was on the street. You definite ego stroking there.


I haven't read this book so thanks for the tidbits. Does Cicale describe who was present at and made during his making ceremony? Thanks.


Pogo

[toto]

Giuseppe Gambina did something wrong in the murder of Randolf Pizzolo. He also had a big drug habit and he beat his dad up. That's the reason he was taken down.

[Rocco]

- George Sciascia and Vinny Basciano had been close friends and Massino put out feelers to Basciano before Sciascia was killed to see if there would be any issue. I assume there's a drug connection here.

Had to be drugs. As George was really only involved in Drugs and Laundering the money from drugs. That's basically it. Was never a gambler himself.

[Lupara]

Capeci wrote that Montagna was elected by the family capos. Was Cicale still on the streets when Basciano was incarcerated? How would he otherwise know?

[B.]

(at one point saying something like, "I was the best kept secret in the NY mob until Basciano blabbed to Tartaglione about me being a capo")

Funny as Cicale wasn't even a Capo while Tartaglione was on the street. You definite ego stroking there.


I haven't read this book so thanks for the tidbits. Does Cicale describe who was present at and made during his making ceremony? Thanks.


Pogo

He specifically says that Basciano referred to him as an acting capo to Tartaglione.

The only reference to his making ceremony is that he was made with a Bronx-based soldier called Little Patty who had done 18 years in prison. This has to be Pasquale Maiorino who had been convicted of murdering a homosexual during a robbery in the early 1980s. His father is Salvatore Maiorino. Little Patty is described as being in the DeFilippo/Mancuso/Montagna crew.

Capeci wrote that Montagna was elected by the family capos. Was Cicale still on the streets when Basciano was incarcerated? How would he otherwise know?

I'm not sure the exactly timeline on him getting busted versus the different personnel changes. They left out all of the details on Basciano's arrest and glossed over a lot leading up to it, and it only abruptly and briefly mentions Cicale's own arrest. It says the family's old timers opposed Montagna's promotion and Montagna began carrying a weapon as a result.

Other stuff:

- Gino Galestro had been arriving to meetings late and not showing respect to his superiors, so Basciano ordered Cicale to physically assault him, which did happen in an attorney's restroom. Galestro apologized and changed his behavior afterward. The belief was that following all of the family's problems, Galestro was purposely trying to get shelved (keep in mind that Galestro's capo Cantarella and acting capo D'Amico had both flipped).

- Mike Mancuso's father was close to Gambinos Funzie Sisca and Arnold Squitieri (who are brothers-in-law) and with them the night he was murdered by "a Bronx street thug." Anyone have any info on this? There was a "Tony Nose" Mancuso in the FBN book whose father was also named Michael. I assume this Tony is Mike Nose's father.

- Mancuso was supposed to be a back-up shooter in the Sciascia hit, but according to Cicale he didn't show up. DeFilippo who was fond of Mancuso protected him when asked about it.

- Basciano and Vito Rizzuto maintained a drug pipeline after Sciascia's murder, which Cicale believes was in part because of Basciano's relationship to Sciascia. The presumption seems to be that Rizzuto's beef was with Massino and not the Bonanno family, so Basciano traveled to Montreal on the premise of getting hair transplants but secretly met with Rizzuto to arrange drug deals without Massino's knowledge.

- Sal Montagna was promoted to acting capo of the DeFilippo crew when Basciano named Mancuso acting underboss. Massino sent an order to Basciano to demote Montagna, but Basciano ignored the order.

- When Tony Green was the acting boss, Vito Rizzuto sent down $25k as a Christmas bonus. When Basciano became acting boss, he sent word that Rizzuto should send $100k and sent Sal Montagna to Canada to pick it up. When Cicale was in jail with Baldo Amato, Amato heard that Rizzuto "gave Montagna shit" about it, but still paid the full amount.

[phatmatress777]

What was so special about sal the iron worker that such a young guy was chosen to be acting boss


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[B.]

What was so special about sal the iron worker that such a young guy was chosen to be acting boss


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure, but as a Sciascia protege he was the complete opposite of a "Massino guy" and clearly Basciano and Mancuso, the powers at the time, liked him. I'd say all of that factored in.

- George Sciascia and Vinny Basciano had been close friends and Massino put out feelers to Basciano before Sciascia was killed to see if there would be any issue. I assume there's a drug connection here.

Had to be drugs. As George was really only involved in Drugs and Laundering the money from drugs. That's basically it. Was never a gambler himself.

On top of that, they were both highly respected Bronx players in a family with a very small Bronx presence. Cicale mentions how Basciano was less flamboyant before becoming acting boss. The Gotti-esque Basciano we know of through the media came about later. Cantarella apparently claims that Massino was counting on Basciano to hold the family together if shit hit the fan.

[Pogo The Clown]

He specifically says that Basciano referred to him as an acting capo to Tartaglione.

The only reference to his making ceremony is that he was made with a Bronx-based soldier called Little Patty who had done 18 years in prison. This has to be Pasquale Maiorino who had been convicted of murdering a homosexual during a robbery in the early 1980s. His father is Salvatore Maiorino. Little Patty is described as being in the DeFilippo/Mancuso/Montagna crew.

Thanks. If true then Cicale must have been one of those Acting Capos while the Official Capo is still funtional and on the street that we have been seeing more and more of recently.


Pogo

[HairyKnuckles]

- Mike Mancuso's father was close to Gambinos Funzie Sisca and Arnold Squitieri (who are brothers-in-law) and with them the night he was murdered by "a Bronx street thug." Anyone have any info on this? There was a "Tony Nose" Mancuso in the FBN book whose father was also named Michael. I assume this Tony is Mike Nose's father.

I assume this too. The Mancuso in the FBN book bears a striking resemblance to Mikey Nose. According to SSDI, Tony Mancuso died in September 1967 but it´s not verified.

Name: Anthony Mancuso
State of Issue: New York
Date of Birth: Monday December 24, 1923
Date of Death: September 1967
Est. Age at Death: 43 years, 8 months

If anyone have access to old NY Post or NY Times´articles, perhaps they can find something on the Tony Mancuso murder? And if so, please post it on here.

"Thanks. If true then Cicale must have been one of those Acting Capos while the Official Capo is still funtional and on the street that we have been seeing more and more of recently."

- My understanding is that Cicale was official captain of the crew once headed by Basciano, a seperate Bronx crew from DeFilippo´s.

[The Greek]

From the NYT: Wednesday, September 6th, 1967

Man Killed, Two Wounded By 'Madman' in Bronx Bar
A man walked into a Bronx tavern yesterday, shot a woman and two men, one fatally, and then escaped, the police reported. Witnesses at the Bluebird Tavern, 2890 Buhre Avenue, said that the man, "came in like a madman," fired 8 shots from a .22- caliber rifle and fired without saying a word. A customer who was wounded, Anthony Mancuso, 43 years old, of 1560 Dwight Place,The Bronx, died later in Jacobi Hospital. Carmine Lettera, 50, of 2065 Watson Avenue, and Helen Durcle, 51, or 289 Pleasant Avenue, both The Bronx, were reported in good condition. The shooting occurred at 3:40am.

From the NYT: Thursday, September 7th, 1967

Arrest Is Made in Slaying Of Man in Bronx Tavern
The police yesterday arrested Vito Thomas D'Angelo, 23 years old,of 1615 Kenelworth Place, the Bronx, and charged him with the rifle slaying of a man Tuesday night in a Bronx tavern. The police charged that D'Angelo fired 8 shots in the Blue Bird Bar at 2890 Buhre Avenue, killing Anthony Mancuso, 43, of 1560 Dwight Place, The Bronx, and wounding the bartender and a woman customer. D'Angelo and the slain man had quarreled earlier in the evening about a woman, the police said. D'Angelo was held without bail for a hearing September 28th.

[Pogo The Clown]

I wonder if the shooter is of any relation to then Bonanno Capo Thomas "Simitty" D'Angelo?


Pogo

[HairyKnuckles]

From the NYT: Wednesday, September 6th, 1967

Man Killed, Two Wounded By 'Madman' in Bronx Bar
A man walked into a Bronx tavern yesterday, shot a woman and two men, one fatally, and then escaped, the police reported. Witnesses at the Bluebird Tavern, 2890 Buhre Avenue, said that the man, "came in like a madman," fired 8 shots from a .22- caliber rifle and fired without saying a word. A customer who was wounded, Anthony Mancuso, 43 years old, of 1560 Dwight Place,The Bronx, died later in Jacobi Hospital. Carmine Lettera, 50, of 2065 Watson Avenue, and Helen Durcle, 51, or 289 Pleasant Avenue, both The Bronx, were reported in good condition. The shooting occurred at 3:40am.

From the NYT: Thursday, September 7th, 1967

Arrest Is Made in Slaying Of Man in Bronx Tavern
The police yesterday arrested Vito Thomas D'Angelo, 23 years old,of 1615 Kenelworth Place, the Bronx, and charged him with the rifle slaying of a man Tuesday night in a Bronx tavern. The police charged that D'Angelo fired 8 shots in the Blue Bird Bar at 2890 Buhre Avenue, killing Anthony Mancuso, 43, of 1560 Dwight Place, The Bronx, and wounding the bartender and a woman customer. D'Angelo and the slain man had quarreled earlier in the evening about a woman, the police said. D'Angelo was held without bail for a hearing September 28th.

Thank you! Excellent! This confirms not only Cicale´s story, but also my (and B´s) suspiscion on the Tony Mancuso in the FBN book being Mikey Nose´s father.

[The Greek]

My pleasure!

[Chucky]

Good stuff as always, B.

Makes you wonder if Mancuso was backing Montagna's play in Montreal, there's a lot of connecting tissue there.