OlBlueEyesClub wrote:Lamothe & Humphreys claim Nicolo was inducted into the Manno Family by Antonino Manno shortly before he married his daughter Libertina. The Caruana-Cuntreras were members of the Siculiana clan. But they were based mainly in Venezuela. It can be argued that it was only Agostino who was a Bonanno. They provide well researched sources for all the claims they make and I have little reason to doubt them.
I have a lot of respect for those two authors and they have a wealth of info in their book(s). But they also get some things wrong throughout the book, especially regarding the Bonanno family, or they didn't give clear sources about some things (i.e. Rizzuto's induction into the Cattolica Eraclea family). Nick Rizzuto was a Bonanno soldier when he was in Canada, and if he was made into the Cattolica Eraclea family before that, he had transferred to the Bonannos because the Bonanno affiliation was more significant in Montreal than the international influence of the tiny Cattolica Eraclea family.
Literally every source I've seen on Salvatore "Toto" Catalano say he was made in Sicily and sent to the states by his Sicilian bosses to make drug connections with American families. The Cicale book that seems to be being used as "proof " by some in this thread, state this as well. And again, numerous Bonanno informants and Joe Pistone claim this was one of the gripes on Catalanos short time as acting boss, he was a member of two organizations . You may be right in regards to Bonventre, but again, I've read more than once that he and Baldo Amato were made men in Sicily.
I don't remember dual membership being the issue anywhere I've read about it. Apparently his English was an issue and there was also resentment in the Bonanno family about zips taking over. I don't know if it's been 100% confirmed what his title was, either... he may have been acting boss like some have said, but he may have also been "just" acting underboss. In Donnie Brasco he is ID'd by Lefty as "street boss of the Zips", which could be interpreted a few different ways.
Bonventre and Amato were not made in Sicily. They were teenagers who came to the US with their families and hooked up with their Castellammare paesani in the Bonanno family. Galante didn't "recruit" them from Sicily. Not much room for debate on this one.
Also, I recommend being highly skeptical about anything you read concerning the Pizza Connection case. Very interesting case with a lot of valuable info that came out during the investigation, but it was also a big media case and a lot of misinformation came from journalists and authors who didn't know better. I've never seen any info about Catalano being "recruited" by Sicilian mafia leaders. He no doubt associated with the Sicilian mafia throughout his life, but he and his brothers coming to NYC and his entry into the heroin business might be circumstantial. All reliable info I've seen has him as a Bonanno member who closely associated with members and associates of the Sicilian mob. He may also be mistaken as a Sicilian mafia member by journalists who confused him with his cousin Salvatore "Saca" Catalano's, a member of the Sicilian mob.
Joe Bonanno DEFINITELY says he was a man of honour in Castellamare Del Golfo in his autobiography. He says his father died and his uncle, the Maggadino, sponsored his membership. He also says it again when he introduces Maranzano to the book and says it's one of the reasons Maranzano took a liking to him.
Can you find the page on that? Some of us on here have had an ongoing discussion on when he was made in the US (he only gives a general timeframe), and somehow we've all overlooked this bit you're talking about...
Rosario Gambino was recognized by law enforcement and the Narcotics Bureau as a member of the Gambinos as well as a recognized made man in Sicily.
He was associated with them while in the US but not a member. Leonetti for one claims that the Philly family had a beef with Rosario Gambino and Scarfo mentioned it to the Gambino leadership, who confirmed that he was not a Gambino member and had limited control over him, but I believe they said they'd do their best.
I think we'd be grasping at straws to sit and argue that LCN & The Sicilian Mafia are the same. They have the same, deep seated roots , but to say their the same organization, in my opinion is false. If that were the case thered be no reason to argue any of this, as theyd be one in the same, it wouldn't matter who was made with who, as theyd be the same organization. Not only that but we've had numerous informants from the 50's onward that have specifically said they were different organizations, Valachi being the first.
The US mob started as a satellite of the Sicilian mafia in the new world. As it evolved, the split widened and they made new rules that set them apart further. Members of both groups could still be introduced to one another as "friends" in both Sicily and the US. They are definitely different organizations with different ruling bodies, but it is still the same basic organization and it's still understood that the US mob was born from the Sicilian mob.