Visiting Los Angeles 1963

[JoePuzzles234]

What about Pete Milano and Orlando Santo? There's guys on the 1979 chart not on1963, granted much can change in 16 years.

Milano and another individual were identified as proposed members in January of 1969 by a San Diego source (probably Bompensiero) and seem to have been made by 1970. The source had previously identified the other individual as being "Sam Cheratino" (phonetic), which is clearly a reference to Sciortino and could possibly indicate he was made around this time as well.

However, the source later was confused and called the other guy "Joe", so it muddies the water a bit. I've wondered at times if it is not perhaps a reference to Milano associate Raymond "Rocky" DeRosa but the physical description (heavyset, late 30s, 5'7, small waist and large shoulders) given doesn't really match him.

[Angelo Santino]

Thanks.

Is there anyone not in the list on page 1 that's on 79 that should be on the 63 chart?

LA1979.gif

[Pogo The Clown]

What about Pete Milano and Orlando Santo? There's guys on the 1979 chart not on1963, granted much can change in 16 years.

If I'm not mistaken Peter Milano was made during the Licata era. I'm not sure who is Orlando Santo.

Yeah the LA books were closed from 1956-1968. DeSimone didn't make anyone during his reign. When Licata took over he made some new members like Peter Milano, Sam Sciortino, his son in law Frank Stellino and probably Jack LoCicero and Dominic Longo.


Was James Testa ever confirmed as a member?


Pogo

[B.]

- Bompensiero ID'd an LA member called "Julie" who originally came from Colorado:



The FBI suspected Julian Antista, who was born in Colorado in 1910 and later moved to LA. He would have been a member circa 1967-1968, so I assume he was a member in 1963. It wasn't Julius Petro who Bomp says wasn't made.

- He ID'd Joe Aleccia as a San Diego-based member. Still living at this time.

- ID'd Frank Gruttadauria as an inactive sleeper member under Polizzi. Transferred membership from Cleveland circa late 1940s.

- Bomp also ID'd Alfonso Veneziano was a member living in Los Angeles around the early 1950s but didn't know anything else about him and hadn't seen him since then.

- Not an LA member but haven't seen this shelved Milwaukee member mentioned before, interesting story:



- Again not LA Family but Jack Pace/Pollina was made in Sicily and maybe an obscure Detroit member living in San Diego into 1963:'




- Leo Moceri was going to transfer to LA and told Bomp the plan was for Detroit member Ernest LaSalle as well as Joe DiCarlo Jr. and Joe Pieri to follow him. Moceri never transferred and those guys never moved there.

[B.]

Other members confirmed by FBI member sources who lived in LA:

- Bennie Pizzotto

- They later confirmed "Julie" was Julian Antista

- Salvatore Pizzo (ex-Bonanno?)

- Charles Migliore

They are on a list that includes both LA members and members of other Families who lived in LA. Antista is an LA member but don't know if the others belonged to LA or another Family.

[Pogo The Clown]

Pizzotto, Pizzo and Migliore are listed as LA Soldiers in a 1967 LAPD chart. They were also listed as LA members in a 1979 LE chart (Pizzotto was written as Rizzotto).


Pogo

[B.]

Ok cool, so they should be included. Confirmed by the FBI in the 1960s before the new members were inducted.

[motorfab]

Nicola Marchese from Castellammare del Golfo was also very likely made in 1963

[Angelo Santino]

Correct lineage?
1921-1922: Vito DiGiorgio
1922–1925: Rosario DeSimone – stepped down.
1925–1931: Joseph "Iron Man" Ardizzone – murdered.
1931–1956: Jack Dragna – died on February 23, 1956.
1956–1967: Frank DeSimone

[B.]

Yep, Marchese was confirmed by the FBI.

[Angelo Santino]

Nonrelated but drawing back to the Rizzitello Crew of the 1980's, according to associate Fiato's book, after Fratianno flipped Rizzitello became ostracized and sought to connect with NYC's Neil Dellacroce which, operationally/socially/defacto is likely what happened. But for us mobologists, we know that there had to have been a formal process to at least consider. Politically, if LA didn't like Rizzitello, they could have argued that he was made by Acting Underboss Fratianno, if Dragna wasn't made aware of it then it would be invalid, or they could have argued that Fratianno flipped as a reason for voiding it, which would make Rizzitello the first guy in history to have been made twice and not recognized as a full fledged member.

The Dellacroce connection, he would have either had to have transferred his membership to the Gambinos (something I've never seen alleged) or his membership was voided and he went on-record with Dellacroce as an associate. What I don't see happening is Dellacroce getting involved in LA's internal dispute if they still recognized Rizzitello as member of their family.

[B.]

- Not an LA member but haven't seen this shelved Milwaukee member mentioned before, interesting story:

Looked this guy up and he came from Piedmont right on the French border. Seems very unlikely he was made into Cosa Nostra in Italy/Sicily. Also questionable if he would have joined the Camorra in Italy.

They ID him as a Milwaukee member and that Family was almost entirely Sicilian. Says he spent time in Chicago, so maybe he was initially made there. He was in San Diego by 1941.

Wonder what the story is.

[Angelo Santino]

Julian Antista was born in Trinidad, CO.

[Pogo The Clown]

Politically, if LA didn't like Rizzitello, they could have argued that he was made by Acting Underboss Fratianno, if Dragna wasn't made aware of it then it would be invalid

If my memory is correct Dragna was in the car with Frattiano and Bompensiero when Rizzetello was made.


Pogo

[B.]

Don't mean to distract from the chart but Bomp also gave a new angle on Bonanno's problems with Desimone. He said after Dragna died the LA Family was no longer represented by the Lucchese and was instead assigned to Joe Bonanno. Says Desimone and Bonanno didn't get along so Desimone started reporting to Angelo Bruno on his own and communicated with Pittsburgh to avoid Bonanno.

This plays into something Magaddino said about Desimone contacting him about an issue instead of Bonanno, who Magaddino says he should have contacted in Arizona. Magaddino also said he tried to tactfully convince Desimone to step down as boss as he didn't feel he was even adequate to be an amico nostra let alone boss.





If this is true, Desimone committed a major protocol violation and insulted Bonanno. While Joe Bonanno took advantage of the situation to try to take over LA, in this account Bonanno would absolutely be justified in wanting to remove Desimone from power. Of course Bonanno committed his own violation by trying to do it himself instead of using the Commission.

So LA's Commission representation went Lucchese>Bonanno>Chicago. Bomp says Detroit and Chicago were fighting for influence on the West Coast though, with Roselli leading the charge for Chicago. Bomp felt Chicago leaders would be upset if Nick Licata chose a Detroit-friendly underboss when he took over.