Umberto Gibilaro (Gambino?)

[B.]

Was just talking to Antiliar about this guy. May have been an important NYC guy in his day but the info is murky. Just starting this in case anyone finds other references to him.

- Born 1886 or 1888 in Porto Empedocle, Agrigento. When he arrived in 1907, Gibilaro's departure contact in Sicily was a Calogero Trupia in Porto Empedocle. Gentile identified Gaetano Trupia as a Gambino capodecina with the Manhattan Agrigento faction, could just be a common name in the region.

- Originally lived in Manhattan and his naturalization was witnessed by Felix LoCicero, either the son or nephew of Gambino capodecina Vincenzo LoCicero, and another guy named Calogero Grisafe. CC posted info from Clemente where a Grisafi was made into the early Gambino Family and ran in LoCicero circles. Gibilaro eventually moved to Bensonhurst / Gravesend area. Died in 1947. One of Gibilaro's sons later died in Los Angeles.

- Gibilaro was in Nicola Gentile's address book and though it says Buffalo, the street address corresponds to Gibilaro's Brooklyn address. (Side note, but did Gentile purposely mask addresses by using different city names or was it a mistake?)

- In Gentile's memoir, he says a "Gibilano" was a man of faith and culture who was the only person Salvatore Maranzano trusted to visit him at his home. Tom Hunt theorized that Gibilano was actually Umberto Gibilaro from Gentile's address book given the phonetic similarities and connection both Gibilano / Gibilaro had to Gentile.

- However, in Gentile's memoir he phrases it as if "Gibilano" was a compaesano of Maranzano, which would make him Castellammarese and not Empedoclino. Tom Hunt interpreted the passage to say that "Gibilano" was not a paesan of Maranzano but of Gentile, which would fit both men coming from coastal Agrigento (Gentile was once a member of the Porto Empedocle Family, too). I'm not familiar with "Gibilano" or similar names coming from Castellammare.

- Gentile saying "Gibilano" was a man of faith and culture could fit Gibilaro. Though he wasn't educated, Gibilaro was a baker, then a bookkeeper for an office, and eventually worked for the Gambino-controlled ILA. He was ostensibly legitimate.

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Gibilaro's background, residences, and connections suggest he was an early Gambino member. The Bonannos though had members from Agrigento and whether Gibilaro was "Gibilano" or if they were two separate men, this appears to be an important figure who has been mostly overlooked.

If "Gibilano" was Gibilaro, it could mean Maranzano had a top ally with the Gambino Agrigento faction which would be news given hies allies in that Family were primarily Palermitani and the "Sciacchitani" were linked to Masseria.

[PolackTony]

Good summary of the Gibilaro/Gibilano thing.

Funny enough, but the only town in Trapani province where I found the Gibilaro surname recorded happens to be Castellammare, though it’s not at all common there and may have been a one-off connected to Agrigento. Not aware of any Castellammares’ surnames that are otherwise similar to “Gibilaro/Gibilano”. Possible of course that the “Gibilano” referenced by Gentile was a nickname.

[B.]

That's definitely helpful even if it was a one-off. I'd never come across the name anywhere before this guy.



From his 1933 manifest, many guys from Brooklyn on board and another two from Chicago. None of the names jump out at me but might look into more of them later. There were Vaccaros involved with the Gambino Agrigento faction who had ties to Tampa, so the Chicago Vaccaro with a Tampa connection noted here might be of interest.

[B.]

Meant to mention too Umberto's brother Giuseppe Gibilaro was married to a SanFilippo. Don't know if she was related but the Gambino SanFilippos were from Agrigento.

[Antiliar]

In Vita di Capomafia Gentile spells it Gibiliano. I couldn't find anyone with that spelling in Ancestry.com, so Tom Hunt may be correct.

Edit: I checked the FBN English translation, which is clearer. Gibiliano wasn't Maranzano's paesan, but Gentile's. So after reading it I'm more confident in Hunt's identification.

[B.]

Awesome, thanks for the correction. You're right -- I had it as Gibiliano in my translation. Tom had it as "Gibilano" in the Informer issue which I was referencing.

That FBN version is a big help, thanks again. So it does look like Umberto Gibilaro was either an unlikely Bonanno member or part of the Gambino alliance with Maranzano.

Do you or CC happen to know the first name of the Grisafi who Clemente referenced? Wondering if he can be connected to Gibilaro's friend Calogero Grisafe.

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Another guy kind of like this who also lived in Gravesend is Giovanni Pecoraino. Palermitano who came to the US with future Colombo consigliere Joe Buffa and later went to Sicily with early Gambino member Giovanni Salica from Palermo and a guy from Alcamo who lived in WIlliamsburg. Born in 1880 / died in 1941 and never referenced in any reports but I suspect he was an early Gambino or Colombo member.

[Antiliar]

I don't see a first name for Grisafi. He was a friend of Pellegrino Mule, and "that when Grisafi comes to New York he either goes to Mule's home or to a place in East 45th Street."

[B.]

Oh excellent info. Another sign Pellegrino Mule was connected to the LoCiceros.

[CornerBoy]

you guys are amazing w your research.

Don't know how you find the time- how many hours do you research a given subject?

I know they're all different depending on topic or scope, but some idea would be interesting to me

Thanks again

CBoy

[B.]

No clue haha. I don't have kids or watch TV/movies so I spend my downtime wondering if some guy 100 years ago meant Gibilaro when he said Gibiliano.