Commission "Avugad" Representatives

[sdeitche]

Is there any truth to Chicago ( Giancana), New Orleans ( Marcello), and Trafficante being politically aligned?

Frank Culotta also specifically stated on one video that Chicago was over the Tampa and NOLA “outfits”, but he obviously wasn’t a made guy and this could just have been based on his impressions from working in Vegas that Chicago had influence over the non-NYC families.

I wish I would have known Frank said that, I would have reached out to him to explain. Curious if it was based on things he saw, or heard. When I took his tour, I asked him about Tampa and he said he was familiar with Trafficante but didn't know much else about them.

[PolackTony]

Is there any truth to Chicago ( Giancana), New Orleans ( Marcello), and Trafficante being politically aligned?

Frank Culotta also specifically stated on one video that Chicago was over the Tampa and NOLA “outfits”, but he obviously wasn’t a made guy and this could just have been based on his impressions from working in Vegas that Chicago had influence over the non-NYC families.

I wish I would have known Frank said that, I would have reached out to him to explain. Curious if it was based on things he saw, or heard. When I took his tour, I asked him about Tampa and he said he was familiar with Trafficante but didn't know much else about them.

From what I recall, he said something to the effect of “they had their own outfits but those other outfits answered to our outfit”. My impression was that Frank wouldn’t have known anything specific about those families, but was extrapolating from what he knew that some of the Midwest families did “answer to” Chicago. But, for all we know, maybe Spilotro or someone else had told him something specific about Tampa or NOLA.

[JoeNGallo]

Not sure if this counts at what you're looking for, B. But Joe N Gallo was said to represent New Orleans/Tampa in some top level/commission meetings regarding narcotics. Trafficante/Marcello refused to appear after the La Stella fiasco.

This is from a Nicholas Pileggi article in the New York Magazine 8 Jan 1973 (Available on Google books: Go to page 33 - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=noI ... es_r&cad=1)

[B.]

This was why I originally thought the Colombos took over for Bonanno in San Jose


picture sharing

[thekiduknow]

Good find. This report is from January of 1963, and that informant was likely San Jose member Salvatore Costanza.

Obviously Bonanno was still a boss and Commission member at that point. Interesting Misuraca is described as a "district trouble shooter", when Angelo Marino described Bonanno as a "district head", but Costanza believed they were of the same "stature".

This also adds another layer to San Jose reaching out to Misuraca after his brother Peter was having issues with the family. He reportedly wanted nothing to do with the situation, so he may not have been required to handle any issue brought to his attention.

[B.]

Yeah, the Peter Misuaraca "trial" involved contact w/ John Misuraca but they also said they would have to notify Joe Bonanno. With some of the other info you've found, I took that to mean Misuraca was involved because it concerned his brother and Joe Bonanno was officially the avugad. However there are other examples of Misuraca influencing the SJ Family and being consulted.

I don't know if this arrangement existed, but makes me wonder if Bonanno allowed Misuraca to be a "sostituto" in these matters.

[thekiduknow]

I don't know if this arrangement existed, but makes me wonder if Bonanno allowed Misuraca to be a "sostituto" in these matters.

Could be something like that. Bonanno was getting more and more estranged from the Commission at this time, either he could have designated Misuraca or the Commission could have.

[thekiduknow]

Buffalo Family
- Kiduknow found a doc from Anthony Lima stating Buffalo represented San Francisco after Joe Bonanno was deposed. Given San Francisco's roots with Schiro, it makes sense Magaddino (a Schiro protege) would be relevant to their politics.
- Indications they may have initially represented the Bonannos after Joe Bonanno was deposed which makes sense given Magaddino was a former Bonanno member, his brother-in-law took over the Family, and he shared heritage with much of the Family. The Bonanno Family was recorded consulting with Magaddino in January 1965 about their upcoming boss election, seeking advice on the process, and Magaddino was also said to represent the Bonanno Montreal faction during this period.
- Several sources state Magaddino was something of a senior chairman on the Commission, but there isn't a lot of info beyond the above examples about who he may have represented in the early years of the Commission.

Looks like Magaddino represented San Francisco up until the 1970s.

[PolackTony]

Buffalo Family
- Kiduknow found a doc from Anthony Lima stating Buffalo represented San Francisco after Joe Bonanno was deposed. Given San Francisco's roots with Schiro, it makes sense Magaddino (a Schiro protege) would be relevant to their politics.
- Indications they may have initially represented the Bonannos after Joe Bonanno was deposed which makes sense given Magaddino was a former Bonanno member, his brother-in-law took over the Family, and he shared heritage with much of the Family. The Bonanno Family was recorded consulting with Magaddino in January 1965 about their upcoming boss election, seeking advice on the process, and Magaddino was also said to represent the Bonanno Montreal faction during this period.
- Several sources state Magaddino was something of a senior chairman on the Commission, but there isn't a lot of info beyond the above examples about who he may have represented in the early years of the Commission.

Looks like Magaddino represented San Francisco up until the 1970s.

Great info, thanks man.

[Don_Peppino]

As suggested by Kiduknow, we should have a thread about Commission members who represented other Families nationally.

Notes:

- This was a formal arrangement, where certain Families were assigned to a certain Commission member who they consulted with, both with regard to national matters as well as for issues/changes within that Family.

- All Families technically had a vote in national matters, but it was cast through the avugad. I don't know of any instances where a Family cast a different vote from their avugad, so we can presume the avugad essentially influenced/controlled the votes of the Families under him. This is similar to boss and consigliere elections, where we know the capodecina met with the members of his crew and cast vote(s) on their behalf -- the captain heavily influenced if not controlled the vote, much like the avugad seems to have done nationally.

- I previously believed the term "avugad" (avvocato / advocate) referred to any Commission member, but now I'm unsure if it referred to anyone with a Commission seat or only Commission members who represented other Families (i.e. "advocated" for them). If every Commission member represented at least one other Family then this question is null as it would mean every Commission seat was an avugad. However if not every Commission member represented another Family it raises the question over whether they too were regarded as "avugad".

- Whatever the answer to the above question, the vast majority of sources (there are many) used "avugad" exclusively refer to Commission members. The exception is Chicago, where the leadership was recorded calling Meyer Lansky an "avugad" for the Jews, member Joe Costello referred to official boss Sam Giancana as his "avugad" (even if a boss sat on the Commission, we don't have examples in other cities where the boss was called "avugad" over his own men), and Ross Prio and one of his soldiers were recorded whispering about two soldiers being named "avugads". It appears Chicago used it in a general sense to refer to anyone who had the authority to represent someone, from soldier up to boss and even including influential associates (Lansky).

- There's no indication "avugad" was a formal term / rank even when it referred to Commission members, so even though most Families used it only to refer to the Commission they weren't necessarily using it formally. Their representation over other Families was 100% formal even if the term was not.

- These avugad relationships were often based on longstanding ties between organizations and sometimes individuals, with these relationships / spheres of influence / networks predating the Commission. Other times they appear somewhat arbitrary, though we don't have any sources (that I know of) who detailed the exact process for assigning a Family to an avugad. Sometimes these arrangements are obviously practical (i.e. geographic proximity), while other times they are incredibly impractical.

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Now onto who represented who.

Lucchese Family
- Represented Los Angeles during the Dragna era. Dragna came from Corleone like many early Lucchese members and got his start with the Morello Family (which the Luccheses split off from).
- Pittston? Some sources believed Pittston answered to Tommy Lucchese (at least one even believing Pittston was not its own Family but a faction of the Lucchese Family) and the two Families were heavy in the garment industry. However we know Bufalino had a close relationship with the Genovese as well.
- Bill Bonanno said Tom Gagliano was responsible for the Alabama Family members after they disbanded, which could indicate they were initially represented by him on the Commission.

Bonanno Family
- San Francisco. This relationship predates the Commission, with Nicolo Schiro having a great deal of influence over early boss Francesco Lanza, who was likely a Bonanno member in NYC before moving to SF.
- San Jose. While there is some confusion over who represented San Jose, it now appears Joe Bonanno also represented them before he was deposed.
- No confirmation but there's indication they may have represented Colorado, with Jim Colletti being an ex-Bonanno member. Joe Bonanno was also business partner with Colletti in Colorado Cheese and through the 1970s Bonanno was still trying to recruit Colorado's support to get himself recognized again, much as he did with the Bay Area, perhaps indicating he was seeking support from Families he previously represented.
- The Bonannos were closely tied to Detroit and Bonanno regarded them as part of the national "conservative faction" though it's unclear if this was ever formal. Gaspare Milazzo predated the Commission but his time as boss is an indication the Schiro/Bonanno Family had significant influence early on.

Genovese Family
- Represented the DeCavalcante Family through the 1960s and maybe into the 1980s.
- Represented Buffalo after Stefano Magaddino's death through the mid-1980s.
- Represented Cleveland, presumably beginning when they lost their Commission seat circa 1930s or 40s. Lasted through mid-1980s. The Porrellos were close to the Genovese Family and Joe Masseria had relatives in that Family, so there is definitely history between them even though the Lonardo faction was loyal to the D'Aquila/Gambino Family.
- Represented New England possibly before and definitely after Ray Patriarca's brief time on the Commission in the late 1950s. Lasted through mid-1980s -- when Ray Patriarca died they immediately contacted Vincent Gigante.
- Pittsburgh? The Genovese Family was heavily involved with the John Bazzano / Volpe brothers affair and influenced Bazzano's 1932 murder shortly after the formation of the Commission. I haven't seen explicit confirmation, but there were strong ties between the Neapolitan faction in Pittsburgh and the Genovese, with Vito having a close relationship to the "real" power in the Family, Frank Amato, and Genovese consigliere Sandino Pandfolo living in Pittsburgh for a time.
- It appears they replaced the Gambino Family as Philadelphia's avugad after the death of Angelo Bruno, with Testa and then Scarfo taking direction from Bobby Manna and Vincent Gigante. However, the Gambino Family looks to have regained influence over them by the late 1980s and early 1990s though the existence of the traditional / official Commission is questionable at this stage.

Colombo Family
- Complete speculation, but could have represented Detroit before Zerilli gained a seat given their close relationship.
- Some info suggests the Colombos represented San Jose, but it now appears this was an informal arrangement and they simply had strong influence.
- Likely represented the Newark Family, as Joe Profaci was said to have influenced and managed the disbandment of the group. His compaesano D'Amico was the boss and many members joined his Family.
- Though Tampa was later represented by the Gambinos (may have always been), Joe Profaci was very close to the early leadership and influential in the pre-Trafficante years.

Gambino Family
- Tampa. The Gambino Family's Agrigento faction had strong ties and a lot of crossover with them.
- They appear to have replaced the Genovese Family as the DeCavalcante Family's avuguad, however this was in the late 1980s when Joe Massino says the official Commission no longer existed, therefore we don't really know the formalities of this arrangement. The influence continues today, as evidenced by the Stango case. As with Tampa, the DeCavalcante Agrigentini were very close to the Gambinos.
- May have represented the Colombos after Joe Profaci's 1962 death until Joe Colombo was elected boss and given a Commission seat. Carlo Gambino exercised massive influence over them and rebel Colombo members were assigned to him during the conflict.
- May have represented the Bonanno Family in the late-1970s and 1980s.
- Represented Philadelphia during the periods when Philly didn't have a seat. Giuseppe Traina was the defacto avugad for Philly and had extensive compaesani in the Philly Family. Like the Bonannos and San Fran, this predates the Commission as Traina was said to have influenced the election of Salvatore Sabella as boss circa 1919/1920.
- A Dallas source indicated the Dallas Family was represented by Albert Anastasia until his murder, at which point they were represented by the Genovese Family. Rocco Pellegrino was an alleged cousin of a powerful Calabrian member and exerted influence in the Family. While the bosses were all Sicilian, Anastasia and Pellegrino indicate the Calabrians had massive political clout there. Early bosses were Corleonese, which could play into the Genovese connection too.

Chicago Family
- Milwaukee
- Madison
- Likely Rockford, though I haven't seen explicit confirmation.
- Likely Kansas City as well.
- Maybe Springfield though very little is known about their politics.
- Sources indicate they may have represented St. Louis during the Pasquale Miceli era (he was ex-Chicago).
- Some sources state Chicago represented the "midwest" (they didn't rep Cleveland) and later the West Coast, though definitive evidence is lacking.
- I believe one source thought Chicago represented Colorado for a time.

Detroit Family
- Detroit appears to have represented St. Louis after Joe Zerilli gained a Commission seat in the late 1950s. Tony Giordano and other members were paesani with close ties and relatives in Detroit and sources state during the Giordano era he deferred to Zerilli.
- After the death of Tommy Lucchese, Detroit begins massively influencing Los Angeles and multiple leaders during this period were ex-Detroit. It may not have been formal, though.

Buffalo Family
- Kiduknow found a doc from Anthony Lima stating Buffalo represented San Francisco after Joe Bonanno was deposed. Given San Francisco's roots with Schiro, it makes sense Magaddino (a Schiro protege) would be relevant to their politics.
- Indications they may have initially represented the Bonannos after Joe Bonanno was deposed which makes sense given Magaddino was a former Bonanno member, his brother-in-law took over the Family, and he shared heritage with much of the Family. The Bonanno Family was recorded consulting with Magaddino in January 1965 about their upcoming boss election, seeking advice on the process, and Magaddino was also said to represent the Bonanno Montreal faction during this period.
- Several sources state Magaddino was something of a senior chairman on the Commission, but there isn't a lot of info beyond the above examples about who he may have represented in the early years of the Commission.

Philadelphia Family
- Joe Ida and then Angelo Bruno served on the Commission but I'm not aware of any Families under them.

Cleveland Family
- Gentile states they were on the original Commission formed in 1931, no indication who they represented if anyone.

New Orleans is the only Family that did not have a Commission seat nor an avugad. Joe Colombo told Greg Scarpa in 1968 that New Orleans was given a special honor as the first US Family by not having to report to the Commission. New Orleans nonetheless consulted with the Commission as a gesture of respect and when they needed external mediation, though they did so with the Commission as a whole, not through a specific avugad.

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Please let me know if I'm mistaken on any of the above details and of course feel free to provide other information related to this. While we are 100% sure of this system and know of many of the formal arrangements, a lot of it is speculative. I'm sure teamwork can clarify some details I'm missing or mistaken on.

I believe it was the Gagliano-Lucchese Family that represented Tampa, not the Profacis. Santo Jr. Was sent to New York to be mentored by Tommy Lucchese by Santo Sr. Lucchese was always quietly in the mix.

[Angelo Santino]

Are there families whom we don't know who represented them?