What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Discuss all mafia families in the U.S., Canada, Italy, and everywhere else in the world.

Moderator: Capos

JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

There were several families operating in Trenton, New Jersey; information about the city can get confusing.

I'm making this post to share what I know and organize the information that's readily available. If you know anything about the Mafia in Trenton, you can share it in this thread.

Members:

Philadelphia Family:

- Albert Pontani
- Carl Ippolito
- Charles Costello
- John Simone
- Joseph Costello

Gambino Family:

- Andrew Avellino
- Anthony Tassone
- Joseph Farinella
- Nicholas Russo

DeCavalcante Family

- Frank DeCavalcante
- Sam DeCavalcante
baldo
Straightened out
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2015 1:24 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by baldo »

Pat spirito- Philly
Girolamo guarraggi- decav
Iavarone - Philly (not sure if made)
Mike tramonatana- unsure which family

A lot of bookies and loan sharks back in the day (probably still today).
User avatar
Pogo The Clown
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 14146
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:02 am

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by Pogo The Clown »

baldo wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 3:16 pm Mike tramonatana- unsure which family

Philly.


Pogo
It's a new morning in America... fresh, vital. The old cynicism is gone. We have faith in our leaders. We're optimistic as to what becomes of it all. It really boils down to our ability to accept. We don't need pessimism. There are no limits.
Stopflexing
Straightened out
Posts: 146
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:20 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by Stopflexing »

Didn’t the Luccheses have a crew in Trenton?

Is there much action in Trenton these days? Trenton seems like it’s turning into another Camden
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

baldo wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 3:16 pm Iavarone - Philly (not sure if made)
Was this Dominick Iavarone?
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

Pogo The Clown wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:24 pm
baldo wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 3:16 pm Mike tramonatana- unsure which family

Philly.


Pogo
Wow apparently he was “Daylight”. I kept seeing the name in different reports but I never realized they figured out who he was.
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

Image

Messimo Pontani of Trenton was arrested with the Accardi brothers and Charles Todaro, noted Newark mobsters. They were all involved in an alcohol still in Vineland, NJ.

Messimo Pontani was Albert “Reds” Pontani’s father. This was his census information (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4XN-Z9W). He was probably an associate, I don’t think that he was made.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by B. »

This thread is from 2017 and there might be a couple mistakes (Freddy Salerno may not have been made yet for example) but it breaks down the Simone crew which included the Trenton members:

https://theblackhand.club/forum/viewtop ... =32&t=2846

Not to self-promote but this article is about Freddy Felice who was a FL-based member of the crew and includes a lot of info on the Trenton Villalbesi with the Simone crew:

https://mafia.substack.com/p/philadelph ... lorida-man

Ignazio DiGirolamo is one I'm not sure about. He was from Marsala and there is conflicting info on whether he was w/ Philly or the DeCavalcantes. Marsala would fit the early Philly Trenton guys from Campobello (the Maggios) but there's a wiretap that indicates he may have been with Elizabeth.

Pietro Giallombardo was an important Trenton guy early on but hard to tell if he was w/ Philly or the Gambinos. His brother Giuseppe was an early Gambino member and they were connected to the Trainas, but Philly also had guys from Belmonte Mezzagno and Jimmy Gioe was a Trenton Philly member from there.
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

B. wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 7:37 pm This thread is from 2017 and there might be a couple mistakes (Freddy Salerno may not have been made yet for example) but it breaks down the Simone crew which included the Trenton members:

https://theblackhand.club/forum/viewtop ... =32&t=2846
Thanks! This looks like a big boost
B. wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 7:37 pm Not to self-promote but this article is about Freddy Felice who was a FL-based member of the crew and includes a lot of info on the Trenton Villalbesi with the Simone crew:

https://mafia.substack.com/p/philadelph ... lorida-man
Excellent read, but boy what a bizarre story. I'd heard the name before but I didn't know much about him.
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

Trenton Members:

Philadelphia Family:

-Albert Pontani - 1927-93
-Carl Ippolito - 1908-85
-Charles Costello - 1910-94
-Frank Pollastrelli - 1907-86
-John Simone - 1911-80
-Joseph Altimari - 1939-04
-Joseph Costello - 1925-64
-Joseph Costello - 1932-07
-Michael Amico - 1904-71
-Michael Cammerota - 1927-64
-Michael Tramonatana - 1908-79
-Pasquale Spirito - 1939-83

Gambino Family:

-Anthony Tassone - 1926-09
-Andrew Avellino - 1912-63
-Joseph Farinella - 1930-01
-Nicholas Russo - 1910-85

These members were a part of the Brooklyn based Aurello-Gravano crew

DeCavalcante Family

-Frank DeCavalcante - 1890-50
-Girolamo Guarraggi - 1949-21
-Sam DeCavalcante - 1912-97

Unclear:

-Ignazio DiGirolamo - 1935-2004
-Pietro Giallombardo
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by B. »

Other Philly members:

Vincenzo Gioe
Salvatore Gioe
Michele Maggio
Giuseppe Maggio

Maggios later moved.
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

I wasn’t able to find much on Pietro Giallombardo. I think this was his 1930 census (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4XJ-XZ4) which would make his birth ~1886.

Going by what was said in the Newark family thread about his ties to Traina and his brother being a Gambino member, my guess is that he was the one who started their presence in Trenton.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by B. »

I can see him being w/ Philly since he attended the meeting where John Bazzano was condemned and killed. The other two PA Families and Buffalo were repped but Philly is absent. If he was a Gambino soldier I'm not sure why he'd need to attend from Trenton but it could go either way.

This is him in 1932:

Image
JoelTurner
Full Patched
Posts: 1024
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:09 pm

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by JoelTurner »

Antonio “Tony Bananas” Caponigro’s first arrest was in Trenton. He would have been ~16.

Image

—————

He was arrested again in Trenton in 1934

Image
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: What do You Know about the Mafia in Trenton?

Post by B. »

Awesome find.

What's weird is he lived in Philly during his late youth and as you found was active in Trenton, which would later oversee the Newark members of the Philly Family, but somehow he ended up on record with Albert Anastasia (both Fresolone and Licata said this) before being released to Philly.

Was he an associate of the Gambino Family's Trenton crew originally or what exactly happened?
Post Reply