General Mob Questions

[Sullycantwell]

Are there any books on the Pittsburgh mafia? I have “crimetown USA” and “little Chicago” are there any others?

[Shellackhead]

Who was behind the murder of Eli Zeccardi?

[DonPeppino386]

Who was behind the murder of Eli Zeccardi?

I’ve done a lot of research on this. There are three prevailing theories: Funzi Tieri , the purple gang (east Harlem, possibly at the behest of Funzi) , The Westies (demanded 200K which was apparently paid but Zeccardi still disappeared.

[DonPeppino386]

Guys, I was looking at the Lufthansa heist, and there's a part that talks about the "Red Baron"? what exactly would that expression be? I found some news talking about this too, what does that mean?

Interesting, I just finished DeSefanos Lufthansa book and don't recall that being mentioned. Alot of interesting info in the Asaros in that book.

[aleksandrored]

Guys, I was looking at the Lufthansa heist, and there's a part that talks about the "Red Baron"? what exactly would that expression be? I found some news talking about this too, what does that mean?

Interesting, I just finished DeSefanos Lufthansa book and don't recall that being mentioned. Alot of interesting info in the Asaros in that book.

I saw in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkBezhk4htE

[Sullycantwell]

Does anyone know how to get Vincent Gigante’s trial transcripts for free?

[JoeNGallo]

Does anyone have information about these two guys?

Fear-City.jpg

This is from the Netflix Fear City documentary. Photo is circa early 1980. Joe N. Gallo is also pictured outside the same shop in another photo.

Thanks in advance.

[nizarsoccer]

What was Thomas Petrizzo (Colombo) birth date?

[Sullycantwell]

Who do you guys think was on the original commission? Buffalo or Cleveland?

[Wiseguy]

Who do you guys think was on the original commission? Buffalo or Cleveland?

Buffalo

[Sullycantwell]

Who do you guys think was on the original commission? Buffalo or Cleveland?

Buffalo

Are there other sources besides Bonanno, who to be fair is a great source, that say Buffalo was on it? Gentile and Lonardo, as you probably know, both said Cleveland was.

[Amershire_Ed]

Are there any books on the Pittsburgh mafia? I have “crimetown USA” and “little Chicago” are there any others?

Not a book, but there’s a podcast called Crooked City that is about Youngstown, Ohio. Lotta Pittsburgh and Cleveland guys are discussed in it.

[jimmi_beans8]

always wonder if favara hit was sanctioned by big paul

[Pogo The Clown]

Another Boardwalk Empire question. In the show it is heavily implied that Capone was behind the attempted murder of Johnny Torrio. Was this just artistic license or was there something to this? All accounts have the hit being carried out by the North Side gang in retaliation for the murder of Dion O'Bannion.


Also since Torrio stepped away from the scene in 1925 I'm assuming he never became an inducted member of LCN despite his pivotal role in forming the Chicago mob?


Pogo

[PolackTony]

Another Boardwalk Empire question. In the show it is heavily implied that Capone was behind the attempted murder of Johnny Torrio. Was this just artistic license or was there something to this? All accounts have the hit being carried out by the North Side gang in retaliation for the murder of Dion O'Bannion.


Also since Torrio stepped away from the scene in 1925 I'm assuming he never became an inducted member of LCN despite his pivotal role in forming the Chicago mob?


Pogo

The Chicago papers published articles in the ‘20s implicating Capone in the attack on Torrio in order to drive him out of town. I personally doubt that and assume that the attack on Torrio was indeed executed by the O’Bannion gang, but maybe the authors of the show came across one of those accounts. We don’t have an insider account of what happened with Torrio, however, and sometimes these things turn out to have played out differently than we would assume given the info at hand. For example, most accounts have assumed that Joe Aiello had Tony Lombardo clipped, but Nick Gentile claimed that Lombardo was actually whacked by Capone on the orders of Masseria. By all appearances Capone and Lombardo were personally close, so it wouldn’t seem like Capone was behind it, but that’s what Gentile says and we don’t have a better source to discount his claim.

No info specifically indicating that Torrio was a member of the mafia, so far as I know, has ever surfaced. I think that it’s possible that he could’ve been inducted into the Genovese Family at some point, but he may have just remained a highly respected associate of the mafia (I think it’s possible that Colosimo could’ve been a member as well, as we know that Diamond Joe Esposito was made by Chicago. Just a personal speculation and we may never be able to confirm or deny it). The closest that I’ve seen to Torrio being called a member came in Bill Bonanno’s “Last Testament”, where Bill cited Torrio (who attended Bill and Rosalie’s wedding) as an example of a guy who retired from the life, without explicitly stating that he was a member of a particular Borgata.