Chris Christie wrote: ↑Fri Oct 21, 2022 5:11 am
Phil Bacino is an interesting situation given that he never lived in Elizabeth. Maybe he was voted in as an absentee/traveling boss? As we know, a Rappresentante isn't an on-the-scene director, his job is a represent his group politically. I don't see any reason why Bacino couldn't do that from afar. It would be a very rare occurrence and the closest examples we have of that is Maranzano who was Trapani Provincial boss who lived in Palermo and John Tronolone in Florida who never lived in Cleveland and retired from Youngstown I believe to Florida in the 1960's and was made boss/representative in the 1980's. Joe Bruno and Joe Idea could be other examples but they weren't too far from Philly.
That's a really interesting idea that I hadn't considered.
I still feel like the distance would be an issue. Even if you're not there daily, any interaction would be tough. Air travel was in its infancy, the interstate hadn't been built yet.
Plus, in terms of representing his group politically, wouldn't someone in the NYC area make more sense? Tronlone in Florida was able to mingle with people from different families; Maranzano was probably doing the same thing in Palermo. Bacino in Calumet City, IL would have been much more limited.
Also, why Bacino? He would have been in his 20s, I understand this was an era where people rose up young like Joe Bonanno, but that's still pretty young. Why not some older figure living in the area?
Without more info I'm hesitant to include Bacino as a boss, but when that first came up on the RealDeal from Rotondo's cooperation nobody had ever linked Bacino publicly to the DeCavalcantes and more evidence has continued to surface about Bacino's very close relationship to his NYC/NJ compaesani. He's definitely not a random name pulled out of a hat and the fact that an NYC non-Sicilian made in the 1980s like Rotondo was even aware of him is important.
While Bacino's attendance at 1928 Cleveland was probably as an aide to Chicago boss and fellow Riberese Pasquale LoLordo, it does raise questions about Bacino's stature at the time. Even if he was a soldier in the Chicago Family it lends itself to him being a well-connected and respected figure.
My opinion right now is that either Michele or Giuseppe Merlo was a boss or admin member early on. There was one informant who mentioned Phil Amari being the top guy by the late 1930s so he may have become boss then. Along with the Merlos, Amari was one of the co-founders of the Ribera Club in the 1920s after he moved to NJ from NYC.
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Thinking of their geography, these are locations where we know they've had members:
Manhattan / Queens - As early as 1892 but obviously we can't confirm if these Riberesi were members. It's probable there were some
Brooklyn / Staten Island / Florida - Frank Cocchiaro (Riberese) recruited most of these guys later in the 1970s/80s. Mostly non-Sicilian
Elizabeth, NJ - Merlos and Riggis (Riberese) settled there beginning around 1907, haven't found evidence of anyone before them
Connecticut - Future NYC-based capodecina (Riberese) lived there by mid-late 1910s and this colony likely recruited the non-Sicilians
Trenton - Captain Frank Rizzo DeCavalcante (Palermitan) had a house there by the 1920s and moved there full-time by the 1930s
Marlboro NY - At least three members lived or had residences. A Sicilian community existed there that also connected to the Bonannos
New Orleans - Non-Sicilian member from NJ/CT lived there in the 1970s and brought five unknown guys with him to meet with the NJ leadership
Also questions about Delaware / Philly, where a Riberese affiliate lived whose father was Nicola Gentile's close friend. He was arrested once for gambling and was also a LoLordo cousin, noted by the FBI for being in contact with Joe LoLordo.
While not all members were from Ribera I believe heritage in Ribera and neighboring towns played a bigger role in the development of the Family than a single geographic location in the US. Notice there's little evidence of them in Newark proper.
We can see too that even though the Chicago Riberesi were members of that Family, three of them were involved with the NJ Ribera Club.
Also we should include Joseph Miranda as a possible member. He is referenced on the DeCavalcante tapes but his membership isn't confirmed yet by then I don't think.
Tony dug into Miranda for us and found his family was most likely from Partinico. Along with LaMela and LaBarbera (Tampa-born Agrigentini) he was one of the guys with a presence in Marlboro NY.
Chris Christie wrote: ↑Fri Oct 21, 2022 5:11 am
Phil Bacino is an interesting situation given that he never lived in Elizabeth. Maybe he was voted in as an absentee/traveling boss? As we know, a Rappresentante isn't an on-the-scene director, his job is a represent his group politically. I don't see any reason why Bacino couldn't do that from afar. It would be a very rare occurrence and the closest examples we have of that is Maranzano who was Trapani Provincial boss who lived in Palermo and John Tronolone in Florida who never lived in Cleveland and retired from Youngstown I believe to Florida in the 1960's and was made boss/representative in the 1980's. Joe Bruno and Joe Idea could be other examples but they weren't too far from Philly.
Plus, in terms of representing his group politically, wouldn't someone in the NYC area make more sense? Tronlone in Florida was able to mingle with people from different families; Maranzano was probably doing the same thing in Palermo. Bacino in Calumet City, IL would have been much more limited.
This is not an argument for Bacino having ever been boss, but at least as of 1928 he was living in the city (meaning Chicago) which was where his paesani from Ribera were based. Train connections between Chicago and NYC were very robust (there was the famous “20th Century Limited” which ran express between the two cities and was heavily used), so he could’ve gotten back and forth relatively (in context) easily I think. We can’t confirm Bacino in Cal City until the 30s (which is a suburb immediately adject to Chicago, so it still wouldn’t have done much to complicate any travels).
Last edited by PolackTony on Fri Oct 21, 2022 6:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Something to consider too is that even though NYC was already established as the political headquarters of American Cosa Nostra, Chicago / Indiana apparently had three Families at the time (in addition to the other Wisconsin and Illinois Families) and there could have been a political reason to have a rappresentante there even if he was remote especially given the Riberese power base in Chicago at the time. Outside of NYC/ NJ, that part of the country had the most Families and Chicago was a vital area. Given the DeCavalcantes had crews and members over a wide geography later it's hard to say what kind of limitations would be in place.
Another factor to consider is that Al Capone was a Chicago-based Genovese associate then a Genovese capodecina before he joined the Chicago Family. This could indicate there was other precedent for East Coast Families to have a member or even leader in Chicago despite how impractical it seems. It's something we'll likely never be able to confirm but if we could find more evidence of Bacino frequently traveling to NYC/NJ it could provide further support. What I can say is it's not impossible.
With the 1928 Cleveland meeting there is heavy representation from New Jersey. All of the NJ attendees are most likely part of the Newark Family and aside from LoLordo and Bacino there's no obvious connection to the DeCavalcantes at the meeting. Even if Bacino was a Chicago soldier at the time (most likely), he could have represented DeCavalcante Family interests at the meeting on their behalf.
Pasquale LoLordo was likely a DeCavalcante member before Chicago depending on when he was made, especially with his brother becoming a DeCavalcante captain. He lived in New York for significantly longer than Bacino and they appear to have moved to Chicago around the same time. I suspect Michele Merlo becoming Chicago boss (from Sambuca near Ribera) was a factor in their move. Be interesting if the Riberese Elizabeth resident Michele Merlo was a boss around the same time as the Chicago Michele Merlo.
Last edited by B. on Fri Oct 21, 2022 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Consider too how significant the Riberesi / Agrigentini were from that period:
- Pasquale LoLordo becomes Chicago boss in 1928
- Jim DeGeorge eventually becomes a Chicago capodecina
- Joe LoLordo leaves Chicago and eventually becomes DeCav capodecina
- Joe Caterinicchia is most likely Birmingham boss circa early 1920s
- Pasquale Miceli from nearby Burgio (where Bacino's ancestry originally comes from) leaves Chicago and becomes STL boss
- Michele Merlo from nearby Sambuca is Chicago boss in the early 1920s and influential nationally
- Vincenzo LoCicero from Calamonaci (essentially Ribera) is head of the Gambino Agrigento faction before his death in the 1920s
- The DeCavalcantes likely have their own Family in NYC/NJ with its own representation in the shadow of NYC / Newark
Phil Bacino is in the mix with all of these guys. Pasquale Amari of Birmingham is related through marriage to Bacino's Chicago friend Nicola Diana and NJ's Phil Amari, so the Birmingham leadership(?) can be linked to Chicago and NYC/NJ as well.
thekiduknow wrote: ↑Fri Oct 21, 2022 4:35 am
Is there an approximate date on when those conversations took place? I have the transcripts so I can try and find them and see if there's any more info/context.
The meeting with the Perrones was March 29, 1965. The other references to Patrino and the Perrones are from mid and late June 1965. There is also another reference to Patrino somewhere but I'm having trouble finding it.
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I don't see anything specifically indicating the Perrones were made. The FBI noted that Jerry Perrone was likely Gerard Perrone of 2 Algonquin Drive, Cranford, NJ.
Larusso said that Jerry's brother in law was Arthur Roccamonte, who was an associate of Joseph Stracci for many years in the garment district. He says specifically Roccamonte was not an "amico nos", but "is highly recommended by Stracci and Stracci's people". Larusso wanted to get Roccamonte to meet with DeCavalcante so he could try and get Roccamonte to get the Perrones to act right towards Quarino's daughter. They noted that Roccamonte lived at 1703 Mildred Avenue, Lindon NJ, so you had the right one. The transcript does refer to them as "Ferrone" at one point.
The transcript of DeCavalcante and Partino does read like he's made, with the FBI translator noting that while they talked Sicilian, "amico nos" was noted a few times in their conversation.
So neither of the two different meetings where the Perrones/Ferrones were mentioned indicate Jerry was a member? The Sam the Plumber book is pretty good about that distinction so wondering what gave them the impression.
If they mention "amico nos" in the meeting with Patrino he should def be included as a possible member. Is "Patrino" how they carry the name throughout the transcript?
JOSEPH ANTHONY MIRANDA
(Joseph Mirando, The Old Man)
DOB: Dec 7 1923
F: Joseph Miranda
M: Pauline
W: Marie
Occupation: Bartender
Address: Volpe Ln, Marlboro, NY
Previous Address: 400 E 78th St, NYC, NY; 345 E 76th St, NYC, NY;
Death: Dec 24 2014
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For a boss who died in 2014 and was famous enough to have his own Wikipedia page, I can barely find anything on him.
Concerning his Marlboro, NY address, the feds didn’t give a house number. Also, as far as I can tell, there isn’t a Volpe Lane
Looks like 'Thr Old Man' nickname for Miramda was made up on Wikipedia. I can find no other reference to him having that nickname.
Great work Joel.
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The Galletta surname was also one of the first Riberese surnames who arrived to Manhattan in the early 1890s. Chicago captain Jim DeGeorge was also related to Gallettas
Pietro was part of the Ribera Club orphanage committee and it's evident from the DeCav tapes he was an esteemed member though he was "just" a soldier.
