Russel Buffalino

[Jimmy_the_gent]

Russell Bufalino


Rosario Albert Bufalino, known in the United States as Russell Bufalino, was born on October 29,1903, in Sicily. He became the head of the northeastern Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra family when crime boss Joseph Barbara Sr. died on June 17,1959. Bufalino was credited by federal authorities for "arranging and attending" the 1957 Cosa Nostra convention at Barbara's Apalachin, New York home. About a month after that meeting, the Immigration and Naturalization Service began deportation proceedings against Bufalino. Although he was shown to be deportable on three charges, he fought the order through a dozen years of appeals. When his appeals were finally exhausted in 1973, the Italian Foreign Ministry refused to issue a travel document for Bufalino, effectively blocking his deportation.

Bufalino grew up in Buffalo, New York. After his marriage to Caroline Sciandra, he moved to the Pittston, Pennsylvania area and lived at 304 East Dorrance Avenue, Kingston. He has been involved in a number of businesses in northeastern Pennsylvania and New York, predominantly in the garment industry. According to one Bufalino family member who was his chauffeur and companion, Bufalino traveled to New York City on business three days a week for 20 years. He has also engaged in the selling and purchasing of jewelry, especially diamonds.

Russell Bufalino has twice been tried for extortion and was once convicted. The first case rose out of an alleged plot to beat two cigarette vendors in the Binghamton, New York, area. Bufalino and 15 others were charged with conspiring to extort from the two vending company officials. Testimony at Bufalino's trial stated that the purpose of the conspiracy was to eliminate competition faced by A & G Vending and Amusement Co., which was operated by Bufalino family member Salvatore Aleccia. The charges against four of the defendants were dismissed due to lack of evidence. Bufalino and six others were acquitted of all charges on April 24, 1974.

In October of 1976, Bufalino was again arrested and charged with extortion, along with three others. Allegedly, Bufalino and another person had threatened Jack Napoli, who had gotten $25,000 worth of diamonds from a New York jeweler on credit, using Bufalino's name as a reference. When Napoli's checks and promises of payment were found to be worthless, the jeweler contacted Bufalino. Bufalino or his associate, Michael "Mike" Sparber, supposedly threatened to burn down Napoli's house and assault his wife and children if he did not pay the money back. Napoli also testified that Bufalino had threatened to kill him with his bare hands.

On August 8, 1977, Bufalino was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. He began serving his sentence in August of 1978 at the Danbury Federal Correctional Facility In Connecticut. When Bufalino refused to answer questions put to him by a Dade County, Florida grand jury, he was sentenced to serve six months in the Dade County jail on September 20,1978. The grand jury was investigating the loansharking activities of Frank Gagliardi, a Carlo Gambino crime family member whom Bufalino had previously admitted to knowing a long time. Bufalino served one month of his sentence before being returned to the Danbury federal facility. Gagliardi was subsequently convicted on loansharking charges.

Although Russell Bufalino was convicted of extortion and sentenced to jail, he obtained a 48-hour furlough in September of 1978 for the stated purpose of being with his wife for their 50th wedding anniversary. He attended a private party at Howard Johnson's in Pittston while on furlough which was attended by organized criminals. In the testimony of self-professed mob hit-man Charles Allen, Allen claimed that Bufalino was the leader of a group of men who participated in two murders, three attempted murders, two acts of arson and the embezzlement of union funds from 1973 to 1976.

[Jimmy_the_gent]

Bufalino Family Circa Late 70's

The Bufalino family, which operates in northeastern Pennsylvania, New York State and New York City may be the most powerful Cosa Nostra family in the Commonwealth. While part of this statement reflects the shift in leadership in Philadelphia's Bruno family and the inactivity in Pittsburgh's LaRocca family, the power which is held by Bufalino and his family should not be underrated. The family's 35 members reside in a wide geographic area ranging from the Pittston/Kingston/Wilkes-Barre seat of the family to New York State, Florida, and other Pennsylvania cities.
The influence of the Bufalino family seems to stretch into the areas of several other crime family "territories." In New York, for example, its members operate over central New York State (almost up to the Canadian border) and westward to Geneva, New York. This area was once considered to be controlled by the Magaddino crime family. The situation within that family has been uncertain since Magaddino died in 1974.

A few Bufalino family members center their operations in New York City, the home of several crime families, including the Colombo, Genovese and Galante crime groups. One theory favored by some law enforcement officers is that there are no Magaddino, Bufalino or Genovese crime families that the members in these families are now under the control of Russell Bufalino. That theory, as most, cannot be documented, but here are a few examples of what officials cite as Bufalino's power: Bufalino held at least monthly meetings in Vesuvio's Restaurant in New York City, which crime figures from several states attended. When the 1957 Apalachin meeting was held, several top crime figures gathered at the Hotel Casey in Scranton before going up to the meeting at the home of Joseph Barbara. Bufalino paid the hotel bill. High-ranking crime figures from other families (such as Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino, of the Pittsburgh LaRocca family) have come to northeastern Pennsylvania to visit Bufalino. Bufalino allegedly overruled Angelo Bruno in relation to a contract killing of a labor union official in Bruno's territory in southeastern Pennsylvania. Members of New York organized crime families attend meeting of the Italian-American Civil Rights League Chapter 34, located in Pittston.

The Bufalino family has the longest history of the three Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra families. The earliest Cosa Nostra-connected Sicilian immigrant of record in Pennsylvania was Stephen LaTorre, who came from Montedoro, Sicily, in 1880, and settled in the Pittston area of Luzerne County. Soon afterward, he sent for his friend, Santo Volpe Sr., who became the first boss of the northeastern Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra family. Known as the "Men of Montedoro," the earliest Pennsylvania organized crime leaders belonged to the LaTorre, Volpe and Sciandra families. Their sons today continue to fill leadership positions in the Cosa Nostra. Santo Volpe Sr. began as an impoverished coal miner but, through manipulation, obtained an interest in a number of coal mines. During the 1930s, he became a member of the State Coal Commission, which controlled the tonnage that each company was permitted to mine. Members of the organized crime family gradually took over both coal companies and United Mine Workers Union locals and benefited from the "sweetheart" contracts that they were able to obtain. During the 1930s, Volpe was succeeded as boss by John Sciandra. Sciandra was a partner in the Knox Coal Company in Luzerne County. His son, Angelo J. Sciandra, attended the Cosa Nostra convention at Apalachin, New York, in 1957 and continues to be an active member of Cosa Nostra.

Following Sciandra as boss was Joseph M. Barbara Sr., a convicted bootlegger and suspected murderer from the Scranton area. Barbara moved to Binghamton, New York, and then Apalachin, where he lived in a palatial country estate. As his underboss, he chose Russell Bufalino, the son of Angelo Bufalino, a close friend of Barbara's. After Barbara's death, the control of the northeastern Pennsylvania family was passed to Russell Bufalino. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics has called Bufalino "one of the most ruthless and powerful leaders of the Mafia in the United States."

[JCB1977]

Bufalino Family Circa Late 70's

The Bufalino family, which operates in northeastern Pennsylvania, New York State and New York City may be the most powerful Cosa Nostra family in the Commonwealth. While part of this statement reflects the shift in leadership in Philadelphia's Bruno family and the inactivity in Pittsburgh's LaRocca family, the power which is held by Bufalino and his family should not be underrated. The family's 35 members reside in a wide geographic area ranging from the Pittston/Kingston/Wilkes-Barre seat of the family to New York State, Florida, and other Pennsylvania cities.
The influence of the Bufalino family seems to stretch into the areas of several other crime family "territories." In New York, for example, its members operate over central New York State (almost up to the Canadian border) and westward to Geneva, New York. This area was once considered to be controlled by the Magaddino crime family. The situation within that family has been uncertain since Magaddino died in 1974.

A few Bufalino family members center their operations in New York City, the home of several crime families, including the Colombo, Genovese and Galante crime groups. One theory favored by some law enforcement officers is that there are no Magaddino, Bufalino or Genovese crime families that the members in these families are now under the control of Russell Bufalino. That theory, as most, cannot be documented, but here are a few examples of what officials cite as Bufalino's power: Bufalino held at least monthly meetings in Vesuvio's Restaurant in New York City, which crime figures from several states attended. When the 1957 Apalachin meeting was held, several top crime figures gathered at the Hotel Casey in Scranton before going up to the meeting at the home of Joseph Barbara. Bufalino paid the hotel bill. High-ranking crime figures from other families (such as Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino, of the Pittsburgh LaRocca family) have come to northeastern Pennsylvania to visit Bufalino. Bufalino allegedly overruled Angelo Bruno in relation to a contract killing of a labor union official in Bruno's territory in southeastern Pennsylvania. Members of New York organized crime families attend meeting of the Italian-American Civil Rights League Chapter 34, located in Pittston.

The Bufalino family has the longest history of the three Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra families. The earliest Cosa Nostra-connected Sicilian immigrant of record in Pennsylvania was Stephen LaTorre, who came from Montedoro, Sicily, in 1880, and settled in the Pittston area of Luzerne County. Soon afterward, he sent for his friend, Santo Volpe Sr., who became the first boss of the northeastern Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra family. Known as the "Men of Montedoro," the earliest Pennsylvania organized crime leaders belonged to the LaTorre, Volpe and Sciandra families. Their sons today continue to fill leadership positions in the Cosa Nostra. Santo Volpe Sr. began as an impoverished coal miner but, through manipulation, obtained an interest in a number of coal mines. During the 1930s, he became a member of the State Coal Commission, which controlled the tonnage that each company was permitted to mine. Members of the organized crime family gradually took over both coal companies and United Mine Workers Union locals and benefited from the "sweetheart" contracts that they were able to obtain. During the 1930s, Volpe was succeeded as boss by John Sciandra. Sciandra was a partner in the Knox Coal Company in Luzerne County. His son, Angelo J. Sciandra, attended the Cosa Nostra convention at Apalachin, New York, in 1957 and continues to be an active member of Cosa Nostra.

Following Sciandra as boss was Joseph M. Barbara Sr., a convicted bootlegger and suspected murderer from the Scranton area. Barbara moved to Binghamton, New York, and then Apalachin, where he lived in a palatial country estate. As his underboss, he chose Russell Bufalino, the son of Angelo Bufalino, a close friend of Barbara's. After Barbara's death, the control of the northeastern Pennsylvania family was passed to Russell Bufalino. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics has called Bufalino "one of the most ruthless and powerful leaders of the Mafia in the United States."

Thanks Gent, great info

[phatmatress]

I work in the environmental field. The cost for these clean ups are incredible.

What is the average job costs Cheech?

i know in my industry (gas wells) it costs millions a day for us to destroy the envoirment


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rayray]

Buffalino sure as hell doesn't come across as a family, more like one of those well connected political mafia figures. That piece that Jimmy the Gent posted described the family as 35 members widely spread out. One has to wonder how he gained so much power and held it for such a long time?

[JCB1977]

Buffalino sure as hell doesn't come across as a family, more like one of those well connected political mafia figures. That piece that Jimmy the Gent posted described the family as 35 members widely spread out. One has to wonder how he gained so much power and held it for such a long time?

How he gained his power? RB was one of the most influential mob chieftain's in the country. I am not sure how many members they had at their peak, but I thought it was around 50-60. He was very close with the NY bosses as well as Philly, Pittsburgh, Detroit & Cleveland.

[willychichi]

I was watching a couple of the "Irish Mob" episodes on Netflix last night, which are pretty decent, and they talked about Frank Sheeran's relationship with Russell Buffalino a little bit. I was wondering if JCB, FOH or any of you guys could shed some more light on Sheeran's connections with Pittston? Thanks!

[OlBlueEyesClub]

Sheeran talks about in "I Heard You Paint Houses". He says he was pretty much Buffalino's right hand man when it came to the unions and interaction with Hoffa, and running guns for Buffalino. He claims Buffalino assigned him on a couple of hits as well, a couple which were ordered by Bruno. He speaks on one situation specifically of getting a contract to murder some Philly guy in AC, I think. He talks about having a drop on this individual but for a reason I'm forgetting, it never went through. I always assumed that he might've been referring to Scarfo, as Leonetti accounts a similar story in "Mafia Prince" about hearing how, some Pennsylvania mob boss had sent a "big, Irish guy" down to AC to kill Scarfo, Leonetti also says how he was hearing how this individual had been watching them, and he says how he scared the guy away by confronting him in some bar. Sheeran never mentions being ran off by anyone, but I also thought the two stories had some similarities. I don't know for sure though, and that's just a couple of guesses on my end. Hopefully some guys can get more in depth in regards to Sheeran & Buffalino's connections.

[willychichi]

Sheeran talks about in "I Heard You Paint Houses". He says he was pretty much Buffalino's right hand man when it came to the unions and interaction with Hoffa, and running guns for Buffalino. He claims Buffalino assigned him on a couple of hits as well, a couple which were ordered by Bruno. He speaks on one situation specifically of getting a contract to murder some Philly guy in AC, I think. He talks about having a drop on this individual but for a reason I'm forgetting, it never went through. I always assumed that he might've been referring to Scarfo, as Leonetti accounts a similar story in "Mafia Prince" about hearing how, some Pennsylvania mob boss had sent a "big, Irish guy" down to AC to kill Scarfo, Leonetti also says how he was hearing how this individual had been watching them, and he says how he scared the guy away by confronting him in some bar. Sheeran never mentions being ran off by anyone, but I also thought the two stories had some similarities. I don't know for sure though, and that's just a couple of guesses on my end. Hopefully some guys can get more in depth in regards to Sheeran & Buffalino's connections.

Thanks OldBlueEyesClub! I didn't know about the Philly contract, much appreciated. Do you think he had anything to do with Hoffa's disappearance?

[Kash]

My mother was a ballet dancer in Wilks Barre in the early 80s. When her father died during that time, she couldn't get a flight back home to the south. A Buffalino pulled a string and got here home. She said they were good guys in the neighborhood and helped folks out.

[baldo]

Here's an article on Phil Testa's death and mentions that Sheeran was at the funeral...

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/03/21/ ... 353998800/

PHILADELPHIA -- One year ago today, Mafia don Angelo Bruno, 69, known as the 'gentleman don,' was shot to death in front of his home as he prepared to get out of a car.

The day before the first anniversary of Bruno's violent death, Philip 'Chicken Man' Testa, 56, his reputed sucessor as Philadelphia's mob leader, was buried near Bruno's grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in suburban Yeadon.

Testa was killed by a bomb Sunday as he approached the front door of his South Philadelphia home.

Several federal and local law enforcement sources believe the Testa killing was another in a series of moves by New York-based crime families to secure control of casino gambling-related rackets in Atlantic City.

About 300 mourners attended Testa's funeral and burial Friday, including Frank 'Chickie' Narducci, 48, another reputed mob figure, who waved to television cameras as the limousines headed for the cemetery.

Testa, who was indicted last month along with Narducci and eight other alleged organized crime figures on racketeering charges, was buried in the same cemetery as Bruno and another Bruno loyalist, Frank Sindone, 52. Sindone was found shot to death last October.

Testa, who got his nickname from the days when he sold chickens in the Italian Market in South Philadelphia, died from injuries suffered in the explosion of a mine filled with nails as he approached the front door of his house about 3 a.m. EST Sunday. He died an hour later.

The Pennsylvania Crime Commission in its 1980 report identified Testa and Sindone as two of Bruno's top men in gambling and loansharking in the gentelman don's Delaware-New Jersey-Philadelphia territory.

Four other longtime Bruno allies have been shot to death since Bruno was killed.

No obvious candidates stood out as Testa's successor.

Among his mourners were several of Bruno reputed 'family' members; Wilmington, Del., Teamsters boss Frank Sheeran; Raymond 'Long John' Martorano, whose vending machine company listed Bruno as a cigarette salesman; Joseph 'Chickie' Ciancaglini, former bodyguard to Sindone, and Nicodemo 'Little Nicky' Scarfo, Bruno's alleged underboss in Atlantic City.

[JCB1977]

According to the 1990 Pennsylvania Crime Commission Report, here is what they have on the Bufalino Family:

As the 1980s began, the Bufalino
La Cos a Nostra Family was considered
the most powerful in Pennsylvania.
Its members had both legitimate
and illegal business interests.
It had a strong membership and an
ongoing leadership. It was accepted
by the five New York LCN Families
and allowed to maintain business
interests in New York. Its boss,
Russell Bufalino, of Kingston, was one
of the few remaining bosses who had
been born in Sicily. However, this
once formidable LCN Family today is
weakened, and its future is doubtful.
It is predicted that this Family will
fade out as its members die or align
themselves with other, more vital
Families.

The Bufalino Family has operated in
Northeastern Pennsylvania, in New
York City, in the "Southern Tier" of
New York (i.e., the Binghamton,
Endicott, and Endwell area), and in
Florida. The Family's power originated
in labor racketeering in the
region's garment and coal industries.
Its illegal activities have included
narcotics trafficking, loansharking,
gambling, theft, fencing of stolen
goods, counterfeiting, extortion, and
labor racketeering. It has maintained
working relationships with other LCN
Families and with non-traditional organized
crime groups such as outlaw
motorcycle gangs.

Today, Russell Bufalino has retired
as boss; and an acting boss, Edward
Sciandra, of Bellmore, Long Island,
NY, has been appointed. Despite
Bufalino's retirement and the neardecade
of his incarceration which
preceded it, the Family's interests in
the geographic region it covers have
been maintained; but the traditional
LCN hierarchy is weakened, and its
area is considered virtually "open
territory" to all Families.

[JCB1977]

1990 PA Crime Commission Report: Reports of 33 made members in 1980.

History of the
Bufalino Family

The Bufalino LCN Family traces its
origins to the 1880s in the Pittston
area of Luzerne County. The earliest
Cosa Nostra-connected Sicilian
immigrant of record in Pennsylvania
was Stephen LaTorre, who came from
Montedoro, Sicily, in 1880 and settled
in Pittston. LaTorre was followed by
a friend, Santo Volpe, Sr., who became
the first boss of the Northeastern
Pennsylvania Family.

Santo Volpe, Sr., started out as a coal miner
but, through manipulation, received
an interest in a number of coal mines.
During the 1930s, he became a member
of the State Coal Commission,
which controlled the tonnage that
each company was permitted to mine.
Members of the Crime Family gradually
took over coal companies, controlled
the United Mine Workers Union
locals, and benefited from the" sweetheart"
contracts which they were able
to obtain.

Later in the 1930s, Volpe was succeeded
as boss by John Sciandra, a
partner in the Knox Coal Company in
Luzerne County. (His son, Angelo
Sciandra, died in 1 987, a member of
the Bufalino Family.) Sciandra's successor
was Joseph M. Barbara, Sr.,
a convicted bootlegger and suspected
murderer from the Scranton area.
Barbara moved to Binghamton, NY,
and then to Apalachin, NY, where he
lived in a palatial country estate. As
his underboss, he chose Russell
Bufalino, the son of his close friend
Angelo Bufalino. The 1957 summit
meeting of La Cosa Nostra figures
was held at Barbara's estate.

Bufalino was credited by federal authorities
with "arranging and attending"
the Apalachin Conference. He paid
the bill at the Hotel Casey, in
Scranton, for several top crime figures
who had gathered there prior to the
meeting.

In 1959, after Barbara's death, the
control of the Northeastern Pennsylvania
Family passed to Bufalino.
Federal authorities once described him
as "one of the most ruthless and
powerful leaders of the Mafia in the
United States." Bufalino grew up in
Buffalo, NY. After his marriage to
Caroline Sciandra, he moved to
Pittston and then to Kingston. He was
involved in a number of businesses
in Northeastern Pennsylvania and New
York, predominantly in the garment
industry. Also, he has bought and
sold jewelry and has shown a special
interest in diamonds.

The Bufalino Family's power originated
in labor racketeering in the
region's garment and coal industries.
For many years, Bufalino made
weekly trips from Pennsylvania to
New York City. Declines in these
industries have made the Bufalino
territory a less fertile setting for
traditional organized crime activities,
and for the recruitment of new
members or associates. That
stagnation is reflected in the current
list of Family mernbers, which has not
increased since the last 10-year
report. The Bufalino Family has not
opened its "books" since the late
1970s presumably because of Bufalino's
apparent reluctance to recruit
new members. In 1980, the Family
had 33 known members (including
Bufalino). This 1990 report documents
only 11 "active" members. As
noted above, there were 11 deaths
during the decade. Bufalino recently
was replaced as boss; and Edward
Sciandra, former capo and then consigliere,
has taken over as acting
boss.

It has been decided by the LCN
Commission that the Bufalino Family
will not be permitted to accept new
members, nor will the Commission
allow the Bufalino Family to appoint
a new boss. Other LCN Families have
been given permission to operate in
former Bufalino territories. The Family
may ultimately die of attrition. Currently,
the remaining active members
of the Bufalino LCN appear to be
increasingly autonomous operators
without any central control. They
are expected to continue to operate
in this manner or to join another
Family.

It appears likely that the Gambino
and/or the Genovese LCN Families of
New Yor~ will assume control over
many of the Bufalino crime activities
in New York, and that they will become
more active in Northeastern
Pennsylvania. Already, a number of
organized crime figures maintain
second residences in the Poconos,
including John Gotti, Jr., son of
Gambino LCN boss John Gotti. Associates
of the Genovese LCN Family
have also been active in criminal pursuits
in Northeastern Pennsylvania in
the latter part of the 1980s. For
example, Robert Rinaldi has operated
a large-scale bookmaking operation in
Northeastern Pennsylvania which has
accepted layoff action from other area
bookmakers. This operation has been
affiliated with John "Moose" Marrone,
an operative of tho Genovese LCN
Family.

The decline of the Bufalino Family
in Pennsylvania may be a two-edged
sword. There is less of a threat from
an indigenous LCN Family, but an
increased threat from powerful New
York Families. They may fill the
criminal enterprise void by joining
their resources with the ongoing
activities and networks of Bufalino
Family members and associates. This
situation could mean more, rather
than less, organized crime activity in the area.

[JCB1977]

Click on link below. The FBI reports only 40 made members at its height with 75 associates.

http://citizensvoice.com/news/the-rise- ... -1.1175897

[JCB1977]

Per 1990 PA Crime Commission Report on OC:

The Operating Style of the Bufalino Family


As with other LCN Families operating
throughout the United States,
the Bufalino Family normally maintained
a hierarchy consi:tjng of boss,
underboss, consigliere, caporegime,
soldiers, and associates. As the
1980s progressed, however, the hierarchy
tended to become less important,
as much ofthe Family's leadership
became incapacitated through
illness or incarceration. As the leadership
lost its ability to govern, certain
soldiers, such as William D'Elia, assumed
additional responsibilities.

Now, Edward Sciandra, consigliereto
the Family, functions as its acting
boss, while the Family has been left
without an underboss following the
death of James Osticco. Further,
with the death of Anthony Frank
Guarnieri, the Family has no active
caporegime. Consequently, the soldiers
operate in a semi-autonomous
fashion, aithough they do use the
Family's connections to other LCN
Families to further their ventures.

The Bufalino Crime Family relies on
a New York-based LCN Family for its
representation before the National
LCN Commission. For a number of
years, the Bufalino Family has been
represented before the Commission
by the Colombo LCN Family. The
Colombo LCN Family, too, has declined
over the decade. It has been
decimated by prosecutions and an
aging membership, and no longer
commands the power and influence
it once had in New York City. The
operating style of the Bufalino LCN
Family resembles that of the New
York Families in regard to its funneling
of monies, from the enterprises of
associates and soldiers, up the chain
of command to the caporegimes and,
eventually, to the boss. This similarity
to New York Families is to be expected,
since Russell Bufalino spent
much of his time in New York City;
and he, as well as several of his members,
regularly dealt with members of
the New York City-based Families.

A prime example of the funneling of
monies up through the hierarchy Can
be seen in a recent labor racketeering
case agajnst the Binghamton crew of
the Bufalino LCN Family. In that
scheme, Anthony Mosco, Sr., a soldier
in the Family, as well as several
associates ofthe Family, were extorting
monies from truckers working on
an interstate construction project. A
portion of the monies extorted by
Mosco, as well as monies from other
ventures, was later funneled from
Mosco to Guarnieri, who was entitled
to a portion of the monies because of
his position as Family capo. Although
Mosco complained that Guarnieri
always wanted a "cut," he recognized
Guarnieri's status and paid the monies
accordingly. Similarly, during the
1970s, Russell Bufalino and Guarnieri
received monies for every item made
by a garment business owned by a
soldier of the 8ufalino LCN Family,
who was under Guarnieri's control.
Russell Bufalino benefited from the
illegal ventures of both his soldiers
and close Family associates. For example,
during the 1970s and early
1980s, Bufalino benefited from the
labor racketeering activities of Frank
Sheeran, a Teamster official who was
a close associate of Bufalino. Interestingly,
Sheeran had been an associate
of the Bruno LCN Family and
was given to Bufalino by Angelo
Bruno, boss of that Family. A member
of the Bruno/Scarfo LCN Family
has advised that Angelo Bruno also
turned over to Russell Bufalino the
services of Donald Cabello, a Bufalino
Family associate from Philadelphia.
According to Philip .Leonetti, underboss
of the Scarfo Family who became
a government witness, Cabello
subsequently provided Bufalino with
up to $250,000 per year obtained
from his drug trafficking.

The Bufalino Family, like other LCN
Families, maintained a territory and
demanded "tribute" from other LCN
groups operating in their territory. An
example of Bufalino's strength in
exacting this tribute was revealed in
an intercepted cOllversation between
Salvatore Avellino, a member of the
Lucchese LCN Family, and Salvatore
Santoro, then the underboss of that
Family. The conversation referred to
Mike Pappadio, a brother of Andimo
Pappadio (deceased), who was formerly a ranking member of the
Lucchese LCN Family.

SANTORO: ... Russell Bufalino, you
know Russell Bufalino, well, Mikey
went out there, there was nothing,
and Mikey Pappadio, he started to
create things out in Pennsylvania, out
in the f ... coal mines you hear. And
this Russell Bufalino started to come
forward, you know, like, this is my
stomping grounds, you come from
New York, you know, so they were
giving him a little piece of this ...