"Mafia Bloodlines: A Society Unto Themselves" articles

[Ivan]

B. if Ivan and one "Nasabeak" agree on something then it might as well be a papal bull. Get to work on that DeMeo piece, stat!

[B.]

Haha, I appreciate the idea but I don't think I'd have anything to offer the DeMeo story. It'd just be 100000000000 words about that time Gaggi erroneously told DeMeo that only Sicilians can be captains.

[Wiseguy]

Haha, I appreciate the idea but I don't think I'd have anything to offer the DeMeo story. It'd just be 100000000000 words about that time Gaggi erroneously told DeMeo that only Sicilians can be captains.

"I'm happy with what I got." - Roy DeMeo

[AustraliaSteve]

Damn B. Subscribed. You’re a great writer. I can’t wait to listen to the podcasts.

[OmarSantista]

“Not everyone in America was part of their subculture and mafia membership became equated with organized street crime rather than self-government.” I just had to post this great quote by Eric as a definition of the difference between Sicilian and American cosa nostra due to the fact that they had and I quote “insular communities and didn’t have an entire island of paesani at their disposal.“

I just felt this should be highlighted

[B.]

Recorded a new audio episode talking about Manfredi Mineo:

https://mafia.substack.com/p/the-moveme ... eo#details

It's very long, just exploring Mineo's roots and connections, how he might have gone from being boss of a separate Family only to take over D'Aquila's Family. Didn't hit on the Colombo Family as much as I would have liked but it was already over 2.5 hours so ah well.

As the write-up on the page and the episode notes it draws heavily from Rick, Angelo, and Lennert's discoveries published in 2014 with some additional details and analysis.

[MichaelGiovanni]

Recorded a new audio episode talking about Manfredi Mineo:

https://mafia.substack.com/p/the-moveme ... eo#details

It's very long, just exploring Mineo's roots and connections, how he might have gone from being boss of a separate Family only to take over D'Aquila's Family. Didn't hit on the Colombo Family as much as I would have liked but it was already over 2.5 hours so ah well.

As the write-up on the page and the episode notes it draws heavily from Rick, Angelo, and Lennert's discoveries published in 2014 with some additional details and analysis.

Thank you. Looking forward to listening to it.

[InCamelot]

Was very excited to see this email this morning. Should we/someone post it outside of this sticky so more people have a chance of seeing it?

[motorfab]

Great to see new stuff on your site. Will listen to this this weekend

[B.]

Finally had time to make some much-needed updates to the Alabama article, particularly some "Black Hand" activity from the 1920s that is very interesting.

One of them was an extortion case involving a Campofranco native who was very likely a member and another was an Eastern Sicilian who flipped in 1925 and discussed how he was an initiated member of the "Camorra" or "Black Hand Society" in the Birmingham area and provided a list of members (sixteen total, though only one is named) plus other general info about the org he joined, then committed suicide. The member who was named was from Gibellina in Trapani but there are a lot of questions about the organization described by the turncoat.

Other stuff too where Bisacquino natives were both extortionists and extortion victims.

I tweaked a few other things but the new additions are mostly toward the bottom in the "1920s Revelations" section and the section immediately before it.

https://mafia.substack.com/p/alabama-ne ... -agrigento

[Antiliar]

You should turn this into an Informer Journal article.

[B.]

Thanks, Rick. Would be nice to streamline it a bit. Always hoping for more info too.

[B.]

New audio episode:

"Desimone Deaths in Salaparuta?"

https://mafia.substack.com/p/desimone-d ... salaparuta

Exploring Frank Desimone in my usual rambling style. First half is general discussion of Frank Desimone, second half is the real point of the episode: that Desimone relatives reportedly suffered a grim fate back in Sicily.

[JoePuzzles234]

New audio episode:

"Desimone Deaths in Salaparuta?"

https://mafia.substack.com/p/desimone-d ... salaparuta

Exploring Frank Desimone in my usual rambling style. First half is general discussion of Frank Desimone, second half is the real point of the episode: that Desimone relatives reportedly suffered a grim fate back in Sicily.

Managed to take a listen, really awesome stuff

I hope it’s appropriate to post in this thread but here are some things I thought would be good for discussion:

Bello/Bonventre:
Just want to point out that I think you made an error re. the Bompensiero-Bonventre-Bello kidnapping story – it is my understanding that the member they grabbed was actually Joseph LiMandri, who then was forced into an apartment with Vito Bello where he admitted to Bomp that he was put up to the bomb plot by Bonanno.

Another obscure Los Angeles member that Fratianno was really impressed by was Rosolino “Sam Bruno” Bartolotta, who had been a Detroit member. He was close with Biaggio Bonventre (possibly because of the Michigan connections?) and was involved with him in several attempts on Mickey Cohen and his group.

Marie Adamo:
Regarding DeSimone’s relationship with Marie Adamo, the sexual assault myth originates from the Ed Reid’s The Grim Reapers and simply cites a “police informant” talking about an apparent dispute between Girolamo Adamo and DeSimone.

In her own FBI interview, Marie never mentions any sort of assault and instead actually notes that DeSimone had no “steady girlfriends” so their relationship might’ve been limited despite apparently being an open secret (Adamo is described as a known cornuto/cuckold by a later FBI source).

Joe Adamo:
Pretty interestingly we see another San Diego FBI source state that Girolamo’s brother Joseph was also involved in a somewhat similar situation with Anthony Mirabile in the 1940s. In settling a whiskey bootlegging dispute, Mirabile “had relations” with Joe Adamo’s wife who later received money from him to buy into a bar.

Joseph was notably not yet a member at that time (inducted 1952).

Misc:
Of some further note is that Justin Cascio has mentioned that DeSimone might’ve not been actually related to Joe Civello but I don’t know if it’s been addressed on his website or any place like that. His relative Tommy Palermo was well-connected to the family regardless.

[B.]

Thanks, Joe. You can always feel free to add/correct/discuss. That's the only reason I do these, to invite discussion.

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The report I was referring to does state clearly it was Angelo Polizzi they kidnapped and interrogated about the murder plot:



Maybe there is another report where LiMandri is said to be involved? Sometimes names differ in different accounts but the one I've always used as reference says they did kidnap Angelo Polizzi.

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Personally I believe the "rape" story was told for dramatic effect though I'd be curious if Reid had an actual report from a police informant and who it was. Other sources indicate there was a relationship of some sort, at most.

And yes, I've seen that about Joe Adamo and Mirabile. Not sure who the source was on that from memory, but I believe it's part of the story involving Adamo fleeing California for a time. One of the places it says he went was Chicago if I remember right. The Adamos were of course heavily connected to Kansas City and Springfield, Momo probably being a member in one or both of those places before LA; Momo's naturalization was actually witnessed by an obscure figure Ciaccio I suspect may have been the Springfield boss before Zito. That he was living with Willie Cammisano (an LA transfer from KC at the time in San Diego) makes sense based on his history with KC and the Midwest. Joe Adamo was also connected to Detroit, their Alcamese heritage fitting in there.

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Be good to know if the Civellos were actually related or not. We know "cousin" can take on a general use, though between the Salaparuta connection, their visit to Apalachin together, mutual family history in New Orleans, and Desimone being used to communicate Commission messages to Civello, they were no doubt close and the families certainly look to have had history together whether it was an extended relation, paesan connection, or something closer.