Visiting Buffalo 1963

[antimafia]

^^^^
The “Louis Innazella” individual is Louis Iannuzzelli (correct spelling). John Papalia wanted to kill him, but as long as Domenico Longo of the LA Family was alive, Longo would not allow it. In October 1985, Iannuzzelli disappeared and was never found. Apart from what we already know about Longo, I’ll merely add that he occasionally made trips to Ontario in the 1970s because, among other reasons, he had a key to the Papalias’ Gold Key Club; in fact, Longo was a charter member.

Go to my Evernote link below for more info about who I believe to be is the individual discussed in the Mary Ferrell document: Giuseppe Taranta (misspelled as Tarantola and Tarantula).

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/ ... 1d871de967

The mention of Zappavigna in Anna Sergi’s article confirmed for me both the ’ndrangheta ties and familial ties between the Zappavignas and Armenis in Ontario and Quebec — intermarriage between these two families, with roots in Ardore, goes back centuries in Calabria.

[motorfab]

Thanks for the additional infos antimafia

[NickleCity]

I agree about Santo Scibetta being a likely Buffalo Family member. What we can't figure out is why he, Calogero Bordonaro, and Tony Sylvestro (of Guelph, Ontario) have been depicted by some Canadian writers as "dons," suggesting that those three had a rank higher than soldier -- that's a discussion for another thread, though.

From 1970 a Buffalo News article mentions a Frank Silvestro from Guelph. He was arrested for entering the US with felony after attending a stag to raise money for Pieri's legal defense and was later deported. His brother George paid his $10,000 bail. Another article indicates Canadian authorities believed him to be a member of one of two mafia families in Guelph (The Silvestro and Cippola families). Another article mentions Dante Gasparrini as another Canadian with underworld connections that was deported earlier in the year.

[antimafia]

That's great stuff on Borelli and Bordonaro, antimafia.

For Borelli's spouse "Betty V", ancestry has pushed a few hints saying that she could be a Violet Pryslak, born Aug 8, 1909, in Winnipeg. I don't have a clear link between her and Borelli to say for sure but that may be Betty V.
[snip]

I decided to go down the rabbit hole. This Violet Pryslak sounds interesting: one MyHeritage record shows she had the middle name "Wanda," the record of one border crossing indicates she used the alias Betty Price, she stated her nationality as German when crossing the border one particular time, stated her nationality as Polish on another cross-the-border occasion, and her parents were born in Austria per the Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch (search of databases can be done at https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php).

And I found out that a V.B. Borelli who had the same DOB as Violet Pryslak had died on July 18, 1978 in Wayne, Michigan per the Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records (see https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-con ... cessSource). She might have been just visiting Michigan temporarily.

I'll try calling the Fairview Cemetery and/or try the number/email for the Niagara Falls Cemetery Services -- while I'm at it, I'll try to get both an exact DOD for Felix Borelli and confirmation of his parents' YOBs and YODs, as I've seen some conflicting records. I suspect I'll be redirected to either the Niagara Falls Museum or the Niagara Falls Public Library.

Below is some of the information I finally got around to obtaining from Niagara Falls Cemetery Services (Ontario).

DOD for Felix Joseph Borelli: Dec. 24, 1999
[we already had his Date of Burial: Dec. 28, 1999]

First name(s) and middle name(s) for the wife of Felix Borelli: Betty Violet Borelli
[the cemetery has only these names in its record for her, with her maiden name being unknown; details that I was hoping to have confirmed or corrected: first names Wanda or Vanda; middle names Betty or Violet; maiden names Pryslak, Pryslake, Prysiak, or Price]

Confirmation of names, years of birth (YOB), and years of death (YOD) for Felix Borelli's parents:
Natale Borelli: 1858 to May 4, 1928
[the cemetery does not have his birthday]

Antoinette Borelli née Grande: June 20, 1874 to September 26, 1943
[the cemetery has only this first name in its record for her; details that I was hoping to have confirmed or corrected: first names Antoinette or Antonia, as the latter appears on her and Natale's gravestone]


@faffy444,

Both Betty Borelli's place of death (POD) and her parents' names are unknown by Fairview Cemetery. If you want me to send you a PM about why I think her POD was Detroit, why she might have sometimes used the maiden name Price, why there seem to be a number of first and middle names for her, and what I believe her parents' names to be, just let me know -- I don't want to derail the thread; in addition, I want to keep some branches of her family tree private.

[NickleCity]

Canada:

Charles Cipolla

Charles Cippola dope connection with Buffalo from 1960

[B.]

Go to my Evernote link below for more info about who I believe to be is the individual discussed in the Mary Ferrell document: Giuseppe Taranta (misspelled as Tarantola and Tarantula).

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/ ... 1d871de967

Was Taranta from Castellammare? The FBI's interview with his friend Antonino Cruciata (Crociata) revealed "Joe Tarantula" was Castellammarese.

The Bonanno Family Tarantolas were from Camporeale but we know there are extensive connections between the villages so I assume the surname shows up in CDG.

Any other info on Taranta?

[PolackTony]

Go to my Evernote link below for more info about who I believe to be is the individual discussed in the Mary Ferrell document: Giuseppe Taranta (misspelled as Tarantola and Tarantula).

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/ ... 1d871de967

Was Taranta from Castellammare? The FBI's interview with his friend Antonino Cruciata (Crociata) revealed "Joe Tarantula" was Castellammarese.

The Bonanno Family Tarantolas were from Camporeale but we know there are extensive connections between the villages so I assume the surname shows up in CDG.

Any other info on Taranta?

I don’t have any info on the guy in Ontario here, but if his surname was actually “Taranta”, that surname is not common in Trapani but much more common in Messina, as well as Calabria. “Taranto”, on the other hand, is mainly found in Central Italy.

As a side note, there was a Giuseppe Tarantola from CDG, born 1889, who emigrated to NYC in 1907 and lived on Rivington St on the LES. Another one was born 1901 in CDG and arrived in NYC in 1920 and lived at Kenmare and Mott. No idea if they were related to the Camporealese Tarantolas, but as you note, it’s certainly possible.

[B.]

Yeah I've never come across the name Taranta in that part of Trapani. His friend Cruciata had him listed as "Joe Tarantula" and said they used to be neighbors in CDG.

[PolackTony]

Another confirmed member was Joseph "Chicago Joe" Sciales who was in the decina of Roy Carlisi.

Born in Palazzo Adriano in 1908, lived in Chicago into the mid-1930s, then ended up in Buffalo but was buried in Chicago. His mother was Fortunata Schiro and father was Giovanni Sciales.

I’ve seen vague claims as to a “Joe Sicalzi” [sic], alleged to have been a bodyguard and driver for Capone, who supposedly left Chicago sometime in the mid-1930s. As “Sicalzi” clearly wasn’t the actual surname, I’m wondering now if this guy was actually Joe Sciales.

[antimafia]

That's great stuff on Borelli and Bordonaro, antimafia.

For Borelli's spouse "Betty V", ancestry has pushed a few hints saying that she could be a Violet Pryslak, born Aug 8, 1909, in Winnipeg. I don't have a clear link between her and Borelli to say for sure but that may be Betty V.
[snip]

I decided to go down the rabbit hole. This Violet Pryslak sounds interesting: one MyHeritage record shows she had the middle name "Wanda," the record of one border crossing indicates she used the alias Betty Price, she stated her nationality as German when crossing the border one particular time, stated her nationality as Polish on another cross-the-border occasion, and her parents were born in Austria per the Manitoba Vital Statistics Branch (search of databases can be done at https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php).

And I found out that a V.B. Borelli who had the same DOB as Violet Pryslak had died on July 18, 1978 in Wayne, Michigan per the Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records (see https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-con ... cessSource). She might have been just visiting Michigan temporarily.

I'll try calling the Fairview Cemetery and/or try the number/email for the Niagara Falls Cemetery Services -- while I'm at it, I'll try to get both an exact DOD for Felix Borelli and confirmation of his parents' YOBs and YODs, as I've seen some conflicting records. I suspect I'll be redirected to either the Niagara Falls Museum or the Niagara Falls Public Library.

Below is some of the information I finally got around to obtaining from Niagara Falls Cemetery Services (Ontario).

DOD for Felix Joseph Borelli: Dec. 24, 1999
[we already had his Date of Burial: Dec. 28, 1999]

First name(s) and middle name(s) for the wife of Felix Borelli: Betty Violet Borelli
[the cemetery has only these names in its record for her, with her maiden name being unknown; details that I was hoping to have confirmed or corrected: first names Wanda or Vanda; middle names Betty or Violet; maiden names Pryslak, Pryslake, Prysiak, or Price]

Confirmation of names, years of birth (YOB), and years of death (YOD) for Felix Borelli's parents:
Natale Borelli: 1858 to May 4, 1928
[the cemetery does not have his birthday]

Antoinette Borelli née Grande: June 20, 1874 to September 26, 1943
[the cemetery has only this first name in its record for her; details that I was hoping to have confirmed or corrected: first names Antoinette or Antonia, as the latter appears on her and Natale's gravestone]


@faffy444,

Both Betty Borelli's place of death (POD) and her parents' names are unknown by Fairview Cemetery. If you want me to send you a PM about why I think her POD was Detroit, why she might have sometimes used the maiden name Price, why there seem to be a number of first and middle names for her, and what I believe her parents' names to be, just let me know -- I don't want to derail the thread; in addition, I want to keep some branches of her family tree private.

Obituary for Felix Borelli's wife:

[antimafia]

Below is some of the information I finally got around to obtaining from Niagara Falls Cemetery Services (Ontario).

DOD for Felix Joseph Borelli: Dec. 24, 1999
[we already had his Date of Burial: Dec. 28, 1999]
[snip]

Obituaries for Felix Borelli published on Monday, December 27, 1999 and Tuesday, December 28, 1999 in the Niagara Falls Review, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (the content is identical except for the misspelling of the surname in the earlier obituary):