Revisiting Philadelphia 1963

[B.]

Bruno and Costello (true name Castello) were blood related through their grandparents. Bruno was also best man at one of Costello's weddings. Pappy Ippolito was related to them through marriage and Ippolito's mother was a first cousin of the infamous Calogero Vizzini. The Vizzinis who were Trenton associates were relatives of Ippolito and Bruno came to his father in Trenton as a baby with an aunt named Vizzini who married his paternal uncle.

I couldn't find a relation to John Simone despite the references to him as a "cousin". Like with Joe Costello, Bruno's first cousin Angelo Annaloro was interviewed by the FBI and knew of no relation to Simone. He does look to be a cousin of Michael Cammarata, whose mother was a Mastrosimone (Simone's true name) and both of them were born outside of Pittsburgh. Simone was associating with Cammarata and Ippolito going back to the 1930s when they got in a car accident together long before he moved to Philly/Trenton. All of the Philly/Trenton Villalba guys visited Cammarata in the hospital together before he died including Bruno and Bruno served as pallbearer at his funeral.

Buffalo member Sam Rangatore was also distantly related to Angelo Bruno through his wife's family and Rangatore was one of Simone's closest associates when he lived in Niagara Falls, them being arrested together in the Scranton area in the 1930s. Rangatore continued to be a liaison between Buffalo and Philly when Bruno was boss. His family was from Trabia but the wife's family was apparently from Villalba or Vallelunga which fits Buffalo's compaesani make-up. Rangatore's family lived in Johnstown PA before Buffalo where the Trabia colony included the Limas and according to Tony Lima a small independent Family existed.

When Bruno cousin and Vallelunga boss Calogero Sinatra visited the US one of the cities he planned to visit was Buffalo. Sinatra was also a first cousin of the Spitaleris of the Gambino Family who came from Villafrati. Giosue and possibly his son were both made in Sicily before joining the Gambino Conte decina and had a close relationship to Bruno.

I've never been able to find if there's a connection but Calderone identified an Angelo Annaloro as the elderly capomandamento over that part of Caltanissetta in the 1960s. Wouldn't be surprised if there's yet another relation to a high-ranking Sicilian mafioso there given Bruno was related to bosses Calogero Vizzini and Calogero Sinatra.

EDIT:

Photo of Costello and Bruno at Costello's wedding:

[B.]

What I find interesting about the Trenton crew is not just the clan relations, but that Bruno brought these guys in when he became boss. He's not unlike Scarfo or Merlino in that he brought his inner circle of associates in as members when he took power. Seems pretty typical.

Trenton was a core Villalba colony which is why the Bruno-Annaloros originally lived there and these other guys moved there later from other areas. The colony had close links to Western New York, Western PA, and the Pittston area unsurprisingly.

I have questions about the Trenton membership in Philly pre-Simone becoming capodecina. Most of the known crew members didn't get made until the late 1950s and early 60s but the Maggios (Campobello di Mazara) were powerful members who lived in the area early on and Rocco Scafidi identified Jimmy Gioe (Belmonte Mezzagno) sitting at a table comprised only of captains at his induction ceremony circa 1950. Pietro Giallombardo (Belmonte Mezzagno) looks to have been an important member in Trenton circa 1932 given his attendance at the Bazzano Commission trial and he could well have been a high-ranking Philly member at the time like so many of his paesans. Jimmy Gioe was allegedly a brother-in-law of Scafidi in-law Tony Perella according to a Bruno wiretap but I haven't found the link. His brother Sammy Brown was also an early Trenton-based member but died before Simone was promoted.

Either way Trenton was always Sicilian faction territory.

[JoelTurner]

Really interesting, thanks for this awesome write up.

I have questions about the Trenton membership in Philly pre-Simone becoming capodecina. Most of the known crew members didn't get made until the late 1950s and early 60s

This is something that I’ve been wondering too. In this crew, who was made when Simone got promoted?

- Anthony Caponigro
- Vincenzo Gioe
- Charles Costello
- Alfred Felice
- Dominick Luciano (maybe)
- Joseph Costello (maybe)

Everyone else looks like they joined after.

Rocco Scafidi identified Jimmy Gioe (Belmonte Mezzagno) sitting at a table comprised only of captains

This is super interesting because it would imply that he was the head of this crew pre-Simone. He was a member with some level of clout so it’s possible; he’s mentioned on the Bruno-Pollina wiretap (the one where Mr.Migo tries to explain what he meant when he said he wanted to cut of Ange’s legs) as he had tried to mediate the rift between the two.

If he had been a capo, I wonder if stepped down or was broken down. He was in his 40s and didn’t seem to have any major legal issues other than getting pinched for running an underground casino in Maple Shade, NJ in 1954.

My guess had been that the guys mentioned above had been direct with Joe Ida who lived in the area. His departure to Italy is what caused Pollina to create this crew. Other admin figures in Philly kept their crews. The timeline works out on this theory too.

Jimmy Gioe was allegedly a brother-in-law of Scafidi in-law Tony Perella

Vincenzo Gioe was married to Henrietta “Gladys” Cappa. Anthony Perella was married to Jennie Patti. Anthony‘a sister was married to the Joe Scafidi (also from Belmonte Mezzagno) so it’s possible that they were somehow related through them.

[B.]

Gioe comes up quite a bit. He was apparently the one who reported Perella to the admin after he criticized Bruno behind his back for introducing Calogero Sinatra as amico nostra to the Philly membership.

[JoelTurner]

This conversation seems relevant to the discussion above, especially the last paragraph.

“Johnnie Casablanca” was John Simone, but I can’t figure out who’s “Amagara”. I didn’t know Simone turned down his promotion to captain too.



The story is confusing.

[B.]

Never seen that one. Like you said it's confusing but some new leads look to be in it.

Trying to figure out who "Amagra" might be a phonetic reference to and drawing a blank.

[JoelTurner]

Contrary to what’s implied in the previous conversation, ROCCO SCAFIDI says that SIMONE was “first capodecina in Trenton”.

M - FRANK MONTE

S - ROCCO SCAFIDI

“JIMMY JOY” - Vincenzo Gioe

[B.]

Yeah, that's the impression I've been under. All Cappello told Scafidi was that Simone was promoted by Pollina. Riccobene didn't identify a Trenton captain on the 1952 list he gave the FBI.

Like I mentioned earlier, Scafidi said his ~1950 induction had Joe Scafidi, Jimmy Gioe, Ignazio Denaro, Dominick Pollina, and Marco Reginelli sitting at a table. Pollina and Denaro were captains by the early 1950s, Reginelli was the underboss, and Joe Scafidi could have been acting for Cheech Barrale. Looking at it again though, it could be that the sponsors were the ones sitting at the table. Rocco said his father Gaetano Scafidi was also there and we know he was a captain but it was Rocco's uncle Joe who sponsored him and he's the one who is seated. Scafidi said Pat Massi was a capodecina by then and he was also there but not at the table, same with Joe Rugnetta who wasn't sitting with them either. So yeah, I'd say those were the sponsors if there was any significance to them sitting there but Scafidi also identifies only three inductees so who knows.

I'd like to find out who the first Belmontesi were to settle in the Vineland area. Cheech Barrale's neighbor in Deerfield were the brothers Antonino and Adamo Pipitone who were his generation in age and from Belmonte Mezzagno. Adamo's wife was a Spera, same surname as modern Belmonte boss Benedetto Spera. I suspect there were more Belmontesi who were early members.

[JoelTurner]

I'd like to find out who the first Belmontesi were to settle in the Vineland area. Cheech Barrale's neighbor in Deerfield were the brothers Antonino and Adamo Pipitone who were his generation in age and from Belmonte Mezzagno.

Salvatore “Shotsie” Sparacio’s paternal grandparents Rosario Sparacio and Angela Mazzola were in the area by 1910. They were born in the 1840s. They’re the oldest and first Belmontesi that I found in Cumberland county, NJ.

Similarly, Frank Barrale’s in-laws, Antonio and Josephine Pepitone were there by 1910. Both were born in the 1860s. They listed their residence as Philadelphia but seemed to be live there partly.

[B.]

I'd like to find out who the first Belmontesi were to settle in the Vineland area. Cheech Barrale's neighbor in Deerfield were the brothers Antonino and Adamo Pipitone who were his generation in age and from Belmonte Mezzagno.

Salvatore “Shotsie” Sparacio’s paternal grandparents Rosario Sparacio and Angela Mazzola were in the area by 1910. They were born in the 1840s. They’re the oldest and first Belmontesi that I found in Cumberland county, NJ.

Similarly, Frank Barrale’s in-laws, Antonio and Josephine Pepitone were there by 1910. Both were born in the 1860s. They listed their residence as Philadelphia but seemed to be live there partly.

Okay, so the Pepitones/Pipitones were Barrale relatives. Makes sense.

Raymond Martorano's family was also Belmontese if I remember right. Frank Monte too. Would need to recheck when they arrived but Monte's family was close to the Scafidi-Barrale clan.

[PolackTony]

Rocco Scafidi identified Jimmy Gioe (Belmonte Mezzagno) sitting at a table comprised only of captains at his induction ceremony circa 1950.

Chicago member Charles Gioe’s parents were from neighboring Marineo, and the Gioe surname isn’t very common in either comuni, so I wonder if there could’ve been a relation.

[Angelo Santino]

Years back I started a chart detailing who was made when in Philly. I was going for a baseball poster look, never finished it.

philly team.png

[sisterray]

Years back I started a chart detailing who was made when in Philly. I was going for a baseball poster look, never finished it.

philly team.png

Hah, that looks great. I could picture some of those philly guys actually printing that out and putting it on the wall of their club.

It lacks the classic Scarfo „this is not a home run” memo though

[Angelo Santino]

It does have educational merit and compiling making ceremonies to this extent is really quite rare. Maybe I'll revive it. Was Scarfo's "home run" ever made public?

[sisterray]

There’s a photo of the poster in the updated & expanded edition of Blood and Honor.