Bonanno - Newark Connections ?

[JoelTurner]

The Bonanno family didn’t have a major presence in Newark. However, there were some connections to the old defunct Newark family.

Interestingly, these ties seem to have been based around members of the Partinico/Camporeale faction rather than the more prominent Castellammarese group.

Timeline:

~ => between

Feb 11 1921- Salvatore Mangiaracina, Bonanno member from Partinico, comes to the US with Vincenzo Accardi. He was a relative of Sam Accardi and lived in Newark.

1925~1930- Salvatore Grippi, Bonanno member from Partinico and Nicola Schrio’s BIL, moves to Newark from NYC.

June 1st~July 13 1930- Schiro is forced down out as boss and moves to Newark. The rank-and-file don’t appear to know where he went.

December 1930- Mangiaracina and Vincenzo Troia, among others, serve on the peace commission. This makes it likely that he was a high-level Bonanno figure.

February 4~March 1931- The Bonanno Family sends men to help Newark in their fight against the Richie Boiardo gang.

September 10 1931- Newark underboss Sam Monaco & Luigi Russo are tortured and killed. This was the same day that Salvatore Maranzano was killed.

By Nov 1931, Troia and his guys were Newark members. He appears to have inherited the Monaco faction

August 11 1934- Grippi is arrested on liquor charges with Newark member Charles Matranga (from Camporeale).

Mid-1930s- Mangiaracina, responsible for numbers in the Bonanno family, is caught embezzling and forced to leave the country.

August 22 1935- Vincenzo Troia and his group are gunned down by Leonard Cipolla, Bonanno member from Partinico.

This slaughter was reported as being over a numbers dispute.

Anthony Riela, part of Troia’s entourage, turned over money from numbers before joining the Bonanno family.

August 29 1935- Mangiaracina returns to the US with Grippi’s son.

This is the last grace of him (that I could find). He was supposedly killed for coming back to the US.

September 25 1935- Mike Adamo, Sam Accardi’s cousin, kills Nicolo Gruppuso. Both Bonanno members from Vita, they were living together. [Sam Monaco’s mother was a Gruppuso - relatives?]

October 21 1937- Schiro, his sister Domenica Grippi, Leonard Cipolla & wife return to the US.

1945- Salvatore Grippi witnesses Sam Accardi’s naturalization

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Other Connections?

-Salvatore Ippolito: Bonanno member who lived in Newark before moving to Queens in the ‘40s.

-Sam Monaco’s business partner was a “C.Mangiaracina” whose true identity has never been confirmed

-In 1964, the Bonanno family had a member who was on Bloomfield Ave, Newark

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The Monaco/Troia faction looks like they were Newark’s link to the Bonnano family.

There was no Night of the Sicilian Vespers, but it couldn’t have been a coincidence that Monaco and Russo were killed the same day as Maranzano.

Troia and Mangiaracina were both supposedly killed over issues with a numbers racket but, in both cases, it was likely a larger power play. The timing, with him coming back literally a week after the Newark shooting, suggests a possible connection. Plus, the shooter being Cipolla, a fellow Partinico-Bonanno member, could also have played a part.

I’ve wondered why the large Vita group landed with the Luccheses rather than the Bonannos. I think that whatever happened in 1935 could have played a part.

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Please feel free to add any additional info.

[cavita]

I have a sneaking suspicion and have always believed that Tony Riela was in on the hit on Troia. No proof, but just a hunch that he saw the writing on the wall and helped in some way.

[B.]

Great post. Was Cipolla ever ID'd as a Troia shooter specifically? I know he was questioned and then murdered himself years later. He had a likely relative in Newark named Vito Cipolla who had a son named Leonardo. The mafioso's wife was from Camporeale.

Something to consider is how closely involved Partinico and San Giuseppe Iato were in the years immediately preceding some of these events. Early Bonanno member Antonino Passananti, cousin of Grippi, was partners with Troia's cousin Santo Termini in an early 1920s passport scam and future Bonanno consigliere Filippo Rappa from Borgetto (same thing as Partinico) was heavily involved with the San Giuseppe leadership when Troia and his cousins were running things.

One common denominator with the Bonanno and Newark Families is Tunis. Badami is one part of that and in addition to what you shared, Valachi felt Badami was one of the few remaining Maranzano loyalists conspiring with Maranzano to kill other bosses after the war. Monaco's murder plays into this and I suspect it is why Badami lost his title. Maybe his relationship to Gagliano (who had by then turned on Maranzano) saved his life at the time.

Will try to add bits and pieces of other Bonanno/Newark connections if they come to mind. Keep it up.

[TommyNoto]

I’m not sure about today but 5-10 years ago Bonanno’s- outbid North Arlington NJ - few miles NE of Newark had a big gambling book and i don’t think they ever took a pinch which is impressive given Westside & Luchesse took multiple pinches pre legal gambling. Philly NWK crew also mostly skated & avoided a big gambling pinch . Could of been a resource thing where smaller crews got little attention, even the DeCav bust I think was by accident how he latched onto Stango

[JoelTurner]

I have a sneaking suspicion and have always believed that Tony Riela was in on the hit on Troia. No proof, but just a hunch that he saw the writing on the wall and helped in some way.

I buy that theory, he was very conspicuously absent.

He and Troia had been together for years at that point, bouncing around the Midwest. If he didn’t know prior to the hit, he probably came in and squared things after because it doesn’t look like he was ever targeted.

[JoelTurner]

Great post. Was Cipolla ever ID'd as a Troia shooter specifically?

Not exactly. He was suspected because he and his car were at the scene.

There were two shooters. Robert Gallicchio was almost certainly one of them. His father Nicholas claimed that he was playing cards when it happened and was arrested as the “finger man”. There was also a Joseph Barocco, living at 80 Mt Pleasant Ave, whom I’ve never been able to truly identify.

Of course, it could have been a situation similar to what happened to Frank Lino during the Three Capos murder. Cipolla could have been a target that escaped.

One common denominator with the Bonanno and Newark Families is Tunis. Badami is one part of that and in addition to what you shared, Valachi felt Badami was one of the few remaining Maranzano loyalists conspiring with Maranzano to kill other bosses after the war. Monaco's murder plays into this and I suspect it is why Badami lost his title. Maybe his relationship to Gagliano (who had by then turned on Maranzano) saved his life at the time.

That theory does make sense; Valachi did say: “I started to think that he [Maranzano] did not mention Tom Gagliano, Frank Scalise, Don Steve from Newark so I was wondering if these guys were in on it.”

I don’t get how the Monaco/Russo murder fits in however. If Badami was so loyal, why wasn’t he killed alongside them? Why did Sam’s brother Frank stab him 39 times in 1955?

My personal theories are that Monaco had a connection to Maranzano and was killed once that protection vanished. Also, I think that Badami may have been deposed during the time that Tom Gagliano was imprisoned and Salvatore Pennino (his possible connection to that family) was killed.

The Tunisia connection had to have played a part in him becoming a boss so quickly after moving to the US. There weren’t really any other Corleonese members or even known associates.

[JoelTurner]

I’m not sure about today but 5-10 years ago Bonanno’s- outbid North Arlington NJ - few miles NE of Newark had a big gambling book and i don’t think they ever took a pinch which is impressive given Westside & Luchesse took multiple pinches pre legal gambling. Philly NWK crew also mostly skated & avoided a big gambling pinch . Could of been a resource thing where smaller crews got little attention, even the DeCav bust I think was by accident how he latched onto Stango

Are you referring to Joseph Sammartino Sr?

He lived in N Arlington but his operations were in Bayonne-Jersey City; the Bonannos have had a presence there for a long time.

[TommyNoto]

I’m not sure about today but 5-10 years ago Bonanno’s- outbid North Arlington NJ - few miles NE of Newark had a big gambling book and i don’t think they ever took a pinch which is impressive given Westside & Luchesse took multiple pinches pre legal gambling. Philly NWK crew also mostly skated & avoided a big gambling pinch . Could of been a resource thing where smaller crews got little attention, even the DeCav bust I think was by accident how he latched onto Stango

Are you referring to Joseph Sammartino Sr?

He lived in N Arlington but his operations were in Bayonne-Jersey City; the Bonannos have had a presence there for a long time.

There were a lot of Bergen/ Essex County agents/ bettors with the Bonnanos and they did their weekly meets at a well known Italian restaurant in NA / Lyndhurst area . It’s interesting that John Pennisi in a video said Michael Cetta was a Bonnano associate with a huge gambling book which makes sense now

[JoelTurner]

On June 7th 1924, Leonardo Morsellino returned to the US with a Domenico Gruppuso.



(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JNHR-FMZ)

This Leonardo was the brother of Pietro and Rosario Morsellino who were mentioned in the Bonanno 1960s thread. His parents were listed as Giuseppe Morsellino and Rose Vanalla/Vanella same as the two brothers.

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WR6-JTW)

Rosario Morsellino listed Salvatore Accardi, Sam Accardi’s father, as an uncle living in Tunisia.



(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2465-R8R)

[JoelTurner]

After Vincenzo Troia and his son were killed, their estates were administered by a GIOVANNI B DIBELLA



————-

This Giovanni B DiBella was married to Salvatore Grippi’s sister Rosalia

(https://www.familysearch.org/tree/sourc ... 4M?context)

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He was very likely a Bonanno member and was partnered in a real estate company with Joe Bonanno and John V DiBella (the Wisconsin Bonanno member) in Arizona

[cavita]

After Vincenzo Troia and his son were killed, their estates were administered by a GIOVANNI B DIBELLA



————-

This Giovanni B DiBella was married to Salvatore Grippi’s sister Rosalia

(https://www.familysearch.org/tree/sourc ... 4M?context)

—————

He was very likely a Bonanno member and was partnered in a real estate company with Joe Bonanno and John V DiBella (the Wisconsin Bonanno member) in Arizona

Ruffino was the maiden name of Troia's wife and Elia Costanza was an alias he used. Costanza was his mother's maiden name

[B.]

Very interesting. Giovanbattista / Giovanni Battista DiBella was John DiBella's brother and close to clan relative Nicolo Schiro. Many Bonanno connections with Troia even going back to his time in Sicily where he was linked to Trapani, Partinico, and of course Maranzano.

[Woofinator]

Timeline:

~ => between

Feb 11 1921- Salvatore Mangiaracina, Bonanno member from Partinico, comes to the US with Vincenzo Accardi. He was a relative of Sam Accardi and lived in Newark.

1925~1930- Salvatore Grippi, Bonanno member from Partinico and Nicola Schrio’s BIL, moves to Newark from NYC.

June 1st~July 13 1930- Schiro is forced down out as boss and moves to Newark. The rank-and-file don’t appear to know where he went.

December 1930- Mangiaracina and Vincenzo Troia, among others, serve on the peace commission. This makes it likely that he was a high-level Bonanno figure.

February 4~March 1931- The Bonanno Family sends men to help Newark in their fight against the Richie Boiardo gang.

September 10 1931- Newark underboss Sam Monaco & Luigi Russo are tortured and killed. This was the same day that Salvatore Maranzano was killed.

By Nov 1931, Troia and his guys were Newark members. He appears to have inherited the Monaco faction

August 11 1934- Grippi is arrested on liquor charges with Newark member Charles Matranga (from Camporeale).

Mid-1930s- Mangiaracina, responsible for numbers in the Bonanno family, is caught embezzling and forced to leave the country.

August 22 1935- Vincenzo Troia and his group are gunned down by Leonard Cipolla, Bonanno member from Partinico.

This slaughter was reported as being over a numbers dispute.

Anthony Riela, part of Troia’s entourage, turned over money from numbers before joining the Bonanno family.

August 29 1935- Mangiaracina returns to the US with Grippi’s son.

This is the last grace of him (that I could find). He was supposedly killed for coming back to the US.

September 25 1935- Mike Adamo, Sam Accardi’s cousin, kills Nicolo Gruppuso. Both Bonanno members from Vita, they were living together. [Sam Monaco’s mother was a Gruppuso - relatives?]

October 21 1937- Schiro, his sister Domenica Grippi, Leonard Cipolla & wife return to the US.

1945- Salvatore Grippi witnesses Sam Accardi’s naturalization

I checked around for some more information on the above

-- Grippi is living in Brooklyn in the 1925 New York state census and first appears in Newark city directories in 1927

-- I don't believe the evidence supports Schiro moving to Newark around 1930. The only evidence of an American address for him during the years 1930 to 1937 is Schiro's 25 October 1934 arrival from Italy where he lists his US address as 475 Marcy Ave Brooklyn, not Newark NJ. (I should note that several of the street names are unfortunately mistyped on the manifest page and it literally says "Mags Ave" and Marcy is my best guess of what the street name should be. If anybody can think of a better fit Brooklyn street name, I'd love to see it.)

-- The lack of records for Schiro during these years leads me to suspect he was mostly living in Sicily from late 1930 to 1937; though there is no concrete record of him having before his 1934 return to the US.

-- According to Essex Co. property records, Grippi buys the house at 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield, NJ on 29 March 1937 from the Health Building and Loan Association of Newark.

-- In October 1937, Schiro comes to the US accompanied with family members who had visited him/vacationed in Sicily (and Cipolla). Schiro begins using the 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield home as a part-time residence during the months when he is in the US, sailing back and forth to Sicily.

-- On April 27, 1939 Schiro returns to the US from Italy, travelling with Detroit member Frank LoMedico.

-- According to his denaturalization certificate, Schiro left the US on September 10, 1939 (apparently derived from a sworn statement by Schiro given to consulate officials). He might have left the US early due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe nine days earlier. Maybe he was a Mussolini supporter or maybe he had business dealings in Italy where he needed to be in the good graces of the Fascist government?

-- Schiro would not return again to the US until 1946, where he would again take up part-time residence at 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield NJ during his months in the US; sailing back and forth to Sicily until 1948/9.

-- When he was in Sicily in 1949, Schiro somehow triggered an investigation by the US consulate in Palermo which led to him being stripped of his US citizenship. The denaturalization certificate doesn't mention how the investigation started only stating that after leaving the US in 1939, Schiro "reaquired Italian nationality through the operation of Article IX(3) of the Italian Law two years after return to Italy". Whatever that means. The mention of two years after his return, kind of makes me wonder if whatever happened, happened after Pearl Harbor. Maybe he took an oath to Mussolini or something? I really don't know the history of what happened to Americans in Italy, especially naturalized Americans of Italian descent who were living in Italy after the US entered the war.

-- The denaturalization certificate lists a 1949 address for Schiro in Palermo at 20 Via Giacchino di Marzo.

[JoelTurner]

I checked around for some more information on the above

-- Grippi is living in Brooklyn in the 1925 New York state census and first appears in Newark city directories in 1927

-- I don't believe the evidence supports Schiro moving to Newark around 1930. The only evidence of an American address for him during the years 1930 to 1937 is Schiro's 25 October 1934 arrival from Italy where he lists his US address as 475 Marcy Ave Brooklyn, not Newark NJ. (I should note that several of the street names are unfortunately mistyped on the manifest page and it literally says "Mags Ave" and Marcy is my best guess of what the street name should be. If anybody can think of a better fit Brooklyn street name, I'd love to see it.)

-- The lack of records for Schiro during these years leads me to suspect he was mostly living in Sicily from late 1930 to 1937; though there is no concrete record of him having before his 1934 return to the US.

-- According to Essex Co. property records, Grippi buys the house at 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield, NJ on 29 March 1937 from the Health Building and Loan Association of Newark.

-- In October 1937, Schiro comes to the US accompanied with family members who had visited him/vacationed in Sicily (and Cipolla). Schiro begins using the 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield home as a part-time residence during the months when he is in the US, sailing back and forth to Sicily.

-- On April 27, 1939 Schiro returns to the US from Italy, travelling with Detroit member Frank LoMedico.

-- According to his denaturalization certificate, Schiro left the US on September 10, 1939 (apparently derived from a sworn statement by Schiro given to consulate officials). He might have left the US early due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe nine days earlier. Maybe he was a Mussolini supporter or maybe he had business dealings in Italy where he needed to be in the good graces of the Fascist government?

-- Schiro would not return again to the US until 1946, where he would again take up part-time residence at 265 N. 15th Street Bloomfield NJ during his months in the US; sailing back and forth to Sicily until 1948/9.

-- When he was in Sicily in 1949, Schiro somehow triggered an investigation by the US consulate in Palermo which led to him being stripped of his US citizenship. The denaturalization certificate doesn't mention how the investigation started only stating that after leaving the US in 1939, Schiro "reaquired Italian nationality through the operation of Article IX(3) of the Italian Law two years after return to Italy". Whatever that means. The mention of two years after his return, kind of makes me wonder if whatever happened, happened after Pearl Harbor. Maybe he took an oath to Mussolini or something? I really don't know the history of what happened to Americans in Italy, especially naturalized Americans of Italian descent who were living in Italy after the US entered the war.

-- The denaturalization certificate lists a 1949 address for Schiro in Palermo at 20 Via Giacchino di Marzo.

This is excellent information! You've done some awesome research

Schiro not being in Newark until 1937 basically rules him out as a possible Newark member.

You brought up a very interesting point in terms of his political ties. It's pretty strange that he would head to Italy as WW2 broke out. I feel like business in Italy makes the most sense, maybe something tied to the government like factory that could be used for war production.

I don't know much about Frank LoMedico. I know that he was from Partinico and that he was related to the Zerilli family.

[B.]

A Frank LoMedico from Detroit also traveled back from Italy with the powerful early Bonanno member Stefano LoPiccolo in 1932. LoPiccolo was from the Pioppo frazione which is halfway between Monreale and Partinico. This LoMedico is listed as exactly 10 years younger than the Detroit member and I can't find any record of one that fits so I suspect the age was an error and it's the same guy.

In 1929 LoMedico traveled back from Italy with his compaesano Salvatore Vitale of Detroit as well as a Partinicese from New York named Salvatore Leto. Detroit leader Bill Tocco was with them but didn't board the ship back from Italy. These four are the only ones listed on their page of the manifest and we can infer Leto was an NYC mafia figure but I've never heard of him.

I don't know the relation but Bompensiero said Salvatore LoMedico of Detroit was in contact with Frank Coppola and that Salvatore's brother Vito LoMedico was a Sicilian mafia member, presumably the Partinico Family.