1920's Bonannos (Schiro)

[Woofinator]

I'm new to the forum so hopefully I'm posting these newspaper articles correctly

On 19 January 1924 there was a late night bombing at 439 Marcy Ave. That building directly adjoined 441 Marcy Ave, which held Nicolo Schiro's real estate business office (according to his 1923 passport application) on the ground floor. Maybe somebody not that familiar with the area mistakenly put their bomb at the neighboring building?

Here's a photograph of the aftermath from page 1 of the 20 Jan. 1924 edition of the Daily News:

Photo of 439 Marcy explosion Daily_News_Sun__Jan_20__1924_page 1.jpg

Unfortunately, 441 Marcy isn't included in the image.

Here's the news story of the blast from page 1 of the 19 Jan. 1924 edition of the Standard Union:

Gullota bombing The_Standard_Union_Sat__Jan_19__1924_pg. 1 (for board).jpg

The first line of the headline, which I had to cut off for clarity when posting to the board, reads: "BOMB WRECKS STORE, HURLS SCORE FROM BED"

Here's a link to Schiro's passport application if anybody wants to see it for themselves:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5Y-ZVT4

As an interesting bonus, the Vincent J. Calabrese who was a witness to Schiro's passport application (and maybe a business partner in his real estate business?) was arrested earlier in 1922 trying to acquire a fake revenue seal used for income tax purposes according to this article from page 3 of the 02 Feb. 1922 edition of the Brooklyn Times:

Calabrese arrest fake revenue seals Brooklyn_Times_Union_Sat__Feb_4__1922_pg. 3.jpg

[johnny_scootch]

I'm new to the forum so hopefully I'm posting these newspaper articles correctly

Quality sleuthing.

[Woofinator]

As a follow-up to the newspaper articles about the 1924 bombing, I decided to look for news stories on the earlier attack mentioned even if the mistaken identity theory for the bombing doesn't make any sense, especially looking at the photograph of the bombing scene where the words "A. Gulotta Meat Market" are clearly visible on the awning. Here's a news article on that earlier attack from page 2 of the 03 June 1918 edition of the Standard Union:

Scorsone brothers shot The_Brooklyn Standard_Union_Mon__Jun_3__1918_pg. 2.jpg

And boy did the police get the story on that one. There was no attack at 439 Marcy. Both brothers were shot walking on Marcy Ave. One brother, Vincenzo Scorsone ran a butcher shop at 439 Marcy, but the apparent target was his brother, Salvatore a bricklayer living in Manhattan. The possible motive for the attack given in the 1918 article was that Salvatore had abandoned his wife and very young daughter and went to live in Manhattan. According to the article Salvatore had been threatened if he didn't return to his wife.

So I decided to look up the death certificate up on Ancestry just to make sure what the correct spelling of his last name should be and boy did it send me down an unexpected rabbit hole! Here's the transcription of the death certificate provided by Ancestry:

Name: Salvatore Scorsone

Gender: Male

Race: White

Marital Status: Married

Age: 35

Birth Place: Italy

Residence Street Address: 432 Marcy Av

Years in US: 12 Years

Death Date: 1 Jun 1918

Death Street Address: Front of 436 Marcy Av

Death Place: New York City, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Cause of Death: Gunshot Wound of Back Penetrating Lungs & Liver-Homicide

Burial Date: 4 Jun 1918

Burial Place: Holy Cross Cemt

Occupation: Bricklayer

Father's Birth Place: Italy

Mother's Birth Place: Italy

Father:
Antonio Scorsone

Mother:
Giovanna Scorsone

Source: P Orlando
Source Relationship: Brother-in-law

Certificate Number: 12765

Yes the Scorsone brothers were the brothers of Elisabetta Scorsone - the wife of prominent early Bonanno member and possible early boss of the Bonannos (c1909) Paolo Orlando. I looked into it further and in January 1913, Salvatore had married Antonina Licatta, the sister of future Los Angeles Boss, Nick Licatta! In the 1915 New York state census Salvatore, Antonina, and their very young daughter were living with Antonina's (and Nick's) parents Calogero and Vita Licatta at 433 Marcy Ave. If Salvatore was actually living in Manhattan at the time of the murder, my suspicion is the 432 Marcy Ave address may have been the address of Antonina and their daughter at the time of Salvatore's murder.

[B.]

Excellent work.

Nick Licata lived in Williamsburg before Detroit and after they all moved to California his father Calogero ran into trouble with Antonino Orlando Sciortino (father of future SF underboss Gaspare "Bill"). The Orlando Sciortinos' true name was Orlando and Antonino's brother Calogero / Charles (an early LA member and father of future LA underboss Santo "Sam") previously lived two doors down from Paolo Orlando in Williamsburg -- I'm sure they were relatives. A lot of connections between these Camporealese.

[Woofinator]

Excellent work.

Nick Licata lived in Williamsburg before Detroit and after they all moved to California his father Calogero ran into trouble with Antonino Orlando Sciortino (father of future SF underboss Gaspare "Bill"). The Orlando Sciortinos' true name was Orlando and Antonino's brother Calogero / Charles (an early LA member and father of future LA underboss Santo "Sam") previously lived two doors down from Paolo Orlando in Williamsburg -- I'm sure they were relatives. A lot of connections between these Camporealese.

B.,

I don't know if this will be of any help to you, but I tracked down the online Camporeale baptism records of Paolo Orlando and Antonino and Calogero Orlando Sciortino

Paolo Orlando
born and baptized in Camporeale on 21 Feb. 1864. Son of Lorenzo Orlando and Caterina Rizzuto

Paolo Orlando 21 Feb 1864 baptism, Camporeale.jpg

Antonino Orlando
born 02 Dec. 1879 and baptized 03 Dec. 1879 in Camporeale. Son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino

Antonino Orlando 03 Dec. 1879 baptism Camporeale.jpg

Calogero Orlando
born 31 Dec. 1887 and baptized 01 Jan. 1888 in Camporeale. Son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino

Calogero Orlando baptized 01 Jan. 1888 Camporeale (born 31 Dec. 1887) son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino.jpg

[JoelTurner]

That’s amazing!

[B.]

Excellent work.

Nick Licata lived in Williamsburg before Detroit and after they all moved to California his father Calogero ran into trouble with Antonino Orlando Sciortino (father of future SF underboss Gaspare "Bill"). The Orlando Sciortinos' true name was Orlando and Antonino's brother Calogero / Charles (an early LA member and father of future LA underboss Santo "Sam") previously lived two doors down from Paolo Orlando in Williamsburg -- I'm sure they were relatives. A lot of connections between these Camporealese.

B.,

I don't know if this will be of any help to you, but I tracked down the online Camporeale baptism records of Paolo Orlando and Antonino and Calogero Orlando Sciortino

Paolo Orlando
born and baptized in Camporeale on 21 Feb. 1864. Son of Lorenzo Orlando and Caterina Rizzuto

Paolo Orlando 21 Feb 1864 baptism, Camporeale.jpg

Antonino Orlando
born 02 Dec. 1879 and baptized 03 Dec. 1879 in Camporeale. Son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino

Antonino Orlando 03 Dec. 1879 baptism Camporeale.jpg

Calogero Orlando
born 31 Dec. 1887 and baptized 01 Jan. 1888 in Camporeale. Son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino

Calogero Orlando baptized 01 Jan. 1888 Camporeale (born 31 Dec. 1887) son of Ignazio Orlando and Francesca Sciortino.jpg

Nice job. Makes sense Paolo Orlando's mother was a Rizzuto -- Nicolo Schiro's cousins the Rizzutos lived next to Paolo Orlando and the Orlando-Sciortinos. Antonino Rizzuto was likely a Bonanno member and his brother Gioacchino probably started as a Bonanno under Schiro before becoming affiliated with the Kansas City and New Orleans Families. Gioacchino's son Phil Rizzuto became a made member of the Kansas City Family while living in New Orleans and was arrested with Sam Orlando Sciortino of the LA Family so these relationships persisted for decades even after the clan dispersed throughout the US.

[B.]

Should add, Phil Rizzuto and Sam Orlando Sciortino referred to each other as cousins in the 1980s. Sam was the son of Calogero "Charles" who was the next door neighbor of Phil Rizzuto's father Gioacchino "Jack" in Williamsburg and I assume they were actual relatives.

[Woofinator]

B.,

If you look at the first page of Paolo Orlando's rejected 1914 naturalization petition:

Paolo Orlando naturalization pg1.JPG

You'll see a Charles Rizzuto listed as a witness.

On this Charles Rizzuto's WWI draft registration you'll see he's a garment union official:

Charles Rizzuto (1885) WWI draft registration.jpg

and he's also mentioned in this article from page 2 of the 01 Feb. 1916 edition of the Standard Union about a successful strike:

Charles Rizzuto strike The_Standard_Union_Tue__Feb_1__1916_pg. 2.jpg

Charles Rizzuto was born as Calogero Rizzuto on 22 Mar. 1885 in Camporeale to Santo Rizzuto and Vita Giambalva. Santo Rizzuto and Vita Giambalva also gave birth to a daughter, Vincenza Rizzuto in May 1890 in Camporeale (the birthdate is missing on the baptism record but she was baptized on 13 May) Vincenza (or Jennie) would later marry Calogero Orlando Sciortino on 30 July 1914 in Brooklyn.

Jack Rizzuto was baptized on 02 Nov. 1900 in Camporeale (again birthdate not given in the baptism record) to Filippo Rizzuto and Antonina Giambalva. Yes, Vita Giambalva and Antonina Giambalva were indeed sisters, thus making Sam and Phil cousins. Jack immigrated with his parents and was living with them at 589 Flushing Ave. in the 1920 census.

Also, Paolo Orlando was a 2nd cousin 1x removed to Charles and Vincenza's father, Santo Rizzuto (through Paolo's mother Caterina Rizzuto). I haven't found a link to the Orlando Sciorinos going through the Orlando line through the early 1800's. Interestingly, according to the church records one of the Orlando Sciortino grandparents was from Partinico.

[B.]

Excellent work!

[JoelTurner]

Kind of a shot in the dark, but I was wondering if Catherine Rizzuto of Newark could have been related to these ones. She was born ~1873 in Camporeale and died Feb 9 1948 in NJ.

She was married to Antonio Bevinetto, also from Camporeale. Their son Girolamo “Jerome” Bevinetto was a likely Newark Family member and was shot with Vincenzo Troia. Their daughter Anna married Newark underboss Sam Monaco.

The Rizzuto + Camporeale + Mafia made me think that there could have been a connection.

[Woofinator]

Kind of a shot in the dark, but I was wondering if Catherine Rizzuto of Newark could have been related to these ones. She was born ~1873 in Camporeale and died Feb 9 1948 in NJ.

She was married to Antonio Bevinetto, also from Camporeale. Their son Girolamo “Jerome” Bevinetto was a likely Newark Family member and was shot with Vincenzo Troia. Their daughter Anna married Newark underboss Sam Monaco.

The Rizzuto + Camporeale + Mafia made me think that there could have been a connection.

Joel,
I found Caterina's (and her children) arrival record --- Dec 22, 1906 New York arrival on the Sicilian Prince. While her last residence is given as Camporeale, her birth place is given as Balestrate on the passenger manifest. Are there any other documents which suggest the manifest is wrong and she was born in Camporeale?

[JoelTurner]

Good find

I’m wondering if there may have been a mistake. The record implies that her kids, including daughter Maria, were also born in Balestrate.

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

However, on this naturalization document, it says that Maria was born in Camporeale.

(https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/GJ85-XHX)

Maybe Catherine was born in Balestrate but her kids were born in Camporeale.