Members made in their teens

[B.]

San Jose member Frank Sorce told the FBI that members could be made as young as 13 in Sicily and as young as 17 in the US. Important to remember that the world was culturally much different 100+ years ago, the teenage revolution not having happened yet in the US and boys were expected to become men at a much younger age especially in Sicily. Recruitment was also done primarily through blood and marriage, with sons and nephews raised in the mafia subculture from birth.

We do have some examples:

- Giuseppe Lima was identified by his extended cousin Tony Lima as an early member of the San Jose Family who was first made in their native Trabia. Lima came to the US at age 13 and bounced between the Bay Area and Portland before dying in the San Jose area in 1934. Based on Tony Lima's info, it seems Giuseppe may have been made by the time he was 13. The Limas were a powerful clan in California, Western PA, and Ohio who were no doubt an established mafia clan in Trabia so that could have influenced his entry there at such a young age. It's also interesting that Sorce was told members in Sicily could be made as young as 13 given this may have been true of fellow San Jose member Lima -- he may have heard of local examples like Lima.

- Harry Riccobene was made at age 16, just before his 17th birthday. His father was a member in Philly and his grandfather had been a member in Castrogiovanni but apparently Harry's father didn't know he was going to be made so it wasn't done out of pure nepotism. Still, I'm sure his family background played a role. Pete Casella was also allegedly made as a teenager but we have less definitive evidence. Casella came from a large mafia clan from Belmonte Mezzagno so he would be like Riccobene in that his family background played a big role.

- Vincent "Fingers" Villone told Celeste Morello he was made into the Philly Family at age 17 by Joe Ida (~1948). He said he got his start around Harry Riccobene by helping gambling operations when he was 6-years-old. Morello believed him but this has always been questionable as none of the many Philly CIs, CWs, or other investigations have identified him as a member. He also said his half-brother Sammy Tamburrino (1980s Riccobene war victim) was made but all the coverage of Tamburrino has him as a Riccobene associate -- it would change the story quite a bit if the Riccobene faction had multiple made members and one of them was murdered. Morello was very close to Harry Riccobene when he was in prison so if Villone was indeed made you'd think she would have a decent grasp on his true status but I am skeptical. Philly did have sleepers like Orlando Puppo and Vincent Catania who escaped FBI lists but they were ostensibly legitimate whereas Villone was a gambler with the highly criminal Riccobene group so he should have been on LE's radar one way or another. If somehow Villone was a made member, it would mean the practice of inducting teenagers continued after the 1920s.

- Stefano LaTorre's son said his father arrived to Pittston and played an important role in the founding of the local Family, possibly being an early leader before his relative Santo Volpe arrived in 1906 and took over. LaTorre arrived in 1903 at age 17 and it sounds like he was at least a member if not something more before 1906. His son may not have had all the specifics right but he was told about this by his father so I believe it's safe to assume Stefano LaTorre was made in his teens.

- Giovanni Riina was made at age 19 in 1995 after committing multiple murders for the Corleone Family.

--

Any number of early members could have been made in their teens, especially members who grew up in Sicily, we just don't have enough info to speculate who. The practice of inducting older members was a later development but we also don't know what the "typical" age of induction was earlier in mafia history. Were most members made in their 20s or was there a time when teens were very common? Sorce only said that members could be made at 13 and 17, not that members were commonly made at those ages and we don't have enough data to say one way or another.

I feel like I've seen info from pentiti in Sicily who discussed other teenagers being made but I'm drawing a blank. Tommaso Buscetta believes he was made in 1948 so he was either 19 or 20 depending on the month and we know from pentiti that it has been typical to induct members in their early 20s in modern decades even though that has become unheard of in the US outside of Barney Bellomo and maybe select others. Nino Calderone discussed a group of very young men made in Catania but I don't think their ages were made clear. Maurizio Avola was either 19 or 20 when he was made into the Catania Family in 1983.

Anyone know of other examples in the US or Sicily of members who were made before the age of 20?

[Eline2015]

Mike Rubino 20 y.o. of Detroit in 1931

[bn]

Salvatore Spinelli (Bonanno) may have been made pre-1958. He was born in 1939.

[Ivan]

Was this Fingers Villone person active in the Scarfo era? He would have only been in his 50s then.

[Eld]

Genovese member Daniel Cilenti was made in 1947 when he was 19 or 20.

[Cheech]

When i first saw the title I thought it was a furio chart.

How old was barney?

[cavita]

Rockford LCN member Anthony DiGiovanni may have been made in 1926/1927 when he was 19 or 20 years old.

[B.]

Was this Fingers Villone person active in the Scarfo era? He would have only been in his 50s then.

Not sure what the real story is with him. He was definitely related to Sammy Tamburrino like he says as another Tamburrino is listed as his brother in his obituary.

I'd like to think Morello had more context for who he was than some random old guy claiming he was a member but I don't know.

[Pmac2]

Barney 20 21. Frank loc 22 23. Scarpa 21 barney may have been the youngest alive today.

[Southshore88]

Barney 20 21. Frank loc 22 23. Scarpa 21 barney may have been the youngest alive today.

Barney is def a contender for youngest member made that is alive.

How old was Baldo Amato when he was made? Was he made here or in Sicily?

[PolackTony]

Barney 20 21. Frank loc 22 23. Scarpa 21 barney may have been the youngest alive today.

How old was Baldo Amato when he was made? Was he made here or in Sicily?

Baldo Amato (25 yo) Cesare Bonventre (26 yo) were both made in 1977 at a verbal-only ceremony officiated by Galante.

[Adam]

I like people adding in their info...but when the OP is asking for teenagers who were made ...why are people posting about people mad in their twenties?

[Cheech]

I like people adding in their info...but when the OP is asking for teenagers who were made ...why are people posting about people mad in their twenties?

Cause how long can u talk about 3 people?

[Adam]

I like people adding in their info...but when the OP is asking for teenagers who were made ...why are people posting about people mad in their twenties?

Cause how long can u talk about 3 people?

Ha! Good point. So let's start another one called "Guys made in their twenties."

[Cheech]

I like people adding in their info...but when the OP is asking for teenagers who were made ...why are people posting about people mad in their twenties?

Cause how long can u talk about 3 people?

Ha! Good point. So let's start another one called "Guys made in their twenties."

done. thanks for the tip.