Captain with no Crew vs Soliders Direct with Boss

[JeremyTheJew]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.


Another example would be Ralph Riccobene in the Bruno era



Another one would maybe be like John Nardi in Cleveland pre war ???

[PolackTony]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

[Browniety86]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.


Another example would be Ralph Riccobene in the Bruno era



Another one would maybe be like John Nardi in Cleveland pre war ???

I didnt think John Nardi was made?

[davidf1989]

what about Bobby Deluca when frank Salemme was the boss?
and also Frank Salemme when Raymond Patriarca junior was briefly the boss

[JeremyTheJew]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.


Another example would be Ralph Riccobene in the Bruno era



Another one would maybe be like John Nardi in Cleveland pre war ???

I didnt think John Nardi was made?

Actually I think you are right

Nardi I think was just a associate

[JeremyTheJew]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

No shit … wow did not know that

Was this the whole time???

Later in life Roselli was one of the key CIA/Giancana/Castro antagonists…. Surprised to hear he has a capo

And was he ever transferred to LA??

[cavita]

In 1966 not long after being made, Sebastian Gulotta was suspected by the Rockford LCN hierarchy that he was leaking information about the family because the FBI interviewed member Phil Cannella about the gangland murder of Charles LaFranka. Gulotta was involved in the murder and the FBI questioned Cannella about the murder and the "making" of three new members soon after the murder, that being Gulotta, Frank Correnti and Joe Maggio. Cannella reported this directly to boss Joe Zammuto as the following excerpt recalls:

"In the recent past two FBI Agents interviewed PHILIP CANNELLA, a Rockford family member, at Rockford, Illinois, at which time the FBI Agents brought up the matter of the murder of LA FRANCA (phonetic) who was murdered approximately one to two years ago and his body was found in the vicinity of Elgin, Illinois, to the best of the informant’s recollection. The FBI Agents questioned CANNELLA about three new LCN members being made in Rockford, after LA FRANCA’s murder. The Agents also asked if PHIL CANNELLA knew “KNOBBY” GULOTTA’s girlfriend.

PHILIP CANNELLA reported to JOSEPH ZAMMUTO and told ZAMMUTO about this interview by the FBI Agents. As a result, ZAMMUTO suspicioned that “KNOBBY” GULOTTA was confiding in his girlfriend on matters that he should not be talking about to her. Because of this suspicion, GULOTTA was kicked out of the Rockford family but apparently was not marked for a “hit.”"

[JakeTheSnake630]

Salemme and then Bobby DeLuca we’re both captains with no crew direct with the boss I believe.

[OmarSantista]

Is there any way a captain can make a member without the permission of a boss if another administration member present is present

[davidf1989]

Salemme and then Bobby DeLuca we’re both captains with no crew direct with the boss I believe.

Thanks for the confirmation Jake.

[motorfab]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

No shit … wow did not know that

Was this the whole time???

Later in life Roselli was one of the key CIA/Giancana/Castro antagonists…. Surprised to hear he has a capo

And was he ever transferred to LA??

Actually it's the opposite, he was a soldier of the Los Angeles Crime Family, direct under his boss Jack Dragna, and he was transferred to the Outfit when Dragna died in 1956 (he wasn't a big fan of Frank DeSimone)

-------

Tony Canzoneri of the Bonanno Crime Family is another example of Capo without soldiers under him

[PolackTony]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

No shit … wow did not know that

Was this the whole time???

Later in life Roselli was one of the key CIA/Giancana/Castro antagonists…. Surprised to hear he has a capo

And was he ever transferred to LA??

Actually it's the opposite, he was a soldier of the Los Angeles Crime Family, direct under his boss Jack Dragna, and he was transferred to the Outfit when Dragna died in 1956 (he wasn't a big fan of Frank DeSimone)

Yes, exactly. Roselli was made into the LA outfit in 1947 with Sal Piscopo and later transferred to Chicago when Dragna died. 1956 was also the year that Giancana became Chicago boss and also when LaPorte succeeded Vincenzo “Jimmy Emery” Ammirato as capo of the Chicago Heights crew. We know that at least by the 1960s, Rosselli was assigned to LaPorte, and likely this arrangement pertained from when Roselli was transferred. Roselli wasn’t the only out-of-state Chicago member assigned to LaPorte, as Frank LaGalbo, who transferred from Milwaukee in the ‘50s, also answered to LaPorte. LaPorte was also very close to Frank Bompensiero and spent a lot of time in CA as he had property and investments there.

So far as we know, Phil Alderisio and Marshall Caifano were direct with Giancana while he was boss. Albert “Obie” Frabotta may have also been assigned to Giancana, but this is less clear. Jimmy Frattiano believed that he transferred to Chicago as a soldier direct with Giancana also, but this transfer was not conducted per protocol and was not approved by either the LA admin or, apparently, Chicago’s Consiglio.

Both under LA and Chicago, Rosselli was a prime example of a soldier who punched well above his weight in terms of status and influence, until he fell out of favor around 1970. During his time with LA, he may have been direct with the admin, though I believe that prior to the 1950s (someone can correct me if I’m wrong), LA may not have had capidecine and if this was the case, all of the soldiers would have answered direct to the admin anyway (as has been the case with some Families in Sicily historically).

Another possible example of a powerful soldier direct with the boss could have been Giancana himself. Rosselli was cited in Fratianno’s book as identifying Giancana as having been a soldier under Accardo prior to becoming boss. The timeline isn’t super clear for this, however, and other sources would seem to support Giancana having been Accardo’s UB. Accardo was in power about 10 years though, so Giancana’s rank could’ve changed over that time. But it’s also possible that if he was a soldier direct with Accardo (who was Giancana’s paesan’, with both of their families hailing from Castelvetrano/Partanna), Giancana could’ve had a level of clout that made him seem to be an underboss, or could’ve served as a de facto “street boss” for Accardo.

[Antiliar]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

No shit … wow did not know that

Was this the whole time???

Later in life Roselli was one of the key CIA/Giancana/Castro antagonists…. Surprised to hear he has a capo

And was he ever transferred to LA??

Actually it's the opposite, he was a soldier of the Los Angeles Crime Family, direct under his boss Jack Dragna, and he was transferred to the Outfit when Dragna died in 1956 (he wasn't a big fan of Frank DeSimone)

Yes, exactly. Roselli was made into the LA outfit in 1947 with Sal Piscopo and later transferred to Chicago when Dragna died. 1956 was also the year that Giancana became Chicago boss and also when LaPorte succeeded Vincenzo “Jimmy Emery” Ammirato as capo of the Chicago Heights crew. We know that at least by the 1960s, Rosselli was assigned to LaPorte, and likely this arrangement pertained from when Roselli was transferred. Roselli wasn’t the only out-of-state Chicago member assigned to LaPorte, as Frank LaGalbo, who transferred from Milwaukee in the ‘50s, also answered to LaPorte. LaPorte was also very close to Frank Bompensiero and spent a lot of time in CA as he had property and investments there.

So far as we know, Phil Alderisio and Marshall Caifano were direct with Giancana while he was boss. Albert “Obie” Frabotta may have also been assigned to Giancana, but this is less clear. Jimmy Frattiano believed that he transferred to Chicago as a soldier direct with Giancana also, but this transfer was not conducted per protocol and was not approved by either the LA admin or, apparently, Chicago’s Consiglio.

Both under LA and Chicago, Rosselli was a prime example of a soldier who punched well above his weight in terms of status and influence, until he fell out of favor around 1970. During his time with LA, he may have been direct with the admin, though I believe that prior to the 1950s (someone can correct me if I’m wrong), LA may not have had capidecine and if this was the case, all of the soldiers would have answered direct to the admin anyway (as has been the case with some Families in Sicily historically).

Another possible example of a powerful soldier direct with the boss could have been Giancana himself. Rosselli was cited in Fratianno’s book as identifying Giancana as having been a soldier under Accardo prior to becoming boss. The timeline isn’t super clear for this, however, and other sources would seem to support Giancana having been Accardo’s UB. Accardo was in power about 10 years though, so Giancana’s rank could’ve changed over that time. But it’s also possible that if he was a soldier direct with Accardo (who was Giancana’s paesan’, with both of their families hailing from Castelvetrano/Partanna), Giancana could’ve had a level of clout that made him seem to be an underboss, or could’ve served as a de facto “street boss” for Accardo.

According to The Last Mafioso, Roselli was already a made member when Piscopo and Fratianno were made in 1947. He was already close to Dragna in 1930/31.

[PolackTony]

Johnny roselli is another one that comes to mind …

He was technically a soldier his whole career tho he acted as like an advisor and/or liaison between like LA and Chicago et al.

Roselli was not a soldier direct with the admin when he was a a Chicago member though. He was assigned to capodecina Frank LaPorte.

No shit … wow did not know that

Was this the whole time???

Later in life Roselli was one of the key CIA/Giancana/Castro antagonists…. Surprised to hear he has a capo

And was he ever transferred to LA??

Actually it's the opposite, he was a soldier of the Los Angeles Crime Family, direct under his boss Jack Dragna, and he was transferred to the Outfit when Dragna died in 1956 (he wasn't a big fan of Frank DeSimone)

Yes, exactly. Roselli was made into the LA outfit in 1947 with Sal Piscopo and later transferred to Chicago when Dragna died. 1956 was also the year that Giancana became Chicago boss and also when LaPorte succeeded Vincenzo “Jimmy Emery” Ammirato as capo of the Chicago Heights crew. We know that at least by the 1960s, Rosselli was assigned to LaPorte, and likely this arrangement pertained from when Roselli was transferred. Roselli wasn’t the only out-of-state Chicago member assigned to LaPorte, as Frank LaGalbo, who transferred from Milwaukee in the ‘50s, also answered to LaPorte. LaPorte was also very close to Frank Bompensiero and spent a lot of time in CA as he had property and investments there.

So far as we know, Phil Alderisio and Marshall Caifano were direct with Giancana while he was boss. Albert “Obie” Frabotta may have also been assigned to Giancana, but this is less clear. Jimmy Frattiano believed that he transferred to Chicago as a soldier direct with Giancana also, but this transfer was not conducted per protocol and was not approved by either the LA admin or, apparently, Chicago’s Consiglio.

Both under LA and Chicago, Rosselli was a prime example of a soldier who punched well above his weight in terms of status and influence, until he fell out of favor around 1970. During his time with LA, he may have been direct with the admin, though I believe that prior to the 1950s (someone can correct me if I’m wrong), LA may not have had capidecine and if this was the case, all of the soldiers would have answered direct to the admin anyway (as has been the case with some Families in Sicily historically).

Another possible example of a powerful soldier direct with the boss could have been Giancana himself. Rosselli was cited in Fratianno’s book as identifying Giancana as having been a soldier under Accardo prior to becoming boss. The timeline isn’t super clear for this, however, and other sources would seem to support Giancana having been Accardo’s UB. Accardo was in power about 10 years though, so Giancana’s rank could’ve changed over that time. But it’s also possible that if he was a soldier direct with Accardo (who was Giancana’s paesan’, with both of their families hailing from Castelvetrano/Partanna), Giancana could’ve had a level of clout that made him seem to be an underboss, or could’ve served as a de facto “street boss” for Accardo.

According to The Last Mafioso, Roselli was already a made member when Piscopo and Fratianno were made in 1947. He was already close to Dragna in 1930/31.

Thanks for catching that. You’re correct of course that Rosselli was already made by 1947 and was likely inducted in the early 1930s (maybe even the late ‘20s?), though offhand I don’t know if any source specified exactly when (I had 1947 in my head as that was when Piscopo and Fratianno were inducted). Before he was made, Piscopo was probably an associate answering to Rosselli, I’d think, as he was described as acting like Roselli’s “secretary”. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rosselli reported directly to Dragna in that period himself, though again, it’s my understanding that LA may not have had captains prior to the 1950s and all of the members may have reported direct to the admin.

[Antiliar]

While we don't have documents listing any capos pre-1947, I would assume that L.A. probably had them because it was normative and there was a sufficient number of members to justify having them. When we first read of Joe Giammona he was without a crew because of his health issues, so it's probably likely that he previously had one; it's also possible he was a capo at the time of the 1947 ceremony. I could also suppose that Momo Adamo may have been a capo before he was promoted to underboss. Wish the FBI asked Piscopo and Bompensiero more historical questions, but it is what it is.