Gangland 12-7-2023

[Don Mosseria]

Yeah I was mainly kidding that the accent would turn it into "Senta".

I never thought about it like that, it could very well be true for some people.

"Sente" in Italians-in-Italy Italian would be pronounced something like "sayn-tay", right?

Sen-tay

I haven’t looked into Tony Senter’s genealogy in any detailed way, but I think the “Sente” thing is BS. “Sente” itself isn’t a surname in Italy. Wikipedia has Tony Senter’s parents has immigrants from Trentino-Alto Aldige way up in the Alps and claims that their surname was originally “Sente” (Wikipedia also had Greg Scarpa’s family as Northern, which is totally false as the Scarpas were Salernitan’). The Wikipedia entry of course has no citations for this so I don’t know what was the origin of the claim. I believe that the Post article linked above was probably just taking this from Wikipedia. There are no arrivals from the Trentino region that would seem to
match a “Michael Sente”, which is who Wikipedia claims was Tony Senter’s dad.

I’m pretty sure that the surname was actually Santoro.

Frank Anthony/Frank Michael Santoro/Senter was born in Brooklyn in 1924 to an Anthony Santoro and Mary Novelli (they in turn may have been from Bari, but I’m not 100% certain at the moment). I’d bet that he was either the father or uncle/other relative of Tony Senter:



Frank Senter’s brother James Santoro died in BK in 1987. Here’s his obit from the Daily News:



In 1967, the Canarsie Courier printed a story about the Leathernecks, a neighborhood cadet corps for youth aged 11 to 17. This should be 12-year-old Tony Senter here, and the Anthony Santoro also pictured was probably his cousin (note that James Santoro’s obit had him with two nephews named Anthony):



You’re from the neighborhood, Johnny, so maybe you have some personal insight into these names.

Great work as ever Tony (your recent Chicago episodes were kick ass too). Interestingly, I was just looking into the name Senter in Italy. I am pretty sure that when I was googling Anthony Senter a couple of years ago, his Wikipedia entry didn’t have the part about the Anglicisation from Sente, but I might be wrong. But either way, the stuff I was reading back then - Wikipedia and elsewhere - said that some have suggested Anglicisation (excuse my British spelling) from Senta, but that actually Senter - with the R - was his family’s name back in Northern Italy. I can’t be sure where I read that, but I did read it. That’s why I looked into it in that form today.

As you noted, Wikipedia currently has his father as one Michael Senter, coming from the town of Rovereto, in Trentino Province in the far North of Italy - an area that includes ethnic Germans/Austrians in the indigenous population, though they are now Italians in the modern sense. The name Senter - WITH the R at the end - does exist in Rovereto, and elsewhere in the region. A quick search on Ancestry shows that the 2011 Rovereto phone book/s had 33 entries for people with the surname Senter ( https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/?nam ... nce=_Italy). There are 7 duplicate first names in the list, so even if we remove those on the basis that they may be the same person in different phone books (I wasn’t able to check because I haven’t paid for an Ancestry World membership - maybe I should), that still gives 26 people with the surname Senter in the phone books in that town of 40,000 people. Other than one Olga, which I think is Slavic, they all have Italian first names. The whole Trentino-Alto Adige region shows 127 entries for people with the name Senter in 2011. So on that basis, it is possible that Anthony Senter could have ancestry from the town of Rovereto in the far North.

That said, your research linking the names Senter and Santoro in Canarsie, including to a couple of Anthonys of the right age, looks pretty tight. If you searched Senter in Canarsie, and didn’t find any Michaels born in Rovereto or Trentino living there at the appropriate times, then I’d say your theory is probably right. But maybe the presence of the Senter name in the indigenous population of Rovereto explains why someone came up with the theory that Anthony’s heritage goes back there, and put it on Wikipedia (and then someone else chipped in with the Sente thing)?

[PolackTony]

Forget Brooklyn, I wasn’t able to locate anyone with the surname Senter or Sente from the region of Trentino-Alto Adige in the US. Seemed like BS to me because of the fact that I caught Wikipedia lying about Greg Scarpa being Northern Italian. Maybe whoever wrote the Wikipedia entry just googled “Senter + Italy” and thus got the notion that Anthony Senter’s parents were from Rovereto, Trento. Can’t really say, because they don’t bother to provide any sources for the claim.

Again, unless someone has better info, I’d think that the Frank Michael Senter I posted above was probably Anthony Senter’s dad. If so, then Anthony’s mother was Giovanna “Jennie” Cozzolino, born in 1925 in NYC (she died in 2020; note also that the 1987 obit I posted for James Santoro stated that he had a SIL named Jennie Senter). I’m not 100% sure but I believe that her family was from Avellino province (they were most likely Campani at least, as the Cozzolino surname is overwhelmingly concentrated in Campania).

Frank Senter was born Francesco Santoro in Brooklyn in 1924. His parents were Antonio Santoro aka “Anthony Senter” (he used both versions), a Brooklyn longshoreman born 1898 in NYC, and Mary Novelli, born about 1903 in Italy (not sure where).

The Santoro/Senter family was already living in Canarsie, on Remsen between Farragut and Glenwood, in the 1920s. There weren’t exactly a ton of Italians running around Brooklyn using the surname “Senter”, so I’m pretty sure this is Anthony Senter’s family.

[Blunts]

Thanks for posting that information Tony. That picture is a rare find. It's still crazy to me that he is getting out after all they pulled.

[Don Mosseria]

Yeah, you nailed it bro. All that other stuff is bullshit. It changes too, cos when I was googling the guy a couple of years ago, the suggestion was that his name came from Senta, not Sente. And the Senter from up north seem kind of legit, because I found whole discussions about Senta vs Senter as Northern. I am ashamed to say I also believed the Wikipedia entry about the Scarpas being from Venice. I’ve said on three or four comment sections that both Senter and Scarpa were the only far Northern descent members I am aware of (I know you guys mentioned a member from the far North back in the very early days on one of your shows, but I couldn’t remember his name), but actually neither of them are - doh! I’ve gotta be more discerning. So much bullshit out there - like Wikipedia saying Jackie Nose D’Amico is Napulitan’ when he’s actually Palermitani. And even doing research you’ve gotta be careful, cos I thought finding all those Senters in Rovereto was decent support for him being from there. But then I came here straight after and saw your post totally debunk it! So anyway, good work.

[PolackTony]

Yeah, you nailed it bro. All that other stuff is bullshit. It changes too, cos when I was googling the guy a couple of years ago, the suggestion was that his name came from Senta, not Sente. And the Senter from up north seem kind of legit, because I found whole discussions about Senta vs Senter as Northern. I am ashamed to say I also believed the Wikipedia entry about the Scarpas being from Venice. I’ve said on three or four comment sections that both Senter and Scarpa were the only far Northern descent members I am aware of (I know you guys mentioned a member from the far North back in the very early days on one of your shows, but I couldn’t remember his name), but actually neither of them are - doh! I’ve gotta be more discerning. So much bullshit out there - like Wikipedia saying Jackie Nose D’Amico is Napulitan’ when he’s actually Palermitani. And even doing research you’ve gotta be careful, cos I thought finding all those Senters in Rovereto was decent support for him being from there. But then I came here straight after and saw your post totally debunk it! So anyway, good work.

Although there were many Northern Italians who immigrated to the US, and plenty of them in cities with mafia Families, very very few members have to date been identified as having Northern ancestry (within which I’m not including Central Italy, like Tuscany and the Marche). This is in itself an interesting historical question, but speaks to the major cultural differences between Northerners and Meridionali.

B has discussed the Wyoming-based US Senator Louis Boschetto, who was a member (presumably of the Pueblo Family, though we don’t know for sure). He was from the province of Bolzano in Trentino-Alto Adige (the Südtirol in German), which was part of the Austrian Empire when Boschetto was born, though subsequently annexed by Italy in 1918. The great majority of the Südtirol was German-speaking (even after decades of intensive Italianization, about 1/4 of the population today still speaks German as their mother tongue), but Boschetto’s family were ethnic Italians from the comune of Salorno, one of only 5 towns in the Südtirol that historically spoke Italian.

The parents of Chicago Heights capodecina Alfred Pilotto were from the far Northern province of Belluno in Vèneto. His family intermarried with the Southern Italians and Sicilians who strongly predominated in Chicago Heights, however, so there is a broader context to his connections.

We haven’t yet identified the ancestry of a good number of members around the US, so it can be presumed that there were probably a couple more Northerners around that we don’t know of.

[Don Mosseria]

Thanks man. Ah, Louis Boschetto was the guy B mentioned on your show that I was thinking of! Gonna screenshot these names - appreciated. I knew it was very rare. I’ve spent quite a bit of time googling the issue (not real primary research like you guys, just secondary stuff), and only found Senter and Scarpa, and knew you fellas had mentioned one other (Boschetto). And now it turns out my only two named guys weren’t even Northern anyway - lol. It’s embarrassing. But now I have two named guys again from your comment above - sweet!

One guy I was wondering about in this regard who wasn’t made, but was definitely an associate and talks about being Italian a lot is Joey Merlino’s mate Angelo Lutz. I know he was caught up in the big Philly case with Merlino and gang back in the day, and now he’s got the Kitchen Consiglieri restaurant and he’s done various interviews and things, where he talks about being Italian, and growing up with Italian food in the family and stuff. But Lutz is a German name. I wasn’t able to find any articles that mention his heritage, and didn’t do any primary research, but I was wondering if maybe he has ancestry going to South Tirol or something? Or maybe his family Germanised their name for some reason? If you don’t know off the top of your head no worries, not super important as he’s not made. But it piqued my interest in this regard… Cheers

[Ivan]

Although there were many Northern Italians who immigrated to the US, and plenty of them in cities with mafia Families, very very few members have to date been identified as having Northern ancestry (within which I’m not including Central Italy, like Tuscany and the Marche). This is in itself an interesting historical question, but speaks to the major cultural differences between Northerners and Meridionali.

I've always wondered if the fact that Ludovico "Schemer Drucci" D'Ambrosio was Northern Italian might have been part of the reason why he chose to run with the NW European/Slavic/Jewish North Side Mob instead of his "fellow Italians." Some subtle ethno-cultural affinity (or aversion to Southern Italians) thing. I'm probably reading too much into it though.

[SonnyBlackstein]

32 pages of everybodies opinion of Anthony Senter.

[B.]

Although there were many Northern Italians who immigrated to the US, and plenty of them in cities with mafia Families, very very few members have to date been identified as having Northern ancestry (within which I’m not including Central Italy, like Tuscany and the Marche). This is in itself an interesting historical question, but speaks to the major cultural differences between Northerners and Meridionali.

I've always wondered if the fact that Ludovico "Schemer Drucci" D'Ambrosio was Northern Italian might have been part of the reason why he chose to run with the NW European/Slavic/Jewish North Side Mob instead of his "fellow Italians." Some subtle ethno-cultural affinity (or aversion to Southern Italians) thing. I'm probably reading too much into it though.

Lodovico was also Louis Boschetto's birth name.

I don't know about D'Ambrosio specifically but there would absolutely be an ethno-cultural affinity with Europeans from neighboring countries. Louis Boschetto's nationality when he came to the US was "Austrian" because South Tyrol was under Austria when he was born.

It is likely there were two or three possible members in Rock Springs, Wyoming, one of which was John Anselmi who like Boschetto was from South Tyrol. The Anselmis were from the town of Lana. The other possible member was Pietro Zanetti but he came from Piedmont. As far as I know Southern Italians didn't go to Rock Springs so it's a mystery how an Austro-Italian senator was hooked in and made there but I threw out some theories in my article.

[Don Mosseria]

Yeah, I was already thinking after Ivan’s post that Ludovico, whilst in Italian form, is a very Central European/Austrian/German sounding name. Maybe I’m wrong and lots of Southern Italians have that name? But it makes me think of the likes of Ludwig van Beethoven performing for high society in Vienna.

I recently discovered via research on Ancestry.co.uk that I have a 6x Great Grandfather who was Northern Italian. Comite was the family name iirc, apparently meaning “from Como” or some such. I wonder if I am eligible for membership - haha

I’ll have to read that article B. I was also meaning to say that your recent audio episode on Manfredi Mineo was brilliant! Really helped clarify some questions for me, even if a lot was clarifying what we don’t know!

[Don Mosseria]

*Just double checked. It was my 5x Great Grandfather, and his name was Joseph Comitti (not Comite). And apparently this is a name for ppl from Como.

[B.]

You're already made as far as I'm concerned... Lodovico Mosseria.

He wasn't Northern Italian, but the 1930s-40s Santa Maria di Gesu boss Andrea Messina spent part of his youth in Germany and spent most of the year living in Germany even when he was boss in Palermo. He was fluent in German and was the point of contact for all Sicilian members who visited Germany.

[Don Mosseria]

Cheers. And interesting re the Germany connection. There was that famous Camorra hit on a whole bunch of guys in Germany 15 years or so ago as well. I’m going too far on another tangent now tho!

[NYNighthawk]

This calls for an official congressional investigation as to how he is getting out. This whole thing smells to high heaven. Someone was paid off- big time!!!

[NJShore4Life]

Thanks man. Ah, Louis Boschetto was the guy B mentioned on your show that I was thinking of! Gonna screenshot these names - appreciated. I knew it was very rare. I’ve spent quite a bit of time googling the issue (not real primary research like you guys, just secondary stuff), and only found Senter and Scarpa, and knew you fellas had mentioned one other (Boschetto). And now it turns out my only two named guys weren’t even Northern anyway - lol. It’s embarrassing. But now I have two named guys again from your comment above - sweet!

One guy I was wondering about in this regard who wasn’t made, but was definitely an associate and talks about being Italian a lot is Joey Merlino’s mate Angelo Lutz. I know he was caught up in the big Philly case with Merlino and gang back in the day, and now he’s got the Kitchen Consiglieri restaurant and he’s done various interviews and things, where he talks about being Italian, and growing up with Italian food in the family and stuff. But Lutz is a German name. I wasn’t able to find any articles that mention his heritage, and didn’t do any primary research, but I was wondering if maybe he has ancestry going to South Tirol or something? Or maybe his family Germanised their name for some reason? If you don’t know off the top of your head no worries, not super important as he’s not made. But it piqued my interest in this regard… Cheers

Angelo Lutz’s family/ancestors changed/Americanized their last name to Lutz , I forget what it originally was…..


-Dante