The wedding of Charles J. Bufalino and Gaetana Volpe

[nash143]

On 24rd April 1930 Gaetana E. Volpe married Charles J. Bufalino in Pittston. Gaetana was the eldest child of Boss (as of 1930) Santo Volpe. Charles was one of the many Bufalinos residing in Pittston; second cousin, once removed to member Charles Bufalino, and brother of attorney William ‘Bill’ Bufalino who represented the Teamsters.

Three of Santo Volpe’s other five children were well connected:
-Alphonsina would go on to marry future member Joseph Saraceno.
-Santo Jr would marry Gaetana Medico, daughter of member William Medico.
-Angelina married future Russell Bufalino attorney Ettore Agolino.

At the same time as the nuptial high mass in Pittston, in Montedoro, a mass was sung and the entire village of over 3000 inhabitants were entertained at a feast. The bride and groom received by cable, the benediction of Pope Pius XI.

A wedding dinner to 300 guests followed at Hotel Sterling, Wilkes-Barre. The wedding reception (and music) was broadcast over local radio station WBRE.

Guests: Pittston LCN Members/future members -
- Angelo Alfano
- Agustino Alfano
- Charles Bufalino
- ?Russell Bufalino (future Boss)
- Samuel Costanzo
- Giuseppe Contessa
- Angelo Falzone
- Samuel Galante
- Charles Gelso
- Samuel Insalaco
- Stefano Latorre (former Boss)
- Angelo Polizzi
- John Parrino
- John Sciandra (future Boss)

Guests: People of interest (names as written in newspaper article) –
- John C. Montana, Buffalo LCN Underboss?
- Angelo B. Palmeri, Buffalo LCN member
- Paul Palmeri, Buffalo LCN member
- Ernest Palmeri, future Genovese associate
- Joseph J. DiCialo (DiCarlo), Buffalo LCN member
- J. Camilliere, (?John Cammilleri, Buffalo member, future Capodecina. Bit of a stretch as he would have only been c18 at the time. I cannot find a record of a J Cammilliere/Cammilleri living in the Pittston area for this time period
- S. Maranzans (Salvatore Maranzano), Future Bonanno Boss
- Nicola (Nicolo) Schiro, Bonnano Boss
- Vincenzo Coppola, possibly the same who was arrested with Joseph Barbara, Natale Evola and Nicolo Gruppuso (Coppola’s brother-in-law) in Brooklyn, Aug 1931.

Shame the below photo is of such poor quality as Maranzano could be in it.

[chin_gigante]

Great find

[Antiliar]

Ditto. Fantastic find. You know we're going to look over that photo with a microscope to find Maranzano, LOL.

[Harrism]

Interesting. Tried putting the photo in an AI enhancer but didn't turn out any better.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/101339 ... CvJglJ4G10

Appareantly some Castelanno's among the wedding guests aswell and even seated at the brides table.

[The Greek]

Would that local newspapers archives have the original photo? or..

https://www.facebook.com/WBPreservation ... 44/?type=3


1978 Ace Hoffman photo of Ace Hoffman's on West Market Street. From the Karen Jones French Collection at the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society. Two upstairs rooms in the Zebulon Butler House at 313 South River Street will be used as archival storage and open to the public. We will also digitize the collection online. If you would like to donate your collection of historic Wilkes-Barre photos please contact Tony Brooks at 570-793-3631. Thank you.

[trafficante]

Would that local newspapers archives have the original photo? or..

https://www.facebook.com/WBPreservation ... 44/?type=3


1978 Ace Hoffman photo of Ace Hoffman's on West Market Street. From the Karen Jones French Collection at the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society. Two upstairs rooms in the Zebulon Butler House at 313 South River Street will be used as archival storage and open to the public. We will also digitize the collection online. If you would like to donate your collection of historic Wilkes-Barre photos please contact Tony Brooks at 570-793-3631. Thank you.

It might be worth a shot to reach out and see if they have the photo archived. I know I’ve had some luck reaching out to newspaper companies and their archives in the past to get photos—usually in pretty good quality.

[B.]

Incredible find especially given Schiro and Maranzano were there. Shows that although Schiro was still boss, Maranzano was accompanying him to represent the Family.

[The Greek]

Incredible find especially given Schiro and Maranzano were there. Shows that although Schiro was still boss, Maranzano was accompanying him to represent the Family.

This was right about the time the war was starting. Morello got killed 4 months later and Mineo and Ferrigno a few months after that.

[B.]

Bonanno doesn't give exact dates, but based on his timeline Maranzano represented the Family at a meeting with Masseria and Morello around June 1930 after Gaspare Milazzo was killed then Schiro went into hiding and kept his boss title at least temporarily before Vito Bonventre was killed in mid-July 1930, at which point Maranzano held a meeting of the entire Family where he became "commander" (acting or de facto boss).

Now that we know Maranzano attended the wedding of the Pittston boss's daughter in April with Schiro, him representing the Family in a meeting with the capo dei capi around June when Schiro was still on the street suggests Maranzano was already assisting the leadership. He had of course been capoprovincia of Trapani before 1925 and brought great personal stature to America but after he comes to the US he appears to have been a soldier under Vito Bonventre and according to Magaddino transferred membership between Buffalo and the Bonannos. He gave a Buffalo address during his 1925 arrest and was living in Hamilton in 1927 but I believe the sitdown where Bonanno indicates Maranzano was under Bonventre was after that so he likely transferred back to Schiro by 1928.

I'd have to check the book, but does Bonanno ever give Maranzano's rank between April and July of 1930? He could have technically remained a soldier but I'm curious.

[Antiliar]

Bonanno doesn't give exact dates, but based on his timeline Maranzano represented the Family at a meeting with Masseria and Morello around June 1930 after Gaspare Milazzo was killed then Schiro went into hiding and kept his boss title at least temporarily before Vito Bonventre was killed in mid-July 1930, at which point Maranzano held a meeting of the entire Family where he became "commander" (acting or de facto boss).

Now that we know Maranzano attended the wedding of the Pittston boss's daughter in April with Schiro, him representing the Family in a meeting with the capo dei capi around June when Schiro was still on the street suggests Maranzano was already assisting the leadership. He had of course been capoprovincia of Trapani before 1925 and brought great personal stature to America but after he comes to the US he appears to have been a soldier under Vito Bonventre and according to Magaddino transferred membership between Buffalo and the Bonannos. He gave a Buffalo address during his 1925 arrest and was living in Hamilton in 1927 but I believe the sitdown where Bonanno indicates Maranzano was under Bonventre was after that so he likely transferred back to Schiro by 1928.

I'd have to check the book, but does Bonanno ever give Maranzano's rank between April and July of 1930? He could have technically remained a soldier but I'm curious.

The only indication of rank Bonanno gave was during the meeting with Masseria where he said he was only a soldier in the House of Schiro.