How did Lucky Luciano know who was snitching?

[JoelTurner]

During Lucky Luciano’s long stay as an exile in Italy, there were several instances where he alerted the American mafia that an individual was informing the authorities. Each of these men appear to have been involved in narcotics which could explain their connection to Lucky. Here’s a better look at their situations:

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Eugene Giannini - Killed Sep 20 1952

- Born as PASQUALE GIANNINI on Apr 16 1910 in Toritto, Bari, Puglia to Giuseppe Giannini and Marianna Simone

- Immigrated to the US with parents on 19 Dec 1920, heading to a sister Anna living at 204 E 3rd Ave, NYC, NY

- May 20 1934 - Killed a cop during a holdup. // Living at 3434 Irwin Ave, Bronx, NY

- Mar 27 1945 - Arrested as a part of a narcotics ring alongside Joseph Dentico, Joseph Tocco, Gregory Ardito, Alfred Cruiscuolo, Charles Albero, Philip Albanese, Joseph Marone; all of NYC. Also arrested were Anthony Campagna of San Fernando, CA; John Manetta of East Boston, MA; and Sam Maugeri of Santa Cruz, CA. Tocco was identified as the leader, having replaced Charles LaGaipa who was killed the year prior. // Living at 282 W 234th St, Bronx, NY

- Oct 21 1950 - Re-entered the country in Vermont with his wife and kids. // Living at 282 W 234th St, Bronx, NY

- Sep 20 1952 - Killed

In his senate testimony, Valachi says that Anthony “Tony Bender” Strollo told him that Charley Lucky had sent word that Giannini was an informer.




However, in what I assume was a closed-door interview, he adds a very interesting detail.



Luciano had sent word that he had been an informer for 17 years at that point. This is really interesting, not only because of how specific it is, but also because it would place the start of cooperation at ~1935. On May 2 1935, Giannini’s co-defendant in the police officer murder, Ralph De Lillio was sentenced to 30-to-life. As he doesn’t appear to have served any time for this, it’s probably when he flipped.

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Dominick Petrelli - Killed Dec 9 1953

Petrelli was born Apr 1 1900 in Italy and had a long rap sheet of 36 arrests. Notably, he recruited Joe Valachi into the Gagliano-Maranzano group during the  Castellammarese War.

-Mar 18 1942 - Indicted in Tucson, AZ for narcotics alongside Salvatore Santoro, Frank Livorsi, James Picarelli, Charles Albero, Joseph Spitaleri, Joseph Gagliano. Also arrested were Simone Durruso/Boruso, Alberto Leyva, Celestino Hardstein, and Helmuth Hartmann.

-Jul 28 1942 - Sentenced to 5-years in prison

-Deported to Italy in 1947

-Killed Dec 9 1953. At the time of his murder, the FBN claimed that they had been trying to track him down.

Luciano alerted the Genovese family that Petrelli was talking to the FBN.


He’s also referenced on the DeCarlo tapes in a conversation about a separate informant who was identified by Luciano.


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Settimo Accardi

Settimo “Big Sam” Accardi’s story is a bit different with two details standing out. Rather than being an East Harlem/Bronx figure, he was a longtime powerhouse in Newark, NJ. Additionally, unlike the two prior men mentioned, he wasn’t killed.

-Oct 31 1955 - Fled the country

-Nov 14 1963 - Extradited back from Italy with a $500 000 bail

-Aug 25 1964 - Sentenced to 15 years in prison

-Dec 13 1975 - Hearing rejected

-Dec 3 1977 - Passed away

In 1962, Valachi heard rumors that Accardi had been cooperating with authorities, and specifically that “Luciano had marked him wrong”.


Similarly, the feds believed Accardi to be the individual referenced on the Apr 23 DeCarlo tape. “Sathema” being a phonetic impression of Settimo.


I’m not 100% sure that Accardi was the one whom they were talking about on the wiretap. The timeline doesn’t add up. In April, he wasn’t on bail nor was he in the country.

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Benjamin Indiviglio - Killed Dec 30 1965

-Born Jul 10 1921 as BENEDETTO INDIVIGLIO to Giuseppe Indiviglio and Felecia Marino. Father from Messina

-Lived at 243 E 106th St, NYC, NY

-Oct 25 1956 - Convicted and sentenced to 4-years for narcotics in Houston, TX alongside Mrs. Francis LaPorta, Eugene Howell, Vito & Ardelle Giordinello, Anthony Kolm, Jone Aguilar, Daniel Mitchell, Rodney Peevey, and Rose Diaz.

-May 6 1960 - Arrested for narcotics alongside John Ormento, Carlie DiPietro, Angelo Tuminaro, Rocco Sancinella, Angelo Loiacano, Frank Mancino, Carmine Panico, Salvatore Sciremammano, Carmine Polizano, Joseph Vecchio, and Joseph Fernandez

-Jun 6 1964, DeCarlo, Carl Silesia, and Louis Percello discussed Indiviglio:

DeCarlo: He's a stoolie - for chrissakes!
Silesia: Yeah I heard
DeCarlo: Yeah
Percello: (Expletive)
DeCarlo: Certainly - Lucky (Luciano) sent the word over a long time - before he died - that he's a stool pigeon... he's back... he was in Canada about a year and a half... they ain't got no bail on him yet and when he does, he'll make out he can't make bail... he'll be around. Everybody knows him... he'll get killed if they let him out... they won't let the G-men in to talk to him either.

-Dec 30 1965 - Killed alongside Peter Bellus; had been working as a methodist reverend at the time

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In each of these incidents, ranging over a 12 year period, Luciano was able to send word over to NYC to kill a member who had been informing. This wasn’t local gossip that somehow frittered it’s way back to him, it’s clear that he had a source of information.

If he had a source in the FBN, which would be the logical conclusion, it would be interesting to find out if it was a two-way connection. Luciano seems to have had a history of cooperating but not necessarily ratting. There’s the super famous story about how he traded protecting the docks during WW2 against his own freedom. Additionally, he may have given up a stash of narcotics in the early 20s.

Also, other than Sam Accardi, all of these rats were from the East Harlem area. Was there something more to that or was that just ground zero for narcotics?

[Antiliar]

You make a lot of good points. It does seem like Luciano had an inside source in the FBN. There are records of agents who leaked information and were prosecuted.

As for "nathema," it's possible it's a garbled name. When I read it, the first thing that came to mind was the word "anathema," meaning "condemned" and "accursed." Historically it was used by the Roman Catholic Church against heretics and used in the phrase "let them be anathema." I could see them calling a turncoat informant accursed or anathema. Without hearing Ray DeCarlo it's impossible to know which is correct since the context allows for either possibility.

[chin_gigante]

Great write up!

[B.]

Yeah I've long believed there was a mutually beneficial relationship between Luciano and the FBN for all of the reasons you stated. Interesting too is he was hanging out with Nick Gentile who had supplied the Italian Treasury with information.

[Eline2015]

his driver-bodyguard in italy was said that Lucania was a FBI informant after his death. I dont remeber his name

[Antiliar]

Luciano did talk to the feds sometimes, but he didn't give away anything of importance. He hated Harry Anslinger. Anslinger once sent an undercover agent to befriend Luciano, and he was successful. But there were signs that at a certain point the agent may have been discovered, but by that time the agent already left Italy.

It may have been a situation similar to what happened with the FBI. A secretary in an FBI office was the girlfriend of a mobster and passed information to him. There could have been someone in the American embassy passing info to someone who passed it until it reached Lucky.