James Maffucci and Robert Spinelli discussing the release of Lucchese Brooklyn faction members (2013)

[JohnnyS]

Continued on from the above conversation. Discussing Meldish's attempted hit on Bonanno soldier Enzo Stagno.

CW-1: I know. The other thing is I think maybe you should have stopped him from like going after all the Bonanno’s. I think you should’ve like told him -–
JM: (TS) He wouldn’t tell me.
CW-1: Huh?
JM: He wouldn’t tell me.
CW-1: What do you mean he wouldn’t tell you?
JM: He didn’t tell me.
CW-1: You didn’t know?
JM: (TS) I mean, after, afterwards.
CW-1: You didn’t know?
JM: Afterwards.
CW-1: He didn’t tell you he was going after all the Bonanno’s?
JM: Nope, he didn’t. Cause you know why—-
CW-1: Why?
JM: --he didn’t tell me? Because he wouldn’t want me to put my two cents in to try to stop him. That’s how much he respected me like.
CW-1: I know he did. Yeah. That -– that was nice. That what I’m just saying like you – (TS) I –- I know the way you are, you would stop him from doing something.
JM: (TS) If I did know -– if -– if -– if I knew, you know I would’ve stopped him.
CW-1: Because I know the way you are. You -– you -– you don’t want the guy to get in trouble. You know what I mean?
JM: I wouldn’t have cared if he said to me one night, I’m gonna go do this. You follow me?
CW-1: Yeah.
JM: One night. But you can’t -– you can’t –- you can’t string that out.
CW-1: No.
JM: You follow me, Robert If I said to you, let’s go clip Brian, okay? And you and I went one night.
CW-1: Right.
JM: Well, we can’t say all right, now we’ll go get Brian, now we’ll go get the old man, we’ll go get uh uh Kevin, you know -– you know what I mean? Now -– now there’s five guys we got to go clip.
CW-1: Absolutely.
JM: You know what I mean? You can’t do it. Because you know why? You’re gonna get found out.
CW-1: Absolutely.
JM: You can go and kill one guy, one day. That’s it.
CW-1: That’s what I’m saying. When -– when he shot Stagno, nobody found out like the next day, like there was no -–
JM: I knew the next day.
CW-1: You knew the next day. 84th make a right?
JM: Yeah. So what am I supposed to say to him then? (UI) after it’s (UI) told me (UI) it’s done.
CW-1: Huh?
JM: After, you know? After it was done it was done. He told me, you know, this is what I did, buh, buh, buh. Well, what can I say to him?
CW-1: But I don’t understand? What the fuck did he use that, that kid for? What did he use Caldwell for? He did it himself.
JM: They uh this was a whole setup type of thing. This kid Caldwell would have sucked his prick if he wanted, you know what I mean, Robert He wanted to do something for Michael.
CW-1: Ahh. Oh, he -– he set it up to have the guy to come to Manhattan.
JM: Yeah, exactly.
CW-1: Because he’s from Queens, that guy.
JM: Yeah I know he is. Go straight up.

[AntComello]

I don’t get it Crea Sr didn’t want his son involved but then he makes him and immediately puts him in as capo.

[CornerBoy]

Any info on Maffucci? I think he was from Manhattan IIRC or at least owned an apartment/lived there. Also think I read in something that he was close with Meldish and also with Terrance Caldwell.

Yes, at the time of his arrest it was reported that Maffucci was living in the City. From my info, he had an address on 2nd Ave at 23rd St, but also had an address on the UES on 64th between 1st and York (CornerBoy should like that one).

If I have the right guy, which I think I do, he was originally from BK, however. As a kid he lived next to the Navy Yard, right by where the Wegman’s is at now. After this, the family moved out to the Island and I believe that Maffucci went to HS in Merrick.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. I have James Allen Maffucci, born 12/1947 in BK, which matches Maffucci’s reported age of 69 in 2017, and this was the only James Maffucci in NYC of the right age that I found. His father was Canio Maffucci Jr, born in 1911 in BK to Canio Maffucci Sr of Calitri, Avellino province. Canio’s Jr’s mother, however, was Mary Cunningham, born in Ireland. Canio Jr married Helen Savitsky, born in 1913 in Wyoming, PA, to Polish-Lithuanian parents. This would make Jimmy Maffucci only 1/4 Italian, though he at least had the surname. From the 2017 bust, his nickname was apparently “Jimmy the Jew”. While there were plenty of Jews back in the day in Vilnius, where his mother’s family was from, based on their names I would presume that they were Catholic, so maybe guys just thought he was half-Jewish (or maybe it had no relation to his ancestry and he was just called this because he was tight with money or whatever).

Now, as newera pointed out, it seems that Maffucci wasn’t made when he met Boobsie. He was reported as a soldier in 2017, but was it 100% confirmed that he was in fact made? Because if so, the Luccheses seem to have inducted a 1/4 Italian guy (with the caveat of course that if I’m wrong, I hope someone proves me wrong).

you'ree right, Tony. I do find that interesting!
Any info on this maffucci guy?
As always, thanks for the awesome write up

[CornerBoy]

interesting that he grew up in Merrick and is that old.

Wonder how he got involved

[PolackTony]

interesting that he grew up in Merrick and is that old.

Wonder how he got involved

I posted about it previously but I believe now that the James Maffucci who moved to LI was a different one. The Maffucci we’re interested in may have remained in BK (Boro Park I believe) and later moved to the city. Myself, I know nothing about this guy apart from what was reported in 2017 and what I posted here. Maybe someone who knows more will chime in.

[Pmac2]

Sounded like Madonna made crea son a capo and Sr reversed it later to shield his son.

[Pmac2]

Definitely sounds like the rank n file knew crea called the shots but Madonna was a lightning rod

[Pmac2]

And in the end the official underboss always outrank the acting or street boss. If you want to read gerry catena talk about it in his thread. Talking to Tommy Ryan and vise versa

[johnny_scootch]

And in the end the official underboss always outrank the acting or street boss. If you want to read gerry catena talk about it in his thread. Talking to Tommy Ryan and vise versa

I don’t think that’s always true. It depends on the dynamics within the family and who’s who. A current example would be the Lucchese family whoever their underboss is (Papagni, Zappola, Dellorusso) he certainly doesn’t outrank Mike DeSantis.

[Juice Terry]

Who Is the 'Brian' they keep referring to?

[JohnnyS]

Who Is the 'Brian' they keep referring to?

Brian Vaughan.

[Juice Terry]

Who Is the 'Brian' they keep referring to?

Brian Vaughan.

Thanks. What was Vaughn's story? How did he become a high-ranking associate?

[NorthBuffalo]

CW-1: There's Meatball. No, I'll go see Georgie as soon as he comes home. Big John's retarded brother Boobsy (phonetic).
JIMMY MAFFUCCI: Mother fucking Boobsy.
CW-1: Is he a jerk off?
JIMMY MAFFUCCI: I don't like him.
CW-1: Straight jerk off?

I have a great Boobsy story from the old days hopefully it translates over text. I’m working in a spot that’s owned at the time by a Lucchese associate and the guy that he’s with at that time we will call him Mike is in jail. Mike would call the spot all the time and shoot the shit with whoever was hanging around cause there was always someone or another there. This one day Boobsy happens to be there and it was very random that he was there because he’s not one of the people who ever hung out there. Mike calls and is on the phone with we’ll say Joe, Boobsy tells Joe he wants to talk to Mike and he says tell him it’s me but don’t use my name. Now if anyone knows wiseguys you know they’re good at saying something without actually saying it but this Joe ain’t that and he's struggling to convey to Mike he’s about to hand the phone to Boobsy. He’s saying all sorts of stuff like ‘it’s one of your friends from Brooklyn’ ‘the bald guy’ for 5 minutes it goes on which feels like an eternity I gotta say it was pretty funny and finally Mike gets the drift and Joe hands the phone to Boobsy who opens the conversation with Mike by saying ‘Hey pal it’s your friend Boobsy!’

thats a funny little story lol. i can picture it. Some of these guys are borderline retarded and a quarter of 'em are legitimately highly intelligent

I really can't believe he calls himself "Boopsie" I guess I thought that's what people called him behind is back.

[CornerBoy]

Who Is the 'Brian' they keep referring to?

Brian Vaughan.

Thanks. What was Vaughn's story? How did he become a high-ranking associate?

havent seen you juice terry in Ten years!
you're the LA guy?
how you been?
anyting doing w la mob?

[CornerBoy]

Who Is the 'Brian' they keep referring to?

Brian Vaughan.

Thanks. What was Vaughn's story? How did he become a high-ranking associate?

probably by beating the shit out of recalcitrant debtors