Visiting the West Side 1963

[JoelTurner]

This was Anthony Saita:

Catena Crew

ANTHONY SAITA
(Anthony Nino)
DOB: Jul 27 1897
POB: Paterson, NJ
F: Giovanni Saita
M: Caterina Imbarrota
W: Frances Gaglione
Address: 221 Roosevelt Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Death: December 1981

There's a Tony Saita with basically the same birthday (Jul 27 1896) in the WW1 draft who marked his birth place as Sicily, Italy. He was living at 235 E 107th St, NYC, NY

The same name and birth day can't be a coincidence; this had to be the same person.



---------------------------------------

Saita also had ties to the Buffalo/Niagara area. Not only was he living there in the 1925 census (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS76-55G) but he also fled there during a 1934 investigation in the slot machine racket In Passaic County(https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/553126618/)

I'm guessing he would have known Moretti if they were both in the Buffalo area in ~1925. He was already tagged as one of his henchmen by the 1934 investigation.

[JoelTurner]

Richie Boiardo Crew - 18
John Luciano

Luciano was likely in the Gene Catena crew. Here's a better look at him:

JOHN LUCIANO
DOB: Sep 2 1916
POB: Englewood, NJ
F: Agostino Luciano
M: Maria Teresa Lombardi
W: Marie Gubitosa [m. Jul 9 1940]
Death: Jan 1986
Family from Pannarano, Benevento, Campania

----------------------------------------------------------

Oct 5 1937 - Operating a gambling establishment // Living at 198 Market St, Passaic, NJ 

Jul 7 1939 - Assault relating to trucking contracts // Living at 121 Fair St, Paterson, NJ 

Jul 9 1940 - Marriage // Living at 522 River St, Paterson, NJ

Sep 15 1941 - Holdup // Living at 250 20th Ave, Paterson, NJ

Aug 21 1943 - WW2 Draft // Living at 250 20th Ave, Paterson, NJ

Jun 1 1949 - Arrested for gambling operation // Living at 927 E 22nd St, Paterson, NJ

Jan 27 1953 - Killed Anthony Cosentino in bar dispute // Living at 927 E 22nd St, Paterson, NJ

Aug 5 1955 - Arrested for participating in the murder of Roberta Cerce. Her husband James, a Joe Adonis associate, had found her in bed with another man // Living at 927 E 22nd St, Paterson, NJ

Feb 13 1957 - Arrested for numbers operation with Anthony Saita // Living at 927 E 22nd St, Paterson, NJ

Jul 28 1959 - Bookmaking // Living at 927 E 22nd St, Paterson, NJ

Nov 13 1965 - Assaulted a man outside of his nightclub // Living at 141 Maryland Ave, Paterson, NJ

[Raghead_Guido]

> GIOVANNI ANTONIO LARDIERI
> (John Lardiere, Johnny Coca-Cola, Giovanni Darducci)
> DOB: Jun 29 1909
> POB: Newark, NJ
> F: Federico Angelo Lardiere
> M: Giuseppina Milano
> W: Carolyn Racioppi - Killed by poison in 1972

Apologies for replying to an old post but what's this about the wife being poisoned?
Is it mob related? I trying looking her up but couldn't find anything of substance.

[JoelTurner]

> GIOVANNI ANTONIO LARDIERI
> (John Lardiere, Johnny Coca-Cola, Giovanni Darducci)
> DOB: Jun 29 1909
> POB: Newark, NJ
> F: Federico Angelo Lardiere
> M: Giuseppina Milano
> W: Carolyn Racioppi - Killed by poison in 1972

Apologies for replying to an old post but what's this about the wife being poisoned?
Is it mob related? I trying looking her up but couldn't find anything of substance.

It's still officially an open case from what I can tell.

At the time, from Aug 6 1971, John Lardiere had been in Yardville Reformatory prison for refusing to refusing to talk about his criminal activities. His wife Carolyn and their nephew were staying at their home on the Jersey Shore (170 Sutter St, Toms River, NJ).

On Jul 2 1972, Carolyn Lardiere drank a Fresca that contained enough arsenic to kill 700 people. No other arsenic was found in their house so it couldn't have been a mixup or an accident. Nephew was out on a date.

The police initially believed that it was a message to keep John from talking. Lardiere himself denied that it was a homicide even briefly trying to sue Coca-Cola (ironic). In 1996, Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola was investigated for it after it came out that he had killed John however nothing came of it.

Lardiere was killed for disrespecting Philly member Ralph "Blackie" Napoli while both were incarcerated. Maybe they hit his wife right away because they could get to her while they had to wait for him to be out on a furlough. That's just my speculation.

[sdeitche]

There was something I read in someone else's notes about DeFeo being quite power hungry/greedy or something.

A poster on another forum had mentioned there were wiretaps of Alo and Catena after they were retired in Florida. Apparently they were neighbours and Phil Lombardo lived nearby too. Not sure of its validity though.

Alo, Catena, Lombardo, and Coppola lived close to each other in Florida. They would regularly meet over there for dinner, to play golf, etc. Allegedly, that's how Lombardo formed a close relationship with Catena. In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

You stated that these alleged plotters were unnamed, but any idea who or which family/ies may have been involved? Did it seem like an internal Genovese thing?

In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

That would be a huge move. Who would even be able to pull it off?

In the files I have, the FBI didn't indicate who the planners were. They mentioned, however, that the people planning this had intimate knowledge of Catena and Lombardo's activities in Florida, which points the finger at Cosa Nostra associates. The bagman got cold feet and got in touch with the feds. After that, the Miami Field Office contacted Catena (and Lombardo). I'll post the excerpts later because I can't find them easily. I had to read 20k+ pages of docs for the Catena research, and this specific info is somewhere in there.

Here's the relevant part of my article:

By the early 1960s, Jerry Catena spent more of his time in Florida, enjoying the warm weather and playing golf on the local courses. The FBI's field office in Miami trailed him and recorded his activities. They noted that Catena was golfing with one of their snitches. Catena somehow learned his golfing buddy was a federal informant and began feeding him false information. Another thing the Miami office uncovered was a kidnapping plot targeting Catena and a high-level lieutenant of caporegime Michael 'Trigger Mike' Coppola. The unnamed lieutenant was likely Philip 'Cockeyed Phil' Lombardo, a friend of Catena since their days as mob couriers. They often met in Florida when they were down there on business or vacation.

The FBI learned about the plot from the designated bag man. He advised that Catena and Lombardo were supposed to be abducted and held for ransom on a boat offshore by his gang the next time both of them were in the Miami region. The idea failed in its infancy because the informant chickened out and informed both Catena and the feds. It's unclear if the plotters were Cosa Nostra members or external criminal elements familiar with the organization's structures. Catena was visibly shaken when he learned about the plot and requested that his wife Catherine be kept in the dark because he didn't want to worry her.

I have a 1963 document that talks about Joe Merola plotting to kidnap Catena and Max Raymond, an associate of Mike Coppola, in Florida. Curious if it's the same, or a different plot.

[bn]

Received some interesting information recently, wanted to share it.

In or around 1963 an informant said that, starting from 1943, the Genovese captains formed a trust fund which required each captain to kick up $2,500 semi-annually. CI said that in 1961, there were 33 captains kicking up, and that Gyp DeCarlo controlled the fund.

Antonio Appierto's file says that he, Mike Miranda, and Vito Genovese were the heads of a organization which controlled bookmaking and the Italian lottery throughout NY. Another report describes him as one of the highest-ranking 'racketeers' in NY. I wonder if he was a Capodecina or possibly even consigliere at some point. Wording seems to imply that Pete DeFeo was under him.

CI claims that Vito Genovese himself told CI that Anthony Strollo was killed because: "It's more for the good about Tony. He was about to get pinched. He couldn't take things like you and me.'

Another report mentions several guys in the Genovese family (Miranda faction) who bought their buttons.

[bn]

Charles Carlo is listed by JD as a possible Capodecina in his dead list. In some files I found that Carlo was described as a powerful member in the Elizabeth St Area, and power within the "Sicilian underworld' and reportedly went legit and moved to Danbury, CT. The informant said that when Carlo left, he turned "his men' over to Peter DeFeo and listed a couple of those men.

The day after Carlo's death (7/10/1963) the CI Reported that Charles Carlo died on 7/9/1963 in Nichols, Connecticut and his wake was held at the Provenzano-Lanza Funeral home in NYC. Carlo also had a house in Florida and obtained considerable wealth over the years. He also maintained a residence at 265 Lafayette St.

A FBI report later says that Carlo had business associations with Mike Miranda, and had an office in NYC.

[bn]

Anthony Provenzano was in Patsy Del Duca's crew (confirmed). In 1963 a CI (possible member source) advised that Provenzano answered to an old man named 'Patsy' who took over for Generoso Del Duca. This man is of course Patsy Del Duca.

By 1964 Provenzano is with Antonio Carillo.

[JoelTurner]

There was something I read in someone else's notes about DeFeo being quite power hungry/greedy or something.

A poster on another forum had mentioned there were wiretaps of Alo and Catena after they were retired in Florida. Apparently they were neighbours and Phil Lombardo lived nearby too. Not sure of its validity though.

Alo, Catena, Lombardo, and Coppola lived close to each other in Florida. They would regularly meet over there for dinner, to play golf, etc. Allegedly, that's how Lombardo formed a close relationship with Catena. In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

You stated that these alleged plotters were unnamed, but any idea who or which family/ies may have been involved? Did it seem like an internal Genovese thing?

In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

That would be a huge move. Who would even be able to pull it off?

In the files I have, the FBI didn't indicate who the planners were. They mentioned, however, that the people planning this had intimate knowledge of Catena and Lombardo's activities in Florida, which points the finger at Cosa Nostra associates. The bagman got cold feet and got in touch with the feds. After that, the Miami Field Office contacted Catena (and Lombardo). I'll post the excerpts later because I can't find them easily. I had to read 20k+ pages of docs for the Catena research, and this specific info is somewhere in there.

Here's the relevant part of my article:

By the early 1960s, Jerry Catena spent more of his time in Florida, enjoying the warm weather and playing golf on the local courses. The FBI's field office in Miami trailed him and recorded his activities. They noted that Catena was golfing with one of their snitches. Catena somehow learned his golfing buddy was a federal informant and began feeding him false information. Another thing the Miami office uncovered was a kidnapping plot targeting Catena and a high-level lieutenant of caporegime Michael 'Trigger Mike' Coppola. The unnamed lieutenant was likely Philip 'Cockeyed Phil' Lombardo, a friend of Catena since their days as mob couriers. They often met in Florida when they were down there on business or vacation.

The FBI learned about the plot from the designated bag man. He advised that Catena and Lombardo were supposed to be abducted and held for ransom on a boat offshore by his gang the next time both of them were in the Miami region. The idea failed in its infancy because the informant chickened out and informed both Catena and the feds. It's unclear if the plotters were Cosa Nostra members or external criminal elements familiar with the organization's structures. Catena was visibly shaken when he learned about the plot and requested that his wife Catherine be kept in the dark because he didn't want to worry her.

I have a 1963 document that talks about Joe Merola plotting to kidnap Catena and Max Raymond, an associate of Mike Coppola, in Florida. Curious if it's the same, or a different plot.

Max Raymond was an alias of Max Eder. He was a Miami gambling & narcotics figure, but had been in the Bronx before that.

Who was Joe Merola?

[trafficante]

There was something I read in someone else's notes about DeFeo being quite power hungry/greedy or something.

A poster on another forum had mentioned there were wiretaps of Alo and Catena after they were retired in Florida. Apparently they were neighbours and Phil Lombardo lived nearby too. Not sure of its validity though.

Alo, Catena, Lombardo, and Coppola lived close to each other in Florida. They would regularly meet over there for dinner, to play golf, etc. Allegedly, that's how Lombardo formed a close relationship with Catena. In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

You stated that these alleged plotters were unnamed, but any idea who or which family/ies may have been involved? Did it seem like an internal Genovese thing?

In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

That would be a huge move. Who would even be able to pull it off?

In the files I have, the FBI didn't indicate who the planners were. They mentioned, however, that the people planning this had intimate knowledge of Catena and Lombardo's activities in Florida, which points the finger at Cosa Nostra associates. The bagman got cold feet and got in touch with the feds. After that, the Miami Field Office contacted Catena (and Lombardo). I'll post the excerpts later because I can't find them easily. I had to read 20k+ pages of docs for the Catena research, and this specific info is somewhere in there.

Here's the relevant part of my article:

By the early 1960s, Jerry Catena spent more of his time in Florida, enjoying the warm weather and playing golf on the local courses. The FBI's field office in Miami trailed him and recorded his activities. They noted that Catena was golfing with one of their snitches. Catena somehow learned his golfing buddy was a federal informant and began feeding him false information. Another thing the Miami office uncovered was a kidnapping plot targeting Catena and a high-level lieutenant of caporegime Michael 'Trigger Mike' Coppola. The unnamed lieutenant was likely Philip 'Cockeyed Phil' Lombardo, a friend of Catena since their days as mob couriers. They often met in Florida when they were down there on business or vacation.

The FBI learned about the plot from the designated bag man. He advised that Catena and Lombardo were supposed to be abducted and held for ransom on a boat offshore by his gang the next time both of them were in the Miami region. The idea failed in its infancy because the informant chickened out and informed both Catena and the feds. It's unclear if the plotters were Cosa Nostra members or external criminal elements familiar with the organization's structures. Catena was visibly shaken when he learned about the plot and requested that his wife Catherine be kept in the dark because he didn't want to worry her.

I have a 1963 document that talks about Joe Merola plotting to kidnap Catena and Max Raymond, an associate of Mike Coppola, in Florida. Curious if it's the same, or a different plot.

Max Raymond was an alias of Max Eder. He was a Miami gambling & narcotics figure, but had been in the Bronx before that.

Who was Joe Merola?

Joseph R. Merola was a Miami gunrunner originally from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania who was an associate of the Mannarino brothers. He was also a burglar and a CI. I believe he ended up having a falling out with the Mannarinos that ended with him being dropped from the CI program. Theres also a weird connection between him and the CIA.

[bn]

I can see Miranda being Lanza’s captain but where does Adonis fit in? Wasn’t he a Brooklyn-New Jersey guy? Did he have any other ties to Lower Manhattan?

What crew was Angelo Fiore with?

Adonis was a Brooklyn guy who also had operations in New Jersey, Manhattan, Florida, and Upstate New York. Fiore was from a Manhattan crew, but I don't know which one. Maybe HK can help, if he sees this post.

I can only contribute with the little I know about this. Angelo Fiore, although originally a South Brooklyn guy, associated himself with Genovese guys based in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn; Joe "Jinx" Famularo, Louis LaRocca, Nick Galante and Danny Noto. Some indication show that these guys were under Frank Celano, a captain who was based in Manhattan. So when Eboli says Fiore was from a Manhattan crew, it could very well be the case.
Noto is interesting and brings some confusion. On a FBI list dated April 1974, Noto shows up as a captain. Although his name is redacted, indications points at it is him. B discovered that Noto was later transfered to the DeCavalcante Family so that transfer must have occured some time after 1974.

As for the Lanza brothers, it is indeed Harry Lanza who was a captain. Who knows, Joe "Socks" may have been a skipper in the early days, we just don´t know, but I have not seen any official FBI information on Joe being a skipper in the1960s. Harry Lanza was demoted or stepped down sometime in the early 1970s and Toddo Marino took over his crew. The control of The United Seafood Workers Union (Local 359) which in turn had a stronghold on the Fulton Fish Market, went to Carmine "Fish" Romano. It´s wrong to assume that the whole of Fulton Fish Market was controlled by one single Genovese crew and evidence show that other Families had interests there as well, for example the Bonanno Family. But the Seafood Workers Union was definitely the child of the Lanza brothers.

Are you sure that Toddo Marino took over for Harry Lanza? Because in the April 1974 list Harry Lanza and Toddo Marino are both ID'd as captains.

[B.]

Bill Bonanno had Joe Lanza attending the 1941 Commission meeting with Moretti as representatives of Luciano, Costello being confirmed as acting boss at the meeting. If true, maybe Lanza attended as a soldier but it does raise questions about his rank at the time.

[sdeitche]

There was something I read in someone else's notes about DeFeo being quite power hungry/greedy or something.

A poster on another forum had mentioned there were wiretaps of Alo and Catena after they were retired in Florida. Apparently they were neighbours and Phil Lombardo lived nearby too. Not sure of its validity though.

Alo, Catena, Lombardo, and Coppola lived close to each other in Florida. They would regularly meet over there for dinner, to play golf, etc. Allegedly, that's how Lombardo formed a close relationship with Catena. In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

You stated that these alleged plotters were unnamed, but any idea who or which family/ies may have been involved? Did it seem like an internal Genovese thing?

In the early 1960s, the FBI uncovered a plot of unnamed organized crime figures who planned to kidnap Catena and Lombardo while both were down there.

That would be a huge move. Who would even be able to pull it off?

In the files I have, the FBI didn't indicate who the planners were. They mentioned, however, that the people planning this had intimate knowledge of Catena and Lombardo's activities in Florida, which points the finger at Cosa Nostra associates. The bagman got cold feet and got in touch with the feds. After that, the Miami Field Office contacted Catena (and Lombardo). I'll post the excerpts later because I can't find them easily. I had to read 20k+ pages of docs for the Catena research, and this specific info is somewhere in there.

Here's the relevant part of my article:

By the early 1960s, Jerry Catena spent more of his time in Florida, enjoying the warm weather and playing golf on the local courses. The FBI's field office in Miami trailed him and recorded his activities. They noted that Catena was golfing with one of their snitches. Catena somehow learned his golfing buddy was a federal informant and began feeding him false information. Another thing the Miami office uncovered was a kidnapping plot targeting Catena and a high-level lieutenant of caporegime Michael 'Trigger Mike' Coppola. The unnamed lieutenant was likely Philip 'Cockeyed Phil' Lombardo, a friend of Catena since their days as mob couriers. They often met in Florida when they were down there on business or vacation.

The FBI learned about the plot from the designated bag man. He advised that Catena and Lombardo were supposed to be abducted and held for ransom on a boat offshore by his gang the next time both of them were in the Miami region. The idea failed in its infancy because the informant chickened out and informed both Catena and the feds. It's unclear if the plotters were Cosa Nostra members or external criminal elements familiar with the organization's structures. Catena was visibly shaken when he learned about the plot and requested that his wife Catherine be kept in the dark because he didn't want to worry her.

I have a 1963 document that talks about Joe Merola plotting to kidnap Catena and Max Raymond, an associate of Mike Coppola, in Florida. Curious if it's the same, or a different plot.

Max Raymond was an alias of Max Eder. He was a Miami gambling & narcotics figure, but had been in the Bronx before that.

Who was Joe Merola?

Joseph R. Merola was a Miami gunrunner originally from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania who was an associate of the Mannarino brothers. He was also a burglar and a CI. I believe he ended up having a falling out with the Mannarinos that ended with him being dropped from the CI program. Theres also a weird connection between him and the CIA.

Yeah, he ran guns to Cuba, and was involved in some CIA anti-Castro activities in the 1960s. His name also threads through some JFK conspiracies. Interesting character. I recall his son reached out to me many years ago and was thinking of doing a book on him.

[HairyKnuckles]

I can see Miranda being Lanza’s captain but where does Adonis fit in? Wasn’t he a Brooklyn-New Jersey guy? Did he have any other ties to Lower Manhattan?

What crew was Angelo Fiore with?

Adonis was a Brooklyn guy who also had operations in New Jersey, Manhattan, Florida, and Upstate New York. Fiore was from a Manhattan crew, but I don't know which one. Maybe HK can help, if he sees this post.

I can only contribute with the little I know about this. Angelo Fiore, although originally a South Brooklyn guy, associated himself with Genovese guys based in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn; Joe "Jinx" Famularo, Louis LaRocca, Nick Galante and Danny Noto. Some indication show that these guys were under Frank Celano, a captain who was based in Manhattan. So when Eboli says Fiore was from a Manhattan crew, it could very well be the case.
Noto is interesting and brings some confusion. On a FBI list dated April 1974, Noto shows up as a captain. Although his name is redacted, indications points at it is him. B discovered that Noto was later transfered to the DeCavalcante Family so that transfer must have occured some time after 1974.

As for the Lanza brothers, it is indeed Harry Lanza who was a captain. Who knows, Joe "Socks" may have been a skipper in the early days, we just don´t know, but I have not seen any official FBI information on Joe being a skipper in the1960s. Harry Lanza was demoted or stepped down sometime in the early 1970s and Toddo Marino took over his crew. The control of The United Seafood Workers Union (Local 359) which in turn had a stronghold on the Fulton Fish Market, went to Carmine "Fish" Romano. It´s wrong to assume that the whole of Fulton Fish Market was controlled by one single Genovese crew and evidence show that other Families had interests there as well, for example the Bonanno Family. But the Seafood Workers Union was definitely the child of the Lanza brothers.

Are you sure that Toddo Marino took over for Harry Lanza? Because in the April 1974 list Harry Lanza and Toddo Marino are both ID'd as captains.

No, I can not be sure. But it points in that direction. Some of the Genovese guys who were being investigated for their role with the United Seafood Workers Union back in the late 1970s were said, by the investigators, to be under Toddo Marino.

[AlexfromSouth]

What happend to Sal Celanbrino's crew after his death in '71?