Johnny Roselli and the LA Family

[Juice Terry]

For those who enjoy historical speculation...

I recently read 'Handsome Johnny', which got me interested in the idea of how the LA Family would have ended up if Roselli had been made boss instead of DeSimone?

[johnny_scootch]

Probably a lot better off, Roselli was well liked and well connected across the country. I have to assume he would have put the LA family in a better position to earn than DeSimone did.

[CornerBoy]

good book, Terry. I want a good "beach read" lol

didn't he cheat all his friends at Friars Club un BH by having a guy looking through ceiling at card game w hollywood ppl?

[davidf1989]

good book, Terry. I want a good "beach read" lol

didn't he cheat all his friends at Friars Club un BH by having a guy looking through ceiling at card game w hollywood ppl?

apparently a guy called George Seach was a witness in that case as the book All american mafioso : the Johnny Rosselli story
states on p.289 that 'The hit on Piscopo was a matter of revenge more than strategy, and Rosselli did not pursue the matter. More threatening was the continued good health of George Seach, an electronics expert who helped rig the Friars Club cheating aparatus. A small-time burglar who won a transfer from a California state prison in 1964 on grounds of chronic psychosis, Seach was nonetheless the government’s chief witness in the Friars case. As Nissen put it, “Without Seach’s testimony, there was really no way we could make a case against Rosselli.”

it looks like Rosselli had thought about putting a hit on his friend Piscopo probably for turning his true identity over to the Feds.

[CornerBoy]

thanks dave

was this a good book?

[davidf1989]

thanks dave

was this a good book?

No worries and I thought that it was an interesting book although I preferred Handsome Johnny: The Life and Death of Johnny Rosselli: Gentleman Gangster, Hollywood Producer, CIA assassin.

[Juice Terry]

good book, Terry. I want a good "beach read" lol

didn't he cheat all his friends at Friars Club un BH by having a guy looking through ceiling at card game w hollywood ppl?

Very good book. Lee Server is a great biographer. His book on Robert Mitchum is highly recommended.

Has some interesting insights into the JFK hit too, including an interview in which Roselli gives his version of what happened.

[Adam]

One aspect of Roselli's life that I feel doesn't get very much attention is the car bomb murder of Gerald Covelli. Fratianno doesn't even mention it in his book and he spends a ton of time on Roselli. I always assumed Chicago did it, but there's always a part of me that wondered what LAs role may have been.

[motorfab]

In 1968, Santo Trafficante & Bomp discussed Licata's leadership and Trafficante told him that he wanted to use his influence with the Commission so that Rosselli could take over the borgata but that since Rosselli was under federal prosecution, the latter was discouraged and did not wish to take over https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... ake%20over

[davidf1989]

In 1968, Santo Trafficante & Bomp discussed Licata's leadership and Trafficante told him that he wanted to use his influence with the Commission so that Rosselli could take over the borgata but that since Rosselli was under federal prosecution, the latter was discouraged and did not wish to take over https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... ake%20over

did Bomp respect Rosselli?

[motorfab]

In 1968, Santo Trafficante & Bomp discussed Licata's leadership and Trafficante told him that he wanted to use his influence with the Commission so that Rosselli could take over the borgata but that since Rosselli was under federal prosecution, the latter was discouraged and did not wish to take over https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... ake%20over

did Bomp respect Rosselli?

Probably. More than DeSimone & Licata, that's for sure

[PolackTony]

One aspect of Roselli's life that I feel doesn't get very much attention is the car bomb murder of Gerald Covelli. Fratianno doesn't even mention it in his book and he spends a ton of time on Roselli. I always assumed Chicago did it, but there's always a part of me that wondered what LAs role may have been.

Covelli was killed in 1967. Roselli was a Chicago member at this time.

I’m assuming that you’re aware of that but someone else reading this might think you were saying that Roselli was an LA member in the 60s.

FWIW, Bompensiero told the Feds that he knew nothing about the Covelli bombing. He also stated that when he had met with Frank LaPorte — the Chicago capo who Roselli was assigned to — after the bombing, LaPorte had expressed surprise at it, for which reason Bompensiero concluded that LaPorte probably didn’t have anything to do with it. If LaPorte wasn’t involved, then Roselli presumably wouldn’t have been involved either.

My guess is that LA had nothing to do with it and that Chicago might not have had Roselli in on it either. I suspect that Ronald DeAngeles, who was something like an explosives and electronics expert for Chicago, was likely involved.

[B.]

I don't like "what ifs" but one thing that would have changed drastically is Detroit's influence. Licata and then Brooklier were ex-Detroit and the Detroit Family became very influential in SoCal through them. This wouldn't have been the case under Roselli, as during the 1968 plot it was specifically stated that the Roselli-Bomp-Fratianno faction would have issues with Detroit if they tried to take over and according to Bomp it was likely the Detroit Family who requested Roselli's murder for introducing an informant to Detroit leaders.

Another difference if Roselli had taken over would have been the promotions of Bomp and Fratianno back to capidecine or possibly admin. Both of them were bitter that Desimone didn't reappoint them and even Trafficante was angry that Bomp wasn't given his title back. Of course, these guys were treacherous and problems would have likely developed between them but at least short-term we would have seen them all back in power by the 1960s opposed to the 1970s when Fratianno and Bomp both joined the admin but by then things were haywire.

[davidf1989]

would Fratianno have still cooperated if Rosselli was alive?

[dack2001]

I always assumed that Fratianno was cooperating long before Roselli died. Think those conversations with Roselli reported near verbatim in Last Mafioso were memorized? Not saying he was wired up but that he was reporting information to the feds, which is why it was so easy for him to get that information to Ovid Demaris.