What do we know about Michael Russo?

[JoelTurner]

Michael Russo was an interesting figure with an absurdly common name. Appearing at both the 1928 Cleveland meeting and at the 1932 murder of  Pittsburgh boss John Bazzano, it’s clear that he was a mafia member of some importance during this era. Despite coming up in these discussions, he’s still pretty confusing. I'm making this post to share what I know and organize the information that's readily available:

Michael Russo Timeline:

27 Nov 1894 - Born in Cerda, Palermo, Sicily to Giuseppe Calogero “Charles” Russo (Cerda, Palermo, Sicily) and Maria Passafiume (Trabia, Palermo, Sicily) [or 23 Nov 1893]

25 Jul 1906 - Immigrated with his parents to a brother Salvatore living at 122 Cherry St, NYC, NY. This was in the Two Bridges neighborhood in the Lower East Side.

Apr 22 1910 - (Census) Living with parents and siblings at 54 Oliver St, NYC, NY. This was in the Two Bridges neighborhood in the Lower East Side.

1911 - (Arrest record) Arrested for burglary, discharged

1915 - (Arrest record) Arrested for grand larceny, discharged

1915 - (Census) Living in NYC, NY with parents and siblings

1916 - (Arrest record) Fugitive from Newark, NJ

1917 - (Arrest record) Arrested for grand larceny, discharged

1917 - (Arrest record) Arrested as a pickpocket in Lawrence, MA, no disposition recorded

Jun 5 1917 - (WW1 Draft Card) Living at 29 Catherine St, NYC, NY; in the Two Bridges neighborhood in the Lower East Side. Listed as a single, Italian citizen employed by Ernest Limoli at 50 East Broadway, NYC, NY. This was his BIL, husband of sister Clotide “Clara” Russo.

1918 - (Arrest record) Arrested for wartime anti-work violation, discharged

1919 - (Arrest record) Arrested for grand larceny, discharged

1920 - (Arrest record) Arrested for grand larceny, discharged

Jan 30 1920 - Brother Salvatore is murdered alongside Frank Ulizzi (327 Seneca St, Buffalo, NY) in Cleveland, OH. Salvatore was said to be an artist visiting Buffalo from NYC. Ulizzi was born in 1879 in Palermo and had prior arrests in Buffalo, NY. A third man was shot alongside them but crawled away.

Salvatore had a letter on him from their father saying:  "It pains my heart to think of the difficulty you are in, but no advice I can give you will save you, my son." This was written on stationery from Nicosi Brothers (38-40 Monroe St, NYC, NY)

Jan 31 1920 - Tracked via a letter addressed to him on brother Salvatore’s person. Living at 20 Edison St, Buffalo, NY and using the name “Mike Valenzano” or Mike Valentino

1921 - (Arrest record) Arrested for carrying a gun, discharged

1921 - (Arrest record) Arrested for swindling in Elizabeth, NJ; no disposition recorded

1922 - (Arrest record) Arrested as a suspicious person in Boston, MA; no disposition recorded

Aug 26 1924 - Son Charles is born in NYC, NY. Mother listed as Margret Quigley

Dec 5 1928 - Arrested at the mafia meeting at the Hotel Statler in Cleveland, OH. Listed as living in Iceland, NJ - this was Iselin, NJ

1930 - Couldn’t be found in the Census.

-Son Charles living with Mike’s sister’s family, the Limolis, in Woodbridge, NJ. Mother listed as unknown

-Future wife Mary Yaczina living with her husband Joseph Almasi (Hungarian) and their son Robert in North Middletown, NJ 

Sep 28 1931 - Indicted alongside Joseph Volpe (of the Volpe bros), Albert Mentz/Wertz and Mike Guadagno for transporting 2 minors from Pitcairn, PA to NYC. Listed as of NYC, NY or Wilmerding, PA depending on the news article.

Aug 17 1932 - Arrested for the Aug 11 murder of Pittsburgh boss John Bazzano. Listed as living at 1202 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA. Other Pittsburgh arrestees were:

- Frank Adragna (90 Washington St, Pittsburgh, PA) - Alcamo, Trapani, Sicily

- Carlo Sparlino (1215 Pennsylvania Ave, Pittsburgh, PA) - Castelvetrano, Trapani, Sicily

- Michael Bua (208 South Atlantic St, Pittsburgh, PA) - Trabia, Palermo, Sicily

1935 - Living in NYC, NY per 1940 census

Apr 4 1940 - (Census) Living at 105 Ridgeley Ave, Woodbridge, NJ with wife Mary Yaczina and sons Charles & Robert.

Jun 29 1946 - Incorporated Oak Manor Gardens, a real estate development company with son Charles, Daniel Romeo of Iselin, NJ; Paul Panzarello and Gaetano Sterva, both of Bronx, NY

Jan 6 1949 - Indicted for looting the Raritan, NJ armory and selling the weapons to the Costa Rican govt. Also arrested were Fred Parkhurst, Fillmore Ross, John Cain, Albert Dunst and guards David Whitenack, Oscar Thompson, Frank Miller, & Walter Morrow

Apr 8 1950 - (Census) Living at 105 Ridgeley Ave, Woodbridge, NJ with wife Mary Yaczina and son Charles

Apr 5 1974 - Indicted for taking horse bets with Carmen Saturno between July 1, 1973 - March 8, 1974

Jul 31 1974 - Arrested for possession of lottery slips at a shoe store (61 Middlesex Ave, Iselin, NJ)

Mar 6 1975 - Passed away

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Other Information:

-Per the DeCavalcante tapes, was placed under Commission protection due to an unspecified conflict

-Obituary lists him as a WW1 veteran

-Obituary lists him as an owner of Broadway Garments

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Please add any info or corrections that you have

[B.]

Good breakdown. JCB found a record that Spallino was from Palizzi Marina in Reggio Calabria, same hometown as victim Bazzano.

Russo has always interested me as he was important enough to attend two high-level national meetings between 1928-1932 while living in two different cities then fades from view. We can presume he was a member of the Pittsburgh Family circa 1932 and his background fits the Sicilian side of that Family but his NYC-NJ membership is never mentioned. Geography would suggest DeCavalcante but heritage could point to Genovese and the FBN also linked him to Genovese figures, including Vito himself. I used to lean Lucchese but there isn't much basis for it after looking back.

[HairyKnuckles]

Good breakdown.

What if this guy is actually the mysterious "Bill Loffa"?
Bill Loffa=Mike Rosa or Mick Rosa?

[B.]

I still lean toward "Bill Loffa" being Nick Alfano. His age and knowledge fits him plus Alfano had brothers in Hamilton/Buffalo and along with fellow attendee Paul Sciacca he was helping direct the Family at that exact time in early 1965. Despite some confusing moments it's evident "Loffa" was a senior Bonanno member.

[JoelTurner]

Here's what MMC had on him:

RUSSO-MICHAEL 1893 Cerda, Sicily / USA ?
Alias : - Mike Valentino
Associates : - S + J.Accardi. C.Tourine [Genov].
From Cerda, very near the home village of the DioGuardi family. Started as a probable member of the Newark Family, where he associated with the Accardi brothers. Survived a shooting in Cleveland in the early 1920’s, and returned there in 1928 to attend the Mafia meeting. Always lived in Iselin, New Jersey, where he compiled a record from 1911 of Assault, Burglary, Swindling and Embezzlement. Arrested in NYC in 1933 with amongst others Albert Anastasia, for the murder of John Bazzano, head of the Pittsburgh Family. With the break-up of the Newark Family, he was possibly recruited by Sam Accardi, the new Lucchese Capo in New Jersey. Listed in the FBN book and NARA records, but never listed on any Government charts. Date of his death was 1975.

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I'm not sure where he got the references to the Accardi bros or to Charles Tourine from.

[B.]

The FBN identified him as an associate of Settimo Accardi and Charlie Tourine along with Vito Genovese. No mention of Joe Accardi though.

They also list Profaci, Magliocco, and Cammarata as associates of Russo but that's because of the Statler meeting. The FBN carried people who were arrested together there as "criminal associates" even when there was no evidence of a sustained relationship so can't infer much about that relationship without other evidence of association.

[JoelTurner]

Mike Russo was arrested with the Volpe bros in Oct 1926.



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1) Mike Valentino was Mike Russo’s alias. If he was close to the Volpe bros, it could explain why he was at the Bazzano murder. He was well-connected and would have been in a prime position to push for revenge.

If Bazzano’s underworld trial was similar to a regular one, it’s possible that Charles Spallino was a part of his paisan’s “defense” while Russo would have been with the “prosecution”

2) I think that the Mike Spinelli mentioned could have been Genovese member Mike Spinella. He hid in Detroit under the name Martin Steel for a ~6 years after killing Harry "Schwabbles" Joachim on Jan 22 1927 and had also spent time in Baltimore & Cleveland so it wouldn’t be too crazy if he had been in Pittsburgh.

[sdeitche]

His address in Woodbridge (Iselin) is a few miles from where I grew up. While not a mob hotbed, between Perth Amboy and Woodbridge there was some gambling operations going on. In the 1960s and 70s Whitey Danzo operated in the area. And, of course, the Perth Amboy-based bookmaker John L. Deitche.

[JoelTurner]

His address in Woodbridge (Iselin) is a few miles from where I grew up. While not a mob hotbed, between Perth Amboy and Woodbridge there was some gambling operations going on. In the 1960s and 70s Whitey Danzo operated in the area. And, of course, the Perth Amboy-based bookmaker John L. Deitche.

Cool!

Carmine “Dundee” Zullo was in that area too