What do We Know about Willie Moretti?

[JoelTurner]

Anthony “Tony Nino” Saita was involved in bombing poultry magnet Barnet Baff.

This was not really successful. Later, on Nov 24 1914, he was murdered in a complex operation orchestrated by Ippolito Greco. It also had some very big future players, Lucchese boss Tom Reina & LA boss Jack Dragna.

Saita wasn’t the focus of the investigation following this affair, by then, he had already absconded to Buffalo, NY. However, he was identified by rat Joseph Sorro by his name, nickname, and address:



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Saita was very close to Moretti early on. Considering that he had essentially the same path of East Harlem -> Buffalo -> New Jersey, this makes sense.

Saita was a Sicilian (later claimed to be born in NJ) and would have fit in with the Morello group. He was probably an associate; Greco/Reina/Dragna would have been made.

[B.]

Good connection.

Fratianno said Dragna told him he was made in 1914. Same year as the Baff murder so maybe it was how Dragna "made his bones" if he was made shortly after the murder or he was a recent inductee. 1914 was also when he returned to the US from Corleone. Big year for the guy.

[JoelTurner]

Good connection.

Fratianno said Dragna told him he was made in 1914. Same year as the Baff murder so maybe it was how Dragna "made his bones" if he was made shortly after the murder or he was a recent inductee. 1914 was also when he returned to the US from Corleone. Big year for the guy.

Is it known if he was made here or “on the other side”?

[B.]

No clue. It was either shortly before he left Sicily or shortly after he returned which are both interesting.

[PolackTony]

No clue. It was either shortly before he left Sicily or shortly after he returned which are both interesting.

In terms of the timeline, Baff was hit in November of 1914, while Dragna had arrived in the US in the spring of that year. If he was made in Sicily, then he was already made by the time the Baff thing went down, and, conversely, if it were actually the case that he made his bones on the Baff thing than obviously he wasn’t made over there.

I don’t recall that any of the LA member sources stated where he was made, unless I’m forgetting something.