The True Status of the Los Angeles Family

[Antiliar]

How did Cosa Nostra first start in LA and how did they get approval to start?

We don't know how it started and we don't know who its earliest bosses were until around 1921, when Vito Di Giorgio left New Orleans to become boss. He may have organized the family, but it's possible it actually started much earlier around 1902 by immigrants from Corleone and Piana dei Greci.

Generally, I believe all families would have to be recognized by the Capo di Capi and the Consiglio, so depending on when it was formed it was either Giuseppe Morello or Toto D'Aquila. According to a later Sicilian source at least ten men are required to form a borgata. When Di Giorgio was boss he had an (suspected) underboss in Rosario Desimone, and other members such as Joe Ardizzone, Jack Dragna, and Vincenzo Piro, along with others whose names are unknown or uncertain.

[Little_Al1991]

How did Cosa Nostra first start in LA and how did they get approval to start?

We don't know how it started and we don't know who its earliest bosses were until around 1921, when Vito Di Giorgio left New Orleans to become boss. He may have organized the family, but it's possible it actually started much earlier around 1902 by immigrants from Corleone and Piana dei Greci.

Generally, I believe all families would have to be recognized by the Capo di Capi and the Consiglio, so depending on when it was formed it was either Giuseppe Morello or Toto D'Aquila. According to a later Sicilian source at least ten men are required to form a borgata. When Di Giorgio was boss he had an (suspected) underboss in Rosario Desimone, and other members such as Joe Ardizzone, Jack Dragna, and Vincenzo Piro, along with others whose names are unknown or uncertain.

Many different families are formed but how do they all send a message back to NY? Do they all know each other or well someone that can get a message through? How can they become recognized?

[NothingNew44]

A lot of Italians in LA actually

Absolutely. As for the metros with the most sheer numbers of Italian Americans, New York City asserts itself at last. It topped the list with 2.5 million residents claiming some Italian descent. It was followed by Philadelphia, with more than 800,000; Boston, with more than 650,000; Chicago, with just under 650,000; and Los Angeles—the City of Angels has nearly 400,000 Italians.

U.S. Counties with the Highest Number of Italian Americans
Suffolk County, New York- 322,003
Los Angeles County, California- 250,878
Cook County, Illinois- 246,973
Nassau County, New York- 234,651
Middlesex County, Massachusetts- 197,207

The difference in LA is that everyone is spread out. Manhattan is 24 square miles or whatever. Los Angeles city (NOT counting the neighboring cities like Beverly Hills, Malibu, etc.) is 469 square miles.

I’m always amazed when folks say the mob never caught on in LA because of lack of numbers. There’s plenty of Italians. They just aren’t concentrated.

Agree. Geography plays a significant part. I was always fascinated by the fact LA had a San Diego crew. On a good day that’s a 90 min drive just from North SD county line to LA. We know Frank B. lived in Pacific Beach, south county. So for him to even meet with LA proper members taking the I-5 it’s a 2-2 1/2 hour drive. Southern California, whether it’s LA or OC specifically is just so spread out.

[johnny_scootch]

Many different families are formed but how do they all send a message back to NY? Do they all know each other or well someone that can get a message through? How can they become recognized?

They'd literally mail letters or send them with members/associates/relatives who might be traveling between cities. Obviously they didn't all know each other but it was definitely a small world and there weren't many degrees of separation between any 2 members.

[Wiseguy]

You could probably count on one hand the number of made guys west of Kansas City at this point.

Isn't there still like half a dozen made guys living in the Las Vegas-Henderson metro area?

Maybe. In 2002 there was said to be a dozen members still living in Vegas but that was obviously a while ago.

[Tonyd621]

Los Angeles seems to be where members go to die-old age, out of the game etc

[Harrism]

How did Cosa Nostra first start in LA and how did they get approval to start?

We don't know how it started and we don't know who its earliest bosses were until around 1921, when Vito Di Giorgio left New Orleans to become boss. He may have organized the family, but it's possible it actually started much earlier around 1902 by immigrants from Corleone and Piana dei Greci.

Generally, I believe all families would have to be recognized by the Capo di Capi and the Consiglio, so depending on when it was formed it was either Giuseppe Morello or Toto D'Aquila. According to a later Sicilian source at least ten men are required to form a borgata. When Di Giorgio was boss he had an (suspected) underboss in Rosario Desimone, and other members such as Joe Ardizzone, Jack Dragna, and Vincenzo Piro, along with others whose names are unknown or uncertain.

How many immigrants from Corleone are there? Or do all of the immigrant just happen to be maffia related? Corleone having such a big presence in a foreign country whilst being a relatively small and inland town keeps baffling me.

Is there a reason Corleone is overrepresented in America? Or is this perspective clouded by them having a lot of prominent members rather than having a large amount of members? If not, what factors play a role in this? Did their businesses (more agricultural?) collapse where coastal town where more diversified? Or had law enforcement in Sicilly have a particular reason to focus on Corleone (if they did at all)?

[Antiliar]

I don't know exactly how many immigrants from Corleone came to America. There have been Corleonese communities (or areas where they lived in a high concentration) in East Harlem; New Orleans; Bryan, Texas; Dallas; Los Angeles; and Chicago. Historically, Corleone was a small inland city with a high poverty rate, so many crossed the pond in search for a better life. Most probably came through chain migration via a relative, friend, or padrone. Giuseppe Morello, as the head of a New York borgata and the Capo di Capi was extremely influential and undoubtedly some - if not many - came because of him. I think there were more prominent members rather than being overrepresented.

[PTown]

How did Cosa Nostra first start in LA and how did they get approval to start?

We don't know how it started and we don't know who its earliest bosses were until around 1921, when Vito Di Giorgio left New Orleans to become boss. He may have organized the family, but it's possible it actually started much earlier around 1902 by immigrants from Corleone and Piana dei Greci.

Generally, I believe all families would have to be recognized by the Capo di Capi and the Consiglio, so depending on when it was formed it was either Giuseppe Morello or Toto D'Aquila. According to a later Sicilian source at least ten men are required to form a borgata. When Di Giorgio was boss he had an (suspected) underboss in Rosario Desimone, and other members such as Joe Ardizzone, Jack Dragna, and Vincenzo Piro, along with others whose names are unknown or uncertain.

How many immigrants from Corleone are there? Or do all of the immigrant just happen to be maffia related? Corleone having such a big presence in a foreign country whilst being a relatively small and inland town keeps baffling me.

Is there a reason Corleone is overrepresented in America? Or is this perspective clouded by them having a lot of prominent members rather than having a large amount of members? If not, what factors play a role in this? Did their businesses (more agricultural?) collapse where coastal town where more diversified? Or had law enforcement in Sicilly have a particular reason to focus on Corleone (if they did at all)?

Corleone is a special town to Sicilians, because of the town's role in the uprising against French rule in the 1200s. The Sicilian flag contains the red for Palermo, the biggest city, and yellow for Corleone, a small town. That's a big honor. Corleonesi do have a special place in the minds of Sicilians for being tough and full of heart.

However, their special role in Italian-American Organized Crime is just happenstance. There are several towns in Sicily that produced a lot of migrants to the U.S., and thus, when the mob was based on genetic family (clan) ties, these folks had an advantage because they simply had more kinfolk here.

Examples include Castellamare del Golfo (Maranzano, Maggadino, Bonanno), Bagheria, Terrasini, Lucca Sicula/Burgio, etc.

The way immigration used to work was one or two pioneers would come, and then sponsor other townsman. So you ended up with concentrations of people in a given New World city from the Old World town, often by coincidence of knowing that first pioneer. For Italians who went to Argentina or Canada or Australia, they came from slightly different towns. That's why you still see different regional/town of origin powerhouses there.

Anyway, hope that answered your questions. Back to the LA family...