JoelTurner wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 5:44 pm
Morale Crew
VITO LICAVOLI
(Willie Rex)
DOB: May 21 1904
POB: Terrasini, Palermo, Sicily
F: Vincenzo Licavoli
M: Paola “Pauline” Carollo
Occupation: Owner - Rex Tavern (174 Humboldt St, Brooklyn, NY)
Address: 196 Johnson Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Prior addresses: 143 Humboldt St, Brooklyn, NY
Death: Sep 1974
Both Licavoli & Carollo were surnames shared by important Terrasini mobsters, however they were mostly in the Midwest, especially Detroit. TBH, I can’t think of any notable figures from there in the NYC area.
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There were a couple Terrasinesi with the Gambino Family, Battista Balsamo and Ignatius Crachiola. The Balsamos' true surname was Cracchiolo and it's likely the Crachiolas' name was originally spelled that way, Battista's father name being Ignazio as well, so maybe there was a relation.
Balsamo isn't to be confused with the much older Giuseppe "Battista" Balsamo, whose grandson wrote a book claiming the grandfather founded the Gambino Family. That Balsamo may have been from Terrasini as well though.
In general though, no, Terrasini doesn't surface in NYC much at all. Vito Licavoli's Bonanno membership does bring to mind the overlapping Detroit/Bonanno networks.
JoelTurner wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 5:44 pm
Morale Crew
VITO LICAVOLI
(Willie Rex)
DOB: May 21 1904
POB: Terrasini, Palermo, Sicily
F: Vincenzo Licavoli
M: Paola “Pauline” Carollo
Occupation: Owner - Rex Tavern (174 Humboldt St, Brooklyn, NY)
Address: 196 Johnson Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Prior addresses: 143 Humboldt St, Brooklyn, NY
Death: Sep 1974
Both Licavoli & Carollo were surnames shared by important Terrasini mobsters, however they were mostly in the Midwest, especially Detroit. TBH, I can’t think of any notable figures from there in the NYC area.
————
There were a couple Terrasinesi with the Gambino Family, Battista Balsamo and Ignatius Crachiola. The Balsamos' true surname was Cracchiolo and it's likely the Crachiolas' name was originally spelled that way, Battista's father name being Ignazio as well, so maybe there was a relation.
Balsamo isn't to be confused with the much older Giuseppe "Battista" Balsamo, whose grandson wrote a book claiming the grandfather founded the Gambino Family. That Balsamo may have been from Terrasini as well though.
In general though, no, Terrasini doesn't surface in NYC much at all. Vito Licavoli's Bonanno membership does bring to mind the overlapping Detroit/Bonanno networks.
Speaking of the overlapping Bonanno/Detroit connections, has anyone ever flushed out the connection between Antonio "Papa Tony" Mirabile, who started on Detroit but transfered to the L.A. Family and Joe Bonanno? I dobknow that even today there are some Bonventre's in San Diego where Mirabile operated. There is a couple photos of Bonanno and Mirabile which l think lends to a strong association especially considering "on paper", even within the mafia, the are a world apart. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Wasn’t Sylvester Carollo(a), New Orleans boss, from Terrasini as well. Wonder if there was a relation with Carollo on this Vito Licavolis’ mother side as well.
Here's an article from 1920 on member Thomas Scardino. It includes info not referenced in the LCNbios article but the address and round-a-bout age match the article. Apparently, Scardino defrauded some business associates then fled to Italy.
I'm not sure if this has been brought up before, but Michael Cosenza was a nephew of Vincent and Philip Mangano. His mother Verna was their sister. News to me.
Unsurprisingly, he was a delegate/business agent for the ILA, local 327-1 in Brooklyn since 1940. When he moved to Tucson around 1947, it was reported that he was still receiving "gratuities and monies" in the form of Christmas gifts from various stevedoring/shipping companies in Brooklyn, on top of his regular salary despite being inactive. He told the FBI that he had moved to Tucson for health reasons.
Worth speculating that he may have been a Gambino member prior to the move to Tucson. Later in his file, there's mention that the smoke shop he ran was a " phone drop" for Tucson hoodlums, where they'd leave messages for each other with Cosenza.
Not a whole lot in his file that isn't redacted, especially when it gets to the mid-60s/Bonanno split.
Excellent info. Did not expect to see a Mangano nephew in the Bonannos.
One possibility too is he wasn't straightened out until after his uncles were killed, going with the Bonannos in part because of that along with the Tucson connection.
Some more info on Cosenza's relationship with Bonanno. Interesting the informant says Cosenza was from an "influential family" with the longshoreman's union, but believed they were with Bonanno.
B. wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 10:55 am
Excellent info. Did not expect to see a Mangano nephew in the Bonannos.
One possibility too is he wasn't straightened out until after his uncles were killed, going with the Bonannos in part because of that along with the Tucson connection.
Could be. Sounds like either way, when he went to Tucson he was under Bonanno rather than Mangano.
I wonder the same about Russ Andalaro, was he already made in the Pittston family or made with the Bonannos in Tucson?
