Question about The Comission 1959-1984

[Cheech]

someone should start a thread with informative mary ferrell links and we can break them down. that would make me happy. they are fun to try and decipher.

[johnny_scootch]

Its says 'Al Ross' sponsored Louie Dome, anyone know who Al Ross is?

[B.]

Its says 'Al Ross' sponsored Louie Dome, anyone know who Al Ross is?

Al Rosato

[phatmatress777]

this one has Vario as with the Bonnanos originally. I didnt know that

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 1&tab=page

and a similar one with les redactions

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 5&tab=page

must have been an error unless I'm wrong but vario was always with the luchesses ... Can someone correct me if I'm wrong?

[phatmatress777]

Another side note Bruno was known to bitch about being on the conmision because it took up to much of his time running his legit businesses bc he already had to juggle his time between philly and Ac


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[Angelo Santino]

Another side note Bruno was known to bitch about being on the conmision because it took up to much of his time running his legit businesses bc he already had to juggle his time between philly and Ac


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I have to reread what JB said were the reasons for adding Detroit and Philadelphia. I recall him saying it was about lightening the workload but don't quote me.

I wonder why those two cities (or bosses) were chosen. Bruno and Zerilli were allies of the Palermitans' and maybe that was increased leverage on the parts of Lucchese and Gambino? For a time perhaps Zerilli could have been considered a Magliocco ally as their families intermarried, that seemed to have ended with his death and Zerilli gravitated towards Luc/Gam.

[phatmatress777]

Another side note Bruno was known to bitch about being on the conmision because it took up to much of his time running his legit businesses bc he already had to juggle his time between philly and Ac


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have to reread what JB said were the reasons for adding Detroit and Philadelphia. I recall him saying it was about lightening the workload but don't quote me.

I wonder why those two cities (or bosses) were chosen. Bruno and Zerilli were allies of the Palermitans' and maybe that was increased leverage on the parts of Lucchese and Gambino? For a time perhaps Zerilli could have been considered a Magliocco ally as their families intermarried, that seemed to have ended with his death and Zerilli gravitated towards Luc/Gam.

I've heard leonetti saying numerous times that scarfo sat on the commision I often wonder if he was mislead or confused or if philly maybe had a back seat on the commision it's always baffled me bc when he says it he believes it.

[Angelo Santino]

Another side note Bruno was known to bitch about being on the conmision because it took up to much of his time running his legit businesses bc he already had to juggle his time between philly and Ac


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have to reread what JB said were the reasons for adding Detroit and Philadelphia. I recall him saying it was about lightening the workload but don't quote me.

I wonder why those two cities (or bosses) were chosen. Bruno and Zerilli were allies of the Palermitans' and maybe that was increased leverage on the parts of Lucchese and Gambino? For a time perhaps Zerilli could have been considered a Magliocco ally as their families intermarried, that seemed to have ended with his death and Zerilli gravitated towards Luc/Gam.

I've heard leonetti saying numerous times that scarfo sat on the commision I often wonder if he was mislead or confused or if philly maybe had a back seat on the commision it's always baffled me bc when he says it he believes it.

That's just not true. If Leonetti is saying that he's lying or has been lied to. His story has changes depending on who's telling it. If you listen to him Testa was a boyfriend friend "When we kill good people, we're not good people, we're bad people, I'm lookin at my uncle goin: 'you wanna kill evreebody?'" *cut to a scene of two children jumping in front of the johnny pumps. However Caramandi remembers being chastised by Phill because Testa hadn't been killed yet.

In Leonetti's book he doesn't make any such claim to Scarfo being on the commission. Despite whatever is said about Scarfo, one of his main advantages was being backed by the Genoveses. Had they vetoed his being boss and thought they could have done better under Caponigro things might have been different. But given that this is the Genoveses, would they want a strong self-thinking boss or a strong yet towing the line boss? Scarfo was said to have ok'd all his administrative changes down to capo with NY.

Update: That'd be a good question to have Scott B. ask Leonetti.

[Angelo Santino]

In Fratianno's book, the Last Mafioso, Jimmy recollected- in 1975- Roselli up in arms and bitching about the state of affairs and he said something along the lines of: "Plus, did you hear that they reduced the commission? They dropped some of the old timers like Bruno and Zerilli. It's down to NY and Chicago which gives that prick Joe Batters more power now." This conversation occurred in LA in 1975 allegedly. Interestingly in both books he claims he is a LA member/captain who transfers to Chicago direct with Giancana and later transfers back to LA after being offered Acting Underboss. Bill Roemer discussed Fratianno and labeled him a Chicago soldier who never rose beyond that rank.

I do recommend both The Last Mafioso and Vengeance is Mine, both Fratianno books co-authored with guys he later ended up suing. Required reading. JB read TLM and mentioned it in his book and was taken aback at how a Napoletan' could consider himself a Mafioso when he and others like Valachi were at the ground level. It's interesting because other Sicilians, specifically it's Sicilians with mafia lineage, lamented the same decay. Whereas you had American-Sicilians like Gravano non-connected to the "tradition" and instead seen it rather seen it as the Godfather-esque LCN and his approach at traditionalism was being less flashy than John Gotti. And that's overrated in itself, other bosses like Amuso and Gigante were all jammed up by 1990 and I don't GAF whether or not Gigante was able to avoid prison until 97. Anyone who's ever been under indictment would rather not be, so that's a moot argument.

[Cheech]

Another side note Bruno was known to bitch about being on the conmision because it took up to much of his time running his legit businesses bc he already had to juggle his time between philly and Ac


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Zerrilli from Detroit said same thing. MF with patriarca

[Cheech]

Patriarcas wasn't on the commision ever?

[Cheech]

http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 2&tab=page

More commision stuff. Looks like they were gonna call bonnano capos and see if their loyalty was with bonnano or the commision. Certainly looks decavacante is on it. Bruno. And Zerrilli

[B.]

Joe Bonanno describes Sam DeCavalcante as an errand boy for the Commission if I remember right. He was given an important role during the Bonanno problem and since it was the first big political situation he'd been involved with as a boss, he seems to have really put a lot of it on his own back. Bruno was definitely on the Commission as he was part of a delegation of three Commission members sent to meet with Bonanno (Bonanno didn't show).

Christie -- I think you make a good point about Leonetti being inconsistent, but I can see the Testa situation from another angle. He may well have felt that the Testa hit was unjustified, but had to support it on the surface or look weak / face the wrath of his uncle. Joe Pungitore was threatened with the murder of him and his father / brothers if he didn't go along with it. There is a long history of guys having to pretend that they're fine with killing their close friends and other guys who don't deserve it. Still, I think Leonetti has some sociopathic tendencies and made a bigger deal out of the Testa murder after he flipped. Note that he was close friends with Vincent Falcone and hasn't shown remorse for that killing, though.

[LcnBios]

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[HairyKnuckles]

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 2&tab=page

At page 5 in document, a "Pepi" is described. This Pepi is most likely Joseph Santaniello who later operated the SS Antonio Social Club located at same address as (or located door to door) the candy store mentioned.