Gene Catena (Genovese Captain)

[DPG]

Gene visited Hot Springs a few times. Stayed for almost a month once I believe.

[HairyKnuckles]

Here´s a list of guys who were probably made with this crew after the books had been reopened in 1976:

* Michael Anthony Borelli (b 1937)
- Identified as made by the 1980s

* Thomas Buzzanca (b ca 1934)
- President of ILA local 1804 in the early 1980s. Pogo has not listed him as made and no confirmation of it on LE charts but some accounts say he is a Genovese soldier. For example in books. He spoke very highly of Tino Fiumara and likely was the one who put him in charge of NJ waterfront operations.

* Michael J. Coppola (b 1945)
- Identified as made by the 1980s. Specific year of induction not known.

*Joseph Michael Doto Jr (1933-1993)
- Son of infamous Joe Adonis. Lived in Palisades Park, NJ and controlled loansharking, gambling and hijacking operations in Bergen County. Doto Jr had arrests for bank robbery, fraud, aggravated assault, bribary, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.

* Tino R. Fiumara (1941-2010)
- A power on the NJ waterfront. Suspected of several murders. Split off from this crew and took a portion of the made men with him, I assume in the 1990s.

* Joseph Gatto (1943-2010)
- son of Louie Gatto Sr, the crew leader at the time. Year of induction not known but probably sometime in the 1980s. It is said that he took control over the remaining made men after this crew was split with Fiumara.

* Louis Gatto Jr (1948-2000)
- The other son of Louie Gatto Sr. Not sure if he was made. Wasn´t he killed in a motor cycle accident?

* Alan Greco (real name Wolshonak) (b ca 1942)
- Of Polish heritage. I think he adopted the name Greco after marrying Gatto Sr´s daughter. So I doubt he was made. Any insight would be great. Pogo has him listed as made.

* Peter J. Greco (b ca 1938)
- A very close associate of the Gattos. Pogo has him listed as made.

///I´m looking forward to any corrections and additions.

[willychichi]

Here´s a list of guys who were probably made with this crew after the books had been reopened in 1976:

* Michael J. Coppola (b 1945)
- Identified as made by the 1980s. Specific year of induction not known.

HK it's likely that Coppola was made after the Lardiere hit in 1977 of course this is just a guess on my part. Do you know if there are there any recordings or transcripts available of Ricciardi's testimony?

[Clark]

Not a correction, as I think that Buzzanca could have been made with this crew, but it is also possible that he was with Fat Tony Salerno.

Buzzanca first shows up on law enforcement reports in the late 1950s as he was an officer of ILA Local 1826 (a precursor to ILA Local 1804-1 before they merged with another local), which was controlled by George Barone and Douglas Rago. Barone and Rago were later in Florida, but Buzzanca reported to them and they reported to Salerno.

Buzzanca was Manhattan based, but I imagine his operations shifted more to New Jersey when the piers in the borough started closing. Since Barone and Rago where in Florida prior to the UNIRAC busts, it is also possible he could have been moved to this crew at some point.

This crews main fronts on the waterfront were Vincent Colucci and Carol Gardiner. Oddly enough, it was Lolly Luciano who killed two of Colucci's brothers after one of them slapped Tino.

[HairyKnuckles]

Here´s a list of guys who were probably made with this crew after the books had been reopened in 1976:

* Michael J. Coppola (b 1945)
- Identified as made by the 1980s. Specific year of induction not known.

HK it's likely that Coppola was made after the Lardiere hit in 1977 of course this is just a guess on my part. Do you know if there are there any recordings or transcripts available of Ricciardi's testimony?

It´s very likely that Coppola was made sometime after the Lardiere hit yes. I have no clue if Tommy Ricciardi´s testimony is available on the net. On the other hand, I can´t say that I have been looking for it. There are snippets of it in several books. Five Families perhaps? Often transcripts of testimonies can be found in the courts where the cases were held. You will have to find out what court and make a request for them.

Not a correction, as I think that Buzzanca could have been made with this crew, but it is also possible that he was with Fat Tony Salerno.

Buzzanca first shows up on law enforcement reports in the late 1950s as he was an officer of ILA Local 1826 (a precursor to ILA Local 1804-1 before they merged with another local), which was controlled by George Barone and Douglas Rago. Barone and Rago were later in Florida, but Buzzanca reported to them and they reported to Salerno.

Buzzanca was Manhattan based, but I imagine his operations shifted more to New Jersey when the piers in the borough started closing. Since Barone and Rago where in Florida prior to the UNIRAC busts, it is also possible he could have been moved to this crew at some point.

This crews main fronts on the waterfront were Vincent Colucci and Carol Gardiner. Oddly enough, it was Lolly Luciano who killed two of Colucci's brothers after one of them slapped Tino.

Thanks Clark!

[Pogo The Clown]

Alan Greco was listed as a member in that 1989 Gatto case.


Pogo

[willychichi]

Thank you HK great info as always

[HairyKnuckles]

Alan Greco was listed as a member in that 1989 Gatto case.


Pogo

Read now that he had his name legally changed from Alan Wolshonak for business reasons. If he was a polak, he could not have been made. Maybe he was Italian on his mother´s side?

[Hailbritain]

Alan Greco was listed as a member in that 1989 Gatto case.


Pogo

Read now that he had his name legally changed from Alan Wolshonak for business reasons. If he was a polak, he could not have been made. Maybe he was Italian on his mother´s side?

Funny you should mention this HK . Last week I was talking to someone who knows Greco very well , he sent me some pics of Greco , and he said neither his mother or father were in anyway Italian . I said exactly the same as you , there is no way he would have been made if he didn't have any Italian disent , he was adamant that non of his family was Italian

[Doug]

You can obviously take it with a grain of salt, but I recall Pic mentioning that Greco's mother's maiden name was Greco. His mother's sister married Gatto. And as such, his uncle's influence was able to get him made, being only half Italian on his mother's side.

[Pogo The Clown]

Grecco is mentioned as a member in this report. I also recall some of the articles on his 1989 bust describing him as a Soldier.


http://www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/ocbars1.pdf

[Doug]

Thanks for posting this Pogo. It definitely confirms he married Gatto's daughter, then. Not the Gatto/Uncle explanation.

[Hailbritain]

Guys, why did Fiumara have Lardiere killed, it doesn't look like Lardiere was going flip? Also what rackets was Fiumara sharing with Anthony Accetturo and the Lucchese's in Newark?

Lardiere was killed for Disrespecting a Bruno family member in Jail. The order to kill him did not come from Tino but from NY. Bruno member beefed to his boss. Bruno sent word to NY that he had to be killed. This was not an inter-family beef.

If lardiere was made in the Genovese family , why would they have whacked him for disrespecting a Philly guy ???

[SonnyBlackstein]

If he broke a cardinal rule against any made guy he can be hit.

That the button was a Philly wiseguy and he was Westside makes zero difference.

Why would you think that just because they're in two separate families he wouldn't be touched?

[Hailbritain]

If he broke a cardinal rule against any made guy he can be hit.

That the button was a Philly wiseguy and he was Westside makes zero difference.

Why would you think that just because they're in two separate families he wouldn't be touched?

I totally get that , I was talking to someone who was in the boiardo crew and he was saying lardiere was never made , I like like to see some evidence he actually was