Mario Gigante´s crew affiliation

[HairyKnuckles]

(This is an old post moved from the old forum. If any new info or new ideas pops up regarding this topic, please post it in this thread.)

By the looks of it, Mario Gigante does not seem to have been in the same crew once led by his famous brother Vincent. On September 16, 1980, an informant gave this info:



Just for the fun of it, I´m trying to narrow down the Genovese crews that operated in Little Italy at around that time. Would be great if anybody can help me figuring out what crew Mario was part of and subsequently took over. According to another informant, Mario was identified as a captain in September 1983.

- Pete Defeo´s crew. (Seems unlikely since Pete DeFeo was still recognized as a crew leader in 1988, mentioned by Cafaro.)

- Mickey Generoso´s crew. (Possible since he seems to have been in semi retirement at the time. Cafaro mentioned though that in 1988, Chucky Tuzzo was the one who helped Mickey run this crew.)

- Solly "Young" Palmieri (Very posiible. Palmieri fell out of favor in August 1980 when the Genovese bosses found out that he was dealing in drugs. Could be that Vincent Gigante replaced him with his brother.)

- Joe Lapi (Possible. Lapi passed away in October 1980.)

- Joe Loiacono Sr (Not very likely because he was still recognized as a crew leader by Cafaro in 1988. James Messera seems to have been the one who replaced Loiacono Sr as crew leader later when he passed.)

- Matty Ianniello´s crew (sounds unlikely that Mario was part of this crew, but who knows...?)

Were there any other Genovese crews active in Little Italy around 1980, not mentioned above?

Mario Gigante was never mentioned by Cafaro as a crew leader. Makes me believe that Gigante was no longer a captain by 1988, but might have been elevated to a captain´s rank again sometime in the 1990s. Info says that he was active in Westchester/Bronx around that time.

Thankful of any help all of you may provide with.

[AlexfromSouth]

You mentioned pete defeo and sal celembrino in the other tread or some of them, cant remmember HK. But the thing I can remmeber is that there was a tread were Sal Celembrino was detailed, where he wasfrom, when he cam to Bklyn and everything about him. Where was that info, do you remmember? Cant find it.

Thanks HK.

[B.]

We know Mario Gigante was identified as a member of the Eboli crew along with his brother in the 1950s/60s, so would be curious when he ended up with this mystery crew. The Eboli/Gigante crew in the 1980s is one I have some questions about, as Bobby Manna was from that crew as well and I wonder if he became a captain of a separate crew or if he was upped directly from soldier to consigliere. Despite being a Jersey guy, he had a presence in NY though I know of no connections to Mulberry in particular. Larry Dentico was a Jersey member of that crew as well who was close to Manna and became a captain. Do you think there was a clean succession between Eboli, Alongi, Gigante, and Canterino or do you think it could have split somewhere in there?

[HairyKnuckles]

You mentioned pete defeo and sal celembrino in the other tread or some of them, cant remmember HK. But the thing I can remmeber is that there was a tread were Sal Celembrino was detailed, where he wasfrom, when he cam to Bklyn and everything about him. Where was that info, do you remmember? Cant find it.

Thanks HK.

It´s possible the thread you are thinking about is on the old forum. Both Celambrino and Defeo had previuosly been under Mike Miranda and were both made captains after Miranda´s crew was split.

We know Mario Gigante was identified as a member of the Eboli crew along with his brother in the 1950s/60s, so would be curious when he ended up with this mystery crew. The Eboli/Gigante crew in the 1980s is one I have some questions about, as Bobby Manna was from that crew as well and I wonder if he became a captain of a separate crew or if he was upped directly from soldier to consigliere. Despite being a Jersey guy, he had a presence in NY though I know of no connections to Mulberry in particular. Larry Dentico was a Jersey member of that crew as well who was close to Manna and became a captain. Do you think there was a clean succession between Eboli, Alongi, Gigante, and Canterino or do you think it could have split somewhere in there?

Let´s not rule out that the CI possibly could have been wrong. Another explanation could be that Mario stayed with the Gigante crew, but the CI was confused. (Alongi had a club on 187 Hester Street.) I haven´t seen anything that says Alongi/Gigante crew was split sometime pre 1980 but perhaps we shouldn´t rule it out completely. However, by the info that is available to us today the succession line of that crew seems to be:

- Genovese
- Bender
- Diquarto
- Tommy Eboli
- Patsy Eboli
- Alongi/V. Gigante (possibly co-captains)
- V. Gigante
- Manna
- M. Gigante
- Mangano
- Canterino

When Cafaro in 1988 talked about the murder of Caponigro he mentioned the Canterino crew being responsible. However he doesn´t say when Canterino was made captain. By the looks of it, Canterino was not a captain at the time of the Caponigro murder, but later.

I believe the crew was split after Canterino´s death (around 1990) between Cirillo, Dentico and Prisco.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Does anyone have any info on Mario Gigante today?

Position/active etc?

[Pogo The Clown]

He is a Soldier. Most likely inactive since he is like 90 now.


Pogo

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks P

[Wiseguy]

He is a Soldier. Most likely inactive since he is like 90 now.


Pogo

He was reported back in 2004 to be helping run the family but that was a relatively long time ago.

[HairyKnuckles]

From 1986 to around 1989/1990 the three top Genovese Family spots were occupied by members of the Greenwich Village crew. (Gigante/Mangano/Manna.) That shows how dominant that crew was at the time. A Family having that kind of set up is not that common. Although Gigante has been recognized as a popular boss, Gigante got away with it. The relative short term of three or four years (the time the three top spots were occupied by members of the Greenwich Village crew) may have had something to do with him getting away with it too.

[moneyman]

I'm almost positive I read somewhere the Bobby Manna had an apartment in Lower Manhattan, I think on Houston St. The building that was his old restaurant/hangout Casellas in Hoboken is still there but has been unoccupied for years. Michael Borelli had a social club a few blocks away up until the early 2000s... Not sure if Borelli had a connection to Manna or not.

[B.]

I'm almost positive I read somewhere the Bobby Manna had an apartment in Lower Manhattan, I think on Houston St. The building that was his old restaurant/hangout Casellas in Hoboken is still there but has been unoccupied for years. Michael Borelli had a social club a few blocks away up until the early 2000s... Not sure if Borelli had a connection to Manna or not.

Yep, he had an apartment at 130 W Houston street which is where he was placed under house arrest in the late 1980s, which indicates that may have been his primary home by then.

Cafaro claimed the consigliere was the most influential position in the family (not the only informant who has said that), and that statement coincides with Manna's time in the spot. His father Morris Manna was said to be involved with Tony Strollo in some waterfront rackets, so I assume that's how Bobby ended up with that crew. In old reports I've only ever seen Manna and Dentico mentioned meeting/associating with Genovese members in NYC, not Jersey, so curious how close they were to the family's Jersey crews.

HK -- interesting point about the entire administration being filled out by the Village crew during those years. Kind of goes against the Genovese family's typical diversification of power and is closer to the old Joe Profaci and Bonanno regimes in terms of focusing all of the power on one small group. Seems the similarities end there, though.

[Cheech]

As far as Cafaro. Besides 25 years after Valachi where can we see his input?

Where did I see someone mention Cafaro worked out a deal with Barney if he wasn't truthful he would tske care of his kid.
Fish died right? He was living somewhere in the Carolinas?

[Stroccos]

As far as Cafaro. Besides 25 years after Valachi where can we see his input?

Where did I see someone mention Cafaro worked out a deal with Barney if he wasn't truthful he would tske care of his kid.
Fish died right? He was living somewhere in the Carolinas?

didnt cafaro refuse to testify agaisnt barney ?

[Stroccos]

As far as Cafaro. Besides 25 years after Valachi where can we see his input?

Where did I see someone mention Cafaro worked out a deal with Barney if he wasn't truthful he would tske care of his kid.
Fish died right? He was living somewhere in the Carolinas?

dont know how to edit my posts,
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/07/nyreg ... ormer.html

[Cheech]

As far as Cafaro. Besides 25 years after Valachi where can we see his input?

Where did I see someone mention Cafaro worked out a deal with Barney if he wasn't truthful he would tske care of his kid.
Fish died right? He was living somewhere in the Carolinas?

didnt cafaro refuse to testify agaisnt barney ?

I am not sure