Pittsburgh Family Admin Lineage... ahem JCB

[Angelo Santino]

This is from Wikipedia, the early stuff I can tell is absolutely fucking wrong. Conti retired if you consider a casket retirement but anyone can be a critic. Look this over JCB and make corrections as your leisure.

Boss (official and acting)[edit]
c.1910s–1920 – Gregorio Conti – retired[1]
1920–1925 – Salvatore Calderone – retired[1][13]
1925–1929 – Stefano Monastero – murdered on August 6, 1929[1][3][14]
1929–1931 – Giuseppe "Yeast Baron" Siragusa – murdered on September 13, 1931[1][3][13]
1931–1932 – John Bazzano – found dead on August 8, 1932 in Red Hook, Brooklyn[1][3][13]
1932–1937 – Vincenzo Capizzi – retired to Italy[1][3][13]
1937–1956 – Frank Amato[13][15][16] – stepped down, becoming underboss.[1][3]
1956–1984 – John LaRocca[17] – died on December 3, 1984.[1][4][18]
Ruling Panel 1978–1980 – Michael Genovese, Gabriel Mannarino (died July 1980)[9] and Joseph Pecora (imprisoned 1979)[1][18]
Acting 1980–1984 – Michael Genovese – promoted to boss[1]
1985–2006 – Michael James Genovese[1][4][18] – died on October 31, 2006[1]
2006–2008 – John Bazzano Jr. – died on July 28, 2008[19][20]
2008–present – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti
Underboss (official and acting)[edit]
1925–1929 – Salvatore "Sam" Monastero – brother to boss Stefano Monastero[1][14]
1936–1956 – John LaRocca – promoted to boss
1956–1973 – Frank Amato – died 1973[1]
1973–1987 – Joseph "Jo Jo" Pecora – imprisoned 1979-1983, died 1987[17][18]
1987–2006 – John Bazzano Jr. – took over after Pecora died;[4][19] became boss in 2006
Acting 1987–1995 – Charles Porter – convicted in 1990 and sentenced to 28 years, defected to the government in 1999.[11][18]
2006–2008 – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – became boss in 2008
2008–present – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli
Consigliere[edit]
1956–1985 – Michael James Genovese – promoted to boss[17]
1985–1989 – Pasquale "Pat" Ferruccio – controlled gambling in the Canton, Ohio area,[18] imprisoned in 1991
1989–2002 – Charles "Murgie" Imburgia – his nephew Anthony Murgie was connected to the Genovese family.[18]
2002–2006 – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – became underboss
2006–2008 – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli – became underboss
Youngstown faction[edit]
The faction operates in Youngstown, Ohio throughout the Mahoning Valley. In the 1970s the faction gained control over the Youngstown gambling rackets while sharing some of the profits with the Cleveland crime family.[21]

1960s–1988 – James "Jimmy" Prato – died 1988[17][21][22]
1988–1991 – Joey Naples – protege of Prato, he was murdered in 1991[17][22]
1991–1999 – Lenine "Lenny" Strollo – nephew of Prato,[17][22] imprisoned and defected to the government in 1999.
Current members[edit]
Made members[edit]
Boss – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – took over Kelly Mannarino's New Kensington gambling rackets.[18] In 2002, Ciancutti was given probation for controlling gambling operations in Allegheny and Fayette counties.[23][24]
Underboss – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli – controls a sports bookmaking operation; he also took over Tony Grosso's old numbers and illegal gambling operation.[25][26]
Soldier – John V. Leone[27][28]
Soldier – Mauro P. Matone[29][30]
Associates[edit]
Jeffrey Risha
Kirk "K-Prime" Mollica
Ralph "Big Head" Maselli – controls gambling operations in Pittsburgh[31]
John V. "Johnny A" Adams – controls gambling operations in Pittsburgh[31]
William R. "Billy" Spina Jr [31]
Phillip Vecchio - controls bookmaking operation in Pittsburgh[32][33]
Salvatore A. "Sonny" Williams – major numbers and betting network in the Hill District and McKees Rocks. Brother "Junior" Williams is semi-retired and trying to become a TV personality.[31]
Eugene "Nick the Blade" Gesuale – working from Florida[34] - died in 2016
John Francis "Duffy" Conley Jr. – controlled an illegal video poker machine ring in Pittsburgh. In 2006, Conley was arrested for running illegal gambling operations.[31]

[JCB1977]

I posted this before...

[Angelo Santino]

Well thanks for making me seem like Furio, where?

[JCB1977]

Don't remember, but most of those descriptions are mine. No worries, I'll email you this week

[Cheech]

Well thanks for making me seem like Furio, where?

Hey, don't broke the balls

[Antiliar]

I think it's possible Calderone was the boss BEFORE Gregorio Conti, then retired. After Conti was killed (in 1919, not 1920) he returned temporarily. The next boss was Conti's brother, Dr. Gaetano Conti. He died in 1927, then Stefano Monastero. The rest I leave to JCB.

[Angelo Santino]

It's possible. According to the 1910 Banana Society trial, Salvatore Arrigo was the former "top boss" at some point prior. I'm still not entirely certain how this group fits, apart from some connections to Pittsburgh and Cleveland this group operated out of Marion and Bellafontaine, OH. They are connected in that this group had members from Termini Imeresi which is where Calderone and others of Pittsburgh came from. If I had to make an educated guess, Sebastian Lima was boss and his brother Salvatore Lima headed a crew in Ohio.

S. Calderone was born in 1858, entered the the USA from 1885 to 1887, left and apparently returned in 1907. In 1920 he lived in Kiskiminetas and owned a fruit store. In 1930 he lived in Apollo, PA and listed as retired at age 72. Average life expectancy in those days was around 55-60. His wife was 20 years his junior and he had 5 or 6+ children. When he returned for good in 1907 he was approaching age 50 and was most likely made by this time if he was not already when he was in his 30's in the 1880's.

A proposed lineage could be:
Salvatore Arrigo (At what point is unclear, he was born in 1844 and arrived in 1877).
Sebastian Lima (lived in Johnstown) - convicted in 1910.
--Salvatore Lima, forebearer of the SF Limas is Sebastian's brother and crew boss out of Bellafontaine, he was called the 'cashier' at their trial.
Gregorio Conti - 1910? - 1919- Murdered

Didn't some sources claim Gentile was boss very briefly following Conti's murder?

[Antiliar]

I think Arrigo was only a top boss for the Banana Society. I checked records to see where he lived and it was always in Cincinnati. I was able to as far back as 1898. So I go back to Calderone as a possible previous boss. According to the 1898 manifest that I have, he went directly to Pittsburgh.

[Angelo Santino]

I think Arrigo was only a top boss for the Banana Society. I checked records to see where he lived and it was always in Cincinnati. I was able to as far back as 1898. So I go back to Calderone as a possible previous boss. According to the 1898 manifest that I have, he went directly to Pittsburgh.

I'm under the impression that the Banana Society was connected to the Pittsburgh Family, perhaps as a crew. As for Calderone, I agree he could have been boss as well.

[JCB1977]

Orazio Runfola was the Pittsburgh leader of the Society of The Bananas if my memory serves me correct. He worked for The Lima Brothers of Marion and Arrigo in Cincinnati. I've located the case file at the National Archives, it's around $1000 for the entire file which is as big as I've ever seen a case file. Let's discuss that file offline, figure something out.

Have you guys ever seen this Thesis statement on Pittsburgh's bootlegging?


https://journals.psu.edu/phj/article/do ... 9921/59738

[JCB1977]

Frank Amato Sr is the key. Can we connect him to the Sicilians. Time to start tracing these old black handers/Banana members to the bootlegging/depression era gangsters. The Pittsburgh family was truly formed and molded by Frank Amato Sr. I think it's a good theory about the Society of the Banana being part of the Pittsburgh Family but it also may have been a tad too early to call Pittsburgh a "family." Our extensive research in this geographic area has certainly given me a much better understanding of the influence that specific regions of Southern Italy had on the Ohio River Valley. Gianni Bazzano Sr certainly was streamlining a more modern LCN but died too young. Frank Amato took over in 1937 and truly put their business model in place which operated almost identical through Mike Genovese, a LaRocca and Amato protege. Plus, when studying FBI files from this region even in the 60's, the Feds as well as informants refers to a "Calabrese Organization" and a "Sicilian Organization." I know in the Ohio River Valley, there was a network of southern Italians from Cleveland to Youngstown to Canton to Steubenville and finally Pittsburgh. All connected to some Westchester, NY and Northern California Italians from the same geographic area. For all intensive purposes, you could throw Detroit and Buffalo in on that network. My two cents tells me that the Society of the Banana operated separately, almost an exclusive, renegade faction of bandits...and many of these men may have ended up confirmed members of LCN but we also know that many of them disappeared and led normal lives. Definitely something to ponder.

[Stroccos]

Frank Amato Sr is the key. Can we connect him to the Sicilians. Time to start tracing these old black ganders/Banana members to the bootlegging/depression era gangsters. The Pittsburgh family was truly formed and molded by Frank Amato Sr. I think it's a good theory about the Society of the Banana being part of the Pittsburgh Family but it also may have been a tad too early to call Pittsburgh a "family." Our extensive research in this geographic area has certainly given me a much better understanding of the influence that specific regions of Southern Italy had on the Ohio River Valley. Gianni Bazzano Sr certainly was streamlining a more modern LCN but died too young. Frank Amato took over in 1937 and truly put their business model in place which operated almost identical through Mike Genovese, a LaRocca and Amato protege. Plus, when studying FBI files from this region even in the 60's, the Feds as well as informants refers to a "Calabrese Organization" and a "Sicilian Organization." I know in the Ohio River Valley, there was a network of southern Italians from Cleveland to Youngstown to Canton to Steubenville and finally Pittsburgh. All connected to some Westchester, NY and Northern California Italians from the same geographic area. For all intensive purposes, you could throw Detroit and Buffalo in on that network. My two cents tells me that the Society of the Banana operated separately, almost an exclusive, renegade faction of bandits...and many of these men may have ended up confirmed members of LCN but we also know that many of them disappeared and led normal lives. Definitely something to ponder.

did frank have any relation to Angelo Amato of cleveland who hailed from lictaa sicily? i know amato is a fairly common name

[JCB1977]

Frank Amato Sr was Neapolitan.

Here's a tid-bit for you guys: Thomas Hardiman, one of Trump's three finalists for the Supreme Court nomination is the - husband of Lori Zappala, who was the daughter of Richard Zappala who is the son of Frank Zappala who was the brother in law to of John Bazzano Sr. Lori is also niece of the former Chief Justice of the PA Supreme Court, Stephen Zappala and cousin of our current District Attorney in Allegheny County, Stephen Jr. Lori's maternal grandfather was killed in a 1937 liquor dispute, by a guy from Detroit. His name was Alberto "Butchy" Melaragno, son of Patsy Melaragno, reported in the papers as a "bootleg king".

[FriendofHenry]

Frank Amato Sr was Neapolitan.

Here's a tid-bit for you guys: Thomas Hardiman, one of Trump's three finalists for the Supreme Court nomination is the - husband of Lori Zappala, who was the daughter of Richard Zappala who is the son of Frank Zappala who was the brother in law to of John Bazzano Sr. Lori is also niece of the former Chief Justice of the PA Supreme Court, Stephen Zappala and cousin of our current District Attorney in Allegheny County, Stephen Jr. Lori's maternal grandfather was killed in a 1937 liquor dispute, by a guy from Detroit.

You're the best

[Stroccos]

Frank Amato Sr was Neapolitan.

Here's a tid-bit for you guys: Thomas Hardiman, one of Trump's three finalists for the Supreme Court nomination is the - husband of Lori Zappala, who was the daughter of Richard Zappala who is the son of Frank Zappala who was the brother in law to of John Bazzano Sr. Lori is also niece of the former Chief Justice of the PA Supreme Court, Stephen Zappala and cousin of our current District Attorney in Allegheny County, Stephen Jr. Lori's maternal grandfather was killed in a 1937 liquor dispute, by a guy from Detroit.

You're the best

I am sure its all legit though very interesting small world.