Gambino Sicilian Faction General Discussion

[LcnBios]

Recently received a good amount of info on the Gambinos circa 1990s. Only briefly skimmed it so far, but a couple of things stood out related to the Sicilian crews:

1.) Sometime around the late 1990s, a made member of Anthony Ciccone's crew was arrested by the NYPD at a cafe on 18th Ave. This was the result of an argument with the cafe's owner, who was 'with' John Gambino's crew. The cafe owner was the one who actually called the police, and a sitdown was held as a result.

Gambino was represented at the meeting by Frank Cali and Ciccone was represented by his acting captain Peter Piacenti (moved to this crew after Failla's death). The Sicilians refused to believe one of their people had contacted law enforcement. A lawyer then turned over a tape of the 911 call that confirmed the cafe owner really was the one who called the cops. In response the Gambino side offered to take whatever action was necessary. The Gambino member ended up being sentenced to thirty days in jail and he asked for a lump sum of $30,000, a grand per day, as compensation.

2.) Domenico Cefalu's uncle was a made member of the Gambino Family and proposed him for membership. It also says the Gambino leadership 'allowed him' to be there for the ceremony. This is not a reference to Pasquale Conte. Also mentions an FNU Mauro as a possible member, maybe the same guy?

3.) There's an old Gotti quote from the Cirelli bug, where he says something along the lines of 'You want to challenge the administration, we'll meet that challenge'. Apparently Gotti's referring to a made member of John Gambino's crew, not identified further, who was slated to be killed for making trips to Sicily without the Family's permission. This individual was apparently blamed for the big Sicilian faction drug prosecutions of the time.

felice or others with knowledge of the Sicilian groups, any idea who these guys are?

For Cefalu, I have a list of the ceremony attendees but it's limited to Admin/Captains and the inductees only. I posted it way back and it's probably still available either here or an older board. With all the attention Cefalu's gotten since being promoted to the admin, his uncle's identity might already be well known and I just haven't seen it.

Updates will be added as more turns up.

In the meantime, this thread can also be used for general questions and discussion on the Gambino Family's Sicilian crews.

[Pogo The Clown]

Great stuff JD.


I don't recall you posting up the Cefalu ceremony. If you did I can't seem to find it. Can you post it again if it is not to much trouble. Thanks.


Pogo

[bronx]

Pete was never acting for Sonny.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Pete was never acting for Sonny.

Can you provide info on who it could've been or why or how you know he was not acting?

[bronx]

pete was in jimmy brown's crew.

[felice]

Recently received a good amount of info on the Gambinos circa 1990s. Only briefly skimmed it so far, but a couple of things stood out related to the Sicilian crews:

1.) Sometime around the late 1990s, a made member of Anthony Ciccone's crew was arrested by the NYPD at a cafe on 18th Ave. This was the result of an argument with the cafe's owner, who was 'with' John Gambino's crew. The cafe owner was the one who actually called the police, and a sitdown was held as a result.

Gambino was represented at the meeting by Frank Cali and Ciccone was represented by his acting captain Peter Piacenti (moved to this crew after Failla's death). The Sicilians refused to believe one of their people had contacted law enforcement. A lawyer then turned over a tape of the 911 call that confirmed the cafe owner really was the one who called the cops. In response the Gambino side offered to take whatever action was necessary. The Gambino member ended up being sentenced to thirty days in jail and he asked for a lump sum of $30,000, a grand per day, as compensation.

2.) Domenico Cefalu's uncle was a made member of the Gambino Family and proposed him for membership. It also says the Gambino leadership 'allowed him' to be there for the ceremony. This is not a reference to Pasquale Conte. Also mentions an FNU Mauro as a possible member, maybe the same guy?

3.) There's an old Gotti quote from the Cirelli bug, where he says something along the lines of 'You want to challenge the administration, we'll meet that challenge'. Apparently Gotti's referring to a made member of John Gambino's crew, not identified further, who was slated to be killed for making trips to Sicily without the Family's permission. This individual was apparently blamed for the big Sicilian faction drug prosecutions of the time.

felice or others with knowledge of the Sicilian groups, any idea who these guys are?

For Cefalu, I have a list of the ceremony attendees but it's limited to Admin/Captains and the inductees only. I posted it way back and it's probably still available either here or an older board. With all the attention Cefalu's gotten since being promoted to the admin, his uncle's identity might already be well known and I just haven't seen it.

Updates will be added as more turns up.

In the meantime, this thread can also be used for general questions and discussion on the Gambino Family's Sicilian crews.

2) an uncle of Domenico, Riccardo Cefalu, was as the head of a sicilian network that imported heroin from sicily in the late 70s.
Cefalu was really close to Pasquale Conte so he could have been already a member. He was born in 1927 and lived in Long Island.

the only guy among the sicilian group surnamed Mauro is Filippo Mauro b.1930. Mauro was really close to Paolo La Porta who was a rising a star among the sicilians in the 80s

3) John Gambino's crew, that's all I have:
John Gambino’s decina 1990
5 members: John Gambino, Joseph Gambino and 3 others, among these three the youngest one is Filippo LNU who’s 51 (according to John Gotti)
According to Lo Cascio there was a member who just left to go to Italy (he was going to be the sixth one)
According to Gravano when Paul Castellano was alive this crew had 8 members

this Filippo quoted by Gotti couldn't be Filippo Mauro since their age doesn't match

[LcnBios]

Great info felice, I figured you would know the answer. Looks like we can add Riccardo Cefalu as a member. He's also another made guy who wasn't really punished for drug dealing.

Pogo re ceremony: Can't find the old post, but guys made included Cefalu, Cavallo, Fappiano, Corrao, others. Last Gotti ceremony, captains present included Conte and usual names from time period.

[felice]

he should be the uncle you were talking about, unless he has another one from his mother's side

I have been making researches on the Gambinos for so many years and I haven't been able to identify any made guy of their crew yet
Lorenzo Mannino was inducted later in the 90s, so Calì. Pietro Inzerillo was inducted probably in early 2000s, another made guy now is Francesco Inzerillo who's considered to be Calì's right hand man

[Lupara]

I don't suppose this small crew of 8 comprised the Gambino family's sicilian faction?

[SonnyBlackstein]

pete was in jimmy brown's crew.

Thanks bronx

[felice]

I don't suppose this small crew of 8 comprised the Gambino family's sicilian faction?

yes, that's basically the 18th ave decina, probably the former capodecina was Antonino Inzerillo until he was murdered in 1981. Another member of that decina was Pietro Inzerillo, grandfather of the current soldier Pietro Inzerillo brother in law of Calì

[Lupara]

All this talk about this powerful sicilian faction that has a leading influence while it has only 8 members? That kind of shocks me.

I always assumed the faction comprised a few dozen members or so or basically a large crew while it's technically not even a decina...

[felice]

the sicilian faction was not just that decina, they were 8 made members but dozens and dozens of associates, Pasquale Conte decina was made by sicilians as well and there were a lot of other sicilians within the family

[Lupara]

the sicilian faction was not just that decina, they were 8 made members but dozens and dozens of associates, Pasquale Conte decina was made by sicilians as well and there were a lot of other sicilians within the family

Conte was a capo too?

As for associates, I think most, in not all, crews have more associates than members. We're talking about a family of 250 members and a 1000 associates? Even with a few dozen associates the native Sicilians would be a very small fraction. Not saying that necessarily means they don't have influence (I thought they had) but I've always assumed it comprised a larger fraction of people and were a force to be reckoned with.

[SonnyBlackstein]

I think the term 'sicilian faction' is also rather loosely used.

Guys like Cali are referred to as being part of the faction but are born in the States.
I think it's rather a loose term.