Larry Dentico- Year of Making Ceremony?

[Clark]

Hey guys,

Just had a quick question that you might be able to help me out with. The thread on old-time members got me thinking; does anyone know the exact date that Larry Dentico was made?

It is an interesting issue because Harold Konigsberg (whom he was close to in the late 1950s and early 1960s) identifies him as a member when he provided information to the FBI in the mid-1960s. In the FBI file Konisberg identifies Dentico as a "button man", and states that Phil Lombardo initially had an issue with him being made as Dentico was originally from his area and he had not heard of him. I assume Konigsberg would know, but the timeline doesn't seem to fully add up.

Dentico was originally a Manhattan guy before moving to Jersey City in the 1960s. His arrest record prior to 1955 had half a dozen charges for drug related arrests. I have FBI reports that confirm that he started hanging around The Jets Gang (which George Barone etc. were members of) around 1954 or 1955. His connection to the Genovese came from fellow gang member Joseph "Georgie Blue Eyes" Martinelli. Martinelli was from Jersey City and was close with Bobby Manna. He was also friends with Chin Gigante.

In April 1956, Dentico was arrested as a material witness in regards to a bank robbery. He was not released until 1957 (the year the books closed). The Jets Gang dissolved in 1958 and Dentico became closer with Manna and the Greenwich Village crew. We know from Konigsberg's information that Dentico started doing a lot of "work" from 1958-1961. Konigsberg was in jail after that, so he wouldn't know what else occurred past those dates.

Given that Dentico wasn't really around the Genovese until the later end of the mid-1950s, and was in jail for a year during this period, it is either possible that he wasn't made before the books were closed or was made very quickly. Does any other information on the date that he may have been made?

Dentico is an interesting character. He lived through a lot of big events and many of the people around him were killed. He is one that I am monitoring for an obituary as I would love to see his unredacted FBI file (...sorry Larry, it is true).

[SonnyBlackstein]

Good post. Interesting figure. I'd appreciate any further info anyone can contribute to LD as well.

Do we also have any infor regards Joseph Martinelli?

Cheers

[Clark]

Martinelli was born 1914. In some files that I have, he is described as a "master burglar". I have his record and most of the arrests are for robberies, thefts etc. He served a lot of time in various institutions. The last that I found of him was in the late 1960s where he was, again, arrested for a theft-related crime.

He was originally from Greenwich (which is where I assume he became close with Chin and company). In the early 1950s he was operating in Jersey City, which would be the Manna link. He served time in Atlanta in the early 1950s and met members of the Jets Gang there. He and Dentico started working with them when he got out of prison.

Martinelli was very close with Dentico in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and he even lived at his house while Dentico was in jail. The nucleus of Dentico's group after The Jets was Martinelli, Thomas Principe, Salvatore Briguglio, Harold Konigsberg and Armand Faugno. By the early 1960s, Dentico, Martinelli and Principe were more associated with Bobby Manna, whereas Briguglio, Konigsberg and Faugno were working for Anthony Provenzano.

To be honest, Martinelli reads like a knock-around guy. I haven't read anywhere about him being made but given the crimes he committed and who he was friends with, it is definitely possible.

[furiofromnaples]

In a making ceremonies list posted in this forum, Dentico was listed as candidate to be made in the 1954-1957 ceremonies.

[Cheech]

In a making ceremonies list posted in this forum, Dentico was listed as candidate to be made in the 1954-1957 ceremonies.

The thread on old-time members got me thinking; does anyone know the exact date that Larry Dentico was made?

[furiofromnaples]

In a making ceremonies list posted in this forum, Dentico was listed as candidate to be made in the 1954-1957 ceremonies.

The thread on old-time members got me thinking; does anyone know the exact date that Larry Dentico was made?

Cheech. Idiot. Read the post,there aren't the exact date of dentico's induction ceremony.

[furiofromnaples]

In a making ceremonies list posted in this forum, Dentico was listed as candidate to be made in the 1954-1957 ceremonies.

The thread on old-time members got me thinking; does anyone know the exact date that Larry Dentico was made?

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=144&p=570&hilit=La ... ntico#p570

Cheech. Idiot. Read the post,there aren't the exact date of dentico's induction ceremony.

[Cheech]

He seen the thread already dumbo. Hence "the thread on old timers got me thinking"

[SonnyBlackstein]

Great stuff Clark.
Appreciated.

[Snakes]

Good thread, thanks Clark. Let's try and keep it on track, though

[Raven]

Cool post Clark. I, too have a high interest in trying to figure out when or if guys were "made".

[B.]

He shows up as a made member of the Strollo/Eboli crew in various MF files (sometimes I'd as "Larry Rosa"), but you raised some good questions. It seems possible he was made quickly after getting out of prison in 1957, especially if he had done time with any connected guys. The 1950s seems to be the least discriminate period for inductions for all of the families, not just the Gambinos. You have to figure Valachi sponsored 4 guys (Siano, Mauro, and the Paganos) into that same decina during the same period.

Has anyone ever seen anything indicating that Mauro "Morris" Manna was a member? He was associated with Strollo and is the reason his son ended up with that crew, but I've never seen him identified as a member. You'd think he would have been inducted since Bobby was made so young with that crew but you never know.

[Clark]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses! I did some more reading, and I do believe that Dentico was made before the books closed. You are totally right B., I assume things were a little different back then. At the time he would have been made, he would have only known many of the Genovese for less than two years. After being made, he continues to work with a multi-ethnic gang and wasn't even the leader. Like you said, I think times were just different. After the books reopened, you hear about guys being an associate for decades.

On another note, when I was re-reading things I did notice Joseph Martinelli is also identified as a member prior to the books being closed. I am sure their early partnership (and Martinelli's relationship with some of the more senior Genovese) certainly helped.

B., I have a couple of documents that don't specifically say that Manna was a member but do imply that he was. I think he is left off a lot of lists because he died in the early 1950s, which pre-dates many of the cooperators. Manna was extremely powerful in Jersey City and had a number of people in his crew were later identified as made (pre-books being closed).

Bobby Manna is another one with an interesting back story. Based on his history of arrests, he seems to have been his father's right-hand-man dating back to his late teens. He was involved in a lot of the Jersey City waterfront violence from 1950-1953, and then he essentially took over his father's rackets after that. Older men were taking orders from him when he was only in his twenties. He lived through so many years working with the upper echelon of the Genovese— the stories that he would be able to tell.

[sdeitche]

I don't get into Dentico and older Jersey City stuff apart from Newsboy Moriarty in my book (really concentrate on Bayonne Joe). I find this thread really interesting. So many Jersey guys, so little time!

[SonnyBlackstein]

Relatively little has ever come out of the Jersey Westside.
Almost zero rats that I can recall.
Tight ship.