Info re Colombo Induction List (2003)

[LcnBios]

Info re Colombo List (2003). If this info turns up posted elsewhere with no credit given, I'd appreciate it if someone would let me know. Can't stop it from happening but I would at least like to be aware of it.

On December 21, 2003 CW James Tartaglione met with Acting Consigliere Anthony Urso and Captain Vincent Basciano at the Seacrest Diner in Old Westbury, Long Island. Topics discussed included recent happenings in the Colombo Family. Tartaglione was informed that the Colombos had been granted authority by the other NY Families to induct new members. No inductions had been allowed for the Colombos from about late 1991 through 1999 due to the war and subsequent inability of the factions to fully reconcile.

During the meeting Urso provided a typed Colombo induction list for Tartaglione to circulate amongst his crew.

Very brief clip from recording here.

[Note: Volume might be low. Above was not taken from a documentary or any other common source. If you see this turn up anywhere else remember where it originally came from]

The list had been passed along to the other Families in the days leading up to this meeting. Others known to have received a copy were Lucchese Captain Domenico Cutaia, Genovese Captain Ciro Perrone and Gambino member Bartolomeo 'Bobby Glasses' Vernace. Perrone's copy was given to him by Ralph Scopo Jr., a member of Dino Calabro's regime. Cutaia received the list from Colombo Captain Joseph Baudanza. Urso got his copy the previous day in a meeting with the Colombos at a Mineola hospital.

After the meeting Tartaglione gave the list over to the FBI momentarily for photocopying purposes. Original returned so he could show it to his crew members as expected.

Listed are nine candidates for induction and seven deceased members being replaced. The final two spots were part of the "plus two" rule instated circa 2000, giving each Family two additional openings to offset the amount of guys out of action (prison) but not deceased and thus not replaceable through normal means. The extra names would commonly be labeled with "00".

Proposed names with descriptors:

1.) Dino Saracino - "Bensonhurst"
2.) Joseph Competiello - "Joe Cave" - "Bensonhurst"
3.) Sebastian Saracino - "Bensonhurst"
4.) Michaelangelo Souza - "Staten Island"
5.) Carmine Baudanza - "Bensonhurst"
6.) Craig Marino - "Little Craig"
7.) Frank Sturiano - "Howard Beach" [crossed out] - "Brooklyn"
8.) Mike Catapano
9.) Vincent Manzo - "Brooklyn"

The Saracinos, Competiello and Souza were sponsored by Dino Calabro. Baudanza and Marino sponsored by Joseph Baudanza. Catapano sponsored by John Franzese. Manzo sponsored by Thomas Gioeli.

The deceased members, labeled with letter 'D' and year of death:

1.) John Scameni - 1996
2.) Tutti Francese - 1995
3.) Patty DiMatteo - 1999
4.) Patty Catalano - [No Year]
5.) Tutti Lambadino - 1995
6.) Sally Fusco - 2000
7.) Louis Malpeso - 1999

The rule is that if no objections are received within two weeks, the inductions can be carried out at the Family's discretion.

Competiello, Marino and the Saracinos were made not long after the names were cleared. Catapano might have been made with this group, one source remembers him being present, a second has him being made later. Another conflict of info: Souza's described as being made with Frankie Bep/BF (Sturiano), but Souza himself reported the other inductee's name as Joe B. He had never met the guy and initially couldn't remember a name at all, so possibly a mistaken ID on his part.

The deceased section shows how inaccurate even the membership itself can be with dates and names:

1.) John Scameni = John Scimone. Usually known as Johnny Scimini or Johnny Green. Inducted 1950s. Sponsored one or both of the Gallo brothers for membership circa 1956. Common year of death for him is 2002, not 1996, but there is a Giovanni Scimone shown as buried in New York that year.

2.) Tutti Francese = Carmine Franzese. Nephew to Sonny Franzese. Part of first wave of inductions after the books opened early 1976. Died 1990, not 1995.

3.) Patty DiMatteo = Pasquale 'Fat Patty' DiMatteo. Brother to Captain Luca and Associate Ralph. Pasquale inducted late 1990 and close with the Gravesend based membership. Died 1999.

4.) Patty Catalano = Pasquale Catalano. Captain over what was formerly Aloi crew territory in areas of Brooklyn-Queens typically associated with the Bonannos. Died 1999.

5.) Tutti Lambardino = The inclusion of this name, more particularly the nickname, is notable. Salvatore 'Turi' or 'Tutti' Lombardino was still alive at the time, and his death was fairly recent (2015). Either there was a formerly unknown Tutti Lombardino or the Brooklyn Colombos who put the list together, being less familiar with NJ, had the name Lombardino and assumed it was Salvatore. Much more likely the entry refers to Salvatore's brother Rosario (1925-1988) or to Paul Lombardino (1904-1998). Paul would be my guess due to the proximity of his DOD to the majority of those listed. The Lombardinos were from Gibellina comune of Trapani and had deep historical ties to the Colombos and possibly with the old Newark Family.

6.) Sally Fusco = Salvatore Fusco, son of former Captain Frank Fusco and older brother of Richard Fusco. Inducted with Carmine Franzese early 1976. Serving as Family's Acting Boss circa Spring 2000 when Ralph Deleo was made. Died same year.

7.) Louis 'Bobo' Malpeso. Came up under Brancato-Amato crew member Rosario 'Black Sam' Nastasa. Like Pasquale DiMatteo was made late 1990. Despite a given DOD of 1999, BOP indicates he died only a few months prior to this in August 2003.

[Cheech]

Thanks Jd. Always appreciate reading your posts.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Great post JD. The audio recording in particular was fascinating.

[Pogo The Clown]

Great stuff JD. Good to see yo back. So Sally Fusco was the Acting Boss in 2000 and not just a member of a ruling panel? Thanks.


Pogo

[LcnBios]

I've seen him listed as both. Source 1 was formally introduced to Fusco, who was described as the Acting Boss. Source 2 said Fusco was running the Family as part of a ruling panel, but had never actually met Fusco as a made member.

Re Falzone (DeCav) no idea, in-law to Farina that's about it. Probably made in the 1990s but there is almost no information on specific DeCav ceremonies post-1989.

[Snakes]

Thanks, JD. Glad to have you back. It's the damn Facebook groups that pilfer most of the content and pics from here.

[Wiseguy]

The final two spots were part of the "plus two" rule instated circa 2000, giving each Family two additional openings to offset the amount of guys out of action (prison) but not deceased and thus not replaceable through normal means. The extra names would commonly be labeled with "00".

That's really interesting.

[Hailbritain]

This is awesome JD , much appreciated

[stevan tod]

Jesus christ,iam glad you back,man! Thanks for this.its amazing.

[sdeitche]

"I wanna aks you a question" Love that.

Great post. Excellent information.

[rolotomasi]

Good info JD !!. I´m glad you back again.

[Eld]

Great post.

Here is a recent picture of Joe Baudanza.

download/file.php?id=2820&mode=view

[LcnBios]

Another thing on induction ceremonies. Valachi mentioned the use of a finger game as a way to determine who the new member would be with. This method was used again over fifty years later in the Colombo Family when Carmine Sessa was made (March 1987). That's how he ended up as a member of Vic Orena's crew despite being a Scarpa guy since at least the early 1970s.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Great post.

Here is a recent picture of Joe Baudanza.

download/file.php?id=2820&mode=view

Great pic, appreciated.

[B.]

Thanks for clarifying about Lombardino. I had just found his obituary from 2015 not that long ago so the list confused me. Makes more sense if it was Paul Lombardino who I would guess few active NYC members knew much about.

Maybe it's because I know he was recording the conversation, but Tartaglione's voice sounds like a guy who knows he was talking on a recording. Adding audio on here is next level.