Interesting 60's Pittsburgh / Cleveland MF FBI File tidbits:

[Angelo Santino]

Thanks to Doobeez for posting this:

NOTE: This information was provided by informants who- to my knowledge- either weren't made members or weren't forthcoming with the internal structure. Not all information is accurate.

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=1944

1: The Pittsburgh LCN members refer to each other as kissing cousins and are divided among four families: La Rocca, Mannarino, Amato and Ripepi.

2: Ripepi was a former boss. (I've seen this mentioned elsewhere)
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 7&tab=page

3: Informant claims Pittsburgh is not part of the national network.

4: Informant claims Cleveland LCN sent a Hymlie Martin to operate the numbers rackets, that failed and so CL asked Frank Amato to take charge of the group. (Flawed obviously, however there was an earlier leader murdered shortly after coming from Cleveland in the 20's so there could be something to Amato having backing from Cleveland.)
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 9&tab=page

5: Hierarchy as follows:
Bosses: Seb. John LaRocca and Frank Amato
Lieuts: Sica, Rosa, Volpe, Genovese
Members: Zied, Valenti, Fontana, Genovese, Miano,
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 0&tab=page

6: Charles Cavallaro was originally part of Pittsburgh but "probably" later became a member of CL "for the purposes of straightening out problems in the Youngstown area. (This is hard to make sense of).
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 1&tab=page

7: One of the Four Families Mannerino consists of:
Head: Gabrial "Kelly" Mannarino
Right Hand Man: Sonny Ciancutti
Members: Sam Mannarino
Andrew Mangini
John Fontana
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 3&tab=page

8: Informant PG-T-7 claims Valenti attended Appalachin meeting merely as a representative of Ripepi and that Scalish of CL represented Milano.

9: One of the Four Families Ripepi consists of:
Head: Tony Ripepi
Right Hand Man: John Bazzano
Members: George Adragna
Vito Adragna (currently residing in San Jose)
Frank Valenti

10: Dominic Anzalone was once head of the family.
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 4&tab=page

11: One of the Four Families Amato consists of:
Head: Frank Amato
Right Hand Man: Joe Sica
Members: Frank D. Amato
Louis Volpe
Joseph Volpe
Joe Rosa

12: Nick Gentile headed the Pittsburgh Family from 1915 to 1925 but informants have no info relative. A bit off.
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 5&tab=page

13: One of the Four Families La Rocca consists of:
Head: John La Rocca
Right Hand:
Members: Michael Genovese
Joseph Pecora
Archie Nelson
Felix Genovese (not a member)
Fiore Genovese (not a member)
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 6&tab=page

14: Frank Brancato of Cleveland had a nephew that was "given" by "the Outfit" to Weirton, WV but currently Weirton "is down." Weirton is the next town over from Steubenville.
http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html ... 3&tab=page

[FriendofHenry]

Chris - Maybe you should include Gab Mannarino as one of John's "Right Hand" men?

[Angelo Santino]

Chris - Maybe you should include Gab Mannarino as one of John's "Right Hand" men?

It's not what was listed in the file. Notice they stated Mannarino headed a separate family.

[Frank]

So basically what I get from this is the setup in Pittsburgh was like NY. Only Pittsburgh had four families, but it's looks like one of the family heads was a boss of all bosses.

[FriendofHenry]

I'm firmly convinced that during the LaRocca era there was only one family - The LaRocca Family".

[Angelo Santino]

So basically what I get from this is the setup in Pittsburgh was like NY. Only Pittsburgh had four families, but it's looks like one of the family heads was a boss of all bosses.

Yes, but from one informant's perspective who was certainly off when it came to the internal structure.

I'm firmly convinced that during the LaRocca era there was only one family - The LaRocca Family".

You're right and no one would know any better than you on here apart from JCB. But again, I'm not suggesting an argument, only highlighting some auspicious statements made from local informants. Obviously Tony Ripepi was never the official LCN Boss of Pittsburgh, but there's an element of truth in how the informant described how high up Ripepi was at some point.

As for this Four Families thing, obviously that's misstated, they were talking about crews or perhaps the four main conglomerates of blood relatives making up the local mob family. What's interesting to me though is notice in Amato's "Family" the informant listed Bazzano and the Volpe brothers as well as another East End guy. Bazzano Sr was murdered for having earlier Volpe brothers murders but by 1960's they appeared to have settled things if informants are placing them in their own faction together. In fact I'm kinda surprised the Volpes weren't listed as their own Family by the informant.

That's kinda where I'm going with this.

[Frank]

It doesn't seem like the informant knows a crew or decina from a Family. The information doesn't fit the time period for being from the early formation of the family. Maybe the information is from an associate of some sort with limited knowledge of the Family.

[FriendofHenry]

So basically what I get from this is the setup in Pittsburgh was like NY. Only Pittsburgh had four families, but it's looks like one of the family heads was a boss of all bosses.

Yes, but from one informant's perspective who was certainly off when it came to the internal structure.

I'm firmly convinced that during the LaRocca era there was only one family - The LaRocca Family".

You're right and no one would know any better than you on here apart from JCB. But again, I'm not suggesting an argument, only highlighting some auspicious statements made from local informants. Obviously Tony Ripepi was never the official LCN Boss of Pittsburgh, but there's an element of truth in how the informant described how high up Ripepi was at some point.

As for this Four Families thing, obviously that's misstated, they were talking about crews or perhaps the four main conglomerates of blood relatives making up the local mob family. What's interesting to me though is notice in Amato's "Family" the informant listed Bazzano and the Volpe brothers as well as another East End guy. Bazzano Sr was murdered for having earlier Volpe brothers murders but by 1960's they appeared to have settled things if informants are placing them in their own faction together. In fact I'm kinda surprised the Volpes weren't listed as their own Family by the informant.

That's kinda where I'm going with this.

Believe me I not the end all be all for the Pittsburgh LCN. However between the 60's thru the 90s I spent a reasonable amount of time with most of them and at least shook hands with almost all of them. I only know what I know from experience. JCB is a true historian, not me.

[Angelo Santino]

So basically what I get from this is the setup in Pittsburgh was like NY. Only Pittsburgh had four families, but it's looks like one of the family heads was a boss of all bosses.

Yes, but from one informant's perspective who was certainly off when it came to the internal structure.

I'm firmly convinced that during the LaRocca era there was only one family - The LaRocca Family".

You're right and no one would know any better than you on here apart from JCB. But again, I'm not suggesting an argument, only highlighting some auspicious statements made from local informants. Obviously Tony Ripepi was never the official LCN Boss of Pittsburgh, but there's an element of truth in how the informant described how high up Ripepi was at some point.

As for this Four Families thing, obviously that's misstated, they were talking about crews or perhaps the four main conglomerates of blood relatives making up the local mob family. What's interesting to me though is notice in Amato's "Family" the informant listed Bazzano and the Volpe brothers as well as another East End guy. Bazzano Sr was murdered for having earlier Volpe brothers murders but by 1960's they appeared to have settled things if informants are placing them in their own faction together. In fact I'm kinda surprised the Volpes weren't listed as their own Family by the informant.

That's kinda where I'm going with this.

Believe me I not the end all be all for the Pittsburgh LCN. However between the 60's thru the 90s I spent a reasonable amount of time with most of them and at least shook hands with almost all of them. I only know what I know from experience. JCB is a true historian, not me.

Well you know enough to go through those excerpts and have more familiarity with the names from CL and PT than most people, including myself. If you have any disagreements or anything you want to add or clarify it'll be interesting coming from yours and JCB's perspective.

[FriendofHenry]

Excuse my ignorance, but I don't see either a Pittsburgh chart nor a Cleveland Chart. BTW: I'm not a Cleveland guy.

[Angelo Santino]

Excuse my ignorance, but I don't see either a Pittsburgh chart nor a Cleveland Chart. BTW: I'm not a Cleveland guy.

You're not supposed to see a chart, where did I post about a chart? Stroccos and I are in the final process of two 1960's charts and are gearing up for 1985.

I didn't say you were from Cleveland.

[FriendofHenry]

Why cop an attitude? You're always referring to a chart so I clicked on the one you have on your posts.
I never said you said I was from Cleveland. I was just bowing out of whatever Cleveland chart you come up with.
In fact, best you do whatever Wikipedia or JCB is willing to share with you about Pittsburgh.

[Angelo Santino]

Why cop an attitude? You're always referring to a chart so I clicked on the one you have on your posts.
I never said you said I was from Cleveland. I was just bowing out of whatever Cleveland chart you come up with.
In fact, best you do whatever Wikipedia or JCB is willing to share with you about Pittsburgh.

I'm sorry, I'm not copping an attitude. I'm on my iphone so that's why I sound a bit short but it's not intentional. I didn't know what you were referring to, my links to charts is an external link listed in every post, nothing to do with the current thread, so excuse my confusion. In regards to Cleveland, got that covered. In regards to Pittsburgh I'd like to do several, haven't gotten around to it yet and JCB has been busy, chart's impossible without him.

Take care, buddy.

[FriendofHenry]

Thank you. I appreciate your explanation. I'll be glad to help if I can.

[johnny_scootch]

Maybe the information is from an associate of some sort with limited knowledge of the Family.

It's an absolute guarantee.