Was there ever a mafia in Alabama?

[Geekgang666]

Just curious have there ever been a mafia in Alabama? Bill Bonanno’s revelation, in his book The Last Testament, that there had been a Cosa Nostra Family in Birmingham, AL He states that in the mid 1930’s the Family asked the Commission for permission to disband. The reason given was that surviving members were too old, and by 1938 the last one had died. The Commission gave Tommaso Gagliano, head of the future Lucchese Family, the task of dealing with any remaining business. With very little information on members, it is impossible to know when the Family was founded. We have only the suspicion of a connection with Ribera, a town in Agrigento Province. As Ribera was the birthplace of several early members of the Elizabeth NJ. Family, there may have been a connection between the two groups. So what's y'all think.

[Angelo Santino]

Just curious have there ever been a mafia in Alabama? Bill Bonanno’s revelation, in his book The Last Testament, that there had been a Cosa Nostra Family in Birmingham, AL He states that in the mid 1930’s the Family asked the Commission for permission to disband. The reason given was that surviving members were too old, and by 1938 the last one had died. The Commission gave Tommaso Gagliano, head of the future Lucchese Family, the task of dealing with any remaining business. With very little information on members, it is impossible to know when the Family was founded. We have only the suspicion of a connection with Ribera, a town in Agrigento Province. As Ribera was the birthplace of several early members of the Elizabeth NJ. Family, there may have been a connection between the two groups. So what's y'all think.

Antiliar and myself found names of people from Ribera with mafiosi surnames (Caternicchio or something among others) living in Birmingham but cannot ID them as mafiosi without further info.

[Geekgang666]

What kind of information do i need to find in order to ID them as Mafiosi?

[furiofromnaples]

http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.it/

Birmingham, Alabama.
Bill Bonanno’s revelation, in his book The Last Testament, that there had been a Cosa Nostra Family in Birmingham, came as a shock to most researchers. He states that in the mid 1930’s the Family asked the Commission for permission to disband. The reason given was that surviving members were too old, and by 1938 the last one had died. The Commission gave Tommaso Gagliano, head of the future Lucchese Family, the task of dealing with any remaining business.
With very little information on members, it is impossible to know when the Family was founded. We have only the suspicion of a connection with Ribera, a town in Agrigento Province. As Ribera was the birthplace of several early members of the Elizabeth NJ. Family, there may have been a connection between the two groups.

[Angelo Santino]

What kind of information do i need to find in order to ID them as Mafiosi?

1) An informant
2) A wiretap
We have neither so

3) newspaper reporting so and so as part of a gang, mafia, criminal society etc.
Which may exist in some Birmingham newspaper archives.

4) newspaper reports connecting an individual to criminal activity.
Last resort which doesn't prove anything other than that Italians committed crime in Birmingham. And baring in mind that A) Sicilians came from a lynch culture and B) we're in the south there's things which could look like mafia activity but is actually something like the padrone system at work.

Without 1-4 we can go no further.

[Kash]

It’s not that crazy if you think about it. Nola is the oldest family in the US and that’s not that far. I’m sure at Nola’s peak they had reach across the Gulf Coast to Bama. Biloxi is less than an hour and Mobile is less than 2.

[Angelo Santino]

It’s not that crazy if you think about it. Nola is the oldest family in the US and that’s not that far. I’m sure at Nola’s peak they had reach across the Gulf Coast to Bama. Biloxi is less than an hour and Mobile is less than 2.

Nola had ties by 1880 to San Francisco, St Louis, Philadelphia and New York City. We don't know the set up the American Mafia nationally at this point (boss of bosses? general assembly?) but yes, power flowed from New Orleans until 1890'ish when it became New York City. We really don't know much about NOLA pre 1890, size, scope, any of that stuff. Like New York they were involved in the citrus trade and their links to Buenos Aires are only hinted at. Deserves more research.

Antiliar is probably the best expert on NOLA whom I've ever met.

[Stroccos]

interesting that alabama may of had a borgata this artilce has nothig do do with the mob but it was interesting to me at least

http://blog.al.com/live/2013/06/boardwa ... south.html

[Kash]

It’s not that crazy if you think about it. Nola is the oldest family in the US and that’s not that far. I’m sure at Nola’s peak they had reach across the Gulf Coast to Bama. Biloxi is less than an hour and Mobile is less than 2.

Nola had ties by 1880 to San Francisco, St Louis, Philadelphia and New York City. We don't know the set up the American Mafia nationally at this point (boss of bosses? general assembly?) but yes, power flowed from New Orleans until 1890'ish when it became New York City. We really don't know much about NOLA pre 1890, size, scope, any of that stuff. Like New York they were involved in the citrus trade and their links to Buenos Aires are only hinted at. Deserves more research.

Antiliar is probably the best expert on NOLA whom I've ever met.

Oh no doubt but I meant close areas not really known for LCN history like MS and Bama. I remember reading about the Dixie mafia in Biloxi (I know not related) where there was strip clubs, bars, and gambling. I’m sure some Nola guys had stuff going on there in the early 1900s well in to the Marcello reign.

[BillyBrizzi]

Stefano Vaccara who wrote a book about Carlos Marcello, said that his territory wasn't just New Orleans or Louisiana even for that matter, but that his territory stretched as far West as Texas to as far East as Mississippi and Alabama..

[Geekgang666]

Interested that for your help guys

[Angelo Santino]

Interested that for your help guys

If you're interested in older, southern Families. Try St. Louis. There's been some books written about the 1920's but I believe could extend back to the 1870's, it was a secondary city where Italians leaving New Orleans went to along with Texas and the west. You'll find familial connections to Detroit and Cleveland with similar surnames.

And given how mafia politics have been shown to work, having relatives/contacts in different cities looks good on paper promotion wise.

I was thinking about this earlier, I'd really, really like to delve into Australia. In my opinion it is an equal competitor to the American Mafia as so far as it being interesting. The characters down under have been over the last 100 years just as colorful. If I ever (hopefully) find myself living in New Zealand or Aussie, I'd devote my entire 'research' to it and all but abandon American history most likely.

[bronx]

where was joe n. gallo born?

[Wiseguy]

Does Nick Saban and the University of Alabama count?

[Kash]

Does Nick Saban and the University of Alabama count?

The Nicky Scarfo of the SEC