Some DeCavalcante Family Info (1980s-1990s)

[Pogo The Clown]

Thanks for the info B.


Pogo

[Angelo Santino]

I'm starting to find the DeCavs to be very interesting.

When you look at the early mafia (source: Mafia brotherhoods by Letizia Paoli- great book) and compare it to the DeCav's in terms of small numbers and the fact that Underbosses would co-act as acting bosses leads me to wonder- more info needed of course- if this is an example of a non-NY-ized Sicilian Mafia Family, comparably similar to Detroit but with more direct links to Sicily.

I'm busy again with life but I do want to make some charts. It can be a work in progress, if two guys are debated to be something when and where, we can show that with maybe a sentence or two explanation. What kinds of charts can we make to raise more questions and present certain things?

I can start with a lineage, Pogo presented the most accurate version, but the earlier stuff is shrouded, what are your thoughts on the pre 1950's if I were to do a lineage? We can put the disagreements next to eachother, if soandso is ID'd by T10-81 as underboss while T09-23 says someone else is under, let's just present them both and source them.

[Angelo Santino]

And this makes me ask another question: who where the Riberesi with in NYC prior to the 20's? It would had to have been the Gambinos or Genoveses, who have they been most connected to throughout these past 100 years in NYC?

[B.]

And this makes me ask another question: who where the Riberesi with in NYC prior to the 20's? It would had to have been the Gambinos or Genoveses, who have they been most connected to throughout these past 100 years in NYC?

Nick Delmore was very close to Vito Genovese, but the window of time when Delmore and Genovese were both bosses is very short. I haven't found much about Phil Amari's connections to other families, as the only name that's not blacked out on his FBN file is Frank Majuri. We know that Amari maintained ties to Phil Bacino through the 1950's as well as Ribera, just not much on his relationship to NYC.

Other than that, the family was closely connected to the Gambinos from the time DeCavalcante became boss through Riggi's active leadership. DeCavalcante was Carlo Gambino's lapdog similarly to the way that Joe Colombo was. I don't know of any contact between Castellano and the DeCavs, but when Gotti took over he put a tight squeeze on John Riggi. You may be onto something here and it could be similar to the way that Philly is connected to the Gambinos... i.e. Angelo Bruno didn't randomly decide to start kissing Carlo Gambino's ass like some people thought, but was actually extending a relationship between the families that went back to the beginning of the 20th century if not farther. Sam DeCavalcante could have been doing the same.

I don't now that the Riberesi numbers were large enough pre-1920's to be much of a faction in another family, maybe more like a few low-key guys on the fringes. This is where the Birmingham and Illinois groups could come into play more as well. It would be extremely difficult to nail down anything pre-1955 for them, but if anyone can do it, it's you. If we could find out more about the alleged Corleone members aside from the Majuris, maybe we could also find a connection to the Morello family or something.

Your "non-NY-ized Sicilian Mafia Family" line is a great way of describing exactly how I see them (or at least how they were up until the 1980's). The DeCavalcante and Ribera families both recognize each others' members and have maintained close links despite "Americanization" and other factors. This is just one of the reasons why I think we have to consider geography less when talking about them. They may have even been an actual cell of the Ribera family at one point in the same way that the Sicilian mafia has cells in other countries that may or may not have become their own families. The way they developed could have been completely different from most of the other US mob groups.

[Angelo Santino]

And this makes me ask another question: who where the Riberesi with in NYC prior to the 20's? It would had to have been the Gambinos or Genoveses, who have they been most connected to throughout these past 100 years in NYC?

Nick Delmore was very close to Vito Genovese, but the window of time when Delmore and Genovese were both bosses is very short. I haven't found much about Phil Amari's connections to other families, as the only name that's not blacked out on his FBN file is Frank Majuri. We know that Amari maintained ties to Phil Bacino through the 1950's as well as Ribera, just not much on his relationship to NYC.

Other than that, the family was closely connected to the Gambinos from the time DeCavalcante became boss through Riggi's active leadership. DeCavalcante was Carlo Gambino's lapdog similarly to the way that Joe Colombo was. I don't know of any contact between Castellano and the DeCavs, but when Gotti took over he put a tight squeeze on John Riggi. You may be onto something here and it could be similar to the way that Philly is connected to the Gambinos... i.e. Angelo Bruno didn't randomly decide to start kissing Carlo Gambino's ass like some people thought, but was actually extending a relationship between the families that went back to the beginning of the 20th century if not farther. Sam DeCavalcante could have been doing the same.

I don't now that the Riberesi numbers were large enough pre-1920's to be much of a faction in another family, maybe more like a few low-key guys on the fringes. This is where the Birmingham and Illinois groups could come into play more as well. It would be extremely difficult to nail down anything pre-1955 for them, but if anyone can do it, it's you. If we could find out more about the alleged Corleone members aside from the Majuris, maybe we could also find a connection to the Morello family or something.

Your "non-NY-ized Sicilian Mafia Family" line is a great way of describing exactly how I see them (or at least how they were up until the 1980's). The DeCavalcante and Ribera families both recognize each others' members and have maintained close links despite "Americanization" and other factors. This is just one of the reasons why I think we have to consider geography less when talking about them. They may have even been an actual cell of the Ribera family at one point in the same way that the Sicilian mafia has cells in other countries that may or may not have become their own families. The way they developed could have been completely different from most of the other US mob groups.

I want to put all this info, in some way, into some visual charts. You, Pogo, JD will receive all the credit, but for the lineage chart of admins, do you have any discrepancies with Pogo's charts? Pogo's info is solid from the FBI, it belongs on there. But if you feel an alternative lineage is there, posting both with a sentence or two explaining it, I'll put it on there.
If you seen a chart in the past or one online you can point me to, like the "Gotti movie intro" or whatever else, point me to an example and say "make like that." Help me with the info and photos, and I'll make whatever you want. This would be your baby, "Nonbritish B's DeCav Spread!"

[B.]

John Riggi Jr. was the son-in-law of Louis LaRasso. I'm wondering if that was one reason he stayed alive for as long as he did.

[toto]

Today while searching for something else I found the following. It's from a publication called Rahway News Record and dated Thursday March 24 1983. Looks to me to be John Riggi's dad. I guess most of you guys will already know this but it was new information for me and maybe somebody here will find it useful.

--------------------------------------

Raymond Riggi,79,ex-union delegate

Emanuel Riggi, 79, of Clark died Saturday, March 12, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Elizabeth after a brief illness.

Born in Ribera, Italy he was brought to Elizabeth when he was 18 months old. He had lived in Elizabeth for 30 years, 17 years in Linden and five years in Edison before coming to Clark.

He had also been a member of the International Laborers Local No. 394 of Elizabeth for 48 years until his retirement in 1970, and had been its delegate-business manager for 10 years until 1957.

Mr. Riggi had been a communicant of St. Anthony's R. C. Church of Elizabeth.

He had been a member of Linden Lodge No. 1960 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Ribera Club of Elizabeth.

Mr. Riggi had also been a former president of the St. Joseph's Orphanage Committee.

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Frances Nufrio Riggi, three daughters, Mrs. Phyllis Colicchio and Mrs. Mildred Lore, both of Linden, and Mrs. Lucille Colicchio of Rahway; a son, John of Linden; a sister, Mrs. Jennie Urso of Elizabeth; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

[B.]

Yeah, Manny Riggi the elder was a longtime soldier in the family. I've read he was influential in setting up local 394 but not sure the facts on that, only that he was heavily involved with the union and got John involved. He was a low-key guy and would barely be a footnote if his son hadn't become so well-known. He wasn't much of a "zip" given that he came here as a baby... would be curious if his father Giovanni, John's grandfather and namesake, had been an early member.

[cavita]

Sounds like our speculation is approaching a possible working solution.

On age 232 of the Hearings Valachi affirmed that Sam Monica (sic) was the underboss and that Don Steve was the boss, and this was at the time of Maranzano's death. That means Badami couldn't have been deposed while Masseria was still around or while Maranzano was Boss of Bosses. The other problem with Troia is that at that time he was in Rockford or Springfield and part of one of those groups. He was in the local newspapers all the time. That makes it clear that he came to Newark when D'Amico was the boss.

On Bill Bonanno's story -- which he got from his father -- I think there's a lot of confusion. I think it's more likely that Badami was unhappy that Luciano made a deal with Joe Bonanno. The death of Monica and Russo and the deposing of Badami may have been connected with the death of Maranzano, that's what Valachi thought, but it could also be some revenge slayings from Luciano/Genovese just like they killed their former consigliere, Saverio Pollaccia. Maybe Luciano/Genovese thought that Badami was going to interfere in the peace process. I could see Luciano telling him that he was going to kill Maranzano then reaching out to the other leaders for peace and Badami saying that with Maranzano out of the way, he would wipe out Maranzano's former borgata. Since Joe Profaci sold himself as a neutral party during the C-War, Badami was replaced a paisan of his from Villabate. Again, speculative, but we have a few facts that we can use as a frame for our theories. I'm just throwing this out there, but it does seem to fit with what we know.

So Troia was in Illinois when he may have been considered for the chairman spot? I remember when this came up before I thought it was significant that both the Newark and Elizabeth families had their own Illinois connections, but there doesn't seem to be much if any crossover, just relationships to their respective paesans.

I have tried to follow Troia's path after he landed in America with some success. I can't pinpoint when he came exactly but it was alleged that he arrived illegally in monk's clothing from San Giuseppe Iato, Sicily. By the mid 1920s he was in Madison, Wisconsin and aligned with the Italian powers in the "Bush" section of that city. By 1927 he was in Rockford, Illinois and was said to be a lieutenant under boss Tony Musso. After a gangland slaying there in 1930 he left for Springfield, Illinois but made periodic returns where he was arrested in Rockford in May 1934 with Frank Longo of Springfield and Phil Picciurro of Beloit, Wisconsin. In September 1934 he was arrested for a kidnapping in Peoria, Illinois with Patsy Aiello, Vito Impastato, and Tony Campo, all Springfield powerhouses. Soon after this he made his way to Newark, New Jersey where he was murdered along with his son Joe Troia and bodyguard Frank Longo in August 1935.

[B.]

Thanks for that info. So he was in New Jersey for less than a year before he was killed?

[HairyKnuckles]

Are you guys sure the Newark Vincenzo Troia and the Madison Vincenzo Troia are one and the same? I´ve been under the impression they were two different guys.

Madison Vincenzo Troia:

Name: Vincent Troia
Event: Death
Event Date: 31 Jan 1973
Event Place: Madi-, Wisconsin
Residence: Wisconsin
Gender: Male
Age: 76
Certificate Number: 000524

This Vincent Troia was listed as a member of the Madison Family by the FBI. Most likely same guy as the one who died in 1973.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... 8&tab=page

[B.]

I've got no idea. didn't even know there was another Vincenzo Troia.

[cavita]

I've got no idea. didn't even know there was another Vincenzo Troia.

The one I mentioned was once tapped to take over Maranzano's spot. There was another in Madsion as well... Probably a cousin

[B.]

I've got no idea. didn't even know there was another Vincenzo Troia.

The one I mentioned was once tapped to take over Maranzano's spot. There was another in Madsion as well... Probably a cousin

Yeah, the one I'm familiar with is the first one who was in Rockford and later killed in New Jersey.

I am curious about him mainly because of the connections between both of the New Jersey families and Illinois. Seems like it's a coincidence as both families had their own paesans in each place, but there could have been connections.

[cavita]

I think a lot of these early members hooked up with different families when they moved. Troia seemed to be a powerhouse on the East Coast and then all of a sudden he hooks up with the small Madison family. Then serves a few years in Rockford before moving to Springfield and then on to Newark. Must be something like a floating membership or something.