"Zuvito" (Gravano)

[B.]

I'm re-reading Underboss for the first time in over a decade and was reminded of the mysterious "Zuvito", who Sammy Gravano describes as an elderly mafia member in Bensonhurst circa 1940s/50s. He is said to be Giorlando Gravano's "compare from Italy", who stepped in to help when Gravano's dress factory was extorted. Sammy Gravano also mentions getting chastised by "Zuvito" later for getting into trouble.

- The name could be "Zu Vito", or "Zio Vito", meaning Uncle Vito. I believe the book is based on recorded interviews with Gravano so this may have been a phonetic error.

- Giorlando Gravano was fully legitimate, so the relationship seems to be based on, as Sammy said, "Zuvito" being his "compare" (godfather) from "Italy". This would imply that they knew each other in Italy or were from the same town.

- Giorlando Gravano was from Sicily, but I can't find out where or any other records. I believe he came into the US from Canada, possibly illegally, but I can't find any meaningful records for a Giorlando, Gerlando, or Gerald/Gerard/Gerry Gravano, same with the wife, Caterina "Kay". If we can find out where in Sicily they came from, it may narrow the search for "Zuvito".

- "Zuvito" was most likely a member of the Gambino or Colombo family, who dominated Gravano's Benshonhurst neighborhood. Luccheses and to a lesser extent DeCav, Bonanno, and Genovese are all possibilities of course but less likely.

- Sammy emphasizes that this guy was quite old even when he was a young kid, which probably puts his DOB pre-1900.

Any leads?

[AlexfromSouth]

B. this is a great tread you started and I cant wait to see how it plays out. Ive been looking for Gravanos parents in the census and other places also and cant seem to find them anywhere. Can it be that he changed their names on purpose? sort of protection

[antimafia]

In Sicily, according to the Cognomix site (Italian), the current distribution of the surname Gravano in the provinces is as follows:

9 individuals/families in Catania
4 individuals/families in Agrigento
3 individuals/families in Trapani
2 individuals/families in Palermo
1 individual/family in Caltanissetta

If you go to http://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognom ... NO/SICILIA and click on either the numbers in the map or on the links below the map (the copy for the links essentially shows the information I typed above), you will be able to see which cities/towns in those provinces have residents with the surname Gravano.

[Antiliar]

Name: Gerlando Gravano
SSN: 064-09-6277
Last Residence:
10314 Staten Island, Richmond, New York, USA
BORN: 1 Oct 1901
Died: Jan 1980

Son of Francesco Gravano and Vincenza Gucciardi. From Porto Empedocle. Immigrated c. 1923 and married Clara (Kay) Sgobbo in New York City in 1926.

[AlexfromSouth]

You are the boss antiliar

[SonnyBlackstein]

Name: Gerlando Gravano
SSN: 064-09-6277
Last Residence:
10314 Staten Island, Richmond, New York, USA
BORN: 1 Oct 1901
Died: Jan 1980

Son of Francesco Gravano and Vincenza Gucciardi. From Porto Empedocle. Immigrated c. 1923 and married Clara (Kay) Sgobbo in New York City in 1926.

Do we know much about his LCN history? What family, rank etc?

Cheers

[Snakes]

He wasn't connected.

[SonnyBlackstein]

My apologies. I had thought Gerlando was ‘Zuvito’, the elderly Mafia member.

[B.]

Name: Gerlando Gravano
SSN: 064-09-6277
Last Residence:
10314 Staten Island, Richmond, New York, USA
BORN: 1 Oct 1901
Died: Jan 1980

Son of Francesco Gravano and Vincenza Gucciardi. From Porto Empedocle. Immigrated c. 1923 and married Clara (Kay) Sgobbo in New York City in 1926.

Excellent. Thanks for making that easy.

The Profacis had few, if any, early members from Agrigento while the Gambinos had at least two crews made up mostly of guys from Gravano's area. If "Zu Vito" was from the same area as the Gravanos, which is likely, he would most likely have been a Gambino member. He very well could have been an obscure member of one of the Agrigento crews.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Great stuff B

[Antiliar]

I looked at the 1940 census and did a search of those named Vito and were born in Italy. Using those parameters, there weren't any who lived exactly in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. One lived close, though. Vito DiFilippi, born around 1889, lived at 113 Bay 25th Street. He wasn't from Agrigento, but from Castellammare. So if he was made, he likely would have been a Bonanno. I looked through the World War II draft registration cards using the same criteria and didn't see anyone in Bensonhurst from Agrigento named Vito born in Italy. So either the person is off the radar or moved later (since Sammy Gravano was born in 1945, the discussion with his father about Suvito was probably when he was around 10, or c1955.

[B.]

I looked at the 1940 census and did a search of those named Vito and were born in Italy. Using those parameters, there weren't any who lived exactly in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. One lived close, though. Vito DiFilippi, born around 1889, lived at 113 Bay 25th Street. He wasn't from Agrigento, but from Castellammare. So if he was made, he likely would have been a Bonanno. I looked through the World War II draft registration cards using the same criteria and didn't see anyone in Bensonhurst from Agrigento named Vito born in Italy. So either the person is off the radar or moved later (since Sammy Gravano was born in 1945, the discussion with his father about Suvito was probably when he was around 10, or c1955.

Good point about possibly moving later on. The Agrigento Gambino crews were mostly centered in Manhattan, so he may have lived there before Bensonhurst like many other Sicilians who settled in Brooklyn after living on the Lower East Side. Nino Gaggi's family was from Palermo and went from LES>Brooklyn. In Montiglio's questionable book he claims Nino Gaggi had been close to Frank Scalise (Scalici) -- I found a record that Nino Gaggi's paternal grandmother was a Scalici. I don't remember Montiglio mentioning a relation but this could explain the connection.

edit: Just checked and Murder Machine does say that Angelo Gaggi was a cousin of Scalise, so this doesn't seem to be news. We know it was through Angelo's mother now at least.

[AlexfromSouth]

which is the other Agrigento crew? The first being Parlapiano/Franco/Lombardozzi crew of course.

[bronx]

arcuri also

[bronx]

they were from Naro, Cammastra