DeCavalcante Family and Montreal Mafia; additional ties in Sicily

[antimafia]

I was looking through the locked thread "Some DeCavalcante Family Info (1980s-1990s)" (viewtopic.php?f=29&t=435) because I came across several Italian-language articles, published a few days ago about a Giuseppe Mormina, that mentioned the name of Simone Capizzi. Mormina, who is in his late 70s, appears to be the presumed head of the Cattolica Eraclea cosca in Agrigento (provincia), although one article suggests Mormina doesn't live in the comune. The articles mention Giuseppe's father, Francesco, who seemed to have been a longtime capocosca in Cattolica Eraclea.

Below is one of Dwalin2014's posts in the aforementioned thread.

Speaking of the Ribera mafia, does anyone know when did Simone Capizzi become boss (I mean the one who ordered the carabiniere Giuliano Guazzelli's murder in the 90s)? I read in Franco Castaldo's book "La mafia, la stidda" that the Capizzi boss before Simone was somebody named Calogero, who, after being deposed, started secretly informing the police and then disappeared (maybe killed). Carmelo Colletti was boss in Ribera until being whacked in 1983, and what is the sequence of bosses after him? And what was Gennaro Sortino's position, was he ever boss, or was he a capo-decina or a soldier?

Below are links to some of the aforementioned articles:

http://www.agrigentooggi.it/terreni-imm ... a-eraclea/

http://agrigento.gds.it/2018/02/12/case ... ea_802075/

http://corrieredelmezzogiorno.corriere. ... resh_ce-cp

Insofar as posters know about the historical relationship between the Montreal Mafia and the DeCavalcantes in New Jersey, posters usually know about the interaction between the two groups during the time that Vic Cotroni, as a Bonanno captain, was the head of the former. I seem to recall the book The Sixth Family... going into just a bit of detail about the Rizzutos' drug dealings through the Newark International Airport but without mentioning the DeCavalcantes--later, after asking a question about this on the Real Deal, I learned from the answers that the Montreal Mafia would have asked permission of the DeCavalcantes to transact business at the airport. The book does mention that Francesco Del Balso (who is not Sicilian) had a cousin who lived in New Jersey--this is a good reminder of the vast connections possessed by the non-Sicilian members of the Rizzuto organization. I think that Mafia inc. also mentions Del Balso's relative.

So I'm wondering whether the ties or links that the mafiosi in Ribera and Cattolica Eraclea have and have had were longstanding or were cultivated as a result of the interaction in North America between the DeCavalcantes and the Rizzuto organization. I am aware that the answer could very well be that it's a bit of both.

[B.]

What was the story on Montreal needing DeCavalcante permission to use the Newark airport? Never heard of them being the authority there. I'd imagine Montreal would have gotten approval from New York. Depending on what year that was, it's likely they went through their fellow Bonannos. Longtime member Tony Riela had a motel near the airport and I believe Joe Bonanno had an interest there as well, but that would have been earlier. Some of the other guys from Agrigento in the Bonanno family circa 1970s/80s had a presence in Jersey and the Ligammaris, who were close with Montreal, were among them.

As for Ribera and Cattolica Eraclea, I'm not aware of many direct connections between them but they are so close that there must be many relationships over the years between mafiosi from both cities. There was a strong network of guys from Agrigento province in different families going back to the earliest days of the US mafia and the elder Vito Rizzuto and Calogero Renda associated with other guys from Agrigento province in NYC. There are few, if any, Riberesi mafia members on the east coast who aren't with the DeCavs, and the same can pretty much be said for Cattolica Eraclea and the Bonannos.

[Chaps]

I can say (and I have to say I can’t remember the article off the top of my head but I believe it was in the Star Ledger in the early 2000’s)that Scarabino testified that the DeCav’s controlled Newark airport including baggage handlers. He said that their influence was so pervasive there that John Riggi had an office there. I do know from various FBI reports that the airport hotel was a regular meeting place for the Family.


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[B.]

I can say (and I have to say I can’t remember the article off the top of my head but I believe it was in the Star Ledger in the early 2000’s)that Scarabino testified that the DeCav’s controlled Newark airport including baggage handlers. He said that their influence was so pervasive there that John Riggi had an office there. I do know from various FBI reports that the airport hotel was a regular meeting place for the Family.


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I didn't know that, only the bit about the hotel (i.e. Polizzi). Thanks for the info -- that def backs what Antimafia was saying. I have to assume, again depending on the year, that Montreal would have gone through Sciascia/Bonanno leadership rather than contacting the DeCavs directly about the airport but you never know.

Felice or Toto could answer for sure, but does anyone know which mandamento Ribera and CE report to?

[cavita]

I can say (and I have to say I can’t remember the article off the top of my head but I believe it was in the Star Ledger in the early 2000’s)that Scarabino testified that the DeCav’s controlled Newark airport including baggage handlers. He said that their influence was so pervasive there that John Riggi had an office there. I do know from various FBI reports that the airport hotel was a regular meeting place for the Family.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I didn't know that, only the bit about the hotel (i.e. Polizzi). Thanks for the info -- that def backs what Antimafia was saying. I have to assume, again depending on the year, that Montreal would have gone through Sciascia/Bonanno leadership rather than contacting the DeCavs directly about the airport but you never know.

Felice or Toto could answer for sure, but does anyone know which mandamento Ribera and CE report to?

I think Agrigento