Francesco "Three Fingers" Coppola thread

[cavita]

Francesco Paolo Coppola:

October 6, 1899 born in Partinico, Sicily to Francesco Coppola and Pietra LoIacono according to Partinico birth records.

August 5, 1926 married Leonarda Chimanti in Partinico according to a notation on his Partinico birth record.

1926 immigrated to the United States with his destination as Detroit, Michigan.

January 27, 1930 was arrested in Rockford, Illinois as a suspect in a $2,000 bank robbery in Carnaville, Iowa with two other companions according to the Rockford Daily Register Gazette. He was arrested under the alias Phil Coppola and was living at 430 South Court Street in Rockford.

January 31, 1930 was released by Dubuque, Iowa authorities on the bank robbery charges when witnesses failed to identify him.

July 1, 1931 arrested in Los Angeles, California for possessing an alcohol still according to his federal arrest record. He was arrested under the alias Jim Barbero.

March 18, 1932 was arrested in Los Angeles, California for “violation of Section 76 and 80” according to his federal arrest record.

February 20, 1933 was arrested in Rock Island, Illinois for vagrancy according to his federal arrest record but he was ultimately charged in the investigation into the kidnapping of Fred DeFilippi of Spring Valley, Illinois. He was arrested under the alias Angelo Vota and was living in Rockford, Illinois at the time. Also arrested that day on the same charges were Mike Talarico, Jules Vey and Dan Zook.

April 5, 1934 was arrested in Clayton, Missouri for investigation of murder according to his federal arrest record. He was arrested under the alias Frank Lemonde and his disposition stated he was released with no direct evidence being connected with murder.

January 14, 1936 was arrested in Detroit, Michigan for possessing an alcohol still according to his federal arrest record. He was arrested under the alias Frank Loicono and his case was dismissed due to lack of evidence.

January 9, 1948 was deported to Italy from the port of Boston, Massachusetts.

August 1965 was arrested in Italy along with 16 others as suspects in a trans-Atlantic narcotics ring.

1968 was cleared on the narcotics charges from 1965.

1973 was sent to jail in Rome on charges of attempted murder of a principal prosecutor.

April 27, 1982 died in Aprilia, Italy.

Italian and American authorities stated that for decades Coppola was the boss of a Mafia network in Sicily that was linked to narcotics trafficking in the United States.

Reportedly ran businesses in Michigan and Louisiana under assumed names.

Was nicknamed “Three Fingers” due to missing the ring and pinky fingers of his left hand.

[Antiliar]

While in the United States he was a member of the Detroit Family, but he could have been like Nicola Gentile and transferred to different Families as he moved around. After he returned to Italy, he was said to have become the boss of Partinico. He also supposedly took over as the top narcotics kingpin from Lucky Luciano.

[CabriniGreen]

Is it true he was one of the masterminds behind Portella Della Ginestra massacre?

[CabriniGreen]

I always thought Don Croce in The Sicilian was based off him...

[SonnyBlackstein]

Did he play rock, paper, scissors with tommy luchese for the nickname?



And if so, how did they do rock?

[Villain]

Its interesting to note is that Serafino Mancuso was Coppola's right hand man in dope racket and two years later after their deportation in 1948, some Sicilian drug traffickers began to arrive in the states, including Salvatore Caneba from the Palermo area, who in 1950 managed to establish himself in New York. At first there were three main sources for heroin in Sicily, including Caneba's brother Ugo, who was the connection to some major Corsican drug traffickers with laboratories in Marseilles, France, such as the Arnaci brothers and Marius Jacques Ansaldi, who in turn supplied the Caneba brothers with the product, which was destined for the U.S. The second source was Francesco Saverino from Trapani, Sicily, and Enzo Berti from Pisa, Italy, with the second having connections in Turkey from where he managed to bring morphine base and with the help of his laboratories, he converted it to heroin. And the third source was Francesco Pirico from the Palermo area, who in turn was a distributor of large quantities of diverted heroin from the Schapparelli Pharmaceutical Co. which supplied many U.S. costumers, including Coppola and Luciano. So the shipment from Sicily was carried by two main couriers known as Salvatore Greco and Antonio Sorcio, who in turn delivered it to three major points, one in New York, the second in Florida, and the third in Canada. According to one confidential government informant, the points in Canada and Florida, where sometimes used as decoys and allegedly the New York point was often the main receiving destination.

Another interesting info is that I always thought that the Detroit faction supplied supplied all Midwest crime families with the product, but according to some reports that wasnt the case. For example the Chicago Outfit was more often supplied by the New York Mob rather than the one in Detroit. In fact, the syndicate in Chicago functioned as the principal source for narcotics in some of the Midwest and Southwestern sectors of the country, including Omaha, Tulsa, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Iowa, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver and Phoenix. The main overseers for the whole Midwestern narcotics market at the time were Raphael Quazarano, John Priziola, and Paul Cimino of the Detroit faction, Anthony Giordano of St. Louis and Giacomo Ammirato a.k.a. James Emery of Chicago.

[Angelo Santino]

I never looked into this individual but I used to - 10 years ago - speak with two different sources, one a Detroit expert and the other a St Louis expert. Detroit had Coppola as a boss - there were 5 bosses at any given time according to this researcher. And St Louis had Coppola as a boss up until he was deported and then a Sansone took over.

Again, I never looked into this, these claims I cannot take credit for.

[Lupara]

While in the United States he was a member of the Detroit Family, but he could have been like Nicola Gentile and transferred to different Families as he moved around. After he returned to Italy, he was said to have become the boss of Partinico. He also supposedly took over as the top narcotics kingpin from Lucky Luciano.

Do you believe Lucky was heavily involved in drug trafficking after his deportation? This hypothesis has been contested by an author of one of his more recent biographies who stated his role in the Mafia diminished after his deportation to Italy.

[Antiliar]

I discussed some of these issues with Tim Newark, who is the author I think you're talking about. He's a good guy and did good research, but we can't know everything. Sometimes information comes out after we publish, and it changes our conclusions. There was a documentary that included testimony from an elderly Italian man who said he worked in factory secretly owned by Luciano, and in it heroin was secretly smuggled out. I can't verify the man's testimony, but if true, Luciano was involved. To what extent, we don't know.

[Lupara]

I discussed some of these issues with Tim Newark, who is the author I think you're talking about. He's a good guy and did good research, but we can't know everything. Sometimes information comes out after we publish, and it changes our conclusions. There was a documentary that included testimony from an elderly Italian man who said he worked in factory secretly owned by Luciano, and in it heroin was secretly smuggled out. I can't verify the man's testimony, but if true, Luciano was involved. To what extent, we don't know.

Yes I was referring to him. Thanks for elaborating on it. Could you direct me to where you discussed these issues? Was it an informer article?

[Antiliar]

I discussed Luciano before I wrote the Informer piece "The Last Word on the Last Testament of Lucky Luciano." We emailed each other, so that part isn't public.

[Villain]

I discussed some of these issues with Tim Newark, who is the author I think you're talking about. He's a good guy and did good research, but we can't know everything. Sometimes information comes out after we publish, and it changes our conclusions. There was a documentary that included testimony from an elderly Italian man who said he worked in factory secretly owned by Luciano, and in it heroin was secretly smuggled out. I can't verify the man's testimony, but if true, Luciano was involved. To what extent, we don't know.

I think it was some kind of doll auction and according to the old man, Luciano told him that bags of heroin were hidden in those same dolls and named the old man a fool. I dont remember it clearly but i also think that he was about to be indicted on narcotics charges but he unexpectedly died

[Lupara]

I discussed Luciano before I wrote the Informer piece "The Last Word on the Last Testament of Lucky Luciano." We emailed each other, so that part isn't public.

I happen to have that piece although it's been years since I read it.

[CabriniGreen]

Actually I think the Detroit mafia top customers were the Luchesse family, guys like Ormento. One of the Dertoit drug guys was related by marriage I believe....

Interesting point on Luciano's status post deportation. In a book by Douglas Valentine, he and the FBN had Coppola as the top drug guy.

In the same book he has Vito Genovese running dope through Kansas City, handled by Nicola Impostato and another guy, I gotta look at my book...

Coppola dealt direct with Detroit, St. Louis., New Orleans, and the Luchesses. Maybe more...

[Eline2015]

Actually I think the Detroit mafia top customers were the Luchesse family, guys like Ormento. One of the Dertoit drug guys was related by marriage I believe....

Interesting point on Luciano's status post deportation. In a book by Douglas Valentine, he and the FBN had Coppola as the top drug guy.

In the same book he has Vito Genovese running dope through Kansas City, handled by Nicola Impostato and another guy, I gotta look at my book...

Coppola dealt direct with Detroit, St. Louis., New Orleans, and the Luchesses. Maybe more...

Sam Meli, son of Angelo Meli was married to one of Frank Livorsi's daughters. Another daughter was married to Ormento's son. Raffaele Quasarano was primary contact between Ormento and Detroit.