Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia

[B.]

The Falcone brothers, in addition to running Utica and influencing if not controlling surrounding cities for many years, were major national figures whose crew branched into Florida, NYC, Boston, and possibly even other areas of the US and Canada, among other areas. It's well-accepted that Utica was a faction of the Buffalo family, with Salvatore Falcone as the capodecina of Magaddino's interests there, however, a lot of available information is vague and sometimes murky which brings up questions about their history and the history of the mafia in Utica and Syracuse. Going to try to organize this as best I can but I'm not trying put a bow on anything, just breaking down different sources of info and giving some thoughts at the end.

Utica and Buffalo / General Info
Note: A lot more can and probably will be added to this in time.
- All FBI informants active with the Albany office in the 1960s agree that Utica was under the influence of Magaddino, but there are some differences in how this is explained. Most of the information does not specifically identify Utica as a "decina" or "crew" under a "captain", but speaks of them as a general mafia group under the leadership of Salvatore Falcone with the assistance of his brother Joseph.
- One Albany office informant was "convinced" that Utica was its own mafia family with Salvatore Falcone as the boss, Joseph Falcone as "second-in-command", and Serafino Grio as something "more" than an ordinary "button", with speculation that he could be a consigliere. This informant did believe the family was "subservient" to Magaddino.
- In 1936, Salvatore Falcone visited Italy and made some kind of financial contribution to the fascist government and was praised by Mussolini. Upon his return to the US, he was greeted in NYC by his brother Joseph and Buffalo member John Montana.
- All informants agree that Salvatore Falcone kept his position as the head of Utica after moving to Florida in 1947. The day-to-day operations were run by his brother Joseph Falcone and he seems to have had final say as needed despite his brother remaining officially in charge. I have not seen Joseph specifically referred to as "acting" at any point, though.
- In the 1940s, Rosario Mancuso and the Falcone brothers attempted to muscle in on gambling operations in Saratoga Springs, NY. Gambling in Saratoga Springs was run by a seemingly independent operator named Louis "Doc" Farone who, according to an informant, "literally" threw the Utica guys out of town. Their relationship appears to have improved, as by the 1960s Utica members like Joseph Falcone and Rosario Mancuso were observed meeting with Farone and others in Albany.
- The Falcone brothers traveled to Barbara's home for the Apalachin meeting with Buffalo members Dominick D'Agostino and Rosario "Sam" Lagattuta.
- In the early 1960s, Rosario Mancuso told an informant that Serafino Grio was "the boss of Utica" and the informant interpreted this to mean Grio was higher-ranking than Joseph Falcone. Serafino "Sam" Grio does appear to have been at least a soldier of some influence, as he accompanied Joseph Falcone to meet with Magaddino in Niagara Falls multiple times through the 1960s. By the end of 1966, Grio had retired to Sacramento, California.
- In addition to the above, Grio visited Magaddino and Fred Randaccio in Buffalo by himself on at least one occasion where they discussed a numbers operation that included Florida, with John Tronolone and Santo Trafficante being involved somehow.
- A source indicated that Serafino Grio and Magaddino were very affectionate toward one another and often reminisced about the past, indicating a longtime association.
- In June 1966, Sam Grio and associate Ricky Caruso drove to Montreal "for the purpose of obtaining money", but the source of the money was unknown. Around two weeks later, Grio and Joseph Falcone were surveilled by the FBI visiting an estate owned by Joe Colombo in upstate NY.
- During one of the meetings between Utica members and Magaddino that was recorded by the FBI, it's clear that Magaddino holds Joseph Falcone in higher respect than is typical of other recorded meetings. Magaddino still dominates the conversation as is typical, but Falcone seems to have more "floor time" and Magaddino is surprisingly candid with him, even sharing his knowledge of Magaddino family drug operations conducted between the US/Canada.
- During an October 1964 meeting between Joseph Falcone and soldier Sylvester Battaglia of Albany, Falcone referred to himself as a "capino", meaning "little boss". This is of course open for interpretation.
- An informant stated that at one point Joseph Falcone wished to contact someone in NYC, but had to receive permission from Magaddino first. This same informant stated that he (the informant) was allowed to keep 30% of proceeds from "action under his control", 20% of which he kept and 10% went to Joseph Falcone. The informant stated that Falcone should divide the proceeds up with Vincent Scro, Magaddino's son-in-law.
- One informant was told that the Falcones collected 25% as "protection" from bookmakers in their area.
- Vincent Scro's three brothers lived in Syracuse and were closely associated with the Utica group, possibly members, as well as the father Sam Scro. When Joseph Falcone and the Utica group wished to contact Magaddino, they were supposed to do so through the Scro brothers.
- Following Apalachin, Joseph Falcone went on the lam and Stefano Magaddino gave him $1800 to cover expenses. Falcone attempted to repay the money but Magaddino did not accept repayment.
- In 1963, two Profaci members or associates, one of whom may have been connected to the Valerino family of Solvay, NY, and a cousin of Anthony DeStefano's wife, apparently attempted to extort a Jewish lawyer in Syracuse and Sam Farrar became involved to help the laywer. Rosario Mancuso was tasked with helping the problem and he sought Anthony DeStefano's help as well. When Magaddino later learned about this problem he became upset that he hadn't been informed and along with telling Joseph Falcone he needed to solve the issue, made it clear that Falcone was not to travel to NYC to settle the dispute with his (Magaddino's) approval.
- At a 1963 meeting between Magaddino and Anthony DeStefano, Magaddino stated that Joseph Falcone was broke and would be taking up a collection to help him. Around this same period, Falcone had a discussion with Magaddino where he was apparently considering investing in a meat packing business run by Syrians that also had connections to the Catena brothers of Newark.
- In 1963 soldier Rosario Mancuso and Joseph Falcone visited Newark where they met with Genovese members, including Gene Catena, and Mancuso introduced Falcone to them as his "caporegima". The purpose of this meeting was to discuss money Mancuso owed to "Fat Tony" Salerno for a bulldozer Mancuso had apparently rented from Salerno. Salerno had "acted" in some kind of unsatisfactory way related to this. Salerno was in the crew of Mike Coppola, whose crew was being run by "Little Bennie from Harlem", and Catena told them to discuss the issue with "Little Bennie".
- In a March 1967 meeting in Miami, Joseph Falcone met with Stefano Magaddino and gave him $12,000 from gambling and possibly shylocking operations from the Utica area. That same month, Falcone met with Charles Montana in Florida.
- Joseph Valachi identified Utica as its own mafia family. While his list of mafia families in the US was incomplete, it did not include any other known mistakes. Valachi was quite familiar with western New York, having hid out in Buffalo in 1930 as a guest of the Magaddino family and later being involved in drug operations with Magaddino members, including the Agueci brothers who Valachi hid out with in Canada.
- One FBI report refers to Utica as a "so-called family" and in various reports it is continually referred to as a "family".
- The formal relationship between Syracuse and Utica isn't completely clear but the two cities are very close and Cosa Nostra members under the Falcones were active in both cities, with the Falcone group also being in charge of Rome, NY. Anthony DeStefano was believed to be a Buffalo capodecina in Syracuse, however there is a decent amount of info showing that the Utica group had significant influence over operations (legitimate and illegal) in Syracuse. Along with this, there are repeat references over multiple years where Joseph Falcone sent messengers instructing DeStefano to come meet with him, suggesting DeStefano was subservient to Falcone.

Utica/Falcone Made Members
- Sylvester Battaglia (1890-1970). Albany-based soldier in the Falcone group. Old line Sicilian well-connected in legitimate social and political circles and familiar with Joe Magliocco of the Profaci family. Born in Termini Imerese, Sicily. His brother Augustus (1899-1970) is a potential member -- when Augustus moved to Tucson, AZ, in 1956, a going away dinner was held for him by a small group of made members, including both Falcone brothers. At this meeting, the men conversed in Sicilian and the Battaglias were kissed on both cheeks. Like member Vincenzo Femia, Augustus Battaglia was a cattle rancher. There was also a Joseph Battaglia involved in bootlegging with this group early on who could have been a relative.
- Anthony Damiano (19??-????). Former Utica resident who became a Florida-based member. Tasked with delivering money from Joseph Falcone to his brother Salvatore in Florida. Previously owned Darling Ice Cream company which he sold to Sam Scro, the father of Buffalo member Vincent Scro and the other Scro brothers of Syracuse.
- Anthony DeStefano (1911-1992). According to some sources was a Fulton-based Syracuse capodecina in the Buffalo family, but might be under the Utica group. Traveled with Utica members to meet with Magaddino in the 1960s and seems to have operated under the Falcone's influence. Heavily involved in gambling and loansharking in Syracuse and surrounding areas. Due to throat surgery he later could only talk in a raspy whisper. Charged with acts of sodomy in the late 1960s after a prostitute went to the police about her ongoing relationship to him.
- Joseph Falcone (1902-1992). Born in Sciacca, Sicily. Assisted his brother as a more hands-on supervisor of their various operations beginning during prohibition. Became the defacto leader of the group following his brother Salvatore's permanent move to Florida. Joseph attended Apalachin and was a major Cosa Nostra figure in his own right with extensive connections throughout the US. In partnership with his brother, earned a great deal of money and influence during prohibition through the sale of sugar to stills in the Utica area.
- Salvatore Falcone (1891-1972).Like his younger brother, born in Sciacca. Longtime leader of the Utica group who continued in this role officially despite moving to Florida in the 1940s and taking a back seat in the day-to-day operations. His son Joseph is listed in the FBN book as a Florida-based businessman associated with his father but to my knowledge has not been listed as a member or suspected member. Salvatore was said to monopolize and control the shoe repairmen of Utica. During prohibition he allegedly charged bootleggers a tax of $1 for every can of alcohol and by the 1930s was in charge of the Utica Italian lottery.
- Vincenzo "James" Femia (1908-1983). Italian-born cattle dealer, son-in-law of Nino Trunfio, and protege of Sam Grio. Not known to be involved in criminal activity.
- James "Jimmy" Fiore (19??-????). Former Utica resident and son-in-law of Joseph Falcone who moved to the Boston, MA area and continued to report to Falcone. Falcone and Rosario Mancuso also visited Fiore in Winthrop, MA, where he lived. Fiore worked for Neptune Oil in Boston and was believed to be familiar with Raymond Patriarca, as Patriarca was heard referring to Fiore as "Jimmy" and discussing an associate who was being supplied with oil by Fiore for fishing boats. This associate may have been Paul Mantia, a suspected Cosa Nostra member in the Patriarca family who Fiore was close to.
- Serafino "Sam / Fino" Grio (1894-1984). Calabrian who became a prominent member of the group. Very close and trusted associate of the Falcone brothers for decades, involved in counterfeiting in the 1920s and bootlegging in the Syracuse area through the 1930s. His Venezia Cafe was an early meeting place for the group. Lived in the Sacramento, CA area from late 1966 until his death.
- Rosario "Russell" Mancuso (1907-1971). One of the most infamous and active members under the Falcone brothers in the Utica area. A bullying gangster straight out of central casting. Born and at least partially raised in Buffalo. Allegedly participated in the murder of Mariano "Happy" Longo in 1957 along with Anthony Anastasio. Of Sicilian heritage, his father being Palermitano. Former president of the hod carriers union and involved in the construction business. Committed assault with the intent to murder in Hartford, CT in 1951 for which he served prison time. Mancuso had a "controlling interest" in the singer "Eddie Rainbow" Flori, the nephew of Hazleton-based Philly soldier Jack Parisi. At one point, an informant traveled with Mancuso to meet with Parisi and Joe Scalleat, also a Hazleton-based Philly soldier, where a singer was discussed and a payment of some kind may have been made.
- John Melito (1900-1967). Died in 1967 after a long illness. Was not known to be criminally active leading up to his death and his funeral was not attended by any known Cosa Nostra members. Married to the former wife of associate Anthony Anastasio, an alleged participant in the Happy Longo murder.
- Frank Pelli (1918-1996). Member who lived in both Utica and Syracuse at different times and operated a bakery in Syracuse where Rosario Mancuso was listed as an employee. Also served as Mancuso's chauffeur and drove him on trips to Rochester, NYC, and Boston.
- Frank Russo (1881-1967). Born in Staletti, Calabria. Described by an informant as "formerly a boss" of Rome, NY, in the "Utica Family". Appears to have been an early power and was still alive until December 1967 though inactive given his advanced age. He appears to have been active in crime by 1915 and involved in bootlegging in the 1920s. He ran a restaurant in Rome and was a part of several civic groups. His son Frank was a lawyer in the area whose clientele included Joseph Falcone, Rosario Mancuso, and Sam Grio.
- Joseph Sabella - Brooklyn NYC-based soldier in the Utica group. Said to be a relative of the Falcone brothers who only occasionally visited Utica (unclear if he ever lived there), he nonetheless maintained contact with the Falcones and was a made member of their organization. Given that he was a relative of the Falcones, he very well could have been from Sciacca as there were a large number of Sabellas who came from Sciacca, including the parents of Michael Sabella from the Bonanno family. There is a Joseph Sabella from Sciacca born 1891 and living in Brooklyn by the late 1910s but we don't really know enough to pin him down. It's not typical to hear of a non-NYC/NJ group having a member in NYC so he stands out for this alone. Another Falcone cousin in NYC was Frank Caputo, who at one point was to be involved in some kind of deal involving Sabella, Falcone, and Anthony Indelicato.
- Antonio "Nino" Trunfio (1884-1959). Early Calabrian figure in the Utica area who became a Cosa Nostra member. Associated early on with Syracuse/Rome/Utica crime leader Giuseppe D'Agostino. D'Agostino's connection to the future Utica group unknown, but Trunfio later ran a tavern/restaurant and store later on and I haven't found any ongoing criminal activity except for being involved with D'Agostino in a "disorderly house" in 1913; his children appear to have had great success in the legitimate world, though as mentioned his daughter married soldier Femia.


Suspected Utica/Falcone Members
Note: these names are listed as "suspected members" by the FBI -- at the very least they were highly-placed associates, as there were other associates who were not included in the FBI's "suspected list" despite being Italian and/or having access to the Utica leadership. I am doubtful about some of them being made members.
- Angelo Conte (1916-1985). Utica-based strong arm man who works as an enforcer in the Falcones' gambling and shylocking operations. Close associate of Sam Farrar.
- Anthony Falange (1913-1988). In charge of Joseph Falcone's shylocking operations in Utica and close associate of Rosario Mancuso.
- Sam Farrar (1920-1997). Top man for Anthony DeStefano and a major underworld figure in Syracuse. Not sure the story on his last name and if he was Italian but he was one of the more well-connected figures in Syracuse.
- Joseph Leone (1894-1967). Former Albany resident and close associate of Sylvester Battaglia. Was not known to be involved in criminal activities at time of death but had been involved in bootlegging with Sam Grio early on and was almost certainly a member in my opinion despite being only on the "suspected" list. Ran a tinsmith shop.
- Anthony Scro (1930-). Syracuse-based brother of Buffalo member Vincent Scro and go-between for Falcones and Magaddino. All three brothers ran an ice cream business and were not known to be involved in criminal activity.
- Calogero "Charles" Scro (1926-2005). " "
- Joseph Scro (1931-). " "
- Salvatore "Sam" Scro (1894-1962). Does not show up on suspected member list, but was the father of the four Scro brothers. Son Vincent moved to Buffalo where he was married to Stefano Magaddino's daughter and the other sons were involved in the life. Sam Scro purchased the Darling Ice Cream company from soldier Anthony Damiano and associated with known underworld figures in Syracuse and Utica so in my opinion he's a potential member. Born in Marineo, Sicily.
- Angelo Thomas (1907-1992). Major gambling figure in Utica whose luncheonette was used for gambling activities and as a main hangout of Utica made members. Not sure the story on last name, like Farrar, but he married an Italian and his first name is Italian so who knows.
- James Travens (1923-1971). Listed as a Huntsville, Alabama-based made member in a list with only confirmed members but there is no other info so I am including him here. This crew had guys all over and other suspected members like Farrar and Thomas have non-Italian surnames but this one seems strange given the lack of info and his location.

Other Member(s) of Note
Note: Have some other southwestern NY guys to add to this later.
- Anthony Guarnieri (1911-1990). Well-known mafia member in Binghamton, but was born in Utica and married a Longo, indicating a possible relation to other mafia-connected Longos with ties to Utica. Sometimes identified as a Buffalo member, he was most closely associated with Russell Bufalino and hung around Scranton, along with being in the garment industry which was a staple of the Bufalino group. Binghamton itself is ID'd as Buffalo family territory though that could be questioned. Interestingly, Guarnieri's father Giovanni was a shoemaker, an industry believed to have been under the control of Salvatore Falcone later on though there is no indication Giovanni Guarnieri was a mafioso and I'm not sure where in Italy he was from.

Gambino / Agrigento Connections
- The FBN identified Gambino soldier "Joe Scootch" Indelicato as a cousin of the Falcone brothers. That would make old time Gambino captain Antonino Indelicato a relative as well. The Indelicatos were from Sciacca or at least nearby, so that would reinforce this info.
- The FBN lists an association between the Falcones and Vincent Corrao of the Gambino family. The Corraos, I believe, were also from Sciacca.
- Nicola Gentile is also listed as an associate of both brothers, with Gentile being from Agrigento province and a leading figure of the large Sciacca faction of the early Gambino family.
- Salvatore "Sam Hamel" Ameli originally from Porto Empedocle in Agrigento is listed as another New York associate but I'm not sure what his family affiliation was. Ameli lived in Brooklyn and was closely associated with Corrao so seems likely he was another Gambino member with the Sciacca faction.
- Michael DiLeonardo stated that his grandfather Vincenzo "Jimmy" DiLeonardo, an early Gambino captain, was close to the Falcones. DiLeonardo was from Bisacquino which is technically in Palermo province but it is relatively close to Sciacca.
- An informant from the Utica area traveled to NYC with Rosario Mancuso where they met with Carmine Lombardozzi.
- As mentioned earlier, Joseph Falcone tried to set up some kind of deal with his cousins in NYC, Frank Caputo and Falcone soldier Joseph Sabella, as well as an Anthony Indelicato. It's not clear which Anthony Indelicato this is, but there were a number of Indelicatos from Agrigento connected to the Gambino family, as well as their cousins who later joined the Bonannos.
- Yet another Gambino member listed as an assocciate of the Falcones was Andrew Alberti, though his family was not from Agrigento.
- All of the FBN's connections between the Falcones and NYC seem to relate to the Gambino family which as already mentioned had a Sciacca faction -- this faction included at least two large crews, with possibly another crew led by men from Agrigento.
- After moving to Florida, Salvatore Falcone and his son Joseph associated closely with the Tampa family which was dominated by immigrants from Agrigento, with their strongest association being with the Diecidues from Cianciana not far from Sciacca.
- Anthony Rotondo mentioned a relation between a DeCav member identified only as Jerry "Dracula" LNU and the Falcone group. Given the proximity of Ribera to Sciacca, it seems possible that this DeCav member's relation was to the Falcone brothers themselves. No other ties between the Falcone brothers and the Decavs are known but given the historic obscurity of the DeCav family, especially during the Falcone's heyday, there may have been more of a relationship than we know of.

Utica/Syracuse "Black Hand" Activities
Note: This barely scratches the surface of known "Black Hand" activity reported in newspapers. I haven't done much research on some of the names yet, but I assume some of the Sicilian-linked Black Hand activities can be linked to the mafia group that would evolve into the Falcone crew.
- The Utica "Black Hand" was believed to be connected to "a similar band in Sicily" and was headquartered in the Twin Sicilian Cafe headquartered in East Utica's Sicilian settlement.
- Early Sicilian-on-Sicilian murders in Syracuse linked to "Black Hand": In 1901, a Sicilian with the surname Lemano was found murdered on the bank of the Seneca River outside of Syracuse and the "Black Hand" was deemed responsible, with info coming out that some other Sicilians knew about the crime. Nearly a year later, another Sicilian named Castro Giavanno was killed by a fellow Sicilian in Syracuse. In 1903, a Sicilian with the surname Contino and another man were shot by a fellow Sicilian. Yet another Sicilian, Giovanni Ilacque was killed in 1906 in the Syracuse area. In 1908 a Sicilian named D'Agastino (D'Agostino?) was killed in Syracuse by another Sicilian in an apparent duel. Nobody was convicted of any of these murders.
- In 1905, a Utica man named "Carmelo Rabbaono" was slashed in the face on his way to work, typical of Black Hand attacks. Following this, an unnamed Italian whose "word carries weight" in Utica was asked about the existence of the Black Hand and he said there was no "Black Hand Society" in Utica but that he knew "some of the men who prefer to live without laboring very hard" who get together and pass around a "subscription list" asking for "help in sending an unknown man across the water for his health," but that nobody is "compelled" to contribute.
- Two brothers, Antonio and John Justo, both of Utica, were arrested in separate cases in 1906 as suspected Black Hand members. Antonio and two other men were charged with making terroristic threats to extort money from Italians in Norwich, NY, south of Utica. The other men were Fortunato Barletto, from Reggio Calabria, and Antonio Calibriso/Calabrese.
- As early as 1909, a news article in Syracuse stated that "the Mafia" in Italy was the parent organization of the "Black Hand" in the US. The same article claimed that Syracuse was the headquarters for the "Black Hand" in "this part of the country". It stated that the group "can be divided into the Camorra of Naples and the Mafia of Sicily" and that "from these the Black Hand of America springs." The article goes into a little bit of detail about Camorra activities in Italy and Mafia history in Sicily, humorously stating that the Mafia was created in the 1400s by a Sicilian man named "Gaspari Mafia" in order to fight spies working for Frederick the First of Bourbon, ruler of Sicily, and evolved from that into blackmailing and became politically protected. It then talks about how the mafia is divided up into different classes.
- In 1909, Utica resident Frank Morado was slashed in the face by a group of eight Black Hand members who demanded $50, including one arrested as "Joseph Ventura", believed to be a fake name. The victim's nose was slashed so badly that the tip of his nose hung down to his lip, at which point the victim Morado drew a gun and fired shots causing the group to flee. Prior to the attack, Morado's family had received a letter demanding money and threatening him and his son if he didn't pay.
- Local LE launched a campaign against the "Black Hand" in 1914 after they "terrorized" citizens with "guns, bombs, and threats." Following this, storekeeper Frank Todero (possibly Todaro) of Utica was arrested and charged with Black Hand activities, with bail set at $10k, quite high for the time. Todero was convicted of blackmail and sentenced to 5 to 9 years in prison, but was pardoned by the state governor after serving two years. Most articles from the time have his name as Todero, but one has his full name as Frank Grandi Todaro, a 37-year-old native of Italy. From the way his case was treated immediately following the start of the "anti-Black Hand" campaign, LE seemed to believe he was a leading "Black Hand" leader of some sort. I can't find enough info on him to confirm where he's from, but there are a couple of Francesco Todero/Todaros around his age from Licata, Sicily, which is where I believe other Todaros associated with the US mafia have come from. No idea if the Utica one is Licatese or even Sicilian. Would be very interesting if he was a relative of the future Buffalo leader Joe Todaro. Maybe someone can find more info on him.
- LE managed to crack down significantly on activities to close out the 1910s decade but it was said to have sprung back in the 1920s.
- In 1921, Sicilian "Black Hand" member Salvatore Polizzi was arrested for the murder of night watchman Albert Dade in Frankfort. It was said at the time that Polizzi had "Sicilian friends from coast to coast" and precaution was taken to make sure they wouldn't help him escape from custody. Polizzi had lived in both Rome, NY and Frankfort and apparently confessed to murdering a John Aiello (spelled "Agietto", "Agieto", "Egietto"," etc. in most other articles; Aiello is sometimes misspelled as "Ajello" and similar phonetic spellings so my bet is Aiello is the correct name) in Frankfort in 1912 and he allegedly participated in two other "capital crimes". Aiello was killed with a shotgun after a wedding party in Frankfort after Polizzi had previously had an argument with "Aiello's" brother Joe. Polizzi was later acquitted of the murder. Does anyone know if the infamous Joe Aiello of Chicago fame was living in Utica area in 1912 and had a brother named John? He was there by 1917 so curious if he was the one involved in the argument with Polizzi.
- After the Aiello/Agietto murder, Polizzi is believed to have fled to an uncle John Zucci's home in Rome, NY, then Windsor, WI, followed by California. In California he is alleged to have killed someone who was allegedly also a killer before returning to the east coast and getting involved in bootlegging in New Haven, CT, where he either committed or witnessed a murder before going to Brooklyn and finally returning to the Utica area where he killed the watchman Dade.
- In 1922, a gambling joint operated by Salvatore Polizzi was raided in Rome, NY. Arrested at the location were Joe LiCastro (age 44), Mike Cosimeno (age 53), Salvatore DiMaria (age 53), and Carmello Zeperilo (age 49), all playing ziganette.
- In the early 1920s, a store owner named Rocco Peretta had his home bombed after refusing to comply with an extortion letter.
- In 1922, newly appointed Utica Judge O'Connor told a group of newly naturalized Italians that if they are approached by anyone from the Black Hand asking for money, to "shoot him first and talk to him afterward."
- In 1923, a Black Hand member named Raffaele Amendola was sentenced to death for the murder of baker Rocco Fiorillo and confessed to his membership as well as the names of other members. He claimed he would have been killed if he hadn't murdered Fiorillo and also gave information on a Black hand slashing eight years earlier.
- In 1924, a store owner named Fred Agostino and his wife were shot to death in Utica. The shooters were later traced to Connecticut and Agostino had associated with a man called Catrupe who had been murdered a year earlier. A cousin of Agostino named Rocco Papola was a suspect in a murder in Mechanicville and another cousin had apparently been a target of murder.

Early Utica Calabrian Connections to Falcone Crew
- One informant claimed that Serafino Grio was the only non-Sicilian in the Utica group, but other information proves this was not true.
- Utica soldier Vincenzo "James" Femia, an Italy-born protege of Serafino Grio, was said to have become a member because his father-in-law "Nino Trufio" (deceased by 1960s) had been a member. "Nino Trufio" was actually Antonio "Nino" Trunfio, a restaurant and grocery store owner from Vinco, Calabria, born 1884 and died 1959.
- Serafino Grio mentioned earlier was born in 1894 and from Cosoleto in Calabria and given his ties to Femia may trace his roots back to these other early Calabrian figures.
- In 1913, Calabrian-born Nino Trunfio was charged with running a "disorderly house" along with Giuseppe D'Agostino. Two years previous someone had been killed at this location. Other names mentioned in connection with the house were Antonio Mussolino and Francesco Calaguiri. Calaguiri was from Carlopoli, Calabria. A witness John Andrello, was called, but left town and refused to testify because Trunfio and D'Agostino had allegedly threatened his parents.
- D'Agostino was an early Italian criminal leader most likely from Calabria who was kicked out of Syracuse and set up in nearby Utica. LE at the time said that "some of the blackest offenses against society in the city were committed with the knowledge if not consent of D'Agostino," indicating he was a criminal leader of some kind. A Giuseppe D'Agostino born 1885 died in 1968 in Utica but appears to have been a successful, upstanding citizen so unlikely it's the same guy.
- Calabrian-born soldier of the future Falcone crew, Frank Russo (b.1881), described in the 1960s as the former "boss of Rome, NY" was believed to be running a "disorderly house" himself in 1915.
- Also in Rome, NY in 1916, Giuseppe D'Agostino demanded money from a man named Dominick Mercurio and threatened him with a handgun before assaulting him. D'Agostino was apparently trying to collect $50 to help a man named Jim Rocco in Auburn, NY, and Mercurio had offered to pay not only the $5 asked of him but $10 total. D'Agostino was said to have conducted a pool hall in Rome and had lived there for 19 years, having been naturalized for 14 years. At one point a man was killed at or near this pool hall on a Sunday but D'Agostino claimed innocence saying the pool hall was closed on Sundays. Given that D'Agostino and Frank Russo were both operating in Rome at the same time, it seems possible if not likely they crossed paths.
- The early activities of Nino Trunfio and Frank Russo and their later confirmation as Cosa Nostra members show that there was some level of continuity between this early Calabrian criminal element and the future Utica group under the Falcones. Trunfio's son-in-law Femia being a protege of the Calabrian Grio could mean Grio himself was linked to early figures like Trunfio, Russo, and D'Agostino though I haven't seen any evidence.
- Though D'Agostino can't be directly connected to the future Utica crew aside from his associaton with Trunfio, there was a Frank D'Agostino who was the godson of Rosario Mancuso and an associate of this group who borrowed a loan from a dentist in Owego connected to the organization. When he flaked on paying it and drew the ire of Mancuso, D'Agostino went to Anthony DeStefano in Syracuse to intercede on his behalf. It's not clear if this D'Agostino was a relative of Giuseppe.
- Dominick D'Agostino (b.1889), a made member of the Buffalo family in Niagara Falls who drove to Apalachin with the Falcone brothers, was from Reggio Calabria and had a father and son both named Giuseppe, but we don't have enough info to put an age on the "infamous" Giuseppe D'Agostino of Syracuse/Utica, if there is any connection. Dominick D'Agostino is described in his FBN file as frequenting Utica, which along with his association with the Falcones and his Calabrian heritage, is a possible indication of a relationship to other D'Agostino(s) of Utica/Syracuse/Rome.
- In 1929, Frank Russo and Michele Tardugno were arrested transporting a large amount of illegal alcohol. Frank's son, the lawyer Frank Russo Jr. would represent Leonard Tardugno in a gambling case 30 years later, so these families appear to have associated together for decades. Leonard was a nephew of Michele, who died in 1940.

Early Utica Sicilian Connections to Falcone Crew
- Future Chicago boss Joseph Aiello of Bagheria first lived with brother Andrea in Utica where Joseph was suspected of underworld activities, including the 1917 murder of Antonio Gagliano.
- As mentioned earlier, a John Aiello (or Agietto) was killed by a Sicilian named Salvatore Polizzi in Frankfort in 1912. Future Illinois / Newark figure Francesco Longo from San Giuseppe Iato lived in Frankfort for a time when Polizzi was still living there. Polizzi as we know is a name with later connections to both San Giuseppe Iato and Newark, and DeCavalcante member Frank Polizzi's son is named Salvatore. There is a Salvatore Polizzi from San Giuseppe Iato born the same year as the one in Frankfort who came to the US in 1906. Would be very interesting if there is a connection here but I can't confirm.
- A grocer named Domenico Aiello who owned extensive real estate used for stills in bootlegging operations was killed in Utica along with his-brother-in-law Pietro Lima in 1934. Dominick Aiello was from Bagheria like the other Aiellos so he very well could be related but was not a brother of them. Domenico Aiello and his brother Giuseppe (b. 1893, not the same as the infamous Chicago one) had been previously charged with bootlegging in 1920.
- Salvatore Falcone and Sam Grio were suspected of the Aiello and Lima murder, but Aiello was described by an informant as a "compare" of Salvatore Falcone and was killed by accident according to the source. I assume Pietro Lima was the intended target, though they were in Aiello's car and had just left Aiello's home, so if the killer was Falcone he "should" have known better and one theory was that the gunmen were riding in the back seat. Other info suggested the car had been fired upon from "both sides of the street".
- Later, Salvatore Falcone's son Anthony married the daughter of Dominick Aiello.
- Falcone's relationship to Aiello could explain how he was able to rise as a leader. With many of the early Utica area figures coming from villages in the Palermo province, the Falcones stand out given their roots in Sciacca. Being a "compare" of Aiello whose children would later marry could explain how Falcone was able to hook himself into the leadership path, especially since Aiello looks to have been a senior mafia figure leading up to his murder.
- Aiello and Lima were apparently buried in gold-plated coffins according to some reports.
- Pietro Lima was an older man (b.1869) from Bagheria who from context may have been an early mafia member/leader. He came to the US in 1898 and lived in Brooklyn for 12 years before heading to Utica. He owned properties that he rented out and seems to have been a wealthy man, but was charged with theft in 1916, receiving stolen goods in 1918, and making illegal wine in 1919 right after prohibition was passed. 1928 he was accused of killing a man named Rosario Gambino after a domestic dispute involving his son got out of hand. In 1929 he was hit with a concealed weapon charge for carrying a gun without a permit. He was arrested in connection with another still in 1934 before his murder.
- The Falcones brothers' ties to Pietro Lima go back to at least 1923, when they and Pietro Lima provided bail for two men accused of participating in a gunpoint abduction of a woman from her car. These men were Gerardo Porcelli and Salvatore Calleri; another suspect was Henry Alberico who would be part of the late 1930s bootlegging case against the Falcone brothers. Lima also provided bail assistance to others in the 1930s.
- Dominick's son Salvatore Aiello continued in the grocery business and was close to Falcone, though the younger Aiello later ran into a dispute with Rosario Mancuso and according to one source planned to kill Mancuso. Salvatore Falcone was able to settle the dispute.
- The son of Pietro Lima, Salvatore "Charlie" Lima, would go on to be involved in underworld activity, associating with Mariano Longo who was murdered by Rosario Mancuso in the 1950s. Another son, Joseph, had been involved in bootlegging with his father and was suspected of killing a gypsy man who rented property from his father Pietro in 1926. Just prior to his father's murder, a deputy was charged with accepting a bribe from Joseph Lima in connection with an illegal still; Giuseppe Aiello, brother of Domenico, was charged as well. The Limas continued to have ties to Brooklyn, with one of Pietro's sons later moving back there.
- As already said, possible Rockford and/or Newark member Francesco Longo of San Giuseppe Iato moved to nearby Frankfort in 1922 where he had relatives. Longo appears to have been well-connected to Sicilian Mafiosi from his town, particularly Vincenzo Troia, and was a criminal himself. In addition, the Magaddino family appears to have had some Longos from San Giuseppe Iato in their network in Canada and possibly the US, including a "Franco" and Dominic Longo.
- Anthony Guarnieri (unclear if he was with Buffalo or Scranton family) was born in Utica in the early 1910s and later married a Longo.
- Rosario Mancuso killed a Mariano "Happy" Longo in Utica in 1957. Mariano Longo was the son of a Francesco Longo (1886-1943) but these Longos were from Termini Imerese so not likely direct relatives to the ones from SGI. However, old time Falcone crew member Battaglia and possibly other early figures were from Termini so there is a presence in the Falcone group from there.
- Falcone brothers were both naturalized in Utica in 1925. Salvatore Falcone was already in his mid-30s and had been associating with other Italian underworld figures at this point so it's likely he was already a mafia member if not an upcoming leader by this time. As mentioned, there were links between the Falcones and older figures like Pietro Lima as early as 1923, presumably w/ Aiello as well.

Thoughts / Analysis
It's obvious that the Utica group "evolved" into a crew in the Buffalo family, but I don't believe the reports describing/listing them as a separate family are coming completely from left field:

- Nicola Gentile talked about a significant number of bosses attending peace meetings during the Castellammarese War, far more than the 20-something confirmed mafia families we associate with the American mafia in its heyday. He specifically talked about one meeting where 300 men attended, where "many" were "rappresentati" (bosses). He later mentions that at the same meeting there were "sixty rappresentanti" on the same side as Gentile, while Maranzano's side had "150 men" (note: he doesn't specifically say Maranzano's side were all rappresentati, and he is often very specific). Now, 210 total or even 60 bosses in one faction seems like too many but on one hand we don't know enough about the early mafia set-up in the US and it's possible that smaller Sicilian colonies in the US each had their own boss before being consolidated. If that's true, Utica would have been a strong candidate given the amount of Sicilian activity going on from the turn of the century through the 1920s.

- Consider the obscure Alabama family, plus the Chicago Heights family and possibly even a family in Indiana. The latter two, if they both existed, appear to have been consolidated into the Chicago family and Alabama was disbanded, becoming barely a footnote. We still don't know the history of the New Jersey groups and whether Newark and Elizabeth were separate families dating back to the pre-1930s. We have examples of extremely small families in Madison and San Jose who existed in spite of typical assumptions of what a mafia family is "supposed to be", and even some of the other more well-known families throughout the US were very small and only marginally influential in the local underworld. A Sicilian informant once said that the early mafia in Sicily required ten members to constitute a new family and we know that mafia families in most Sicilian villages are quite small. We have every reason to believe that the earliest stages of the US mafia followed the same rules as Sicily, which could mean that there were small families with ~10 members in various colonies we otherwise wouldn't consider "viable cities" according to later logic, and this could explain why later families had "outposts" in other cities and regions that we can't explain.

- While we don't have strong enough evidence to say for sure, I believe Utica is a strong candidate for having been an early US mafia family that was later incorporated into the Buffalo family, which came to dominate all of western New York. Rochester is an interesting example in all of this, as they were even closer to Buffalo than Utica/Syracuse geographically yet split off into their own family, which shows that it was possible for groups to be distinct in this region given the right circumstances. The Falcone brothers appear to have had a degree of national influence beyond that of an average capodecina and this could be an indication that Utica still maintained some independence from their roots. The membership of their crew was quite large, too, when compared to similar groups. In families like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, for example, cities outside of the family's HQ city typically had few members, with select members serving as defacto "bosses" of the city/region who controlled mostly associates. Not including suspected members, one or two of whom I strongly believe to have been actual members, the Utica / Syracuse group looks to have included over a dozen members at their peak and that's not including some potential earlier members we may not know or be able to confirm. We don't have a member source that I know of and most of this info was collected from the 1950s and 60s, so there easily could have been older members active in the 1920s-40s (or earlier) who slipped under the radar, including Sicilian names like Lima, Aiello, Longo, and their paesani who seem very likely to have been early Utica mafiosi given how their activities and relationships intersect with figures like the Falcone brothers. Given their ages, apparent wealth, role as financers in bootlegging, and their relationships to future Utica mafia leader Salvatore Falcone and others, the murdered Domenico Aiello and Pietro Lima are two strong candidates for early leaders before Falcone.

- There was no doubt a strong mafia-like presence early on in Utica shortly after the turn of the century if not earlier, with both Sicilian and Calabrian figures committing "Black Hand" activities that weren't unlike what was going on in other cities with early mafia families. The Utica mafia gives no indication that it was created as a result of the Buffalo mafia "planting its flag" or installing its own people in another city, nor do the two cities share paesani. Interestingly, in researching various figures in pre-1920s Utica, I found no connections to the city of Buffalo. Obviously, though, Utica falls into the nearby geographical area Buffalo would come to dominate, so it's most likely Buffalo incorporated an existing group in Utica into their own. Whether that group was a formal mafia group or not is another question, but the presence of early Sicilians with relationships to future Utica mafia members and members in other cities indicates a mafia presence. The small but well-established group of older Calabrians seems to have fit in early on as well, with Grio associating with the Falcones by the 1930s and both Frank Russo and Nino Trunfio, in their 50s during the 1930s, being in the mix with this group by then as well. Overall, though, both the early "Black Hand" activity and the later Falcone crew are almost always associated with strong Sicilian roots.

I'm not typically interested in groups like this, but something about Utica has stood out to me during research the past few years and I've slowly dug into them, only recently jumping in further. History aside, their range of activities in the 1950s/60s make them one of the more interesting "factions" outside of NYC.

If anyone has anything to add or correct, please feel free to let me know. I'm sure there is information missing despite this being a detailed summary of some of the figures and activities in Utica. I would like to dig into some of the Sicilian "Black Hand" activities of the 1900s-1920s even further, as I feel there are some other connections that may come up. It'd be awesome, too, if people could do more research on some of the names that have come up so far, as I've had trouble finding where some names originally come from in Italy/Sicily and those kinds of details as we know can often lead to breakthroughs in research.

[Pogo The Clown]

In 1936, Salvatore Falcone visited Italy and made some kind of financial contribution to the fascist government and was praised by Mussolini.

Just occasionally these guys act in a socially conscious way.


Pogo

[bronx]

B. great work..can you get manifest of whom he may have traveled with to italy?

[Ed]

Impressive..great summary of a little-known part of the Italian-American underworld.

[B.]

Thanks...!

Bronx -- a manifest for the 1936 visit? Will look into it, would be interesting to see.

[bronx]

Yes 36 B... going and coming if you can get it. these men traveled a lot back to sicily , interesting who may from other cities and states took part in the trips.seems early on they took the pains of checking in with the old country.. money messages ect..

[B.]

Yes 36 B... going and coming if you can get it. these men traveled a lot back to sicily , interesting who may from other cities and states took part in the trips.seems early on they took the pains of checking in with the old country.. money messages ect..

Will let you know if I find anything for sure.

I know from the Angelo Bruno and Magaddino transcripts, possibly other sources as well, that when a member (at least a high-ranking one) was traveling back to Sicily he was "required" to check in with the Commission/other bosses in case they had messages to send.

I posted some information a while back too that showed Frank Scalise was still writing letters to Palermitani mafia bosses (even ones he hadn't personally met) and discussing the mafia in code up until the time he was killed. So much there we'll never know but fascinating when we get a glimpse.

[johnny_scootch]

Utica has a huge feast for Saints Cosmas & Damian every year for over 100 years. It's one of the biggest in the country, bus loads of people come down from Canada and all over surrounding area for this one.

[bronx]

B ..where can i read about scalise? he was a force in u.s. even after daquila was killed, along with traina.so even after lucky put the big five together they were still going over to sicily not as separate entities like today, wonder when they stopped posting sicilian bosses ? ill guess 40's

[B.]

Utica has a huge feast for Saints Cosmas & Damian every year for over 100 years. It's one of the biggest in the country, bus loads of people come down from Canada and all over surrounding area for this one.

Good info -- thanks man. Utica's operations seem to be overwhelmingly Italian in their heyday, moreso than other "small" cities.

B ..where can i read about scalise? he was a force in u.s. even after daquila was killed, along with traina.so even after lucky put the big five together they were still going over to sicily not as separate entities like today, wonder when they stopped posting sicilian bosses ? ill guess 40's

Here's the Scalise topic from a while back:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3074

[SonnyBlackstein]

Whenever I hear Utica I always think of that Tom Green University movie.


Unleash the fury Mitch.



Great contribution Sonny.

[bronx]

thank you B

[B.]

Speaking of Scalise and Buffalo, when Valachi hid out in Buffalo during the Castellammarese War he said Scalise's brothers were in Buffalo as well. Apparently Scalise was close to them. Pretty interesting to me that Valachi ID'd Utica as its own family, too. I wonder if he gave any other info about them. He had been to western New York at least a couple of times that we know of so he wasn't totally unfamiliar with the area... have to wonder if Utica was originally its own family and he just assumed it stayed that way.

[Rob]

Great thread and again you have to look at what was considered a part of another family or possibly their own. Been a debate on these boards for years Rochester, Rockford etc. Always great for conversation in my opinion.

[B.]

https://mafiagenealogy.wordpress.com/20 ... -in-utica/

This article gives a good breakdown of a domestic dispute that was widely reported in papers at the time that resulted in a Utica bootlegger Rosario Gambino being killed and his son shot, with Pietro Lima responsible. Like Lima, Gambino is another possibility for an early mafia member. As the article mentions, all of these guys lived in Brooklyn before Utica.