A professional boxer too. Confirmed by Bill Bonanno, name escapes me.Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:34 pm The Bonannos also had a least one member who was a priest.
Pogo
Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
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Angelo Santino
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Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Yep, Tony Canzoneri. Bill Bonanno even said he was a "group leader" (captain) and featured a photo of Joe Bonanno and a very young Bill with Canzoneri.Chris Christie wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:26 pmA professional boxer too. Confirmed by Bill Bonanno, name escapes me.Pogo The Clown wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:34 pm The Bonannos also had a least one member who was a priest.
Pogo
The FBI had him as a member decades before Bill mentioned him, as "Anthony Canzoneri" shows up in the Bonanno deceased list on a 1973 doc I found, mentioned here:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3115
Martin Bonventre, first cousin of Joe Bonanno, who Bill implied was a made member in his last book was also a doctor, I believe, though the doctor may have been another cousin named Martin. Dr. Martin Bonventre was close to Joseph Spadaro, ID'd by the FBI as a Bonanno soldier, though Spadaro appears to have been fully legitimate and vehemently fought the allegation. Spadaro was related to the Bonannos and had business connections via the garment industry to Bonanno members, including Frank Bonomo. I suspect he was a non-criminal member and that there were a number of early members like that who were either part of the Castellammaresi or close to them.
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
This is a re-post from one of the Magaddino threads but it's a breakdown of Magaddino talking with Utica members about their activities so it fits with this topic. I've added in some new notes in bold.
Magaddino and Fred Randaccio met with Magaddino members from Syracuse/Utica. A number of issues were discussed but a primary reason for the meeting seems to have been a dispute involving members of the Profaci/Colombo family relating to a Jewish lawyer in Syracuse being swindled and threatened. At this meeting were members Rosario "Ross" Mancuso, Vincent Scro, Joseph Scro, Anthony DeStefano, Joe LNU (said to possibly be the same as Joseph Scro; doesn't seem to be Joe Falcone), and Serafino LNU (probably Serafino "Sam" Grio of Utica). It's mostly focused on Utica/Syracuse issues. Since it's Magaddino naturally it spirals off in different directions including the Frank Costello situation.
The first part is mainly focused on random bits about Mancuso, with some other things here and there:
- Ross Mancuso was getting help from a politician named Charlie DeAngelo who was the "top man" in the Motor Vehicle Bureau. From other info, we know Mancuso had his license taken away and was trying to get it back, so this connection likely relates to that.
- Magaddino has known Mancuso for 33 years but hasn't seen him for a long time. Magaddino seems agitated by Mancuso's behavior in general.
- At some previous time, Mancuso had some kind of issue with a "jukebox" and met with a "Benny" in New York to get it settled. Mancuso and the Utica crew had a number of dealings with the Genovese family as detailed elsewhere -- at one point they were reaching out to "Little Benny", the acting captain for Mike Coppola, which would be Benny Lombardo. This could very well be in reference to Lombardo as well.
- Tony DeStefano owns a bar and grill and a young relative of his working there was stealing from him, so Tony was asking for Magaddino to straighten it out. Magaddino says it is a family affair (blood family) and that if someone (i.e. a mafia member) tried to handle it the young man would go to the police. DeStefano said he was fine with the young man going to the police, so Magaddino said if that's the case he should handle it himself anyway.
- Magaddino and an unidentified man believe Ross Mancuso is desperate and urge him to change with the times. Magaddino says he used to operate just like Mancuso but has changed.
- Magaddino recently met with someone from Sicily and got into a "big argument". This guy "won by a majority of votes". Magaddino says he knew someone "since he was a baby" but it's not clear if this is the same person from Sicily.
- Mancuso lost $5000 in some kind of issue related to a labor union where he bought a Jimmy LNU out, and Magaddino didn't like that Mancuso had paid the $5000. Mancuso's captain Joe Falcone was also reportedly upset. Magaddino felt that Mancuso didn't need to buy this Jimmy out and instead should have given the money to Magaddino.
- This issue with the $5000 seems to have involved someone from New York (references to "New York" throughout this refer to NYC). From other info, we know that Mancuso had a dispute with Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese family over money related to construction equipment so this coul be the same issue.
- Mancuso was involved in activities with someone named Mike LNU and they ended up doing 16 months in jail together. Mancuso's time in jail and concerns over law enforcement "spies" seem to be an excuse for why he hadn't kept Magaddino in the loop. Magaddino doesn't buy this excuse.
- Magaddino brings up Mike Miranda, but it's not clear if this is the same Mike LNU that Mancuso was involved with.
- Someone seemingly got $20,000 in connection with the issue that took Mancuso/Mike LNU to jail.
- Again related to this, someone "lost everything" related to the concrete business. Someone named Tony LNU (not DeStefano) who seems to be a member of "the family" was lying about something related to this and received $10,000. Magaddino was upset, saying they would shoot him in the back next time for lying. Someone named "Severino" (ph.) was involved. However, Magaddino says he met with this Tony and felt Tony did not lie on purpose. A collection was made for a Morrissey (ph... the Smiths singer? haha). Based on other info, this "Tony LNU" is definitely in reference to the issue with Fat Tony Salerno.
- Magaddino continues to talk about Tony, whose last name may sound like Caldonato or Calvanato, and it sounds like he was a partner of Mancuso in this business. Magaddino makes reference to "Gambino's house" (not clear if this literally means Gambin's home or if he is using "house" to mean family, which is an archaic way of referring to a mob family). This involved $30,000 at this point (maybe a combination of the $20k and $10k figures already mentioned). Despite the phonetic last name sounding off, this is still likely in reference to Salerno. We know phonetic names on Magaddino's transcripts are often strange.
- Someone named Gus was also involved, and reference is made to getting a hold of "the Count" (this seems to be referring to a person... possibly Sam DeCavalcante?). Gus could be the brother of Albany soldier Sylvester Battaglia, Augustus "Gus" Battaglia, who may have been a Tucson-based member but probably not.
- It becomes clear that Tony and Ross Mancuso were partners in this concrete business, with Mancuso being an investor and Tony most likely running the company. Johnny Mancuso (ph... not sure if connected to Ross) was involved and someone met with a police chief. Rosario Mancuso's father Orazio went by the name "John" but not sure if he was alive at this point.
- When Ross found out he was going to the "army" for 16 months (army = jail), he got drunk with Tony and made Tony promise to pay $10k to someone named "Jimmy Rano" (ph.), who it turns out was the police chief, before paying anyone else connected to Mancuso. Maybe this was some kind of payoff to the police. Someone named Eddie LNU was also involved.
- During a discussion of "police spies", Magaddino makes reference to some changes in the law in Sicily, possibly with regard to how they handle the mafia.
- Someone called "Vincenzino Movil" (ph.) is a paisano of Magaddino but is in Palermo. Magaddino also knows a "Caogiorino" (ph.) who is a "First Senator". Someone seems to have been making assumptions about "the mafia" and Magaddino says that he came to this country (USA) as a "youngster" and "would know better about these damn things". He talks about the president and governor being against the mafia.
This is the dispute with the Jewish lawyer mentioned above:
- Joe LNU talks about someone with a name that sounds like "Sammy the Joker", who was a "a very nice boy". Says he was "of Jimmy Ducate" (it doesn't say this is phonetic, but I assume it is), indicating to the transcribers he was "Jimmy Ducate's" son (in my own interpretation I believe he meant the guy was on record with this Ducate). They were going to rob a "turk" (might have said "church", but I think it's the former). Seems a friend of Joe's named "Harry Banana" (ph.) was involved. A lawyer named Jack was a "very big sucker" who is "afraid of everybody". When the family "took in" Sam (probably the same Sammy the Joker), the lawyer went to him for protection. Sam is also called "Sammy Banana" (ph.) and is said to be a "close friend of Ducate".
- Magaddino claims that "the Ducates are the Scalisses" (much later it's clear he's talking about the same Scalises as Frank Scalise). Not sure what this means.
- The Ducates robbed Joe's friend (the lawyer Jack, I believe) which upset Joe and the Ducates claimed they didn't know.
- Someone named Joe Carlucci (ph.) spoke with this lawyer and asked for a "strong arm" to protect the lawyer, but it sounds like this Carlucci was actually trying to extort more money from the lawyer. They tried to reach out to the aforementioned Sam but couldn't get a hold of him. A reference is made to "putting acid in his car" which scared him. The lawyer ended up making a number of payoffs, including $1200 to whoever put acid in his car and another $8000 to someone else, plus he made out eight $500 checks. The lawyer reached out to Sam and gave Sam the checks, who told him not to make any more checks out.
- It becomes clear that all of his took place in Utica and the Ducates apparently said they couldn't help the lawyer because the other guys were "too tough". However they said they had somebody who could "put them in their place", and that they'd "go to the top of the Utica mob". After this the lawyer met with "Joe Colorito" (ph... maybe the same Joe Carlucci mentioned earlier), who Joe LNU says is a "nobody", and two others. These men said they were waiting for "Mr. Jay" (ph.) to come from Detroit or New Jersey and that he would "straighten out the Utica Mob". When "Mr. Jay" arrived he told them to leave the lawyer alone as he would be protecting him from now on.
- Joe LNU says that the "top boss" was "shaking" and that "Mr. Jay" was from Detroit and supposed to be "tougher than the Utica gang". It's not clear if this "top boss" was a member of the Utica decina or a boss of an independent Utica gang, but I am assuming the latter? Very curious who Mr. Jay could be... sounds like an important Detroit member.
- It sounds like Jack the lawyer continued to make payoffs but not clear to whom.
- Someone named "Al" was involved as well and tried to help the lawyer.
- Magaddino calls the lawyer "an unfortunate idiot".
- Someone named Joe Marino or Matorino (ph.) also received a payoff.
- The lawyer Jack was from New York City.
- "Mr. Jay" met with Joe LNU once to discuss this issue.
- Later Joe LNU meets with "Matty Brown" from NYC who is close to "Frankie Marro" (ph.) at the Diplomat Restaurant. Not sure if Matty Brown is the same as Genovese member Matty Brown Fortunato or who "Marro" is, but Frank Mari comes to mind.
- Matty Brown claims that he was sent to meet with Joe LNU by "the boss of the Amaro (ph.) Linen Supply Company". Brown is shocked that Joe LNU doesn't know who "the boss" of this Linen Supply Company is, and explains that it was "Tony" who sent him. I have to imagine they're talking about the Arrow Linen Supply Company (hence the Profaci connection mentioned earlier), which was run by the Maglioccos. Seems possible that "Tony" is Tony Magliocco, though it was Ambrose Magliocco who ran Arrow Linen.
- Joe LNU got angry with Matty Brown, but ended up having "ten drinks" and dinner with him at Brown's insistence, though Joe said this did not change anything.
- An "outsider" (not clear if it's Matty Brown or not) provided a telephone number for "Frankie Marro" and Joe LNU told a different Joe to call Marro, but this other Joe said not to call anybody and to use the aforementioned Al to do something. The other Joe wanted these guys to come to them (Utica) and they made the decision to stop contacting the New York guys.
- The New York guys reached out to Utica to ask what's up and someone brought Joe LNU a telephone number for someome named Carmine and told him to call it. The other Joe (likely Falcone) again told Joe LNU not to call the number.
- Magaddino wishes they had brought this issue to him earlier and says he doesn't blame everyone for "fleecing" the lawyer, but says that if the lawyer doesn't "sing today, he will sing tomorrow" (inform police) and if his family is threatened he will definitely flip.
- Magaddino believed that if this situation had been handled more cordially everything would have been fine.
- Magaddino also believes that even if the lawyer doesn't flip, it will still put everyone involved in jail because of who the checks were made out to. Joe LNU insists he won't be arrested because he wasn't involved in the actual extortion. Magaddino however believes that Joe LNU will be arrested because he was a middleman in delivering the checks back to the lawyer (seems they weren't cashed).
- Joe LNU insists he makes a good income and doesn't need money from the situation or any other situation. Magaddino however says that people will assume Joe LNU is getting a cut of the money simply because he is involved in the situation. Joe LNU continues to insist he's not getting a cut.
- Tony DeStefano, who has trouble speaking due to throat cancer, says that he talked to Joe (possibly the other Joe, Falcone?) and that he and Sam reached out to New York to find out what the dispute was all about. Tony told New York that they weren't looking for money, only principles and that they (NY) were using means they weren't supposed to be using. Tony talked to Frankie Marro and asked him why he sent Matty Brown.
- Magaddino chastises the Utica guys for their handling of the situation and says they should have gone to their captain initially, but they waited until now when the situation was out of hand.
- Someone named "Mr. Carato" (ph.) was also involved in the situation and they don't know anything about his past. This might be the same guy as the aforementioned "Mr. Jay" from Detroit, who it sounds like could actually be called "Mr. G".
" Al, whose name came up earlier, may have a brother called Julie (ph.).
- Fred Randaccio finally speaks up and refers to "Mr. G" from Detroit as a "big man" and says if they have questions about him to simply "inquire".
- Magaddino refers to "when this guy was living in New York" (Mr. G?) and calls him a "cucumber" haha. Says that they should have "let them come from New York".
- Magaddino talks about an "amico nostro" wanting to speak to him, but he refused to go near the guy because of his character. He says he wouldn't make contact with "these people" even though they were amici nostri, as they are "wolves".
- Magaddino says that his family respects "every neck of every family that calls itself Cosa Nostra" and puts itself on the side of that which is just. He says they would let New York members visit them to discuss the issue and if they "throw away the truth", they "must not leave" and would be "sent away dead".
- Magaddino asks about Joe LNU's friend (possibly Jack the lawyer) and how much of a "good boy" he is and "how far" he can go. Vincent Scro says he doesn't know, but Joe LNU says he wants to "break the skulls" of the "two brothers" (I guess Al and Julie). An undentified attendee says they should have crippled the two brothers.
- Magaddino says "they need to die", which Vincent Scro agrees with. Magaddino says that simply beating them isn't enough. He says they need to "cut his throat and throw him in the street".
- Magaddino mentions an amico nostro named Paul in relation to this who is "wretched and miserable" because he allowed his people to try to make a move on Syracuse and Utica. He feels they should kill the two brothers to send a message, because simply beating them would allow the brothers to talk to other people and stretch the issue out. He uses the Gallo brothers in NY saying "We don't give a damn!" as an example of what happens when you don't "cut their tails off" to begin with.
- This "Mr. J" or "Mr. G" comes up again and Joe LNU says that he goes all over the country "working swindles". Magaddino seems personally offended that this guy tried to fleece the lawyer in Syracuse specificially opposed to California or Florida (maybe because those places are considered more "open" territory?).
- Magaddino feels that as soon as someone else (i.e. mob member) tries to talk to Jack the lawyer again, the lawyer will believe he is being fleeced again and will go to the police and point the finger at Joe LNU for transporting his checks. He feels the lawyer is too weak to be trusted.
- Rosario Mancuso was also involved in this issue, but it's not clear how he was connected to the ongoing lawyer problem.
- Magaddino says he wants amici nostri to "live more safely than in church", that "our friends are protected and live longer than the statuette in church".
- He says something indicating the only guy he has total faith in is Serafino, who is in attendance at this meeting but has said very little. He talks about advice he had previously given Serafino to not listen to anybody and turn the other way. He says Serafino has "always had respect".
- He refers to some guy who was mistreated and went to see Magaddino's "compare" in Miami. The guy in Miami could be Salvatore Falcone.
- Mancuso says when "this gang got started" they approached him and asked him to help them "get us in" in Rochester. Sounds like the gang who were causing problems with the lawyer had originally approached Mancuso for help getting into rackets in Rochester. Mancuso then approached "Sam" in Rochester.
- Magaddino becomes extremely upset about this, saying that Mancuso was acting "like a caporegima" and should have approached Serafino before going to Rochester and should have talked to Magaddino, who would have told him to mind his own business. Sounds like Serafino is Mancuso's captain. Magaddino says if Mancuso was "a tainted young man" he could understand Mancuso's decision to support this gang, but that if he had done that he would also be dead. We know Serafino Grio was not the Utica captain, but this info fits with the informant who said Grio was "more than a soldier" -- maybe Grio was the acting captain when Joseph Falcone was unavailable.
- There is a reference to a "Georgie Ross" and various guys referred to as brother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, etc. but it's not clear who they are, though some of them appear to be involved in the gang Mancuso supported.
- Magaddino says if Mancuso had approached his caporegima and his caporegima spoke with Magaddino, they could have discussed the prospect of letting the gang get involved in rackets, but because Mancuso didn't follow protocol and "know the different territories" the discussion is over and "we have to think to beat these people".
- Unidentified attendee makes a suggestion that is unclear and references "Americanized youth who go around stealing". Reference to someone called "Ted Murray" (ph.). Magaddino becomes enraged, saying "You'll do as I tell you! We don't need anybody out of town!" and other ideas related to this.
- Magaddino continues by saying that when it comes to the protection of amici nostri, you have to earn the respect. He is firmly against calling in outsiders to handle their problems, especially from New York. He says it's nobody else's business when it comes to defending their own territory. This seems to be based on the lawyer issue and the Profaci family becoming involved in the dispute. He feels "dirty clothes are washed within the family" and that his family should be able to make decisions regardless of New York. "When blood is necessary, it's necessary." He refers to "spies' having no business where they don't belong and says "Mr. Falcone, Mr. Magliocco from New York, Mr. Nervo (ph.) from New York. What do they have to do with us?!" Any idea who "Nervo" could be? Interesting that he feels there are New York "spies" in his territory.
Conversation goes in a different direction so splitting it up:
- Magaddino refers to a "Joe Malangone" (ph.) who is a "nice fellow and a man of conscience". He then refers to Philadelphia.
- Next he refers to "Joe Aida" (Ida?) being nervous because of Magaddino.
- Next he says that "John Marino" claimed he was going to kill a large number of people and "doesn't belong in New York" nor "there or there". Also says "he doesn't belong to us either". Says he spoke face to face with "some of us", including Magaddino, and is in "our territory". Marino was apparently in a restaurant when a guy was hit in the head, not sure if Marino did it or what. Magaddino is very upset and rambling at this point but seems to eb saying that this Marino threatened to kill people and was involved in some kind of incident in NY before coming to Madaddino's territory. There is an indication that this guy was either "fleeced" or "killed" but he apparently uses a curse word that makes it unclear.
- This Marino seems to have gotten drunk and said "you give me up", and another unidentified attendee says "he throttled him". Reference is made by Magaddino to a "revolver that killed..." before he is cut off. Serafino says "this is the guy that grabbed..." before he too is cut off, and Magaddino shouts "Tony Franchese!" (ph.)
- Serafino shouts "Tony Franchese!" back, and then Magaddino says "Cheech Scalisse! But who did he kill? King Farouk? He killed a nobody. Because he, the temepstuous one, when he was full of fire said to me, 'I don't need these spies any more.'"
- Magaddino says that "to him, Cheech Scalise was a spy". The "him" is apparently a reference to a "Mr. Campello" or "Cambello". he then talks about a conversation he had with Campello/Cambello where he says "if you would have done away with the gun".
- Magaddino, seemingly a part of the same topic, says "I liked Sylvester. Despite his temper, I respected him," and that he was sincere and ready to help Magaddino. This could be Albany soldier Sylvester Battaglia, but the information below seems out of character based on what I've seen about Battaglia. Most info on Battaglia comes from when he was elderly though so who knows what he was like when he was younger.
- Sylvester apparently used to send people to help Magaddino if he needed it. However, he says he killed many people and over a period of five years he killed more than 100 amici nostri. He clarifies "more than 100" and not "less than 100". He says he gave Sylvester five or seven "propositions". Not sure if he means propositions to murder people or what.
- Sylvester was on the lam at one point and was hiding at the homes of various men. However, he would tell people about their homes and criticize their wives, for example saying that some guy's wife "hardly put out enough good to eat."
- Some guy was brought to New York but not sure if it's Sylvester. Seems like it's someone else as he says "he was a wretched one too" who "double crosses" and kills people behind the boss' back.
This is when things get really interesting to me:
- Continuing on the last line of thought, he sas "He seems to be a miserable creature like Frank Costello. How did he lose his life? The tempestuous one made him lose his life. That miserable bum." The FBI interpreted this to mean that by "lose his life", Magaddino actually means "fall out of favor or lose his way of life in Cosa Nostra", which indicates that the tempestuous one is obviously Vito Genovese.
- Magaddino says that "Charlie LNU" (must be Luciano) had a lot of respec for Costello.
- Says Costello "allowed himself to become bulldozed and began to get together with him various things."
- Serafino says "it was he who dirtied the jackets" and Magaddino says "Don't believe it. The jacket was so dirty that -- he's wretched -- he says it was that way" and that "he was so dirty and wretched." Not sure what this means, but probably a reference to either Costello or Genovese.
- Magaddino says he has known Frank Costello for a very long time, even before Costello became an amico nostro.
- Says "when the borer came close" that "he managed to kill Vincenzio Manno (ph.)." Magaddino clarifies that he is not "speaking on behalf of Vincenzio Manno. I don't give a damn about Vincenzio Manno. It's his fault about Vincenzio Manno. Anyway, Frankie made him one of his troops." I believe Manno is probably Vincent Mangano and that Magaddino is saying that Frank Costello conspired with Anastasia or Genovese to kill Mangano.
- In relation to the above, Magaddino says "he" (Costello?) and "that guy who was at fault" conspired to kill two Calabrians which would earn them $10,000 each. Sarafino asks if they were killed, and Magaddino says yes and says some weird stuff about a knife, that they used the knife with "people he had no business with". The FBI believes an unidentified man and Costello killed two Calabrians and that the unidentified man was proud of the way he had used a knife to do it, which bothered Magaddino who felt they shouldn't have used a knife. This whole thing is very strange, especially because Costello was a Calabrian who had many alliances with fellow Calabrese.
- The unidentified man apparently came to Magaddino bragging that he "grabbed him by the neck" (one of the victims", and Magaddino told him not to tell him about it and not to "waste his breath", as the guy is already dead.
- He says Costello played the part of the "dishonest traitor". Says "If Costello would have turned out to be a policy spy and a hammer - the confession of the hammer..." and something about it causing "trouble today" and whether or not "it would pass", which Serafino seems to think it would.
- Someone said to Magaddino "We have to kill Costello" along with a couple of other targets. This same guy apparently put himself in contact with the entire Commission but would only meet with all of them at once. Must be Genovese.
- Magaddino says Costello would never have stepped down if not for the attempt on his life. Funny, because Valachi said the opposite.
- Apparently Genovese or whoever Magaddino is referring to tried to get Magaddino to admit that he had known about the plot to kill Costello and admit it to the Commission, but Magaddino denied knowing about it and claimed he still doesn't know about the conspiracy. He mentioned "two idiots", which indicates maybe Genovese had a partner in the conspiracy.
- Magaddino was apparently questioned by the Commission about the Costello plot but denied knowing anything. he felt they were just trying to knock him down.
- He mentions a "Charlie Adia" (ph.) who said he had spoken to Magaddino. Apparently this is who told the Commission that Magaddino knew about the conspiracy.
- Magaddino rambles on some more and the FBI believes he was saying that at this meeting between himself, another guy, and the Commission, a decision was made to murder someone and that someone at this meeting (not Magaddino) volunteered to take the murder contract.
- Serafino speaks up and says that the person who took the murder contract had previously received certain amounts of money from the person who was to be killed and that this person had also previously saved his life. Magaddino confirms this and says that the intended victim had also set up the would-be killer with a house and "did everything for him".
- Magaddino says the would-be killer not only took the contract to kill the above mentioned victim, but also poisoned another guy in jail. This is later clarified to be "Sally", who is no doubt Sally Moretti who died suspiciously in jail. This makes me believe that Magaddino dipped back a few years in this discussion and that the intended victim from the Commission was Willie Moretti, with Genovese volunteering to take the contract. Seems possible that Moretti had helped Genovese out financially when he returned from Italy... best guess I can make.
- With this added context, I believe when Magaddino referred to Costello and someone else conspiring to kill two Calabrians, he was talking about the Moretti brothers. Much of this is translated from Sicilian so I believe "the knife" was probably a metaphor or some kind of Sicilian figure of speech, and he was actually referring to Costello and Genovese having the Moretti brothers killed (though Sally Moretti's death in prison can't be confirmed as a murder, it was suspicious even to LE at the time).
- Magaddino refers to "Frank Melito" (ph.) being a dishonorable bum. Might still be Costello.
- Albert Anastasia's funeral is mentioned and it seems Magaddino and Serafino felt someone shouldn't have attended, and that this person was "faking" their behavior and pretending peace should be made, that this person is a "scoundrel" who should die as a result. I thought they were talking about Costello or Genovese, but Magaddino goes on to say that after Magaddino had "gone to great lengths" to make peace this person was responsible for the murder of Cheech Scalise's brother Joe, which Magaddino felt was dishonorable. This is strange because Joe Scalise was believed murdered by Jimmy Squillante. Not sure what they're talking about here.
And last is a little bit about Canada:
- A "Felipo" in Canada is referenced as "the table" (sitdown?). He apparently said something to Serafino for Magaddino's "satisfaction". Also at this table was Dominick D'Agostino who was "locking horns with that guy Ralph" about a "kid who had killed that other kid in Canada". From other info we know that Serafino Grio traveled to Canada to pick up money at one point, so this could be related to that or other dealings Grio had in Canada. We also know that Buffalo soldier D'Agostino frequented the Utica area and was close to the Falcones so maybe he was close with fellow Calabrian Grio as well. What's interesting is that two old time Calabrian members of the Magaddino family from different cities seem to have been involved in Magaddino family activities in Canada, where there was a strong Calabrian presence.
- "Joe Aida" spoke to Magaddino about it and Magaddino decided to arbitrare the dispute. He says he knew "Joe Aida" before he was an amico nostro, which is why Aida respected Magaddino. Magaddino says he had the "highest respect" for Joe.
- The John Marino mentioned earlier comes up again aid is said to have gone "there" (Canada?) and punched someone. "Another guy who lived in Rochester kept his mouth shut because he didn't trust nobody" and "Another lived in Philadelphia". I thought the "Joe Aida" he is talking about was Philly boss Joe Ida, especially since he mentioned Philadelphia, but I think he's referring to Rochester-based member Joe Ida who was apparently a member of the Buffalo/Rochester family.
- "The guy from Rochester" brought someone to New York named "Luis" (Greco?) and Magaddino asked who sent them. Magaddino then references Cheech Scalise and says "How could I send him to Cheech Scalise when you are the representative?" and says they will lose respect for each other if he did that.
- Magaddino told Joe (Aida) that he didn't want anything else to do with John Marino and says there is a "storm" (dispute). He asks Joe if they are at peace or war, and Joe clarified they are at peace.
- The discussion gets confusing, they again reference John Marino being taken to NY and reference is made to Scalise, but how "Scalise was dead". An argument then developed involving Dominick D'Agostino and Rocco DeStufelino (ph.) against the aforementioned Ralph.
- Magaddino told D'Agostino not to open his mouth anymore and to end the argument. "Ralphaelle" (ph.) who Magaddino says was a "spy" stayed quiet. John Melito (Marino?) and Tony Anastasio were involved as well and Magaddino talked to Anastasio about how he (Anastasio) was mourning his wife and daughter and not to worry about anything. How he (Magaddino) would handle it. There was a Utica associate named Tony Anastasio, so this could be a reference to him though it could be Tough Tony Anastasio, too.
- Magaddino later sent someone there on his behalf and a "squad of peril" was there, which I thought must be a reference to law enforcement as he says everybody there had their picture taken. However, though, as he says "John Melito with the photographers" and asks "Why take all of these pictures? You want to ruin everybody." he wonders why the pictures were taken since his (Anastasio's) daughter was dead.
- Serafino says "They wanted to show the pictues" and someone else says "they wanted to show who they knew".
- Magaddino apparently saw the pictures and went to a gas station where he told his compare something, but the conversation cuts out there. When the conversation resumes later they talk about unrelated matters, though a reference is made to an FBI agent who has been carrying a camera and takes pictures of members when they are seen together. This doesn't appear to be related to the previous discussion of photographs. I find the earlier photograph discussion bizarre -- it sounds like John Melito/Marino or someone had photographs taken of all the men who were meeting, almost like a social gathering, but it's hard to say what the hell they're talking about. Also, did Tony Anastasio's wife and daughter die in the early 1960s?
Magaddino and Fred Randaccio met with Magaddino members from Syracuse/Utica. A number of issues were discussed but a primary reason for the meeting seems to have been a dispute involving members of the Profaci/Colombo family relating to a Jewish lawyer in Syracuse being swindled and threatened. At this meeting were members Rosario "Ross" Mancuso, Vincent Scro, Joseph Scro, Anthony DeStefano, Joe LNU (said to possibly be the same as Joseph Scro; doesn't seem to be Joe Falcone), and Serafino LNU (probably Serafino "Sam" Grio of Utica). It's mostly focused on Utica/Syracuse issues. Since it's Magaddino naturally it spirals off in different directions including the Frank Costello situation.
The first part is mainly focused on random bits about Mancuso, with some other things here and there:
- Ross Mancuso was getting help from a politician named Charlie DeAngelo who was the "top man" in the Motor Vehicle Bureau. From other info, we know Mancuso had his license taken away and was trying to get it back, so this connection likely relates to that.
- Magaddino has known Mancuso for 33 years but hasn't seen him for a long time. Magaddino seems agitated by Mancuso's behavior in general.
- At some previous time, Mancuso had some kind of issue with a "jukebox" and met with a "Benny" in New York to get it settled. Mancuso and the Utica crew had a number of dealings with the Genovese family as detailed elsewhere -- at one point they were reaching out to "Little Benny", the acting captain for Mike Coppola, which would be Benny Lombardo. This could very well be in reference to Lombardo as well.
- Tony DeStefano owns a bar and grill and a young relative of his working there was stealing from him, so Tony was asking for Magaddino to straighten it out. Magaddino says it is a family affair (blood family) and that if someone (i.e. a mafia member) tried to handle it the young man would go to the police. DeStefano said he was fine with the young man going to the police, so Magaddino said if that's the case he should handle it himself anyway.
- Magaddino and an unidentified man believe Ross Mancuso is desperate and urge him to change with the times. Magaddino says he used to operate just like Mancuso but has changed.
- Magaddino recently met with someone from Sicily and got into a "big argument". This guy "won by a majority of votes". Magaddino says he knew someone "since he was a baby" but it's not clear if this is the same person from Sicily.
- Mancuso lost $5000 in some kind of issue related to a labor union where he bought a Jimmy LNU out, and Magaddino didn't like that Mancuso had paid the $5000. Mancuso's captain Joe Falcone was also reportedly upset. Magaddino felt that Mancuso didn't need to buy this Jimmy out and instead should have given the money to Magaddino.
- This issue with the $5000 seems to have involved someone from New York (references to "New York" throughout this refer to NYC). From other info, we know that Mancuso had a dispute with Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese family over money related to construction equipment so this coul be the same issue.
- Mancuso was involved in activities with someone named Mike LNU and they ended up doing 16 months in jail together. Mancuso's time in jail and concerns over law enforcement "spies" seem to be an excuse for why he hadn't kept Magaddino in the loop. Magaddino doesn't buy this excuse.
- Magaddino brings up Mike Miranda, but it's not clear if this is the same Mike LNU that Mancuso was involved with.
- Someone seemingly got $20,000 in connection with the issue that took Mancuso/Mike LNU to jail.
- Again related to this, someone "lost everything" related to the concrete business. Someone named Tony LNU (not DeStefano) who seems to be a member of "the family" was lying about something related to this and received $10,000. Magaddino was upset, saying they would shoot him in the back next time for lying. Someone named "Severino" (ph.) was involved. However, Magaddino says he met with this Tony and felt Tony did not lie on purpose. A collection was made for a Morrissey (ph... the Smiths singer? haha). Based on other info, this "Tony LNU" is definitely in reference to the issue with Fat Tony Salerno.
- Magaddino continues to talk about Tony, whose last name may sound like Caldonato or Calvanato, and it sounds like he was a partner of Mancuso in this business. Magaddino makes reference to "Gambino's house" (not clear if this literally means Gambin's home or if he is using "house" to mean family, which is an archaic way of referring to a mob family). This involved $30,000 at this point (maybe a combination of the $20k and $10k figures already mentioned). Despite the phonetic last name sounding off, this is still likely in reference to Salerno. We know phonetic names on Magaddino's transcripts are often strange.
- Someone named Gus was also involved, and reference is made to getting a hold of "the Count" (this seems to be referring to a person... possibly Sam DeCavalcante?). Gus could be the brother of Albany soldier Sylvester Battaglia, Augustus "Gus" Battaglia, who may have been a Tucson-based member but probably not.
- It becomes clear that Tony and Ross Mancuso were partners in this concrete business, with Mancuso being an investor and Tony most likely running the company. Johnny Mancuso (ph... not sure if connected to Ross) was involved and someone met with a police chief. Rosario Mancuso's father Orazio went by the name "John" but not sure if he was alive at this point.
- When Ross found out he was going to the "army" for 16 months (army = jail), he got drunk with Tony and made Tony promise to pay $10k to someone named "Jimmy Rano" (ph.), who it turns out was the police chief, before paying anyone else connected to Mancuso. Maybe this was some kind of payoff to the police. Someone named Eddie LNU was also involved.
- During a discussion of "police spies", Magaddino makes reference to some changes in the law in Sicily, possibly with regard to how they handle the mafia.
- Someone called "Vincenzino Movil" (ph.) is a paisano of Magaddino but is in Palermo. Magaddino also knows a "Caogiorino" (ph.) who is a "First Senator". Someone seems to have been making assumptions about "the mafia" and Magaddino says that he came to this country (USA) as a "youngster" and "would know better about these damn things". He talks about the president and governor being against the mafia.
This is the dispute with the Jewish lawyer mentioned above:
- Joe LNU talks about someone with a name that sounds like "Sammy the Joker", who was a "a very nice boy". Says he was "of Jimmy Ducate" (it doesn't say this is phonetic, but I assume it is), indicating to the transcribers he was "Jimmy Ducate's" son (in my own interpretation I believe he meant the guy was on record with this Ducate). They were going to rob a "turk" (might have said "church", but I think it's the former). Seems a friend of Joe's named "Harry Banana" (ph.) was involved. A lawyer named Jack was a "very big sucker" who is "afraid of everybody". When the family "took in" Sam (probably the same Sammy the Joker), the lawyer went to him for protection. Sam is also called "Sammy Banana" (ph.) and is said to be a "close friend of Ducate".
- Magaddino claims that "the Ducates are the Scalisses" (much later it's clear he's talking about the same Scalises as Frank Scalise). Not sure what this means.
- The Ducates robbed Joe's friend (the lawyer Jack, I believe) which upset Joe and the Ducates claimed they didn't know.
- Someone named Joe Carlucci (ph.) spoke with this lawyer and asked for a "strong arm" to protect the lawyer, but it sounds like this Carlucci was actually trying to extort more money from the lawyer. They tried to reach out to the aforementioned Sam but couldn't get a hold of him. A reference is made to "putting acid in his car" which scared him. The lawyer ended up making a number of payoffs, including $1200 to whoever put acid in his car and another $8000 to someone else, plus he made out eight $500 checks. The lawyer reached out to Sam and gave Sam the checks, who told him not to make any more checks out.
- It becomes clear that all of his took place in Utica and the Ducates apparently said they couldn't help the lawyer because the other guys were "too tough". However they said they had somebody who could "put them in their place", and that they'd "go to the top of the Utica mob". After this the lawyer met with "Joe Colorito" (ph... maybe the same Joe Carlucci mentioned earlier), who Joe LNU says is a "nobody", and two others. These men said they were waiting for "Mr. Jay" (ph.) to come from Detroit or New Jersey and that he would "straighten out the Utica Mob". When "Mr. Jay" arrived he told them to leave the lawyer alone as he would be protecting him from now on.
- Joe LNU says that the "top boss" was "shaking" and that "Mr. Jay" was from Detroit and supposed to be "tougher than the Utica gang". It's not clear if this "top boss" was a member of the Utica decina or a boss of an independent Utica gang, but I am assuming the latter? Very curious who Mr. Jay could be... sounds like an important Detroit member.
- It sounds like Jack the lawyer continued to make payoffs but not clear to whom.
- Someone named "Al" was involved as well and tried to help the lawyer.
- Magaddino calls the lawyer "an unfortunate idiot".
- Someone named Joe Marino or Matorino (ph.) also received a payoff.
- The lawyer Jack was from New York City.
- "Mr. Jay" met with Joe LNU once to discuss this issue.
- Later Joe LNU meets with "Matty Brown" from NYC who is close to "Frankie Marro" (ph.) at the Diplomat Restaurant. Not sure if Matty Brown is the same as Genovese member Matty Brown Fortunato or who "Marro" is, but Frank Mari comes to mind.
- Matty Brown claims that he was sent to meet with Joe LNU by "the boss of the Amaro (ph.) Linen Supply Company". Brown is shocked that Joe LNU doesn't know who "the boss" of this Linen Supply Company is, and explains that it was "Tony" who sent him. I have to imagine they're talking about the Arrow Linen Supply Company (hence the Profaci connection mentioned earlier), which was run by the Maglioccos. Seems possible that "Tony" is Tony Magliocco, though it was Ambrose Magliocco who ran Arrow Linen.
- Joe LNU got angry with Matty Brown, but ended up having "ten drinks" and dinner with him at Brown's insistence, though Joe said this did not change anything.
- An "outsider" (not clear if it's Matty Brown or not) provided a telephone number for "Frankie Marro" and Joe LNU told a different Joe to call Marro, but this other Joe said not to call anybody and to use the aforementioned Al to do something. The other Joe wanted these guys to come to them (Utica) and they made the decision to stop contacting the New York guys.
- The New York guys reached out to Utica to ask what's up and someone brought Joe LNU a telephone number for someome named Carmine and told him to call it. The other Joe (likely Falcone) again told Joe LNU not to call the number.
- Magaddino wishes they had brought this issue to him earlier and says he doesn't blame everyone for "fleecing" the lawyer, but says that if the lawyer doesn't "sing today, he will sing tomorrow" (inform police) and if his family is threatened he will definitely flip.
- Magaddino believed that if this situation had been handled more cordially everything would have been fine.
- Magaddino also believes that even if the lawyer doesn't flip, it will still put everyone involved in jail because of who the checks were made out to. Joe LNU insists he won't be arrested because he wasn't involved in the actual extortion. Magaddino however believes that Joe LNU will be arrested because he was a middleman in delivering the checks back to the lawyer (seems they weren't cashed).
- Joe LNU insists he makes a good income and doesn't need money from the situation or any other situation. Magaddino however says that people will assume Joe LNU is getting a cut of the money simply because he is involved in the situation. Joe LNU continues to insist he's not getting a cut.
- Tony DeStefano, who has trouble speaking due to throat cancer, says that he talked to Joe (possibly the other Joe, Falcone?) and that he and Sam reached out to New York to find out what the dispute was all about. Tony told New York that they weren't looking for money, only principles and that they (NY) were using means they weren't supposed to be using. Tony talked to Frankie Marro and asked him why he sent Matty Brown.
- Magaddino chastises the Utica guys for their handling of the situation and says they should have gone to their captain initially, but they waited until now when the situation was out of hand.
- Someone named "Mr. Carato" (ph.) was also involved in the situation and they don't know anything about his past. This might be the same guy as the aforementioned "Mr. Jay" from Detroit, who it sounds like could actually be called "Mr. G".
" Al, whose name came up earlier, may have a brother called Julie (ph.).
- Fred Randaccio finally speaks up and refers to "Mr. G" from Detroit as a "big man" and says if they have questions about him to simply "inquire".
- Magaddino refers to "when this guy was living in New York" (Mr. G?) and calls him a "cucumber" haha. Says that they should have "let them come from New York".
- Magaddino talks about an "amico nostro" wanting to speak to him, but he refused to go near the guy because of his character. He says he wouldn't make contact with "these people" even though they were amici nostri, as they are "wolves".
- Magaddino says that his family respects "every neck of every family that calls itself Cosa Nostra" and puts itself on the side of that which is just. He says they would let New York members visit them to discuss the issue and if they "throw away the truth", they "must not leave" and would be "sent away dead".
- Magaddino asks about Joe LNU's friend (possibly Jack the lawyer) and how much of a "good boy" he is and "how far" he can go. Vincent Scro says he doesn't know, but Joe LNU says he wants to "break the skulls" of the "two brothers" (I guess Al and Julie). An undentified attendee says they should have crippled the two brothers.
- Magaddino says "they need to die", which Vincent Scro agrees with. Magaddino says that simply beating them isn't enough. He says they need to "cut his throat and throw him in the street".
- Magaddino mentions an amico nostro named Paul in relation to this who is "wretched and miserable" because he allowed his people to try to make a move on Syracuse and Utica. He feels they should kill the two brothers to send a message, because simply beating them would allow the brothers to talk to other people and stretch the issue out. He uses the Gallo brothers in NY saying "We don't give a damn!" as an example of what happens when you don't "cut their tails off" to begin with.
- This "Mr. J" or "Mr. G" comes up again and Joe LNU says that he goes all over the country "working swindles". Magaddino seems personally offended that this guy tried to fleece the lawyer in Syracuse specificially opposed to California or Florida (maybe because those places are considered more "open" territory?).
- Magaddino feels that as soon as someone else (i.e. mob member) tries to talk to Jack the lawyer again, the lawyer will believe he is being fleeced again and will go to the police and point the finger at Joe LNU for transporting his checks. He feels the lawyer is too weak to be trusted.
- Rosario Mancuso was also involved in this issue, but it's not clear how he was connected to the ongoing lawyer problem.
- Magaddino says he wants amici nostri to "live more safely than in church", that "our friends are protected and live longer than the statuette in church".
- He says something indicating the only guy he has total faith in is Serafino, who is in attendance at this meeting but has said very little. He talks about advice he had previously given Serafino to not listen to anybody and turn the other way. He says Serafino has "always had respect".
- He refers to some guy who was mistreated and went to see Magaddino's "compare" in Miami. The guy in Miami could be Salvatore Falcone.
- Mancuso says when "this gang got started" they approached him and asked him to help them "get us in" in Rochester. Sounds like the gang who were causing problems with the lawyer had originally approached Mancuso for help getting into rackets in Rochester. Mancuso then approached "Sam" in Rochester.
- Magaddino becomes extremely upset about this, saying that Mancuso was acting "like a caporegima" and should have approached Serafino before going to Rochester and should have talked to Magaddino, who would have told him to mind his own business. Sounds like Serafino is Mancuso's captain. Magaddino says if Mancuso was "a tainted young man" he could understand Mancuso's decision to support this gang, but that if he had done that he would also be dead. We know Serafino Grio was not the Utica captain, but this info fits with the informant who said Grio was "more than a soldier" -- maybe Grio was the acting captain when Joseph Falcone was unavailable.
- There is a reference to a "Georgie Ross" and various guys referred to as brother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, etc. but it's not clear who they are, though some of them appear to be involved in the gang Mancuso supported.
- Magaddino says if Mancuso had approached his caporegima and his caporegima spoke with Magaddino, they could have discussed the prospect of letting the gang get involved in rackets, but because Mancuso didn't follow protocol and "know the different territories" the discussion is over and "we have to think to beat these people".
- Unidentified attendee makes a suggestion that is unclear and references "Americanized youth who go around stealing". Reference to someone called "Ted Murray" (ph.). Magaddino becomes enraged, saying "You'll do as I tell you! We don't need anybody out of town!" and other ideas related to this.
- Magaddino continues by saying that when it comes to the protection of amici nostri, you have to earn the respect. He is firmly against calling in outsiders to handle their problems, especially from New York. He says it's nobody else's business when it comes to defending their own territory. This seems to be based on the lawyer issue and the Profaci family becoming involved in the dispute. He feels "dirty clothes are washed within the family" and that his family should be able to make decisions regardless of New York. "When blood is necessary, it's necessary." He refers to "spies' having no business where they don't belong and says "Mr. Falcone, Mr. Magliocco from New York, Mr. Nervo (ph.) from New York. What do they have to do with us?!" Any idea who "Nervo" could be? Interesting that he feels there are New York "spies" in his territory.
Conversation goes in a different direction so splitting it up:
- Magaddino refers to a "Joe Malangone" (ph.) who is a "nice fellow and a man of conscience". He then refers to Philadelphia.
- Next he refers to "Joe Aida" (Ida?) being nervous because of Magaddino.
- Next he says that "John Marino" claimed he was going to kill a large number of people and "doesn't belong in New York" nor "there or there". Also says "he doesn't belong to us either". Says he spoke face to face with "some of us", including Magaddino, and is in "our territory". Marino was apparently in a restaurant when a guy was hit in the head, not sure if Marino did it or what. Magaddino is very upset and rambling at this point but seems to eb saying that this Marino threatened to kill people and was involved in some kind of incident in NY before coming to Madaddino's territory. There is an indication that this guy was either "fleeced" or "killed" but he apparently uses a curse word that makes it unclear.
- This Marino seems to have gotten drunk and said "you give me up", and another unidentified attendee says "he throttled him". Reference is made by Magaddino to a "revolver that killed..." before he is cut off. Serafino says "this is the guy that grabbed..." before he too is cut off, and Magaddino shouts "Tony Franchese!" (ph.)
- Serafino shouts "Tony Franchese!" back, and then Magaddino says "Cheech Scalisse! But who did he kill? King Farouk? He killed a nobody. Because he, the temepstuous one, when he was full of fire said to me, 'I don't need these spies any more.'"
- Magaddino says that "to him, Cheech Scalise was a spy". The "him" is apparently a reference to a "Mr. Campello" or "Cambello". he then talks about a conversation he had with Campello/Cambello where he says "if you would have done away with the gun".
- Magaddino, seemingly a part of the same topic, says "I liked Sylvester. Despite his temper, I respected him," and that he was sincere and ready to help Magaddino. This could be Albany soldier Sylvester Battaglia, but the information below seems out of character based on what I've seen about Battaglia. Most info on Battaglia comes from when he was elderly though so who knows what he was like when he was younger.
- Sylvester apparently used to send people to help Magaddino if he needed it. However, he says he killed many people and over a period of five years he killed more than 100 amici nostri. He clarifies "more than 100" and not "less than 100". He says he gave Sylvester five or seven "propositions". Not sure if he means propositions to murder people or what.
- Sylvester was on the lam at one point and was hiding at the homes of various men. However, he would tell people about their homes and criticize their wives, for example saying that some guy's wife "hardly put out enough good to eat."
- Some guy was brought to New York but not sure if it's Sylvester. Seems like it's someone else as he says "he was a wretched one too" who "double crosses" and kills people behind the boss' back.
This is when things get really interesting to me:
- Continuing on the last line of thought, he sas "He seems to be a miserable creature like Frank Costello. How did he lose his life? The tempestuous one made him lose his life. That miserable bum." The FBI interpreted this to mean that by "lose his life", Magaddino actually means "fall out of favor or lose his way of life in Cosa Nostra", which indicates that the tempestuous one is obviously Vito Genovese.
- Magaddino says that "Charlie LNU" (must be Luciano) had a lot of respec for Costello.
- Says Costello "allowed himself to become bulldozed and began to get together with him various things."
- Serafino says "it was he who dirtied the jackets" and Magaddino says "Don't believe it. The jacket was so dirty that -- he's wretched -- he says it was that way" and that "he was so dirty and wretched." Not sure what this means, but probably a reference to either Costello or Genovese.
- Magaddino says he has known Frank Costello for a very long time, even before Costello became an amico nostro.
- Says "when the borer came close" that "he managed to kill Vincenzio Manno (ph.)." Magaddino clarifies that he is not "speaking on behalf of Vincenzio Manno. I don't give a damn about Vincenzio Manno. It's his fault about Vincenzio Manno. Anyway, Frankie made him one of his troops." I believe Manno is probably Vincent Mangano and that Magaddino is saying that Frank Costello conspired with Anastasia or Genovese to kill Mangano.
- In relation to the above, Magaddino says "he" (Costello?) and "that guy who was at fault" conspired to kill two Calabrians which would earn them $10,000 each. Sarafino asks if they were killed, and Magaddino says yes and says some weird stuff about a knife, that they used the knife with "people he had no business with". The FBI believes an unidentified man and Costello killed two Calabrians and that the unidentified man was proud of the way he had used a knife to do it, which bothered Magaddino who felt they shouldn't have used a knife. This whole thing is very strange, especially because Costello was a Calabrian who had many alliances with fellow Calabrese.
- The unidentified man apparently came to Magaddino bragging that he "grabbed him by the neck" (one of the victims", and Magaddino told him not to tell him about it and not to "waste his breath", as the guy is already dead.
- He says Costello played the part of the "dishonest traitor". Says "If Costello would have turned out to be a policy spy and a hammer - the confession of the hammer..." and something about it causing "trouble today" and whether or not "it would pass", which Serafino seems to think it would.
- Someone said to Magaddino "We have to kill Costello" along with a couple of other targets. This same guy apparently put himself in contact with the entire Commission but would only meet with all of them at once. Must be Genovese.
- Magaddino says Costello would never have stepped down if not for the attempt on his life. Funny, because Valachi said the opposite.
- Apparently Genovese or whoever Magaddino is referring to tried to get Magaddino to admit that he had known about the plot to kill Costello and admit it to the Commission, but Magaddino denied knowing about it and claimed he still doesn't know about the conspiracy. He mentioned "two idiots", which indicates maybe Genovese had a partner in the conspiracy.
- Magaddino was apparently questioned by the Commission about the Costello plot but denied knowing anything. he felt they were just trying to knock him down.
- He mentions a "Charlie Adia" (ph.) who said he had spoken to Magaddino. Apparently this is who told the Commission that Magaddino knew about the conspiracy.
- Magaddino rambles on some more and the FBI believes he was saying that at this meeting between himself, another guy, and the Commission, a decision was made to murder someone and that someone at this meeting (not Magaddino) volunteered to take the murder contract.
- Serafino speaks up and says that the person who took the murder contract had previously received certain amounts of money from the person who was to be killed and that this person had also previously saved his life. Magaddino confirms this and says that the intended victim had also set up the would-be killer with a house and "did everything for him".
- Magaddino says the would-be killer not only took the contract to kill the above mentioned victim, but also poisoned another guy in jail. This is later clarified to be "Sally", who is no doubt Sally Moretti who died suspiciously in jail. This makes me believe that Magaddino dipped back a few years in this discussion and that the intended victim from the Commission was Willie Moretti, with Genovese volunteering to take the contract. Seems possible that Moretti had helped Genovese out financially when he returned from Italy... best guess I can make.
- With this added context, I believe when Magaddino referred to Costello and someone else conspiring to kill two Calabrians, he was talking about the Moretti brothers. Much of this is translated from Sicilian so I believe "the knife" was probably a metaphor or some kind of Sicilian figure of speech, and he was actually referring to Costello and Genovese having the Moretti brothers killed (though Sally Moretti's death in prison can't be confirmed as a murder, it was suspicious even to LE at the time).
- Magaddino refers to "Frank Melito" (ph.) being a dishonorable bum. Might still be Costello.
- Albert Anastasia's funeral is mentioned and it seems Magaddino and Serafino felt someone shouldn't have attended, and that this person was "faking" their behavior and pretending peace should be made, that this person is a "scoundrel" who should die as a result. I thought they were talking about Costello or Genovese, but Magaddino goes on to say that after Magaddino had "gone to great lengths" to make peace this person was responsible for the murder of Cheech Scalise's brother Joe, which Magaddino felt was dishonorable. This is strange because Joe Scalise was believed murdered by Jimmy Squillante. Not sure what they're talking about here.
And last is a little bit about Canada:
- A "Felipo" in Canada is referenced as "the table" (sitdown?). He apparently said something to Serafino for Magaddino's "satisfaction". Also at this table was Dominick D'Agostino who was "locking horns with that guy Ralph" about a "kid who had killed that other kid in Canada". From other info we know that Serafino Grio traveled to Canada to pick up money at one point, so this could be related to that or other dealings Grio had in Canada. We also know that Buffalo soldier D'Agostino frequented the Utica area and was close to the Falcones so maybe he was close with fellow Calabrian Grio as well. What's interesting is that two old time Calabrian members of the Magaddino family from different cities seem to have been involved in Magaddino family activities in Canada, where there was a strong Calabrian presence.
- "Joe Aida" spoke to Magaddino about it and Magaddino decided to arbitrare the dispute. He says he knew "Joe Aida" before he was an amico nostro, which is why Aida respected Magaddino. Magaddino says he had the "highest respect" for Joe.
- The John Marino mentioned earlier comes up again aid is said to have gone "there" (Canada?) and punched someone. "Another guy who lived in Rochester kept his mouth shut because he didn't trust nobody" and "Another lived in Philadelphia". I thought the "Joe Aida" he is talking about was Philly boss Joe Ida, especially since he mentioned Philadelphia, but I think he's referring to Rochester-based member Joe Ida who was apparently a member of the Buffalo/Rochester family.
- "The guy from Rochester" brought someone to New York named "Luis" (Greco?) and Magaddino asked who sent them. Magaddino then references Cheech Scalise and says "How could I send him to Cheech Scalise when you are the representative?" and says they will lose respect for each other if he did that.
- Magaddino told Joe (Aida) that he didn't want anything else to do with John Marino and says there is a "storm" (dispute). He asks Joe if they are at peace or war, and Joe clarified they are at peace.
- The discussion gets confusing, they again reference John Marino being taken to NY and reference is made to Scalise, but how "Scalise was dead". An argument then developed involving Dominick D'Agostino and Rocco DeStufelino (ph.) against the aforementioned Ralph.
- Magaddino told D'Agostino not to open his mouth anymore and to end the argument. "Ralphaelle" (ph.) who Magaddino says was a "spy" stayed quiet. John Melito (Marino?) and Tony Anastasio were involved as well and Magaddino talked to Anastasio about how he (Anastasio) was mourning his wife and daughter and not to worry about anything. How he (Magaddino) would handle it. There was a Utica associate named Tony Anastasio, so this could be a reference to him though it could be Tough Tony Anastasio, too.
- Magaddino later sent someone there on his behalf and a "squad of peril" was there, which I thought must be a reference to law enforcement as he says everybody there had their picture taken. However, though, as he says "John Melito with the photographers" and asks "Why take all of these pictures? You want to ruin everybody." he wonders why the pictures were taken since his (Anastasio's) daughter was dead.
- Serafino says "They wanted to show the pictues" and someone else says "they wanted to show who they knew".
- Magaddino apparently saw the pictures and went to a gas station where he told his compare something, but the conversation cuts out there. When the conversation resumes later they talk about unrelated matters, though a reference is made to an FBI agent who has been carrying a camera and takes pictures of members when they are seen together. This doesn't appear to be related to the previous discussion of photographs. I find the earlier photograph discussion bizarre -- it sounds like John Melito/Marino or someone had photographs taken of all the men who were meeting, almost like a social gathering, but it's hard to say what the hell they're talking about. Also, did Tony Anastasio's wife and daughter die in the early 1960s?
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Curious about what connections the possible early Utica mafioso have to Brooklyn. Pietro Lima, Dominick Aiello, and Rosario Gambino all had lived in Brooklyn and had ties there. Gambino's hometown unconfirmed but we know he was from Palermo. Whether it was the city or province is undetermined but he married a Lima from Bagheria and associated with others from Bagheria.
Interestingly an Andrea Gambino was killed by a Zarcone in Brooklyn in 1909 who claimed that Gambino was trying to extort him. Zarcone was from Bagheria and was related to the Zarcones of Milwaukee (a Zarcone would later be the Milwaukee consigliere) as well as the prominent Giovanni Zarcone in the early NYC mafia, who was killed months later in CT. Rosario Gambino of Utica/Brooklyn named one of his sons Andrew, so seems possible that he was related to this Andrea Gambino given the Bagheria and Brooklyn connection that seems to run through all of this. An informer article claims Andrea Gambino may have been related to Ignazio Lupo as well, so would be interesting if Rosario Gambino was also connected to these guys.
Interestingly an Andrea Gambino was killed by a Zarcone in Brooklyn in 1909 who claimed that Gambino was trying to extort him. Zarcone was from Bagheria and was related to the Zarcones of Milwaukee (a Zarcone would later be the Milwaukee consigliere) as well as the prominent Giovanni Zarcone in the early NYC mafia, who was killed months later in CT. Rosario Gambino of Utica/Brooklyn named one of his sons Andrew, so seems possible that he was related to this Andrea Gambino given the Bagheria and Brooklyn connection that seems to run through all of this. An informer article claims Andrea Gambino may have been related to Ignazio Lupo as well, so would be interesting if Rosario Gambino was also connected to these guys.
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Great work B., thank you
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
No prob...!
The Anthony Anastasio I mentioned in the original post could actually be Tough Tony or a relative. The Anastasias/Anastasios had ties to Utica going back many years and Albert Anastasia visited Utica on at least two occasions in the 1950s and at some point used a Utica home address. A Utica newspaper article about the Falcones' history says Anastasia's nephew was married and lived in Utica and that Albert Anastasia was even a 10% partner in a Utica gambling operation. Info that has come out in recent years points to Anastasia being connected to fellow Calabrians around the US (Philadelphia being an example), so curious if he had ties to the Utican Calabresi.
Either way this is yet another connection between the Utica crew and the Gambino family. With the Falcones being from Sciacca, living in Brooklyn, and maintaining ties to the Gambinos over the years, it seems possible they (or at least Salvatore) were members/associates of the D'Aquila family. The Utican Bagheresi (Aiello/Lima) and Palermitano (Gambino) who lived in Brooklyn could have been, too. Giovanni Zarcone looks to have been one of, if not the most prominent Bagherese in the NYC mafia when he lived there and he's been linked with Morello/Lupo along with some other guys from there. As it has come out that Lupo had his own family, it seems more likely Zarcone and other Bagheresi in NYC were under him and not Morello, especially since Zarcone's relative Pietro Zarcone was described as having a an informal relation (godfather) to Lupo. Based on this circumstantial info, if Aiello, Lima, and Gambino were with the mafia in NYC before Utica, they would have most likely been with Lupo/D'Aquila.
Future San Jose leaders the Sciortinos were also from Bagheria and Gentile said they were originally in the San Francisco family as spies sent by D'Aquila. This could be an indication that other Bagheresi in different cities had roots with D'Aquila. You have to figure that San Francisco/San Jose, Milwaukee/Madison, Chicago, and Utica all had prominent figures from Bagheria during the D'Aquila era. With the boss of bosses position being known for meddling in the affairs of other cities, this could have been by design on D'Aquila's part.
Another aspect to consider is that Bagheria is close to Villabate and there are many links between those towns. Early Villabate leader Giuseppe Fontana looks to have been a ranking member of the Lupo/D'Aquila family, though it's not clear if the Villabate guys stayed on with D'Aquila or joined Mineo. Ultimately they ended up with the Mineo group but the timeline isn't clear. There doesn't seem to be any Bagheresi connection to the Profaci family that I'm aware of.
The Anthony Anastasio I mentioned in the original post could actually be Tough Tony or a relative. The Anastasias/Anastasios had ties to Utica going back many years and Albert Anastasia visited Utica on at least two occasions in the 1950s and at some point used a Utica home address. A Utica newspaper article about the Falcones' history says Anastasia's nephew was married and lived in Utica and that Albert Anastasia was even a 10% partner in a Utica gambling operation. Info that has come out in recent years points to Anastasia being connected to fellow Calabrians around the US (Philadelphia being an example), so curious if he had ties to the Utican Calabresi.
Either way this is yet another connection between the Utica crew and the Gambino family. With the Falcones being from Sciacca, living in Brooklyn, and maintaining ties to the Gambinos over the years, it seems possible they (or at least Salvatore) were members/associates of the D'Aquila family. The Utican Bagheresi (Aiello/Lima) and Palermitano (Gambino) who lived in Brooklyn could have been, too. Giovanni Zarcone looks to have been one of, if not the most prominent Bagherese in the NYC mafia when he lived there and he's been linked with Morello/Lupo along with some other guys from there. As it has come out that Lupo had his own family, it seems more likely Zarcone and other Bagheresi in NYC were under him and not Morello, especially since Zarcone's relative Pietro Zarcone was described as having a an informal relation (godfather) to Lupo. Based on this circumstantial info, if Aiello, Lima, and Gambino were with the mafia in NYC before Utica, they would have most likely been with Lupo/D'Aquila.
Future San Jose leaders the Sciortinos were also from Bagheria and Gentile said they were originally in the San Francisco family as spies sent by D'Aquila. This could be an indication that other Bagheresi in different cities had roots with D'Aquila. You have to figure that San Francisco/San Jose, Milwaukee/Madison, Chicago, and Utica all had prominent figures from Bagheria during the D'Aquila era. With the boss of bosses position being known for meddling in the affairs of other cities, this could have been by design on D'Aquila's part.
Another aspect to consider is that Bagheria is close to Villabate and there are many links between those towns. Early Villabate leader Giuseppe Fontana looks to have been a ranking member of the Lupo/D'Aquila family, though it's not clear if the Villabate guys stayed on with D'Aquila or joined Mineo. Ultimately they ended up with the Mineo group but the timeline isn't clear. There doesn't seem to be any Bagheresi connection to the Profaci family that I'm aware of.
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Thanks to cavita's great Rockford thread in the mugshots section, it looks like Salvatore Immordino from San Giuseppe Iato was an early Utica/Frankfort mafioso as well, as Immordino lived there early on in the 20th century and info points to him already being made in Sicily. With Salvatore Polizzi most likely being from San Giuseppe Iato and the paesano Francesco Longo both living in nearby Frankfort during this period as well, there seems to have been a solid colony of San Giuseppe Iato mafiosi established in the area by the 1910s. The Immordinos/Emordenos later lived in Madison and Rockford -- Polizzi as I mentioned earlier fled to Windsor, MI, after killing John Aiello, with Windsor being right outside of Madison, so I doubt any of this is a coincidence. As I said in the Rockford thread, the Aiellos were from Bagheria like other early Utica figures and had their own ties to Wisconsin and Illinois. There was at least one Troia from San Giuseppe Iato with the Madison family along with the dominant Bagheresi.
With the early Utica area mafia looking to have been established or at least dominated by men from Palermo villages like Bagheria and SGI, it is likely that they were part of the same network that was crucial in establishing the mafia families in Rockford, Milwaukee, and Madison, with early influence on California groups through the Sciortinos and maybe others we don't know ("coincidentally" Polizzi fled to California, too).
Would be interesting if we could connect Villabate to any of this. In Sicily Villabate is often associated with Bagheria and San Giuseppe Iato given their proximity, but outside of the Newark family I haven't seen much crossover with Villabate and SGI or Bagheria in the US groups.
I recommend cavita's Rockford thread for great photos and bios on that family, by the way:
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3605&start=70
With the early Utica area mafia looking to have been established or at least dominated by men from Palermo villages like Bagheria and SGI, it is likely that they were part of the same network that was crucial in establishing the mafia families in Rockford, Milwaukee, and Madison, with early influence on California groups through the Sciortinos and maybe others we don't know ("coincidentally" Polizzi fled to California, too).
Would be interesting if we could connect Villabate to any of this. In Sicily Villabate is often associated with Bagheria and San Giuseppe Iato given their proximity, but outside of the Newark family I haven't seen much crossover with Villabate and SGI or Bagheria in the US groups.
I recommend cavita's Rockford thread for great photos and bios on that family, by the way:
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3605&start=70
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
B, I didn't tell you what a great job you did in exploring the Utica Family. I used to believe Utica was just a Buffalo crew and had little interest in it aside from a few connections. You showed that there's a lot more to it. Hope you consider putting this together as a single article, maybe for Informer. We need one since there's nothing written on this mysterious Mafia organization.
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Thanks, brother! I would definitely consider wrapping this up into an article when I have the clarity of mind. It pretty much is a pre-write of one already.Antiliar wrote: ↑Sun Aug 26, 2018 3:41 pm B, I didn't tell you what a great job you did in exploring the Utica Family. I used to believe Utica was just a Buffalo crew and had little interest in it aside from a few connections. You showed that there's a lot more to it. Hope you consider putting this together as a single article, maybe for Informer. We need one since there's nothing written on this mysterious Mafia organization.
If they were originally a separate family, the big question would be when they were consolidated with Buffalo. The murders of the senior figures like Pietro Lima and Domenico Aiello looks to have been a transition of some kind, but whether that was the group being pulled into the Buffalo fold or if they were already under Buffalo and this was simply Falcone taking over is the question. It's possible too that Falcone was already running things at that time.
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
You'd probably want to request some FBI files of the more important Utica guys in search of answers, although I doubt they would have info on the real early members, although it's possible. Aside from that you're already off to a great start.
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Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
There was an article written titled 'The Men from Montedoro' that lays out the early Bufalino/ Wyoming Valley, PA family. It was an article in THomas Hunt's American Mafia INFORMER Magazine.B. wrote: ↑Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:53 am I'd like to dig into the Bufalino family next, as they are a big part of this whole western NY discussion, too. A number of mafia members along the southwestern border seem to have been Scranton members despite being paesans and having other connections to Buffalo and other western NY cities, even a couple of guys I had assumed were Buffalo members. Most of what I know about Scranton is incidental from looking into Buffalo / Utica and Philadelphia. The FBI consistently ID'd them as the first family in Pennsylvania so I'm curious how early they had membership in NY state. By the way it looks like Anthony Guarnieri's father came from Bari, so non-Sicilian.
My understanding of Rochester, like you said the other day, is it has less of a Sicilian history than other cities in the area, but I could be wrong. Not sure what the ethnic background is for Rochester capodecina Giacomo Russolesi but I recall reading he was non-Sicilian.
Here is a thread I made a while back with a little bit of Rochester info, mostly from the 1950s / 60s:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3279&p=69675
In one of the Magaddino transcripts he is discussing some sort of dispute within the Buffalo family, seemingly from the 1920s, where the family split into two factions and the total combined is fewer than 40 members. No idea if he was just referring to members in the Buffalo / NF area or the entire family, or whether this number is even accurate, but the Buffalo family at its peak is believed to have had significantly more members than this. Seems possible that they brought in members from other areas after this, or groups from other cities weren't part of the disputing factions.
'three can keep a secret, if two are dead'
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
That was a great piece. Tom does a nice job with the early stuff.SILENT PARTNERZ wrote: ↑Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:59 pmThere was an article written titled 'The Men from Montedoro' that lays out the early Bufalino/ Wyoming Valley, PA family. It was an article in THomas Hunt's American Mafia INFORMER Magazine.B. wrote: ↑Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:53 am I'd like to dig into the Bufalino family next, as they are a big part of this whole western NY discussion, too. A number of mafia members along the southwestern border seem to have been Scranton members despite being paesans and having other connections to Buffalo and other western NY cities, even a couple of guys I had assumed were Buffalo members. Most of what I know about Scranton is incidental from looking into Buffalo / Utica and Philadelphia. The FBI consistently ID'd them as the first family in Pennsylvania so I'm curious how early they had membership in NY state. By the way it looks like Anthony Guarnieri's father came from Bari, so non-Sicilian.
My understanding of Rochester, like you said the other day, is it has less of a Sicilian history than other cities in the area, but I could be wrong. Not sure what the ethnic background is for Rochester capodecina Giacomo Russolesi but I recall reading he was non-Sicilian.
Here is a thread I made a while back with a little bit of Rochester info, mostly from the 1950s / 60s:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3279&p=69675
In one of the Magaddino transcripts he is discussing some sort of dispute within the Buffalo family, seemingly from the 1920s, where the family split into two factions and the total combined is fewer than 40 members. No idea if he was just referring to members in the Buffalo / NF area or the entire family, or whether this number is even accurate, but the Buffalo family at its peak is believed to have had significantly more members than this. Seems possible that they brought in members from other areas after this, or groups from other cities weren't part of the disputing factions.
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Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Interesting connection between the sulphur miners in Sicily/ItalyJCB1977 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:42 amThat was a great piece. Tom does a nice job with the early stuff.SILENT PARTNERZ wrote: ↑Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:59 pmThere was an article written titled 'The Men from Montedoro' that lays out the early Bufalino/ Wyoming Valley, PA family. It was an article in THomas Hunt's American Mafia INFORMER Magazine.B. wrote: ↑Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:53 am I'd like to dig into the Bufalino family next, as they are a big part of this whole western NY discussion, too. A number of mafia members along the southwestern border seem to have been Scranton members despite being paesans and having other connections to Buffalo and other western NY cities, even a couple of guys I had assumed were Buffalo members. Most of what I know about Scranton is incidental from looking into Buffalo / Utica and Philadelphia. The FBI consistently ID'd them as the first family in Pennsylvania so I'm curious how early they had membership in NY state. By the way it looks like Anthony Guarnieri's father came from Bari, so non-Sicilian.
My understanding of Rochester, like you said the other day, is it has less of a Sicilian history than other cities in the area, but I could be wrong. Not sure what the ethnic background is for Rochester capodecina Giacomo Russolesi but I recall reading he was non-Sicilian.
Here is a thread I made a while back with a little bit of Rochester info, mostly from the 1950s / 60s:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3279&p=69675
In one of the Magaddino transcripts he is discussing some sort of dispute within the Buffalo family, seemingly from the 1920s, where the family split into two factions and the total combined is fewer than 40 members. No idea if he was just referring to members in the Buffalo / NF area or the entire family, or whether this number is even accurate, but the Buffalo family at its peak is believed to have had significantly more members than this. Seems possible that they brought in members from other areas after this, or groups from other cities weren't part of the disputing factions.
& the guys that came over went into the coal mining areas here is the U.S.
Wilkes Barre still has large coal slag piles around town.
'three can keep a secret, if two are dead'
Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
huge salt mines in sicily also,
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Re: Falcone brothers and Utica Mafia
Agreed; Bufalino (Pittston-Scranton-Wilkes Barre etc section of PA. very interesting. Also; specifically the Utica NY area (Falcone’s and associates) area, would be very interesting reading. A lot has been written about them, but lot of it is repetitive. A fresh perspective would be interestingSILENT PARTNERZ wrote: ↑Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:59 pmThere was an article written titled 'The Men from Montedoro' that lays out the early Bufalino/ Wyoming Valley, PA family. It was an article in THomas Hunt's American Mafia INFORMER Magazine.B. wrote: ↑Sun Jul 15, 2018 10:53 am I'd like to dig into the Bufalino family next, as they are a big part of this whole western NY discussion, too. A number of mafia members along the southwestern border seem to have been Scranton members despite being paesans and having other connections to Buffalo and other western NY cities, even a couple of guys I had assumed were Buffalo members. Most of what I know about Scranton is incidental from looking into Buffalo / Utica and Philadelphia. The FBI consistently ID'd them as the first family in Pennsylvania so I'm curious how early they had membership in NY state. By the way it looks like Anthony Guarnieri's father came from Bari, so non-Sicilian.
My understanding of Rochester, like you said the other day, is it has less of a Sicilian history than other cities in the area, but I could be wrong. Not sure what the ethnic background is for Rochester capodecina Giacomo Russolesi but I recall reading he was non-Sicilian.
Here is a thread I made a while back with a little bit of Rochester info, mostly from the 1950s / 60s:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3279&p=69675
In one of the Magaddino transcripts he is discussing some sort of dispute within the Buffalo family, seemingly from the 1920s, where the family split into two factions and the total combined is fewer than 40 members. No idea if he was just referring to members in the Buffalo / NF area or the entire family, or whether this number is even accurate, but the Buffalo family at its peak is believed to have had significantly more members than this. Seems possible that they brought in members from other areas after this, or groups from other cities weren't part of the disputing factions.