Twentieth Avenue Crew Question

[Benito]

Who were the members of the twentieth avenue crew?

im sure it was bigger but afaik the members we've known via guys flipping and murder indictments are:

Dino Calabro, Dino Saracino, Richie Greaves - dead, at the hands of the previous two names, Tommy McLaughin (Tommy Gioeli's cousin), Joey "Caves" Competiello, this OJ asshole who got killed, possibly Saracino's brother Sebastian, possibly Calabro's brother Enzo, and im guessing a few others.

Colombo affilliated, under Big Dino Calabro, who was an official associate of Gioeli. So ultimately their whole connection was through Gioeli. Gioeli made a lot of money off these kids. Calabro was the first to get made, later Dino Saracino and Competiello got made. Competiello and Calabro both relocated to Farmingdale and moved on the same street that Gioeli lived on. I think Sebby Saracino was made at one point eventually, but I could be mistaken

From all accounts this was a truely deplorable crew. really low down grimey, true street level guys. In that documentary with Mikey DeRosa he said his Lucchese backed crew had beef with them, although it was for no reason really and he said "they were kids just like us, grew up just like us, doing the same exact things we were doing, a few blocks away"

I'd like to know if there are any other currently active, made Colombo members who came up in this crew? I thought Giovanni "johnny brains" Cerbone was a member of this crew, but he could have just been a Staten Island guy placed in Calabro's crew, kinda like Mickey Souza.

Interesting, thanks for the info new-era. I never really took an interest in the Turks of the mafia. However after reading a little bit here and there about the Bath Ave crew. It sort of grabbed my attention at the brutality and hoodlum like attitude they portrayed.

Yeah I always wondered about these kids. There were hundreds of kids like that (still are to a smaller degree) but I wonder if their involvement in LCN was overstated. They were more into money and crimes than LCN “culture” - when you read about someone like Spero in relation to Bath Ave crew it sounds like he was the guy running the whole thing, but taking money from those kids was just a small part of what he had going on. The guy was acting boss at one point for Christ’s sake. Not a lot of these kids went on to be made guys. The 20th ave crew probably had the most amount of associates that became made men; says a lot more about the Colombos than it says about the character of the kids themselves

You’re right fella. Regardless, thank you for the info.

[DonnieB]

None of Dino’s brothers are made but Anthony ‘Nooch’ Calabro was an associate and loanshark at the time of his 2011 street.

Seby saracino is made

[gohnjotti]

None of Dino’s brothers are made but Anthony ‘Nooch’ Calabro was an associate and loanshark at the time of his 2011 street.

Seby saracino is made

I was talking about Dino Calabro - hence, Anthony ‘Nooch’ Calabro.

[gohnjotti]

Yeah I always wondered about these kids. There were hundreds of kids like that (still are to a smaller degree) but I wonder if their involvement in LCN was overstated. They were more into money and crimes than LCN “culture” - when you read about someone like Spero in relation to Bath Ave crew it sounds like he was the guy running the whole thing, but taking money from those kids was just a small part of what he had going on. The guy was acting boss at one point for Christ’s sake. Not a lot of these kids went on to be made guys. The 20th ave crew probably had the most amount of associates that became made men; says a lot more about the Colombos than it says about the character of the kids themselves

Great writeup on the crew by the way, newera. It should be noted that Tommy McLaughlin was not really part of the 20th Avenue crew in the early 1990s. He hooked up with Greg Scarpa's guys and worked under Joseph "Joe Fish" Marra, a powerful associate who ran a crew of his own under Scarpa and was proposed to be made until the war broke out. In fact, Tommy McLaughlin's "switching sides" over to Greg Scarpa's crew was one of the reasons Tommy Gioeli practically turned his back on him when McLaughlin went to prison, despite them being related.

There were also a whole lot of other young associates in the Russo Crew that the 20th Avenue guys hung around. Eric Curcio and his band of wild hooligans, Frank Sparaco, Francis Guerra IIRC. People tend to think of the Wimpy Boys when they think of Persico faction muscle, but the Russo Crew (JoJo and Anthony) had just as many eager, murderous associates, but minus the benefit of having access to a wealth of FBI intel that Scarpa had.

[newera_212]

Yeah I always wondered about these kids. There were hundreds of kids like that (still are to a smaller degree) but I wonder if their involvement in LCN was overstated. They were more into money and crimes than LCN “culture” - when you read about someone like Spero in relation to Bath Ave crew it sounds like he was the guy running the whole thing, but taking money from those kids was just a small part of what he had going on. The guy was acting boss at one point for Christ’s sake. Not a lot of these kids went on to be made guys. The 20th ave crew probably had the most amount of associates that became made men; says a lot more about the Colombos than it says about the character of the kids themselves

Great writeup on the crew by the way, newera. It should be noted that Tommy McLaughlin was not really part of the 20th Avenue crew in the early 1990s. He hooked up with Greg Scarpa's guys and worked under Joseph "Joe Fish" Marra, a powerful associate who ran a crew of his own under Scarpa and was proposed to be made until the war broke out. In fact, Tommy McLaughlin's "switching sides" over to Greg Scarpa's crew was one of the reasons Tommy Gioeli practically turned his back on him when McLaughlin went to prison, despite them being related.

There were also a whole lot of other young associates in the Russo Crew that the 20th Avenue guys hung around. Eric Curcio and his band of wild hooligans, Frank Sparaco, Francis Guerra IIRC. People tend to think of the Wimpy Boys when they think of Persico faction muscle, but the Russo Crew (JoJo and Anthony) had just as many eager, murderous associates, but minus the benefit of having access to a wealth of FBI intel that Scarpa had.

I didnt know all that about McLaughlin...thats crazy. Thanks for the info. I knew he was around Scarpa to some degree bc I think he also dated Scarpa's daughter? (who was kinda hot back in the day, in a Bensonhurst white trash kinda way). Im assuming the guy who looks like an ape, Anthony Russo , was around these guys too? Frank Pontillo? you're right...the colombos had a super deep bench. and that was just one little side of Brooklyn; factor in the "other side" and Cutolo's army of kids doing a more refined version of what the 20th Ave guys were doing. can make the argument that when it came to that area in Brooklyn no one was more active on a true street level than the Colombos

Any info about Sparaco? he was alleged to have shot the guy in the balls who was fucking Ally's wife. also an FBI informant? not a lot of info out there on him

Guerra is an interesting guy too. seemed like a super respected guy. turned down being made, but was still making money and direct with Capos and Admin members. married into the family that owns L&B pizzeria which is like marrying into goombah Brooklyn royalty. kinda fucked up what the judge did to him at sentencing.

[gohnjotti]

Francis Guerra did not turn down being made. When Tommy McLaughlin mentioned to him that he was being proposed, Guerra said “I don’t know, sometimes I wonder if it’s even fucking worth it.” But he didn’t turn it down, and was scheduled to be made in that aborted Dec. 2010 ceremony.

[newera_212]

Francis Guerra did not turn down being made. When Tommy McLaughlin mentioned to him that he was being proposed, Guerra said “I don’t know, sometimes I wonder if it’s even fucking worth it.” But he didn’t turn it down, and was scheduled to be made in that aborted Dec. 2010 ceremony.

ahh shit. i was under the impression he turned it down. thats gotta suck. he missed out on another making ceremony in the early 2000s as well (it may have been THE 2000 ceremony that JD posted about) because he got locked up on another drug beef. oh well. im sure he'll come home, get made and get locked up again.

still waiting to find out what really happened to the L&B pizzeria owner. now thats a crazy story

[chubby]

I’ve heard bf turned his button down.. he would have been made way long ago if he wanted it.

[gohnjotti]

I’ve heard bf turned his button down.. he would have been made way long ago if he wanted it.

We just had this discussion. Read the previous posts.

The Colombos weren’t making anybody from 1991-2000. Guerra was arrested in January 2000. The Colombos first ceremony took place in February. Guerra was released in 2006(?) but with three years supervised release. He was scheduled to be made in December 2010, as I mentioned before.