LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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LA Family San Diego Decina Info

Post by B. »

When it rains it pours. Obviously a lot of this information is again from Bompensiero, or at least about him, though some of the info is from different sources and most SD figures are at least mentioned. Should go nicely with Ed's great article about LA member informant Salvatore Piscopo on Rat Trap.

Info on Tony Mirabile, Frank Bompensiero, & Various Depravity

- Like the Adamo brothers who would later be high-ranking members in San Diego, Tony Mirabile was from Alcamo, Sicily, and originally lived in Detroit after settling in the US. In 1920 he left Detroit for Los Angeles and established himself in San Diego and Tijuana shortly after arrival, being involved in cabarets, bars, gambling, loansharking, and bootlegging.

- When questioned by a committee investigating rackets, Tony Mirabile claimed to have known Jack Dragna since 1921, the year after he arrived in Los Angeles, and the two were known to associate throughout the 1920s. Mirabile also claimed to have met with Dragna at a winery that Dragna had previously owned outside of Los Angeles as well as what Mirabile believed to be a perfume business owned by Dragna.

- Frank Bompensiero's family was from Milwaukee and his parents came from Porticello, Sicily, right next to Bagheria where most Milwaukee mafia members were from, including the Balistrieris who the Bompensieros were close to. Bagheria also tied into the early San Jose family leadership under the Sciortinos, a family Bompensiero would have ties to through his apparent relatives Salvatore and Angelo Marino, who came from the Bagheria area as well. Later, Milwaukee mafia members Francesco and Pietro Balistrieri would also move to San Diego where Bompensiero was settled by the 1920s.

- Bompensiero became closely associated with Jack Dragna in the 1920s and was said to have accompanied him to Chicago in the late 1920s for a "peace meeting" where Al Capone was said to have mediated violence going on in the Los Angeles mafia under boss Giuseppe Ardizzone. At this meeting (which may have been later than the 1920s, but no later than 1931) Capone was said to have directed Dragna and Bompensiero to travel back to Los Angeles before Ardizzone and kill him upon his arrival via train. I haven't been able to confirm when Bompensiero was inducted, but he was clearly involved at high-levels within the LA family early on and involved to some degree with Dragna's ascension to boss.

- A source stated that prior to the post-WWII period, Mirabile was in control of San Diego rackets, then following WWII Frank Bompensiero vied for control, with the issue being settled by splitting their control between north and south of Broadway. During this period Bompensiero was described by some sources as a subordinate to some degree of Mirabile but there is no indication Mirabile held the rank of captain until after Bompensiero was demoted from the position upon incarceration in the mid-1950s. Bompensiero had been promoted around 1951 and prior to that much of the family had direct contact with Jack Dragna, so they may not have had a San Diego capodecina until Bompensiero.

- An informant, likely Bompensiero, claimed that in WWII and some years after, underworld figures in San Diego were making a great deal of money. In the early 1950s, a dinner was held in San Diego with boss Jack Dragna, Tony Mirabile, and others. Mirabile owned 14 bars in the San Diego area in addition to control over local rackets. During the dinner, Mirabile got drunk and flashed a roll of around 100 $1000 bills and had women in attendance put lip stick marks on the bills. After giving the roll of money to a woman sitting next to the informant, the informant grabbed the roll of cash and refused to give it back. Jack Dragna told Mirabile he couldn't help him get the money back and later the informant split the roll of money with Dragna and both quickly spent it.

- In 1945, Frank Bompensiero was suspected in the murder of tailor James Manganello, who disappeared in early 1945 and his vehicle found with blood on the seat. Bompensiero was the last person seen with Manganello before his disappearance and the two men's wives were relatives. Bompensiero had been picked up shortly after the disappearance with a handgun believed to have been used in the murder. When questioned, Bompensiero asked the police if they thought Manganello was dead, why they couldn't produce the body.

- In late 1949, a man named Antonio Regina was severely beaten by unknown individuals and the brain damage was so severe he was committed to a mental hospital where he died less than 6 months later due to his injuries. Frank Bompensiero was suspected of the murder, which was believed to have been ordered by Tony Mirabile, as Regina was believed to be having an affair with Josephine Mirabile. I assume this was Tony Mirabile's wife, though another informant claimed Mirabile never married. At this time Bompensiero was described as Mirabile's "right hand man."

- In the early 1950s, Hal Sherry, a Los Angeles representative of an electricians union, met with Frank Bompensiero in San Diego about the possibility of unionizing coin machine operators. Bompensiero was interested in the idea but claimed he and his own people were going to be creating their own union organization along these lines. He stated that if Sherry went through with his coin machine operators organization, he would have to split it down the middle with Bompensiero and they would place Jack Dragna, Tom Dragna, and associate Constance Tuffannelli as the nominal leaders.

- Several months after meeting with Bompensiero, Hal Sherry apparently contacted a number of bars in San Diego on his own in an effort to unionize their juke box operators. That evening at his hotel, Sherry was approached by two unknown Italians who confronted him about not doing what Bompensiero had told him at their previous meeting. Later the same evening, three different Italians knocked on his hotel room door, threatened Sherry with a switchblade, then struck him in the head with the handle of a hammer, knocking him unconscious. When he woke up, he had sustained severe damage to his head and body and felt "unusual soreness in the rectal area, which proved unbearable." After going to a hospital, they performed an operation removing an 8" x 2.5" cucumber from Sherry's ass. Several days later he received a telegram in Los Angeles asking him to urgently come down to San Diego to meet with Frank Bompensiero. The telegram was issued from a bar owned by Joseph Matranga.

Murder of Capodecina Tony Mirabile

- San Diego capodecina Antonio "Tony" Mirabile was killed in late 1958 during a robbery by former bail bondsman and family associate Victor Buono. Buono had been a loan customer of Mirabile and after repaying a previous loan, sought another loan which Mirabile turned down due to Buono's wild lifestyle. Buono however knew that Mirabile had a great deal of cash. This later resulted in the robbery / murder.

- The LA family did not put a contract on Buono to Frank Bompenisiero's knowledge. Bompensiero claimed that Mirabile was disliked by other mafia members and that Mirabile "preyed upon" the wives of poor Italians as well as "very young girls". A number of loan customers owed him money at the time of his death but there was no written proof, so these men didn't have to repay their loans and many became rich. Among these customers who profited were bar owners and fishing boat owners in San Diego, plus Tony's brother Paul Mirabile, a non-member who was wealthy from real estate, as well as Mirabile crew soldier Leo Dia, who took ownership of Mirabile's jukebox company and became wealthy. Bompensiero claims that Dia and Paul Mirabile collected on some of Tony Mirabile's loans and kept the money.

More Depravity: The Cuckolded Adamo Brothers

- A source advised that during WWII, Tony Mirabile lent $10,000 to Joseph Adamo for the purchase of bootleg whiskey to sell to San Diego bars. Adamo apparently didn't purchase the whiskey and fled to Chicago with the money, with Mirabile threatening to have him killed. Adamo returned to San Diego and Mirabile "settled the debt" by "having relations" with Adamo's wife. Mirabile then gave Adamo's wife money to become a partner in the Panama bar.

- Bompensiero stated that Joseph's brother Girolamo "Momo" Adamo was underboss of the LA family for around 12 years until he committed suicide in mid-1956. He had been appointed underboss by Jack Dragna around 1944, then when Dragna died and Frank DeSimone took over in 1955 he kept Adamo at underboss. Adamo relocated to San Diego from Los Angeles in the early 1950s due to LE pressure and failing health, partly from severe alcoholism. Tony Mirabile helped arrange Adamo's move due to contacts Mirabile had with the San Diego Police Department. Like the other prominent San Diego members, Adamo invested in local bars.

- Bompensiero does not mention the infamous circumstances leading up to Adamo's suicide, as Bompensiero was in prison at that time, but states that Adamo was at that time living in the home of Willie Cammisano, former Kansas City member who had transferred into the LA family's San Diego decina before moving/transferring back to Kansas City sometime between 1955-1960 while Bompensiero was in prison. Nick Licata was promoted to underboss following Adamo's suicide.

- Another source described Momo Adamo as a "Cornuto" (Sicilian for "cuckold") due to boss Frank DeSimone's relationship with Adamo's wife. Source Fabio DeGregorio, of Italy, claimed that Girolamo shot his wife and killed himself in 1956 when he learned that Frank DeSimone had been "intimate" with his wife, thus becoming a "cornuto" and claimed Adamo did the "noble thing" by shooting his wife and then himself. Nothing is mentioned about sexual assault.

- This is mentioned by Ed in his recent Rat Trap article, but an informant claimed that the entire organization lost some amount of face when boss Jack Dragna was caught in an "uncompromising position" with a teenage girl by LE. Given Mirabile's apparent involvement with Joseph Adamo's wife, possibly other men's wives, and "very young girls", then Frank DeSimone's affair with Momo Adamo's wife, it appears perversion was the norm at the top levels of the organization.

General San Diego Decina & LA Family Info

- A source in 1963 claimed that while members of the Los Angeles family in San Diego have their own capodecina, they are inducted in ceremonies held in Los Angeles itself. An informant later claimed that the ceremonies used to include the full family (which is how Fratianno describes his initiation) but later ceremonies would only include the administration and a capodecina.

- San Diego-based LA soldier Marco LiMandri was visiting NYC in late 1967 around the period that Gaspare DiGregorio stepped down as boss of the Bonanno family. He told a source (possibly Bompensiero) that the Bonannos were being run by a panel of four members and that Joe Bonanno was again attempting to take over his old family. LiMandri claimed that Bonanno had 25 to 30 men who were helping him try to regain leadership of his family. During LiMandri's visit to NYC, he was approached by unspecified Bonanno members who wanted him to reach out to Joe Bonanno and influence him in order to avoid war breaking out. LiMandri refused to help and returned immediately to San Diego.

- A meeting was held in early 1968 between Bompensiero and Nick Licata where Licata discussed problems he was having with Jimmy Fratianno in Las Vegas. He was particularly angry because Fratianno was extorting LA family associates and Fratianno himself was no longer a Los Angeles member, having transferred to Chicago. During this period, Jimmy Fratianno was working with an associate to distribute slurpy machines in the San Diego area and looking for a loan related to this. It appears it never panned out and Fratianno always faced aggressive LE when trying to gain a hold in San Diego.

- In late 1968, boss Nick Licata informed Bompensiero that a new rule had been made by the Commission that when a member from one family traveled to the territory of another family, he had to have his boss notify the boss of the territory where he is traveling otherwise he will not be recognized as a mafia member in the place he is traveling. The explanation for the rule was to make sure that the traveling member is in good standing in his own family.

- Licata was planning to meet with the Commission through Joe Zerilli around this time, late 1968, and wanted to make a complaint about members of other families traveling and living in Southern California and operating without his approval. The main cause of this complaint was Jimmy Fratianno, who had transferred to the Chicago family, and was receiving loans in the area without paying them back. Licata stated that Fratianno was not to be given any info concerning mafia activities in Los Angeles. He was also upset about John Roselli, who had also transferred to Chicago years earlier and was doing business with Jewish gamblers in California. Another who Licata was upset about was Frank Scibelli, Genovese member in Springfield, MA, who came to Palm Springs yearly to take horse bets for east coast gangsters.

- In late 1968, Nick Licata claimed the books were opened in LA and the family needed to induct new members in order to properly control activities in his territory. Licata and Bompensiero discussed the idea of recruiting new members from outside of their territory as well as within. Licata asked Bompensiero if he had any names to propose and Bompensiero mentioned Julius Petro and Frank Velotta. He told Licata that both were capable of killing if necessary but that Petro's legal problems from bank robbery and Velotta's legal problems and reputation as a burglar would hurt their membership potential. Both Petro and Velotta had been close to Jimmy Fratianno.

- Licata was disturbed by the murders of several Los Angeles bookmakers and wanted Bompensiero to order Julius Petro to make inquiries around the city to try and determine who was responsible for these killings. Licata also said he wanted to meet Petro personally. Bompensiero told Licata how Petro had been a gunman in Cleveland originally and at one point had a murder contract on his head. Petro was also on death row at one point and "kept his mouth shut." Bompensiero also believed that Petro had come to know Vito Genovese and Tony Giordano of St. Louis while serving federal time.

- A short time later, Bompensiero met with Julius Petro and told him to spread the word that he (Petro) was looking to start a bookmaking operation and to ask people if it was safe to do so given the murders taking place in an effort to get more info on the murders. He was told by Bompensiero to criticize the mafia while making inquiries so that they wouldn't believe he was connected with them. Later that day, Bompensiero introduced Petro to Nick Licata and had lunch, where Licata discussed his involvement in bootlegging when he was younger between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit.

- Pete Milano was proposed for membership by 1969.

--

Known Members of Los Angeles Family in San Diego 19?? - 1969

- Girolamo "Momo" Adamo (underboss, 1944-1956; moved to San Diego in early 1950s; committed suicide)
- Joseph Adamo* (capodecina, 1958-1970s)
- Antonio "Tony" Mirabile (former capodecina, 1955-1958; murdered)
- Frank Bompensiero (former capodecina, 1951-1955)

Biaggio Bonventre (deceased)
William "Willie the Rat" Cammisano (former Kansas City member transferred to San Diego decina; moved/transferred back to Kansas City)
Filippo "Phil" Damiano (former Rockford soldier**)
Liborio "Leo" Dia (from Alcamo, like Mirabile and the Adamos)
Calogero Finocchio (old timer from Corleone, died in the 1940s; thanks to Rick/Antiliar for the info)
Marco Impastato (driver/bodyguard for Mirabile, also from Alcamo; deceased)
Peter Gregorio (deceased)
Joseph LiMandri (son of Marco)
Marco "Mimi" LiMandri (former NY resident***)
Gaspare "Jasper" Matranga (deported to Tijuana 1954; described as "crippled" and "emotionally unstable" due to illness by early 1960s)
Victor Pepitone (deceased)
"Phil Unstada" (ph)

Other San Diego-based Mafia Members
Note: Some of these members may have transferred to the LA family, even temporarily, while living in San Diego

Joseph Balestrere (Kansas City soldier, relative-by-marriage of Milwaukee/SD Balistrieris; possibly part of San Diego decina but returned to KC)
Francesco "Big Frank" Balistrieri (Milwaukee soldier****)
Pietro "Pete" Balistrieri (Milwaukee soldier****, brother of Frank; believed deceased)
Antonio Bello (Bonanno capodecina; moved back to NYC during Bonanno conflict and died there)
Francesco Coppola (Member of various US and one Sicilian family at different times; lived in San Diego briefly before deportation, then Tijuana)
"Mr. Migale" (TNU) (Described as old timer, family unknown; deceased)
Leo Moceri (Cleveland soldier; on the lam in San Diego for a period but returned to Ohio, though he planned to move back and join LA family)
Minetto "Mike" Olivere (Milwaukee soldier shelved for "violating" another member's wife, with whom he would end up in a relationship and living with in San Diego)
Anthony LoPiparo (described by Bompensiero as Kansas City member who fled with Coppola, but was in fact with St. Louis family)
FNU LNU ("Old man from Kansas City" who "went crazy" and moved back to St. Louis where he froze to death while sleeping under a bridge ~1950).

* - Adamo lived in Kansas City for approximately a decade when he first illegally arrived in the US from Alcamo, then left for Canada due to his illegal status. He went to Canada before returning to the US through Detroit and would gain citizenship in 1937 following his 1933 marriage. His wife's mother was a DeSimone, not sure if there is a relation to Rosario / Frank or if he was affiliated with other mafia groups in the US before joining the LA family.

** - Not positive Damiano transferred to the LA family after moving to San Diego, but a report says he was placed under Joseph Adamo, though he was said to be fully retired. The standard earlier on seems to have been for members who relocated to San Diego to transfer to the local family but it wasn't always the case.

*** - I haven't seen it confirmed, but it's possible LiMandri was originally a member of an NYC family as he was described as being active in rackets when he lived in NYC. Bonannos seem like a possibility given his ties to Joe Bonanno and members of that family. Joe Valachi also identified Marco's other son John LiMandri as a member but Bompensiero is obviously a better source and says John was not a member. Valachi believed he knew Marco LiMandri through the stolen ration stamp racket during WWII, a scam Valachi talks about in his book, before Limandri left NYC for California.

**** - Francesco Balistrieri shows up on one list as a member of the San Diego decina but the most detailed info I saw from Bompensiero simply describes him as a Milwaukee soldier, not sure if he meant past or present. Either way he moved to San Diego and was the uncle of Milwaukee boss Frank Balistrieri and capodecina Peter Balistrieri, not to be confused with Francesco's brother Pietro, also a member along with Joseph Balistrieri, boss Frank's father. Pietro also moved to San Diego so if Francesco transferred then it's likely Pietro did, too.

- Bompensiero claimed there were an additional 8 to 10 other mafia members who had lived in San Diego for a time but he couldn't remember details.

- Chicago capodecina Frank LaPorte is not listed, but often visited the area and had extensive contacts locally. LaPorte was said to conduct his business in the San Diego area and send messages through associate Joseph "Joe Esty" Eposito.

-Detroit leader Giovanni "Papa John" Priziola's daughters lived in San Diego and had married the younger Matrangas, so he often visited the area and had interests and influence.

- Salvatore Vitale, former Detroit member described by Bompensiero as an underboss in a Sicilian family, likely Partinico, stayed in San Diego for periods and was extensively involved in drug trafficking with Detroit leaders. He was connected to John Priziola, who along with other Detroit leaders was involved in Vitale's murder, allegedly for a drug rip-off involving the Detroit leadership.

- Willie Moretti periodically visited/stayed in San Diego and was related to family associates the Sica brothers. See the Willie Moretti murder thread for more information on how this may have factored into his murder.

- A important non-member in San Diego was barber Harry Bianconni, who had previously been close to mafia members, including Joe Bonanno, who used him as a messenger and contact in the area.
Last edited by B. on Wed Dec 12, 2018 1:22 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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Eline2015
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

Post by Eline2015 »

Salvatore Vitale was ex-Priziola crew member before his deportation in the mid 30s. Matrangas were in-laws of Vitale. Matrangas were trade by name of Prriziola to started their own drug business and other rackets. They're also sent their shares from rackets from SD to Detroit, even after the death of Priziola
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Eline2015 wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:27 pm Salvatore Vitale was ex-Priziola crew member before his deportation in the mid 30s. Matrangas were in-laws of Vitale. Matrangas were trade by name of Prriziola to started their own drug business and other rackets. They're also sent their shares from rackets from SD to Detroit, even after the death of Priziola
Thanks for the info. I know very little about Detroit. Vitale was apparently from Partinico, so he was the underboss there if Bompensiero is correct on his rank.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Calogero Finocchio was an old-timer who was sent to prison in 1916 for killing a cop in Los Angeles. He was given life, but his sentence was commuted and he settled in San Diego. He was originally from Corleone. Died in the 1940s.

Gaspare Matranga may have been a member too. Not the former Chicago caporegime (Jasper Matranga), but the brother of the Tony Matranga allegedly responsible for the 1906 killing of Joseph Cuccia. He later settled in San Bernardino or Riverside and died in the late 1940s in an accident. Which reminds me, would be interesting to come up with a list of members who lived in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Berdoo). If I was to guess, Tony Matranga may have been a caporegime for that area.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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About murder of Frank Borgia. A don’t remember where I’m find, but another explanation was a conflict between him and Jasper Matranga (not the Chicago transplant). So Borgia flew to Detroit to ask permition to kill Matranga, but was refused. After that Detroit ask Dragna to kill Borgia
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Antiliar wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 12:30 am Calogero Finocchio was an old-timer who was sent to prison in 1916 for killing a cop in Los Angeles. He was given life, but his sentence was commuted and he settled in San Diego. He was originally from Corleone. Died in the 1940s.

Gaspare Matranga may have been a member too. Not the former Chicago caporegime (Jasper Matranga), but the brother of the Tony Matranga allegedly responsible for the 1906 killing of Joseph Cuccia. He later settled in San Bernardino or Riverside and died in the late 1940s in an accident. Which reminds me, would be interesting to come up with a list of members who lived in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Berdoo). If I was to guess, Tony Matranga may have been a caporegime for that area.
Thanks for that info -- I was wondering if there may have been more Corleonesi given the Dragnas were from there.

Capodecina Joseph Dippolito lived in San Bernardino, so if there had been an earlier capodecina he may have taken over his interests. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they didn't have an earlier captain, as it seems the LA family had few if any captains early on from Bompensiero and Fratianno's info, though I may have misinterpreted some of the way the info is presented.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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When he woke up, he had sustained severe damage to his head and body and felt "unusual soreness in the rectal area, which proved unbearable." After going to a hospital, they performed an operation removing an 8" x 2.5" cucumber from Sherry's ass.

Good God. :lol: That Bompensiro was vicious (not to mention one of the most treacherous mobsters ever). Great write up B.


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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Pogo The Clown wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 1:08 pm
When he woke up, he had sustained severe damage to his head and body and felt "unusual soreness in the rectal area, which proved unbearable." After going to a hospital, they performed an operation removing an 8" x 2.5" cucumber from Sherry's ass.

Good God. :lol: That Bompensiro was vicious (not to mention one of the most treacherous mobsters ever). Great write up B.


Pogo
Yeah man, I couldn't believe it when I read that. The report didn't say whether Sherry ever responded to the telegram or met with Bompensiero again as requested. My guess is he stayed far away from San Diego and probably avoided the produce aisle at the grocery store for a few years.

Also I got a kick out of the old man from the Kansas City family who went crazy in San Diego and ended up freezing to death under a bridge in St. Louis. I wonder who that was.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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B. wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:35 am
Antiliar wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 12:30 am Calogero Finocchio was an old-timer who was sent to prison in 1916 for killing a cop in Los Angeles. He was given life, but his sentence was commuted and he settled in San Diego. He was originally from Corleone. Died in the 1940s.

Gaspare Matranga may have been a member too. Not the former Chicago caporegime (Jasper Matranga), but the brother of the Tony Matranga allegedly responsible for the 1906 killing of Joseph Cuccia. He later settled in San Bernardino or Riverside and died in the late 1940s in an accident. Which reminds me, would be interesting to come up with a list of members who lived in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Berdoo). If I was to guess, Tony Matranga may have been a caporegime for that area.
Thanks for that info -- I was wondering if there may have been more Corleonesi given the Dragnas were from there.

Capodecina Joseph Dippolito lived in San Bernardino, so if there had been an earlier capodecina he may have taken over his interests. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they didn't have an earlier captain, as it seems the LA family had few if any captains early on from Bompensiero and Fratianno's info, though I may have misinterpreted some of the way the info is presented.
There was also a Johnny Russo, who was called the "vice king" until he was deported in 1951. He died in Palermo in 1959.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Father of Joe dippolito was mention as consigliere
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Eline2015 wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:26 pm Father of Joe dippolito was mention as consigliere
Not sure if the source on that was Piscopo or someone else but it's good info. Salvatore "Charles" Dippolito was from Baucina in Palermo and lived in San Bernardino like his son when he died. If he was consigliere it may have been under Giuseppe Ardizzone, who was from a village not terribly far from there.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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B, you're on a roll. Thanks for all of these posts.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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Snakes wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 8:14 pm B, you're on a roll. Thanks for all of these posts.
No prob. Probably going to be it for a while but then again it's the holidays.
Antiliar wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:14 pm
B. wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:35 am
Antiliar wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 12:30 am Calogero Finocchio was an old-timer who was sent to prison in 1916 for killing a cop in Los Angeles. He was given life, but his sentence was commuted and he settled in San Diego. He was originally from Corleone. Died in the 1940s.

Gaspare Matranga may have been a member too. Not the former Chicago caporegime (Jasper Matranga), but the brother of the Tony Matranga allegedly responsible for the 1906 killing of Joseph Cuccia. He later settled in San Bernardino or Riverside and died in the late 1940s in an accident. Which reminds me, would be interesting to come up with a list of members who lived in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Berdoo). If I was to guess, Tony Matranga may have been a caporegime for that area.
Thanks for that info -- I was wondering if there may have been more Corleonesi given the Dragnas were from there.

Capodecina Joseph Dippolito lived in San Bernardino, so if there had been an earlier capodecina he may have taken over his interests. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they didn't have an earlier captain, as it seems the LA family had few if any captains early on from Bompensiero and Fratianno's info, though I may have misinterpreted some of the way the info is presented.
There was also a Johnny Russo, who was called the "vice king" until he was deported in 1951. He died in Palermo in 1959.
Does he show up anywhere as a made member? Hadn't come across that name but I will look into him, though Russos are always trouble to research.
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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

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B. wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 8:09 pm
Eline2015 wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:26 pm Father of Joe dippolito was mention as consigliere
Not sure if the source on that was Piscopo or someone else but it's good info. Salvatore "Charles" Dippolito was from Baucina in Palermo and lived in San Bernardino like his son when he died. If he was consigliere it may have been under Giuseppe Ardizzone, who was from a village not terribly far from there.

I believe it was under DeSimone. Replacing Tom Dragna in 1956?. I have him dying in 1960.


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Re: LA Family San Diego Decina Info

Post by cavita »

Does a Peter SanFilippo or Antonio Catalano aka Tony Carlino show up as members or associates of the San Diego family?
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