General Mob Questions

[HairyKnuckles]

Does anyone know where the Frank Mari became boss briefly before his disappearance in 1969 originally comes from? I'm reading the Anthony Destefano - Joe Massino book right now and he mentions it. I know that book will have mistakes especially on stuff before Massino became a power but it's also on Chris Christie's Lineage Chart (as a possibility i believe) so i assume it came from somewhere credible although not conclusive.

It also says this: "The Bonanno family could have lurched into another period of disarray, but the Commission took the unusual step after Mari’s disappearance of appointing a triumvirate to rule the family, at least temporarily. The three leaders who were to work as a team were Natale Evola, who had weathered a narcotics conviction to maintain his power in the garment trucking industry, an obscure crime captain named Joseph DiFilippi, and the none-too-flashy Philip Rastelli."

That's not on the chart, DiFillippi is instead mentioned as Consiglieri around this time and Evola is Acting Boss before becoming the official boss in 1971. Is that because this is known to be untrue? Just wondering why the Mari as Boss possibility was included but not that as i figured they'd have came from the same source, unless he just completely made that part up. I'm not really familiar with this author but i've seen members here recommend his books and have never heard him spoke of as a Phillip Carlo type so i wouldn't think he'd just make it up, rather more information has come out since disproving it or whatever.

Sorry i'm sure this has all been explained somewhere i've just always wondered about Mari possibly being boss as i never heard about it until the chart (which is excellent as they all are) and that passage reminded me to ask.

It originally comes from annual FBI reports. And this specific information, on Mari being boss, comes from a report dated November 1969.

In March 1969, informants advised the FBI that Sciacca had been a disappointment as boss, That he lacked leadership abilities. In September of 1969, informants advised that Frank Mari is the new boss and that the Commission had approved his elevation. He had also been given a seat on the Commission, something DiGregorio and Sciacca earlier were never given. Philip Rastelli became underboss and Mike Adsamo the consigliere.

While researching, I have never come across any info saying Sciacca retook control of the Family after Mari´s disappearing, which I believe I read in a post on here. Neither have I found anything that backs up DeStefano´s claim of a three man ruling panel. I have no idea why the author decided to put that in his book. Evola, for example, was held in contempt and was scheduled for sentecing around this time, so it sounds unlikely that he was part of some ruling panel created by the Family.

I don´t hold DeStefano as an author in high regards. His book on Vinny Basciano for example was a big disapointment and his books on Massino was very poor researched. He went for what was available in the press only and did not dig any deeper. The books are sloppy ones, written hastily and published too fast.

Thanks a lot HK, yeah i think i agree with you on DeStefano. I've just owned that book for years, haven't heard anything bad about it (before now) and wanted to brush up on the Bonanno's after reading a few threads here so thought i may as well get to it.

Yeah, a poster on the last page (which i'm guessing he read elsewhere as his info has been solid in other topics) said Sciacca took back over because Mari "ousted him". I don't think that was the case because of that marriage i think it's more likely Sciacca supported Mari as his replacement if he was ever even boss. Although, did the Bonanno''s keep their commission seat after Mari? If not that could mean members the commission didn't support had him killed and took control of the family while they reverted to supporting Sciacca as boss. Just thinking out loud from your post it doesn't seem like there's anything to support that.

Can i ask if you personally believe Mari was ever boss or do you think this is off information? As i'm sure there's plenty of contradicting information from informants on leadership.

very hard to say. I really don't know. But it would be odd if the FBI put it in their anual eport of 1969 if it didn't come from a reliable source. In case they were unsure,
I think they would put "boss unsure" or "not identified".
Mari was diagnosed with scizophrenia, according to the FBN book, and that could have played a vital part in the reason of his murder. Who would want an unstable boss? The fact that his body was never found and some mysterious rumors on him visiting Europe long after his death, kinda suggest that the killing was done on the sneak and that his killers didn't want insiders to know about it. But that just my 2 cents. I have not found anything substantual on his death.

[chin_gigante]

Regarding the Sciacca/ Mari situation this is what I found from the 1970 FBI report on the Bonanno war:

Just how and when Mari's gnawing ambition led his distorted mind to oust Sciacca is still unclear. The first report that Sciacca had "resigned" and that Mari had replaced him was received in early March, 1969. By May it was generally considered that Mari had completed his takeover, although Bill Bonanno drily commented that it would be interesting to see what happened when "Frankie T" had his first collision with the equally power-hungry Colombo over some common territory. Mari reciprocated by offering amnesty to all of the rebel faction except the two Bonannos, but for once it appeared that he was talking when he should have been listening.

On the evening of September 18, 1969, Mari received a telephone call from his consigliere, Mike Adamo, advising him that the two of them had been summoned to an emergency meeting of the Commission. Shortly thereafter, Adamo picked up Mari and neither was ever seen again.

Although rumors persist that the missing men were eliminated by the Bonanno group, Bill Bonanno professes complete innocence, and a number of sources agree with him. At least two insiders claim that Mari and Adamo were ordered to appear before the Commission and explain the cavalier manner in which they had ousted Sciacca and seized control of the "family." The answers reportedly resulted in a split vote but, with the majority turning thumbs down, Mari and Adamo were summarily ordered to be executed, and the "contract" was given to the Colombo "family."

Two months later, Salvatore D'Ambrosio and Fred (No Nose) De Lucia, of the Colombo "family," vanished under similarly mysterious circumstances, and speculation grew that they had been slain by Mari's followers for carrying out the Commission's ukase.

As might be expected, Mari's coup and disappearance left the "family" leadership in a chaotic condition. Sciacca returned temporarily but announced his resignation less than two months later. Across the bay, in New Jersey, Joe Zicarelli shook his head and predicted disaster. The "family" had had four heads in five years, it was still split into two irreconcilable factions, and there was no indication that the shootings had stopped. As a matter of fact, Zicarelli told his friends, his biggest fear was that the Commission would compel him to fill Sciacca's vacated post and thereby make him one of the gunmen's leading targets. Instead, reports indicate, the mantle fell to Natale (Joe Diamond) Evola, a former Bonanno "captain," who was ordered to assume command whether he wanted it or not.

[HairyKnuckles]

Great post! Chin, where did you find that FBI report?

[chin_gigante]

Can't seem to locate where I found it originally but it is transcribed in its entirety here:

https://bitterqueen.typepad.com/friends ... l-sciacca/

[Big Wig]

Hello people, long time lurker. Been fascinated by the mob for years. Does anyone know much about Michael Yannotti from the Gambino family? From my research I'm guessing he was responsible for the murders of Robert Arena and Thomas Maranga. And possibly Todd Alvino.

I found this in a blog:

Mikey would get made, despite protests from Capos like Mikey “Scars” DiLeonardo who felt that Mikey Y’s shooting and kidnapping of radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa made the family look bad. Junior Gotti went ahead with the induction but told Mikey Scars that Mikey Y was a secret member of the Gambino Family. Junior Gotti told him that if anyone introduced Mikey Y as a made guy, they would be shot. That lasted until John Gotti Sr’s wake, at which Mikey Y was introduced as a made guy.

The making ceremonies thread has Yannotti listed as being made in 1998 and John Gotti Sr's wake would of been mid 2002. Was he really a secret member for 4 years?

[JeremyTheJew]

wow. very interesting find Big Wig. not shocking but very surprising to hear idk what the point of even being made would be if u couldnt be intro as amico nostra.

seems like he was even a secret memeber to other Gambinos


....
maybe Natale was really secretly inducted by gambino!!

[slimshady_007]

Anyone think that kenji gallo could’ve possibly be full of shit with some of the stories he tells? I find some of his stories hard to believe, esp the story about how teddy jr wanted to whack craig marino.

[ChicagoOutfit]

In the HBO Gotti movie (1996) who does Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos) portray in the film? Wiki/imdb has him playing Joe Dimiglia...who I can't find much information on Joe Dimiglia...when I clicked the link for the character on wiki on the Gotti movie page, it linked me to the page for Lenny DiMaria for some reason.

Does anyone have more info on Joe Dimiglia?

[ChicagoOutfit]

^^^^Did they change the name/create a composite character for the film?

[Pogo The Clown]

It was John Carneglia with a different name.


Pogo

[ChicagoOutfit]

It was John Carneglia with a different name.


Pogo

Thanks Pogo

[slimshady_007]

Anyone have an idea of how much cash the mob gets from joker poker rackets?

[Wiseguy]

Anyone have an idea of how much cash the mob gets from joker poker rackets?

You see a lot of big figures here and there for those machines. Freselone said it was hard to overestimate how much they brought in and Natale claimed they were a bigger money maker for the Philly mob than drugs. In Chicago there was the claim the Outfit was making $100 million a year with those machines based on the estimate of 1,000 machines and each machine bringing in $100,000 a year. But if you ask me, those kind of astronomical numbers are bullshit. I never did see figures from either the Marcello or Sarno operations in Chicago when they were busted but they, and everyone else in the Outfit, weren't pulling in anywhere that kind of money.

In Philadelphia, the company Ligambi, Massimino, and Staino had (JMA Industries) had a total of 86 machines seized in 2001 and 2009. Over a 7 year period, between 2002 and 2009, $684,000 was deposited into company accounts. Although it can vary, the standard split is 50% to the mob (who owns the machines) and 50% to the business owner where they are placed. So, if we double that $684,000 figure, that's $1,368,000 over 7 years. It was probably more than that, since it stands to reason not all the money was deposited, but it gives us a better idea of the money involved. In other words, at nearly $700,000 over 7 years, JMA was pulling in about $100,000 a year from the machines. But then that's split up between the guys involved.

[gohnjotti]

Anyone think that kenji gallo could’ve possibly be full of shit with some of the stories he tells? I find some of his stories hard to believe, esp the story about how teddy jr wanted to whack craig marino.

He was probably full of shit in a lot of his book, but it's hard to say whether the Marino one was untrue. That's because, in the book, Gallo writes about how Persico's brothers' Carmine L. and Danny gave him two guns in poor quality and Teddy went on a huge rant to them about cleaning guns and so on and so forth. We know for a fact that the rant about those guns happened, as it was used as evidence to charge Teddy Jr. and Co. with gun possession. We also know for a fact that Gallo was the basis of the 2006 case against Teddy Jr. and Carmine L., so he was close enough with them to give the feds a chance to build an indictment.
Gallo also had extensive knowledge on Marino, i.e. his stock fraud schemes, etc. That kind of information shows, to me, that he wasn't lying about his ties with the Persicos, Garofalo, the Baudanzas, and Marino. At most, he was exaggerating them.

[Wiseguy]

Anyone think that kenji gallo could’ve possibly be full of shit with some of the stories he tells? I find some of his stories hard to believe, esp the story about how teddy jr wanted to whack craig marino.

He was probably full of shit in a lot of his book, but it's hard to say whether the Marino one was untrue. That's because, in the book, Gallo writes about how Persico's brothers' Carmine L. and Danny gave him two guns in poor quality and Teddy went on a huge rant to them about cleaning guns and so on and so forth. We know for a fact that the rant about those guns happened, as it was used as evidence to charge Teddy Jr. and Co. with gun possession. We also know for a fact that Gallo was the basis of the 2006 case against Teddy Jr. and Carmine L., so he was close enough with them to give the feds a chance to build an indictment.
Gallo also had extensive knowledge on Marino, i.e. his stock fraud schemes, etc. That kind of information shows, to me, that he wasn't lying about his ties with the Persicos, Garofalo, the Baudanzas, and Marino. At most, he was exaggerating them.

Kenji can be a hard one to follow. A lot of his info is correct but he can't help but interject his own interpretations or conclusions. The guns in poor condition story is a good example. Because Kenji saw one mob guy give another mob guy a crappy gun, his conclusion was that the mob in general was poorly equipped when it came to weapons. One can counter that with another anecdote, from Sammy Gravano if I remember right, who talked about Casso and his guys showing up to a meeting armed with silencer-equipped machine guns.