LA Family leftovers

[motorfab]

Madison and Birmingham officially disbanded. And it was just like that. The few remaining members got together and voted to disband. Newark was also officially disbanded although that was done by the Commission.


Pogo

For Newark I know, but when the families of Madison and Birmingham were disbanded ?

[Pogo The Clown]

Birmingham was disbanded during 1930s. I forgot the exact year for Madison but it was during the 1960s.


Pogo

[Manf]

Considering most of the members were originally from somewhere else did/does LA really have any Italian neighborhoods?

[JerryB]

Considering most of the members were originally from somewhere else did/does LA really have any Italian neighborhoods?

I've lived a greater part of my life in L.A. There never was an area known to be an Italian enclave, to the best of my knowledge.

As an aside, when I was a young kid, still in junior high school (1962), I began working in the Produce Market downtown. Lotsa Italian families owned wholesale produce biz's there and I did labor for two or three of them. As an aside, I learned (and was not invited due to my age) about the floating casino nights that were set up in a different (Italian) owned warehouse each time. Through the mid to late 60's, the Asians had their own casinos in the produce market and in China Town, too; mostly pai gow games which are now legal in CA but weren't back then.

Teamster officials and associates were a part of the illegal floating gambling nights. My old man ultimately stopped playing in them when he caught his second arrest by LAPD during raids over a short period of time. To the best of my knowledge, there were no more produce market games after 1970. My old man said the Teamster guys involved were associates of the Outfit but I never learned of any names, unfortunately.

[cavita]

Birmingham was disbanded during 1930s. I forgot the exact year for Madison but it was during the 1960s.


Pogo

I have an FBI file that states Madison voted to disband in the Spring of 1973.

[Pogo The Clown]

That couLd very well be it. Though I could have sworn it was mentioned in one of the MF files from the 1960s.


Pogo

[cavita]

That couLd very well be it. Though I could have sworn it was mentioned in one of the MF files from the 1960s.


Pogo

[Grouchy Sinatra]

Considering most of the members were originally from somewhere else did/does LA really have any Italian neighborhoods?

Pretty much what Jerry said in regards to the 60s and beyond.

In the 30s there were a lot of Italians in Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights. That's where the black handers like Aridizzone and Dragna started their outfit, which they couldn't have done without a significant population if Italians to recruit from. Starting in the 50s Italians began to move into waspy areas all around California, although many did move to the San Gabriel valley. There's still a lot of old Italian restaurants in the SGV. That's no coincidence. Many of the boomers and gen x Italians that grew up out there either identified as non ethic white or just ran with the Chicanos, as the lowrider culture was wildly popular by the 70s.

[Lupara]

That couLd very well be it. Though I could have sworn it was mentioned in one of the MF files from the 1960s.


Pogo

I remember that too.

[cavita]

That couLd very well be it. Though I could have sworn it was mentioned in one of the MF files from the 1960s.


Pogo

continuation

[cavita]

That couLd very well be it. Though I could have sworn it was mentioned in one of the MF files from the 1960s.


Pogo

continuation

and lastly

[Pogo The Clown]

They haven't had anything but bad breath and armpits going for them for more than 10 years. Good stuff. Thanks.


Pogo

[Pogo The Clown]

Going back to LA. Since we talked about the 1996 report here is a rough chart I put together for that year. They had about 20 members at the time and I've been able to ID 14. Does anyone know the others?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Family Circa 1996


Boss: Peter Milano
UnderBoss: Carmen Milano


Capos:
John Aquilante –San Diego (Died in 1996)
Vincent "Jimmy" Caci
?-Luigi Gelfuso
?-Michael “Rizzi” Rizzitello (IP)

-Gelfuso and Rizzitello were listed as Capos in a 1988 chart. I don’t know if they still were by 1996. Doubtful about Rizzitello since he had been in prison since the mid-80s.


Soldiers:
Louis "Little Man" Caruso (Possible Capo)
Stephen "The Whale" Cino
Raymond “Rocky” DeRosa
Louis Tom Dragna
Russell "Rusty" Massetta (Shelved)
Robert "Charles Caci/Bobby" Milano
John “Johnny V” Vaccaro
Rocco "Rocky Bigfoot" Zangari


Anyone else? I’m sure there may have been ome older Dragna-Brooklier era members still alive at this time.


Pogo

[Stroccos]

2001 report mentions the same 15-20 members

http://www.ossh.com/publications/Organi ... CA2001.pdf

2003 no mention of membership

https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agwe ... _crime.pdf

[motorfab]

From the Dragna-Brooklier era, James Iannone was still alive as well as Frank "one eye" Dragna & Jasper Matranga (but were they members?).
Maybe we can add Mike Esposito & Lenny Montana Jr to the list?