Random historic info

[B.]

A+ breakdown of the known events.

It was Guillamo Cecce [sic], courier like Peccora [sic], who took then news to Morello in Atlanta. Lo Jacono was murdered in his own house two days after Cecce returned from Atlanta.”

Did you ever find a possible candidate for "Guillamo Cecce"? The phonetics bring to mind "Chee Gusae" if the name was reversed to "Cecce Guillamo". Sounds like "Cecce" was an important Morello member, while "Chee Gusae" was apparently an old timer with the early Genovese if Valachi was right. Someone had a transcription of Valachi's testimony or an interview they posted on RD where "Chee Gusae" was recorded as "Sheik", wish I had saved it.

Also, one can infer that the Palermitan Pollacia was already with the Morellos, as was Yale. So by 1921, the "Corleonese" weren't only comprised of that, like all the Families at the time, they were accepting people from other places.

Pollaccia was from Cefala Diana near Villafrati and Marineo so he fits in more with the Corleonese than the guys from Palermo citta. I've wondered when he actually became consigliere. He had the position by 1932 and apparently was elected/appointed under Masseria but not sure how far that went back. While there's reason to think Morello was Masseria's underboss, it would be more fitting for him to be in a consigliere role but who knows. Wondering if Pollaccia may have replaced him in 1930 or if there's evidence his title went back earlier.

1 Not going into the "new organization," it was not.

This could be yet another example of them phrasing it that way for the reasons Gentile and Magaddino did, i.e. organization isn't recognized/represented or "formed" as Gentile/Magaddino said until the process is complete.

[Angelo Santino]

A+ breakdown of the known events.

It was Guillamo Cecce [sic], courier like Peccora [sic], who took then news to Morello in Atlanta. Lo Jacono was murdered in his own house two days after Cecce returned from Atlanta.”

Did you ever find a possible candidate for "Guillamo Cecce"? The phonetics bring to mind "Chee Gusae" if the name was reversed to "Cecce Guillamo". Sounds like "Cecce" was an important Morello member, while "Chee Gusae" was apparently an old timer with the early Genovese if Valachi was right. Someone had a transcription of Valachi's testimony or an interview they posted on RD where "Chee Gusae" was recorded as "Sheik", wish I had saved it.

Also, one can infer that the Palermitan Pollacia was already with the Morellos, as was Yale. So by 1921, the "Corleonese" weren't only comprised of that, like all the Families at the time, they were accepting people from other places.

Pollaccia was from Cefala Diana near Villafrati and Marineo so he fits in more with the Corleonese than the guys from Palermo citta. I've wondered when he actually became consigliere. He had the position by 1932 and apparently was elected/appointed under Masseria but not sure how far that went back. While there's reason to think Morello was Masseria's underboss, it would be more fitting for him to be in a consigliere role but who knows. Wondering if Pollaccia may have replaced him in 1930 or if there's evidence his title went back earlier.

1 Not going into the "new organization," it was not.

This could be yet another example of them phrasing it that way for the reasons Gentile and Magaddino did, i.e. organization isn't recognized/represented or "formed" as Gentile/Magaddino said until the process is complete.

No, we weren't ever able to discover who "Guillamo Cecce" is. Interesting comparison to Gusae.

If Pollaccia was consigliere before Masseria then he would have been so under Loiacano. We don't know his position but given he was a target implies he was Team Morello. Giovanni Pecoraro is another interesting individual, he was usually in proximity with Morello in the 1900's and when Clemente transferred back from Chicago to NY the letter went to Pecoraro. In 1910-1912 he could have been Acting Boss, aside from that he could have been Consig or Under or maybe just a capo, we don't know.

I was more worried about someone reading that and concluding that Morello went to prison and D'Aquila came after and "formed" his own family as a new group. The passage reads that way but the evidence does not support that. I included it anyway because it also states that Morello/Lupo went to Sicily for political help against D'Aquila and were turned down. It shows how connected NY and Palermo were.

[cavita]

I figured this would be the best place to post this topic, but we've talked about small LCN families in Gary, Indiana and Peoria, Illinois along with other smaller cities and towns. I've often thought about the LaSalle-Peru, Illinois area in this regard. This area was hugely populated by Italians and Sicilians working the mines especially back at the turn of the century. The towns of Mark, Ladd, Spring Valley, Seneca and other surrounding towns supported many of these immigrants, many of whom engaged in all sorts of crimes. Even up through the 1980s immigrants from Cinisi found this area hospitable to their pizza parlors and narcotics trafficking.
One notable Sicilian I've found who is a good candidate for being an early LCN member was Giuseppe "The Crow" Corso. He was born in 1897 in Montevago, Sicily and first immigrated to Louisiana in 1904 and wound up in the LaSalle area by the 1920s. Over the years he was charged with bootlegging, assault, murder and counterfeiting. In 1938 he was charged in a bootlegging case with Ernest "Buster" Dinora, reputed member of the Springfield, LCN and in 1939 he was charged in a huge bootlegging ring in Bureau County, Illinois in which Rockford LCN member and future capo Lorenzo Buttice was involved. Here was Corso, in the middle of two established Illinois LCN families, working with both of them. In 1949 he was living in Waukegan, Illinois when his father Felice died in Rockford. When Giuseppe Corso died in 1990 at the age of 93 he was living back in the LaSalle, Illinois area.
One more notable link, Corso's sister Grace was married to Rockford LCN member Giuseppe Guttilla. Guttilla himself had lived in the Ladd, Illinois area in the 1920s before moving to Rockford and becoming a member there.

[JoelTurner]

I apologize in advance since this isn’t really related to the previous discussions on this post, but I found something interesting.

In 1940, Frank DeCavalcante, father of Sam the Plumber, was indicted with Sam Accardi on liquor charges:



————————-

- Salvatore Mineo was Sam Accardi’s wife’s brother.

- Anthony Inoglia was Anthony Ingoglia . He lived one house away from the parents of Austin Savi who was killed by Salvatore Lombardino in 1928.

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... 1-GWS8?i=2)

- Charles Todaro was Charles Matranga. He was very likely a Newark member. He lived next door to Anna Monaco, the widow of underboss Sam Monaco.

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... 3AK45P-7RK)

————————-

As far as I can tell, this was the only interaction between confirmed DeCavalcante & Newark family members.

[B.]

I figured this would be the best place to post this topic, but we've talked about small LCN families in Gary, Indiana and Peoria, Illinois along with other smaller cities and towns. I've often thought about the LaSalle-Peru, Illinois area in this regard. This area was hugely populated by Italians and Sicilians working the mines especially back at the turn of the century. The towns of Mark, Ladd, Spring Valley, Seneca and other surrounding towns supported many of these immigrants, many of whom engaged in all sorts of crimes. Even up through the 1980s immigrants from Cinisi found this area hospitable to their pizza parlors and narcotics trafficking.
One notable Sicilian I've found who is a good candidate for being an early LCN member was Giuseppe "The Crow" Corso. He was born in 1897 in Montevago, Sicily and first immigrated to Louisiana in 1904 and wound up in the LaSalle area by the 1920s. Over the years he was charged with bootlegging, assault, murder and counterfeiting. In 1938 he was charged in a bootlegging case with Ernest "Buster" Dinora, reputed member of the Springfield, LCN and in 1939 he was charged in a huge bootlegging ring in Bureau County, Illinois in which Rockford LCN member and future capo Lorenzo Buttice was involved. Here was Corso, in the middle of two established Illinois LCN families, working with both of them. In 1949 he was living in Waukegan, Illinois when his father Felice died in Rockford. When Giuseppe Corso died in 1990 at the age of 93 he was living back in the LaSalle, Illinois area.
One more notable link, Corso's sister Grace was married to Rockford LCN member Giuseppe Guttilla. Guttilla himself had lived in the Ladd, Illinois area in the 1920s before moving to Rockford and becoming a member there.

Thanks for the info. Joe the Crow -- great nickname. He fits in well with what we know of the Illinois networks. It's clear there were Sicilian colonies throughout the state with mafia ties, just a question of who they were affiliated with.

[PolackTony]

I figured this would be the best place to post this topic, but we've talked about small LCN families in Gary, Indiana and Peoria, Illinois along with other smaller cities and towns. I've often thought about the LaSalle-Peru, Illinois area in this regard. This area was hugely populated by Italians and Sicilians working the mines especially back at the turn of the century. The towns of Mark, Ladd, Spring Valley, Seneca and other surrounding towns supported many of these immigrants, many of whom engaged in all sorts of crimes. Even up through the 1980s immigrants from Cinisi found this area hospitable to their pizza parlors and narcotics trafficking.
One notable Sicilian I've found who is a good candidate for being an early LCN member was Giuseppe "The Crow" Corso. He was born in 1897 in Montevago, Sicily and first immigrated to Louisiana in 1904 and wound up in the LaSalle area by the 1920s. Over the years he was charged with bootlegging, assault, murder and counterfeiting. In 1938 he was charged in a bootlegging case with Ernest "Buster" Dinora, reputed member of the Springfield, LCN and in 1939 he was charged in a huge bootlegging ring in Bureau County, Illinois in which Rockford LCN member and future capo Lorenzo Buttice was involved. Here was Corso, in the middle of two established Illinois LCN families, working with both of them. In 1949 he was living in Waukegan, Illinois when his father Felice died in Rockford. When Giuseppe Corso died in 1990 at the age of 93 he was living back in the LaSalle, Illinois area.
One more notable link, Corso's sister Grace was married to Rockford LCN member Giuseppe Guttilla. Guttilla himself had lived in the Ladd, Illinois area in the 1920s before moving to Rockford and becoming a member there.

Thanks for the info. Joe the Crow -- great nickname. He fits in well with what we know of the Illinois networks. It's clear there were Sicilian colonies throughout the state with mafia ties, just a question of who they were affiliated with.

This is timely. It recently came to my attention that back in the day, the Illinois Crime Commission had a report where they designated 7 counties in IL as basically infested with organized crime. While we can guess what the others were with no surprises, I was taken aback that one of them was LaSalle County. But as Cavita notes, looks like there were longstanding Sicilian/Italian colonies there, due to important coal mines and the juncture of railroads connecting Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and the Quad Cities. Streator, in LaSalle County, had a strong Sicilian connection to Chicago (the DeStefanos and some other connected families had ties to Streator, for example). LaSalle County is also basically between Chicagoland and Peoria, and as we’re discovering both the Chicago and Springfield Families seem to have had operations back in the day in Peoria. Along with far downstate IL, I suspect that there was a lot more going on in this area of central IL than we’ve suspected.

[cavita]

Maybe one of you could look further into Corso- I couldn't find a wife or much of anything else. I also should say that 1938 bust with Dinora was for counterfeiting and not bootlegging. Also curious as to why he was living in Waukegan in the 1940s.

[PolackTony]

Maybe one of you could look further into Corso- I couldn't find a wife or much of anything else. I also should say that 1938 bust with Dinora was for counterfeiting and not bootlegging. Also curious as to why he was living in Waukegan in the 1940s.

This was my first time hearing of Corso. Definitely seems like a guy who was somebody. Waukegan would obviously put him in Chicago territory. Whatever his affiliation was he presumably had connections to all of the IL families.

[cavita]

Maybe one of you could look further into Corso- I couldn't find a wife or much of anything else. I also should say that 1938 bust with Dinora was for counterfeiting and not bootlegging. Also curious as to why he was living in Waukegan in the 1940s.

This was my first time hearing of Corso. Definitely seems like a guy who was somebody. Waukegan would obviously put him in Chicago territory. Whatever his affiliation was he presumably had connections to all of the IL families.

I'm wondering if the name wasn't originally Corvo, because the Italian word for crow, is corvo.

[PolackTony]

Maybe one of you could look further into Corso- I couldn't find a wife or much of anything else. I also should say that 1938 bust with Dinora was for counterfeiting and not bootlegging. Also curious as to why he was living in Waukegan in the 1940s.

This was my first time hearing of Corso. Definitely seems like a guy who was somebody. Waukegan would obviously put him in Chicago territory. Whatever his affiliation was he presumably had connections to all of the IL families.

I'm wondering if the name wasn't originally Corvo, because the Italian word for crow, is corvo.

Looks like the original surname in Montevago was indeed Corso. Montevago was also the hometown of the Springfield Campos, who also had ties to Castelvetrano.

I have Giuseppe Corso who lived in Bureau County as early 1917 as born in 1897 in Montevago to Felice Corso and Grazia Saladino, both of Montevago. Giuseppe's sister Giuseppina Corso was the wife of Rockford member Giuseppe "Joe" Guttila of Casteldaccia (their daughter Mary was the wife of Augie Maniaci; Felice Corso died in Rockford in 1949). Brother Leonardo Corso (the above parents and siblings arrived to IL from Ontevago in 1908 with Leonardo already resident there) married a Gaetana DiMaria in Chicago and then returned to Bureau County (unsure of her origin; Montevago is a good bet, as there were a bunch of Corsos and DiMarias from Montevago in Chicago). Giuseppe Corso married a Carmella Oliva in 1926 in Chicago; the 1930 census in Ladd, Bureau County, then shows his wife as Carmela Corso. She was born around 1905, but I haven't yet been able to verify her origin (there were a bunch of Olivas in Chicago from Cammarata, Agrigento but also from Campofelice di Fitalia and Casteldaccia -- the last could be something given the connection to the Guttilas). in 1942, Giuseppe Corso gave his address as Lorel and Wabansia in the North Austin neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago (gave employment as "none"). This could be significant as this was the same area associated later with the infamous DeStefanos, who were Sambucesi by way of LaSalle County. He stated that his wife Lena DiGregorio was still living in Ladd, Bureau County, however. Can't find any later marriage or divorce records for Corso as of yet, but there were definitely DiGregorios from Montevago living in Ladd. Joe Corso died in 1990 in IL (see Mugshots also).

Looks like there were a whole bunch of Montevaghesi who settled across Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, and Bureau County. Very good bet that there were more involved in the mafia (Fazio, Maggio, Ingoglia, Campo, Saladino, Corso, DiMaria, DiGregorio, Valenti, Pendola, Monteleone, and Armato are just some of the names that one sees many of in IL). Apart from Menfi and Santa Margherita in Agrigento, Montevago borders Castelvetrano, Partanna, and Salaparuta in Trapani province, so the links to the mafia across that region (the Belice/Mazara valleys) likely were important for their operations in IL. Even since the late 20th century, the mafia in Santa Margherita/Montevago is closely tied to the Castelvetrano/Partanna Families under the Messina Denaros. Lots of familial (both kinship and mafia) connections across that whole area that presumably go way back.

[cavita]

Maybe one of you could look further into Corso- I couldn't find a wife or much of anything else. I also should say that 1938 bust with Dinora was for counterfeiting and not bootlegging. Also curious as to why he was living in Waukegan in the 1940s.

This was my first time hearing of Corso. Definitely seems like a guy who was somebody. Waukegan would obviously put him in Chicago territory. Whatever his affiliation was he presumably had connections to all of the IL families.

I'm wondering if the name wasn't originally Corvo, because the Italian word for crow, is corvo.

Looks like the original surname in Montevago was indeed Corso. Montevago was also the hometown of the Springfield Campos, who also had ties to Castelvetrano.

I have Giuseppe Corso who lived in Bureau County as early 1917 as born in 1897 in Montevago to Felice Corso and Grazia Saladino, both of Montevago. Giuseppe's sister Giuseppina Corso was the wife of Rockford member Giuseppe "Joe" Guttila of Casteldaccia (their daughter Mary was the wife of Augie Maniaci; Felice Corso died in Rockford in 1949). Brother Leonardo Corso (the above parents and siblings arrived to IL from Ontevago in 1908 with Leonardo already resident there) married a Gaetana DiMaria in Chicago and then returned to Bureau County (unsure of her origin; Montevago is a good bet, as there were a bunch of Corsos and DiMarias from Montevago in Chicago). Giuseppe Corso married a Carmella Oliva in 1926 in Chicago; the 1930 census in Ladd, Bureau County, then shows his wife as Carmela Corso. She was born around 1905, but I haven't yet been able to verify her origin (there were a bunch of Olivas in Chicago from Cammarata, Agrigento but also from Campofelice di Fitalia and Casteldaccia -- the last could be something given the connection to the Guttilas). in 1942, Giuseppe Corso gave his address as Lorel and Wabansia in the North Austin neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago (gave employment as "none"). This could be significant as this was the same area associated later with the infamous DeStefanos, who were Sambucesi by way of LaSalle County. He stated that his wife Lena DiGregorio was still living in Ladd, Bureau County, however. Can't find any later marriage or divorce records for Corso as of yet, but there were definitely DiGregorios from Montevago living in Ladd. Joe Corso died in 1990 in IL (see Mugshots also).

Looks like there were a whole bunch of Montevaghesi who settled across Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, and Bureau County. Very good bet that there were more involved in the mafia (Fazio, Maggio, Ingoglia, Campo, Saladino, Corso, DiMaria, DiGregorio, Valenti, Pendola, Monteleone, and Armato are just some of the names that one sees many of in IL). Apart from Menfi and Santa Margherita in Agrigento, Montevago borders Castelvetrano, Partanna, and Salaparuta in Trapani province, so the links to the mafia across that region (the Belice/Mazara valleys) likely were important for their operations in IL. Even since the late 20th century, the mafia in Santa Margherita/Montevago is closely tied to the Castelvetrano/Partanna Families under the Messina Denaros. Lots of familial (both kinship and mafia) connections across that whole area that presumably go way back.

Aweome, awesome work my friend- given all these connections and the pedigree I would have to believe Corso was an LCN member but for which family would be a mystery.

[cavita]

Polack Tony, B., etc.:

I think this is the FBI file excerpt I was referring to. From 1967

[PolackTony]

Polack Tony, B., etc.:

I think this is the FBI file excerpt I was referring to. From 1967

Ah, yes. This was from Frank Bompensiero and was a very important document for further demonstrating that there was indeed an independent Gary Family (along with Bompensiero's comment that Tony Pinelli, Chicago capodecina and later transfer to the LA Family, had not previously been a member of the Gary Family).

[Angelo Santino]

In thinking on how current events would be perceived had they happened 100 years ago, we could argue that Gotti *technically made Gambino Mafia History by finally elevating a Sciaccatan- Gravano as Under in the 80's. Despite having it's own wing in this family going back to Lupo in 1900, the Sciaccatani never held any admin positions before John Gotti, the Nap, elevated one. In fact, one might argue that Gotti was very pro-Sicilian based on both Gravano and LoCascio. Fortunately we have no shortage of people who were there and are able to provide 10x the information on this era and would probably disagree with this narrative on many levels. (We don't have to go into John's pro-Napolitan and how it meant something to him to have DeCicco, a Napolitan as his Under and how he thought Joe Butch (a 4th generation American Sciaccatan) was "too Sicilian" for an admin position. I'm simply presenting the hypothesis we'd form if we went on that alone.

This kind of ties in with the Genovese chart I'm working on because it's very revealing and I would argue is the best showcase so far in Americanization. But I have my own view of Americanization, I don't see view the phenonemon as a declining half-life but rather a changeover, a metamorphosis.

Here's one example: Michael DiLeonardo recollects all the social clubs on 18th avenue that died out in the 1980's named after different hometowns. (He named off at least 15 of them and I'd really like to write them down and map them out.) The next generation were less inclined to continue these clubs based on that connection. Many of them were 2nd or 3rd generation and they identified more with their own neighborhoods. Bensonhurst, downtown, Harlem etc. Then fast forward to the 2010's when John Pennisi mentions the plans for the Lucchese to form a "Brooklyn crew" based on guys living in Staten Island who all were from Brooklyn. That to me, is Americanization, it's no different than people from Sciacca forming the Sciaccatani club in Brooklyn a century prior.

Going back to the Gens, I speculated that most of the Sicilians would be from Messina but nope, more Palermo province than anywhere and some from hometowns that you'd think would be Gambino or Bonannos. But it's important to remember that while compaesanismo meant something, it was slowly succumbing to a newer form which was neighborhood contacts/social worlds which wasn't bound by Sicilian hometowns. This didn't completely erase the compaesano factor but it did introduce a new dynamic that probably goes further back but just accelerated in the 40's-60's.

[Angelo Santino]

Something else to consider is that Costello was the boss (acting / official) since 1937 and was deposed in 1957. We know that mass inductions stopped after 1931 and temporarily in the 50's due to the selling of memberships. So the Campanian-dominant makeup of the Genovese in 1963 would have been shaped by or/and occurred under Costello as opposed to Vito who was on the streets for about two years as official which can't compete with Frank's two decades.

I think back to what B. found regarding Costello wanting New England to be headed by a Napolitan, the Genovese Family by 1963 was majority Campania. I won't speak for anyone else here, but my view of Costello painted by others, is that he was a largely absentee placeholder boss more concerned with his gambling and political connections. He's one of those guys where's there's so much out there that he's harder to find the truth on. Perhaps he was more of a mainland advocate than previously known.

How much do we really know about Costello as a boss? To my understanding, aside from what Valachi and Bonanno said there really isn't any first accounts to go on. Valachi described his relationship as being disconnected with Costello, they had little in common and didn't appear to move in the same circles. Bonanno described Costello as suave and diplomatic individual who was the leader of "liberal" side of the Commission which included Anastasia and Thomas Lucchese while Joe Bonanno headed the conservative faction which included Magaddino and Profaci.

I think Bonanno's description was more descriptive than it was in de jure terms. I don't think the Commission ever had the "Liberal President" and "Conservative President." So the fact that Bonanno described Costello's place on the Commission shows that he wasn't too concerned with gambling and swooning politicians to function as an unofficial "leader of leaders of leaders" role in national mafia affairs and meetings.

I'll admit, I know next to nothing about Costello, but arguably he paved the way for what the guys post-Genovese did.