Which Mafia Members lived in Strange Places?

[TSNYC]

Al Embarrato retired to Virginia, which always seemed odd to me.

[JoelTurner]

As I recall, a New York wiseguy lived and operated in the Virginia/DC area.

Newark/Gambino member Vincent Todaro moved to the DC area in the early '50s

[sdeitche]

Salvatore "Red" Italiano lived for years in Mexico after leaving Tampa.

[Ivan]

Didn't the Patriarcas have a soldier running rackets in one of the big towns (Portland?) in Maine?

[mike68]

Current New England soldier, Billy Angelesco, allegedly lives in Maine. Considered New England but a long way from the streets of Medford and Malden, MA.

[trafficante]

Orlando Napolitano and his son Joe were apart of the New England family and lived in Portland, Maine. Joe later became an informant and was killed.

Billy Grasso was with New England but lived in New Haven. If I recall he was associated with Ralph Tropiano and the Colombos originally, but later became a made man in the New England family. His son Mariano "Mario" Grasso is a current member of the New England family.

Anthony Biase with Kansas City lived in Omaha, NE. Always found that kinda weird, Omaha never struck me as a town with an LCN presence.

Jimmy Fratianno was with Los Angeles while living up in Moss Beach in the Bay Area.

Frank Milano with Cleveland, later fleeing to Veracruz, Mexico.

Aldo Magnelli was a member of the Pittston family who lived in Harrisburg, PA.

[JoelTurner]

Anthony Biase with Kansas City lived in Omaha, NE. Always found that kinda weird, Omaha never struck me as a town with an LCN presence.

"Where in hell is Omaha?"

[B.]

Was Biase a confirmed member? Good to know.

Civella discussed the formal status of Gurera and Balestrere after they left Milwaukee with an apparent made member in Omaha called the "old man". It could have been Frank Calamia (from Gibellina, like some important KC Family figures) who was very likely a member but I've wondered if they had multiple people there.

Tony also found that Nick Fucarino, a Chicago member who transferred to Milwaukee, first arrived to Omaha when he came to the US.

[PolackTony]

Was Biase a confirmed member? Good to know.

Civella discussed the formal status of Gurera and Balestrere after they left Milwaukee with an apparent made member in Omaha called the "old man". It could have been Frank Calamia (from Gibellina, like some important KC Family figures) who was very likely a member but I've wondered if they had multiple people there.

Tony also found that Nick Fucarino, a Chicago member who transferred to Milwaukee, first arrived to Omaha when he came to the US.

I’m not aware that Anthony Biase was ever identified as a member; someone please correct me if I’m wrong. He was called the “head of the mafia” in Omaha by some authors, but beyond that I don’t know if his formal affiliation or membership was ever publicly confirmed.

In 1968, not only did the FBI not list him as a member, but they didn’t even include him as a “suspected member or associate” of the KC outfit. Apparently, neither Joe Gurera or Lou Fratto, two of the FBI’s main sources on KC, identified Biase or discussed him with the FBI, even though it was documented that Fratto knew Biase and had met with him in Omaha in 1960. Biase was born in 1909, I believe, so if he was made he was probably made by the 60s. I’ve never seen his file, if it exists, so who knows if there would be something in there.

I’ve discussed the possibility of Omaha having had an early colony Family in the past. This is purely speculative but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was an early Family there that went defunct, as there was a Sicilian colony in Omaha. The Sicilian population was heavily derived from Siracusa, though, unlike KC or STL which of course had many people from mafia strongholds in Western Sicily, which could make the establishment of a Family in Omaha less likely. The comune of Carlentini in Siracusa has a sister city relationship with Omaha. In fact, they apparently still maintain a Festa for Santa Lucia in Omaha, which was started by Siracusani in 1924 (Santa Lucia being the patron of Siracusa).

[B.]

Even though it's a well-known Family with some notorious names, not that much is known about KC from the inside.

You had Gurera who provided some info on a limited basis before he died then Crapisi who was the son of a member but not made himself and from his cooperation it's clear he wasn't clued in on a lot of the internal details despite being close to the leadership and knowing the lay of the land.

Phil Rizzuto who I mentioned is a good example of how little we know, as he was born in KC and moved to New Orleans as a toddler but was identified by the FBI as a Kansas City member despite his close relationship to Marcello:



I don't know if he was ever included on FBI lists of KC members but by the early 1980s they must have received information he was made with them as the FBI doesn't typically state membership that definitively without a source. Rizzuto was part of the Schiro-Orlando clan which produced members of the Bonannos / San Francisco / Los Angeles, his uncle being Schiro cousin Antonino Rizzuto of the Bonannos and his cousins being the Orlando Sciortinos who became underbosses in SF and LA, but he was also related through marriage to the Gaglianos of the NO Family.

It seems his history in KC was the deciding factor on where he belonged though, his father Gioacchino "Jack" having been a mafia bootlegger in KC in the 1930s after leaving Williamsburg. Jack Rizzuto is mentioned by some sources as an important mafioso in New Orleans when he lived there but as you'd expect with NO, there was nobody who definitively identified him as a member, New Orleans or otherwise. The Rizzutos did spend some time back in KC after settling in NO but they established themselves long-term in NO when Phil was a young kid yet he remained "with" Kansas City.

There are also reports from the 1960s of Marcello trying to limit Kansas City's influence in NO, particularly with regard to Rizzuto. Though he isn't explicitly identified as a KC member in this report as he would be later, this description adds weight to the later account of Rizzuto being affiliated with KC:



It's evident that Rizzuto was at least an associate of KC at that time if he wasn't made yet. The reference to Marcello respecting their fathers is also interesting, as it points to Marcello being more receptive of KC's presence in NO when it was the older generation. It adds weight to the idea too that Jack Rizzuto was once a KC member based in NO like his son.

KC's influence in NO goes back further, as NO boss Sam Carollo was closely tied to Kansas City along with Frank Coppola, KC boss Charles Binaggio visiting them there and them hiding out with Binaggio when they were evading deportation.

Rizzuto also brought Leonard Franzone from Chicago to New Orleans where they engaged in business and Franzone was reported to be Rizzuto's "cousin". Franzone's father was from Chiusa Sclafani where Kansas City leaders the DiGiovannis were from but both of Rizzuto's parents were from Camporeale so it doesn't seem they were related on that front. However, Tony found that Franzone's mother was a Gagliano from Agrigento and as mentioned above, the Rizzutos married into the NO Gaglianos who came from Porto Empedocle so maybe he and Franzone were "cousins" through the Gaglianos.

The FBI carried Rizzuto as a "suspected" New Orleans member for a time which is a reasonable guess as it takes a lot of work to unravel these formal relationships but much more is sometimes at play.

--

Other KC areas of interest are St. Joseph and Topeka but I haven't looked into them much.

Mafia-linked figure Cosimo Asaro from Alabama (born in Ciancana, Agrigento) ended up in St. Joe and it's unlikely he was a member but the network was at least there. He and his brother Vincenzo were involved with Tampa/Birmingham counterfeiter Joe Rametta from Santo Stefano Quisquina who was as well-connected as it gets, Rametta corresponding via letter with Ignazio Lupo when both of them were in prison for counterfeiting.

Topeka had Sicilian laborers, Nick Gentile's brother Vincenzo working there in the early 1900s and Nick ended up living in Topeka himself but it's not clear to me if it was before or after he was made in "Philadelphia". He jumps several years within a few short paragraphs when discussing his residence in Topeka and time as a traveling burlap salesman followed by his 1909 return to Siculiana, which was a couple years after he was made. I wouldn't be surprised if Gentile was a KC member for a time much earlier before he returned there in the 1920s and became boss, but maybe Rick or Angelo can clarify if he did live in Topeka after he was made.

--

Buster Balestrere and Joe Gurera fit this discussion, as they were Kansas City-based members of the Milwaukee Family for a period after leaving Wisconsin. They were originally made with KC, moved to Milwaukee and transferred, but then returned to KC and Frank Balistrieri was recorded saying they were still Milwaukee members until he decided what to do. This was temporary though, not Milwaukee establishing a true outpost in KC.

[Eline2015]

Poagy Torriello, genovese soldier, who lived in New England.

[CornerBoy]

Was Biase a confirmed member? Good to know.

Civella discussed the formal status of Gurera and Balestrere after they left Milwaukee with an apparent made member in Omaha called the "old man". It could have been Frank Calamia (from Gibellina, like some important KC Family figures) who was very likely a member but I've wondered if they had multiple people there.

Tony also found that Nick Fucarino, a Chicago member who transferred to Milwaukee, first arrived to Omaha when he came to the US.

I’m not aware that Anthony Biase was ever identified as a member; someone please correct me if I’m wrong. He was called the “head of the mafia” in Omaha by some authors, but beyond that I don’t know if his formal affiliation or membership was ever publicly confirmed.

In 1968, not only did the FBI not list him as a member, but they didn’t even include him as a “suspected member or associate” of the KC outfit. Apparently, neither Joe Gurera or Lou Fratto, two of the FBI’s main sources on KC, identified Biase or discussed him with the FBI, even though it was documented that Fratto knew Biase and had met with him in Omaha in 1960. Biase was born in 1909, I believe, so if he was made he was probably made by the 60s. I’ve never seen his file, if it exists, so who knows if there would be something in there.

I’ve discussed the possibility of Omaha having had an early colony Family in the past. This is purely speculative but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was an early Family there that went defunct, as there was a Sicilian colony in Omaha. The Sicilian population was heavily derived from Siracusa, though, unlike KC or STL which of course had many people from mafia strongholds in Western Sicily, which could make the establishment of a Family in Omaha less likely. The comune of Carlentini in Siracusa has a sister city relationship with Omaha. In fact, they apparently still maintain a Festa for Santa Lucia in Omaha, which was started by Siracusani in 1924 (Santa Lucia being the patron of Siracusa).

in places like tulsa and omaha, somebody has to take the action. do ou think they are italian? Hillbilly's? Ive been to Omaha but was in and out in 24 hours every time. same w tulsa. or like in a big city like Denver? what ethnicity takes the action and lend money (if they even do that)

[CornerBoy]

Strange places? How about Dyker/gravesend/Bhurst?
Parts of Staten Island.

Have to be the craziest places w the craziest ppl on earth.

At one time, not too long ago, there were wonderful ppl in those areas

[B.]

Poagy Torriello, genovese soldier, who lived in New England.

I see an article that says he was in New England circa 1950 -- do you know which area?

--

John Biele was a Genovese member splitting time between Boston, Florida, and Arizona before he transferred to New England.

Ronald Cassesso of Boston was reportedly made by another Family before transferring to New England. Not sure which group or for how long. Genovese would make sense since there was a fluid relationship in terms of inductions/transfers between them and NE but the books in NY might have been closed when he was made so not sure.

Bonanno member Vito Badamo Sr. spent periods in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

[PolackTony]

Was Biase a confirmed member? Good to know.

Civella discussed the formal status of Gurera and Balestrere after they left Milwaukee with an apparent made member in Omaha called the "old man". It could have been Frank Calamia (from Gibellina, like some important KC Family figures) who was very likely a member but I've wondered if they had multiple people there.

Tony also found that Nick Fucarino, a Chicago member who transferred to Milwaukee, first arrived to Omaha when he came to the US.

I’m not aware that Anthony Biase was ever identified as a member; someone please correct me if I’m wrong. He was called the “head of the mafia” in Omaha by some authors, but beyond that I don’t know if his formal affiliation or membership was ever publicly confirmed.

In 1968, not only did the FBI not list him as a member, but they didn’t even include him as a “suspected member or associate” of the KC outfit. Apparently, neither Joe Gurera or Lou Fratto, two of the FBI’s main sources on KC, identified Biase or discussed him with the FBI, even though it was documented that Fratto knew Biase and had met with him in Omaha in 1960. Biase was born in 1909, I believe, so if he was made he was probably made by the 60s. I’ve never seen his file, if it exists, so who knows if there would be something in there.

I’ve discussed the possibility of Omaha having had an early colony Family in the past. This is purely speculative but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was an early Family there that went defunct, as there was a Sicilian colony in Omaha. The Sicilian population was heavily derived from Siracusa, though, unlike KC or STL which of course had many people from mafia strongholds in Western Sicily, which could make the establishment of a Family in Omaha less likely. The comune of Carlentini in Siracusa has a sister city relationship with Omaha. In fact, they apparently still maintain a Festa for Santa Lucia in Omaha, which was started by Siracusani in 1924 (Santa Lucia being the patron of Siracusa).

in places like tulsa and omaha, somebody has to take the action. do ou think they are italian? Hillbilly's? Ive been to Omaha but was in and out in 24 hours every time. same w tulsa. or like in a big city like Denver? what ethnicity takes the action and lend money (if they even do that)

No idea, myself. Cosa Nostra notwithstanding, organized crime is everywhere in some form or another, of course. Today I’m aware that narcotics related OC is active in the places that you mention, but for things like gambling and lending money, no clue.

Since you brought up OK. While he didn’t live there full time (his main residence was in a luxury high rise in downtown Chicago), powerful Chicago associate Murray Humphreys spent a lot of time in his second home in rural OK. This was about as different as one could imagine from where he was from, but his wife was originally from OK. I don’t believe that he was involved in any criminal activities there, it was a place for him to get away from his main life.

A lot of Chicago guys liked to get out of the city and many were into hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities that they didn’t get to experience during their typically deprived, inner city upbringings. Members like Ricca, Lefty Campagna, and Teets Battaglia owned farms in rural areas away from the city, while former captain Jim DeGeorge spent much of his later life operating a cattle ranch and tavern in far northern Wisconsin (though he still maintained a home in Chicago as well).