Francesco "Three Fingers" Coppola thread

[Villain]

I dont know much regarding the Luccheses but did you guys ever heard of Tony Castaldi and Tony Catoma, since during the 50s they possibly supplied one Outfit associate Tony Dichiarinte, a close pal of Lefty Rosenthal and runner for Battaglia, Buccieri and Nicoletti?

[cavita]

I'd be interested in knowing when Coppola was active in Louisiana. I have to wonder if Coppola had dealings with Vincenzo Piro, an early New Orleans member. Piro eventually relocated to Los Angeles by the time Coppola was arrested there in 1931 and 1932 and it seems possible that the two had dealings there as well.

[HairyKnuckles]

I dont know much regarding the Luccheses but did you guys ever heard of Tony Castaldi and Tony Catoma, since during the 50s they possibly supplied one Outfit associate Tony Dichiarinte, a close pal of Lefty Rosenthal and runner for Battaglia, Buccieri and Nicoletti?

Yeah, Anthony Castaldi or "Tony Higgins" was a Lucchese made guy who served as a captain in the 1970s. He died in 1981. He was big into drugs.

[Villain]

I dont know much regarding the Luccheses but did you guys ever heard of Tony Castaldi and Tony Catoma, since during the 50s they possibly supplied one Outfit associate Tony Dichiarinte, a close pal of Lefty Rosenthal and runner for Battaglia, Buccieri and Nicoletti?

Yeah, Anthony Castaldi or "Tony Higgins" was a Lucchese made guy who served as a captain in the 1970s. He died in 1981. He was big into drugs.

Thanks a lot man

[jimmyb]

Actually I think the Detroit mafia top customers were the Luchesse family, guys like Ormento. One of the Dertoit drug guys was related by marriage I believe....

Interesting point on Luciano's status post deportation. In a book by Douglas Valentine, he and the FBN had Coppola as the top drug guy.

In the same book he has Vito Genovese running dope through Kansas City, handled by Nicola Impostato and another guy, I gotta look at my book...

Coppola dealt direct with Detroit, St. Louis., New Orleans, and the Luchesses. Maybe more...

That's right. John Ormento hooked up w/Detroit through his Teamsters connections. I have Ormento's FBI files, a lot of good info in there.

[jimmyb]

There is a lot of good info on Coopla in John Priziola's FBI files. Coppola lived in Detroit for a while and was def a member of the org. For more on Coppola and Detroit, see the chapter I wrote in "Detroit True Crime Chronicles."

[jimmyb]

Here is timeline on Coppola.

1899:Born Partinico, Sicily
1919: wanted on homicide charges in Palermo
1926: enters Florida illegally
1930: Bootlegging charge in LA
1931-1940s: relocates to Detroit; Captain in LCN org (Partinico faction)
Sylvia Pagano introduces Coppola to Hoffa
Coppola is godfather to her son “Chuck O’Brien.”
Hoffa persuades Coppola and Santo Perrone to switch sides in labor wars.
Partincio group involved in gambling and labor racketeering
1941: Coppola backs Hoffa in his fight with CIO
1943: Coppola also invests in rackets in Louisiana, partners with Sam Carolla; Coppola involved with some kind of beef with Frank Costello who is also invested in Louisiana. Costello requests permission from the Commission to hit Coppola. Costello is denied.
1945: US army found him ‘not acceptable’ for “training and service in army”
1947: US deports Coppola to Italy; Informant claims Jimmy Q and Papa John supplied authorities w/information to get Coppola deported
Attorney General of Louisiana Fred S. Le Blanc writes letter of recommendation on Coppola’s behalf to Bureau of Immigration Appeals; Coppola resides in Tijuana during appeals process
1949: Capomafia of Partinico Santo Flores is assassinated; with Coppola’s influence Gaspare Centineo is appointed new boss.
1950: Coppola living in Tijuana; Visa granted by Mexican govt to “study agriculture and mining;” Coppola involved in gambling, human trafficking, and narco smuggling; responding to pressure from US Govt, Mexican authorities arrest Coppola in Mexico City---he’s deported to Italy.
1950/1960s: Coppola visits Partinico every election cycle; cozy with Catholic church figure; he’s clearly most important ‘behind the scenes’ political power broker in region
From Sicily, Coppola sets up elaborate heroin smuggling ring with Partinicesi gangsters in Detroit (Priziola, Quasarano, Finazzo, Lo Medico) and St. Louis.
Coppola’s group buying heroin from Schiaparelli Pharmaceuticals; under pressure from US, Italy bans sale of medicinal morphine; have to begin manufacturing heroin in illicit labs
Partinico/Teamsters/San Diego/NY Mafia heroin network emerges: Coppola in Sicily/Partincesi gangsters in Detroit and St. Louis/John Ormento in NY/Sal Vitale in San Diego.
Tensions between Coppola and Luciano regarding heroin supply to US
1951: heroin seizure in April 1951; green trunk of heroin handled by Serafino Mancuso heading for Priziola and Jimmy Q; 6 kilos of heroin; wholesale value of $7000 a kilo; raid on Coppola’s house in Anzio, found address books, notes, names, papers seized from Coppola; among his papers was another letter from Priziola on Priziola stationary; Coppola on the run
1951: Jimmy Q makes deal with Sal Vitale for 14 kilo delivery. Puts down $75,000; shipment is received but Priziola and Jimmy Q claim it’s adulterated (over mixed with Sugar); Detroit faction claim double crossed; Sal Vitale claims he must have been double crossed himself by someone in Marseilles; To make up for it, Sal Vitale arranges for $100,000 delivery of heroin to Frank Matranga (papa john’s son in law)---after receiving delivery three men broke into hotel room and robbed Matranga of heroin---unable to prove it Matranga and Sal Vitale suspect Papa John and Jimmy Q behind hijacking (Sal Vitale was married to Matranga’s sister Catherine)
Zerilli rules in Sal Vitale’s favor during sitdown
1952: Attorney’s Office of Customs and Excise (Italy) declares “Francesco Coppola is undoubtedly key figure in drug traffic”
1953: Coppola picked up by Italian authorities on charges of kidnapping and murder; kidnapped wealthy landowner in Palermo area
Senator Girolamo Messeri sends court formal letter of support
Coppola made honorary member of Catholic Students’ Federation
1955: Jimmy Q and Papa John finally pay $20,000 to Vitale from earlier dispute; Vitale arranges for another $36,000 of heroin delivered to Detroit; Priziola and Q but again refuse to pay---Vitale threatens to have members of Quasarano’s family murdered in Partinico; veteran member of the Detroit based Partincese group gangster Vito LoMedico mediates (his brother influential Mafiosi back in Partinico); Sal Vitale is claiming Detroit faction owes $60,000; Joe Matranga tries to convince Papa John (his father in law to pay up); Others mediate Joe Zerilli, Peter Di Lorenzo, John Ormento and Frank Livorsi surveilled visiting San Diego to meet with Vitale
1956: Vitales tells Martranga he’s going to have Papa John and Q whacked if they don’t pay up; arranges for sitdown in Detroit; Vitale tells wife that after Detroit he’s going to France and Italy to collect other outstanding debts; investigators surveilled Vitale with Peter Di Lorenzo, and one of the Tocco kids in Windsor; Vitale disappears, presumed murdered
Coppola undisputed chief of heroin pipeline
1957: Infamous mafia drug summit at Grand Hotel de Palmes in Palermo, Coppola and Priziola attend
1960s: voting machines in a number of Sicilian provinces controlled by Domenico and Giacomo Coppola (Frank’s nephews)
1965: Coppola was among a dozen Mafia chieftains rounded up by police in Italy and Sicily
1966: Coppola charged with four murder accounts
Senator Santi Savarino sends court formal letter of support
1968: Court clears Coppola based on “insufficient evidence”
1971: Indicted again on drug charges
1973: Convicted on attempted murder charges---actually serves time
1981: Arrested on drug charges
1982: Dies natural causes

[cavita]

Here is timeline on Coppola.

1899:Born Partinico, Sicily
1919: wanted on homicide charges in Palermo
1926: enters Florida illegally
1930: Bootlegging charge in LA
1931-1940s: relocates to Detroit; Captain in LCN org (Partinico faction)
Sylvia Pagano introduces Coppola to Hoffa
Coppola is godfather to her son “Chuck O’Brien.”
Hoffa persuades Coppola and Santo Perrone to switch sides in labor wars.
Partincio group involved in gambling and labor racketeering
1941: Coppola backs Hoffa in his fight with CIO
1943: Coppola also invests in rackets in Louisiana, partners with Sam Carolla; Coppola involved with some kind of beef with Frank Costello who is also invested in Louisiana. Costello requests permission from the Commission to hit Coppola. Costello is denied.
1945: US army found him ‘not acceptable’ for “training and service in army”
1947: US deports Coppola to Italy; Informant claims Jimmy Q and Papa John supplied authorities w/information to get Coppola deported
Attorney General of Louisiana Fred S. Le Blanc writes letter of recommendation on Coppola’s behalf to Bureau of Immigration Appeals; Coppola resides in Tijuana during appeals process
1949: Capomafia of Partinico Santo Flores is assassinated; with Coppola’s influence Gaspare Centineo is appointed new boss.
1950: Coppola living in Tijuana; Visa granted by Mexican govt to “study agriculture and mining;” Coppola involved in gambling, human trafficking, and narco smuggling; responding to pressure from US Govt, Mexican authorities arrest Coppola in Mexico City---he’s deported to Italy.
1950/1960s: Coppola visits Partinico every election cycle; cozy with Catholic church figure; he’s clearly most important ‘behind the scenes’ political power broker in region
From Sicily, Coppola sets up elaborate heroin smuggling ring with Partinicesi gangsters in Detroit (Priziola, Quasarano, Finazzo, Lo Medico) and St. Louis.
Coppola’s group buying heroin from Schiaparelli Pharmaceuticals; under pressure from US, Italy bans sale of medicinal morphine; have to begin manufacturing heroin in illicit labs
Partinico/Teamsters/San Diego/NY Mafia heroin network emerges: Coppola in Sicily/Partincesi gangsters in Detroit and St. Louis/John Ormento in NY/Sal Vitale in San Diego.
Tensions between Coppola and Luciano regarding heroin supply to US
1951: heroin seizure in April 1951; green trunk of heroin handled by Serafino Mancuso heading for Priziola and Jimmy Q; 6 kilos of heroin; wholesale value of $7000 a kilo; raid on Coppola’s house in Anzio, found address books, notes, names, papers seized from Coppola; among his papers was another letter from Priziola on Priziola stationary; Coppola on the run
1951: Jimmy Q makes deal with Sal Vitale for 14 kilo delivery. Puts down $75,000; shipment is received but Priziola and Jimmy Q claim it’s adulterated (over mixed with Sugar); Detroit faction claim double crossed; Sal Vitale claims he must have been double crossed himself by someone in Marseilles; To make up for it, Sal Vitale arranges for $100,000 delivery of heroin to Frank Matranga (papa john’s son in law)---after receiving delivery three men broke into hotel room and robbed Matranga of heroin---unable to prove it Matranga and Sal Vitale suspect Papa John and Jimmy Q behind hijacking (Sal Vitale was married to Matranga’s sister Catherine)
Zerilli rules in Sal Vitale’s favor during sitdown
1952: Attorney’s Office of Customs and Excise (Italy) declares “Francesco Coppola is undoubtedly key figure in drug traffic”
1953: Coppola picked up by Italian authorities on charges of kidnapping and murder; kidnapped wealthy landowner in Palermo area
Senator Girolamo Messeri sends court formal letter of support
Coppola made honorary member of Catholic Students’ Federation
1955: Jimmy Q and Papa John finally pay $20,000 to Vitale from earlier dispute; Vitale arranges for another $36,000 of heroin delivered to Detroit; Priziola and Q but again refuse to pay---Vitale threatens to have members of Quasarano’s family murdered in Partinico; veteran member of the Detroit based Partincese group gangster Vito LoMedico mediates (his brother influential Mafiosi back in Partinico); Sal Vitale is claiming Detroit faction owes $60,000; Joe Matranga tries to convince Papa John (his father in law to pay up); Others mediate Joe Zerilli, Peter Di Lorenzo, John Ormento and Frank Livorsi surveilled visiting San Diego to meet with Vitale
1956: Vitales tells Martranga he’s going to have Papa John and Q whacked if they don’t pay up; arranges for sitdown in Detroit; Vitale tells wife that after Detroit he’s going to France and Italy to collect other outstanding debts; investigators surveilled Vitale with Peter Di Lorenzo, and one of the Tocco kids in Windsor; Vitale disappears, presumed murdered
Coppola undisputed chief of heroin pipeline
1957: Infamous mafia drug summit at Grand Hotel de Palmes in Palermo, Coppola and Priziola attend
1960s: voting machines in a number of Sicilian provinces controlled by Domenico and Giacomo Coppola (Frank’s nephews)
1965: Coppola was among a dozen Mafia chieftains rounded up by police in Italy and Sicily
1966: Coppola charged with four murder accounts
Senator Santi Savarino sends court formal letter of support
1968: Court clears Coppola based on “insufficient evidence”
1971: Indicted again on drug charges
1973: Convicted on attempted murder charges---actually serves time
1981: Arrested on drug charges
1982: Dies natural causes

This is great info! Thanks for sharing!

[Antiliar]

jimmyb,

To your knowledge, was Coppola ever the official boss of Partinico, or was he always "the power behind the throne"? Also, was he a member of other Families before he joined up with Detroit? Maybe an early Los Angeles member?

[Eline2015]

jimmyb,

To your knowledge, was Coppola ever the official boss of Partinico, or was he always "the power behind the throne"? Also, was he a member of other Families before he joined up with Detroit? Maybe an early Los Angeles member?

I think he was a St. Louis member, before transferred to detroit

[Dwalin2014]

Was he really convicted on the Angelo Mangano attempted murder charges? How much did he get? I always thought he got off, as he usually did.

Jimmyb, thanks for the information

[jimmyb]

jimmyb,

To your knowledge, was Coppola ever the official boss of Partinico, or was he always "the power behind the throne"? Also, was he a member of other Families before he joined up with Detroit? Maybe an early Los Angeles member?

Hey, Antiliar

My understanding is that he was never the official capomafia there. In fact, I don't think he spent much time in Partinico period. If you look at his profile: LA, St. Louis, KC, Detroit, NY, Palermo, Rome---he fancied himself kind of a cosmo gangster and thought Partinico was too provincial. He would show up around election time though. My opinion is that he was the behind the scenes power, but never the formal boss. We saw a similar situation with Vincenzo Rimi (Alcamo). It was clear that by the 1930s Rimi was the real power in Alcamo, but throughout the decades we see other names identified as capimafia there. Maybe Tommasso Buscetta a similar case study---I don't think he was formally the boss of his cosca.

In terms of membership, I've always argued membership stipulations are more fluid in the mafia (especially 1910s, 1920s, 1930s). I don't have a precise answer, but my impression is Coppola was a prominent mafioso in Sicily, and when he arrived in LA, St. L, KC, and/or Detroit, he was recognized as such and operated as a made member of that city's org. Detroit for sure recognized him as a formal member.

[jimmyb]

Was he really convicted on the Angelo Mangano attempted murder charges? How much did he get? I always thought he got off, as he usually did.

Jimmyb, thanks for the information

Hey, Dwalin2014

Sure, no worries. Great question by the way. I'm not sure how time he actually served on those attempted murder charges, but the implication from this NY Times article is that he served at least one year.

https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/27/obit ... eader.html

[Antiliar]

jimmyb,

To your knowledge, was Coppola ever the official boss of Partinico, or was he always "the power behind the throne"? Also, was he a member of other Families before he joined up with Detroit? Maybe an early Los Angeles member?

Hey, Antiliar

My understanding is that he was never the official capomafia there. In fact, I don't think he spent much time in Partinico period. If you look at his profile: LA, St. Louis, KC, Detroit, NY, Palermo, Rome---he fancied himself kind of a cosmo gangster and thought Partinico was too provincial. He would show up around election time though. My opinion is that he was the behind the scenes power, but never the formal boss. We saw a similar situation with Vincenzo Rimi (Alcamo). It was clear that by the 1930s Rimi was the real power in Alcamo, but throughout the decades we see other names identified as capimafia there. Maybe Tommasso Buscetta a similar case study---I don't think he was formally the boss of his cosca.

In terms of membership, I've always argued membership stipulations are more fluid in the mafia (especially 1910s, 1920s, 1930s). I don't have a precise answer, but my impression is Coppola was a prominent mafioso in Sicily, and when he arrived in LA, St. L, KC, and/or Detroit, he was recognized as such and operated as a made member of that city's org. Detroit for sure recognized him as a formal member.

Thanks Jimmyb, appreciate all the input.

[aleksandrored]

I discussed some of these issues with Tim Newark, who is the author I think you're talking about. He's a good guy and did good research, but we can't know everything. Sometimes information comes out after we publish, and it changes our conclusions. There was a documentary that included testimony from an elderly Italian man who said he worked in factory secretly owned by Luciano, and in it heroin was secretly smuggled out. I can't verify the man's testimony, but if true, Luciano was involved. To what extent, we don't know.

Sorry to revive this topic and ask this only now, but what would be this documentary in which the elderly person says that?