The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Discuss all mafia families in the U.S., Canada, Italy, and everywhere else in the world.

Moderator: Capos

Post Reply
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5821
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by PolackTony »

Antiliar wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 1:57 pm There's a family tree at Ancestry (Anselmo Family Tree) that's interesting if any of it is correct.

It begins with Francesco (Frank) Cali, 26 March 1965, New York-13 March 2019, Staten Island, born to:
Augusto Cesare Cali and Agata Scimeca
Augusto Cesare Cali was born in 1916 in Palermo, Palermo, Sicilia (New York public records show that Cesare Augusto Cali was born in March, 1936, and lived at 7306 18th Ave, Brooklyn, the same address as Agata S. Cali) and died in 2012.
His parents were Michele Cali (1873-1958) and Angelica (Angela) Bonventre (1888-1964)
Angelica Bonventre was born around 1888 in Castellammare del Golfo, the daughter of Gaspare Bonventre and Rosa Domingo. She married a Giuseppe DiSalvo Sr (1887-1931), and after her first husband died married Cali. (News sources confirm that Frank Cali was the "great-nephew of Bonanno mobsters Vito Bonventre and Giovanni Bonventre.")

It's possible that Rosa Domingo was related to Giuseppe Domingo, the father of Sebastiano "Buster from Chicago" Domingo. If true, it's another circuitous connection to Chicago, not just with Buster, but his older brother Tony who may have been part of the Joe Aiello faction.

I would have to review the Bonventre genealogy on the family tree since I have doubts about its accuracy. It has the Vito Bonventre who led the "Good Killers" and was killed in 1930 as her older brother. However, it could be correct, I just haven't verified it. According to Vito Bonventre's coroner's report his parents were Gaspare Bonventre and Rosa Domingo, so his parentage is correct.

Agata Scimena Cali, according to her passenger manifest, was born 16 Feb 1938 in Ciminna and gave her U.S. address as 235 Elizabeth Street. Newsday noted that Rosario Morale of 235 Elizabeth Street was one of twelve Bonanno members and associates arrested in 1966.
Thanks for sharing, man. You know, of course, how screwed up some of these family trees can be, but these are very interesting relations being asserted there (obviously), so it's worth really trying to dig into them.

I haven't been looking into Frank Cali's family for long, but the only documents I've personally been able to confirm for him thus far are the Bensonhurst property record you note, and his 1961 arrival in NYC (as Cesare Cali). Agata arrived in NYC first, on a 1961/02/11 Alitalia flight from Rome; as you note, she listed her US address as 235 Elizabeth (Palermo address was on Via Antonio Borzì, near the old center of Palermo Città). Cesare arrived 1961/06/13, on the ship SS Independence from Palermo; he did not give an address in Italy or a birth place/year and listed Agata as living at 262 Elizabeth St.

I don't see any records thus far for a Michele Calì who married a Bonventre woman. Now, there is a Palermo marriage record for a Michele Calì and a Vincenza Di Gregorio (hmmm) in 1892. His parents were given as Giuseppe Calì and Vita Viola, while hers were Nicolò Di Gregorio and Concetta Gebbia (no birth year for either partner). I don't know these Castellammaresi genealogies the way that some of you guys do, so I'll leave it up to someone else to weigh in on that. Given that Cesare Calì was born in 1936, however, even if this was his dad , presumably the woman couldn't have been Cesare's mother; the father would have had to have remarried later.

A couple of family trees on Ancestry claim that the Michele Calì (they give the same parents as in the marriage document above) that I note here was the father of "Augusto Cesare Calì" (it should be Cesare Augusto, i.e., "Caesar Augustus") born in 1916 in Palermo. There are no documents confirming any of this that I've found, and even if Cesare was born in 1916, then Angela Bonventre probably wasn't his mother, as her husband Giuseppe Di Salvo died in 1931. That timeline would be consistent with a 1936 birth, however, Angela would've been in her late 40s when Cesare was born. Possible that Michele Calì and Angela Bonventre met in NYC after their prior spouses died and then returned to Sicily, where Cesare was later born. Who knows. These family trees also have Äugusto Cesare Calì" as having died in 2012; did Frank Cali's dad die in that year?
B. wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:31 pm A very reputable source says Sal Catalano is also a relative of Frank Cali's mother. We know Catalano attended Cali's mother's funeral which was held in Ciminna some years back, as there was an article about it. The source himself has a marital connection with the Catalanos and was very close to them.
Fully plausible, IMO, that they could've been related, and that both families would've had relatives who emigrated to Chicago.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by B. »

Not going to buy into the Cali = part Castellammarese thing until more evidence shows up but there was a Castellammarese associate on record with DiLeonardo, though he doesn't seem to be closely connected to the Bonannos.

Kind of reminiscent of what we see in the early US mafia where patterns placed certain hometowns/regions into certain Families but there were exceptions who fell outside of those networks.
User avatar
Antiliar
Full Patched
Posts: 4365
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:08 pm
Contact:

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by Antiliar »

B. wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:32 pm Not going to buy into the Cali = part Castellammarese thing until more evidence shows up but there was a Castellammarese associate on record with DiLeonardo, though he doesn't seem to be closely connected to the Bonannos.

Kind of reminiscent of what we see in the early US mafia where patterns placed certain hometowns/regions into certain Families but there were exceptions who fell outside of those networks.
Unfortunately, Palermo records that recent are inaccessible for researchers for now. At least online records. Plus Cesare Cali is still alive, so his genealogical records aren't available. He is on Facebook though, so if a daring person wants to ask him, have at it.

Meanwhile, newspaper articles from 2019 do state he was related to the Bonventres:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Frank Cali Facts: Gambino Crime Family Boss Fatally Shot In Staten Island
March 13, 2019 | International Business Times

Gambino crime family boss Frank Cali was fatally shot in front of his Staten Island home in New York on Wednesday night.

The 53-year-old was shot six times on the chest and run over by a pickup truck. He was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital in critical condition where he succumbed to injuries. Police were looking for the pickup truck and witnesses. No arrests were made, the New York Post reported.

Speaking to the New York Daily News, a witness said, "There were like six shots, and then there were three more. The man was on the ground face-up. His head was by his SUV, and the truck was open."

Post the imprisonment of John Gotti, the former head of the Gambino crime family, Cali managed to keep the family united, however, kept it very low profile. He also was known to have ties to the Inzerillo Mafia family in Palermo, Italy. He replaced Domenico Cefalu to become the boss of the crime family in 2015.

Cali, also known as Franky Boy, was born Francesco Paolo Augusto Calì. He was raised in New York by his parents who were natives of Italy. Cali was also related to Bonanno mobsters Vito Bonventre and Giovanni Bonventre. His wife is the niece of Gambino mobster John Gambino.

He became a powerful capo, less than a decade after he was admitted to the family. Cali has done just one criminal conviction which was an extortion charge in 2008 for which he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
B.
Men Of Mayhem
Posts: 10692
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:18 pm
Contact:

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by B. »

That's right, I remember thinking it was just poor journalism but now I'm more open-minded at least.

Brings to mind Francesco Palmeri who we talked about in another thread recently. He is Castellammarese and was misidentified as the "Gambino underboss" but maybe there is something there to the Gambino connection. Two different people "in the know" have said the Bonanno and Gambino Sicilian factions were very close and operated more like one clannish Family.

Anthony Pipitone is another example. Family is from Torretta area like the Gambino faction but is a Bonanno captain aligned with their Sicilian group.
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

File mentions some of the individuals and businesses involved in narcotics in Rockford and tied to the Sicilian Mafia.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

No idea who the Buffalo source is who met with Frank Buscemi and the other redacted individual.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

Rockford LCN figures contacting someone in Australia. No clue who this might be.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

No mention that Rockford is part of the Chicago Outfit, rather they're part of a Sicilian Mafia group.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
nash143
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 518
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:04 am
Contact:

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by nash143 »

Antiliar wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 1:57 pm There's a family tree at Ancestry (Anselmo Family Tree) that's interesting if any of it is correct.

It begins with Francesco (Frank) Cali, 26 March 1965, New York-13 March 2019, Staten Island, born to:
Augusto Cesare Cali and Agata Scimeca
Augusto Cesare Cali was born in 1916 in Palermo, Palermo, Sicilia (New York public records show that Cesare Augusto Cali was born in March, 1936, and lived at 7306 18th Ave, Brooklyn, the same address as Agata S. Cali) and died in 2012.
His parents were Michele Cali (1873-1958) and Angelica (Angela) Bonventre (1888-1964)
Angelica Bonventre was born around 1888 in Castellammare del Golfo, the daughter of Gaspare Bonventre and Rosa Domingo. She married a Giuseppe DiSalvo Sr (1887-1931), and after her first husband died married Cali. (News sources confirm that Frank Cali was the "great-nephew of Bonanno mobsters Vito Bonventre and Giovanni Bonventre.")

It's possible that Rosa Domingo was related to Giuseppe Domingo, the father of Sebastiano "Buster from Chicago" Domingo. If true, it's another circuitous connection to Chicago, not just with Buster, but his older brother Tony who may have been part of the Joe Aiello faction.

I would have to review the Bonventre genealogy on the family tree since I have doubts about its accuracy. It has the Vito Bonventre who led the "Good Killers" and was killed in 1930 as her older brother. However, it could be correct, I just haven't verified it. According to Vito Bonventre's coroner's report his parents were Gaspare Bonventre and Rosa Domingo, so his parentage is correct.

Agata Scimena Cali, according to her passenger manifest, was born 16 Feb 1938 in Ciminna and gave her U.S. address as 235 Elizabeth Street. Newsday noted that Rosario Morale of 235 Elizabeth Street was one of twelve Bonanno members and associates arrested in 1966.
Great thread guys.

Interesting side note, I have Giuseppe DiSalvo's sister Brigida c.1876 as Joseph Genovese's Mother (credit - B). Brigida DiSalvo's Mother-in-law was Francesca Catalano c1846. When Francesca Catalano's first husband, Giuseppe Genovese died, she went on to marry Giovanni Buccellato, Father of Martino, Felice and Nicolo.

Unfortunately, I cannot find anything else on Francesca Catalano.
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5821
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by PolackTony »

cavita wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:58 pm No mention that Rockford is part of the Chicago Outfit, rather they're part of a Sicilian Mafia group.
Great info, thanks for posting, again.

My read is that the Feds thought that the Rockford-Aragona zip group was working with, but not organizationally a part of our subordinated to, local LCN. We've seen how across several different documents from this era, the FBI uses terms like "Chicago LCN", "Rockford LCN", "Chicago Sicilian Group", and "Rockford Sicilian Group", and it isn't always clear to me if they were using these terms to all denote the same organization or group, or distinct ones with connections or co-operation. Part of it is that we are also likely seeing an evolving picture of what was happening on the ground by the FBI for this period, as they were actively conducting investigations in the region and trying to make sense of what sorts of relationships these different Sicilian and Mainland Italian networks had with local LCN.

FWIW, in his testimony to Congress in 1983, Chicago SAC Ed Hegarty claimed that Rockford was a crew of the Chicago family, under a capo. I wonder if this was based on explicit intel that they had received, to the effect that Rockford was no longer an independent family, or if it was just the Chicago FO's best guess as to the status of Rockford at the time:

Image
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
NickleCity
Full Patched
Posts: 1155
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:47 pm

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by NickleCity »

cavita wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:52 pm No idea who the Buffalo source is who met with Frank Buscemi and the other redacted individual.
I could be way off but I wonder if this refers to Philip La Rosa. He was a Buffalo informant who played a major role in BUSICO. According to the Buffalo News he helped introduce investigators to drug contacts in the US and Sicily. Also, helped a high ranking Buffalo member make arrangements and provided that member with transportation for the 1974 Frank D’Angelo hit.

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/informant- ... f4fd1.html

See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/fbi-spent- ... 54eee.html
Besides traveling overseas with undercover Agents Thomas Thurston and Joseph Coyne to set up drug contacts, La Rosa also provided key evidence in the 1983 arrest of Andrea Aiello, a North Buffalo narcotics importer who is now serving a 26-year prison sentence for importing 40 pounds of heroin.
See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/informer-l ... 2bdcf.html

See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/informant- ... 28810.html
La Rosa, 52, a Sicilian-born former counterfeiter with connections to the Buffalo underworld, traveled through the United States and Italy, introducing drug traffickers to undercover agents of the FBI.
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

NickleCity wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:23 pm
cavita wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:52 pm No idea who the Buffalo source is who met with Frank Buscemi and the other redacted individual.
I could be way off but I wonder if this refers to Philip La Rosa. He was a Buffalo informant who played a major role in BUSICO. According to the Buffalo News he helped introduce investigators to drug contacts in the US and Sicily. Also, helped a high ranking Buffalo member make arrangements and provided that member with transportation for the 1974 Frank D’Angelo hit.

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/informant- ... f4fd1.html

See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/fbi-spent- ... 54eee.html
Besides traveling overseas with undercover Agents Thomas Thurston and Joseph Coyne to set up drug contacts, La Rosa also provided key evidence in the 1983 arrest of Andrea Aiello, a North Buffalo narcotics importer who is now serving a 26-year prison sentence for importing 40 pounds of heroin.
See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/informer-l ... 2bdcf.html

See also: https://buffalonews.com/news/informant- ... 28810.html
La Rosa, 52, a Sicilian-born former counterfeiter with connections to the Buffalo underworld, traveled through the United States and Italy, introducing drug traffickers to undercover agents of the FBI.
Any idea where in Sicily LaRosa was from? All the Rockford LaRosa's we're from Aragona and if he was that would make sense since that is where Buscemi was from.
User avatar
NickleCity
Full Patched
Posts: 1155
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:47 pm

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by NickleCity »

^^^ Sorry, I don’t know. Just went through the Buffalo News articles on him and they don’t so where in Sicily he was from. One article did say he arrived in Buffalo in 1961.
User avatar
PolackTony
Filthy Few
Posts: 5821
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 10:54 am
Location: NYC/Chicago

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by PolackTony »

NickleCity wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:29 pm ^^^ Sorry, I don’t know. Just went through the Buffalo News articles on him and they don’t so where in Sicily he was from. One article did say he arrived in Buffalo in 1961.
Not sure if it’s the same guy, but there is a record for a Filippo La Rosa who arrived in Jan 1958 on a flight from France to MYC, bound for Buffalo on a tourist visa. Then, in Apr 1958, a record for a Filippo La Rosa on another flight from France to NYC; the passenger gave his address as in Toronto for this flight and claimed that he was born in 1932 in Barcelona, Messina province. I note that the Buffalo CW La Rosa seems to have been born around 1937, based on the age given for him in articles.

Difficult with a surname like La Rosa, as it’s found all over Sicily.
"Hey, hey, hey — this is America, baby! Survival of the fittest.”
User avatar
cavita
Full Patched
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 10:04 am

Re: The Mystery of Chicago's "Zips": Potential links to Italian OC?

Post by cavita »

PolackTony wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:12 pm
cavita wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:58 pm No mention that Rockford is part of the Chicago Outfit, rather they're part of a Sicilian Mafia group.
Great info, thanks for posting, again.

My read is that the Feds thought that the Rockford-Aragona zip group was working with, but not organizationally a part of our subordinated to, local LCN. We've seen how across several different documents from this era, the FBI uses terms like "Chicago LCN", "Rockford LCN", "Chicago Sicilian Group", and "Rockford Sicilian Group", and it isn't always clear to me if they were using these terms to all denote the same organization or group, or distinct ones with connections or co-operation. Part of it is that we are also likely seeing an evolving picture of what was happening on the ground by the FBI for this period, as they were actively conducting investigations in the region and trying to make sense of what sorts of relationships these different Sicilian and Mainland Italian networks had with local LCN.

FWIW, in his testimony to Congress in 1983, Chicago SAC Ed Hegarty claimed that Rockford was a crew of the Chicago family, under a capo. I wonder if this was based on explicit intel that they had received, to the effect that Rockford was no longer an independent family, or if it was just the Chicago FO's best guess as to the status of Rockford at the time:

Image
Agreed. I'm of the opinion that based on wiretaps and the intel they had at the time that the Bureau felt that Rockford was under Chicago as sort of a "housekeeping" matter in that it was easier to keep track of information in this way. In one of the documents I have, I'll try and post it later, a confidential source didn't refer to the Sicilian immigrants as Zips, rather the term "Greenhorns" was used.
Either way, the Rockford LCN members along with the Sicilian group worked harmoniously with each other and there didn't seem to be any problem except one incident in early 1988 when a bomb exploded in the building of Rondinella foods- the building was owned by Frank Buscemi's son but the business was owned by the DiGiacomo brothers. This was just months after Frank Buscemi's death but I never heard any more on this.
Post Reply