Giuseppe “Joe the Ghost” Pangallo
Descendants of Frank Pangallo
Generation No. 1
1. Frank1 Pangallo He married Elizabeth Russo.
Children of Frank Pangallo and Elizabeth Russo are:
2 i. Giuseppe "Joe the Ghost"2 Pangallo, born February 21, 1889 in Oppido Mamertina, Reggio Calabria, Italy; died February 25, 1930 in Stowe Twp., Allegheny Co., Pa.. He married Aurelia Drago; born March 17, 1889 in Italy; died January 04, 1948 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pa..
Notes for Giuseppe "Joe the Ghost" Pangallo:
May have had a connection to Youngstown.
WWI Draft Registration Card
Joseph Pangallo, 113 Smithton Ave., North Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pa.
Age 28, born February 21, 1889 in Oppido Mamertina, Naples, Italy
Laborer for Pittsburgh Wine & Liquor, 801 Wylie Ave., Pittsburgh
Single, no dependants
Registered June 5, 1917 [Says "Naples" but Oppido Mamertina is in Reggio.]
Enlisted in the army, 10/12/17. Discharged 3/12/18. Co. G, 320th Infantry.
In 1924, Pangallo applied for a license to sell steamship tickets.
A 1927 newspaper article lists his name as Joe Drago, alias Pinella.
At some point in the late '20s, two guys who were hired to kill Joe were themselves rubbed out.
In 1928 Joe Lucisano was shot to death in Pangallo's shoe store in Stowe Twp.
Charged but released in the murder of Steve Monastero, August 1929. A grand jury failed to indict him.
Joe died at his home in McKees Rocks in 1930, of pneumonia.
More About Giuseppe "Joe the Ghost" Pangallo:
Burial: St. Mary's Cemetery, Kennedy Twp., Allegheny Co., Pa.
More About Aurelia Drago:
Burial: St. Mary's Cemetery, Kennedy Twp., Allegheny Co., Pa.
3 ii. Giovanni Pangallo, died Aft. 1928.
Pittsburgh Members Roots/Ancestry
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Re: Pittsburgh Members Roots/Ancestry
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Re: Pittsburgh Members Roots/Ancestry
Frank & Costenze Valenti
Descendants of Joseph Valenti
Generation No. 1
1. Joseph1 Valenti was born June 13, 1878 in Santa Marcherita di Belice, Agrigento, Sicily, and died November 1969 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York. He married Rosalia Inserra Abt. 1906, daughter of Salvatore Inserra and Bessie Degarlio. She was born 1889 in Sicily, and died April 1966.
Notes for Joseph Valenti:
1910 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 6 ED 70 Family 94, 460 East Main St.
Joseph Valenti, 30, m1 4y, IT arr 1903, whosesale fruit proprietor
Rosa, 20, m1 4y, 2 children 2 living, IT arr 1906; Paul, 2; Samuel, 1
WWI Draft Registration Card
Joe Valente, 14 Herman St, Rochester, New York
Age 40, born June 13, 1878 in Italy
Works in produce for Frank Valents, 28 Mt. Hope Ave., Rochester, N.Y.
Rosaleasara Valente, 14 Hermanst, Rochester, N.Y.
Tall, brown eyes, black hair
Registered Sept. 12, 1918
1920 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 149 Family 25, 28 Mt. Hope Ave.
Jos. Valenti, 42, IT arr 1907, street huckster
Rose, 30, IT arr 1901; Paul, 14; Samuel, 10; Rose, 9; Frank, 8; Mary, 7; Anthony, 5; Sarah, 3; Cecelia, 2; John, 7 mo.
1930 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 85 Family 27, 182 Mt. Hope Ave.
Joseph Vallenti, 50, m at 28, SIC arr 1917, retail fruit dealer
Rose, 40, m at 17, SIC arr 1917; Paul, 22, mason; Samuel, 21, laborer building trades; Rose, 19; Francis, 18, barber; Mary, 17;
Anthony, 15; Sarah, 18; Bessie, 12; John, 11; Lillian, 8; Josephine, 6; Stanley, 4
1940 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 65-154 Family 121, 528 South Avenue
Joseph Valenti, 61, IT, huckster
Rosalee, 50, IT; Samuel, 31; Nancy, 29; Elizabeth 22; John, 20; Rosalee, 18; Josephine, 16; Stanley, 14
More About Joseph Valenti:
Burial: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, Monroe Co., New York
Children of Joseph Valenti and Rosalia Inserra are:
2 i. Paul Joseph2 Valenti, born November 26, 1907 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died November 05, 1988 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York.
+ 3 ii. Samuel J. Valenti, born March 20, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died June 13, 1995 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York.
4 iii. Rose Valenti, born Abt. 1911. She married (Husband) Marcello.
+ 5 iv. Frank Joseph "The Sphinx" Valenti, born September 14, 1911 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died September 20, 2008 in Sugar Land, Fort Bend Co., Texas.
6 v. Mary Valenti, born Abt. 1913 in New York; died Aft. 1930.
+ 7 vi. Anthony P. Valenti, born October 31, 1914 in New York; died August 1981.
8 vii. Sarah Valenti, born Abt. 1917.
9 viii. Elizabeth P. "Bessie" Valenti, born Abt. 1918.
10 ix. John A. Valenti, born 1919.
11 x. Lillian Valenti, born Abt. 1922.
12 xi. Josephine C. Valenti, born Abt. 1924.
13 xii. Costenze Peter "Stanley" Valenti, born February 08, 1926 in Rochester, New York; died February 23, 2001 in ?Victor, Ontario Co., New York. He married Catherine "Kay" Ripepi 1956 in ?Allegheny County, Pa.; born Abt. 1935 in Pennsylvania.
Notes for Costenze Peter "Stanley" Valenti:
In the wake of the infamous Apalachin Conference in November 1957, the New York State Crime Commission began an investigation of the individuals from New York who attended the meeting. Costenze "Stanley" Valenti, the recognized boss of the Rochester Family, and his brother Frank were jailed for civil contempt after failing to answer the questions of the commission members. Stanley began his sentence in August 1958 and served 16 months.
Costenze "Stanley" Valenti was the first known boss of Rochester. He was present at Apalachin in November of 1957. After refusing to answer questions "Stanley" and his brother Frank, a capo in the Pittsburgh family, were jailed for civil contempt. He started serving 16 months in 1957. (Fortunecity.com)
Constenze "Stanley" Valenti (February 8, 1926 – February 23, 2001) was boss of the criminal organization known as the Rochester crime family in the 1950s. As the head of the organization he oversaw gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets operating in the city of Rochester, New York.
Constenze and his brother Frank were among the 100 or more Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Stanley was boss of the family. Joe Valachi identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963.
Stanley was born in Rochester, New York. He was married to Antonio Ripepi's daughter. Ripepi was a very powerful capo in the Pittsburgh crime family. In 1958, Valenti refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, Constenze was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jake Russo took this opportunity to seize control of the family.
He died on February 23, 2001 at his home in Victor, New York at the age of 75. [Wiki]
Costenze "Stan" Valenti, boss of the Rochester Crime Family in the 1950's, was actually made into the LaRocca Crime Family in Pittsburgh and was the son in law to longtime Pittsburgh Capo Antonio Ripepi. Valenti's brother in law was John Bazzano Jr., who was married to Ripepi's other daughter. Ripepi helped the Valenti brothers break off from Pittsburgh to form their own family in Rochester, in which Pittsburgh and Buffalo took a piece of the rackets. _jcb
Notes for Catherine "Kay" Ripepi:
On August 1, 1956, a reliable source advised that he was in attendance at a wedding reception honoring the marriage of Kay Ripepi and Stanley Valenti held at the Penn-Sheraton Hotel, Pittsburgh. According to this source, Sam and Kelly Mannarino were in attendance, along with many influential and nationally known individuals and reportedly cost the bride's father, Tony Ripepi, in the neighborhood of $30,000 to $40,000. (JFK FBI)
14 xiii. Lucy Valenti.
Notes for Lucy Valenti:
Sister Mary Lawrence
Generation No. 2
3. Samuel J.2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born March 20, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died June 13, 1995 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York. He married Louise A. DeCarlo. She was born June 08, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died October 14, 2007 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York.
Notes for Samuel J. Valenti:
In 1957, a trucker. Attended St. Mary's Church and School, Rochester, with Eugene Heveron.
This may be Sam:
Sam Valenti
SSN: 080-36-1049
Last Residence: 14534 Pittsford, Monroe, New York, United States of America
Born: 20 Mar 1909
Died: 13 Jun 1995
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (1962 )
Child of Samuel Valenti and Louise DeCarlo is:
15 i. Joseph3 Valenti, born Abt. 1946 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York.
5. Frank Joseph "The Sphinx"2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born September 14, 1911 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died September 20, 2008 in Sugar Land, Fort Bend Co., Texas. He married (1) Marcelean Williams March 18, 1936, daughter of Charles Williams and Marcelean (Williams). She was born May 10, 1905 in Maryland, and died October 1974. He married (2) Mary Eileen Barefoot October 02, 1952, daughter of Clarence Barefoot and Mary Kraus. She was born February 11, 1932 in Braddock, Allegheny Co., Pa., and died November 11, 2000 in Houston, Texas.
Notes for Frank Joseph "The Sphinx" Valenti:
1940 Census indicated that Frank had a 6th grade education.
According to Frank, he left Rochester when he was 12 years old and went to live with an uncle in Monongahela, Pa.
In 1930 was a barber in Rochester, still living at home. At one time supposedly either a barber or a shoemaker in Monongahela. Left Monongahela around 1931. Monongahela is across the river from Gallatin, so if he was in Monongahela, he may have known Ripepi then.
In 1931, a Whippet roadster was seized by state police near Berks Glen, Patton Twp., Allegheny Co., being operated by James and Jack Terenzia to haul moonshine whisky, The vehicle was registered to Frank Valent and Ralph Iusi. Frank's address was given as 6 Werder Ave., in the Elliott section of Pittsburgh.
Arrested in 1931 as part of a bank robbery, and in 1933 in an attempt to highjack a payroll.
In September, 1934, convicted of passing counterfeit currency, along with Peter Albanese (Albenze) and his (Valenti's) wife, Marcelean. He was sentenced to 2 years, and she one year. Involved in a clothing store robbery in 1934. Extortion charge, 1936. A crazy scam in 1937. Bootleg whisky in 1940. 1944 dice game holdup.
1940 CENSUS PA Allegheny Co. Pittsburgh Ward 13 ED 69-328 Family 29, 7307 Upland St.
Frank Valanti, 29, NY, salesman American Cigarette Machine Co.
Marcelean, 32, MD; Oscar Williams, bil, 28, MD, laborer for contractor
From a PG 1946 article:
Compiled from FBI's records of city and county arrests:
February 3, 1933, fined $5 for allegedly trying to rob the paymaster for a contractor on the new Federal Bldg.
· February 1, 1934 - Arrested by city police for possessing and passing counterfeit bills. He was sentenced to two years in Lewisburg Federal penitentiary.
· August 10, 1934 - Arrested by city police while on bail from the counterfeiting charge. Charged with forging stolen travelers' checks. Discharged.
On September 4, 1934, Valenti was sentenced to two years in a Federal prison after he was convicted of conspiring to pass counterfeit money.
A month after he entered the prison, Valenti pleaded tuilty to looting a Fifth Ave. clothing shop of $5000 worth of merchandise.
· September 9, 1936 - Arrested by county detectives and charged with blackmail. No disposition of case in records. May have been discharged by a magistrate.
· April 15, 1937 - Arrested by city police for extortion. The case was nolle prossed.
· May 19, 1938 - Arrested by city police and charged with breaking into a Liberty avenue clothing store. Officers said he admitted taking 43 men's suits but the grand jury refused to indict him.
· February 5, 1940 - Arrested by city police on a charge of operating a lottery (numbers). Fined $100 by Judge John P. Egan in criminal court.
In April, 1941, he was sentenced to a year and a day in jail after he was conficted with six others on a charge of conspiring to violate the Internal Revenue Act by operating a three-county "moonshine" ring.
· July 22, 1944 - Valenti was taken to county jail, charged with assault and battery and attempt to commit rape. Identity of arresting officer and disposition of the case are not in the records. [Part of his draft-dodge.]
And now comes the strictly Federal part of the FBI records:
· 1932 - Sent to Lewisburg Federal penitentiary for two years on a charge of conspiracy.
· April 16, 1940 - Picked up by United States marshals for violating internal revenue laws. Sentenced to a year and a day. Appealed for new trial. Arrested the day he appealed and charged by the Federal alcohol tax investigation unit with conspiracy. Sent to Lewisburg Federal penitentiary on February 17, 1942. Discharged November 1, 1942, and put on probation until January 12, 1943. Was a barber while serving his sentence.
By 1946, partnered with Etzi Covato in a Spaghetti Village in Downtown, and opened one in East Liberty. Prior to 1948, was partner in the Villa Madrid night club in East Liberty (or Downtown?).
Later a restauranteur in East Liberty and in downtown Pittsburgh, and associated with the murders of Fred Garrow and Frank Evans around 1946.
Valenti was a Rochesterian who moved with his family to Pittsburgh at a young age. I'm unsure how his mob connections began, but it's clear that by the 1950s he was deeply involved in overseeing gambling rings in Pittsburgh. In 1957, he moved back to Rochester, claiming that the media focus on him in Pittsburgh was intense and unfair. However, the truth may be that Rochester was seen as a fertile ground for a more organized structure of illegal gambling. Valenti, and ultimately the Rochester mob, was an extension of the Bonanno crime family in New York City. The Valenti-Bonanno connection was firm before he moved back to Rochester, so that may have ensured that he had the power to grab control in Rochester without a struggle.
[In 1958] Frank Valenti was a capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family of John LaRocca and worked under Antonio Ripepi. (His brother was married to Ripepi's daughter.) Frank was considered an ambitious man in the Pittsburgh Family and was encouraged to help his brother. When Frank tried to intervene in Russo's takeover of the Rochester activities, he was indicted for violation of New York State election laws. Frank pled guilty and was sentenced to three years probation providing that he stayed out of New York during this period. Informants later revealed that this arrest was contrived by the enemies of the Valentis' to get Frank out of Rochester.
At the end of the probation period, Frank Valenti returned to Rochester. In September 1964, he and Pittsburgh associate Angelo Vaccaro set out with brother Stanley to retake control of the family. In December, less than three months later, Russo disappeared and his body has never been found. On the night of the disappearance, Frank hosted a dinner at Eddie's Chop House in Rochester. Buying drinks for everyone, Frank let it be known that he was now "the man to see in Rochester."
From 1965 to 1970, the Valentis strengthened their hold on the Rochester Rackets. During 1970, Frank Valenti told Buffalo family boss Stephano Magaddino that the Rochester Family's allegiance would now be to the Pittsburgh Family. Magaddino, who was in failing health and struggling with dissention in his own family, was helpless to do anything to stop Valenti. Magaddino continued to collect 15% of the gambling revenue, but Rochester would operate as an independent family.
Rochester law enforcement and the media were becoming aware of the increased underworld activity in the city. To divert their attention, Valenti arranges for a series of bombings at various public locations. This diversion worked for a time, with suspicion for the bombings placed on various other groups. In June 1975 a federal investigation revealed the truth behind the bombings. Valenti was tried in February 1979 for possession of a "destructive device" and pled guilty. Again, he received a sentence of three years probation.
Valenti set up a strange hierarchy in his Rochester Family. He had an underboss, consigliere, and caops, but he then set up a special crew under Donimic Chirico that reported directly to him. The members of this special crew committed crimes on Valenti's orders and the proceeds would go to him and were not shared with the rest of the family.
Valenti's consigliere, Rene Piccaretto, who had developed ties with the Bonnano Family in New York City, confronted Valenti with the allegations that he was withholding profits from these operations from the rest of the family. He and others accused Valenti of skimming and using the money to purchase property and make business investments in Phoenix, Arizona. Valenti brazenly admitted to "keeping certain moneys" for himself, but was unconcerned with his accusers, feeling confident that the Pittsburgh Family and his special crew... would protect him.
In May 1972, the three men approached Valenti again, this time ordering him to relinquish the family's records and to turn over the money that he had skimmed. He was told it was time for him to retire. Valenti turned over what was requested, but immediately ordered Chirico to kill Russotti, Gingello, and Piccarreto. Realizing the strength of family members loyal to the trio, the soldiers under Chirico refused to carry out Valenti's orders. Crime experts believe that Thomas Didio, a member of Chirico's elite crew, advised his cousin, Thomas Marotta, a close associate of Gingello, of Valent's order to kill the three men. Piccarreto approached his Bonanno contacts for support in removing Valenti. They advised that killing Valenti would not be sanctioned due to his connections with the Pittsburgh Family. The gang members then moved against Chirico and he was shot-gunned to death on June 5, 1972 outside the apartment of his girlfriend. The following day Valenti was confronted by Russotti, Gingello and Piccarreto at the Red Lion Inn and again was ordered to leave Rochester.
Valenti, fearing that he could be murdered next, finally got the messge and "retired" to Phoenix. His brother, Stanley, moved outside Rochester and established a produce business and continued with some small time gambling activities. On December 15, 1972, Frank Valenti was convicted of extortion in a case involving building contractor in Batavia, New York. He is sentenced to twenty years. [released from Atlanta Penitentiary June 19, 1980]
In 1978, during the "Alphabet Wars", he attempted to reassert some influence with the Rochester Family, but this effort failed.
Valenti was tried in February 1979 for possession of a "destructive device" in connection with the Rochester bombings and pled guilty. (He was not tried with the rest in June 1975 due to health problems.) Again, he received a sentence of three years probation.
Frank J. Valenti (September 14, 1911 – September 20, 2008) was boss of the criminal organization known as the Rochester crime family from 1964 to 1972. As the head of the organization he oversaw gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets operating in the city of Rochester, New York.
Frank and his brother Constenze "Stanley" Valenti were among the 100+ Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Frank was underboss of the family. Joe Valachi identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963. Valachi also stated that Frank was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family of New York City.[1]
According to the U.S. Social Security Death Index, Frank was born in Pittsburgh, PA where he became a powerful crime figure throughout the 1930s - 1950s. Valenti also owned a chain of Spaghetti Village restaurants in PA. In 1958, Frank's brother Stanley was boss of the Rochester crime family and refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, Constenze was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jake Russo took this opportunity to seize control of the family. Frank tried to intervene but was ordered out of the state for 3 years following a conviction for violation of the election laws. He moved back to Pittsburgh in the early 1960s, serving as a capo in the Pittsburgh crime family under John LaRocca. In 1964, with support from the LaRocca family, Valenti returned to Rochester and took control of the family. Jake Russo disappeared around that time, never to be seen again.
In 1970, Valenti informed Stefano Magaddino that the Rochester crime family would no longer pay tribute to Buffalo; the Rochester crime family was on its own, with support from the Pittsburgh crime family. He had a stint in federal prison on extortion charges, before moving to Arizona, and then Texas.
He died on September 20, 2008 at a nursing home in Sugar Land outside Houston at the age of 97. [Wiki]
Frank Valenti, brother of Constenze Valenti and also an orighinal member of the LaRocca Crime Family, went to Rochester with his brother to run the rackets there for the Pittsburgh family. Buffalo also took a piece of the rackets there. Frank got into a bloody war with rival factions, left Rochester, then came back. He lived to be 97 years old. _jcb
Notes for Marcelean Williams:
Sentenced in 1934 for counterfeiting.
Valenti divorced her April 15, 1946.
Name: Marcelean Williams
SSN: 173-24-5284
Last Residence: 15221 Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Born: 10 May 1905
Died: Oct 1974
State (Year) SSN issued: Pennsylvania (Before 1951 )
Marriage Notes for Frank Valenti and Marcelean Williams:
Marriage date may have been April 18, 1936. They were divorced in 1945.
Notes for Mary Eileen Barefoot:
VALENTI
EILEEN (BAREFOOT)
Age 68, died November 11, 2000 in Houston, Texas. Eileen was born February 11, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Clarence Ray and Mary Elizabeth Barefoot. She was a brilliant gardener and a member of the Sugar Creek Garden Club. She is survived by Frank Valenti; her five daughters, Ramona Valenti and husband Brian, Karan Kovacs and husband Gary, Nancy Mendenhall and husband Pat, Carla Valenti and Gina Valenti; her sister Bobbie Solomon; her brother Bill Barefoot; eight grandchildren and numerous niece and nephews. The family would like to offer a special thanks to Laura Seymor at Saint Luke's ICU for caring for their mother. Services for Eileen will be held Tuesday, November 14, 2000 at 11:30 AM in the chapel in MEMORIAL OAKS FUNERAL HOME, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77-79. Visitation will be at the funeral home Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 from from 7:00 PM to 9:000 PM. In lieu of flowers the family request donations to be made to the Arthritis Foundation of Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, 3701 Kirby Dr., Houston, Texas 77098.
Child of Frank Valenti and Marcelean Williams is:
16 i. (Daughter)3 Valenti, born Abt. 1937.
Children of Frank Valenti and Mary Barefoot are:
17 i. Ramona3 Valenti, born Abt. 1953. She married Brian Valenti.
18 ii. Karen Valenti, born Abt. 1954. She married Gary Kovacs.
19 iii. Nancy Valenti, born Abt. 1956. She married Pat Mendenhall.
20 iv. Carla Valenti, born Abt. 1958.
21 v. Gina Valenti, born 1961.
7. Anthony P.2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born October 31, 1914 in New York, and died August 1981. He married Mary (Valenti). She was born Abt. 1916 in New York, and died Aft. 1940.
Child of Anthony Valenti and Mary (Valenti) is:
22 i. Rosalee3 Valenti, born Abt. 1939.
Descendants of Joseph Valenti
Generation No. 1
1. Joseph1 Valenti was born June 13, 1878 in Santa Marcherita di Belice, Agrigento, Sicily, and died November 1969 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York. He married Rosalia Inserra Abt. 1906, daughter of Salvatore Inserra and Bessie Degarlio. She was born 1889 in Sicily, and died April 1966.
Notes for Joseph Valenti:
1910 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 6 ED 70 Family 94, 460 East Main St.
Joseph Valenti, 30, m1 4y, IT arr 1903, whosesale fruit proprietor
Rosa, 20, m1 4y, 2 children 2 living, IT arr 1906; Paul, 2; Samuel, 1
WWI Draft Registration Card
Joe Valente, 14 Herman St, Rochester, New York
Age 40, born June 13, 1878 in Italy
Works in produce for Frank Valents, 28 Mt. Hope Ave., Rochester, N.Y.
Rosaleasara Valente, 14 Hermanst, Rochester, N.Y.
Tall, brown eyes, black hair
Registered Sept. 12, 1918
1920 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 149 Family 25, 28 Mt. Hope Ave.
Jos. Valenti, 42, IT arr 1907, street huckster
Rose, 30, IT arr 1901; Paul, 14; Samuel, 10; Rose, 9; Frank, 8; Mary, 7; Anthony, 5; Sarah, 3; Cecelia, 2; John, 7 mo.
1930 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 85 Family 27, 182 Mt. Hope Ave.
Joseph Vallenti, 50, m at 28, SIC arr 1917, retail fruit dealer
Rose, 40, m at 17, SIC arr 1917; Paul, 22, mason; Samuel, 21, laborer building trades; Rose, 19; Francis, 18, barber; Mary, 17;
Anthony, 15; Sarah, 18; Bessie, 12; John, 11; Lillian, 8; Josephine, 6; Stanley, 4
1940 CENSUS NY Monroe Co. Rochester Ward 13 ED 65-154 Family 121, 528 South Avenue
Joseph Valenti, 61, IT, huckster
Rosalee, 50, IT; Samuel, 31; Nancy, 29; Elizabeth 22; John, 20; Rosalee, 18; Josephine, 16; Stanley, 14
More About Joseph Valenti:
Burial: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, Monroe Co., New York
Children of Joseph Valenti and Rosalia Inserra are:
2 i. Paul Joseph2 Valenti, born November 26, 1907 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died November 05, 1988 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York.
+ 3 ii. Samuel J. Valenti, born March 20, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died June 13, 1995 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York.
4 iii. Rose Valenti, born Abt. 1911. She married (Husband) Marcello.
+ 5 iv. Frank Joseph "The Sphinx" Valenti, born September 14, 1911 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York; died September 20, 2008 in Sugar Land, Fort Bend Co., Texas.
6 v. Mary Valenti, born Abt. 1913 in New York; died Aft. 1930.
+ 7 vi. Anthony P. Valenti, born October 31, 1914 in New York; died August 1981.
8 vii. Sarah Valenti, born Abt. 1917.
9 viii. Elizabeth P. "Bessie" Valenti, born Abt. 1918.
10 ix. John A. Valenti, born 1919.
11 x. Lillian Valenti, born Abt. 1922.
12 xi. Josephine C. Valenti, born Abt. 1924.
13 xii. Costenze Peter "Stanley" Valenti, born February 08, 1926 in Rochester, New York; died February 23, 2001 in ?Victor, Ontario Co., New York. He married Catherine "Kay" Ripepi 1956 in ?Allegheny County, Pa.; born Abt. 1935 in Pennsylvania.
Notes for Costenze Peter "Stanley" Valenti:
In the wake of the infamous Apalachin Conference in November 1957, the New York State Crime Commission began an investigation of the individuals from New York who attended the meeting. Costenze "Stanley" Valenti, the recognized boss of the Rochester Family, and his brother Frank were jailed for civil contempt after failing to answer the questions of the commission members. Stanley began his sentence in August 1958 and served 16 months.
Costenze "Stanley" Valenti was the first known boss of Rochester. He was present at Apalachin in November of 1957. After refusing to answer questions "Stanley" and his brother Frank, a capo in the Pittsburgh family, were jailed for civil contempt. He started serving 16 months in 1957. (Fortunecity.com)
Constenze "Stanley" Valenti (February 8, 1926 – February 23, 2001) was boss of the criminal organization known as the Rochester crime family in the 1950s. As the head of the organization he oversaw gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets operating in the city of Rochester, New York.
Constenze and his brother Frank were among the 100 or more Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Stanley was boss of the family. Joe Valachi identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963.
Stanley was born in Rochester, New York. He was married to Antonio Ripepi's daughter. Ripepi was a very powerful capo in the Pittsburgh crime family. In 1958, Valenti refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, Constenze was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jake Russo took this opportunity to seize control of the family.
He died on February 23, 2001 at his home in Victor, New York at the age of 75. [Wiki]
Costenze "Stan" Valenti, boss of the Rochester Crime Family in the 1950's, was actually made into the LaRocca Crime Family in Pittsburgh and was the son in law to longtime Pittsburgh Capo Antonio Ripepi. Valenti's brother in law was John Bazzano Jr., who was married to Ripepi's other daughter. Ripepi helped the Valenti brothers break off from Pittsburgh to form their own family in Rochester, in which Pittsburgh and Buffalo took a piece of the rackets. _jcb
Notes for Catherine "Kay" Ripepi:
On August 1, 1956, a reliable source advised that he was in attendance at a wedding reception honoring the marriage of Kay Ripepi and Stanley Valenti held at the Penn-Sheraton Hotel, Pittsburgh. According to this source, Sam and Kelly Mannarino were in attendance, along with many influential and nationally known individuals and reportedly cost the bride's father, Tony Ripepi, in the neighborhood of $30,000 to $40,000. (JFK FBI)
14 xiii. Lucy Valenti.
Notes for Lucy Valenti:
Sister Mary Lawrence
Generation No. 2
3. Samuel J.2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born March 20, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died June 13, 1995 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York. He married Louise A. DeCarlo. She was born June 08, 1909 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died October 14, 2007 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York.
Notes for Samuel J. Valenti:
In 1957, a trucker. Attended St. Mary's Church and School, Rochester, with Eugene Heveron.
This may be Sam:
Sam Valenti
SSN: 080-36-1049
Last Residence: 14534 Pittsford, Monroe, New York, United States of America
Born: 20 Mar 1909
Died: 13 Jun 1995
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (1962 )
Child of Samuel Valenti and Louise DeCarlo is:
15 i. Joseph3 Valenti, born Abt. 1946 in Pittsford, Monroe Co., New York.
5. Frank Joseph "The Sphinx"2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born September 14, 1911 in Rochester, Monroe Co., New York, and died September 20, 2008 in Sugar Land, Fort Bend Co., Texas. He married (1) Marcelean Williams March 18, 1936, daughter of Charles Williams and Marcelean (Williams). She was born May 10, 1905 in Maryland, and died October 1974. He married (2) Mary Eileen Barefoot October 02, 1952, daughter of Clarence Barefoot and Mary Kraus. She was born February 11, 1932 in Braddock, Allegheny Co., Pa., and died November 11, 2000 in Houston, Texas.
Notes for Frank Joseph "The Sphinx" Valenti:
1940 Census indicated that Frank had a 6th grade education.
According to Frank, he left Rochester when he was 12 years old and went to live with an uncle in Monongahela, Pa.
In 1930 was a barber in Rochester, still living at home. At one time supposedly either a barber or a shoemaker in Monongahela. Left Monongahela around 1931. Monongahela is across the river from Gallatin, so if he was in Monongahela, he may have known Ripepi then.
In 1931, a Whippet roadster was seized by state police near Berks Glen, Patton Twp., Allegheny Co., being operated by James and Jack Terenzia to haul moonshine whisky, The vehicle was registered to Frank Valent and Ralph Iusi. Frank's address was given as 6 Werder Ave., in the Elliott section of Pittsburgh.
Arrested in 1931 as part of a bank robbery, and in 1933 in an attempt to highjack a payroll.
In September, 1934, convicted of passing counterfeit currency, along with Peter Albanese (Albenze) and his (Valenti's) wife, Marcelean. He was sentenced to 2 years, and she one year. Involved in a clothing store robbery in 1934. Extortion charge, 1936. A crazy scam in 1937. Bootleg whisky in 1940. 1944 dice game holdup.
1940 CENSUS PA Allegheny Co. Pittsburgh Ward 13 ED 69-328 Family 29, 7307 Upland St.
Frank Valanti, 29, NY, salesman American Cigarette Machine Co.
Marcelean, 32, MD; Oscar Williams, bil, 28, MD, laborer for contractor
From a PG 1946 article:
Compiled from FBI's records of city and county arrests:
February 3, 1933, fined $5 for allegedly trying to rob the paymaster for a contractor on the new Federal Bldg.
· February 1, 1934 - Arrested by city police for possessing and passing counterfeit bills. He was sentenced to two years in Lewisburg Federal penitentiary.
· August 10, 1934 - Arrested by city police while on bail from the counterfeiting charge. Charged with forging stolen travelers' checks. Discharged.
On September 4, 1934, Valenti was sentenced to two years in a Federal prison after he was convicted of conspiring to pass counterfeit money.
A month after he entered the prison, Valenti pleaded tuilty to looting a Fifth Ave. clothing shop of $5000 worth of merchandise.
· September 9, 1936 - Arrested by county detectives and charged with blackmail. No disposition of case in records. May have been discharged by a magistrate.
· April 15, 1937 - Arrested by city police for extortion. The case was nolle prossed.
· May 19, 1938 - Arrested by city police and charged with breaking into a Liberty avenue clothing store. Officers said he admitted taking 43 men's suits but the grand jury refused to indict him.
· February 5, 1940 - Arrested by city police on a charge of operating a lottery (numbers). Fined $100 by Judge John P. Egan in criminal court.
In April, 1941, he was sentenced to a year and a day in jail after he was conficted with six others on a charge of conspiring to violate the Internal Revenue Act by operating a three-county "moonshine" ring.
· July 22, 1944 - Valenti was taken to county jail, charged with assault and battery and attempt to commit rape. Identity of arresting officer and disposition of the case are not in the records. [Part of his draft-dodge.]
And now comes the strictly Federal part of the FBI records:
· 1932 - Sent to Lewisburg Federal penitentiary for two years on a charge of conspiracy.
· April 16, 1940 - Picked up by United States marshals for violating internal revenue laws. Sentenced to a year and a day. Appealed for new trial. Arrested the day he appealed and charged by the Federal alcohol tax investigation unit with conspiracy. Sent to Lewisburg Federal penitentiary on February 17, 1942. Discharged November 1, 1942, and put on probation until January 12, 1943. Was a barber while serving his sentence.
By 1946, partnered with Etzi Covato in a Spaghetti Village in Downtown, and opened one in East Liberty. Prior to 1948, was partner in the Villa Madrid night club in East Liberty (or Downtown?).
Later a restauranteur in East Liberty and in downtown Pittsburgh, and associated with the murders of Fred Garrow and Frank Evans around 1946.
Valenti was a Rochesterian who moved with his family to Pittsburgh at a young age. I'm unsure how his mob connections began, but it's clear that by the 1950s he was deeply involved in overseeing gambling rings in Pittsburgh. In 1957, he moved back to Rochester, claiming that the media focus on him in Pittsburgh was intense and unfair. However, the truth may be that Rochester was seen as a fertile ground for a more organized structure of illegal gambling. Valenti, and ultimately the Rochester mob, was an extension of the Bonanno crime family in New York City. The Valenti-Bonanno connection was firm before he moved back to Rochester, so that may have ensured that he had the power to grab control in Rochester without a struggle.
[In 1958] Frank Valenti was a capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family of John LaRocca and worked under Antonio Ripepi. (His brother was married to Ripepi's daughter.) Frank was considered an ambitious man in the Pittsburgh Family and was encouraged to help his brother. When Frank tried to intervene in Russo's takeover of the Rochester activities, he was indicted for violation of New York State election laws. Frank pled guilty and was sentenced to three years probation providing that he stayed out of New York during this period. Informants later revealed that this arrest was contrived by the enemies of the Valentis' to get Frank out of Rochester.
At the end of the probation period, Frank Valenti returned to Rochester. In September 1964, he and Pittsburgh associate Angelo Vaccaro set out with brother Stanley to retake control of the family. In December, less than three months later, Russo disappeared and his body has never been found. On the night of the disappearance, Frank hosted a dinner at Eddie's Chop House in Rochester. Buying drinks for everyone, Frank let it be known that he was now "the man to see in Rochester."
From 1965 to 1970, the Valentis strengthened their hold on the Rochester Rackets. During 1970, Frank Valenti told Buffalo family boss Stephano Magaddino that the Rochester Family's allegiance would now be to the Pittsburgh Family. Magaddino, who was in failing health and struggling with dissention in his own family, was helpless to do anything to stop Valenti. Magaddino continued to collect 15% of the gambling revenue, but Rochester would operate as an independent family.
Rochester law enforcement and the media were becoming aware of the increased underworld activity in the city. To divert their attention, Valenti arranges for a series of bombings at various public locations. This diversion worked for a time, with suspicion for the bombings placed on various other groups. In June 1975 a federal investigation revealed the truth behind the bombings. Valenti was tried in February 1979 for possession of a "destructive device" and pled guilty. Again, he received a sentence of three years probation.
Valenti set up a strange hierarchy in his Rochester Family. He had an underboss, consigliere, and caops, but he then set up a special crew under Donimic Chirico that reported directly to him. The members of this special crew committed crimes on Valenti's orders and the proceeds would go to him and were not shared with the rest of the family.
Valenti's consigliere, Rene Piccaretto, who had developed ties with the Bonnano Family in New York City, confronted Valenti with the allegations that he was withholding profits from these operations from the rest of the family. He and others accused Valenti of skimming and using the money to purchase property and make business investments in Phoenix, Arizona. Valenti brazenly admitted to "keeping certain moneys" for himself, but was unconcerned with his accusers, feeling confident that the Pittsburgh Family and his special crew... would protect him.
In May 1972, the three men approached Valenti again, this time ordering him to relinquish the family's records and to turn over the money that he had skimmed. He was told it was time for him to retire. Valenti turned over what was requested, but immediately ordered Chirico to kill Russotti, Gingello, and Piccarreto. Realizing the strength of family members loyal to the trio, the soldiers under Chirico refused to carry out Valenti's orders. Crime experts believe that Thomas Didio, a member of Chirico's elite crew, advised his cousin, Thomas Marotta, a close associate of Gingello, of Valent's order to kill the three men. Piccarreto approached his Bonanno contacts for support in removing Valenti. They advised that killing Valenti would not be sanctioned due to his connections with the Pittsburgh Family. The gang members then moved against Chirico and he was shot-gunned to death on June 5, 1972 outside the apartment of his girlfriend. The following day Valenti was confronted by Russotti, Gingello and Piccarreto at the Red Lion Inn and again was ordered to leave Rochester.
Valenti, fearing that he could be murdered next, finally got the messge and "retired" to Phoenix. His brother, Stanley, moved outside Rochester and established a produce business and continued with some small time gambling activities. On December 15, 1972, Frank Valenti was convicted of extortion in a case involving building contractor in Batavia, New York. He is sentenced to twenty years. [released from Atlanta Penitentiary June 19, 1980]
In 1978, during the "Alphabet Wars", he attempted to reassert some influence with the Rochester Family, but this effort failed.
Valenti was tried in February 1979 for possession of a "destructive device" in connection with the Rochester bombings and pled guilty. (He was not tried with the rest in June 1975 due to health problems.) Again, he received a sentence of three years probation.
Frank J. Valenti (September 14, 1911 – September 20, 2008) was boss of the criminal organization known as the Rochester crime family from 1964 to 1972. As the head of the organization he oversaw gambling, prostitution and extortion rackets operating in the city of Rochester, New York.
Frank and his brother Constenze "Stanley" Valenti were among the 100+ Mafiosi that attended the legendary Apalachin Meeting in 1957. At the time, Frank was underboss of the family. Joe Valachi identified the Valenti brothers as central figures in the Mafia when he became a government witness in 1963. Valachi also stated that Frank was a soldier in the Bonanno crime family of New York City.[1]
According to the U.S. Social Security Death Index, Frank was born in Pittsburgh, PA where he became a powerful crime figure throughout the 1930s - 1950s. Valenti also owned a chain of Spaghetti Village restaurants in PA. In 1958, Frank's brother Stanley was boss of the Rochester crime family and refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding questioning about the Apalachin Meeting. As a result, Constenze was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jake Russo took this opportunity to seize control of the family. Frank tried to intervene but was ordered out of the state for 3 years following a conviction for violation of the election laws. He moved back to Pittsburgh in the early 1960s, serving as a capo in the Pittsburgh crime family under John LaRocca. In 1964, with support from the LaRocca family, Valenti returned to Rochester and took control of the family. Jake Russo disappeared around that time, never to be seen again.
In 1970, Valenti informed Stefano Magaddino that the Rochester crime family would no longer pay tribute to Buffalo; the Rochester crime family was on its own, with support from the Pittsburgh crime family. He had a stint in federal prison on extortion charges, before moving to Arizona, and then Texas.
He died on September 20, 2008 at a nursing home in Sugar Land outside Houston at the age of 97. [Wiki]
Frank Valenti, brother of Constenze Valenti and also an orighinal member of the LaRocca Crime Family, went to Rochester with his brother to run the rackets there for the Pittsburgh family. Buffalo also took a piece of the rackets there. Frank got into a bloody war with rival factions, left Rochester, then came back. He lived to be 97 years old. _jcb
Notes for Marcelean Williams:
Sentenced in 1934 for counterfeiting.
Valenti divorced her April 15, 1946.
Name: Marcelean Williams
SSN: 173-24-5284
Last Residence: 15221 Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Born: 10 May 1905
Died: Oct 1974
State (Year) SSN issued: Pennsylvania (Before 1951 )
Marriage Notes for Frank Valenti and Marcelean Williams:
Marriage date may have been April 18, 1936. They were divorced in 1945.
Notes for Mary Eileen Barefoot:
VALENTI
EILEEN (BAREFOOT)
Age 68, died November 11, 2000 in Houston, Texas. Eileen was born February 11, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Clarence Ray and Mary Elizabeth Barefoot. She was a brilliant gardener and a member of the Sugar Creek Garden Club. She is survived by Frank Valenti; her five daughters, Ramona Valenti and husband Brian, Karan Kovacs and husband Gary, Nancy Mendenhall and husband Pat, Carla Valenti and Gina Valenti; her sister Bobbie Solomon; her brother Bill Barefoot; eight grandchildren and numerous niece and nephews. The family would like to offer a special thanks to Laura Seymor at Saint Luke's ICU for caring for their mother. Services for Eileen will be held Tuesday, November 14, 2000 at 11:30 AM in the chapel in MEMORIAL OAKS FUNERAL HOME, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77-79. Visitation will be at the funeral home Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 from from 7:00 PM to 9:000 PM. In lieu of flowers the family request donations to be made to the Arthritis Foundation of Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, 3701 Kirby Dr., Houston, Texas 77098.
Child of Frank Valenti and Marcelean Williams is:
16 i. (Daughter)3 Valenti, born Abt. 1937.
Children of Frank Valenti and Mary Barefoot are:
17 i. Ramona3 Valenti, born Abt. 1953. She married Brian Valenti.
18 ii. Karen Valenti, born Abt. 1954. She married Gary Kovacs.
19 iii. Nancy Valenti, born Abt. 1956. She married Pat Mendenhall.
20 iv. Carla Valenti, born Abt. 1958.
21 v. Gina Valenti, born 1961.
7. Anthony P.2 Valenti (Joseph1) was born October 31, 1914 in New York, and died August 1981. He married Mary (Valenti). She was born Abt. 1916 in New York, and died Aft. 1940.
Child of Anthony Valenti and Mary (Valenti) is:
22 i. Rosalee3 Valenti, born Abt. 1939.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Pittsburgh Members Roots/Ancestry
Great stuff. Joseph Valenti was likely a made member as Sam Mannarino said the marriage between Stan and Ripepi's daughter was an example of an arranged marriage by Cosa Nostra figures.