Castellammare del Golfo discussion

[jimmyb]

Another question: I was looking through "The Canadian Connection" by Jean-Pierre Charbonneau last night (great source btw), and stumbled across the name "Gaetano Asaro." He was part of Salvatore's Zizzo's drug ring. Anyone know if "Gaetano" was connected to traditional Asaro mafia family? I don't recall seeing his name before.

[toto]

The statements about CDG were reported in newspapers a few times. I think he made these statements like the ones I posted to the FBI. So unlikely they will be released.

[jimmyb]

Here's link to Italian article on Montagna. http://www.malitalia.it/2011/12/mafia-u ... del-golfo/

The mentions Giuffre's comments on CDG being a type of meeting point between the US and Arab countries. That is really intriguing to me. I'd really like to know more about that description. My understanding from the article is that there is a type of street cred in the Bonanno Organization if you're parents were born in CDG. I wonder how true that is anymore.

[B.]

Here's link to Italian article on Montagna. http://www.malitalia.it/2011/12/mafia-u ... del-golfo/

The mentions Giuffre's comments on CDG being a type of meeting point between the US and Arab countries. That is really intriguing to me. I'd really like to know more about that description. My understanding from the article is that there is a type of street cred in the Bonanno Organization if you're parents were born in CDG. I wonder how true that is anymore.

There are still a number of guys in the Bonannos who can trace their heritage back to Castellammare, even more recent guys. I don't know how much "street cred" there is within the organization itself, but from what I know about the Castellammarese in the Ridgewood and Middle Village areas, there is still a lot of pride.

I don't do a ton of social media stalking of these people, but I will occasionally check it out to see which families have social relationships to each other. I can confirm the Montagna family is close to some "familiar" names from Castellammare and I suspect there is a relation between the Montagnas and some of them. But to be fair, some of these names are so ingrained in Castellammare that it's inevitable for people to know someone with one of them. Have tried to find more info on the father Antonino Montagna and what may have brought him from Castellammare to Montreal back to Castellammare then to NYC but have come up with nothing.

[jimmyb]

There was a bust in CDG:

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/c ... 38885.html

http://www.ansa.it/sicilia/notizie/2016 ... 9ab5f.html

Interesting that you no longer see the usual family names in the CDG hierarchy.

[B.]

There was a bust in CDG:

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/c ... 38885.html

http://www.ansa.it/sicilia/notizie/2016 ... 9ab5f.html

Interesting that you no longer see the usual family names in the CDG hierarchy.

Saracino is a name with a long history, but other than that I don't recognize the others.

[antimafia]

Another question: I was looking through "The Canadian Connection" by Jean-Pierre Charbonneau last night (great source btw), and stumbled across the name "Gaetano Asaro." He was part of Salvatore's Zizzo's drug ring. Anyone know if "Gaetano" was connected to traditional Asaro mafia family? I don't recall seeing his name before.

jimmyb,

I stumbled across your older post just today. Not sure whether you may have already discovered the error in The Canadian Connection book.

In 1973, Gaetana Asaro was charged, along with her husband (Nicola), in connection with a $32-million heroin ring. The Asaros descended from Vita. Newspaper reporting about the accused, the charges, and the trial was erroneous at times, inconsistent at others. Benedetto Zizzo, for example, was identified in one article as being born in Vita rather than Salemi, of which his brother Salvatore was considered capomafia.

Salemi is about 19 mi. (31 km) away from Castellamare del Golfo. En route from Salemi to CDG, you would encounter Vita 6 mi. (10 km) from Salemi.

[jimmyb]

Another question: I was looking through "The Canadian Connection" by Jean-Pierre Charbonneau last night (great source btw), and stumbled across the name "Gaetano Asaro." He was part of Salvatore's Zizzo's drug ring. Anyone know if "Gaetano" was connected to traditional Asaro mafia family? I don't recall seeing his name before.

jimmyb,

I stumbled across your older post just today. Not sure whether you may have already discovered the error in The Canadian Connection book.

In 1973, Gaetana Asaro was charged, along with her husband (Nicola), in connection with a $32-million heroin ring. The Asaros descended from Vita. Newspaper reporting about the accused, the charges, and the trial was erroneous at times, inconsistent at others. Benedetto Zizzo, for example, was identified in one article as being born in Vita rather than Salemi, of which his brother Salvatore was considered capomafia.

Salemi is about 19 mi. (31 km) away from Castellamare del Golfo. En route from Salemi to CDG, you would encounter Vita 6 mi. (10 km) from Salemi.

Ok, I see now. Good stuff, thanks antimafia, I appreciate that.

[B.]

I read a 1964 report that said "Chichu Garofano" (Frank Garofalo) was being brought over from Italy to help mediate the Bonanno dispute. I don't remember hearing about him having any involvement in the Bonanno dispute and I doubt if he ended up making it to the US to assist with this, but it does make me wonder more about Garofalo. He was Bonanno's underboss for a long time seemingly without incident before he moved to Italy.

Some reasons I've seen for Garofalo's return to Italy:
- Retired
- Fleeing a narcotics investigation
- Apalachin

Could have been all of the above to different degres, really. He was arrested in Italy in 1965 for being part of a mafia conspiracy, so seems he was still involved to some degree over in Italy. Does anyone know if he was active with the Castellammare family? Aside from his brother, I also haven't heard of him being related to any other significant CDG names but given his stature I imagine he was influential wherever he went.

[jimmyb]

That's a good question B. Frank Garofalo's name is mentioned in a number of parliamentary reports from Italy. One of these days, I plan on getting into these reports. But anyhow, there's no doubt he and Giovanni Bonventre associated with CDG cosca members. I'm not sure what his official status was however. I have to think because of their pedigrees, both men were allowed to earn in Italy. I suspect they were recognized as important 'amici nostra.'

I've been part of this debate going back to RD, but I still think there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to trans-Atlantic mafiosi. I really think the rules were situational and fluid, despite what Buscetta and others said.

Btw: Did Frank have a brother named "Giuseppe" or did Frank go by the nickname "Joe?" I ask because a "Joe Garofalo" attended the smaller 1957 mafia conference in CDG. Others included JB, Gaspare and Giuseppe Magaddino, Cola Buccellato, Vincenzo Rimi, Diego Plaja, Vito Messina and Vito Vitale.

Also, back in 2000 I think, "Vincenzo Garofalo" was busted as part of a cocaine ring with Biaggio Buccellato and Salvatore Farina. "Vincenzo" was Frank's father's name. I have to think the drug bust "Vincenzo" is related to Frank somehow.

[B.]

That's a good question B. Frank Garofalo's name is mentioned in a number of parliamentary reports from Italy. One of these days, I plan on getting into these reports. But anyhow, there's no doubt he and Giovanni Bonventre associated with CDG cosca members. I'm not sure what his official status was however. I have to think because of their pedigrees, both men were allowed to earn in Italy. I suspect they were recognized as important 'amici nostra.'

I've been part of this debate going back to RD, but I still think there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to trans-Atlantic mafiosi. I really think the rules were situational and fluid, despite what Buscetta and others said.

Btw: Did Frank have a brother named "Giuseppe" or did Frank go by the nickname "Joe?" I ask because a "Joe Garofalo" attended the smaller 1957 mafia conference in CDG. Others included JB, Gaspare and Giuseppe Magaddino, Cola Buccellato, Vincenzo Rimi, Diego Plaja, Vito Messina and Vito Vitale.

Also, back in 2000 I think, "Vincenzo Garofalo" was busted as part of a cocaine ring with Biaggio Buccellato and Salvatore Farina. "Vincenzo" was Frank's father's name. I have to think the drug bust "Vincenzo" is related to Frank somehow.

I've wondered about Giovanni Bonventre's standing. He was originally thought to be Bonanno's underboss, but it turns out he was only ever a captain and had sort of a rocky time in that spot. He had issues with Stefano Magaddino, for one, and I believe Bonanno demoted him at one point only to promote him back later.

Garofalo though was a constant power in the Bonanno family and with JB taking a step back, traveling so much, etc. it would seem Garofalo was handling much of the family's activities before he left for Sicily. I'm not sure if he had a brother named Giuseppe/Joe, but I don't know of Frank ever using that name. He's always identified as Francesco/Frank/Ciccio/Ciccino/"Chichu".

And I agree that there isn't a one size fits all explanation for the Sicilian/American mafia relationship. Some of these guys who got involved in the life over in Italy before emigrating to the US (even if they weren't officially made yet, though some of them like Garafola may have been) and had blood ties to the mafia on both sides of the water surely wouldn't have seen a distinction between the groups. I've been of the belief for a while that Joe Bonanno and maybe his family as a whole were more than willing to acknowledge the membership of Sicilian mafia members much like Angelo Bruno, Sam DeCavalcante, etc. did.

[Angelo Santino]

JB called Bonventre his under in his book. Did you find something that conflicts?

[B.]

JB called Bonventre his under in his book. Did you find something that conflicts?

As far as I know JB only describes Bonventre as his dairy farm manager and uncle. Also that Bonventre and Garofalo met him upon his arrival to Sicily.

Bill Bonanno gave this succession for underboss:
Angelo Caruso 1932
Frank Garofalo 1932-1955
John Morale 1957-1968

[Angelo Santino]

Oops my bad, you're right. I think my mind raced to the Valachi chart. Thanks.

[jimmyb]

I've been going through my notes and thought I'd add a few things.

*Looks like Liborio Munna was the capomafia in CDG post-WWII. Not sure when he died yet, but at some pt Gaspare Magaddino became the boss. Munna's son Giuseppe was mayor of cdg for a period and married into the Plaja family.

*My research indicates that Antonino "Nino" Buccellato replaced Magaddino as capomafia when Gaspare fled drug charges and landed in the US. Nino Buccellato (along with Giovanni Bonventre) served time at the prison island of Fillicudi for a brief time in the 70s.

*After Nino Buccellato's assassination in '81, looks like Giuseppe Evola was boss (his brother Natale was sotocapo).

*The Evola brothers were killed in 1990 and Gioacchino Calabro took over the cosca.

GIoacchino Calabro: Capomafia
Agostino Lentini: Sotocapo

Calabro was convicted and sentenced to life

Late 90s/early 2000s leadership:

Francisco Domingo: acting capomafia
Antonino Valenti: acting sotocapo
Captains: Mariano Asaro, Michele Mercadante, Alberto Calabro
Other significant members: Giuseppe Valenti, VIncenzo Bonventre, Calogero Valenti, Salvatore Farina, Francesco Bosco, Carlo Bosco, Michele Bosco.

Even by mid 2000s a lot of these guys were in prison and the wives were calling the shots.