General Mob Questions

[Uncle Pete]

Who are some of the guys from Messina? And do you happen to know if they were from the city or the northern area of the province like Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto? That area seems to have more activity today then the city itself right?

Thanks in advance!

[Raven]

Was frank Costellos brother Edward an initiated member? I’ve never read any specific info about it but have seen that he was made but no sources are ever listed.

[Etna]

Does anyone know how the DeCavalcantes were able to get crews in New York started and around when that happened?

[B.]

The DeCavalcantes' original Manhattan-Queens group (termed the Family's "old faction" by an FBI informant) likely predates the existence of the New Jersey branch of the Family. The Brooklyn faction in turn was separate from the Manhattan-Queens group but basically started when Frank Cocchiaro (who had roots in the former group) was made capodecina and eventually sponsored a bunch of local Brooklyn/Staten Island gangsters. Then other guys who operated in Manhattan were recruited into the Brooklyn faction but these Manhattan guys weren't rooted in the original Manhattan-Queens group, at least not directly.

But anyway, the original New York group of the Family could go back to the 1890s/early 1900s and then branched into Elizabeth when the Merlos moved there around 1907 and many more Riberesi moved there in the 1910s/20s.

[Antiliar]

Who are some of the guys from Messina? And do you happen to know if they were from the city or the northern area of the province like Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto? That area seems to have more activity today then the city itself right?

Thanks in advance!

If I recall correctly Umberto Valenti was from Barcellona. Tony Lombardo of Chicago was also from Messina, as were early Mafiosi Nicola Taranto and Candelario Bettini.

[Harrism]

The DeCavalcantes' original Manhattan-Queens group (termed the Family's "old faction" by an FBI informant) likely predates the existence of the New Jersey branch of the Family. The Brooklyn faction in turn was separate from the Manhattan-Queens group but basically started when Frank Cocchiaro (who had roots in the former group) was made capodecina and eventually sponsored a bunch of local Brooklyn/Staten Island gangsters. Then other guys who operated in Manhattan were recruited into the Brooklyn faction but these Manhattan guys weren't rooted in the original Manhattan-Queens group, at least not directly.

But anyway, the original New York group of the Family could go back to the 1890s/early 1900s and then branched into Elizabeth when the Merlos moved there around 1907 and many more Riberesi moved there in the 1910s/20s.

Thanks for the information. This makes me wonder whether the Decalvecantes played a role in the 1930-31 war in New York.