What do We Know about the Newark Family?

[HairyKnuckles]

It´s amazing how you guys can dig up photos like that. I tip my hat. I would assume this is Russo´s passport photo?

[JoelTurner]

Russo, underboss of Badami

Really really cool!

I didn’t think someone would find photos of the early guys.

[JoelTurner]

Speaking of San Cipirello, a guy who was in San Monaco’s car during a hit-and-run could have been from there.



04-Jun-1927 —(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110375006)

Anthony Giglio, who was in the car, was from Vita.



His address (264 Camden St, Newark) was right next Vito Oddo’s clam bar where Steve Badami was killed. Also, it was a couple buildings away from John Misuraca’s lottery headquarters (239 Camden St, Newark)

This Giglio was from Vita, worked in the garment industry, lived in the neighborhood and was arrested with Sam Monaco. Could have been a member.

[JoelTurner]

Here’s a possible member: Vincenzo Accardi

- In 1921, he moved to the US with Bonanno member Salvatore Mangiaracina.



- Later in 1921, his son Giuseppe Accardi came to the US with Accursio DiMino and Vincenzo Baldassano



- In 1930, he and his son were living together at 354 S 7th St, Newark, NJ.

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... Q-GRHR-HHM)

———————————

He was from Vita like the other, likely related and better known, Accardi guys. He died on June 17 1935.

Mangiaracina was an important Bonanno who was on the 1931 peace commission; Dimino was a Gambino captain. These guys were moving in major circles mafia-wise.

[JoelTurner]

Benedetto Grippi and Charles Feruggia witnessed Charles Matranga’s naturalization.



- Benedetto was the son of Bonanno member Salvatore Grippi and boss Nichola Schiro’s nephew

- Charles Feruggia was a disbarred lawyer who was mixed with Colombo members Salvatore Fontana and John Misuraca in the murder of garments manufacturer Arcangelo De Fronzo.

[bn]

Victor Masotto was described by a CI (with intimate knowledge of the Castellano-Gambino group (possible member source?)) as a 'big man' in Newark about 30 years ago in 1965. Is it possible Masotto was an early Newark figure? He was born around 1908 though, and it seem she may have been too young.

[JoelTurner]

Victor Masotto was described by a CI (with intimate knowledge of the Castellano-Gambino group (possible member source?)) as a 'big man' in Newark about 30 years ago in 1965. Is it possible Masotto was an early Newark figure? He was born around 1908 though, and it seem she may have been too young.

This was a great find, I never would have looked at a guy like him. A Brooklyn butcher from Palermo who was in Big Paul's crew; everything about him says Gambino member.

Masotto got married to Martha Vella (from Palermo) in Newark in 1930. His daughter Nancy was born in there in 1938, but by the 1940 census they were living in Brooklyn.

Per MMC, his father Salvatore Masotto is said to have lead the Gambino/Castellano faction and was a capo who likely preceded Frank Castellano.

[thekiduknow]

Re: Baldassare Accardo

"Benny" was indeed from Vita (b. Oct 3, 1928). A newspaper obituary for him is captured in the Evernote item to which I've linked below. He died June 17, 2014 in Newmarket, north of Toronto but still part of the GTA.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s229/sh/ ... 49eb6442ff

See also

https://markhamfuneral.sharingmemories. ... o&sort=dod
https://markhamfuneral.sharingmemories. ... .html?s=40
https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/th ... =171393669 (same content as that in the Evernote item)

Benny's parents -- Vito and Francesca (née Adamo) -- were also born in Vita. I'm exploring whether Benny was related to the young Toronto drug trafficker Vito Adamo by marriage, the two of them being described by journalist Jean-Pierre Charbonneau in his 1975 book as henchmen, along with Salvatore Reggio, for Benedetto Zizzo and Antonio Sciortino. Given Benny's mother's maiden name, perhaps he is related to Settimo Accardi, whom B. has indicated is a cousin of Michael Adamo of the Bonanno Family.

Former American undercover agent Tom Tripodi wrote in his 1993 book about going to Toronto -- and posing as a hitman -- to locate Settimo Accardi, who was a fugitive. (Elsewhere I've read that Accardi spent some time living in Toronto.) Tripodi also wrote about Accardi having family in the city, as well as about going to a pizzeria owned by Zizzo and Benny.

Some of the Might's Greater Toronto city directories from the 1960s show that Benny co-owned two San Francisco Bakery locations in Toronto with a Salvador Simone, sometimes written as "Sam Simone" -- I suspect this Simone is related to Benny's sister Francesca (Frances). One of the locations was on Pharmacy Ave. in Scarborough -- at one time the number of Sicilian-Canadians in this east end of Toronto was significant, but even today there are still pockets. Alberto Agueci and his family were living in Scarborough when Joe Valachi was hiding in the Agueci residence. Recall that Agueci and Zizzo owned the Queen Bakery in Toronto.

Baldassare Accardi's FBN entry circa 1965:

[JoelTurner]

In 1908, there was some a Black Hand bust with some interesting names:

1) Gaetano Agosta - 27
2) Vito Moneco - 35,
3) Michael Leo - 26
4) Vito Ruposo - 27
5) Lorenzo Moneco - 26
6) Francisco Basnecola - 32
7) Joseph Pizzolato - 30

- Vito Moneco was likely Vito Monaco, Sam Monaco’s uncle. He was married to a Marion Agosta so Gaetano was likely a relative.

- Vito and Frank Monaco’s mother’s maiden name was Giuseppina Leo. The Michael Leo also could have been a relative. The Leo family lived next door to them.

- I’m guessing that Vito Ruposo was Vito Gruppuso

- Similar to Vito, Lorenzo Moneco would have been Lorenzo Monaco


(https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/889966012/)

[B.]

Great find. Shows the older Vita immigrants were likely involved in the mafia which is what we already suspected.

From an old post I made:

- Saverio "Sam" Monaco came to the US with an older relative named Lorenzo Monaco. Like the other Monacos, Lorenzo Monaco and his brother Benedetto settled in New Jersey, where it appears Benedetto Monaco was stabbed to death in 1918 in his 50s.

^ Wonder if it's the same Lorenzo Monaco who Sam came with.

[B.]

- Looks like Gaetano Agosta came from Vita in 1904 and died in 1961 in New Jersey.

- Vito Monaco died in 1951 and in addition to being married to an Agosta, his own daughter married an Abate from Vita. Vito was Sam Monaco's paternal uncle, being the brother of Sam's father Francesco.

- Lorenzo Monaco is indeed the same one who came to the US with his nephew Sam Monaco in 1906 and he was a brother of Francesco, Vito, and Benedetto. Benedetto Monaco, as mentioned, was allegedly stabbed to death in 1918.

- Sam Monaco's paternal grandmother was a Leo, her being the mother of Francesco, Vito, Lorenzo, and Benedetto.

- Vito Gruppuso lived next to the Monacos and some of the Leos. He is likely a brother or other relative of Sam Monaco's mother, who was a Gruppuso.

- Can't trace Giuseppe Pizzolato but he is no doubt from Vita too and probably related to the Pizzolato brothers of Newark and the Luccheses. Two of the Pizzolato brothers came to the US with a Leo, so that name surfaces again.

- Michele Leo arrived from Vita in 1907 but is listed as already being a US citizen so he must have been here earlier.

Amazing stuff, definitely looks like the Monaco clan from Vita was well-established in the Newark mafia by 1908.

[JoelTurner]

The Pizzolato bros mother was Martha Leo

[JoelTurner]

- Vito Monaco’s daughter’s MIL’s maiden name was Marion Agosta, same as his wife’s. They were probably related.

- Vito Gruppuso was married to Leonora Monaco (b.1880).

- Another “Leo” was Frank Leo who was arrested on liquor charges with Joe Accardi, Anthony Scavuzzo, and Charles Matranga

[JoelTurner]

There was a Vita Pedone living with her granddaughter Vivian Gruppuso living at the same address as Vito Gruppuso and his family (322 Littleton Ave, Newark, NJ)

The Pedones were early Black Hand figures in Newark. They were also from Vita

(https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-con ... 04471:2442)

[JoelTurner]

Vincenzo Troia may have been involved in Philadelphia. I’ve never heard of him being there before, I thought he was mainly in the Midwest.



I haven’t found much on the two other guys arrested for the killings, Fortunato Pargano and Joseph Esposito.



Fortunato lived next to Antonio Sunsaro on Garside St, while Joseph Esposito lived a few houses away from Vincenzo Troia on 7th St