New LCNBios Update

[Lefty_Ruggiero]

If a member is shelved, can he still be able to associate with his crew or family?

[bert]

If a member is shelved, can he still be able to associate with his crew or family?

I think so depending on who the reason and the people. No matter the reason a person can still keep in touch with a brother or father in the mafia, or if he has money owed might be able to meet one designated person to collect it. They still have to come in if called if they are made. A guy who is chased is told to stay away, and again, there is no set rule written in stone. I just don't think chased apples to members, although in some cases being shelved might be the same with a nicer sound to it. I used the term chased because it reminded me of an associate from the same area as Pisciotti who was chased from a crew years ago. Maybe 20 years before Pisciotti. The soldier he was with took him away to an isolated spot, and either questioned him on things he had heard regarding drugs and behavior, or told him he had heard bout it, and told him he could not come around any more or associate with anyone in the crew he was with. The guy who was chased became a rat a few years later after being sent to prison.

[Snakes]

"Chased" seems to apply to an associate as opposed to a member. "Shelved" is typically used for made guys.

[Chaps]

Two new updates. Very interesting on a Calabrian Gambino member in Connecticut named Cosmo Sandalo and old mugshot of Tommy Gioeli.

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2019/04/bi ... ndalo.html

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2019/04/ph ... ioeli.html

[B.]

The Sandalo article is great and adds to our limited knowledge on Calabria->NYC/Canada 'ndrangheta connections, naturally with many more new questions. Also adds to the Calabrian and 'ndrangheta/Camorra roots within the Gambino family that go back to at least the 1920s and produced Albert Anastasia, among others.

It should be noted that historically the Calabrian 'ndrangheta was referred to as Camorra, like what we now associate with the Neapolitans. Thanks to CC for this information. This is reinforced by a comment made by Stefano Magaddino appearing to call Luppino a Camorrista. So the informant referring to Sandalo as a Camorrista would not necessarily be a mistake, but the common terminology of the era.

However, I didn't see anything in the breakdown that suggested Sandalo would have "transferred" if he did become a Gambino member. We unfortunately don't have any clear examples of Camorra/'ndrangheta members "transferring" membership in the same sense that Sicilian mafiosi did in the past (and still apparently do in extremely rare examples, based on Felice's info). When 'ndrangheta/Camorra members joined with the Sicilians in the 1910s/1920s, it's not clear if they transferred and were recognized as mafiosi or if they were inducted into the Sicilian-originated group like new members regardless of their status in the Calabrian group.

If Sandalo did end up a made member of the Gambino family in the 1970s, it appears to have been around the time the books opened since the earlier reports all make it clear his Calabrian membership was not recognized. If that's the case, it seems possible he was simply inducted into the Gambino family at that time and not technically a "transfer".

On the subject of transfers in general, it would seem to require mutual recognition of each others' membership. Though the Sicilian and American organizations have grown apart, they are still the same core organization and there are many examples of them officially recognizing each other. Two ways historically for someone's membership to be recognized are through a third member who knows both members, and letters. Both of these require a mutual third party, which wouldn't seem to exist between the Sicilian/American groups and 'ndrangheta unless a member of the Calabrian organization was "re-made" into the Sicilian/American group in which case it seems he would just be operating as the "third party" member of the new group he joined anyway.

But of course we have a million holes in our knowledge and maybe there has been some way that Sicilian/American and Calabrian organizations are able to recognize each other. There is more cooperation in mafia history than there is the opposite.

[johnny_scootch]

I'd have to agree it's highly unlikely that he 'transferred' membership considering the Ndrangheta is a completely different organization. It seems he simply moved away from Calabria and left his membership behind as there was no Ndrangheta to be a part of on American soil in the 50's. You have CI after CI report saying he isn't an LCN member and then he appears at one meeting which seemingly only made men would attend and he dies a few months after that. I'd say that if he was eventually a member he was inducted like every other new initiate would be.

And to one of your points B 'camorrista' is I believe a rank in the Ndrangheta structure.

[Pogo The Clown]

Minor updates have been posted about Gambino family 1970s inductions.


Pogo

[JeremyTheJew]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

[Pogo The Clown]

JD has updated the blog with some really good Colombo surveillance footage from 1996.


Pogo

[bert]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

Ironic on him picking Gotti. I don't think Castelllano deserved the hate guys in the family had for him, if they really did hate him as much as it's said. I never will understand a man like Catellano not stepping aside and letting another member be boss.

[MichaelGiovanni]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

Ironic on him picking Gotti. I don't think Castelllano deserved the hate guys in the family had for him, if they really did hate him as much as it's said. I never will understand a man like Catellano not stepping aside and letting another member be boss.

You don’t understand why someone wouldn’t give up the power, money and prestige of being the top guy in the most powerful criminal organization in the US? Just because some of the family didn’t respect him?

Come on bro.

[JeremyTheJew]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

Ironic on him picking Gotti. I don't think Castelllano deserved the hate guys in the family had for him, if they really did hate him as much as it's said. I never will understand a man like Catellano not stepping aside and letting another member be boss.

You don’t understand why someone wouldn’t give up the power, money and prestige of being the top guy in the most powerful criminal organization in the US? Just because some of the family didn’t respect him?

Come on bro.

It did cost him his life....
As opposed to if he was #2 with most same benefits and probably his life still...

[newera_212]

just wanna chime in and say JD's blog is awesome. its selfish to say but I wish he posted more. can only imagine the trove of info hes sitting on

[bert]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

Ironic on him picking Gotti. I don't think Castelllano deserved the hate guys in the family had for him, if they really did hate him as much as it's said. I never will understand a man like Catellano not stepping aside and letting another member be boss.

You don’t understand why someone wouldn’t give up the power, money and prestige of being the top guy in the most powerful criminal organization in the US? Just because some of the family didn’t respect him?

Come on bro.

You are just giving stereotype reasons, which may be the case. Or he may have felt an obligation. I left them out because they are so obvious. Others have stopped aside and let acting bosses fill in, or just let others be boss and put a distance between them and their group. Castellano had a ton of money form legitimate businesses, and money in bank he could account for legally. He knew he was a target of law enforcement for years. Staying as an acting boss was going to get him sent to prison, or lead to constant aggravation. He got killed instead. So staying gas boss was not a smart move, and anyone could see trouble coming.

[SonnyBlackstein]

interesting that Paul C sent 2 representives to talk to each capo about fam rules and drug ban and the two capos were Riccobono and John Gotti.

very surprised to see Gotti acting as a rep for Castellano

Ironic on him picking Gotti. I don't think Castelllano deserved the hate guys in the family had for him, if they really did hate him as much as it's said. I never will understand a man like Catellano not stepping aside and letting another member be boss.

You don’t understand why someone wouldn’t give up the power, money and prestige of being the top guy in the most powerful criminal organization in the US? Just because some of the family didn’t respect him?

Come on bro.

You are just giving stereotype reasons, which may be the case. Or he may have felt an obligation. I left them out because they are so obvious. Others have stopped aside and let acting bosses fill in, or just let others be boss and put a distance between them and their group. Castellano had a ton of money form legitimate businesses, and money in bank he could account for legally. He knew he was a target of law enforcement for years. Staying as an acting boss was going to get him sent to prison, or lead to constant aggravation. He got killed instead. So staying gas boss was not a smart move, and anyone could see trouble coming.

“You are just giving stereotype reasons, which may be the case.”

He was giving good reasons which answered the question.
Which you yourself actually acknowledge, answer the question.
What difference does it make if they’re stereotype?

“I left them out because they are so obvious”

They’re so obvious because... they’re true.
And they answer your question.

“He knew he was a target of law enforcement for years. Staying as an acting boss was going to get him sent to prison, or lead to constant aggravation.”

This is specific to Castellano, how?

“So staying gas boss was not a smart move, and anyone could see trouble coming.”

It was 40 years since a sitting boss was assassinated. So who saw this coming?