Consigliere part 2 - Change from elected position to a rank that's boss appointed.

[thekiduknow]

The consigliere’s main role is as a mediator, but are there examples of the consigliere ordering soldiers to do a hit?



Just remembered this bit from Bill. I wonder if they “rebelled” because Bill didn’t have the proper authority to order them to do anything.

[thekiduknow]

Also, Joe Bonanno does mention in his book that when Tartamella got really sick John Morales told him that the group leaders wanted to name a new consigliere.

[B.]

Awesome info my friend.

I'm sure a consigliere had the authority to order a murder, though the job of consigliere is supposed to be invested in saving lives rather than taking them (what Scarpa said about Panarella "acting like a consigliere" by being less ruthless than he typically was).

If a consigliere issued a murder obviously it would have to be in agreement with the boss. Anthony Spero ordered murders when he was consigliere but not without general approval from the other leaders.

[thekiduknow]

Good point about Spero, he ordered quite a few with Vitale. Thinking about it, Cannone was involved with the Galante murder, and was present at the Sonny Black hit. No doubt there are other examples.

Even if Bill had Joe’s approval, it’s telling that they still “rebelled” against the order. No surprise that Bill didn’t carry a lot of respect, especially among the more criminal part of the family.

[Ryan98366]

I got a kick out of the pennisi story where he talked about meeting Paradiso, and sitting in some restaurant back office with Paradiso and Ernie Grillo listening to wiretap calls and helping Paradiso decide whether to cop out or not.

Pennisi was probably lying bro.

[johnny_scootch]

Good question on Paradiso. All I know is DiLeonardo said Paul Zaccaria brought him in.

A list on JD’s site has Olympio Garofalo as Mickey’s sponsor.

[B.]

Garofalo was def his captain. Could have been two sponsors too.

Dara said he had two sponsors for his late 1940s/50s Bonanno induction and there are some other references to two guys putting someone up. There were informants who named two different sponsors for John Gotti, maybe he had two as well.

Didn't they institute a rule about having two sponsors later on because of all the witnesses/informants? Can't remember the details/timeline.

[bronx]

protocol, a soldier proposes a guy it goes to captain then turns his name in to admin, if captain is close to the assoc, then he puts his name in ..

[Adam]

Regarding Detroit:

The Tocco-Zerilli crime family has always had a consigliere. I don't care what the indictments or charts put out by the feds say.

I've interviewed the REAL PEOPLE. They've given me the history THEMSELVES. Ive also interviewed the feds themselves and they dispute what their own office has put out in the past.

This is from interviews with: Tony Zerilli, Tony Palazzolo, Dom Bommarito, Frank Bommarito, Paulie Corrado, Nove Tocco, DET FBI OC UNIT HEADS (Oscar Feldman, Joe Finnigan, Lou Fischetti, etc.), among others.

NOTE: two of the above-mentioned names WERE consiglieres; Pal & Uncle Dom, one was an acting boss and a longtime underboss (Tony Z) and another was an acting capo (Frank the Bomb).

DET LCN CONSIGLIERE CHART
ANGELO MELI - 1931-1936
PAPA JOHN PRIZIOLA -- 1936-1977
JIMMY QUASARANO - 1977-1981
BIG MIKE POLIZZI - 1981-1996
TONY TOCCO -- 1996-2008
UNCLE DOM BOMMARITO - 2008-2014
TONY PALAZZOLO - 2014-2019
TONY RUGGIRELLO - 2019-2020
PETE TOCCO - 2020-PRESENT

SMB

Thanks Scott. I'm sure you're right based on your sources. The whole "Ruling Council" thing that Piersante submitted in 1963 tends to make things a little confusing.

[Adam]

Regarding Detroit:

The Tocco-Zerilli crime family has always had a consigliere. I don't care what the indictments or charts put out by the feds say.

I've interviewed the REAL PEOPLE. They've given me the history THEMSELVES. Ive also interviewed the feds themselves and they dispute what their own office has put out in the past.

This is from interviews with: Tony Zerilli, Tony Palazzolo, Dom Bommarito, Frank Bommarito, Paulie Corrado, Nove Tocco, DET FBI OC UNIT HEADS (Oscar Feldman, Joe Finnigan, Lou Fischetti, etc.), among others.

NOTE: two of the above-mentioned names WERE consiglieres; Pal & Uncle Dom, one was an acting boss and a longtime underboss (Tony Z) and another was an acting capo (Frank the Bomb).

DET LCN CONSIGLIERE CHART
ANGELO MELI - 1931-1936
PAPA JOHN PRIZIOLA -- 1936-1977
JIMMY QUASARANO - 1977-1981
BIG MIKE POLIZZI - 1981-1996
TONY TOCCO -- 1996-2008
UNCLE DOM BOMMARITO - 2008-2014
TONY PALAZZOLO - 2014-2019
TONY RUGGIRELLO - 2019-2020
PETE TOCCO - 2020-PRESENT

SMB

Hi Scott. Quick follow up. Who do you think handled the position while Polizzi was in jail in the 80s? He had a couple busts. The loansharking one out of San Diego and the Eastern Market gambling bust in 1986. Don't think it'd be crazy if Quasarano was tapped again. He would have gotten out of prison in 1983.

[B.]

Families could have both a consigliere and council, with the consigliere often sitting on the council. Though in some Families (especially in Sicily it seems) they could have a consiglio instead of a single consigliere, it looks to me like Detroit had both. Very interesting group as they seem to give a snapshot into how early Families operated but much later than their peers -- i.e. their politics were still ruled by different compaesani factions and available info shows their council stayed dominant in Family affairs.

[cavita]

Families could have both a consigliere and council, with the consigliere often sitting on the council. Though in some Families (especially in Sicily it seems) they could have a consiglio instead of a single consigliere, it looks to me like Detroit had both. Very interesting group as they seem to give a snapshot into how early Families operated but much later than their peers -- i.e. their politics were still ruled by different compaesani factions and available info shows their council stayed dominant in Family affairs.

This is the case in Rockford when soldier Sebastian Gulotta called a council meeting with a problem against Dr. Giuseppe Bona. Consigliere Joe Zito took Bona's side saying he was entitled to a certain measure of respect because of his position in the community. Capo Lorenzo Buttice stated because Bona disrespected Gulotta, he (Bona) disrespected the family and Zito then was forced to admit that. The FBI file didn't state who the other attending council members were but I suspect it was boss Joe Zammuto, underboss Frank Buscemi and Phil Caltagerone who once served as boss while then-boss Tony Musso was in prison in 1931/1932.

[B.]

A+ Cavita.

Zito was the consigliere at the time? Seems like he may have taken on that segretario role for the council and I've suspected when an official consigliere and consiglio both existed, the consigliere may have been the natural choice for segretario. That would fit with ScottB's info about Priziola actually being consigliere and not underboss, as reports describe him serving as the lead chairman over their council which seems to be the same duty carried out by the secretary.

[cavita]

A+ Cavita.

Zito was the consigliere at the time? Seems like he may have taken on that segretario role for the council and I've suspected when an official consigliere and consiglio both existed, the consigliere may have been the natural choice for segretario. That would fit with ScottB's info about Priziola actually being consigliere and not underboss, as reports describe him serving as the lead chairman over their council which seems to be the same duty carried out by the secretary.

Yes, this incident happened after Gulotta became made (January 1965) and before Buttice stepped down as capo (March 1966). Zito had been consigliere since at least 1963 but most likely even before that.

[PolackTony]

Interesting reference to Detroit Outfit associate Charles Monazym referring to Joe Bommarito as an "arbitrator":