Revisiting Detroit (genealogy)

[PolackTony]

Great thread guys, fantastic info and insight as always.

I don’t have much to add, however a potential link to Chicago and Detroit via Marsala - I would dig into Lorenzo Alagna from Chicago. He (and later his son) had connections/relationships with the Detroit area Marsala transplants.

The Alagna’s would eventually own a radio station and a bank in Chicago, among other businesses.

FWIW, there are also Giacalone’s based in Windsor, Ontario. This group of Giacalone’s may also be a connection to Marsala, or at least the Trapanese faction. These connections may only be social, but wanted to put that out there.

DZ

Thanks for the heads up on Alagna having connections to the D. Anyone on the Detroit side who was known/suspected to have connections to the mafia, or just Marsalese paeasani/social connections?

Looks like Alagna was married in Detroit in 1920.

[jimmyb]

I included a picture of Joe C's FBN card in my book. That one says he was born in Palermo. I'm almost positive that's not true. I'm not sure if the "Black Book" FBN version was issued before or after the card I found. There's a lot of info on Cockeyed Joe in those OC Congressional Hearings, but I can't remember if they identify where he was born.

According to the black book, Joe's brother Jimmy Catalanotte was born in Alcamo.

You’ve got a book out? What’s the title? I’ll check it out.

Thanks Raven, I appreciate that. It's called "Early Organized Crime in Detroit: Vice, Corruption, and the Rise of the Mafia."

Not the best book out there, but I hope you find it interesting.

Best,
JB

[Antiliar]

In terms of the Adamo brothers, I still think it's unlikely Vito Adamo was a boss, but I respectfully disagree with the notion they were "White Hand" vigilantes. The most profound evidence to me is: Felice Buccellato was almost certainly Mafioso. It's clear the Adamo and Buccellato families were close. And Vito Adamo and Felice were the ones who killed Carlo Caleca. Would Adamo team up with a Mafioso to kill another Mafioso in cold blood if he were just an outraged citizen?

I also have to push back on the Giannola murders. IMO the Good Killers had nothing to do with the Giannola murders. I believe the DPD invented that so they could say "case closed." Meanwhile, journalists were confused because Fontana described how the Good Killers killed the Buccellatos in Detroit (even here there was some confusion---Fontana said "Salvatore Buccellato was killed in Detroit, but it was Salvatore's son Pietro who was killed). The Good Killers were taking out the Buccellatos and their allies around the same time as the Giannola killings. However, the Giannolas were involved in a war with the John Vitale faction. Vitale and his guys were from Cinisi. Some of his supporters were also from Alcamo, Trapani and some other cities I can't remember----basically the guys who weren't from Terrasini. I think there's no doubt Vitale ordered the murders of the Giannola brothers. Vitale was then hit as retaliation. In all likelihood the shooter was Tony D'Anna. You'd have to ask Scott, but I believe Tony Zerilli confirmed that with him. Anyhow, I honestly don't believe the Magaddino/Bonventre/Bonanno alliance had any interests in interfering in the Giannola/Vitale war.

Let me know what you guys think.
Best,
JB

You make some good points. Will have to double-check if Bart Fontana mentioned the Giannolas or if it was added.

[PolackTony]

Great thread guys, fantastic info and insight as always.

I don’t have much to add, however a potential link to Chicago and Detroit via Marsala - I would dig into Lorenzo Alagna from Chicago. He (and later his son) had connections/relationships with the Detroit area Marsala transplants.

The Alagna’s would eventually own a radio station and a bank in Chicago, among other businesses.

FWIW, there are also Giacalone’s based in Windsor, Ontario. This group of Giacalone’s may also be a connection to Marsala, or at least the Trapanese faction. These connections may only be social, but wanted to put that out there.

DZ

Thanks for the heads up on Alagna having connections to the D. Anyone on the Detroit side who was known/suspected to have connections to the mafia, or just Marsalese paeasani/social connections?

Looks like Alagna was married in Detroit in 1920.

Another possible Chicago connection, but haven't verified this one myself. Joe Bonanno claimed that Milazzo was Aiello's compare (godfather to one of Aiello's sons). Anyone know if that was true?

[Eline2015]

Interestingly, if Flint and Saginaw were separate Borgatas, then their unification into a single Detroit mafia is reminiscent of the Mandamenti system in Sicily.

[Angelo Santino]

Interestingly, if Flint and Saginaw were separate Borgatas, then their unification into a single Detroit mafia is reminiscent of the Mandamenti system in Sicily.

I'd suspect Flint/Saginaw would be one group. Maybe Flint, Detroit and Toledo (we don't have much documented activity before the mid twenties with this city, however.)

[Antiliar]

Following up on the Good Killers, this is what the New York Times (and the New York Evening Telegram and the New York Daily News - I'm compiling reports from all three newspapers) reported on August 17, 1921: Bartolo Fontana (variously given as Fontana or Fontano) confessed to Detective Cassetti, Detective Pellegrino, and Acting Captain Michael Fiachetti that his group ("the Bonventre gang") killed five men in Manhattan, two in Brooklyn, and nine in Detroit. Another was shot in the Bronx and left for dead, but he recovered. Those that he named in Detroit were Joseph Buccilla (Buccellato), Felice Bucilla (Buccellato), Salvatore Fucilla, Luca Sarcona, Pietro Bosco, Joseph Bosco, Antonio Graunola (Giannola), Salvatore Graunola (Giannola), and Angie (other papers have Andrea) - last name Fontana could not remember.

The Detroit Free Press came out with an article on the Good Killers on August 18, and reported Fontano confessed to killing "Joseph Bucella, Felice Bucello, Salvatore Bucello, Luca Sascona, Pietro Bosco, Joseph Bosco, Antoinio Giannola, Salvatore Giannola and a man known as Andreas." The Free Press reported on August 20 that on Friday the 19th Detective Lieutenant P. A. McPherson, Chief of the Black Hand Squad, grilled Fontano for hours, and "Fontano discussed freely the crimes of the Camorra in Detroit." On August 23 the Detroit Free Press reported that Detective Lieutenant Bert McPherson returned from New York getting information on the "Camorra gang."

So according to the articles, the information on the Detroit killings came from Fontana himself, not the Detroit Police Department. Maybe the Good Killers worked together with local Detroit mobsters to kill the Giannolas. Whatever the case, Fontana claimed that his "gang" was responsible.

[Antiliar]

Going over my notes, Dan has Agostino Vitale as the first Detroit boss. He was a wealthy Sicilian. In 1909 Salvatore Cipriano was beaten up by Sam and Philip Vitale, who lived on the same street as Agostino Vitale. Cipriano pulled a gun on the Vitales to collect a debt. Two years later Cipriano was arrested for stealing barrels of wine, some of which made it to the Giannola brothers grocery. The Giannola brothers live in Ford City.

In 1911 Salvatore D'Anna was said to be a leader in the Italian colony and a criminal.

Vito and Salvatore Adamo were killed on Nov 24, 1913. Vito allegedly boasted of killing Carlo Caleca/Callego for blackmailing him into penury, but denied it when on trial. Testimony was given that the Italian colony hired Vito Adamo and Filippo/Felice Buccellato to kill "bad man" Caleca. Salvatore D'Anna was said to have been a friend of Calecas. The Adamos were believed to have been killed by the Giannolas. A later article said that Caleca was actually a friend of the Adamos and was killed by the Giannolas.

The connections and alliances seem to go back and forth. In 1919, John Vitale was suspected of killing Pasquale D'Anna. I don't think I followed up to see of John Vitale was related to Agostino Vitale or if Pasquale D'Anna was related to Salvatore D'Anna. The contemporary police theories of who killed whom certainly don't include the New York-based Good Killers, but then again they didn't know about them until years later.

Obviously we can only offer our own conclusions and educated guesses. Often we don't know who killed whom according to insider sources until years later. I think of all the murders that were cleared by Frank Cullotta, followed by Lenny Patrick of Chicago, and then Nick Calabrese. Some killings seem wild and incredible, such as Frank Schweihs telling Red Wemette that he killed Marilyn Monroe or Frank Calabrese Jr say that his father told him that Tony Accardo personally killed Sam Giancana. So my position is more agnostic and I go by "X said this" or "Y reported that" since I personally don't know. I think the truth is out there, but it can be really hard to find.

[DoubleZ]

Great thread guys, fantastic info and insight as always.

I don’t have much to add, however a potential link to Chicago and Detroit via Marsala - I would dig into Lorenzo Alagna from Chicago. He (and later his son) had connections/relationships with the Detroit area Marsala transplants.

The Alagna’s would eventually own a radio station and a bank in Chicago, among other businesses.

FWIW, there are also Giacalone’s based in Windsor, Ontario. This group of Giacalone’s may also be a connection to Marsala, or at least the Trapanese faction. These connections may only be social, but wanted to put that out there.

DZ

Thanks for the heads up on Alagna having connections to the D. Anyone on the Detroit side who was known/suspected to have connections to the mafia, or just Marsalese paeasani/social connections?

Looks like Alagna was married in Detroit in 1920.

Hey PT,

I would venture to say a bit of both. I know there was a scheme involving gold that connected both cities (Alagna front and center).

As for the Motown connection, it might pop-up in during further digging. Can’t say much more than that.

DZ

[Angelo Santino]

Going over my notes, Dan has Agostino Vitale as the first Detroit boss. He was a wealthy Sicilian. In 1909 Salvatore Cipriano was beaten up by Sam and Philip Vitale, who lived on the same street as Agostino Vitale. Cipriano pulled a gun on the Vitales to collect a debt. Two years later Cipriano was arrested for stealing barrels of wine, some of which made it to the Giannola brothers grocery. The Giannola brothers live in Ford City.

In 1911 Salvatore D'Anna was said to be a leader in the Italian colony and a criminal.

Vito and Salvatore Adamo were killed on Nov 24, 1913. Vito allegedly boasted of killing Carlo Caleca/Callego for blackmailing him into penury, but denied it when on trial. Testimony was given that the Italian colony hired Vito Adamo and Filippo/Felice Buccellato to kill "bad man" Caleca. Salvatore D'Anna was said to have been a friend of Calecas. The Adamos were believed to have been killed by the Giannolas. A later article said that Caleca was actually a friend of the Adamos and was killed by the Giannolas.

The connections and alliances seem to go back and forth. In 1919, John Vitale was suspected of killing Pasquale D'Anna. I don't think I followed up to see of John Vitale was related to Agostino Vitale or if Pasquale D'Anna was related to Salvatore D'Anna. The contemporary police theories of who killed whom certainly don't include the New York-based Good Killers, but then again they didn't know about them until years later.

Obviously we can only offer our own conclusions and educated guesses. Often we don't know who killed whom according to insider sources until years later. I think of all the murders that were cleared by Frank Cullotta, followed by Lenny Patrick of Chicago, and then Nick Calabrese. Some killings seem wild and incredible, such as Frank Schweihs telling Red Wemette that he killed Marilyn Monroe or Frank Calabrese Jr say that his father told him that Tony Accardo personally killed Sam Giancana. So my position is more agnostic and I go by "X said this" or "Y reported that" since I personally don't know. I think the truth is out there, but it can be really hard to find.

Wasn't there a Finazzo killed in NY allegedly by them? Could there have been any relation to Sam Finazzo?

Salvatore Finazzo of Detroit-
DOB 11/5/1908
POB St Louis
Resides 18655 Gina Court, Mt Clemins, MI
F Vincent Finazzo (Partinico)
M Agnes Vitale (Cinisi?)
W Josephine Genna

[Antiliar]

Francesco (Frank) Finazzo (info from death certificate)
DOB: 1880 (3 Jun 1881 according to naturalization)
POB: Italy (Cinisi according to naturalization; passenger manifest has Castellammare del Golfo)
F: Luigi Finazzo
M: Maria Cusumano
Married (passenger manifest has Girolama)
Resided: 215 N. 5th St., Brooklyn
DOD: 10 Dec 1917, slain at 5th and Roebling, Brooklyn

[Angelo Santino]

Francesco (Frank) Finazzo (info from death certificate)
DOB: 1880 (3 Jun 1881 according to naturalization)
POB: Italy (Cinisi according to naturalization; passenger manifest has Castellammare del Golfo)
F: Luigi Finazzo
M: Maria Cusumano
Married (passenger manifest has Girolama)
Resided: 215 N. 5th St., Brooklyn
DOD: 10 Dec 1917, slain at 5th and Roebling, Brooklyn

He lived in Williamsburg which only makes things that much more confusing.

The Good Killers seemed to be doing in-house cleaning on one side and then siding in other wars on the other- they will killing Morello enemies, which comes off as odd. Such a move would run afoul of D'Aquila.

[B.]

Thanks for clearing up the FBN error on Joe Catalanotte. Great resource but some POB errors in there, can think of a few others offhand like Traina, Riela, and Oddo.

Looks like we can rule Salemi out for the Catalanottes. From the 1920s-1960s Salemi was one of the most influential Families in that part of Trapani and were part of this network in the US, so wouldn't be surprised if Caruso was a leader based on that, similar to Milazzo.

Any idea who Angelo Caruso is? Not the Bonanno member, this one was allegedly involved in the 1938 murder of Joe Tocco and involved with the Fort Motor Company.

[B.]

The wild card in Detroit to me is San Cataldo and Caltanissetta.

You could walk along the coast from Erice (Monte San Giuliano) to Cinisi, just dip inland a couple of times, and you'd visit the hometowns of almost the entire Detroit Family.

Then you have the Melis and Polizzis who were tied to the Pittston Family and show up as major powers despite being a minority paesani group from a different region. They were respected and intermarried with local clans, but Caltanissetta isn't what you'd immediately think of in this network of towns.

I used to wonder if they were actually from the tiny comune near Terrasini called San Cataldo but that's just a coincidence, they were 100% from Caltanissetta. Were there any earlier Detroit members from there?

[jimmyb]

Francesco (Frank) Finazzo (info from death certificate)
DOB: 1880 (3 Jun 1881 according to naturalization)
POB: Italy (Cinisi according to naturalization; passenger manifest has Castellammare del Golfo)
F: Luigi Finazzo
M: Maria Cusumano
Married (passenger manifest has Girolama)
Resided: 215 N. 5th St., Brooklyn
DOD: 10 Dec 1917, slain at 5th and Roebling, Brooklyn

Frank Finazzo's sister Rose was married to Felice Buccellato (Pietro's brother, not to be confused with Detroit Mafioso Felice or Don Felice in CDG.). It gets confusing because in our family, for that generation, there were five first cousins, all named "Felice."

'm still close with my Finazzo cousins. The Buccellato side of the family believes Frank provided some type of help to the Buccellatos, in terms of hunting down their enemies (Mazzara snd DiBenndeto). Finazzo was killed in retaliation. Pietro Buccellato was also killed a few days later.

To confuse things more, the Finazzo side of the family always thought the Buccellatos killed Frank. They believed Frank wouldn't help them, so they whacked him. I don't buy it. I was told by the old timers that Frank Finazzo was close with Pietro and Giuseppe Buccellato. I'm inclined to believe Finazzo helped the Buccellatos and was killed as a result. That's the position i take in my book and have even convinced Finazzo's great grandchildren.