Revisiting Philadelphia 1963

[cavita]

Was Calo ostensibly legitimate? I think that would be a factor in who was part of the traveling group. If he was in the US at that time he might well have met with them, though. I don't know anything about him.

Calo was Rockford underboss until October 1961 when he moved back to Casteldaccia, Sicily. He traveled back to Rockford on a few occasions including the 1964 trip. FBI files stated he kept informed on Rockford LCN matters as well as Springfield I'm sure because he married Providenza Zito, the sister of Springfield LCN boss Frank Zito.

[Angelo Santino]

I thought the Casellas were Sicilian? Peter's father was Antonio and his mother Rosina, right?

2wwii_2383089-1213.jpg

[B.]

Peter's father was Salvatore from Belmonte Mezzagno, Palermo.

His cousin Peter was also a member and his father might have been named Antonino (there was an Antonino Casella murdered early on).

[PolackTony]

Peter's father was Salvatore from Belmonte Mezzagno, Palermo.

His cousin Peter was also a member and his father might have been named Antonino (there was an Antonino Casella murdered early on).

I have Pete Casella born as Pietro Cosella [sic] 1907/08/28 in St Louis. His parents were Salvatore Casella and Dorotea Salvato (some documents give her name as Dorotea Cutelli), both of Belmonte Mezzagno. By 1910, the Casellas were living in Robertson County, TX (sort of between Dallas and Houston), where Salvatore worked as a farmer. By 1914, they had relocated to Philly, where younger brother Anthony Casella was born. The Casellas lived at S 9th and Fitzwater in South Philly, where Salvatore owned a grocery store, Sam Casella & Sons. On his WW2 draft card, Peter stated that he was living with his wife, Julia Greenjack, at 2938 S Juniper St in Philly and working for the family grocery business.

Was Salvatore Casella connected to the Belmonte Mezzagno mafia group in Philly? I note also that Salvatore's brother Luigi Casella lived at 120 Spring St in Lower Manhattan. Given his ancestry from Belmonte, I'd wonder if Luigi was connected to the Prince St (Marineo/Baucina) Lucchese guys. The STL connection for Pete Casella is interesting. We know that Pete was later connected via narcotics trafficking to Joe LoPiccolo from Chicago; the Prince St crew was also connected to Chicago through the heroin trade. I'm not sure about STL, but Chicago definitely had a number of migrants from Belmonte Mezzagno (being near both the Chicago "Triangle" comuni and other adjacent comuni with significant communities in Chicago, such as Marineo, Misilmeri, Bolognetta).

[B.]

Salvatore Casella was a made member. I'd guess if he had relatives in NYC who were members/associates they would have been with Giuseppe Traina. When John Cappello Sr. lived in Newark he was employed by Traina's company Empire Yeast.

Here are the Belmonte guys in Philly who were made:

John Cappello Sr. (capodecina)
John Cappello Jr. (capodecina)
Salvatore Cappello
Salvatore Casella
?-Antonino Casella
Peter Casella (underboss)
Peter Casella (cousin)
Anthony Casella
Francesco Barrale (capodecina)
Gaetano Scafidi (capodecina)
Giuseppe Scafidi (capodecina)
Rocco Scafidi
Salvatore Scafidi
Samuel Scafidi
Gaetano "Tommy" Scafidi
Salvatore "Tory" Scafidi
Frank Monte (consigliere)
Salvatore Sparacio (capodecina)
Raymond Martorano

Then the Perellas who you found were from Misilmeri and related to the Scafidi-Barrale clan.

[PolackTony]

Salvatore Casella was a made member. I'd guess if he had relatives in NYC who were members/associates they would have been with Giuseppe Traina. When John Cappello Sr. lived in Newark he was employed by Traina's company Empire Yeast.

Here are the Belmonte guys in Philly who were made:

John Cappello Sr. (capodecina)
John Cappello Jr. (capodecina)
Salvatore Cappello
Salvatore Casella
?-Antonino Casella
Peter Casella (underboss)
Peter Casella (cousin)
Anthony Casella
Francesco Barrale (capodecina)
Gaetano Scafidi (capodecina)
Giuseppe Scafidi (capodecina)
Rocco Scafidi
Salvatore Scafidi
Samuel Scafidi
Gaetano "Tommy" Scafidi
Salvatore "Tory" Scafidi
Frank Monte (consigliere)
Salvatore Sparacio (capodecina)
Raymond Martorano

Then the Perellas who you found were from Misilmeri and related to the Scafidi-Barrale clan.

Salvatore Casella died in the 70s, so if he was confirmed as a member he belongs on the chart too. Wonder what, if any, connections he may have had to the mafia during his time in STL and Texas (I’m finding out now that Robertson County had a Sicilian colony, so I wonder if they had an early/small colony family there).

Good point about the Cappello-Traina connection. If brother Luigi Casella was a connected guy, he may have been with the Traina group then. But apart from formal affiliation, one would have to wonder if he had connections to his near-paesani a block over on Prince St as well.

[JoelTurner]

When John Cappello Sr. lived in Newark he was employed by Traina's company Empire Yeast.

Did Cappello ever live in Newark/Essex County?

[CornerBoy]

is this Capello the one that philip leonetti had wait at the bar while chuckie and nicky met with the other side to guarantee their safety? thx

[B.]

I don't remember if it was Essex County but John Cappello Sr. and his family lived in the Newark area before Philly. John Sr. should have already been made as his son was made in Philly during the early 1940s and Cappello Sr. became a captain.

[JoelTurner]

The Cappello family, before moving to Philly, used to live in Hudson County, NJ. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4X7-W6Y)

[JoelTurner]

Here’s a possible member: Ray Amato

He’s named as a member by Harold "Kayo" Konigsberg:



———

His brother died in Feb 1957 so it can't be him.

Amato was involved in ration stamps during WW2 and owned the Roseville Bar and Grill.

He was born in 1916; here's his census information:(https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-co ... 8056:62308)

[B.]

Some of Konigsberg's info is questionable so hard to say without other sources.

Jimmy Amato was a Philadelphia member, but not in the Newark area.

[Angelo Santino]

The guy in Philly who I'm most curious to find is

Louis Campbell
10/17/1897 Philadelphia
639 RANDOLPH ST, Camden, NJ Camden
Father: William Campbell
Mother: Jessie Cianfrana Monteroduni, Isernia, Molise???????
Wife: Lenore Deturo
No legitimate business known
FBI # 340350; PPD # 76932
Soldier Reginelli

He's been ID'd as a member for multiple sources, his father must have Anglicized his name. He's hard to track down and has become a nagging obsession.

[JoelTurner]

Was there any member at this time whose father wasn’t Italian?

From what I can tell, Toby Boyd in the Boiardo crew was only Italian on his mother’s side. I’m not sure if/why they’d make an exception for him, Campbell at least was closer to the leadership

[JoelTurner]

Here's some interesting information on Anthony Perella:

- In 1943, he was working as a tailor at 293 1st Ave, Newark, NJ and was heavily involved in stolen ration stamps. He and his wife Jennie were living at 169 N 12th St, Newark, NJ.
(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117661531)

- In 1950, he was made alongside Rocco Scafidi and Anthony Maggio. He was under Frank "Cheech" Barrale who was based out of the Bridgeton-Vineland area. They were both married into the Scafidi family.
(https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.htm ... elPageId=4)

- In 1950, he was living with his wife at 227 N 15th St, Bloomfield, NJ.
(https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-co ... 9731:62308)

- In 1954, at his the time of his daughter's wedding, he was still living in the Newark area
(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117658011)

- In 1962, the Dominick “Reds” Caruso murder is said to have occurred at his bar in Vineland so he was back in that area by then.

Considering Sam Accardi's ties to the Vineland area, it's really interesting to see that he was a walking distance away and also involved in ration stamps. Additionally, he would have been one of the first Philly members in Newark despite answering to a SJ based capo. Other than Caponigro, the rest of that crew wasn't made yet.

-------------------

At some point of time after Jan 28 1928, his last boxing match as "Kid Lightning", he moved to Gary, Indiana. His daughter Rosemary was born there on May 18 1929. He owned a liquor store at 3737 Broadway Ave, Gary, IN
(https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/309720172/).

He moved back to Vineland in July 1935
(https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117653234).