Revisiting Detroit (genealogy)

[B.]

In your book you also say the Finazzo murder came on the heels of an attempt on Magaddino and Milazzo in NYC. Seems Finazzo may have been targeted in retaliation.

Magaddino said he went to Girolamo Asaro's 1912 funeral in Boston with Gaspare Milazzo, so they were close early on. Milazzo is one of the non-relatives who supported them during the war with the Buccellatos but I don't know anything about his family tree. The Pittston member Bartolo Guccia in Endicott was from CDG and his mother was a Milazzo. Guccia lived in NYC at the same time as Gaspare Milazzo and was arrested on a gun charge, don't know if there is a relation via Guccia's mother.

[Angelo Santino]

Interestingly, the Polizzi Crew consisted of San Cataldo, Partinico and Monte San Giuliano. The other crew with Trapanese appeared to under Zerilli.

[B.]

Men connected to Flint / Saginaw group:

Sam Ricca - Mazara del Vallo, Trapani. Lived in Flint for years but was living right outside Saginaw wen he died in 1946. Pete Misuraca told the FBI Ricca was a made member. When he was arrested in 1939 described as "the brains of the gang" among arrestees.

Biagio Bonventre - San Vito Lo Capo, family lived in Monte San Giuliano before that and mother was from Alcamo. Moved to San Diego in the 1930s where he was ID'd as an LA member. Biagio's mother was a Cusenza and his son-in-law was an Asaro from Mazara del Vallo. Married a woman from Chicago who may have heritage from Alessandria della Rocca, Agrigento. Very close to "Sam Bruno" Bartolotta, another ex-Detroit guy who joined the LA Family.

Cusenza brothers - San Vito Lo Capo and Monte San Giuliano. Tony Cusenza ID'd by Misuraca as leader of the Flint group before his murder, also ID'd his brothers Paul and Joe Cusenza as members. Joe was married to a Vultaggio and moved to San Jose where he became a capodecina, with his son Leo also made in SJ. Tony Cusenza was "high up on the organization" according to Misuraca and at the time of his 1928 murder described in newspapers as a "Detroit feudist" and head of the San Vito Lo Capo mutual aid organization in Flint and Saginaw. Another brother Girolamo "Jimmy" and nephew Leo (not the SJ Member) moved to San Diego from Detroit but Bompensiero didn't think they were members.

Misuraca brothers - Giardinello, Palermo. Big family of mafiosi active over the years in St. Louis, Detroit, New Jersey, San Jose, Florida. Sam Misuraca may have been a member in Flint but was killed in 1919. Other brothers later made in the Colombo (maybe Newark first) and San Jose Families. Tony found mafia-linked Misuracas from Castellammare del Golfo in Chicago, so maybe there is a connection given these ones were very close to the Flint Trapanesi colony. Newark Colombo member John Misuraca was married into the Detroit Family Ventimiglias from Terrasini, who Pete said were members. Pete also said his brother John continued to visit Joe "One Eye" Tocco in Detroit after moving to NJ.

Vito Lacamara - Monte San Giuliano. Alleged co-conspirator in the murder of Sam Misuraca. Associated with Tony Cusenza.

Filippo Augeli - Death record almost looks like it says he's from Marsala but not sure, difficult to read. Killed alongside Sam Misuraca.

Vassallo brothers - Terrasini, Palermo. Sam and Paul Vassallo were involved with this group and close to Sam Ricca. Not the same Sam Vassallo who joined the San Jose Family.

Jack Luppino - Might be Gioacchino Luppino from Campobello di Mazara, Trapani. Records confirm he was Sicilian for sure. Close associate of Sam Ricca and the Vassallo brothers, all arrested together. Wife was a "Vassale", maybe making him an in-law of the Vassallos. Lived in Wyandotte.

[B.]

And can't forget the Ruggirellos. They were from both San Vito Lo Capo and Monte San Giuliano too.

From an earlier post:

- A Los Angeles source with historical knowledge of Detroit described Antonino "Toddo" Ruggirello and an unnamed brother as early mafia members in Flint during the 1920s/1930s.

- A Detroit non-member source said that Toddo Ruggirello "headed one of the seven groups of Sicilians who came to this country and established themselves in Detroit." The Detroit source said Joseph Zerilli later gave control of Flint to Russell Pellegrino, while also giving control of Bay City to Sam Buffa. The informant said Pellegrino's Flint and Buffa's Bay City "operations" failed as they both lacked enough Italians to "set up an organization" that could put "fear" in their respective areas.

- The Ruggirello brothers, like the Cusenzas and Biaggio Bonventre, came to Flint from San Vito Lo Capo and had ties to Monte San Giuliano. Rosario "Russell" Pellegrino was also from Monte San Giuliano. The Flint group was a colony of mafia compaesani distinct from the compaesani that formed the early Detroit family.

So Pellegrino and the Ruggirellos were also part of this San Vito / Monte San Giuliano faction up there.

Others:

- Albert Guerazzi. From Trapani, not sure which town. Tony Cusenza was killed in Guerazzi's home. Related to Finazzis (Finazzo?).

- Sam Pisciatta/Pisciotta. Listed in Chicago member Orazio Tropea's 1926 address book as a contact in Flint. Pisciotta name is common in the Western Palermo / Trapani coast area.

Definitely enough members for a large decina in Flint / Saginaw but there was attrition and exodus leaving relatively little left. Very well could have been unknown members in the area as well since these are just the ones who later informants recalled and/or showed up on LE's radar.

[Angelo Santino]

And can't forget the Ruggirellos. They were from both San Vito Lo Capo and Monte San Giuliano too.

From an earlier post:

- A Los Angeles source with historical knowledge of Detroit described Antonino "Toddo" Ruggirello and an unnamed brother as early mafia members in Flint during the 1920s/1930s.

- A Detroit non-member source said that Toddo Ruggirello "headed one of the seven groups of Sicilians who came to this country and established themselves in Detroit." The Detroit source said Joseph Zerilli later gave control of Flint to Russell Pellegrino, while also giving control of Bay City to Sam Buffa. The informant said Pellegrino's Flint and Buffa's Bay City "operations" failed as they both lacked enough Italians to "set up an organization" that could put "fear" in their respective areas.

- The Ruggirello brothers, like the Cusenzas and Biaggio Bonventre, came to Flint from San Vito Lo Capo and had ties to Monte San Giuliano. Rosario "Russell" Pellegrino was also from Monte San Giuliano. The Flint group was a colony of mafia compaesani distinct from the compaesani that formed the early Detroit family.

So Pellegrino and the Ruggirellos were also part of this San Vito / Monte San Giuliano faction up there.

Others:

- Albert Guerazzi. From Trapani, not sure which town. Tony Cusenza was killed in Guerazzi's home. Related to Finazzis (Finazzo?).

- Sam Pisciatta/Pisciotta. Listed in Chicago member Orazio Tropea's 1926 address book as a contact in Flint. Pisciotta name is common in the Western Palermo / Trapani coast area.

Definitely enough members for a large decina in Flint / Saginaw but there was attrition and exodus leaving relatively little left. Very well could have been unknown members in the area as well since these are just the ones who later informants recalled and/or showed up on LE's radar.

Ruggirellos were in Detroit by 1922 running Chene Sugar Co. Both Sal Catalanotte and Black Bill Tocco were seen going to their establishment. Cut to 1963, the Ruggirellos are soldiers in the Mike Polizzi crew. I took a very conservative approach to IDing Detroit members and captains, and every member and where they are placed can be properly sourced. But I still wonder why the San Cataldo/Partinico and Monte San Giuliano factions ended up in one crew. Vincent Meli is listed a soldier, he was 10 years older than Jack Tocco who was a captain, and given how Joe Zerilli, Black Bill Tocco, Pete Licavoli and Papa John had "their" crews with captains, you'd think Meli would have his with Vincent Meli. Maybe he did and the FBI got it wrong, but so far, who they listed with who, when I do their genealogy, matches up with clusters of people who are related/conntect.

[B.]

One informant still saw the Monte San Giuliano paesans as worthy of mention alongside Terrasini, Cinisi, and Partinico:



There are several of these informants who break the Family down into compaesani factions but it's interesting which hometowns they mention. There is the other informant who mentions a Castellammarese element in the 1960s along with Balestrate.

What's weird is neither of these informants mentions Alcamo even though it looks to be the biggest Trapani faction in Detroit. They mention Monte San Giuliano and Castellammare whose significance by the 1960s was more historic than anything, with only a few remnants. Maybe they lump the Trapanesi in together.

[Antiliar]

Angelo Caruso was mentioned in our discussion. This source says that he was the chief of the Down River Gang in 1938: https://books.google.com/books?id=HFE-A ... so&f=false
The Down River area included Ford City and Wyandotte, and Joe Tocco had been the leader there.

[B.]

There was an Angelo Caruso in Detroit who was born in the mid-1890s in Salemi, son of Antonio. In the grocery business circa WWI.

Another one in Wyandotte was born around 1909, father named Antonino. These ones came from Giardinello, same hometown as the Misuracas who were close to the Wyandotte faction and Joe Tocco. Haven't found the mobbed up Caruso's age but this one seems like a better bet.

[Angelo Santino]

Ignazio Caruso had a cousin named Anthony I think. He was a member who occasionally went to NY.

[Angelo Santino]

One informant still saw the Monte San Giuliano paesans as worthy of mention alongside Terrasini, Cinisi, and Partinico:



There are several of these informants who break the Family down into compaesani factions but it's interesting which hometowns they mention. There is the other informant who mentions a Castellammarese element in the 1960s along with Balestrate.

What's weird is neither of these informants mentions Alcamo even though it looks to be the biggest Trapani faction in Detroit. They mention Monte San Giuliano and Castellammare whose significance by the 1960s was more historic than anything, with only a few remnants. Maybe they lump the Trapanesi in together.

The three guys that I can ID as being in Zerilli's crew were western Trapanese-

[B.]

Only other place I've seen the "no lying to a made member" rule emphasized so heavily is with Sicilian pentiti. Of course they find ways to lie, but you don't see many US sources hammer that rule home like the Sicilians do. Detroit looks to have taken it seriously.

One of the crazy things about the mob is someone can be part of a certain faction while reporting to a captain from another faction. Like when Joe Massino was assigned to James Galante even though he was a Rastelli loyalist. Simply belonging to a crew doesn't tell us the whole story, as sometimes rivals are assigned to someone in order to keep an eye on them or there's some other reason for the arrangement. Be curious if Detroit's factions generally fell within crew boundaries or if there was crossover.

[Angelo Santino]

There's still 13 members I have yet to find their lineage for but here's where things stand-



(Stats do not reflect associates)

[Angelo Santino]

I need some help with these Ruggirellos.

There were two generations of brothers, Tony and Toto in the 1920's. But to make things confusing, Toto's real name, from what I'm seeing, is Antonino, not Salvatore like one would expect.

One family tree on ancestry (not always accurate) has Antonino's info as
Antonino Ruggirello
5/8/1897
Palermo(last residence San Vito Lo Capo)
F: Giacomo "James" Ruggirello (1873)
M: Margaret LNU
W: Rosa Bagnasco (Castelluzzo)
Died in 2/16/1957

It has a brother Anthony listed but no further info.

Looking up Antonio, he married to a Josephine I found this document which contains Antonino but lists the parents as Giuseppe Ruggirello and Antonino Palazzola.


There's several Antonino and Antonio Ruggirello's in Detroit that I've gone crosseyed and not sure if I have the right ones at this point. Scott could probably clear this up in a second.

They arrived as young teens in 1907 so they more than likely joined in America. The FBI documents state that the Ruggirellos were one faction, nothing to indicate anything but maybe their father - Giacomo or Giuseppe - were earlier members. They did arrive with plenty of people from San Vito Lo Capo and Monte San Giuliano heading for Detroit-


Antonio died in the 30's- (lists a sifferent mother's maiden name.)


Antonino-


Antonio had two kids- Antonino and Luigi who also went on to become members. They appeared to have been raised by Antonino:




Scott wrote about Antonino "Toto" who recently died-
https://gangsterreport.com/one-of-the-l ... ies-at-85/

[nash143]

Antonio Ruggirello 1897-1937 and Josephine Angelo 1913-2003 are the parents of:

- Antonino J. "Fat Tony/Tony" Ruggirello - obituary is here - "https://www.tributearchive.com/obituari ... Ruggirello
- Antonio A. "Toto" Ruggirello - obituary is here - https://www.desmondfuneralhome.com/obit ... d=13835106
- Louis A. Ruggirello - 1933- 1987
- Joseph Ruggirello - obituary is here - https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/de ... =181260928

If Antonio b.1897 died in 1937, I guess it would make sense for the sons to live with their Uncle 'Antoninio'' at the time of that census in 1940.

Antoninio/Antonino (the Uncle) dates' are 1895-1950, born in San Vito Lo Capo.

The parents of Antonio b.1897 and Antonino b.1895 are Joseph Ruggirello and Antoninae Lolvasco.

Clipping from 5 days after Antonio b.1897's death. I would assume they are one and the same.

[nash143]

Antonio Ruggirello 1897 b. Monte San Guiliano