Which Mafia Members lived in Strange Places?

[JoelTurner]

Which Mafia Members lived in Strange Places?

I'm looking for mafia members who lived outside of the metropolitan area that their family was based out of. Additionally, I'd exclude members who lived in vacation/retirement areas such as Southern California, Florida, or Arizona.

[Antiliar]

Sam Giancana and Richard Cain moved to Mexico, so did Gaspare Matranga. B noted the state senator who lived in Wyoming who was probably a member of the Colorado Family. Charles Gioe lived in Des Moines, Iowa for a little while, followed by Louie Fratto.

[TallGuy19]

He didn't live in a weird place, but James Licavoli was a lifelong bachelor who lived with another bachelor. I've always wondered about that.

[Ivan]

Mike D'Angelo of the Cleveland family lived in the big non-city/glorified college town of Columbus, Ohio. That's pretty fucking weird.

[stubbs]

I think there was a member of the LA family who operated in Tijuana, but I could be wrong.

And there being a family in Pueblo, Colorado back in the day is wild to me considering how small of a town it is.

[Ivan]

I think there was a member of the LA family who operated in Tijuana, but I could be wrong.

And there being a family in Pueblo, Colorado back in the day is wild to me considering how small of a town it is.

Yeah. Madison and Springfield are similarly tiny but have their own families. Rockford is a bit bigger but still relatively small and had a family, too.

[stubbs]

Not a member, but associate Steven Kaplan who was close to the Gottis and DiLeonardo ran the Gold Club in Atlanta. I always wondered how Kaplan ended up down in Georgia of all places.

[Ivan]

Not a member, but associate Steven Kaplan who was close to the Gottis and DiLeonardo ran the Gold Club in Atlanta. I always wondered how Kaplan ended up down in Georgia of all places.

Tony Pep Trentacosta also lived and apparently was active in Atlanta through the end of his life.

[PolackTony]

I think there was a member of the LA family who operated in Tijuana, but I could be wrong.

And there being a family in Pueblo, Colorado back in the day is wild to me considering how small of a town it is.

Yeah. Madison and Springfield are similarly tiny but have their own families. Rockford is a bit bigger but still relatively small and had a family, too.

These were all places that had Sicilian colonies, which was the critical historical factor. Trinidad and Las Animas counties in CO had a lot of Sicilian immigrants due to the coal mines, while the same industry also attracted a lot of Sicilians to Downstate IL as well as Birmingham, AL. The Sicilian colony in Madison was initially founded by workmen who built the state capital, who were then followed by later arrivals due to chain migration (Madison also had close ties to larger Sicilian communities in relatively nearby places like Milwaukee, Rockford, and Chicago). Rockford was an industrial town and thus attracted a similar profile of immigrants as other “Rust Belt” cities.

[Medicated]

Nicolo Rizzuto lived in Venezuela for several years, because they had no extradition treaty with Canada.

[B.]

Scarpa mentioned an unknown Colombo member who lived in Hawaii. Milwaukee once had a remote capodecina in an unidentified location according to the Balistrieri tapes -- I suspect California but it's unknown.

Some that come to mind, not including the fully-established crews like the Bonannos in Arizona/California and Montreal, Genovese in Springfield/Worcester, Baltimore Gambinos, etc. or the members who moved to Italy. I'm sure a few more will come to mind.

Joseph Sabella - Buffalo member in Brooklyn (Utica decina)
- First cousin of the Falcones.

James Fiore - Buffalo member in Boston (Utica decina)
- Nephew of the Falcones.

Al Capone - Genovese captain in Chicago (until mid-1931)
- Was a Genovese associate through his involvement with Frankie Yale and made as part of Masseria's power move in Chicago. Other Genovese members were reportedly made into this Chicago-based crew as well though they are mostly unconfirmed.

Jack Parisi - Philadelphia member in Hazleton (Chester decina)
- Fled murder charges in NYC and was helped on the lam by Joe Perugino and the Philly Calabrian faction. Briefly stayed in Philly proper before moving to Hazleton under an alias, likely lived there to evade authorities and simply maintained his affiliation with Philly.

Joseph Scalleat - Philadelphia member in Hazleton (Chester decina)
- Brother Albert was made w/ Pittston, the nearest Family, but Joseph was made with Philly. Close to Parisi so may have become a Philly member through his influence.

Paul DiCocco - Bonanno member in Schnectady
- Associated closely with Carmine Galante who may have brought him in but not sure how they first linked up.

Dominic Bretti - Colombo member in Utica
- Not sure how he got involved with the Colombos but the Persicos and other Colombo members once had ties to Buffalo's Utica crew and Upstate NY as a whole.

Philip Rizzuto - Kansas City member in New Orleans
- Family previously lived in Kansas City where his father Gioacchino was a probable KC member before moving the family to NO. It's possible Gioacchino Rizzuto was a KC member when he lived in NO also but the FBI did identify Philip as one in the early 1980s when he was arrested with NO boss Carlos Marcello and LA underboss Sam Orlando Sciortino (Rizzuto's cousin).

Nicholas Bianco - New England member in NYC (pre-1965)
- Longtime Providence associate of Patriarca, Bianco moved to NYC during the Gallo war and was made with special Commission approval as a New England member who was tasked with mediating the conflict. Later transferred to the Colombos.

Raymond Patriarca - Genovese member in Providence (circa 1940s)
- By his own admission Patriarca was first a Genovese member and though he was originally from Worcester (where the Genovese had some members with the Springfield crew), I believe he was in Providence during the short period he was with the Genovese. I haven't seen anything placing him in NYC.

Michael Rocco - Genovese member in Boston (circa 1940s)
- Said by Patriarca to have been with the Genovese as well. Rocco did live or stay in NYC early on in his underworld career where he was an alleged participant in the Frankie Marlow Curto murder, which does link him to the Genovese. As with Patriarca, I think he was in New England when he was said to be with the Genovese.

Michael Aquillante - DeCavalcante member in New Orleans (1970s)
- Was living in New Orleans for some reason in the mid-late 1970s. The Aquillantes had a weird path in general, bouncing between Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and New Orleans.

Nicholas Russo - Gambino member in Trenton (Ferrara-Aurello decina)
Joseph Farinella - Gambino member in Trenton (Ferrara-Aurello decina)
Andrew Avellino - Gambino member in Trenton (Ferrara-Aurello decina)
- Unknown why a handful of Gambino members were made in Trenton. If I remember right, there's a reference somewhere to them being recruited by Albert Anastasia which makes sense as it's probable they were first with the Tommy Rava crew before Ferrara and Aurello. Maybe they were part of Anastasia's plans to rapidly expand the Family.

Joseph Meringolo - Pittston member in NYC
William Meringolo - Pittston member in NYC
Edward Sciandra - Pittston member in NYC
- LCNBios has the Meringolos as born to a Calabrian father and living their entire lives in NYC. No idea how they joined Pittston. Sciandra's ties are more obvious, his family and paesans being part of the Pittston leadership and him bouncing between the areas. Maybe he recruited the Meringolos, no idea.

Robert Luisi - Philadelphia captain in Boston
- Chin or someone could lay it out more clearly as I forget the details but if I remember right Merlino was so enamored by Paulie Tanso that he reached out to Luisi through mutual prison contacts and inducted him just to get closer to Tanso.

[axx]

Kansas member Jimmy Duardi lived in Vallejo, Ca.

After he fled from the States, David Petillo lived for 2 years in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore, Greece, Germany and Spain (where he died in Malaga).

[chin_gigante]

Robert Luisi - Philadelphia captain in Boston
- Chin or someone could lay it out more clearly as I forget the details but if I remember right Merlino was so enamored by Paulie Tanso that he reached out to Luisi through mutual prison contacts and inducted him just to get closer to Tanso.

With Merlino drawing all the heat, Paulie Tanso is free to call the shots remotely from the North End. But he's just keeping the seat warm for the new underboss Pete Tuccio while he's at college

[furiofromnaples]

Salvatore Montagna went to Montreal to take control of Rizzuto family.

[Ed]

Joe Gentile lived in Vancouver when the city was very WASPy and had few Italians.

As I recall, a New York wiseguy lived and operated in the Virginia/DC area.