Random Smaldone nephew & misc related info

[JoePuzzles234]

In October 1974, Colorado family member Eugene “Checkers” Smaldone pled out to witness tampering. Along with his nephew Joseph John Vecchiarelli, Smaldone was charged with attempting to convince a CBI agent to give false testimony at their gambling trial.

An obscure associate of the family, Vecchiarelli was born on September 8th 1946 and died August 4th 2022. In the sea of Smaldone clan relatives, I half-suspect he is the “nephew” that accompanied Paul Clyde Villano to California/Nevada to meet with the Los Angeles family in the late 1990s.

Joseph John Vecchiarelli.jpg

Family info:
Paternal grandfather was Liberatore “John” Vecchiarelli of Agnone, Campobasso, Molise. Grandmother varies between Palma “Pauline” Leva (per obituary) and Amalia Antonelli (deceased 1922).

Maternal grandparents were Giuseppe “Joseph” Cefalu (Porticello, Santa Flavia) and Josephine “Josie” LaBruzzo/LaBruzza (Roccapalumba, Palermo). Married November 22nd 1896 in Brooklyn.

Father: Joseph P. Vecchiarelli aka Joe Moyle (1910-1955)
Mother: Mary Gloria Cefalu
Cefalu’s sister Frances married Eugene Smaldone in April 1931. Her brothers Joseph Fred (1918-1985), Samuel (1897-1941) as well as her father Giuseppe were affiliated with the local family.

Joe Moyle was also connected. He was arrested with Paul Joseph Villano, Checkers Smaldone, Thomas “Blue” Gottone and others on vagrancy and gambling charges in 1947.

There is a somewhat famous photo of a Joe Vecchiarelli (standing, right) with Eugene and Clyde Smaldone and another person, in December 1933. I imagine it’s the one who was related:

Clyde Smaldone, Checkers Smaldone, Joe Veccharelli.png

Misc:
There was another set of Agnonesi Vecchiarellis also connected to the Colorado family but of no apparent relation to Moyle and his relatives.
They were William Snr (1899-1963) and his nephew, Joseph S. Vecchiarelli (1914-1958).

William and Joe were arrested in a barbuit gambling raid in September 1949 along with some of the usual Denver crew suspects – Smaldone brother-in-law Allen Miller, William “Farmer” Routa (brother of John "Porky"), Albert Ursetta and Robert Quintana, brother of Americus “Mertz.”

William Vecchiarelli snr.png

[Antiliar]

You may have solved the mystery. If it's the nephew in question, wonder if he was made at the time.

[Costigan]

An obscure associate of the family, Vecchiarelli was born on September 8th 1946 and died August 4th 2022. In the sea of Smaldone clan relatives, I half-suspect he is the “nephew” that accompanied Paul Clyde Villano to California/Nevada to meet with the Los Angeles family in the late 1990s.

Joe, can you elaborate on this late 90's meeting with LA & Colorado? Thanks.

[JoePuzzles234]

You may have solved the mystery. If it's the nephew in question, wonder if he was made at the time.

I don't believe that Vecchiarelli was ever a member, it seems very unlikely that anyone outside of Clarence Smaldone and Fat Paulie Villano were made members in Denver in the later years.

Joe, can you elaborate on this late 90's meeting with LA & Colorado? Thanks.

Paul Villano and Peter Milano had some sort of dispute over a Las Vegas hotel that both families had an interest in. A meeting was arranged through Los Angeles captain Luigi Gelfuso Jnr (who outside of being Milano's best friend was also apparently a good friend of Villano's) and the issue was resolved.

It's not known which hotel this was or where the meeting took place but given that Gelfuso was there, it was probably somewhere in Southern California as he largely seems to have avoided Nevada. We know about this whole situation via Kenny Gallo who attended alongside his captain Vincent Caci and Stephen Cino (acting captain possibly at that time?).

Gallo was later told that Villano "was the same" as Milano (i.e. the boss, he had succeeded Checkers Smaldone and was previously consigliere), probably by either Gelfuso or Jimmy Caci, who both discussed LCN membership with him at times.

There are no further details about the "nephew" and it really could be any number of individuals.