Aspiring Detroit Godfather Was A Rat For The Feds

[willychichi]

Dr. James A. Buccellato’s fascinating new book, Early Organized Crime In Detroit – Vice, Corruption & The Rise Of The Mafia In Michigan, unveils Cesare (Big Chet) LaMare, the Motor City’s slain Prohibition Era mob czar, as a federal informant.

According to Buccellato’s meticulous research, LaMare, who led the city’s Westside Gang and squared off with future Detroit mega mafia dons, Giuseppe (Joe Uno) Zerilli and Vito (Black Bill) Tocco, of the city’s Eastside Gang, in a bloody shooting war for underworld supremacy throughout the first part of the 1930s, was opened as an informant for the U.S. Secret Service at some point during his ascent up the ranks of the local rackets and used his trading of information with the government to protect himself from legal harm and as a tool to trip up his adversaries.

Read more: http://gangsterreport.com/new-book-aspi ... n-mob-war/

[Pogo The Clown]

LaMare, who led the city’s Westside Gang and squared off with future Detroit mega mafia dons, Giuseppe (Joe Uno) Zerilli and Vito (Black Bill) Tocco, of the city’s Eastside Gang,

Christie will love this.


Pogo

[Angelo Santino]

LaMare, who led the city’s Westside Gang and squared off with future Detroit mega mafia dons, Giuseppe (Joe Uno) Zerilli and Vito (Black Bill) Tocco, of the city’s Eastside Gang,

Christie will love this.


Pogo

[B.]

Damn, the "Mega Mafia"! Those guys put the contract out on Hoffa before he was even born.

Jokes aside, I'm glad to see our pal Jimmy's book getting any attention. Highest respect for him and looking forward to reading it.

[jimmyb]

Damn, the "Mega Mafia"! Those guys put the contract out on Hoffa before he was even born.

Jokes aside, I'm glad to see our pal Jimmy's book getting any attention. Highest respect for him and looking forward to reading it.

Thanks B.! I appreciate that. Props to Scott for plugging the book too.

I have to give credit to other researchers for unearthing the Sec Service files on LaMare. I can't remember who found them first (prob Chris Christie, or maybe Rick or Lennert). Eventually the files made their way to me.

[Antiliar]

Damn, the "Mega Mafia"! Those guys put the contract out on Hoffa before he was even born.

Jokes aside, I'm glad to see our pal Jimmy's book getting any attention. Highest respect for him and looking forward to reading it.

Thanks B.! I appreciate that. Props to Scott for plugging the book too.

I have to give credit to other researchers for unearthing the Sec Service files on LaMare. I can't remember who found them first (prob Chris Christie, or maybe Rick or Lennert). Eventually the files made their way to me.

It was Sir Chris Christie who made the discovery. We agreed that sharing with Jimmy was putting this info in good hands.

[Angelo Santino]

LaMare was sharing information related to counterfeiting activities in the early 1920's. I've seen nothing to indicate LaMare attempted to advance his criminal career by ratting out the megadons. If he was still providing info in '30 it was related to counterfeiting activity and probably not mafia activity/politics which the SS wasn't concentrated about. And I should note Joe Tocco- the megadon's brother - was providing information as well.

[jimmyb]

Thanks Rick (and the governor) for your trust. I agree with Chris Christie. I don't think the LaMare case was anything like the Bulger situation. At least based on what's in the files. Fascinating note about Joe Tocco. Did I overlook that in the SS files, or is that info somewhere else?

[jimmyb]

LaMare was sharing information related to counterfeiting activities in the early 1920's. I've seen nothing to indicate LaMare attempted to advance his criminal career by ratting out the megadons. If he was still providing info in '30 it was related to counterfeiting activity and probably not mafia activity/politics which the SS wasn't concentrated about. And I should note Joe Tocco- the megadon's brother - was providing information as well.

Right, and it seems LaMare maintained a relationship with Palma, but he was no longer special agent by late 20s/early 30s anyhow. My argument in the book is I don't think his rivals knew LaMare was an informant in early 20s. In fact, if you look at the "Detroit Holy Family Church" images in America book, I think Chester LaMare stood up in Vito Tocco's wedding party.

[Angelo Santino]

Thanks Rick (and the governor) for your trust. I agree with Chris Christie. I don't think the LaMare case was anything like the Bulger situation. At least based on what's in the files. Fascinating note about Joe Tocco. Did I overlook that in the SS files, or is that info somewhere else?

It's in there, late 20's.

Given that most of these 1920 "gang leaders" have lineage from the Giannola group (exception being LaMare who joined later), what are your thoughts on that? I feel all these alleged separate groups was a newspaper fabrication. Had what happened in Philadelphia in 1993 occurred in 1903 you'd be hearing about the Stanfa gang vs the Merlino gang before Don Ligambi merged everyone together.

But without giving away too much details, what can we look forward to in your work? I'm much excited about it. Having spoken with you you clearly know your area and can hold your own, plus you've got the lineage. And I still want an autographed copy.

[jimmyb]

I just looked through the files again, but I don't see it. Some of the pages are difficult to read though. Well, the book is already out anyhow so no big deal, but I wish i would have noticed the reference to Tocco earlier.

The files were a great find, so thanks again. Not only for the LaMare nugget, but there's some interesting stuff in there about guys like Joe Zerilli and Sam Catalanotte at an early age. As far as I know, that's the only place to find solid information on Ignazio Caruso too. I found 2 newspaper articles on him, but that's it. I notice references to "Sam Malazzo" (sic) too. I can't help but think the actual name was "Milazzo." Anyhow, yet another intriguing aspect of the files.

[jimmyb]

Thanks Rick (and the governor) for your trust. I agree with Chris Christie. I don't think the LaMare case was anything like the Bulger situation. At least based on what's in the files. Fascinating note about Joe Tocco. Did I overlook that in the SS files, or is that info somewhere else?

It's in there, late 20's.

Given that most of these 1920 "gang leaders" have lineage from the Giannola group (exception being LaMare who joined later), what are your thoughts on that? I feel all these alleged separate groups was a newspaper fabrication. Had what happened in Philadelphia in 1993 occurred in 1903 you'd be hearing about the Stanfa gang vs the Merlino gang before Don Ligambi merged everyone together.

But without giving away too much details, what can we look forward to in your work? I'm much excited about it. Having spoken with you you clearly know your area and can hold your own, plus you've got the lineage. And I still want an autographed copy.

Well, I'm afraid you may be disappointed to a certain extent. The reason is: I largely avoided your question. I kind of framed by approach around "reception theory." I say "kind of" because the book is meant as a popular history and not as social scientific analysis. But I liked the idea of describing the events and processes based on how social actors viewed what was happening at the time. So when I talk about "mafia" or "Black Hand," I wanted to give the reader an idea of how law enforcement, religious leaders, community leaders, journalists and when possible criminals themselves, understood what was going on in real time. Of course I provide context and place the events against my own narrative. Nevertheless, at the time, most people in the community used terms like "Adamo Gang," "Giannola Gang," "Vitale Gang," and later on Eastside faction, Westside faction etc.

Now some times I felt compelled to demystify the vernacular of the time period, especially when it came to "the Black Hand." In other words, I hope the average reader is able to disentangle the Black Hand from the Sicilian Mafia after reading my book.

[jimmyb]

But back to your original question (and we've talked about this before) but it's a great point you make. I'm not sure we'll ever have enough data to test my hypothesis, but I actually think the groups were independent at the very beginning. I think uomini di rispetto were arriving in Detroit and setting up their own operations, prob around 1910 at the latest. I think two factions emerged. One group coalesced around the Giannola group in Ford City (but they had some guys in Detroit too). Most of these guys were from Terrasini or Cinisi. I think a second faction emerged around the Adamo/Buccellato/Mirabile families in Detroit proper. The two sides went to war and the Giannola side won. I think that's the point where we see a singular organization (borgata). I think Tony Giannola became the undisputed capomafia and high profile guys like Pietro Mirabile, Felice Buccellato, Giovanni Vitale and Salvatore D'Anna served under the Giannola regime (even though Mirabile and probably Buccellato did not like the G brothers).

Another interesting question is: if my hypothesis is true, what did the organization look like in terms of the administration? Did they have captains yet (candidates would include Mirabile, Buccellato, Vitale, Caruso, Vito Giannola, LaMare)? One thing I argue in my book is the idea of a "Street Boss" in Detroit goes back to the Giannola regime. I argue because the brothers were in Ford City, they appointed a viceroy to handle things in Detroit. I argue Carlo Caleca was the first "street boss," followed by Salvatore D'Anna, then Peter Bosco. Not sure what happened after Bosco's murder though.

[HairyKnuckles]

Congratulations on your book Jimmy! My interest in Detroit is limited but will definitely check it out. Nice to know that there are books out there covering the smaller Families too.

[jimmyb]

Congratulations on your book Jimmy! My interest in Detroit is limited but will definitely check it out. Nice to know that there are books out there covering the smaller Families too.

Thanks HairyKnuckles, I appreciate that! Please let me know what you think once you've had a chance to look it over.

In the meantime, JeremytheJew: if you read this, I've been trying to respond to your PM regarding the book, but the messages are languishing in the Outbox. Send me another PM with your email address and I'll respond from my Wayne account. Thanks man.