Question for the Boston Experts

[cavita]

Does anyone have any information on an Antonino Digiacomo that was murdered in the area of Boston around 1976/1977? Fairly certain he was connected but I can't find any resource mentioning this murder and it was mentioned in passing in an FBI file.

[maxiestern11]

Does anyone have any information on an Antonino Digiacomo that was murdered in the area of Boston around 1976/1977? Fairly certain he was connected but I can't find any resource mentioning this murder and it was mentioned in passing in an FBI file.

He was Probably related to Biagio DiGiacomo, a top figure up in Boston

[cavita]

Does anyone have any information on an Antonino Digiacomo that was murdered in the area of Boston around 1976/1977? Fairly certain he was connected but I can't find any resource mentioning this murder and it was mentioned in passing in an FBI file.

He was Probably related to Biagio DiGiacomo, a top figure up in Boston

I was thinking the same.. I know Biagio DiGiacomo was a Sicilian born capo but any idea where he was from in Sicily?

[B.]

Does anyone have any information on an Antonino Digiacomo that was murdered in the area of Boston around 1976/1977? Fairly certain he was connected but I can't find any resource mentioning this murder and it was mentioned in passing in an FBI file.

He was Probably related to Biagio DiGiacomo, a top figure up in Boston

I was thinking the same.. I know Biagio DiGiacomo was a Sicilian born capo but any idea where he was from in Sicily?

He comes from Aragona. Both he and his wife were alleged by investigators to come from families connected to the Sicilian mafia there. They are related to some Buscemis from Aragona (one of whom witnessed DiGiacomo's naturalization) who settled in MA, among other common names from Aragona around Boston.

There is some crossover in surnames between the Aragona communities in Boston and Rockford, including the DiGiacomos and Buscemis, and I suspect they are all connected. The murdered Antonino DiGiacomo of Boston was from Aragona.

I'm not aware of any made members from Aragona who were part of the New England mafia family aside from B.DiGiacomo, but I'm not a NE/Boston expert by any means... I've looked into these figures because they appear to have been part of the "zip" movement of that era and come from Agrigento province, which has been one of my main areas of interest the past few years.

[cavita]

Does anyone have any information on an Antonino Digiacomo that was murdered in the area of Boston around 1976/1977? Fairly certain he was connected but I can't find any resource mentioning this murder and it was mentioned in passing in an FBI file.

He was Probably related to Biagio DiGiacomo, a top figure up in Boston

I was thinking the same.. I know Biagio DiGiacomo was a Sicilian born capo but any idea where he was from in Sicily?

He comes from Aragona. Both he and his wife were alleged by investigators to come from families connected to the Sicilian mafia there. They are related to some Buscemis from Aragona (one of whom witnessed DiGiacomo's naturalization) who settled in MA, among other common names from Aragona around Boston.

There is some crossover in surnames between the Aragona communities in Boston and Rockford, including the DiGiacomos and Buscemis, and I suspect they are all connected. The murdered Antonino DiGiacomo of Boston was from Aragona.

I'm not aware of any made members from Aragona who were part of the New England mafia family aside from B.DiGiacomo, but I'm not a NE/Boston expert by any means... I've looked into these figures because they appear to have been part of the "zip" movement of that era and come from Agrigento province, which has been one of my main areas of interest the past few years.

I knew Antonino DiGiacomo came from Aragana but was not sure about Biagio. Antonino was mentioned in Frank Buscemi's FBI files and I suspect Biagio's name is in there as well but is redacted. There were many recorded calls between Rockford and Boston in the early to mid 80s regarding narcotics distribution. I was wondering the circumstances surrounding Antonino's murder.

[B.]

No idea about the murder. Supposedly there was a violent mafia conflict going on in the Aragona area that prevented Biagio DiGiacomo from returning to Sicily and involved his relatives there. Whether that dates back to the late 1970s or not and could have spilled over to the US (like it did in NYC/NJ) is anyone's guess. Aragona gets little attention. Biagio DiGiacomo also had ties to Montreal that I wonder about.

[Extortion]

Why are you interested in this chap?

[cavita]

No idea about the murder. Supposedly there was a violent mafia conflict going on in the Aragona area that prevented Biagio DiGiacomo from returning to Sicily and involved his relatives there. Whether that dates back to the late 1970s or not and could have spilled over to the US (like it did in NYC/NJ) is anyone's guess. Aragona gets little attention. Biagio DiGiacomo also had ties to Montreal that I wonder about.

Definitely interesting. There were many calls from this time period between Rockford, Canada, Boston, Buffalo, Sicily and other places that was about the narcotics distribution. The FBI I have notes that Buscemi was contacting an unknown LCN member in Boston. They redacted his name but not the phone number. This was most likely Biagio DiGiacomo.

[cavita]

Why are you interested in this chap?

I'm curious if he is related to the Rockford area DiGiacomo people and if the circumstances surrounding his murder had any affect in Rockford.

[B.]

No idea about the murder. Supposedly there was a violent mafia conflict going on in the Aragona area that prevented Biagio DiGiacomo from returning to Sicily and involved his relatives there. Whether that dates back to the late 1970s or not and could have spilled over to the US (like it did in NYC/NJ) is anyone's guess. Aragona gets little attention. Biagio DiGiacomo also had ties to Montreal that I wonder about.

Definitely interesting. There were many calls from this time period between Rockford, Canada, Boston, Buffalo, Sicily and other places that was about the narcotics distribution. The FBI I have notes that Buscemi was contacting an unknown LCN member in Boston. They redacted his name but not the phone number. This was most likely Biagio DiGiacomo.

He's been of interest to me ever since I heard the taped 1989 NE ceremony was officiated by this mysterious "zip". DiGiacomo was close with consigliere Joseph Russo, who also presided over the ceremony, and had better command of the Italian language than anyone else, so Occam's Razor probably applies when it comes to DiGiacomo's role in the ceremony. Still, he stands out because that family isn't known for recruiting Sicilians and I'm not sure where DiGiacomo would have gotten his "in" with the family. There is some unsubstantiated info I've read about him as well, like DiGiacomo's father being a boss in Aragona.

Boston had a community of people from Aragona which is likely why DiGiacomo went there, I just don't know of any members from Aragona except DiGiacomo who were part of the local mafia. Early Rochester had many organized crime figures from Aragona and nearby Grotte as well, though I don't know of any ties between that area and Rockford or Boston. You mentioning Buffalo is interesting, though, in light of that. Boston consigliere Joseph Russo went on the lam to Montreal through DiGiacomo, who had ties there, and of course Montreal has a strong presence from that area of Agrigento province.

Another name I'm curious about is Salvatore Caruana. He was a drug trafficker connected to the Patriarca family who disappeared in the 1980s. To this day it's unknown whether he went on the lam or was murdered. I've never seen him connected to the more infamous Caruanas of Canada/Siculiana/Venezuela, but the name Caruana (and Caruano, as evidenced in the DeCavalcantes) is not only common in Agrigento province as a whole, but also Aragona. There are some Caruanas from Aragona who settled in Rockford's early Aragonesi colony as well.

EDIT: I want to make it clear, Caruana is/was not a "zip". He was born in the US and was on record directly with Raymond Patriarca Sr., then Patriarca Jr. He was proposed for membership according to some info in Patriarca Jr.'s indictment. Still, I suspect his heritage is from Agrigento province and would be interesting if it was Aragona.

[cavita]

No idea about the murder. Supposedly there was a violent mafia conflict going on in the Aragona area that prevented Biagio DiGiacomo from returning to Sicily and involved his relatives there. Whether that dates back to the late 1970s or not and could have spilled over to the US (like it did in NYC/NJ) is anyone's guess. Aragona gets little attention. Biagio DiGiacomo also had ties to Montreal that I wonder about.

Definitely interesting. There were many calls from this time period between Rockford, Canada, Boston, Buffalo, Sicily and other places that was about the narcotics distribution. The FBI I have notes that Buscemi was contacting an unknown LCN member in Boston. They redacted his name but not the phone number. This was most likely Biagio DiGiacomo.

He's been of interest to me ever since I heard the taped 1989 NE ceremony was officiated by this mysterious "zip". DiGiacomo was close with consigliere Joseph Russo, who also presided over the ceremony, and had better command of the Italian language than anyone else, so Occam's Razor probably applies when it comes to DiGiacomo's role in the ceremony. Still, he stands out because that family isn't known for recruiting Sicilians and I'm not sure where DiGiacomo would have gotten his "in" with the family. There is some unsubstantiated info I've read about him as well, like DiGiacomo's father being a boss in Aragona.

Boston had a community of people from Aragona which is likely why DiGiacomo went there, I just don't know of any members from Aragona except DiGiacomo who were part of the local mafia. Early Rochester had many organized crime figures from Aragona and nearby Grotte as well, though I don't know of any ties between that area and Rockford or Boston. You mentioning Buffalo is interesting, though, in light of that. Boston consigliere Joseph Russo went on the lam to Montreal through DiGiacomo, who had ties there, and of course Montreal has a strong presence from that area of Agrigento province.

Another name I'm curious about is Salvatore Caruana. He was a drug trafficker connected to the Patriarca family who disappeared in the 1980s. To this day it's unknown whether he went on the lam or was murdered. I've never seen him connected to the more infamous Caruanas of Canada/Siculiana/Venezuela, but the name Caruana (and Caruano, as evidenced in the DeCavalcantes) is not only common in Agrigento province as a whole, but also Aragona. There are some Caruanas from Aragona who settled in Rockford's early Aragonesi colony as well.

EDIT: I want to make it clear, Caruana is/was not a "zip". He was born in the US and was on record directly with Raymond Patriarca Sr., then Patriarca Jr. He was proposed for membership according to some info in Patriarca Jr.'s indictment. Still, I suspect his heritage is from Agrigento province and would be interesting if it was Aragona.

The Boston connection intrigues me as the Buscemi, DiGiacomo and Zammuto famies from Rockford had relatives there and in the Waltham area too. Since the 1950s the Rockford LCN hierarchy was heavily from Aragona lineage. I saw Salvatore Caruana on Unsolved Mysteries and also wondered what became of him and his connections. And yes, there were/are many Caruana families from Aragona in Rockford that I have wondered if they had connections to the famed Caruana/Cuntrera clan.

[B.]

A witness to Biagio DiGiacomo's naturalization was a Buscemi in Waltham. Aragona is not a big town and its local mafia family appears to have been quite small. Would be fascinating if Rockford played a role in "vouching" for DiGiacomo with the Patriarca crowd.

[cavita]

A witness to Biagio DiGiacomo's naturalization was a Buscemi in Waltham. Aragona is not a big town and its local mafia family appears to have been quite small. Would be fascinating if Rockford played a role in "vouching" for DiGiacomo with the Patriarca crowd.

Do you know who exactly the Buscemi was that sponsored DiGiacomo? The FBI states that Buscemi personally sponsored in excess of 20 Sicilian immigrants in the Rockford area in the early 70s. The Rockford police who kept extensive files on the Rockford LCN said these sponsorships were a means to build up the "family."

[B.]

A witness to Biagio DiGiacomo's naturalization was a Buscemi in Waltham. Aragona is not a big town and its local mafia family appears to have been quite small. Would be fascinating if Rockford played a role in "vouching" for DiGiacomo with the Patriarca crowd.

Do you know who exactly the Buscemi was that sponsored DiGiacomo? The FBI states that Buscemi personally sponsored in excess of 20 Sicilian immigrants in the Rockford area in the early 70s. The Rockford police who kept extensive files on the Rockford LCN said these sponsorships were a means to build up the "family."

Sure thing -- it was a Maria Buscemi of Waltham. DiGiacomo entered the US in 1967 and became naturalized in 1970, living in East Boston. If Buscemi in Rockford was sponsoring Sicilians from Aragona in Rockford during that time, it seems like more than a coincidence that a Buscemi would be sponsoring an immigrant mafia member from Aragona in Boston during the same period.

Also, I've discovered that Salvatore Michael Caruana's mother was a Zambito. The name Zambito appears almost exclusively in Agrigento province and the Caruana-Cuntreras in Montreal did business with multiple mafia-linked Zambitos, probably from Siculiana like them. There was an early Tampa member named Zambito who was from Siculiana, like the Caruana-Cuntreras.

Naturally the Zambito name also appears in Aragona. Given the extent of Salvatore Michael Caruana's drug trafficking, including bringing drugs in via Maine and South America, it would be interesting to know if his business ever crossed with Canadian or Sicilian figures. The Montreal Sicilian drug traffickers brought drugs in via Maine as well and of course the Caruana-Cuntreras had a heavy presence in South America.

So we can't confirm the exact town yet, but between both of this parents' surnames, it is almost certain Salvatore Caruana's parents were from Agrigento. Some online sources say he was made in the 1970s, but the Patriarca indictment says he was an associate on record with the administration and it appears the most current info available prior to his disappearance was that he was a proposed member, but maybe a NE researcher knows more. He later went on the lam to Connecticut and reported to CT leader Bill Grasso. Grasso allegedly told a source that the CT faction killed Caruana, however his body was never identified among several corpses found at a Patriarca mob burial site in CT. His sister's obituary says she was predeceased by her brother "Michael" -- this is a reference to Salvatore, as he went by his middle name Michael, but if he did go on the lam and change his identity the family may have played along.

[cavita]

All good info B! Here is what is mentioned in Buscemi's FBI file on who I think is Biagio Digiacomo:

Review of toll records for residence telephone of Rockford Sicilian mafia figure FRANK J. BUSCEMI (815/399-4424) revealed calls from BUSCEMI telephone on September 23, 1983, and again on September 25, 1983, to telephone number (617) 899-3024, which returns to [REDACTED] a ranking Boston Sicilian mafia figure. No direct contact between [REDACTED] of Boston and FRANK J. BUSCEMI or other known Rockford Sicilian mafia figures has been documented by Chicago Division. However, there are [REDACTED] DPOB: [REDACTED] Aragona, Agrigento, Sicily and SALVATORE DIGIACOMO DPOB: August 20, 1947, Aragona, Agrigento, Sicily, who are associates of FRANK J. BUSCEMI and reported Rockford Sicilian LCN figure SALVATORE GALLUZZO. GALLUZZO, [REDACTED] marriage, sponsored [REDACTED] for immigration to United States during early 1970’s and is listed as co-owner with them on numerous pizza restaurants and eating establishments throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Also listed on immigration records of SALVATORE DIGIACOMO as witness is [REDACTED] FRANK J. BUSCEMI. GALLUZZO frequently observed in company of [REDACTED]. Reliable source information indicates [REDACTED] FRANK J. BUSCEMI and Sicilian LCN associates in northern Illinois.