Buffalo Crime Family

The history of the Buffalo Crime Family revolves around the reign of Stefano Magaddino. Later described as "the grand old man of the Cosa Nostra," Magaddino was illiterate, but by no means stupid. He was an original member of the National Commission, which was created in 1931, and was a highly respected figure in underworld circles from New York City to Chicago. Stefano Magaddino was born on October 10, 1891, in Castellammare, Sicily. Before leaving Sicily, the Magaddino brothers, Antonino, Pietro, and Stefano, were involved in a feud with the Buccellato brothers. During this time, Pietro was murdered and the other two brothers left for the United States settling in Brooklyn. On August 16, 1921, Magaddino was arrested as a fugitive from justice involving a murder that took place in Avon, New Jersey. Shortly after this, Magaddino and Gaspar Milazzo were shot at as they walked out of a Brooklyn store. The attempted ambush resulted in the death of two innocent bystanders. The shooting attempt had been made by members of the Buccellato clan. The retaliation would claim the lives of several Buccellato men. When police suspected Magaddino and Milazzo, the both left Brooklyn for Buffalo and Detroit, respectively. Once established in the Buffalo / Niagara Falls area, Magaddino ran a profitable bootlegging business due to the city's close proximity to Canada. The Buffalo family allowed the Cleveland Syndicate and Moe Dalitz's "Big Jewish Navy" to smuggle illegal booze from Canada through Buffalo. However, in 1933 when remnants of another Cleveland gang, the Porrello family, tried to muscle in on the Buffalo corn sugar business, guns blazed and the Porrellos were turned back losing their fifth family member in four years.
(2002, Mario Machi, Allan May and Charlie Molino)

The Chicago Outfit

The crime family in Chicago, generally known as the "Outfit", has a long, interesting and quite successful history. It has ruled organized crime in the city and the surrounding area since roughly the end of Prohibition. Prior to that point, there were various competing gangs or individuals involved in bootlegging and other activities. This history will cover where the Outfit came from, how it was formed and how it has evolved over time, including its successes and setbacks and its major business activities, since its primary goal is to enrich its members. The story of the Outfit begins with James "Big Jim" Colosimo. Before Colosimo, organized crime in Chicago was small in scale and specialized. One group of people controlled individual labor unions. Another group was active in gambling. A third crowd was involved in prostitution. But the twain rarely, if ever, met. From modest beginnings in the 1890s, Colosimo, who was involved in vice, gambling and labor racketeering, became Chicago's most powerful gangster during the period before Prohibition. He had superb political connections, first serving as a precinct captain in the organization of First Ward Aldermen Coughlin and Kenna and later becoming their bagman in the vice filled Levee district, which provided him with excellent political protection. As his empire grew, so did his gang. By the mid-1910s Colosimo commanded Chicago's largest and strongest group of racketeers, including second in command John Torrio, who arrived from New York around 1909. This was a multi-ethnic group, with Italian, Jewish, Irish, Greek and other members. Colosimo's gang is the lineal ancestor of the Capone gang and the later Outfit. Al Capone himself having come to Chicago around 1919 to join Colosimo and Torrio and to escape trouble in Brooklyn, Jim Colosimo seemed reluctant to pursue the rich opportunities in the liquor trade that Prohibition offered. When he returned from his honeymoon in May 1920 he was shot and killed in his cafe, most probably by New York gangster Frankie Yale under contract from John Torrio. Certainly, there are no hints of conflicts with other gangs at the time or reprisals carried out by Torrio et al., indicating that his own associates decided that Big Jim, who stood in the way of millions of dollars of wealth, had to go.
(2001, John J. Binder)

The Cleveland La Cosa Nostra

During the late eighteen hundreds, the four Lonardo brothers and seven Porrello brothers were boyhood friends and fellow sulphur mine workers in their hometown of Licata, Sicily. They came to America in the early nineteen hundreds and eventually settled in Cleveland. “Big Joe" Lonardo became a successful businessman and community leader. During Prohibition, he became wealthy as a dealer in corn sugar which was used by bootleggers to make corn liquor. He was respected and feared as a "padrone" or godfather. "Big Joe" became the leader of a powerful and vicious gang and was known as a corn sugar "baron." Joe Porrello was one of his corporals. With the advent of Prohibition, Cleveland, like other big cities, experienced a wave of bootleg-related murders. The murders produced the same suspects, but no indictments. These suspects were members of the Lonardo gang. Several of the murders occurred at the corner of E. 25th and Woodland Ave. This intersection became known as the "bloody corner." Many of Lonardo’s gang members had previous street battle experience in the newspaper circulation wars. Around 1926, Joe Porrello left the employ of the Lonardos to start his own sugar wholesaling business. Porrello and his six brothers pooled their money and eventually became successful corn sugar dealers headquartered in the upper Woodland Avenue area around E. 110th Street. With small competitors, sugar dealers and bootleggers, mysteriously dying violent deaths, the Lonardos' business flourished as they gained a near monopoly on the corn sugar business. Their main competitors were their old friends the Porrellos. "Big Joe" Lonardo in 1926, now at the height of his wealth and power, left for Sicily to visit his mother and relatives. He left his closest brother and business partner John in charge. During "Big Joe's" six-month absence, he lost much of his $5,000 a week profits to the Porrellos who took advantage of John Lonardo's lack of business skills and the assistance of a disgruntled Lonardo employee. "Big Joe" returned and business talks between the Porrellos and Lonardos began. They "urged" the Porrellos to return their lost clientele. On Oct. 13th, 1927 "Big Joe" and John Lonardo went to the Porrello barbershop to play cards and talk business with Angelo Porrello as they had been doing for the past week. As the Lonardos entered the rear room of the shop, two gunmen opened fire. Angelo Porrello ducked under a table. The Porrello brothers were arrested. Angelo was charged with the Lonardo brothers' murders. The charges were later dropped for lack of evidence. Joe Porrello succeeded the Lonardos as corn sugar "baron" and later appointed himself "capo" of the Cleveland Mafia.
(2008, Rick Porello)

The Cleveland La Cosa Nostra

Carlo Piranio founded the Dallas faction in 1921. He was the boss of the family until 1930. His brother Joseph Piranio succeeded him and was in control of the family until 1956. Joe Civello succeeded him and was the most notorious of the Dallas bosses, mainly because of his involvement with Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald. Civello's family was always under the control of the New Orleans family which was led by Carlos Marcello. Marcello and Florida boss Santo Trafficante were the two mob bosses most likely to be involved in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy, according to a 1978 report by the House Committee on Assassinations. Civello was in control of the nightclub that Ruby ran, and Ruby reported to him weekly on matters such as loan sharking and racketeering. After all of the publicity from the assassination of Kennedy, the family had to lay low, and the conviction of Marcello in Louisiana led to the demise of the Dallas family. According to the FBI, it is no longer active.
(2008, Mario Machi)

Denver Crime Family

As one can well imagine, Denver's organized crime history begins like an old west drama. The first underworld boss was Lou Blonger. Known as "The Fixer," Blonger was born in Canada and was of French-Canadian descent. He arrived in Denver with his brother, Sam, in 1880, years before most other major city crime bosses were born. The brothers opened a saloon which catered to gamblers and provided prostitutes. Blonger learned early on that to be successful he had to pay the police for protection. Having accomplished this, he had a private telephone line in his office which ran directly to the chief of police. Philip Van Cise, author of "Fighting the Underworld," wrote, "In those days the gold-brick artist flourished and every circus carried its quota of pickpockets, shell-game experts, and other grafters. When they came to town, all called at Blonger's office to get permission to operate, and one of his men would be on the job to get his fair share of the cut." Van Cise goes on to detail the various scams Blonger's gang was involved in which included an early race wire service, and an operation which sounds like the one used in the movie, "The Sting."
(2002, Mario Machi, Allan May and Charlie Molino)

Des Moines

Louis Thomas Fratto’s criminal career began in 1926 when he was charged with stealing a $14 coat. In 1932 he was identified as a member of the Fiore Mob by Chicago police sergeant William Drurry (who would later be murdered prior to his appearance before the Kefauver committee in 1950). The Fiore Mob, led by Ted Virgilio at the time, was suspected of muscling in on speakeasies and caberets, demanding 50% of the profits. The owners, who illegally operated the places, seldom complained out of fear of being closed, or worse – murdered. By 1933 Fratto was listed as the secretary and treasurer of the Wardrobe Check Washroom Attendant and Doorman’s Union. Around this time, Fratto and Virgilio were arrested for questioning in an $800,000 mail robbery. Later that year, in December, Fratto was again sought after, this time for a $250,000 heist pulled in the Loop. Also picked up for questioning was John J. "Boss" McLaughlin, a one time state legislator and political fixer for the North side gang and a suspect for the 1931 murder of Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle. It was at this time that Louis "Little New York" Campagna came to Fratto and asked if he could recruit some boys for organizer jobs. Two of Fratto’s childhood buddies, Sam "Teetz" Battaglia and Marshall "Johnny Marshall" Caifano, had recently been released from Bridewell, a detention center for boys, and Lou brought them aboard along with his cousin Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio. All four boys would become prominent figures in organized crime.
(2002, Allan May)

Detroit

The Detroit family was founded in 1921 by Gaspare Milazzo. The family was under his control until 1930, when he was murdered by a faction led by Gaetano Gianolla. Gianolla led the family until 1944, when Joe Vitale took over the family. Vitale was the boss until 1964, when Joseph Zerilli took over upon Vitale's death. Zerilli was the head of a committee that led the Detroit family. When Zerilli died, he was succeeded by the number two man on the committee, Jack Tocco. Tocco became the official boss in 1977. The Detroit family was stung by indictments in March of 1996 against 17 members and associates. The cases are set to go to trial in early 1998. Tocco was among those indicted in the case. However, all of the men indicted are free on bail and awaiting bail. Tocco is 69 years old. He is a resident of Grosse Point Park who graduated from the University of Detroit in 1949. He is retired, although he has been involved in many businesses. He was a part-owner of the Hazel Park race track. He has owned restaurants, investment companies, real estate firms, the Warren Tennis Club and was partners with his brother, Anthony, in Cadillac Overall Supply. He also owned Melrose Linen of Detroit and Robertson's Laundry in Saginaw with Anthony Joseph Corrado. In the past, Tocco has picketed the federal courthouse in Detroit, charging the government with slander and harassment of the Italian-Americans.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Kansas City

Many outsiders find it remarkable that there "was" a Mafia in Kansas City. To the uninitiated, KC seems an unlikely setting for a sub-culture commonly associated with larger municipalities and places where palm trees grow. What’s remarkable is how unremarkable the local Mafia is to Kansas Citians. For generations, the local mob was a simple fact of everyday life, something almost as old as the city itself, and something so enmeshed in business and politics that it was taken for granted as an inevitable part of city life. Rare indeed is the senior citizen in Kansas City who doesn’t have some sort of personal, mobster-related anecdote. The KC family could be described as "typical" in the sense that in Kansas City one finds all the characteristics that have come to represent the American Mafia. It was, however, more openly intertwined with politics than most Mafia families. Its close alliance with the political "Machine" came largely as a result of the close relationship between Johnny Lazia, KC’s Prohibition-era Mafia boss, and Tom Pendergast, the powerful political boss who became the national poster boy for machine politics.
(2006, Frank R. Hayde)

Los Angeles

The first boss of the Los Angeles, California outfit of La Cosa Nostra was Joseph Ardizzone, who was in control until 1931. He was succeeded by Jack Dragna, who led the family to national prominence. Dragna got the family involved in the entertainment industry and, to this day, remains the only LA boss ever on the national commission. He died in 1956. His replacement, Frank DeSimone, was in power for eleven years, until 1967. DeSimone's nephew, Tommy, was the man who Joe Pesci portrayed in the movie GoodFellas. Nick Licata was the boss until 1974. Licata's underboss, Aladena Frattiano, is famous because he is the second man to break the mob vow of omerta. Jimmy the Weasel, as he is known, testified against mobsters in L.A., St. Louis, and Detroit. Licata's successor was Dominick Brooklier. He stabilized the family and ruled until his imprisonment in 1984. His successor was Peter Milano. Milano's brother, Carmen, was his underboss. It is not known if the Milano's are still in charge of the LA operations or if they have been succeeded. The L.A. family is one of the many LCN families in the U.S. that have lost most of their power in the last 10 to 15 years. The new info on the L.A. family is that Carmen and Peter Milano are back out of prison and have retained their power in L.A. In fact, they are attempting to move into Las Vegas. They are the main suspects in the murder of Herbie Blitzstein, a mob associate who was killed in Las Vegas earlier this year.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Madison

Did a La Cosa Nostra branch exist within the city of Madison, WI? This is a question that has never been fully explained. One thing, however, the FBI has always kept charts denoting the structure and rank of most American Mafia “families”. They did also keep one on this mysterious and alleged Madison Family. They labeled the local crime boss as Carlo Peter Caputo. Carlo Peter Caputo was 16 years old when he stepped on America’s shore in 1919. Like so many before him, a native of Palermo, Sicily, Caputo was looking for gold paved streets of America. He made his way to Chicago and was believed to have cultivated ties with the powerful mob family. In 1930 records indicate that Caputo was married to a Rosemary. His whereabouts during the 1930s are unknown. Law enforcement sources indicate that he was may have been officially “made” or became a member of the La Cosa Nostra syndicate of Milwaukee. Sometime in 1940 Carlo Caputo was transplanted to Madison. He settled into the ethnically Italian neighborhood of Greenbush. Local sources suggest that Caputo socialized very little with his neighbors. His quietness and withdrawn nature cultivated suspicion among many locals. Caputo quickly gained the reputation as a savvy and cagey businessman. He purchased commercial real estate, renovated them and them rented them out. They would mainly be centered around such businesses as liquor stores, taverns, restaurants and apartment complex. Caputo actually operated both the Carlo's Restaurant and the Atwood Steakhouse.
(2002, Jay C. Ambler)

Milwaukee

The first known crime boss for the Milwaukee La Cosa Nostra Family was Vito Guardalabene. His criminal organization is thought to have existed as a branch of the Chicago Outfit. Guardalabene would rule as crime lord from 1918 until his death on February 6, 1921 from natural causes. Vito Guardalabene’s son, Peter, would pick up the reigns and rule until 1927. Joseph Amato was seen as the next official boss. His tenure was brief and he died of natural causes on March 28, 1927. After his death Joseph Vallone would be considered the next crime boss over Milwaukee. It was during his tenure that the National Commission, a governing body of La Cosa Nostra crime families, was formed. The criminal council decided that the Milwaukee LCN Family would answer directly to and remain under the influence of the Chicago Outfit. Vallone retired from the rackets in 1949 and died of natural causes on March 18, 1952. After the retirement of Vallone, Sam Ferrara was alleged to have been the next boss, ruling until November or December of 1952. His reign as boss is earmarked by one particular event. Just prior to his retirement, it is believed that the rank and file membership of the Milwaukee LCN Family deposed of him by vote. All evidence suggests that members requested intervention by the Chicago Outfit to have Ferrara step down. The Chicago LCN Family assisted and Ferrara vacated his position. John Alioto was then chosen to fill the position held by the ousted Ferrara. He would serve from late 1952 until 1961. Law enforcement material suggests that he was merely grooming his son-in-law and prominent gangster Frank Balistrieri to take over as head of the crime family. During Alioto’s reign as boss the Milwaukee rackets grew at a face pace. Most notably was the growing relationship with organized labor. On December 27, 1961 Alioto attended a civic testimony honoring Dr. Vito Guardalabene. The social event, honoring the son and grandson of the previously mentioned Guardalabenes, would also serve as the official induction of Balistrieri as the new boss of the Milwaukee LCN Family.
(2002, Jay C. Ambler)

Boston

Boston is the site of one of the more prominent families in the American Cosa Nostra. The first boss of the Boston family was Gaspare Messina. Messina started the family in 1916 and died in 1924. Phil Buccola succeeded him and started the move up of the Boston family. Most of his money came from mob staples like loansharking, numbers, and bootlegging. Buccola retired in 1954, and he was succeeded by Raymond Patriarca, Sr. He changed the way that the family was run. Patriarca moved the base of the family to Providence, Rhode Island and appointed an underboss, Jerry Angiulo, to run the family's rackets in Boston. Angiulo organized all of the gambling in the city. Pretty soon, he had a cut off of every game in Boston. He was sending tributes up to Providence, so it was perfectly fine with Patriarca. Patriarca stayed in power until his death in 1985. He was succeeded by his son, Raymond Patriarca, Jr. This was not a very smooth transition. Underboss William Grosso was killed shortly after Jr. took over. The family took a real hit in 1989, when Patriarca and the entire hierarchy of the family was recorded by an FBI bug in an induction ceremony of four new members. This was the first time the FBI had ever recorded an LCN induction ceremony. The hierarchy was sent to jail as a result of the tapes. Francis P. "Cadillac Frank" Salemme took over as boss. He was in control until two years ago, when he was arrested on RICO charges. His underboss, Nicholas "Nicky" Bianco is said to be the acting boss of the family.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Providence

The New York families first oversaw the city of Providence, Rhode Island, with its heavy Italian population, before the leadership came from Boston. The city became an important underworld power base after the emergence of Raymond L. S. Patriarca. The area, and gang members operating there, were considered by law enforcement officials as part of the Boston organized crime family. In the mid-1950s, when Patriarca took over the family leadership and ran his operations out of Providence, the criminal organization began to be referred to as the New England crime family. There is not much information about organized crime in New England. The few books that are available tend to contradict each other on the leadership of the mob during teens, 1920s and 1930s. In Vincent Teresa’s “My Life in the Mafia,” he discusses Frank “Butsey” Morelli, one of five brothers who moved into New England from Brooklyn during World War I. Running his criminal operations from Rhode Island, he also controlled parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Morelli maintained control of this area from 1917 to 1947 when he was dying of cancer. Teresa reveals that Morelli began to drink heavily and to lose control of both his rackets and his men. One of the things that got Morelli into trouble was his testimony before a grand jury in June 1947. Morelli had been called to testify for harboring Doris Coppola, the wife of New York City mobster “Trigger Mike” Coppola, and her father. The two were on the run to avoid questioning about Coppola’s participation in the November 1946 beating death of Joseph Scottoriggio, a Republican district captain. Joseph Lombardo, who Teresa claims was running the Boston family, put Philip Buccola in charge and allowed Morelli to die peacefully.
(2002, Mario Machi, Allan May and Charlie Molino)

New Orleans

The first boss of the New Orleans outfit of La Cosa Nostra was Corrado Giacona, who was in power from the organization's formation until his death in 1944. Frank Todaro succeeded him but was killed less than six months later in a move that was said to be orchestrated by Silvestro Carollo, who ruled from 1944-1947. As a matter of fact, the New Orleans family is often referred to as the Carollo family. Carlos Marcello became the boss in 1947 and was still in power in 1994. The New Orleans family is famous for its possible involvement in the murder of President John F. Kennedy along with the Dallas, TX faction of LCN. If you have ever seen the Oliver Stone movie JFK, it focuses on the possibility of a conspiracy and also the Mafia's involvement in the assassination.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Newark, New Jersey

New Jersey has been a place for organized crime activity since early Prohibition. It's geographically in the heart of Mob America with New York directly above it and Philadelphia neighboring it. New Jersey has always had families from outside the state grabbing for a piece of the action in Newark, so the New Jersey mob aka The DeCavalcante Family is based more in the small town of Elizabeth. New Jerseys first boss was a big time drug dealer Filippo "Phil" Amari who died in 1957. Nicholas Delmore took over after Amari's short stay as boss but the old don Delmore had medical problems so he left the reins of the family in the hands of his nephew Samuel "Sam the Plumber" DeCavalcante. DeCavalcante led the family for ten years and ran things his own way. For example, in the making ceremony for a mob member he did not prick the trigger finger (This was revealed years later when the family was at trial). He often chastised soldiers for not showing proper respect to higher ups in the family and predecessor John Riggi praised him as a much better boss then Nick Delmore. DeCavalcante would sky rocket the family's number of members during his reign nearly doubling it. After serving time for extortion he would retire and unlike many mobsters he lived the last years of his life not in a jail cell, but in sunny Florida. Union manipulator John Riggi took over the family in 1976 he was very well liked and could be spotted in Little Italy with some of New York's bosses but out of the five bosses he was favored mostly by Gambino boss John Gotti. Gotti called on the services of the DeCavalcantes to kill a garbage business man named Fred Weiss, who knew too much for his own good. The DeCavalcantes would carry out the contract in the early morning of September 11 1989 with Vincent Palermo and James Gallo as shooters and Anthony Capo as the wheelman. The murder would come back to haunt the DeCavalcante Family.
(2003, Devin McDonald)

New York

New York City is the place of origin for organized crime in the United States. Currently, there are five families in the New York City outfit of La Cosa Nostra. This page will give background information on each of the five families. First of all, the five families are Gambino, Genovese, Colombo, Bonanno, and Luchese. These names come from Joe Valachi. He was a low ranking soldier who was the first man to break the omerta, or code of silence. The family names come from him, because he testified as to who the bosses were of the five families at the time of his arrest in 1959. The only difference is the Colombo family. It was under the control of Joe Profaci in 1959, but Joe Colombo became famous in the 1960's and therefore, his name has been used to identify the family since then.

GAMBINO
The first boss of the Gambino family was Salvatore D'Aquila. He was the boss of Bosses until he was murdered in October, 1928, in Brooklyn, NY. He was succeeded by Frank Scalise, who was in control until 1931. Vincent Mangano represented stability for the family as he was in control from 1931 to 1951. Albert Anastasia took over in 1951 and ruled until his murder in a barbershop in 1957. He formed Murder, Inc., the group that killed an estimated 400 people in his time as boss of the family. Anastasia's sanity began to be questioned by other members of the family. This led to his murder by the Gallo brothers, Larry and Joe, in a hotel barbershop. Carlo Gambino took over in 1957 and ruled until 1976. He is generally known as the best boss of the family. He tried to keep a low profile. He was not a man who like his name in the papers. This helped when some of the other wiseguys in the city were always on the front page of the New York Times. Carlo Gambino turned the family into the most profitable one in the city. Gambino never served a day of jailtime in his life. When Carlo was on his deathbed in 1976, he chose Paul Castellano to succeed him. Castellano was Carlo's cousin, and brother in law, so Carlo thought it was a good choice to let Paul take over. This move upset Aniello "Neil" Dellacroce, who had been family underboss since 1965. Dellacroce thought that he would be taking over the family, but he obeyed Gambino's wishes and was rewarded by Castellano by remaining in the number two spot in the family. Paul Castellano was regarded as more of a businessman than a gangster. Castellano lived in his mansion on Todt Hill on Staten Island, where he rarely ventured out into the city. The soldiers and captains in the family began to resent this. They felt that Castellano was losing touch with them. In 1985, Paul Castellano and his bodyguard, Tommy Bilotti, were assassinated in front of Sparks Steak House in NYC in a move that was orchestrated by Gambino capo John Gotti. Gotti's mentor, Dellacroce, had died two weeks before the assassination. Gotti had waited for Dellacroce to die so he could take out Castellano. Gotti then took control of the family and was known as the "teflon don" for his acquital in three separate trials in the late 1980's. In 1991, the feds indicted John Gotti, along with underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and consigliere Frank "Frankie Loc" Locascio on racketeering and murder conspiracy charges. In a shocking move, Gravano turned state's witness and testified against his boss. Gravano was sentenced to 20 years in prison for 19 murders and he served less than five.

GENOVESE
The Genovese family's first boss was Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria. He became the boss of bosses after the murder of Salvatore D'Aquila. He ruled until 1931. He was succeeded by one of the most famous mobsters in history, Charlie "Lucky" Luciano. He got the nickname Lucky because he was assaulted by a rival gang and was left for dead, but he survived and gained even more power. Luciano was in power until he was forced to go to Sicily in 1936 because of criminal charges against him in New York City. Luciano was succeeded by Frank Costello. Costello was a close friend of Luciano's and kept the power in the family that Luciano had. He remained in power until he was shot in the head by Vincent "Chin" Gigante who was on orders from Vito Genovese. The next boss of the family was its namesake, Vito Genovese. He was in charge for four years, until 1959. The family was then ruled by a three man "ruling council". This consisted of Tommy Eboli, Jerry Catena, and Mike Miranda. They were in power until 1972. Frank "Funzi" Tieri took over then. Funzi was the boss for nine years. He died in 1981. Phillip Lombardo became the boss in 1981. He was replaced only a few weeks after he took over. Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno became the family's boss from 1981 to 1987. He was jailed in 1987 on racketeering charges, and he was replaced by the current boss, Vincent "Chin" Gigante. Gigante was convicted in the summer of a series of racketeering charges. His sentencing date is in late November. The acting boss of the family, Liborio "Barney" Bellomo, entered a guilty plea to charges of extortion for the role of the Genovese family in the San Gennaro festival. The street boss of the Genovese family during Gigante's incarceration is Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo. He has been compared to Gigante in that he is one of the experienced men in the family. He rarely conducts business over the telephone. He is very cautious about his meeting places. Many people expect the family to continue their prosperous ways under Cirillo.

LUCHESE
The Luchese family was first led by Gaetano Reina. He was in control until 1930. From 1930 to 1953, the family was led by Gaetano Gagliano. He was on the original National commission of La Cosa Nostra. From 1953 to 1967, Gaetano "Thomas" Luchese headed the family. Luchese's main racket was the garment industry. He worked closely with Carlo Gambino and his family in this area. He headed the family during its most powerful days. One of his capos was Paul Vario, who is the basis for the character of Paul Cicero in the movie GoodFellas. Henry Hill was an associate of the Lucheses as well as Jimmy "the Gent" Burke. Luchese turned over his interests in the garment industry to Thomas Gambino, Carlo's son and Luchese's son in law. Carmine Tramunti took over the family after Luchese's death in 1967. He ruled for seven years, until his imprisonment on murder charges. Anthony Corallo became the new don. Corallo was named "Tony Ducks" because of all the times that he ducked prosecution. He stabilized the family, and was the head for twelve years. Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo was incarcerated in 1986 and died in 2000. He was succeeded by Vittorio Amuso, who served until 1992, when he was convicted and given a life sentence for RICO crimes. The first street boss during Amuso's incarceration was Alfonse "Little Al" D'Arco. D'Arco gained fame for flipping and turning government's witness. The acting boss of the family is Joe DeFede. DeFede will have a tough job to rebuild this family, which has seen its membership drop from about 125 in the 1970's to less than 100 at the current time. The family has also been hurt by having its members rat on the family. Three prominent members of the family have done this in the 1990's. They include D'Arco, former underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, and former capo Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo. Joe DeFede will have to keep his soldiers in line if the family is to move back into prominence. However, DeFede was recently indicted on charges of racketeering involving the garbage industry in NYC.

COLOMBO
Joe Profaci was the first boss of this family that originally beared his name. He ruled from 1930 to 1962. He was a very prominent boss. Profaci was frequently in the papers, and he liked the attention. The only problem he ever encountered was when a lieutenant, Crazy Joey Gallo, launched an all out war against his boss in an attempt to gain control of the family. However, Gallo did not have much support, and he was soon defeated by Profaci's faction of the family. Joseph Magliocco took over after Profaci's death, but he died in 1963. Joe Colombo took over, and quickly became known in the city. He ruled until 1971, when he was shot at an Italian-American Day rally which he had helped to plan. Colombo was killed by a single gunman, a black man named Jerome Johnson. Many people thought he was a lone nut who had killed Colombo for no apparent reason, but the real man behind the murder was Carlo Gambino. Gambino was angry at Colombo for all of the press that he was attracting. Colombo was in a coma for seven years, but died in 1978. Joseph Yacovelli took over after this and ruled for two years. Joseph Brancato was in charge for five months in 1973, but he was jailed on murder charges, so he gave up control of the family to Thomas DiBella. He negotiated peace with the remaining members of the faction of the family that was headed by Crazy Joey Gallo. He was deposed of in 1978 by Carmine Persico. Persico, also known as "Junior", was given the nickname "the Snake" by the media because of his ability to get out of certain situations. Persico was convicted on racketeering charges and given a 100 year sentence. The Colombo family split into two factions in the mid-80's. One faction supported the imprisoned Persico. The other faction was loyal to the acting boss of the family, Vic Orena. In 1992, Orena was convicted of racketeering. This event was the start of the Colombo war. Members of each faction were killing each other. The war even included the controversial capo Greg Scarpa, a Persico soldier. Scarpa had acquired AIDS during a blood transfusion a few years before. It was suspected, and later learned to be true, that Scarpa was an FBI informant during the war. This didn't hamper his efforts, though, as he participated in the murders of at least eight other people. It was obvious that Persico wanted his nephew, Alfonse to take over the family. Persico won the war when he was allowed to appoint his nephew, Andrew Russo, as the acting boss of the family. Russo held this for a few months and was named the permanent boss just before a racketeering indictment was leveled against him. It is not known if Alfonse "Allie Boy" Persico will move to be the power in the family that his father has controlled for so long.

BONANNO
Cola Schiro was the first boss of the Bonanno family. He was the boss until 1930. He was succeeded by Salvatore Maranzano. Maranzano was the boss of bosses until the other mobsters grew weary of his power and a few of them, including Charlie Luciano, conspired to murder him in 1931. After his death, Luciano formed the National Commission of La Cosa Nostra. Joe Bonanno succeeded Maranzano as the family boss, and he was in power until 1964. He was the first ever boss to break the omerta. He did not testify against his friends, however he wrote a book that described his life as the boss of a crime family. Frank LaBruzzo was the don for the next two years. Gaspare DiGregorio followed with a two year rule of his own. Paul Sciacca was in power from 1966 to 1966. A ruling council of Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli, Joseph Zicarelli, Joseph DiFillippi, and Natale Evola was in control for three years. Evola then became the sole boss for a year. Rastelli was the boss from late 1973 to 1974, until he was incarcerated on racketeering charges. Carmine Galante was the boss until his murder in 1979. Galante, known for smoking his cigars, was murdered at Joe and Mary's Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn. He still had his cigar in his mouth when he died. One of his bodyguards, a Sicilian named Caesar Bonaventre, was said to have been involved in the assassination of his boss. After Galante's death, Bonaventre became the youngest capo in history at the age of 24. Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli got out of jail and resumed control of the family. Two of his top aides were Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano and Benjamin "Lefty Guns" Ruggiero. They are the two main mobsters that FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone was working with in his top secret undercover role as jewel thief "Donnie Brasco". Napolitano disappeared after it was found that Brasco was an agent. Ruggiero was put in jail and died of lung cancer about two years after his release from prison in 1992. Rastelli was imprisoned again in 1985 as a result of the Commission case, and in 1989 he gave up the leadership position in the family to Joey Massino. Massino has brought back some prominence to the family. He is still in control of the family.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Northeast Pennsylvania

The LCN family in Northeast Pennsylvania was located mainly in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittston. The first boss of the family was Santo Volpe, who ruled from 1908 until 1933. John Sciandra was the boss for the rest of the decade, until Joseph Barbara had him killed in 1940. Barbara was in control from then until 1959. He is famous for another reason. It was at his house in 1956, that the famed Apalachin conclave of Mafia leaders took place. This was a summer house of Barbara's in upstate New York. The local police saw many suspicious people in the area, and they raided the meeting. All of the attendees fled, many on foot. A roadblock was setup, and each man attending who attempted to drive off was caught and detained overnight by the state police. Some of those detained were Carlo Gambino, his nephew Paul Castellano, Tommy Luchese, Joe Profaci, Joe Colombo, Vito Genovese, Frank Costello, Joe Bonanno, Tony Accardo, Santo Trafficante, Carlos Marcello, and Sam Giancana. Giancana was one of the gangsters who escaped through the woods behind Barbara's estate. All of the detained said that they were visiting Barbara because he was very ill. This event brought prominence to the Northeast PA faction of LCN because of the publicity that Barbara received. Russell Bufalino succeeded Barbara after his death. He made the family one of the more successful ones in the country. His cousin, Bill Bufalino, was one of Jimmy Hoffa's personal attorneys. Bufalino died and was replaced in 1975 by Edward Sciandra. His cousin, John Sciandra, was an earlier boss of the family. The current boss of the family is William D'Elia, from Scranton, Pennsylvania. D'Elia has been involved in helping to settle disputes between rival factions of the Philadelphia mafia.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Omaha

Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi uttered those words before the Senate Rackets Committee in 1963 in response to a question from Nebraska Senator Carl T. Curtis about La Cosa Nostra activity in Omaha. The quote is usually used to illustrate how naive the federal government was about organized crime in those days. After all, what would the Mafia possibly want with a mid-sized corn-belt burg like Omaha? Actually, though, the quote may better illustrate how little Valachi himself knew about the workings of the Mafia beyond his own backyard. In truth, the presence of the Mafia in Omaha has always been a well-kept secret - long on rumor, short on evidence. The city’s monopoly newspaper, the World-Herald, rarely, if ever, used the term "Mafia" when reporting on local underworld activities. Omaha, after all, is a city known for its steaks and stockyards, agriculture and insurance companies, Boys Town and Union Pacific. But it is also a place where, for much of the Twentieth Century, bookmaking was a major business and where vice interests operated, often quite openly, with little interference from the law. By mid-century, Omaha had a reputation for more illicit gambling (and more bars and taverns) per capita than any other city in the nation. In fact, the city’s significance in the national organized crime picture appears to have been as a regional - and at times national - layoff center; a place where bookies in other cities could place bets they had taken to help balance their action and reduce the risk of a heavy loss.
(2005, Brian James Beerman)

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania faction of La Cosa Nostra has been one of the strongest families in the American Cosa Nostra since its start in 1911. Salvatore Sabella was sent to Philadelphia by the bosses of the Sicilian Mafia to organize the city's rackets. Sabella was the boss of the Philadelphia mob from 1911 until his death in 1927. He was succeeded by Joseph Bruno. Bruno was in power essentially from 1927 until 1946. There was a period during his rule when his power was challenged by John Avena. This was sometime between 1934 and 1936. Bruno retained his power, but died in 1946. Joseph Ida was the family's next boss. He was in control of the family until a narcotics conviction forced him to flee to Sicily in 1959. His successor was Angelo Bruno. Bruno, son of Joseph Bruno, would be the man to put the Philadelphia Mafia on the map. Bruno was one of the men who got Atlantic City started up. He established close contact with the New York families, especially the Genovese family. The Philadelphia mob was raking in more money than the families in cities such as Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee. They were only behind the New York and Chicago families in terms of importance to La Cosa Nostra. Angelo Bruno sat on the Mafia's ruling commission. His consigliere, Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro, had been griping to associates about Bruno. He was unhappy that Bruno seldom used violence as a means to achieve his goals. He began plotting to kill Angelo Bruno. His plan coincided with Bruno's assassination on March 21, 1980. He was gunned down as he was riding in a car driven by soldier John Stanfa. Stanfa pulled up to Bruno's house, rolled down the passenger side window, and watched as Bruno was blown away. Stanfa caught bullet fragments on his shoulder, but had no serious injuries. This was one of the biggest mob hits in history. Caponigro was sent to New York for a meeting with the heads of the five families, where a Genovese family crew headed by Vincent "Chin" Gigante strangled and beat Caponigro and associate Alfred Salerno. Meanwhile, Phil Testa had been chosen by the New York families to be the next boss in Philadelphia.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania faction of La Cosa Nostra was founded in 1926 by Stefano Monastero. Monastero was successful in the usual mob rackets like protection money, gambling, and bootlegging. Joseph Siragusa succeeded Monastero in Pittsburgh and was the boss from 1929 until 1931, when he was murdered in a move that was likely due to his close association with New York City mobster Salvatore Maranzano, who had been killed three days earlier. John Bazzano ruled the family for two years, but he was stricken with a very serious illness and died early in 1933. Vincenzo Capizzi was the family's head from 1933 until 1937. Capizzi was the first boss to bring national attention to the Pittsburgh family. At the time, Pittsburgh was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The Italian-American population in Pittsburgh in the 1940 census ranked Pittsburgh third behind Chicago and New York in terms of Italian-American population. Capizzi's successor was Frank Amato. Amato was the boss until 1956, and during his reign, he tried desperately to infiltrate the unions of the steel workers. Amato's efforts were met with little success. Amato's retirement in 1956 brought John LaRocca into the spotlight. LaRocca worked closely establishing gambling rackets with Kansas City boss Nick Civella. LaRocca headed the family until 1984, when he died from a long bout with cancer. LaRocca was succeeded by Michael James Genovese. Genovese is a cousin of Vito Genovese, the famed New York crime boss of the forties and fifties. Genovese brought a little more prestige to the Pittsburgh family during his first few years.
(2002, Mario Machi)

Rochester Family

In the wake of the infamous Apalachin Conference in November 1957, the New York State Crime Commission began an investigation of the individuals from New York who attended the meeting. Constenze "Stanley" Valenti, the recognized boss of the Rochester Family, and his brother Frank were jailed for civil contempt after failing to answer the questions of the commission members. Stanley began his sentence in August 1958 and served 16 months. During this period, Jake Russo took advantage of Valenti's absence to seize control of the Rochester rackets. At the time, Frank Valenti was a capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family of John LaRocca and worked under Antonio Ripepi. Stanley Valenti was married to Ripepi's daughter. Frank was considered an ambitious man in the Pittsburgh Family and was encouraged to help his brother. When Frank tried to intervene in Russo's takeover of the Rochester activities, he was indicted for violation of New York State election laws. Frank pled guilty and was sentenced to three years probation providing that he stayed out of New York during this period. Informants later revealed that this arrest was contrived by the enemies of the Valentis' to get Frank out of Rochester. At the end of the probation period, Frank Valenti returned to Rochester. In September 1964, he and Pittsburgh associate Angelo Vaccaro set out with brother Stanley to retake control of the family. In December, less than three months later, Russo disappeared and his body has never been found. On the night of the disappearance, Frank hosted a dinner at Eddie's Chop House in Rochester. Buying drinks for everyone, Frank let it be known that he was now "the man to see in Rochester."
(2002, Mario Machi, Allan May, Charlie Molino and Greg Q.)

Rockford

The Rockford, Illinois family of La Cosa Nostra has long been seen as an extension of the powerful Chicago Outfit. There is not much known about this family. There are only three known bosses. The first boss of the family was Antonio Musso, who started the family in the early thirties and was the boss until 1957. Musso's successor was Joseph Zammito. Zammito was in control of the Rockford family until 1973. In 1973, Zammito's death brought about the rule of Frank Buscemi. Buscemi is the last known boss of the Rockford family. It is not known if the family is still active, and if so, if Buscemi is still the boss.
(2002, Mario Machi)

San Francisco

The San Francisco LCN Family was built out of the ashes of bloody bootlegging war that took place from 1928-1932. Previously, during the ill-faded Prohibition era, gangsters worked in criminal harmony to ensure peace and prosperity with their colleagues. This all would end with a series of murders. When the smoke cleared a small but once prosperous crime family would emerge. On April 28, 1928 bootlegger Jerry Feri, San Francisco’s leading crime lord, was murdered in his apartment. His suspected murderer, Alfredo Scariso, was an accomplished bootlegger as well and he too was murdered on December 19 of that year. His body was found with multiple gun shot wounds and dumped in the area of Fair Oaks. On December 23 Mario Filippi, a suspect behind the Scariso murder, was found shot to death. Frank Boca, another suspect in Scariso’s death, was found murdered in his car on July 30, 1929. The next murder was that of the so-called “Al Capone of the West”, Genaro Broccolo, he was found dead on October 30, 1932. The final murder was of Luigi Malvese. He had made a reputation as a hijacker, bootlegger and gun running racketeer. He was shot down on May 18, 1932 while walking through an Italian neighborhood in the middle of the day. The bloody onslaught led to the rise of Francesco Lanza. He would organize the La Cosa Nostra syndicated in San Francisco and be seen as the first true crime boss. He derived his income from bootlegging, prostitution, loan sharking, gambling and narcotics. He operated the famous Fisherman’s Warf of San Francisco with a business partner. His partner, Giuseppe Alioto would also found the International Fish Company. On July 14, 1937 Lanza died of natural causes. His son, Joseph, would later become boss over the San Francisco rackets.
(2006, Jay C. Ambler)

San Jose

The first Italian-American to organize street crimes in the San Jose area was Onofrio Sciortino. The date of his accomplishments was considered to be 1942. It is almost certain that organized crime existed before this date. Sciortino would derive a majority of his profits from loansharking, gambling and prostitution. He was considered the first official La Cosa Nostra crime boss of San Jose until his death from natural causes on September 10, 1959. Sciortino’s successor was his underboss Joseph Cerrito. The new boss would be seen as probably the most successful of all crimelords over a very small family. Cerrito came to America from Sicily iduring the 1920s and moved to the San Jose area in the early 1940s. During the November 1957 Appalachin Summit of mob bosses, Cerrito was one of many who was caught by law enforcement and would answer to a grand jury on the matter in 1959. In October of 1964 Cerrito was identified when he was found meeting Bonnano LCN Family former consigliere Frank Garofalo at a hotel in Palermo, Sicily. It was believed that the two were discussing the ensuing war within the Bonnano crime family, which would later be dubbed as the “Banana War”. Cerrito was a well accomplished businessman, with two car dealerships in San Jose and one in Los Gatos. In the late 1960s Cerrito and “made” solder, Pete Misuraca, would be implicated but never brought to trial for an attempted extortion plot against of a Reno based resort. In 1968 LIFE Magazine publicly identified Cerrito as the crime boss over San Jose. He sued for libel but the case was eventually dismissed. He died on September 8, 1978 from natural causes.
(2006, Jay C. Ambler)

St. Louis Family

The Green Ones reportedly received their name from the farming communities in Sicily they came from. The leadership of this group, brothers John and Vito Giannola, and Alphonse Palizzola, came from the Stoppagleria faction of the Sicilian Mafia. The trio financed their passage to United States with several robberies in 1915. The three went their separate ways once they arrived in America – John Giannola to Chicago, Vito Giannola to St. Louis, and Palizzola to Springfield, Illinois. A few years, later at Vito’s urging, they rejoined in St. Louis. Soon they imposed a tax in the city’s Italian community on all goods sold. With little resistance, the trio went about establishing a foothold in the rackets. In 1923, Vito moved to take control of the wholesale meat industry. One recalcitrant distributor objected and was brutally murdered as an example to others. His body was found under the Kingshighway viaduct on September 16, 1923. Finding bootlegging a more prosperous venture, the trio soon found that the liquor trade in St. Louis was dominated by the non-Italian gangs. Their first endeavor in this area resulted in the death of Sam Palizzola, a relative of Alphonse. The murder was believed to have been carried out by members of the Egan’s Rats gang. When members of that gang were sent to prison in 1925, the Green Ones found a new adversary in the Cuckoos Gang.
(2002, Mario Machi, Allan May and Charlie Molino)

The Tampa Mob

The Tampa Mob originated out of an area of Tampa known as Ybor City. Now a vibrant night spot, Ybor was the home to thousands of immigrant Cubans, Spanish, and Italians at the turn of the century. It was also the home to Tampa's cigar industry, giving work to many of the immigrants. Unlike northern cities, Tampa had no established Jewish or Irish gangs. In fact the biggest underworld figure during the 1920's to 1940's was a native Floridan, Charlie Wall. Wall was born to a prominent Tampa family, and began working at gambling houses, rising to run the racket himself. The dominant racket in Tampa was bolita, a kind of lottery brought to Ybor in the late 1880's by Manuel Suarez. The bolita racket expanded exponentially in Tampa and was the mob's predominant moneymaker until the 1960's. Narcotics also played a major role in the fortunes of the Tampa mob. Two early narcotics kingpins were James "Jo-Jo" Cacciatore, and George "Saturday" Zarate. The Mafia in Tampa came into the spotlight for the first time in 1928 in Cleveland. Police raided a meeting of gangsters at the Hotel Statler, and arrested Ignacio Italiano and Joe Vaglicia from Tampa. As the mafia grew in stature in Tampa a war broke out between the various gambling factions for control of the bolita and narcotics rackets. At this time there was no true boss in Tampa. Some early powers were the Diecidue family, Augustine Lazzara, the Velasco brothers, the Trafficantes, Salvatore Italiano, and Ignacio Antinori.
(2007, Scott Deitche)

"American Mafia" PLR Faundation. PLR International. 1998-2008. Web.