Castellammare, in the conquest of the American mafia
New-York City :
Vittorio Anello :
A lesser-known member but well-connected to the clan, his story is interesting to trace. His father, Giuseppe Anello, was adopted by a priest and a maid named Danna (possibly linked to Vincent Danna?). Vittorio was born in 1893 in Castellammare; his sister married Pietro Bonventre, who was Bonanno's uncle and the father of the mobster Martin Bonventre. Another sister connected with the Curatolo family, which had some influence in Castellammare and was associated with the "Good Killers." Notably, a Curatolo was killed in 1919 by Joseph Barbara's brother following an intimidation dispute. An Italian witness stated that Curatolo was a mafia member terrorizing his peers.
Joseph Bonanno :
Born around 1875 in Castellammare Del Golfo to a mother with the last name Domingo (so he most likely had blood ties with Sebastiano "Buster" Domingo from the same town). He migrated to New York in 1905, joining his brother Antonio in Brooklyn, who was living with the Domingo family. In 1921, he became globally known due to the Good Killers case (a group of Castellammarese mafiosi involved in a vendetta against the Buccellato) when they forced Bartolomeo Fontana to kill his friend Camillo Caiozzo, who was responsible for the murder of Pietro Magaddino. At that time, he lived at 115 Roebling Street, along with Stefano Magaddino and Gaspar Milazzo. The Good Killers gang was also called "Bonventre’s Gang" in some newspapers, suggesting that he was potentially the leader, alongside Stefano Magaddino.
During the 1920s, Bonventre got involved in bootlegging in Williamsburg and earned the nickname "The King." In 1927, he was arrested but released due to insufficient evidence. Additionally, the detective involved in his case committed suicide. In 1929, his daughter Rose married his associate, the racketeer Michael "Big Mike" Allegato, who came from Santa Ninfa. Mike was a bootlegger who would later own a farm in Nassau, suspected of being a place where Murder Incorporated buried bodies.
During the Castellammarese War, Vito Bonventre was one of the primary targets. He was a significant member of the Castellammare family because he presided over Joe Bonanno’s intimidation case in 1930. On June 15, he was killed by an assailant in the back of his garage, presumably sent by Joe Masseria. His rackets were taken over by Benjamin Gallo, who also came from Santa Ninfa and had a criminal record dating back to 1908. Benjamin owned a restaurant in Williamsburg, which was the scene of a murder in 1929. It was in this same establishment that Gallo was killed by two individuals in November 1930, possibly another victim of the war, as the men from Santa Ninfa were close to the Castellammarese clan.
Giovanni Bonventre :
John was born in 1901 and migrated to the USA in 1933. He was probably already involved in the Mafia because his mother was a Magaddino, and his sister was married to Salvatore Bonanno (with whom she had Joseph). His brothers Vito (2), Pietro, and Giuseppe had been settled in Brooklyn since the beginning of the 20th century, and they had opened several bakeries and a barber shop. They were notably arrested in 1908 along with Gaspar Galante for the murder of a recently arrived fellow countryman named Giovanni Carollo. In his book, Joe Bonanno described his two uncles, Vito and Pietro, as honest men, but they seemed to have been linked to the Mafia in their youth. John arrived in 1933 and settled in Endicott, which was home to a large Castellammarese community. John stayed in town for two years before officially moving to Brooklyn.
In 1940, he was the subject of an investigation for illegal migration and went into hiding for a while. He was also reportedly in conflict with Stefano Magaddino, which distanced him from the Mafia for a few years. Returning at the end of the 1940s, he was appointed as a capo in Joe Bonanno’s organization, with whom he was very close. John had shares in a clothing business with Frank Garofalo, in Vittorio Anello’s funeral company, and in a cheese business in Colorado.
In the 1950s, his wife fell gravely ill, and he returned to Castellammare Del Golfo, although John still had interests in the family, and Mike "Mimi" Sabella seemed to represent him. He continued to hold importance as he attended several Mafia meetings between 1956 and 1957. Sicilian authorities began to take a great interest in the Mafia after the Ciaculli massacre in June 1963, and John was no exception. In August 1965, he was arrested in Castellammare Del Golfo along with Giuseppe Magaddino and was accused, along with other mafiosi, of participating in a vast drug network. Joe Bonanno was supposed to be arrested as well, but he had been mysteriously kidnapped shortly before. Bonventre was exiled to the islands of Filicudi and Asinara for at least two years. He eventually died around 1988.
Sebastiano "Don Sebastiano" DiGaetano :
The first leader of the family, already mentioned in secret service reports at the beginning of the 20th century. Sebastiano was born in 1864 to a mother with the last name DiBenedetto. He migrated with his cousin in 1898 and settled in Williamsburg. In his 1908 naturalization, he was listed as a barber living on North Street. His daughter married Joseph Ruffino, a criminal associated with Joe Masseria, with whom he was convicted in 1914. DiGaetano was close to Giuseppe Morello’s organization, as the Castellammaresi were allies. I particularly recall a photo of Joe Bonanno’s father with Salvatore Saracino (an associate of Morello, known by the alias "Giuseppe Palermo"). When Morello was imprisoned, DiGaetano seemed to have replaced him as the interim "Capo Dei Capi." However, the powerful Salvatore D'Aquila proclaimed himself as the new "Capo Dei Capi" and challenged DiGaetano’s authority. DiGaetano lost his composure and abandoned his position. After that, we have no further news of him, and some believe he was killed in 1912.
Gaspare DiGregorio :
An important member born in 1905, he migrated in 1921 to join his brothers in Williamsburg. Together, they had a factory used for bootlegging during Prohibition, which exploded—a frequent event when stills overheated. His cousin, Bartolomeo DiGregorio, was accused of being an associate of the Good Killers. In 1924, he married Maria Magaddino in Niagara Falls, the sister of Buffalo boss Stefano Magaddino, and they had three children together. Unfortunately, she passed away in August 1927. During the Castellammarese War, he was one of the young men close to Salvatore Maranzano. When Bonanno became boss, he appointed DiGregorio as a capo. In 1934, the brothers were arrested for a double murder along with Antonio Domingo (the uncle of Buster Domingo) and Dominick Sabella. Gaspare became wealthy thanks to his clothing industries, and in 1957 he attended the Apalachin meeting with Bonanno and John Bonventre. He was one of the mafiosi arrested by the police during the event, but fortunately for him, the newspapers did not mention his name.
In the early 1960s, Joe Bonanno clashed with the Commission because he encroached on Stefano Magaddino's territory in Canada. He also wanted to conquer California by attempting to kill Frank DeSimone and had tried to overthrow the Commission with Joseph Magliocco. Gaspare DiGregorio was close to Magaddino and chose to support the Commission rather than Bonanno. In January 1966, Bill Bonanno was ambushed while he was supposed to attend a peace meeting with DiGregorio's faction, but instead, he was greeted with a hail of bullets. Miraculously, Bill managed to survive along with his two associates. In the months that followed, the family saw several murders, and DiGregorio suffered a heart attack, leaving members concerned about his leadership. The Commission itself became dissatisfied with his direction, and in January 1967, he resigned (or was possibly removed by the Commission). He eventually died in June 1970 of lung cancer.
Matteo "Marty" DiGregorio :
He was Gaspare’s brother and one of his closest associates in his youth. Matteo was born in 1891 and migrated relatively late, in 1921. In fact, Matteo had served in the Italian army during WWI and was even a corporal for two years. Upon arriving in the city, he married Maria Sabella, the sister of Salvatore and Dominick Sabella. Matteo was involved in bootlegging with his other brothers in Williamsburg. Joe Bonanno wrote that Matteo had a garage that was used to distribute alcohol once it was produced.
In 1932, he was a suspect in a highly publicized homicide case in New York. He was seeing a lover who had an ex-boyfriend who often spied on her at night. On a whim, DiGregorio went outside after hearing a car and took a shotgun with him. He approached the slowly moving car and shot the driver, who turned out to be the ex-boyfriend, but two passengers fled the scene. They described the shooter to the police as a man dressed all in white, and the newspapers dubbed him "The Ghost Killer." The darkness worked in DiGregorio’s favor, as the police couldn’t gather enough evidence to prove that he was the shooter.
This “Ghost Killer” story, about him protecting his lover, was appeared in newspapers several times. Matteo would live a much quieter life afterward, and he was probably never a Made Man. At his funeral in 1969, many mafiosi attended out of respect for his brother Gaspare. The police noted the presence of Carlo and Paul Gambino, Ettore Zappi, Nicholas Destefano, John Morales, and Michael Adamo.
Antonio Domingo :
Antonio, born around 1882, had significant familial connections, particularly as the uncle of Sebastiano "Buster" Domingo and a relative of Vito "the King" Bonventre. He immigrated to the United States in 1902, joining several compatriots from Castellammare, including Salvatore Galante and Vincenzo Palmeri. In 1916, he married Rosie Messina, who, after some research, was found not to be related to the Boston godfather Gaspare Messina. Antonio first gained notoriety in 1924 when he was part of a group of 11 bootleggers arrested for producing $40,000 worth of counterfeit currency. He spent some time in Atlanta prison before returning to Brooklyn. In the 1930 census, he was listed at the same address as his nephew Sebastiano Domingo.
Sebastiano, was actively involved in the Castellammare War, fighting on behalf of godfather Salvatore Maranzano, but he was killed in May 1933 under mysterious circumstances. Antonio's troubles with the law continued; he was arrested in 1934 for a double homicide that may be linked to Sebastiano's death. The victims were Pietro Turrigiano, cousin of Pasquale Turrigiano from Endicott, and Pietro Caleca, whose mother was a Domingo. The investigation into the murders included suspects such as the DiGregorio brothers and Domenico Sabella. After these events, there is little information about Antonio until his death in 1969.
Sebastiano "Buster from Chicago" Domingo :
Buster was born in 1910 and migrated at the age of 3 without his father, who passed away in Sicily.They lived on Oak Street, which was close to Death Corner, a predominantly Italian neighborhood where violence was a daily occurrence. At that time, there was a serial killer known as the "Shotgun Man," who was said to be responsible for around ten murders at Death Corner. The activities of the Black Hand (Italian criminal organizations specializing in extortion) prompted the Domingo family to move to Michigan. The eldest brother, Tony, began bootlegging with his cousins, the DiMarias, during Prohibition. However, a string of bad luck struck when the DiMaria brothers died in a still explosion. Additionally, in 1927, Tony's ex-wife was killed in a car bomb intended for him. After these events, the Domingos returned to Chicago. A few months later, in August 1929, Tony was killed in the restaurant owned by Tony "The Ant" Spilotro’s father, presumably by Al Capone's men.
This was yet another tragic event for the young Sebastiano, who eventually went to Brooklyn to stay with his uncle Antonio. During the Castellammarese War, he joined Maranzano's forces. He was described as one of the best killers in the faction, with exceptional weapons skills. Sebastiano was the man who assassinated the powerful Giuseppe Morello in his office in August 1930, along with his bodyguard (it is said that Morello had kept pacing around his office). He was also involved in the murder of the two mobsters Manfredi Mineo and Steve Ferrigno as they were crossing a courtyard. Domingo and other associates were positioned in an upper room with a heavy weapon. He was also present with Joe Valachi during the murder of Joseph Catania, who was one of Joe Masseria’s closest allies and a nephew of Ciro Terranova.
Sebastiano played a significant role in Maranzano's rise, but he also witnessed his fall when Maranzano was killed in his office after the Castellammarese War. Likely dissatisfied with the new leaders of New York’s underworld, he was killed in a Manhattan café in May 1933, along with another man. Let’s remember that Joe Valachi, who had been close to Maranzano, almost lost his life for the same reason and had to choose the Genovese family over the Lucchese to prove he was no longer tied to the past. Domingo was buried at "Anello & Bonventre," an establishment run by his Castellammarese associates.
Natale "Joe Diamond" Evola :
Born in New York in 1907 to parents from Castellammare Del Golfo, he was related to the Buccellato family. Early on, he became closely associated with the clan, with his first arrest dating back to 1930 for intimidation and threats. He also participated during this period in the Castellammarese War and was arrested in 1931 for carrying weapons with his companion Joseph Barbara. The following year, he was among the honored men at the wedding of boss Joseph Bonanno, showing his importance within the organization. He would become an associate of consigliere John Tartamella in various garment and trucking industries, and by the 1950s, he was promoted to Capo.
Evola was also very active in drug trafficking with members of the Lucchese family and was arrested alongside Andimo Pappadio and Joseph "the Sicilian" Vento (the son-in-law of consigliere Vincent Rao). Evola was one of the attendees at the Apalachin meeting, which shattered his long-standing discretion. In 1960, he was ultimately convicted for drug trafficking alongside Vito Genovese and sentenced to 10 years in prison. When he was released, the Bonanno family was split into three factions: those supporting Bonanno, those led by Paul Sciacca, and the growing neutral faction.
Evola was elected boss and reorganized the family during his short reign (1970–1973). However, his health rapidly deteriorated that year due to cancer, which eventually led to his death.
Giuseppe Fontana :
Giuseppe Fontana was born in December 1877 in Castellammare Del Golfo, and he was most likely related to Bartolo Fontana, a notable figure in the history of the Good Killers. Giuseppe migrated to Brooklyn in 1889 and worked as a baker. By 1920, he was partners with Vito Mule in a grocery store and lived at 153 Berry Street in Williamsburg. Interestingly, while examining Vito "the King" Bonventre's passport, you can see Giuseppe Fontana's name mentioned, with the exact same address listed—Vito was also officially listed as a baker. This connection suggests Fontana was closely linked to the Castellammarese mafia in Brooklyn.
But Fontana's influence wasn't limited to organized crime; he also had political clout. He had been involved in Republican meetings for many years and in 1919, ran as a Republican candidate for the VII District (Brooklyn and Queens) against his rival, James P. Hamer. It was certainly advantageous for the Brooklyn mafia to have one of their own attempting to secure a seat in Congress. While Fontana ultimately lost to Hamer, he remained active in politics, holding several Republican meetings at his home on Berry Street.
In the early 1930s, Fontana moved to Massapequa, in eastern New York, where he was described as a Republican leader in the town. Tragically, his life ended in a horrific accident in May 1946. Fontana was killed when his car got stuck on train tracks and was struck by a train. The vehicle was dragged for several meters, caught fire, and Fontana was burned beyond recognition, making identification difficult at the morgue.
Carmine "Lilo" Galante :
Carmine Galante, born in 1910 to parents from Castellammare, had a tumultuous upbringing in Harlem. His father was reportedly strict, with allegations that he attempted to sell him during his youth. This background may have contributed to Galante's early criminal behavior, with his first arrest occurring at the age of 11. He first gained public attention in August 1930, when he was suspected of killing a Queens officer who was monitoring a money transaction. Along with Michael Consolo and his cousin Angelo Presinzano, he was arrested but released due to a lack of evidence. Shortly after, Galante was arrested again for injuring a detective and a six-year-old girl during a robbery attempt. In January 1931, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, being released in 1939. His name resurfaced in connection with the assassination of journalist Carlo Tresca in 1943, as he was among the suspects, although he was on parole at the time. Some sources suggest Tresca was murdered on the orders of Frank Garofalo, due to their longstanding animosity. Galante continued to rise through the ranks and became the protégé of Joe Bonanno.
In the 1940s, Galante made frequent trips to Montreal, which was a strategic hub for drug trafficking due to its port. In 1953, Bonanno tasked him with establishing a "decina" (a group representing the family's interests) in Montreal, which was dominated by powerful Calabrian mafiosi from the Cotroni and Violi clans, whom Galante later recruited. He organized a new crew in Montreal, reportedly consisting of around 20 members, according to an FBI report. However, in 1954, Galante sought to become a permanent resident of Canada, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) closely monitored him. They later published a list of undesirable residents, which included Galante and several New York gangsters.He was eventually expelled from Canada in 1958 and appointed his right-hand man, Salvatore Giglio, to lead the decina, though Giglio was also forced out by the authorities.
Returning to New York, Galante faced charges for drug trafficking and went into hiding for several months after his indictment. In June 1959, he was located by federal agents in New Jersey, where he posted a $100,000 bail. However, he was implicated in a second drug trafficking case involving Natale Evola. Following a lengthy trial, Galante was sentenced to 12 years in prison, being released in February 1974.Upon his release, he continued to expand his drug network, bringing in Sicilian mafiosi. When Philip Rastelli, the head of the family, was incarcerated in 1976, Galante was chosen as his interim replacement. His aggressive approach led to multiple murders of associates from rival families as he sought to monopolize drug trafficking in the city. This reckless behavior precipitated his downfall, as Rastelli sought approval from other New York bosses to have Galante killed from prison.
In June 1979, Galante was assassinated while having lunch at his cousin Giuseppe Turano's restaurant, along with the Sicilian mafioso Leonard Coppola.
Mariano Galante :
Mariano, born in 1883, immigrated to the United States in 1905 to join his brother living at 240 Elizabeth Street in New York. This address also belonged to Gaspare Galante, who was arrested along with the Bonventre brothers in 1908 for the murder of Giovanni Carollo. Officially, Mariano worked as a painter and held shares in a construction company with Giuseppe Rubino, who was close to the Bonventre brothers and the Curatolo family. Between 1910 and 1911, Mariano faced legal troubles due to insurance scams, a common practice among early mafiosos. His notoriety increased significantly in 1921 due to the "Good Killers" scandal, involving a faction of Castellammare men linked to multiple assassinations stemming from a longstanding vendetta against the Buccellato clan. Mariano was suspected of shooting Joseph Granatello in February 1921, with a journalist at the scene identifying him.
The Good Killers were also believed to have supported Giuseppe Morello in reclaiming control of the New York Mafia following his prison release. They were implicated in the attempted assassination of Angelo Lagattuta, Morello's godfather, who had aligned with the rival faction after a dispute in 1910. Lagattuta was severely injured in the attack but survived, suffering injuries that affected his mobility. Tragically, he would eventually be killed by his own son in 1924 during a domestic dispute; the son claimed self-defense and was acquitted.
After several months in detention, Mariano was released and moved to Niagara Falls, near Stefano Magaddino's territory. Information about him becomes sparse after this move, although it is noted that he found employment in a metallurgy plant. Mariano passed away in 1954.
Salvatore Maranzano :
Described as the most powerful mafioso in the country during his reign. Maranzano was born in 1886 in Castellammare, and thanks to the informant Melchiorre Allegra, we have some details about his life in Sicily. Maranzano was associated with mafiosi from his province and married the sister of Salvatore Minore, who was an influential boss in the province of Trapani. He was one of the protégés of Stefano Magaddino (the uncle of the Stefano Magaddino we all know) and also participated in the vendetta against the Buccellato. In 1924, Allegra informed us that the elections in the province were under Maranzano’s influence, as he had personally asked Allegra to support an associate. At the beginning of 1926, he illegally migrated to the United States to join his associates from Castellammare. Joe Bonanno recalls the grand banquet organized for his arrival in Brooklyn. He already had several brothers in town, suggesting he had excellent relations with the community.
In April 1926, he attended the wedding of Lena DiBenedetto in Buffalo with many associates, and in June, his nephew Domenico married a Riccobono/Enea in New York. It seems that Maranzano aligned himself with the Palermo Mafia, as Pasquale Enea was a historical boss of the Sicilian capital. Enea was also the uncle of Giuseppe DiCarlo, who was the boss of Buffalo until his death in 1922. This marriage was also a pretext for Maranzano to get closer to the Palermitan Capo dei Capi, Salvatore D'Aquila.
During Prohibition, Maranzano operated several illegal stills, notably in Wappingers Falls, where he also had a residence. It was in this town that he officially obtained a gun permit, which had caused his arrest a few months earlier. Maranzano had several supervisors in his distilleries, including Joe Bonanno in New York. At that time, the leader of the Castellammaresi was Nicolo Schiro, who was originally from Roccamena (Palermo). The Brooklyn Mafia seemed to be a union of a Palermo faction historically led by Schiro and his cousin Paolo Orlando with the Castellammaresi, who had Sebastiano DiGaetano/Vito Bonventre as leaders.
In 1929, Maranzano attended the wedding of James Lanza, the son of the San Francisco boss who had spent some time in New York. The following year, Capo Dei Capi Joe Masseria grew increasingly distrustful of the Castellammaresi. It was probably the initiative of his advisor Giuseppe Morello, who had once been at the top of the country’s Mafia. Bonanno described him as much smarter than Masseria. The breaking point was the assassination of Gaspare Milazzo in Detroit, who was considered a leader of the community. Morello confessed during a meeting with Maranzano that they were behind this murder and that they had the same fate reserved for Stefano Magaddino, who was avoiding Masseria’s summons. According to Bonanno, it was when he sensed this growing tension that Nicolo Schiro deserted his position as boss in Brooklyn. However, one might think that he had already planned to be replaced by Maranzano, as they both attended the wedding of Santo Volpe's daughter in Pittston to represent their cosca.
The early stages of the Castellammarese War were clearly in Joe Masseria’s favor. He supported Al Capone in his power struggle against Joe Aiello and even named him capo. His rival in New York in the ice trade, Gaetano Reina, was assassinated in front of his car in February 1930. It is still uncertain whether this initiative came from Masseria, as many mafiosi in this industry met a similar fate (Joseph Riggio and Charles Durso). In any case, he took advantage of this to support his associate Bonaventura Pinzolo at the head of Reina’s former faction. I don’t know if Pinzolo was democratically elected, but very quickly Tommaso Gagliano and Thomas Lucchese plotted his murder. They waged their own war against Masseria, independently of Salvatore Maranzano.
This fight against the Capo Dei Capi had lost most of the United States' bosses, unsure of whom to support. Masseria lost his title, and it was Gaspar Messina of Boston who took his role as Capo dei Capi to arrange peace. A commission was also set up to judge Masseria’s actions. Among the bosses were Nicola Gentile (Kansas City), Vincenzo Troia (Newark), Salvatore LoVerde (Chicago), Giuseppe Siracusa (Pittsburgh), and Giuseppe Traina as organizer (New York). They quickly decided to support Maranzano by eliminating Masseria. Traina stated that Masseria had always been an enemy, to the point that he killed Salvatore D'Aquila.
Maranzano therefore had significant support. He organized a meeting with more than 300 participants to lift the death sentence that Masseria had placed on the Castellammaresi. However, some were not inclined to support him, like Chicago and Nicola Gentile. Maranzano, for example, described Al Capone as a man who tarnished the image of the Honored Society. Nicola Gentile described this meeting as a monologue by Maranzano, retracing the bloody acts committed by Masseria over the years, which was not very convincing according to him, as Maranzano was not even in the United States during that period. Masseria grew weaker with the murders of Giuseppe Morello, Manfredi Mineo, Steve Ferrigno, and Joseph Catania. He seemed more inclined to make peace with Maranzano, but Chicago, in particular, was putting pressure on him. Worried about what might happen to him, Al Capone decided to no longer support him. Masseria had no more allies and was killed by his own men in a restaurant in Coney Island.
Masseria’s murder was not directly ordered by Maranzano but rather by his former associates. A new general commission was set up, and Vincenzo Troia, who had gained everyone’s sympathy, was the ideal candidate to become Capo dei Capi. But Maranzano, as cunning as ever, created his own small commission, which denounced Troia’s reprehensible actions. He was therefore not chosen, and Maranzano obtained what he wanted most: the absolute power of Capo dei Capi. He threw a huge party in the restaurant where Masseria was killed and appointed several bosses to divide New York, including Salvatore Scalisi, who took over D'Aquila’s empire. But in return, Maranzano had written a list of 60 members to eliminate, including Nicola Gentile, Charles Luciano, and Vincent Mangano.
In hindsight, Maranzano’s reign increasingly resembled that of Masseria, with an authoritarian regime. He pressured Scalisi to kill Mangano, but Scalisi refused as long as he had no valid reason to justify it to the other members of his family. Maranzano also distrusted him and demanded that Scalisi join him in Buffalo to discuss important matters. Scalisi saw that he was being followed on his train and quickly left Buffalo before being assassinated there. Back in New York, he contacted Joe Biondo, Nicola Gentile, Charles Luciano, and Vincent Mangano to oust the new Capo dei Capi. Luciano, who knew Maranzano’s office well, sent young Jewish men, some of whom worked for the racketeer Dutch Schultz. They strangled him and eventually shot him because Maranzano had shown himself to be tough.
Very quickly, a purge of Maranzano’s allies was carried out across the country, such as Jimmy Marino in New York just a few hours after Maranzano. In Pittsburgh, Giuseppe Siracusa was killed in his basement, and in Newark, the family was overthrown with the murders of Sam Monaco and Louis Russo. In Chicago, Al Capone officially became the head of the Mafia after the murder of Salvatore LoVerde. The Castellammaresi raised the white flag and did not want to start a new war, only to know the reasons for their boss’s murder. What is rarely mentioned is that one of Maranzano’s nephews began talking to the authorities. This was Gaetano Quagliotti in Wappingers Falls. He was incarcerated during the murder but told the police that it was Dutch Schultz’s men who eliminated Maranzano. However, shortly after, he changed his story, saying that he feared for his life.
Vito Mule :
Vito Mule, born in 1886 to a mother with the surname DiBenedetto, immigrated to the United States in 1903. He married Caterina Vultaggio in 1910; she was the sister of "Big Santo," and their family had strong ties to the Castellammare Mafia. The couple resided in Williamsburg, a hub for Italian immigrants. In 1920, Mule was arrested for distributing bootlegged alcohol in Brooklyn, concealed in canned goods. That same year, he was involved in a grocery business with Joseph Fontana. By 1926, his Cadillac was identified by police following a bank robbery in Woodmere, but Mule was nowhere to be found. He later turned himself in at the precinct with his attorney, claiming that his car had been stolen from in front of his house and insisting he was not involved in the robbery. When Salvatore Maranzano arrived in the U.S., he sought Mule's assistance in managing his clandestine distillery in Wappingers Falls.
It was likely this involvement that led him to send his son, Prospect Mule, to San Jose to assist Bill Bonanno in reclaiming Mafia influence in California. Vito Mule passed away from natural causes in 1971 in Tucson.
Domenico "mimi" Sabella :
Domenico, born in 1899, was a significant figure in organized crime, particularly due to his familial connection, his brother was the godfather of the Philadelphia Mafia for several years. He immigrated to the United States in 1915.
In 1928, he was arrested for homicide but was quickly released due to a lack of evidence. The following year, he faced conviction for illegal possession of firearms. His criminal activities escalated, and in 1934, he was again arrested for homicide. Domenico was known as a seasoned killer within the faction, and some sources suggest he had already achieved the rank of Capo by the early 1930s; however, it is more likely he attained this status during the 1950s, or possibly under the leadership of Gaspare DiGregorio.
In 1955, Domenico was found guilty of selling heroin alongside Charles Lacascia, resulting in a $1,000 fine without any prison time. During the conflict known as the "Banana Wars," he sided with Gaspare DiGregorio, who had familial ties to the Sabella family. Domenico passed away in 1972 in New York.
Buffalo, New York:
Simone "Buffalo Joe" Borruso :
One of the early influential members of Buffalo/Niagara Falls, born in 1880. His spouse was a Danna, and his sister was married to a Turano (a family related to the parents of Carmine Galante). He migrated to New York in 1912 and later settled in Niagara Falls with his companions from Castellammare. Very close to the Bonventre/DiBenedetto families, he was the one who wrote the obituary for Pietro Bonventre (brother-in-law of Charles DiBenedetto), who died of illness in 1924. Active during Prohibition, he was the victim of an ambush in May of the same year by members of the Ku Klux Klan. They had besieged his garage, which contained a still, but unfortunately for them, Borruso was armed and fired at the hooded men. No one was injured, but the police discovered the distillery and a truck full of alcohol. Borruso and his associate were detained on bail, while motorcycles belonging to Klan members paraded through the streets of Niagara Falls. In April 1926, he was one of the honored guests at the wedding of Lena DiBenedetto (sister of Charles) alongside Stefano Magaddino, the Palmeri brothers, and the boss Salvatore Maranzano.
A few months later, he was arrested again for alcohol trafficking. Borruso was described as one of the most important members of a network of 90 associates throughout New York State and Canada. He was released after paying his bail of $50,000, a significant amount. In 1928, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Francesco H. DeFusto, whom I suspect was one of the first Calabrian bosses in the USA. He was born in 1854 and had initially migrated to Boston; DeFusto had many friends, including Fortunato Calabro (Calabrian boss in Pittsburgh who would be present at the funeral) and businessman "Papa Joe" Murgida in Akron. In the early 1930s, Borruso moved to Youngstown, where he organized gambling. He was also observed in New Castle, Pennsylvania, under the name "Sam Barrusa." In 1944, he moved to San Diego and died quietly in 1946.
Calogero "Charley Buffalo" DiBenedetto :
The DiBenedetto family had been entrenched in the Mafia for decades; Sebastiano DiGaetano, who was the first major boss from Castellammare in the USA, had migrated with his cousin, a DiBenedetto. Calogero was born in 1906 in Brooklyn. His father, Antonino, and his uncle, Antonio Mazzara, were killed in 1917 by the Buccellato faction. His family moved during the Good Killers affair, under the protection of his uncles Giuseppe DiBenedetto and Filippo Mazzara. In 1927, he visited Sicily with Stefano Magaddino, demonstrating his close relationships. During the Castellammare War, he settled in New York and was one of the "Boys of the First Day" (the young inner circle of Salvatore Maranzano) alongside Joe Bonanno, Gaspare DiGregorio, Natale Evola, Sebastiano Domingo, Vincent Danna, and Joe Stabile.
According to some sources, Calogero may have had an affair with Maranzano's daughter, but they were never officially married.
In 1930, he was arrested with Joseph Bonventre (the brother of his brother-in-law) after firearms were found in their car. The police believed the weapons were intended for revenge for the death of Joseph DiBenedetto, his uncle killed in Buffalo in 1929, but it was part of a larger conflict. At the end of the war, he returned to his town and kept a low profile. In a 1940 census, he indicated living at an address similar to a tuberculosis facility. This suggests that he may have been treated for a period in his life. By 1950, he was living with his uncle in New York and worked as a barber. We have no further information about him except for his death in 1991.
Dominick was born in 1888 in Castellammare; he was the cousin of Gaspar DiGregorio as well as of the Philadelphia boss Salvatore Sabella. His mother was the sister of Salvatore and Dominick "Mimi" Sabella's mother. DiGregorio migrated in 1920 with his brother Lorenzo to join Brooklyn. They likely settled with their relative Bartolomeo DiGregorio, who had migrated in 1905 and had married a Caroddo (whose two other sisters were married to the Magaddino brothers). Bartolomeo was linked to the Good Killers affair and was one of the suspects in the plot to kill Camillo Caiozzo.
Dominick seems to have lived for a time in Philadelphia before settling in Niagara Falls during Prohibition. He also made several trips to Ontario between the 1920s and 1930s. In 1930, he was arrested by the police for a traffic violation near Jamestown, but upon further inspection, the officers found 115 gallons of alcohol in the trunk. He continued alcohol distillation even after Prohibition and was associated with the young gangster Frank C. Buttitta, who had one of the most prolific illegal distilleries in the county. However, Buttitta would end up being killed in a turf war in 1944, and the police dismantled his network. In 1946, Dominick DiGregorio appeared on a list of former associates of Buttitta. Among other associates were Salvatore Mazzara (probably related to Philip), Carmen D'Agostino (son of Joseph D'Agostino), and Albert "Babe" Billiteri, whose sons would become associates of the Buffalo boss Leonard Falzone. After this conviction, Domenico seems to have kept a low profile; he died in 1950 and was cremated in the funeral home of Stefano Magaddino.
This member was born in 1887 and was very close to the Magaddino family. In 1917, he lived in Brooklyn and worked for a Falzone, a name well-known in West New York crime. He married Arcangela Magaddino, who was the younger sister of Stefano Magaddino, and together they settled in Niagara Falls. Longo was Magaddino's right-hand man and assisted him in all his rackets. He was also present at the weddings of Lena DiBenedetto and Charles Bufalino, alongside Magaddino and Salvatore Maranzano. Longo represented Magaddino's rackets in Batavia, and when he asked bookmakers to give him a share, some decided to rebel against him. In 1936, the LoTempio brothers attacked Longo by throwing a bomb through the window of his home, but he was not at home. However, Arcangela Magaddino was in the kitchen and was mortally wounded; her daughters, who were upstairs, were also injured.
Attacking Magaddino's relatives proved to be very dangerous, and Frank LoTempio was quickly killed while attending a wedding. The suspect in the murder was Salvatore Pieri, who was related by marriage to LoTempio. The second brother, Russell LoTempio, escaped retaliation for a little while longer but was injured when a bomb hidden under his car exploded. Magaddino's men deliberately used the same method that had killed Arcangela. Other associates of the LoTempio brothers were also killed, but it seems this traumatized Longo. Indeed, perhaps due to the violent shock of his wife's death, he decided to become increasingly discreet in the underworld.
In 1938, he participated in a donation of provisions for residents in Ohio who had suffered severe flooding. In the following years, he seems to have left Niagara Falls and remarried; some say he was expelled from the Mafia by Stefano Magaddino, but it is also possible that he rebuilt his life away from the gunfire.
Antonino "Nino" Magaddino :
Stefano's younger brother, who was his closest associate in organized crime in Buffalo. Antonio was born in 1897 and grew up in the vendetta against the Buccellato family. In 1910, he was arrested in Ventimiglia for falsifying his identification papers, and again in 1916 for counterfeiting. In Castellammare, the police arrested him the same year for homicide, and he was imprisoned while awaiting trial, which was eventually dismissed for lack of evidence. In 1922, he married Vincenza Vitale, whose surname was synonymous with the Mafia. He immigrated to the United States the following year but continued to make trips to Sicily. In June 1928, he was accused of several crimes committed on the island in 1924, including theft, rape, and extortion. The details of the case are unknown, but the Trapani court later accused him of using false passports. In any case, Antonino remained in the United States. In May 1929, he was one of six mobsters who carried the casket of James Speziale, who died violently in a car accident. Speziale was an associate of the Magaddinos during Prohibition who often traveled to Ontario.
Antonino continued to oversee his brother's rackets in Niagara Falls and was the vice-president of the former funeral home of Paul Palmeri. In 1957, he was among the mobsters arrested during the Apalachin meeting, while Stefano was reportedly hiding in a secret room in the house. His name appeared in hundreds of newspapers, and he had to appear before several juries. However, he disappeared for over two years to evade a conviction that was ultimately dropped in 1960. Antonio died of lung cancer in 1971.
Gaspare Magaddino :
The older brother of the Magaddinos, born in 1886. He had a very obscure youth in Castellammare but likely participated in the vendetta against the Buccellato family. He made his first trip to the United States in 1905, accompanied by several companions, and settled in Brooklyn. In 1910, he married Carmela Caroddo, whose sister would become the wife of Stefano Magaddino. At that time, he was a baker and worked at Vito "the king" Bonventre's business at 115 Roebling Street. Gaspare thus had evident ties to the Mafia members from Castellammare. In 1916, he was arrested in Belgium for illegal immigration and was sent back to the United States. Gaspare lived several more years in Castellammare and was a fisherman; his son was enrolled in a school to receive a Sicilian education. Gaspare returned in 1923 with an uncle, and they worked again for Vito Bonventre, who seemed ready to help them financially. He followed his brother Stefano to Denver, and they worked together in a cheese factory, probably the same one where Joe Bonanno would later invest.
Gaspare also took a long trip to Tunis, which had housed a large criminal network since the end of the 19th century. He founded a pottery factory that may have been used for money laundering. A nephew named Salvatore resided in Tinja and was captured during the Ethiopian War in 1936. Gaspare permanently returned to the United States in 1933, entrusting his son to Stefano Magaddino, and would join them in Niagara Falls. Gaspare was a member of his brother's organization as he was seen at several Mafia banquets. In 1940, he founded a beautiful bakery with a partner and died quietly in 1950.
Stefano "the undertaker" Magaddino :
.jpg)
Probably one of the most influential mobsters in the United States, he was born in 1891. His family had formed an alliance with the Bonventres and the Bonannos to counter the Mafia influence of the Buccellatos (the father of the Bonventre brothers had married an aunt of Stefano). In 1916, Pietro Magaddino, the older brother, was killed in the streets of Castellammare, shortly after the murder of Giovanni Buccellato. The clan was determined to avenge him by killing the perpetrator, Francesco Buccellato, but he was out of reach, so they decided to warn Stefano, who had previously migrated to the United States, to kill the other Buccellato brothers on the continent as well. This is how the Good Killers were formed in Brooklyn, and their first victim was Felice Buccellato in Detroit in March 1917, who was accompanied by his younger brother Giuseppe, who managed to flee the scene. Giuseppe Buccellato went to Brooklyn with an accomplice and killed two associates of the Good Killers. They were Antonio Mazzara and Antonino DiBenedetto, who were assassinated in Williamsburg in November; they were very influential members.
In 1921, the body of Camillo Caoizzo was found in New Jersey; he was one of the killers of Pietro Magaddino. The Good Killers had forced his close friend Bartolomeo Fontana to kill him during a walk in the woods, but Fontana quickly turned himself in to the police, claiming that a group of mobsters had forced him to kill his friend. Fontana arranged to meet Magaddino at a train station that was watched by multiple police officers, and Stefano was surrounded and beaten. He spent some time behind bars but quickly fled New York. When the Buffalo boss died in 1922, Stefano Magaddino was chosen to replace him. During Prohibition, the city was a strategic point between Canada and New York State, and the Magaddino family quickly became wealthy; they also controlled Ontario.
In April 1926, the boss of Castellammare, Salvatore Maranzano, attended a wedding in Buffalo with many other mobsters, including Magaddino. During the Castellammare War, Magaddino obviously allied with Maranzano against the "Capo Dei Capi," Giuseppe Masseria.
By the end of the conflict, Maranzano's power was also quickly overturned, and a new commission was established. Stefano Magaddino had his own seat by 1932. Smuggling was at the heart of Buffalo's activities, but some were not aligned with Magaddino, like the LoTempio brothers. They launched a bomb into Magaddino's son-in-law's house in 1936, killing his sister Arcangela Magaddino and seriously injuring his three daughters. Frank LoTempio was killed shortly after, and his brother Russell was seriously injured when a bomb hidden under his car exploded. During the 1940s, Magaddino was one of the bosses with the largest territory of influence, controlling nearly a dozen cities and part of Ontario. His underboss was the politician John C. Montana, who had nearly become a Democratic representative. Magaddino had the most politically connected mobster in the country (he reportedly had lunch with Richard Nixon).
Stefano Magaddino had a very reputable funeral home, where he held meetings with members of his organization. He also owned one of the largest beer distribution companies in Western New York, which he regularly used to transport drugs. In Ontario, he sent Sicilian mobsters from Buffalo to control the territory, including Santo Scibetta, who came from Racalmuto. One of John Montana's brothers-in-law came from that same city and was an Alfano (a powerful member of the Bonanno family named Nicolo Alfano was also from Racalmuto). Stefano Magaddino attended the Apalachin meeting, which was interrupted by the police, but he hid in a secret room of the property. His brother and son-in-law were arrested, as was John Montana, who died shortly after Joe Valachi's revelations.
During the early 1960s, the commission and especially Magaddino were in conflict with boss Joe Bonanno. In 1967, several close allies of Magaddino were convicted, and his influence weakened. He even pleaded poverty to his organization and increased profits from all activities. However, the police raided the following year at the home of Peter Magaddino, his son. They found nearly $500,000, which was far from a case of poverty. After this, a rebellious faction took control of the family, and Magaddino was sidelined in 1969. He died a few years later of a heart attack in 1973.
Filippo Mazzara :
A very important member, he was one of the leaders of the Castellammare Del Golfo community in Buffalo. His background is quite difficult to trace because newspapers often misspelled his name as "Mazzeri" or "Messara." Filippo was born in 1889 in Castellammare to a mother with the surname Palmeri. He migrated in 1907 and settled in Buffalo. In 1910, he married in the city, then a few years later joined his brother Antonio in Brooklyn. Antonio was killed by the Buccellato clan in 1917 as part of a long vendetta that had been ongoing for several decades. Mazzara returned to Buffalo and led the Castellammaresi in the city alongside Benedetto Palmeri. He was also very close to the Calabrian DeFusto family and participated in Anthony's anniversary with Giuseppe DiBenedetto. Mazzara founded a business with mobster Angelo Perna that controlled sugar distribution. This business allowed him to have influence in alcohol smuggling, as sugar was a key ingredient.
He partnered with the Mafia in Cleveland, which was led by Joseph Lonardo, but in 1927 an internal rebellion broke out, and Lonardo was killed in October. A few months later, Mazzara was assassinated while driving his car in the western part of the city. Two cars blocked his path and opened fire on him. His death is very likely related to Cleveland, as the Buffalo Mafia does not seem to have intervened after his murder. Another associate named Philip Livacoli would also be killed a few months later for similar reasons.
The first prominent figure of the Buffalo Mafia originating from Castellammare, he was born in 1878 and migrated in 1906 to New York to live with a cousin named Girolamo Russo. He quickly settled in Buffalo and married the cousin of Giuseppe DiCarlo's wife. His first arrest occurred in 1912 when he was captured during an illegal poker game, with Vincenzo Coppola (Endicott) also present. In 1915, he was arrested for robbing a store at gunpoint and paid bail. The following year, he became one of the founding members of the Castellammare Society, a mutual aid organization that was fully infiltrated by the Mafia. Palmeri's wife passed away that same year, and he organized her funeral with Giuseppe DiCarlo, who delivered a lengthy eulogy. He opened a saloon with DiCarlo, where his eldest son, who had tuberculosis, worked. During Prohibition, Benedetto was active in alcohol smuggling with his brother Paolino in Niagara Falls.
In 1920, they attended the funeral of merchant Francesco Rangatore, who had a lengthy criminal record (murder and extortion). Francesco wielded considerable influence and was likely a capo in DiCarlo's organization, which was also present. Newspapers noted that his father had been the mayor of Trabia, and a brother had been a member of the Italian parliament.
The following year, Palmeri was accused of murdering Emilio Gnazzo, a gambler who often borrowed money from him. His wife, present at the murder, initially identified Benedetto as the shooter, but strangely disappeared during the trial. No one could confirm that he was the shooter, and he was released. Giuseppe DiCarlo died from illness in 1922, and Palmeri temporarily settled in Buffalo to take over the organization until Stefano Magaddino was elected as chief. Interestingly, Palmeri continued to be active in the Vallelunga Society, DiCarlo's hometown, where he had long served as president.
Palmeri was one of many Italians naturalized in 1925, along with Sam Lovullo, who also had a lengthy criminal record. That same year, he made a significant donation to an Italian family that had lost their son to a vagrant. In 1926, he appeared on the guest list at the wedding of Lena DiBenedetto with her brother and the Castellammare mobsters. In 1928, police raided the back of a building on Oak Street and discovered large stills used for distilling alcohol; the lab's installation was valued at over $30,000, and Palmeri was cited during the investigation. During the Castellammare War, Benedetto was one of Maranzano's most important allies and was observed at several meetings in New York.
Suffering from severe health problems, Palmeri died in 1932 from a stroke while driving his car in Buffalo. According to newspapers, his funeral was the largest ever observed for an Italian-American citizen in the city.
The Palmeri family was closely linked to the mafias of Castellammare, with a relative of Philip Mazzara bearing this name. Paul, born in 1892, was close to Stefano Magaddino in his childhood. He immigrated in 1909 and settled in Manhattan, where his World War I draft card indicated he was a tailor and had his own shop. Palmeri was also close to the men from Palermo under Salvatore D'Aquila, which was not surprising since, at that time, the Buffalo mafia was a valuable ally of D'Aquila. Boss Giuseppe DiCarlo had connections with the Palermo boss, Pasquale Enea, who had married one of his aunts. In 1920, Palmeri moved to Niagara Falls to join his older brother Benedetto "Angelo," an influential mafia figure. Together, they became quite wealthy at the start of Prohibition, but Benedetto later had to move to Buffalo to reorganize the mafia after Giuseppe DiCarlo's death. To establish a legitimate business, Paolino opened a funeral home with his partner Alfred Panepinto, and they lived together in Batavia.
In 1929, he attended the funeral of James Speziale, who died violently in a car accident. Speziale was close to the Buffalo mafias, and among the pallbearers were Joe DiCarlo, Nicolo Longo, Antonino Magaddino, Sam Lovullo, and James Ancona (the husband of Lena DiBenedetto). His family was from Caltanissetta (Sicily), and Speziale appeared to be a smuggler between Canada and Niagara Falls, living in Ontario where he had even married.
In 1931, Palmeri was arrested again with four associates in Chicago for kidnapping, but due to a lack of evidence, they were released. Palmeri was in the company of Angelo Caruso, who had a leadership role during the Maranzano era and remained an important member of the Bonanno family throughout his life. In 1932, Palmeri was one of 14 suspects arrested in hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn in connection with the murder of Pittsburgh boss John Bazzano. Other arrestees included Sam DiCarlo, Albert Anastasia, Santo Volpe, and Giuseppe Traina, all photographed together. Palmeri then returned to Niagara Falls, becoming more discreet as he entered local politics. He was an active member of the "Castellammare Society," which brought together migrants from that city, and his brother had been one of the founding members of the organization.
In 1934, he was arrested for assaulting a police officer, which earned him a short prison sentence. However, the following year, he remained an influential member of the society and served as "toastmaster" for several events. In 1936, Palmeri was the director of the board of the Rex-Frontier Social Club, one of the main Republican clubs in the county. Stefano Magaddino was also a member, along with Samuel Rangatore. That same year, Magaddino's sister was murdered by the LoTempio brothers, and Alfred Panepinto was a brother-in-law of Palmeri. The Panepinto-Palmeri partnership in the funeral home was dissolved, and Panepinto hid before being found and killed in Batavia.
Paul Palmeri remained close to Magaddino and was seen with him at the 25th anniversary of the Castellammare Society. He also attended political meetings in Niagara Falls with lawyers and the mayor, but in 1941, he permanently left the city. This may have resulted from a conflict with Magaddino. Palmeri then settled in New Jersey, near Willie Moretti. Together, they established a smuggling operation, and Moretti's daughter married Palmeri's son. He continued to live in Passaic until his death in 1955.
Giuseppe "Don Peppe" Sottile :
A completely forgotten smuggler from Niagara Falls and Ontario, who was well-known in the underworld. Giuseppe was born in 1891 in Philadelphia, according to authorities, and his cousin, born in Castellammare, would become the future wife of Filippo Mazzara. In April 1921, he was arrested for attempting to flee the scene of a car accident he had caused, paying $500 in damages to the victim. At that time, he lived on Eleventh Street in Niagara Falls, just like the Palmeri brothers. A few months later, he was suspected of killing Salvatore Mancuso in a city taxi, but he was quickly released due to lack of evidence. Mancuso was likely a rival during Prohibition, as Sottile was one of the most active mobsters in Erie County. The following year, he was accused of conspiring to commit a large-scale alcohol theft from a famous railroad company with 34 associates. The value of the stolen goods was estimated at over $750,000, making it the largest alcohol-related theft attempt in Western New York. When Sottile was unable to pay his bail, he was placed in custody to be tried the following month.
He was heard from again in July 1924, possibly after a short prison stint. He was described as one of the leading Italian politicians in Niagara Falls, heading a gang of counterfeiters. Printing plates were found at his home, but in December, he was finally released. Sottile moved to Ontario, where he lived for several months. In July 1926, a warrant was issued for his arrest for homicide and connections to a smuggling alcohol network. The death was reported after the victim drank alcohol from Sottile, which was poisoned; I cannot confirm if it was intentional or due to poor distillation, but police noted 504 other similar deaths.
Sottile fled Toronto for Montreal, and police offered $2,000 for any information leading to his capture. Although he wanted to return to Niagara Falls and serve time in prison, a deportation procedure was initiated. This is why Sottile continued to hide, as we have no further information on him, not even a date of death.
A close associate of Philadelphia boss Salvatore Sabella, with whom he is related by marriage. Leonard was born in 1905 in Castellammare Del Golfo and emigrated with his family in 1912. I have read that he was a cousin of Stefano Magaddino, but I cannot confirm that. He settled in Philadelphia with his parents, and in 1919, his sister Maria married Salvatore Sabella. It is difficult to trace Leonardo's entire path as he almost exclusively used false names. In 1922, he was arrested under the alias "Ardo Galante" after stealing property from a residence; the police described him as a young gang leader. In the early 1930s, he was a well-known gold buyer in the city with his nephew, also named Leonard J. (Lucky) Galante, and together they made several trips to Canada. However, in 1934, they were arrested for violating a federal law regarding the sale of gold.
In 1936, Leonard hid in Ontario after murdering the racketeer Harry "Big Harry" Weidman in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. Harry was a suspect in the murder of gang leader Joseph F. Ford, whose real name was Giuseppe Iannuzzelli. He was a notorious gangster, and his brother "Petey" was suspected of the assassination of Mickey Duffy, a famous bootlegger in Pennsylvania.
Leonard Galante was found in Canada in 1936 under the name "Otto Gallante" and was extradited to the United States along with his nephew. The following year, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and incarcerated in the Eastern Penitentiary. In 1941, he petitioned the courts for a commutation of his sentence, insisting that Weidman was a bad guy who intimidated his loved ones. This appears to have worked, as he was free by 1944.
Described as the first boss of what would become the Philadelphia Mafia, Salvatore was born in 1892 to parents who were also cousins (both bearing the Sabella name). In Castellammare, he was an apprentice butcher, and according to some sources, he worked for a violent man who would often beat him. In 1908, he was convicted of murdering the butcher and was sent to prison in Milan for three years. Around 1912, he illegally migrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn with his sister and mother. According to his WWI card, he was indeed a butcher and was identified as a non-naturalized foreigner. During this time, he worked for his brother-in-law Matteo DiGregorio, who married Maria Sabella in 1916. Sabella was close to Salvatore D'Aquila, like many other members from Castellammare, and he was even designated to establish a borgata in Philadelphia. In 1919, he moved there and married Maria Galante, but their love does not seem to have lasted long, as he remarried another woman in New York a few months later. It is more likely that he had two wives simultaneously, as he continued to have children with Maria Galante until the late 1920s.
Sabella made many trips to New York to be trained in his new role; in Philadelphia, he invested in several businesses, including a café and a cheese company. In 1923, he was arrested for planting a bomb in a store, a method of intimidation quite common in the early days of organized crime. In 1925, he was among the suspects in the murder of Leo Lanzetta, a fierce gang leader who terrorized neighborhoods in Philadelphia with his brothers. Their father died in the electric chair, and their father-in-law was killed in a gang war.
In 1927, he participated in the murders of two rebels from his organization, and a witness provided enough evidence to indict Salvatore Sabella and several of his associates. By the end of the year, authorities realized that Sabella had illegally re-entered the United States, and he was deported.
His underboss, John "Big Nose" Avena, temporarily replaced him as the head of the Mafia, but in 1929, Sabella discreetly returned to New York. He participated in the Castellammare War alongside Salvatore Maranzano, but it is unclear what actions he took during that time. When Maranzano was also overthrown, Sabella lost prestige like many other mobsters who had been close to him. He was thus removed from his position in Philadelphia and began a rather honest life, making several trips to Italy. He also lived in Queens and Montgomery (Pennsylvania) while maintaining his job as a butcher. He passed away in 1962.
Barbara was born in 1905 to a mother with the surname Galante (which appears on his marriage certificate). He migrated around 1921 to join his older brother Carlo, who had settled in New York since 1914. Joseph also made many trips to Buffalo, but it seems he never lived there, often using his New York or Endicott address. He actively participated in the Castellammare War and was arrested for several murders, including that of Charles Calamara in January 1931. In August, he was seen in a sedan with Harlem mobsters, having just left the property of associate Santo Vultaggio (who was known as a major arms supplier and a capo in the Bonanno family).
In the early 1930s, Barbara lived in Old Forge, Pennsylvania; I don't think he belonged to the Buffalo Mafia but was rather under the influence of the Pittston one. In 1933, he lived in Endicott with many other Castellammare mobsters, and this city seemed connected to the Pittston Mafia. Barbara's property was already a meeting place for the underworld, particularly because he was one of the few mobsters with influence over multiple Mafia families (Pittston, New York, Buffalo, Detroit). That same year, gangster Samuel Wichner was summoned to Barbara's for diverting alcohol belonging to Santo Volpe (boss of Pittston). This would be the last time Samuel was seen alive; Volpe had to appear in court over the matter. In June, Barbara married Josephine Vivona, who was the aunt of Ignazio Cannone; some mobsters were seen by police at the wedding, including Joseph Genovese (married to Joe Bonanno), Joseph Pinto (Scranton), Angelo Polizzi (Detroit), and Pasquale Turrigiano.
In 1944, he acquired a large property in Apalachin, consisting of 23 acres, for the modest sum of $250,000. In July 1945, he was the director of a brand-new soft drink distribution company, with major shareholders including his wife, Charles Bufalino, and Angelo Polizzi. The following year, he was arrested for illegally purchasing 300,000 pounds of sugar and paid $5,000 in fines. It is believed that he was the capo of the Endicott crew at this time, and some think he succeeded boss John Sciandra upon his death in 1949. However, the Pittston Mafia has always been led by men from the village of Montedoro, bonded by marriage for centuries. It is therefore more likely that the boss was Russell Bufalino, whose surname had already been linked to the Montedoro Mafia since the late 19th century. Barbara continued to host Mafia meetings at his home, notably in 1956, where some members were seen by police (such as Carmine Galante or Joseph Bonanno).
The following year, the American Mafia had experienced new leadership, especially in New York with Vito Genovese and Carlo Gambino claiming Albert Anastasia's position. The meeting took place at Barbara's house and gathered the most influential mobsters in the country (around a hundred guests). However, the property was being surveilled by local police since Carmine Galante had been stopped while visiting under a false name and without a driver's license. An officer observed the large number of luxury cars and set up roadblocks around the property. Law enforcement entered the premises, creating a wave of panic among the bosses. Many fled through the woods but were caught. This Mafia meeting showcased to the nation that an international Mafia existed. Joseph Barbara was in the spotlight and was mistakenly described in newspapers as the boss of Pittston. His health deteriorated, and he died of a heart attack in 1959, with his funeral closely monitored by the press.
A well-connected member, although he was born in New York in 1925. His godfather was the mobster Natale Evola, his aunt was the wife of Joseph Barbara, and his uncle was Stefano Cannone, who would become Consigliere of the Bonanno family. Indeed, Ignazio's father was Diego (1901-1945), who was the older brother of Stefano (the second-to-last son of Ignazio Cannone Sr. (1870-1952)). He lived with his family for many years in New York on Elizabeth Street, just like Steve Cannone. In the early 1940s, he served in the military and returned to live next to his father. In 1947, he married Accursia Chiarello, and together they moved to Endicott. During this time, he worked in a restaurant, and in 1950 he struck a police officer who tried to arrest him while he was arguing with another Italian.
He eventually opened his own establishment, known for its pizza. Aside from this information, he kept a low profile until 1957. Early that year, he accidentally hit an 8-year-old girl who was walking on the sidewalk; fortunately, she survived. Cannone was one of the many mobsters arrested at the Apalachin meeting, but he was stopped at a checkpoint because he arrived late. He claimed he wanted to see Barbara to discuss business because his restaurant used soft drinks distributed by him.
In 1960, he was convicted by a grand jury to 3 years in prison for conspiracy to obstruct justice. After that, he returned to live in Brooklyn for a while, and we have no further news of him; he passed away in 2011.
Probably the leader of the mafia in Endicott before Joseph Barbara's arrival, Vincenzo was born in 1886 in Castellammare and immigrated in 1909 to join his father, Michele. His immigration document also mentions Antonio Buccellato. In 1914, he was arrested for carrying concealed weapons and spent 30 days in a New York prison, then again in 1919, but this time the sentence was harsher with 6 months of incarceration. In 1921, he married and was naturalized in Brooklyn the following year. His younger sister married the mobster Nicolo Gruppuso from Vita in 1923. In 1926, he also attended the wedding of Lena DiBenedetto to Salvatore Maranzano, where all the powerful members of the Castellammare faction were present.
Vincenzo was involved in Maranzano's bootlegging operation in the Wappingers Falls area and was also an active member during the conflict against Joe Masseria. In 1931, he was arrested with Santo Vultaggio, Joseph Barbara, Natale Evola, and his brother-in-law Nicolo Gruppuso for possession of firearms. When Maranzano was overthrown, some mobsters lost prestige, particularly in Newark. The leadership of the family was shaken when capo Louis Russo and underboss Saverio Monaco were found dead in a river. Monaco, who also hailed from Vita, was a cousin of Nicolo Gruppuso.
In 1932, Coppola was again arrested with Santo Vultaggio for a bootlegging case in Endicott. The police discovered a 1800-gallon still, one of the largest ever seized in the county. They each paid a $2000 bail and were released shortly thereafter. Arrests related to alcohol trafficking were common for Coppola, continuing until 1937. Given his lengthy criminal record, the police decided to investigate his 1922 naturalization to determine if it was possible to deport him from the country, without much success.
In 1935, his brother-in-law Nicolo Gruppuso was murdered in a bar in New York by two men. At that time, he was a member of the Bonanno family and may have been killed due to an internal conflict. Gruppuso knew the two men who killed him, as he started to stand up and extend his hand toward them. In the 1940s, Coppola was active in the Castellammare society of New York with his associates Carlo and Joseph Barbara, and he also had shares in their soda distribution business in Endicott. He possibly attended the Apalachin meeting but died the following year, remaining under the radar of law enforcement.
This member was born in 1890 to a mother with the surname Milazzo (linked to the godfather Gaspare Milazzo). What is even more surprising is that his wife was Vita Scibilia, whose sister also married Gaspare Milazzo. He immigrated in 1908 and settled in Brooklyn, where he was arrested in 1915 for illegal possession of a firearm. In 1917, he lived in Philadelphia with his brother Giovanni Guccia, and he also married in that city, suggesting that Milazzo was likely living there at that time. In 1919, he participated in gang wars in Detroit against the Giannola family and was arrested with the godfather John Vitale, who had recently taken power in the city. Guccia was accused of killing Pasquale D'Anna, the brother-in-law of Sam Giannola, who was also present. Guccia lived above John Vitale's store, indicating strong connections to the local mafia. Milazzo and his family moved to Detroit in the early 1920s, so the two men lived together for some time. In 1923, he robbed several establishments in New York and Binghamton. By around 1928, Guccia moved to Niagara Falls near Stefano Magaddino and became an active member of the Castellammare Society.
During Prohibition, he participated in bootlegging in New York State with his associate Giuseppe Sillinonte, who was the hidden cousin of Joe Bonanno. In 1932, Guccia killed the two Van Cise brothers at their isolated farm in Beeman Hollow. Guccia came with Giuseppe Sillinonte, his son, and Antonio Mistretta to steal from the property. When the brothers came out armed, Guccia reportedly shot impulsively. In 1936, they were all arrested when the case made headlines, but they ended up acquitted due to lack of evidence. This trial, which lasted several years, nonetheless confirmed that Guccia had ties to the Castellammaresi and was running bootlegging operations in the southwestern part of the state.
In the 1950s, he became more discreet, living in Endicott for some time and associating with Joe Barbara. He also had a business with the Catalano family (in-laws of Pasquale Turrigiano).
He was present at the Apalachin meeting and was the first to notice the police roadblocks around the property, prompting him to conduct rounds to observe. A police checkpoint stopped him, and Guccia claimed to be the fish supplier for the meeting at Barbara's. He didn't have time to arrive before the police entered Barbara's home and arrested over 60 mobsters/bosses. This event brought Guccia into the spotlight, and he had to appear before a grand jury in 1958. He claimed to be a fishmonger who had come to see if Barbara was interested in fish, but law enforcement was aware of his lengthy criminal record. Bartolo attended Joseph Barbara's funeral, where he was closely followed by journalists, yet he maintained a low profile until his death in 1978.
A discreet but very influential member, Pasquale is best known for attending the Apalachin meeting. He was born in 1906 in Castellammare and immigrated in 1923 to Endicott to join his brother Liborio "Benny." The latter was already a bootlegger with the Silinonte family and was convicted in 1927 for illegally producing whiskey in Throop (north of Scranton). Liborio escaped from prison with his associate Steve Silinonte (the son of Giuseppe), but they were quickly found; fortunately, they had been naturalized a few months earlier. Pasquale followed his brother into crime and organized lottery games with him in 1925, but the police raided their hideout, arresting eight individuals. Among those arrested were the Turrigiano brothers, Vincenzo "James" Coppola, and Joseph Catalano (his future brother-in-law).
The Catalano family also came from Castellammare, and Pasquale married Giuseppa in September 1927. By 1932, he was the director of a coal distribution company, possibly in partnership with the Pittston mobsters who controlled the miners' unions. However, in 1937 he declared bankruptcy to avoid paying his debts. Turrigiano was far from poor, as he founded a large company two years later that manufactured and sold macaroni. In reality, the business played an important economic role in the town, employing over 100 people and producing 5 tons per week. Some mobsters were also employees, including Vincenzo Coppola (a mixer) and Frank Vultaggio (a deliveryman).
Everything seemed to be going well with his prolific business, but Turrigiano did not abandon his illegal activities. In 1949, he was arrested by the police on Maine Road (north of Endicott) while loading contraband alcohol into a truck. Turrigiano operated a still in an old barn and had a stock of 1,200 gallons. He paid his $2,000 bail, and the police released him. His still was destroyed, and his alcohol was sold at auction. After that, Turrigiano became more discreet until the infamous meeting at Apalachin, where he was arrested by the police alongside the most powerful mobsters in the country. He justified his presence by saying he had come to visit Joseph Barbara because he was in poor health. Turrigiano had been seen with Capo Anthony Guarnieri, who was there "to bring shirts for Barbara." Turrigiano refused to answer questions from the grand jury and was sentenced to five years in prison. After that, there were no more updates on him, and he died in 1988.
Coming from a fully mob-connected family, this member was born in 1904. He was the son of mafioso Bartolomeo, who was a cousin of Santo Vultaggio. He immigrated as a baby with his father in 1906, and other residents of Castellammare were present on board, including Antonio Cannone (born in 1885). They lived in New York but the family also bought a property in Endicott. Bartolomeo engaged in alcohol smuggling during Prohibition with his son and friends in the city. He was arrested in 1930 after a clandestine still was discovered and spent several months in Atlanta prison.
Frank married Mary Vivona in 1927, who was the cousin of Joseph Barbara's wife. Between 1929 and 1938, he was arrested several times for alcohol smuggling, notably with his associate Pasquale Turrigiano. In the 1940s, he worked in Turrigiano's business and was one of his accomplices in the clandestine still on Maine Road. He remained rather discreet until his death in 1986.
.png)
Biaggio was born in 1893 to a mother with the surname Cusenza, and his cousins were members of the Detroit Mafia. Biaggo settled in Hamilton, Gratiot County (Michigan). In a 1920 census, he lived with Antonio Cusenza (1), born in Trapani, and a Giuseppe Bonventre. It's difficult to pinpoint Giuseppe’s origins because there are several individuals with the same name in Michigan. However, I found a Giuseppe who migrated to New York in 1910, whose age matches, and who had a father named Vito (just like Biaggio). Interestingly, he mentions Nicolo Maranzano as an uncle living in Brooklyn—although it’s probably not the same Maranzano, this connection is quite intriguing.
Biaggio moved to Flint shortly after to join his cousins, the Cusenzas. At that time, Antonio Cusenza (2) led a gang with his brother Paolo in "Little Italy." They were responsible for the murder of at least five Italians and employed Black Hand methods. In 1926, his brother Joseph Cusenza attended Lena DiBenedetto's wedding in Buffalo, along with Gaspare Milazzo and many Castellammaresi. In 1929, Antonio Cusenza was killed in a billiard hall while having lunch with associates in Detroit. His cousin Antonio Cusenza (1) was also present, according to the authorities. Shortly after the death of Sam Catalanotte (described as the most powerful underworld figure in Detroit) and the assassination of Milazzo, several men were arrested at Sam's residence. The police suspected a Mafia meeting to reorganize Catalanotte's gang. Among those arrested were Biaggio Bonventre, Joseph Catalanotte, and Joseph Amico.
Biaggio still lived in Flint and was well connected with other criminals in the city, like Gioacchino "Jack" Luppino, linked by marriage to the Vassallos, Paul and his brother Salvatore Vassallo, and Sam Ricca (from Mazara del Vallo, Trapani). In 1939, Biaggio was arrested with his associates in a burglary case; the gang was suspected of multiple robberies in Michigan, involving locksmith accomplices and even a policeman. Biaggio was held in Genesee County Jail, and some were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Biaggio, however, did not seem to remain in prison and escaped unscathed, unlike some of his associates, like Sam Ricca. In 1946, he was found dead on a deserted road near Flint, with four bullets to the head and neck. His wife, a Buffa, was questioned since she had dined with him earlier, but the police summoned some of his old criminal friends without much success. Since the early 1940s, Bonventre had been living in San Diego, California. His cousins also followed him and became capos in San Jose. Paul Vassallo also moved to California, near his cousin Salvatore Vassallo, who was connected by marriage to Nicolo Guastella (a Bonanno member who served as a liaison with California).
Biaggio passed away very discreetly in 1967. An Asaro, a historical family from Castellammare del Golfo, is listed as a witness on his death certificate.
I don’t have much to say about this man, but he was connected to the Mirabile brothers, who were very influential in Detroit. Ignazio was born in 1878 in Castellammare and immigrated to Detroit in 1903. His wife was a Labruzzo, whose family was also related by marriage to Joe Bonanno. When Ignazio Galante applied for his passport, Antonio Mirabile appeared on it and lived at the same address as his brother Pietro. As a reminder, Pietro Mirabile had been the dominant boss of the Detroit underworld, and Antonio would become the Capo in San Diego for the Los Angeles mafia family (he had a strong friendship with Joe Bonanno). Ignazio's influence remains mysterious, but it is interesting to mention him. He passed away on an unknown date.
A very important member who represented the Castellammaresi in Detroit. Gaspare was born in 1887 and immigrated to New York in 1906 to join his uncle. In 1914, he married Rosaria Scibilia, and his witness was the mobster Salvatore Ruffino. At that time, he lived on Roebling Street in Williamsburg, the central neighborhood of the Castellammaresi (Stefano Magaddino also resided there at the same time). In 1920, he was noted to be living in Philadelphia, probably in the presence of Salvatore Sabella and Bartolo Guccia. In 1921, Stefano Magaddino was actively participating in the vendetta against the Buccellatos; Gaspare Milazzo and he were ambushed in Brooklyn. Fortunately, they managed to escape, but several bystanders were injured in the shootout.
Around 1925, Milazzo moved to Detroit and opened a store to cover his illegal activities. He made several trips to Sicily, notably with his associate Leonardo Mistretta. Milazzo had many allies in Detroit, including Joseph Zerilli and Dominic Corrado, whose son later married one of Milazzo's daughters. He was therefore influential. Gaspare was associated with the gang leader Salvatore Catalanotte, also from the province of Trapani. However, when Catalanotte died of pneumonia in February 1930, it is possible that Milazzo took over the leadership of his Trapani gang. Joseph Catalanotte (the deceased's brother) would have been inclined to take over the leadership role and supported the rival Cesare "Chester" Lamare in his rise to power. Lamare also had the approval of Capo Dei Capi Joe Masseria in expanding his territory.
Chester Lamare decided to deal with his rivals by summoning them to a meeting at a fish market. Milazzo and his bodyguard Sam Parrino were the only ones to attend, but they probably shouldn’t have. Both were shot dead in May 1930, and this news did not please the mobsters in Detroit or the Castellammaresi. This undoubtedly accelerated the outbreak of the Castellammare war against Joe Masseria. Milazzo's assassination was not at all strategic, as Chester Lamare was unable to compete with the other bosses in Detroit; he was forced to hide in several towns before being killed by one of his own bodyguards.
A small exception, as this member is said to have never gone to the United States according to the justice system (though I am almost sure he is in the wedding photo of his daughter), but he was very connected to Detroit. Vito was born in 1885 to a mother with the last name Ciaravino, just like the DiGregorio brothers and the Magaddino family. His criminal record dates back to 1918 and includes convictions for illegal prostitution, bootlegging, murder, and drug trafficking. Vitale frequented many mobsters involved in drugs, such as Frank Coppola and John Priziola (who were closely linked to Detroit) and the Mancuso brothers. The justice system described him as one of the main Sicilian mobsters connected to the American Cosa Nostra.
His son, Michelangelo Vitale, was a member of the Mafia in New York; Joe Valachi identified him as belonging to Joe Profaci's organization, but this is most likely an error. In fact, Valachi made mistakes about several members, and Vitale was almost certainly with his associates in the Joe Bonanno family.
Vito's daughter married Raffaele Quasarano, who was part of John Priziola's team in Detroit. He is also listed as an international drug trafficker who regularly sent large sums of money to Vitale in Italy. His son Michelangelo married a Domingo, further consolidating their ties to the clan. Moreover, Valachi's charts indicate that Michelangelo died in the early 1960s in Italy, but this is completely false; he actually passed away in 1994. Thus, Vito Vitale was very close to the mobsters in Detroit and died of natural causes in 1961.
During the "Banana War," Gaspare Magaddino moved to New York to assist Joe Bonanno in his power struggle. Gaspare was Stefano's cousin and the boss of Castellammare Del Golfo. After committing several murders in the city, he hid in DiGirolamo's summer home in Wyandanch. Vincent was also tasked with protecting Bonanno's two sons during their stay in San Jose and would provide a job for Bill Bonanno in his establishment. DiGirolamo participated in the plot to kill Frank DeSimone, the boss of Los Angeles. He was seen several times with Frank Bompensiero, likely trying to convince him to overthrow his superior, knowing that there was general dissatisfaction with his leadership. However, DiGirolamo eventually grew tired of waiting for Bill to organize a rebellion, knowing that he had been locked up for violating his parole and that Joe Bonanno was holed up in Arizona.
DiGirolamo continued his activities in California and was close to Tony Spilotro's group. In 1977, he was even arrested for being suspected of participating in a robbery of over $750,000 with them. Authorities discovered that DiGirolamo had interests in a renovation business with criminals Chris Petti and Robert Benowitz. After this incident, DiGirolamo became more discreet and passed away in November 1994 in Sacramento.
Once again, there's not much to say about this member since he has no criminal record. Prospect was born in 1923; he was the son of the Castellammare mafioso Vito Mule, known for being very close to Joe Bonanno. Prospect grew up in New York and worked in his father's business. During World War II, he went to France to fight. In November 1943, he was seriously injured by a shell fragment and had to be treated for eight months. In the early 1960s, he moved to San Jose, likely on his father's orders, who was in Arizona with Joe Bonanno. Other than that, we have no further information about him; he passed away in 1996.
I hope you enjoyed the article and that it shed some light on the connections of the Castellammaresi across the country. I’ve tried to mention lesser-known members such as Carlo Barbara and Simone Borruso. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of the members or if you think you’ve spotted an error. Thank you for reading, and see you soon !
-------------------------
Article written by Thibaut Maïquès aka Harry Horowitz.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire