New York Has Five Families, But New Jersey Had More
In 2002, South Philadelphia mob associate John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto wanted to join one of New York's Five Families, the Gambino crime family. He appeared to have an "in": he'd met the family's acting boss while in prison.
But Johnny Gongs never left Philly's mean streets (probably because he liked the ladies too much, especially married ones; in fact, he reputedly banged one mob wife too many).
Johnny Gongs 2003 murder remains unsolved.
Former Gambino associate John Alite told authorities he had met with Casasanto several times after Casasanto came home from prison in 2002. According to Casasanto, John A. (Junior) Gotti wanted Alite to bring him to New York "to introduce him to a couple of guys . . . to get him straightened out," Alite testified.
But Alite said he didn't go along with the program. "I met with him after that and I said, 'Johnny, you'll get killed in New York. Every corner there's guys, not like in Philly where there's only one crew. And they fight each other all the time.'
"He was a wild kid . . . and he didn't understand the life, not New York gangster life. He might have understood the mob life in Philly. It's a big difference.'"
New York has always been a big difference when it comes to the mob; it's like Washington DC to politicos. It's the only area of the country where more than one family "legitimately" shares territory. As most know, Five Families inhabit New York City's five boroughs.
Chicago has the Outfit; Cleveland, Philadelphia and most American regions in which the Mafia had/has a presence in is traditionally in the form of a single family.
Many families outside New York don't have formal names -- or at least not presently. The Philadelphia family, for example, was never known as, say, the Ligambi family, an insider told us. But back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was called the Bruno family, in honor of Angelo Bruno, the Sicilian-American boss of the family who had had close ties to one of the most powerful Cosa Nostra bosses of all time, Carlo Gambino.
Bruno -- born Angelo Annaloro -- was, like the current boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, a relatively peaceful man, called "The Gentle Don." He ran the Philly mob from 1959 until his death in 1980. His reign is viewed as the Philly family's golden age. It ended when the Philly underboss got big ideas with a shotgun.
However, back in the 1980s, New Jersey had New York beat: upwards of seven crime families vied for turf in the Garden City. (Source: "Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi," Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, 100th Congress, Second Session, US Government Printing Office, Washington: 1988, pp. 717-731)
Obviously the difference is New York's Five Families were formally arranged in 1931 as per a truce ending a mob war.
The formation of New Jersey's only homegrown crime family is unclear. A crime family was known to operate in New Jersey as far back as 1900. In 1931, Steven Badami was said to be the boss. However, that same year, Philip (Big Phil) Amari, also has been credited with starting the family.
Whatever the case, it eventually came to be called the DeCavalcante crime family.
By the time of the 1988 report:
DeCavalcante/Riggi Crime Organization
The DeCavalcante/Riggi criminal organization is relatively small, consisting of approximately 50 "made" members and 80 associates. The hub of this group's operations is the City of Elizabeth, in Union County in Northern New Jersey. Its most notorious leader, Simon -- Sam the Plumber -- DeCavalcante is in retirement in Dade County, Florida. John M. Riggi now heads that enterprise, whose illegal ventures include gambling, bookmaking, loansharking, narcotics, pornography production and distribution, extortion, labor racketeering, transport and dumping of toxic waste, official corruption, and conspiracies involving casino junkets and the recording industry. The geographic reach of this organization extends from southwestern Connecticut through areas of metropolitan New York and into Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, the organization is most active in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean in the north and central parts of our State.
The greatest threat of Riggi's operation is its control of Laborers Union Local 394, a primary tool for manipulating labor and extorting contractors. Because of this gang's power to provide or withdraw essential labor at construction projects, contractors generally comply with any Riggi requests to utilize certain organized crime-favored companies for trucking, concrete, lumber, scaffolding, sand and gravel, dirt and garbage removal, landscaping, plumbing, and electrical work, which results in higher costs than customary for such work.
The State Commission of Investigation confirmed during a 1981-1982 investigation that this criminal enterprise maintains cooperative relationships with the LCN groups in New York City. It also should be noted that Riggi met with Gambino family boss Paul Castellano in December 1985, on the very day Castellano was assassinated in New York City.
Bruno/Scarfo Organization
The Bruno/Scarfo crime organization, comprised of about 60 members and 250 associates, is in a state of disarray and deteriorating influence due to the inept but bloodthirsty leadership of boss Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo. Scarfo's violence contrasts sharply with the more placid style of former boss Angelo Bruno, who was aptly known as the "Docile Don."
Scarfo's reign is dangerously threatened because Caporegime Thomas DelGiorno and soldier Nicholas Caramandi are cooperating with law enforcement authorities. At present, the organization's most influential members are incarcerated. As a result, Scarfo is almost certain to be replaced as boss soon. Potential successors are Albert (Reds) Pontani, a soldier from Mercer County, recently indicted for drug distribution and RICO offenses; Pasquale (Patty Specs) Martirano, a North Jersey capo, and Joseph (Chickie) Ciancaglini from Philadelphia. The weakened Scarfo organization may even be absorbed by such other LCN families as the Gambino/Gotti or Genovese/Gigante organizations.
The Scarfo organization is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of drugs, extortion, loansharking, illicit gambling, labor racketeering, political corruption -- and murder. It maintains interests in several legitimate industries such as vending, restaurants, bars, trucking, boxing promotion, and construction. Its area of control is Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. It also has members in the Northern New Jersey counties of Union and Essex.
Gambino/Gotti Crime Organization
The largest and most influential criminal organization in the greater New York metropolitan area, this criminal enterprise consists of approximately 300 members and 650 associates. Led by John Gotti, its influence extends from New York City to California and Florida. The Gambino organization's presence is felt throughout New Jersey. In Northern New Jersey, this group engages in gambling, hijacking, fencing, extortion, loansharking, and narcotics. Until recently, law enforcement authorities believed that a group operating in South Jersey was a faction of the Gambino/Gotti organization. While the principal members of this group had a blood relationship to Carlo Gambino, they also were an integral part of the Sicilian Mafia. Their primary criminal activities, heroin and alien smuggling, were conducted with approval of the American Gambino organization in exchange for a percentage of the profits. However, their major allegiance was to the Sicilian Mafia group in Palermo.
In the early 1960s, the Gambino organization established an amicable relationship with the Bruno regime in Philadelphia. There is speculation that this working relationship could evolve into control of the Scarfo organization, particularly if Scarfo is convicted and incarcerated for the numerous murders he is alleged to have ordered, approved, or committed.
Genovese/Gigante Organized Crime Organization
The most dominant traditional criminal organization affecting New Jersey is the Genovese/Gigante enterprise and its 275 members, supported by 600 associates. There are approximately 40 members and 70 associates who reside in New Jersey. This criminal network's illicit activities include illegal gambling, narcotics distribution, loansharking, extortion, money laundering, labor racketeering, anti–trust violations, and the infiltration of legitimate businesses.
With the incarceration of Anthony (Fat Tony) Salerno, this gang's leader now is Vincent (The Chin) Gigante. He is engaged in labor racketeering on the Hudson County waterfront through his subordinate, John DiGilio, a prominent soldier in Bayonne, New Jersey. Caporegimes Andrew Gerardo, Louis (Streaky) Gatto, Giuseppe (Pepe) Sabato, and DiGilio are the dominant members of the Genovese organization in New Jersey, and their criminal activities reach from North Jersey down to portions of Ocean and Atlantic counties. The Genovese organization's major threat is its influence over waterfront operations through labor unions, its ability to foment- political corruption, and its incursion of legitimate enterprises.
Bonanno/Rastelli Organization
The Bonanno/Rastelli network consists of approximately 100 members and 375 associates. Its former leader, Joseph Bonanno, is in retirement in California. The organization's most recently recognized boss, Philip Rastelli, was sentenced to 12 years in Federal prison in January, 1987, for directing a labor racketeering conspiracy through control of Teamsters Local 814 for more than 21 years. Because of his prison term and failing health, Rastelli is viewed as losing ground in the organization. Furthermore, Joseph Massino, the underboss of this enterprise, was also convicted on racketeering charges in the same conspiracy involving the Local 814 moving and storage union. Consigliere Anthony Spero now appears to be the Acting Boss, running the street operations for the organization. Spero is one of 16 defendants named in a civil racketeering complaint charging the Bonanno/Rastelli organization with using legitimate businesses to conduct criminal activities. The civil suit, filed by Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Maloney in August of 1987, seeks $1 million in damages. Another defendant is Gabriel Infanti of Bloomfield in New Jersey. On December 22, 1987, Infanti was reported missing and is presumed dead. He manages a lucrative gambling network out of East 4th Street in New York City.
Before the death of Caporegime Joseph Zicarelli in 1983, the Bonanno organization operated an extensive gambling network in Northern New Jersey, which has since been taken over by elements of the Genovese and Jose Battle criminal groups. The Bonanno organization's recent criminal interests also have focused on junket scams to Atlantic City casinos. Caporegime Charles Musillo awaits trial on charges relating to these scams.
Although the Bonanno/Rastelli outfit conducts most of its operations in the greater New York area, its threat to New Jersey centers on the expansion of illicit gambling and scams involving the casino industry in Atlantic City and on money laundering and narcotics smuggling as a result of US relationship with the Sicilian Mafia.
Lucchese/Corallo Crime Organizations
Compared to most organized crime organizations affecting New Jersey, the Lucchese faction is small in numbers. Its lucrative gambling and narcotics operations have enlarged the influence of its 100 members and several hundred criminal associates. Criminal operations in New, Jersey are under the supervision of Anthony Accetturo and Joseph Abate, both caporegimes, and soldier Michael Taccetta. Accetturo has been exerting his influence in absentia since 1971, when he fled New Jersey, to avoid a subpoena issued by the State Commission of Investigation. Since then, Taccetta has served as Accetturo's coordinator.
Criminal activities directed in New Jersey by the Lucchese/Corallo gang include illegal gambling, loansharking, narcotics trafficking, fraud, cigarette smuggling, extortion, horse race fixing, pornography, and stolen property, mostly in New Jersey. Accetturo and Taccetta have served as principal operatives in smuggling and distributing narcotics out of South America and the Caribbean into Florida and ultimately into New Jersey and New York.
Currently, the entire Lucchese/Corallo hierarchy is in prison or under Federal indictment. Also, 21 of its members and associates have been charged with operating a racketeering empire. If these individuals are convicted, the Accetturo/Taccetta network would become vulnerable to a takeover, most probably by the Genovese or Gambino organizations.
Colombo/Persico Crime Organization
The Colombo/Persico organization, once one of the more powerful of the five major New York LCN enterprises, now is in disarray due to Federal and State prosecutions and poor leadership. With 120 members and 450 associates, the organization is led by the jailed Carmine Persico through Victor Orena, a caporegime.
Revenues from illicit gambling and loansharking activities finance this group's incursion of legitimate industries. Additionally, the organization is involved in arson, extortion, and labor racketeering.
Atlantic City, An Open City
Atlantic City has been controlled by the Philadelphia-based La Cosa Nostra organization now headed by Nicodemo Scarfo. The legalization of casino gambling in November, 1976, rejuvenated a sluggish market-for LCN criminal activities.
The LCN's National Commission declared Atlantic City an open city with the advent of casino gambling. An open city means that any other LCN organization crime group may operate there, but must first touch base with the Scarfo organization as a matter of courtesy and to prevent interference with another LCN activity.
Almost all of the vice activity in the Atlantic City area, such as loansharking, labor racketeering, gambling, narcotics, extortion, corruption, has been controlled by the Scarfo gang. Other LCN groups that have been involved in Atlantic City include the Lucchese/Corallo and the DeCavalcante/Riggi organizations (real estate purchases and junket enterprises); La Rocca LCN organization in Pittsburgh (gambling junkets); and the Bufalino LCN (providing gamblers to various junket companies).
At one time, Michael Insalaco, a member of the Bufalino LCN, was the only known LCN member to be licensed as a junket operator by New Jersey's Casino Control Commission. Ultimately, after an investigation, Insalaco's license was revoked, and his firm, Tiffany Group Tours, LTD., of Easton, Pennsylvania, was placed on a blacklist by the Casino Control Commission as an entity prohibited from doing business with a casino.
Shortly after New Jersey's voters approved of casino gambling, Paul Volpe, an organized crime figure from Toronto, Canada, and his cousin Angelo Pucci, began purchasing real estate in the Atlantic City area via several corporate entities. An investigation conducted in New Jersey and in Canada confirmed that Pucci was acting as a "front" for Volpe. During November, 1983, Volpe was found slain in the trunk of his wife's car in Canada. It is surmised that Volpe was killed on orders of Toronto's gang boss, Remo Commisso, because Volpe had been cheating Commisso on real estate as well as in narcotics transactions. In December, 1983, Pucci was indicted by the New Jersey State Grand Jury for fraud and failure to file individual and corporate tax returns. Pucci pled guilty to lesser charges and was placed on probation and fined. He currently resides in Margate, New Jersey, and has built condominiums in nearby Brigantine. Ironically, the concrete work at the condominium project was provided by Scarf, Inc., a construction firm operated by underboss Philip Leonetti, the nephew of Nicky Scarfo.
But overall, in the 1980s. New Jersey prosecutors decided it was really the Luchese family that held sway. Strong guys like Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo and Michael Taccetta oversaw an affluent, well-organized machine that spun dollars off of rackets in places like upscale Bergen County, the heavily commercialized Essex, Morris, Passaic and Union counties, as well as the bucolic Sussex County.
The Lucheses also were expanding into the beachfront communities of Ocean and Monmouth Counties, and even Atlantic City. They were the power -- which also made them the target.
In 1987, Accetturo, Taccetta and the Luchese crew in New Jersey went on trial for narcotics and racketeering charges. One of the longest trials in U.S. history, it produced a not guilty on all counts verdict.
The trial had been fixed, it was later learned. When the Lucheses got word that the nephew of a New Jersey capo was on the jury, they paid him $100,000 to vote for acquittal. During the RICO trial, however, the relationship between Accetturo and Taccetta deteriorated into an outright power struggle.
Maybe this is why no one can agree on which crime family David Chase based the Sopranos on. He had seven to choose from, and probably found a little inspiration from each.
Current bosses
Historical Territories
The Five Families operate throughout the New York Metropolitan area, but mainly within New York City's five boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Criminal rackets in Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) and the counties of Westchester, Rockland and Albany also have been expanded.
But Johnny Gongs never left Philly's mean streets (probably because he liked the ladies too much, especially married ones; in fact, he reputedly banged one mob wife too many).
Johnny Gongs 2003 murder remains unsolved.
But Alite said he didn't go along with the program. "I met with him after that and I said, 'Johnny, you'll get killed in New York. Every corner there's guys, not like in Philly where there's only one crew. And they fight each other all the time.'
"He was a wild kid . . . and he didn't understand the life, not New York gangster life. He might have understood the mob life in Philly. It's a big difference.'"
New York has always been a big difference when it comes to the mob; it's like Washington DC to politicos. It's the only area of the country where more than one family "legitimately" shares territory. As most know, Five Families inhabit New York City's five boroughs.
Chicago has the Outfit; Cleveland, Philadelphia and most American regions in which the Mafia had/has a presence in is traditionally in the form of a single family.
Many families outside New York don't have formal names -- or at least not presently. The Philadelphia family, for example, was never known as, say, the Ligambi family, an insider told us. But back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was called the Bruno family, in honor of Angelo Bruno, the Sicilian-American boss of the family who had had close ties to one of the most powerful Cosa Nostra bosses of all time, Carlo Gambino.
Bruno -- born Angelo Annaloro -- was, like the current boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, a relatively peaceful man, called "The Gentle Don." He ran the Philly mob from 1959 until his death in 1980. His reign is viewed as the Philly family's golden age. It ended when the Philly underboss got big ideas with a shotgun.
However, back in the 1980s, New Jersey had New York beat: upwards of seven crime families vied for turf in the Garden City. (Source: "Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi," Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, 100th Congress, Second Session, US Government Printing Office, Washington: 1988, pp. 717-731)
Obviously the difference is New York's Five Families were formally arranged in 1931 as per a truce ending a mob war.
The formation of New Jersey's only homegrown crime family is unclear. A crime family was known to operate in New Jersey as far back as 1900. In 1931, Steven Badami was said to be the boss. However, that same year, Philip (Big Phil) Amari, also has been credited with starting the family.
Whatever the case, it eventually came to be called the DeCavalcante crime family.
By the time of the 1988 report:
"...[T]he Mafia has been severely weakened in our region ... almost half of the Bruno/Scarfo gang under the jail house leadership of Nicodemo Scarfo of Atlantic City is under indictment or facing criminal charges. The DeCavalcante/Riggi group of North Central New Jersey is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's office, and the F.B.I. only recently raided the long invulnerable Riggi's labor union headquarters," said James R. Zazzali, then-Commissioner, New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.
"Currently, at least 29 organized criminal organizations are operating in our State. Interestingly, only seven of these are Mafia gangs, while more than a score are the non-traditional criminal types..."
Zazzali then offered the following outline of the other Mafia families in New Jersey in 1983.
The DeCavalcante/Riggi criminal organization is relatively small, consisting of approximately 50 "made" members and 80 associates. The hub of this group's operations is the City of Elizabeth, in Union County in Northern New Jersey. Its most notorious leader, Simon -- Sam the Plumber -- DeCavalcante is in retirement in Dade County, Florida. John M. Riggi now heads that enterprise, whose illegal ventures include gambling, bookmaking, loansharking, narcotics, pornography production and distribution, extortion, labor racketeering, transport and dumping of toxic waste, official corruption, and conspiracies involving casino junkets and the recording industry. The geographic reach of this organization extends from southwestern Connecticut through areas of metropolitan New York and into Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, the organization is most active in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean in the north and central parts of our State.
The greatest threat of Riggi's operation is its control of Laborers Union Local 394, a primary tool for manipulating labor and extorting contractors. Because of this gang's power to provide or withdraw essential labor at construction projects, contractors generally comply with any Riggi requests to utilize certain organized crime-favored companies for trucking, concrete, lumber, scaffolding, sand and gravel, dirt and garbage removal, landscaping, plumbing, and electrical work, which results in higher costs than customary for such work.
The State Commission of Investigation confirmed during a 1981-1982 investigation that this criminal enterprise maintains cooperative relationships with the LCN groups in New York City. It also should be noted that Riggi met with Gambino family boss Paul Castellano in December 1985, on the very day Castellano was assassinated in New York City.
Bruno/Scarfo Organization
The Bruno/Scarfo crime organization, comprised of about 60 members and 250 associates, is in a state of disarray and deteriorating influence due to the inept but bloodthirsty leadership of boss Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo. Scarfo's violence contrasts sharply with the more placid style of former boss Angelo Bruno, who was aptly known as the "Docile Don."
Scarfo's reign is dangerously threatened because Caporegime Thomas DelGiorno and soldier Nicholas Caramandi are cooperating with law enforcement authorities. At present, the organization's most influential members are incarcerated. As a result, Scarfo is almost certain to be replaced as boss soon. Potential successors are Albert (Reds) Pontani, a soldier from Mercer County, recently indicted for drug distribution and RICO offenses; Pasquale (Patty Specs) Martirano, a North Jersey capo, and Joseph (Chickie) Ciancaglini from Philadelphia. The weakened Scarfo organization may even be absorbed by such other LCN families as the Gambino/Gotti or Genovese/Gigante organizations.
The Scarfo organization is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of drugs, extortion, loansharking, illicit gambling, labor racketeering, political corruption -- and murder. It maintains interests in several legitimate industries such as vending, restaurants, bars, trucking, boxing promotion, and construction. Its area of control is Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. It also has members in the Northern New Jersey counties of Union and Essex.
Gambino/Gotti Crime Organization
The largest and most influential criminal organization in the greater New York metropolitan area, this criminal enterprise consists of approximately 300 members and 650 associates. Led by John Gotti, its influence extends from New York City to California and Florida. The Gambino organization's presence is felt throughout New Jersey. In Northern New Jersey, this group engages in gambling, hijacking, fencing, extortion, loansharking, and narcotics. Until recently, law enforcement authorities believed that a group operating in South Jersey was a faction of the Gambino/Gotti organization. While the principal members of this group had a blood relationship to Carlo Gambino, they also were an integral part of the Sicilian Mafia. Their primary criminal activities, heroin and alien smuggling, were conducted with approval of the American Gambino organization in exchange for a percentage of the profits. However, their major allegiance was to the Sicilian Mafia group in Palermo.
In the early 1960s, the Gambino organization established an amicable relationship with the Bruno regime in Philadelphia. There is speculation that this working relationship could evolve into control of the Scarfo organization, particularly if Scarfo is convicted and incarcerated for the numerous murders he is alleged to have ordered, approved, or committed.
Genovese/Gigante Organized Crime Organization
The most dominant traditional criminal organization affecting New Jersey is the Genovese/Gigante enterprise and its 275 members, supported by 600 associates. There are approximately 40 members and 70 associates who reside in New Jersey. This criminal network's illicit activities include illegal gambling, narcotics distribution, loansharking, extortion, money laundering, labor racketeering, anti–trust violations, and the infiltration of legitimate businesses.
With the incarceration of Anthony (Fat Tony) Salerno, this gang's leader now is Vincent (The Chin) Gigante. He is engaged in labor racketeering on the Hudson County waterfront through his subordinate, John DiGilio, a prominent soldier in Bayonne, New Jersey. Caporegimes Andrew Gerardo, Louis (Streaky) Gatto, Giuseppe (Pepe) Sabato, and DiGilio are the dominant members of the Genovese organization in New Jersey, and their criminal activities reach from North Jersey down to portions of Ocean and Atlantic counties. The Genovese organization's major threat is its influence over waterfront operations through labor unions, its ability to foment- political corruption, and its incursion of legitimate enterprises.
Bonanno/Rastelli Organization
The Bonanno/Rastelli network consists of approximately 100 members and 375 associates. Its former leader, Joseph Bonanno, is in retirement in California. The organization's most recently recognized boss, Philip Rastelli, was sentenced to 12 years in Federal prison in January, 1987, for directing a labor racketeering conspiracy through control of Teamsters Local 814 for more than 21 years. Because of his prison term and failing health, Rastelli is viewed as losing ground in the organization. Furthermore, Joseph Massino, the underboss of this enterprise, was also convicted on racketeering charges in the same conspiracy involving the Local 814 moving and storage union. Consigliere Anthony Spero now appears to be the Acting Boss, running the street operations for the organization. Spero is one of 16 defendants named in a civil racketeering complaint charging the Bonanno/Rastelli organization with using legitimate businesses to conduct criminal activities. The civil suit, filed by Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Maloney in August of 1987, seeks $1 million in damages. Another defendant is Gabriel Infanti of Bloomfield in New Jersey. On December 22, 1987, Infanti was reported missing and is presumed dead. He manages a lucrative gambling network out of East 4th Street in New York City.
Before the death of Caporegime Joseph Zicarelli in 1983, the Bonanno organization operated an extensive gambling network in Northern New Jersey, which has since been taken over by elements of the Genovese and Jose Battle criminal groups. The Bonanno organization's recent criminal interests also have focused on junket scams to Atlantic City casinos. Caporegime Charles Musillo awaits trial on charges relating to these scams.
Although the Bonanno/Rastelli outfit conducts most of its operations in the greater New York area, its threat to New Jersey centers on the expansion of illicit gambling and scams involving the casino industry in Atlantic City and on money laundering and narcotics smuggling as a result of US relationship with the Sicilian Mafia.
Lucchese/Corallo Crime Organizations
Compared to most organized crime organizations affecting New Jersey, the Lucchese faction is small in numbers. Its lucrative gambling and narcotics operations have enlarged the influence of its 100 members and several hundred criminal associates. Criminal operations in New, Jersey are under the supervision of Anthony Accetturo and Joseph Abate, both caporegimes, and soldier Michael Taccetta. Accetturo has been exerting his influence in absentia since 1971, when he fled New Jersey, to avoid a subpoena issued by the State Commission of Investigation. Since then, Taccetta has served as Accetturo's coordinator.
Criminal activities directed in New Jersey by the Lucchese/Corallo gang include illegal gambling, loansharking, narcotics trafficking, fraud, cigarette smuggling, extortion, horse race fixing, pornography, and stolen property, mostly in New Jersey. Accetturo and Taccetta have served as principal operatives in smuggling and distributing narcotics out of South America and the Caribbean into Florida and ultimately into New Jersey and New York.
Currently, the entire Lucchese/Corallo hierarchy is in prison or under Federal indictment. Also, 21 of its members and associates have been charged with operating a racketeering empire. If these individuals are convicted, the Accetturo/Taccetta network would become vulnerable to a takeover, most probably by the Genovese or Gambino organizations.
Colombo/Persico Crime Organization
The Colombo/Persico organization, once one of the more powerful of the five major New York LCN enterprises, now is in disarray due to Federal and State prosecutions and poor leadership. With 120 members and 450 associates, the organization is led by the jailed Carmine Persico through Victor Orena, a caporegime.
Revenues from illicit gambling and loansharking activities finance this group's incursion of legitimate industries. Additionally, the organization is involved in arson, extortion, and labor racketeering.
Atlantic City, An Open City
Atlantic City has been controlled by the Philadelphia-based La Cosa Nostra organization now headed by Nicodemo Scarfo. The legalization of casino gambling in November, 1976, rejuvenated a sluggish market-for LCN criminal activities.
The LCN's National Commission declared Atlantic City an open city with the advent of casino gambling. An open city means that any other LCN organization crime group may operate there, but must first touch base with the Scarfo organization as a matter of courtesy and to prevent interference with another LCN activity.
Almost all of the vice activity in the Atlantic City area, such as loansharking, labor racketeering, gambling, narcotics, extortion, corruption, has been controlled by the Scarfo gang. Other LCN groups that have been involved in Atlantic City include the Lucchese/Corallo and the DeCavalcante/Riggi organizations (real estate purchases and junket enterprises); La Rocca LCN organization in Pittsburgh (gambling junkets); and the Bufalino LCN (providing gamblers to various junket companies).
At one time, Michael Insalaco, a member of the Bufalino LCN, was the only known LCN member to be licensed as a junket operator by New Jersey's Casino Control Commission. Ultimately, after an investigation, Insalaco's license was revoked, and his firm, Tiffany Group Tours, LTD., of Easton, Pennsylvania, was placed on a blacklist by the Casino Control Commission as an entity prohibited from doing business with a casino.
Shortly after New Jersey's voters approved of casino gambling, Paul Volpe, an organized crime figure from Toronto, Canada, and his cousin Angelo Pucci, began purchasing real estate in the Atlantic City area via several corporate entities. An investigation conducted in New Jersey and in Canada confirmed that Pucci was acting as a "front" for Volpe. During November, 1983, Volpe was found slain in the trunk of his wife's car in Canada. It is surmised that Volpe was killed on orders of Toronto's gang boss, Remo Commisso, because Volpe had been cheating Commisso on real estate as well as in narcotics transactions. In December, 1983, Pucci was indicted by the New Jersey State Grand Jury for fraud and failure to file individual and corporate tax returns. Pucci pled guilty to lesser charges and was placed on probation and fined. He currently resides in Margate, New Jersey, and has built condominiums in nearby Brigantine. Ironically, the concrete work at the condominium project was provided by Scarf, Inc., a construction firm operated by underboss Philip Leonetti, the nephew of Nicky Scarfo.
But overall, in the 1980s. New Jersey prosecutors decided it was really the Luchese family that held sway. Strong guys like Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo and Michael Taccetta oversaw an affluent, well-organized machine that spun dollars off of rackets in places like upscale Bergen County, the heavily commercialized Essex, Morris, Passaic and Union counties, as well as the bucolic Sussex County.
The Lucheses also were expanding into the beachfront communities of Ocean and Monmouth Counties, and even Atlantic City. They were the power -- which also made them the target.
In 1987, Accetturo, Taccetta and the Luchese crew in New Jersey went on trial for narcotics and racketeering charges. One of the longest trials in U.S. history, it produced a not guilty on all counts verdict.
The trial had been fixed, it was later learned. When the Lucheses got word that the nephew of a New Jersey capo was on the jury, they paid him $100,000 to vote for acquittal. During the RICO trial, however, the relationship between Accetturo and Taccetta deteriorated into an outright power struggle.
Maybe this is why no one can agree on which crime family David Chase based the Sopranos on. He had seven to choose from, and probably found a little inspiration from each.
Current bosses
Bonanno: boss – Michael Mancuso (J. Capeci, source)
Colombo: boss – Carmine Persico, acting boss – Andrew Russo (Justice Dept.)
Gambino: boss – Domenico Cefalu
Genovese: boss – unknown, acting boss: Daniel Leo
Lucchese: boss – Steven Crea
Genovese: boss – unknown, acting boss: Daniel Leo
Lucchese: boss – Steven Crea
The Five Families operate throughout the New York Metropolitan area, but mainly within New York City's five boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Criminal rackets in Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) and the counties of Westchester, Rockland and Albany also have been expanded.
The Five Families maintain a strong presence in New Jersey, South Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Las Vegas.
- The Bonanno crime family operates mainly in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. The family also maintains influence in Manhattan, The Bronx, Westchester County, New Jersey, California, Florida and may still have ties to the Montreal Mafia in Quebec. The Bath Avenue Crew operated in Bath Beach, Brooklyn in New York.
- The Colombo crime family operates mainly in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. The family also maintains influence in Staten Island, Manhattan, The Bronx, New Jersey and Florida.
- The Gambino crime family operates mainly in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and Long Island. The family also maintains influence in The Bronx, New Jersey, Westchester County, Connecticut, Florida and Los Angeles. The Ozone Park Boys operate in Queens and Long Island.
- The Genovese crime family operates mainly in Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn and New Jersey. The family also maintains influence in Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Florida. 116th Street Crew operates in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx. The Greenwich Village Crew operates in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan. The Genovese crime family New Jersey faction operates throughout the state of New Jersey.
- The Luchese crime family operates mainly in The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. The family also maintains influence in Queens, Long Island, Staten Island, Westchester County and Florida. Cutaia Crew operates in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. The Jersey Crew operates throughout New Jersey. The Tanglewood Boys was a recruitment gang that operated in Westchester County, The Bronx and Manhattan.
NJ.com reported that the indictment charges Francesco "Frank" Guarraci, 54, the reputed acting head of the DeCavalcante crime family, and Michael Nobile, 60, of Manalapan, of trying to extort money from the general manager of Lenny’s Brick Oven Pizzeria and Restaurant in Washington Township on July 3, 2009.
Great article Ed. Could you make a article about John Difronzo? His avoided law enforcement for so long. They say his still big in the Chicago underworld , has major influence with politics and uses anyone for his own interest.
ReplyDeleteI highly doubt the bonnanos have anything to do with Montreal after joey massino flipped. Besides even after the sciandra hit, I'm sure vito rizzuto was pissed off. The Montreal family controlled more territory, made more money internationally and did not have any informants.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that. I knew about the Genovese bug in the ladies room but not much else.
ReplyDeleteIt was George from Canada Sciacia, Vito's man in New York. Vito also went to prison for helping Massino kill the three capos... Vito probably would have loved to have whacked Massino. There must've been some kind of split but I've never seen an official report about it -- and if there's any financial benefit to a relationship between the Bonannos and Montreal, they'll still be working together. But Montreal isn't subservient to New York....
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it! I already am... I have interviewed Frank Cullotta and Frank Calabrese Jr and have been piecing a story together -- a kind of update on the Outfit... Stay tuned....
ReplyDeleteI still can't get over the Genovese's divorce.... been reading about Valachi and Costello, it's hilarious what he let his wife pull!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction. Please keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteanother reason casasanto Johnny gongs got whacked he was going around telling people he slept with Debra merlino' among'st handfull of other things he was his own worst enemy
ReplyDeleteThank you, appreciate it! Please keep reading and commenting, lotta story ideas stem from comments.....
ReplyDeleteOk here's an idea for a story, how about a story on the most recent genovese crime family turncoat renaldi ray ruggerio? How much damage has he caused for the genovese crime family's south florida operations? And so on.
ReplyDeleteMassino flipped in 2004, Sal Montagna went up there a full 5 years later and caused all kinds of trouble even came close to taking over so don't count the Bonanno's out.
ReplyDeleteGood article....Tony Bananas killed Bruno not his underboss Phil Testa. Thats last paragraph about the decavalcantes is terribly old info a decade old in fact. None of the guys mentioned is even a capo at this point.
ReplyDeleteThank you -- you are correct on just about everything. I would like to clarify that the source of the seven families in New Jersey (really eight, I now see, as the LaRocca family in Pittsburgh also was in Atlantic City), is based on Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, 1983.
ReplyDeleteNJ officials were inspired to focus on the Luchese family because of the testimony of the head of the NJ State Police, who described the Luchese as the most powerful based on intel from wiretaps, investigations, snitches, surveillance, etc.
As for the Bonannos in NJ: "the Bonanno organization operated an extensive gambling network in Northern New Jersey which has since been taken over by elements of the Genovese and Jose Battles groups. At present, it has focused on controlling junket scams to Atlantic City's gambling casinos."
As for the Colombos, it only states: "Revenues from illicit gambling and loansharking activities finance this group's incursion of legitimate industries. Additionally, the organization is involved in arson, extortion, and labor racketeering."
As for Bruno hit I wrote: "the Philly underboss got big ideas with a shotgun" -- I used shorthand but did provide a link to a story where I got into details of the Bruno assassination.
Bath Beach was an outright goof on my part and the DeCavalcantes, I used the most recent information I could find; I should've qualified that graph with an "as of Nov. 2010" -- that's when the article I used was published on NJ.com.
The Bonannos had Joe Bayonne and Tony Riesi from Jersey and they had plenty of scams going on but does that really constitute the presence of an entire family in the state on par with the Decavalcantes or Genovese? Also the Gambinos never had a big presence either. They had Pal Joey and Nicky Russo and more recently Andy Merola who was a captain but his crew were nickel and dimers. Ed I lost ur email address, reply with it I have some info for you.
ReplyDeleteSure -- eddie2843@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I should take that back out the Gambinos...I totally forgot about Cherry Hill.
ReplyDeletePino Ganci...He was real tight with Sal Catalano.
ReplyDelete"Does that really constitute the presence of an entire family ...."
ReplyDeleteI would say it depends on the clout and respect of the one or two operating, but I think Joe Bayonne had a little more than just scams. I think he had some gambling operations, also
I think the Cherry Hill Gambinos really just lived there. Their main base was 18th Avenue in Brooklyn. They were close to Angelo Bruno and supplied Bruno's main junk man, Long John Mortorano (I know I butchered that last name.) Though back in the late 80's, early '90's, as I mentioned Bloomfield NJ was supposed a hotbed for the Gambinos. That was Robert Bisaccia's territory.
ReplyDeleteSal Catalano is still alive. He relocated to Sicily a couple of years ago. His mother was still running his bakery in Queens up until a couple of years ago. Some other Sicilian family bought the bakery. The name is different.
ReplyDeleteHe supposedly gave her beatings in front of dinner guests at their home, so I heard. What's even more hilarious is where his house once stood in Middletown, NJ, is now a botanical garden open to the public. The property is huge, and they left his makeshift replica of the Vesuvio intact. Someone took me there in 2005, I think it was.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Montreal is the real cosa nostra base nowadays. They have the political clout and don't think twice about taking care of business.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about the Albanians almost getting payback. If I don't hear something soon, I'm gonna load and go Astoria and give you something to write about.
ReplyDeleteThat is because Canada is very liberal on criminal law. Hence forth no rico act. If Canada had a rico act, guys would be flipping like they do in the usa.
ReplyDeleteI would say if a made guy is there with a crew, then the family is there -- because if that guy is killed, there's probably gonna be a war or a sitdown with the bosses of the families involved. But, like Old School says, it would depend on the guy. I doubt, for example, Bruno would've given two craps if anyone took out Scarfo when Bruno sent the then-young punk there. Then again, it would be perceived as weakness on the part of Bruno. Ironically it was perceived weakness that caused Bruno to die. They thought Bruno weak at their own peril. Bruno was boss, his death defied the Commission, the Commission struck back.
ReplyDeleteOne addendum --the Commission really stopped working when Gotti took out Castellano. It could be said when Gotti killed Paul, he killed the Commission, too. Who was there, besides the Chin, really? Persico in jail - Bonannos thrown off the table, Lucheses had Gaspipe and Amuso who, according to what I know, gave Gotti an okay, then went behind his back, scheming with the Chin. If Gaspipe and Amuso told Gotti that if he killed Paul, he'd be next, I don't know if Gotti would've made that move... that is bullshit what the Lucheses did, really, playing both sides of the fence, don't see what the percentage was in doing it except to cause unrest.....
ReplyDeleteYeah - that is pretty dumb. I am wondering what Alite's angle was. You think he really gave a crap about Casasanto to "protect" him against New York, and defy his boss?
ReplyDeleteI gotta check it out! I'll go -- if it's still there I'm gonna take a pic!
ReplyDeleteI know I have read somewhere that a Canadian cop did what Falcone and Pistone couldn't do: he became made! I believe it was with the Ndrangheta -- I know I read it. I have to find it. They are sure keeping it quiet, I guess for security reasons...or am I wrong and everyone in Canada knows about this??
ReplyDeleteYa know I am so sorry!!! I forgot all about it!!! Putting it together today -- I already started it, but forget about it cause something else popped up!!!
ReplyDeleteed did i read on hear some where Alite said casasanto was a jail house snitch or somebody made that up. And i was told Alite wasnt a made guy so how can he bring him to who ever wanted to straighten him out. looks like he might have been cliped for jumping ship again i think he was with John Stanfa during the war in the 90.s before jumping back with joeys crew but not a 100 % sure
ReplyDeleteAlite testified that in 1995 he met with Merlino and Natale and told them Gongs was believed to be a jailhouse snitch. Alite also testified he kept Casasanto out of New York to "protect" him because he was too much of a loose cannon for a place like New York, which is difficult terrain to navigate because there are five families; Philly has one family that Alite said was more like a crew. Two scenarios seem logical. Alite must've really thought Gongs was a rat, which would be one reason he'd disobey Junior. Alite didn't want a rat in the Gambino family and he maybe thought Junior was too dense and stubborn to believe his assessment of Casasanto. The other scenario is Alite made that stuff up about Gongs being a rat because for some reason (jealousy?) he didn't want Gongs in New York. Either way Alite's testimony seems contradictory; I just don't see how Alite could've had Casasanto's best interest in mind. Junior was the boss; Alite wasn't Italian and could never be made, but he was very close to the Gotti family which give him clout. Joe Watts for example was German but was treated like a capo because he was close to Gotti Senior and was a chief hitter for the Gambino family. Jimmy Burke also was treated with the respect of a made man by Vario and the Luchese family. There is precedent for a guy like Alite to have a high profile role in a family.
ReplyDeleteThat's how they really divided turf back in the day; by ward...that right, Old School?
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about it; just busting chops
ReplyDeleteI don't think they divided the turf by ward, but they were the dominant family in that section. I think the capo's last name was Gerardo or something like that and there was another guy named PeeWee DePhillips.
ReplyDeleteIt's written....it's up now!
ReplyDeleteTanx, Ed.
ReplyDeleteNo problem!!
ReplyDeleteSome buddies of mine lived in Garfield and we used to call it Guinea Heights. One day I walked past a café downtown and saw a bunch of Caddies and Lincolns, all black, parked in front with a bunch of tough old guys meeting in a back room. I just kept walking back to my buddy's place. (and saw a great wife-mistress fight in front of a house along the way). Also, no one mentions the presence of the Bufalinos (Scranton area) in NJ. They straddle or straddled the border and were involved in a lot of rackets but are overlooked a lot because of their locale.
ReplyDeleteWell, I finally wrote about DiFronzo.... interesting case: He was highly respected even though he had to have cut a deal to remain untouched by Family Secrets.
ReplyDelete