Baltimore faction / Gambino Family

BALTIMORE  FACTION  : -  GAMBINO  FAMILY.

Early organized Italian crime in Maryland and Virginia seems to have been dominated by Calabrians.  There were many of these small Black Hand type groups in existence during the 1910-30’s.  Vito Corbi, born 1866 in Catanzaro, led a small organization based in Virginia.

 This group included his son Pasquale [Patsy], and Vincenzo [Jim] D’Urso.  In 1923 they were all arrested for the murder of Frank Naples, a reputed Camorra member.  Patsy Corbi was sentenced to a life sentence, while D’Urso fled to Canada.  Vito Corbi was already living in Baltimore by then [1920 Census], and avoided conviction.  Another reputed Camorrist, Rocco Fiorello, was killed in 1924 and several Calabrians were arrested.  It points to a conflict between Neapolitan and Calabrian groups.  

Almost nothing is known of Sicilians active in Baltimore in this period.  The only   Mafioso known to be living city was John [Angel Face] Torres, once acquitted of murder in Detroit, who was later killed during the “Castellammarese War”.

Meanwhile Vito Corbi had died in1929, Patsy was paroled in 1932 and he and his brother Frank were living in the city.  They were continuing to operate, and associate with fellow Calabrians in cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland.  By the mid-1930’s the traditionally Sicilian Mafia had opened membership to mainland Italians.  But with no local Mafia Family, this was not possible in Baltimore.

We do not know the exact reasons, or timing, for the formation of a regime in the city, but we know the individuals responsible.  Frank Scalice was a former head of the future Gambino Family, since demoted to Capo rank.  He was still a very important member, and although we do not know the details, he was the catalyst for the regimes formation. 

The other individual involved was Luigi Morici, who like Scalice, was born in Palermo, Sicily.  Morici may have already been a member in NYC living in Baltimore, or he was sent there to give the Family a presence.  Whichever, by the early 1940’s he had gathered a small group of local Sicilians together to form the crew.

According to a 1950 FBN document given to the Kefauver committee the following were members by then : -

Vincent Carrona [AKA Jimmy Russo], born 1904, Bisaquino, Sicily.

Frank Gattuso

Gaetano [Thomas] LaFata [AKA Reds], born 1898 Carini, Sicily.

Joseph Palazzolo

Luigi Morici [AKA John Maurice], born 1896 Palermo, Sicily.

About Gattuso and Palazzolo we can find no record, but the other names can be confirmed.

The year1950 saw a violent change in the Families leadership, with the Calabrian Albert Anastasia becoming Head with Scalice as his deputy.  It was probably Anastasia, seeking to strengthen his position, who ordered Morici to induct some local Calabrians as members.

Thus the Corbi brothers, among others, finally joined the Family.  Morici was promoted to Capo status, and his connection to NYC became Joseph Gallo.  The crew membership during the 1950-80’s looked like this : -

Luigi Morici  -  Capo till 1966 /  died 1971

Vincent Caronna  -  died 1980

Thomas LaFata  -  died 1965

Patsy Corbi  -  1895-1955

Frank Corbi  -  1904-90  /   Capo 1966-90

Mario Anello  -  1905-72

Louis Comi  -  1906-79

Joseph Gigliotti  -  1903-2001 [poss. Member in Pittsburgh]

Frank Dabbene  -  1897-1984

Charles Barbera  -  1904-87

Benjamin Magliano  -  1904-71

Frank Malvaso  -  1901-91

Sam Adornato  -  1905-72

Joseph Corbi  -  1911-2001

Angelo Perrera  -  1912-72

Angelo Munafo  -  1927-2001

Another possible member was Antonio Messina, who was killed in Baltimore in 1952.

By the 1980’s most of the membership had died or retired, and with Capo Frank Corbi in his 80’s and inactive, the regime became extinct.

  

Springfield + Worcester factions

  Springfield + Worcester, Mass.  [Genovese ].

Springfield.

The first known active Italian criminal group in Springfield were the Albano family, from Avellino.  This mainland connection would dominate organized crime throughout the following decades.

Carlo Sinischalchi, born 1884 in Campania and entering America in 1907, would inherit leadership of this group after marrying Pasqualina Albano in the 1910’s.  Sinischalchi, who first lived in Brooklyn before moving to Springfield in 1913, possibly had connections to the Camorra gangs then prevalent in Brooklyn.

The couple became involved in bootlegging at the start of Prohibition, attaining a dominant position locally.  However they soon made enemies, and in 1921 Sinischalchi was murdered.

The widowed Pasqualina now needed protection against her competitors, and found it in Antonino Miranda, who she soon married.  Miranda was from San Giuseppe Vesuviano, near Naples and previously lived in Brooklyn.  He was from a family of prominent criminals, including brothers Michele and Donato.

Michele, AKA Mike, would remain in the NY / Brooklyn area and become the Genovese Family Consiglieri.  He was the best friend, and close associate, of Vito Genovese.  As such, this connection is probably the reason Springfield became Genovese Family territory.

Donato was listed, in the 1950 FBN document presented to the Kefauver hearings, as a Boston member.  So the Springfield group had family connections to both NYC and local New England Cosa Nostra Families.  Miranda seems to have kept the peace in Springfield throughout the 1920’s, no mean achievement in that violent period.

Because the early CN Families were dominated by Sicilians, mainland members were only admitted during the late 1920-early 1930’s period.  Therefore local gangsters like Miranda, Frank Iacone and Raymond Patriarca in Worcester, and Frank Morelli in Providence were either recently inducted individual members, or not yet inducted [ associates ]. 

After the 1930-31 “Castellammarese War” in NYC, the whole organization was re-organized and expanded.  This meant creating larger Families by absorbing smaller gangs and factions, all based on geographical locations.

In New England this meant the union of the Boston and Providence groups into a unified Family.  This Family seems to have had a general supervisory role over the Springfield and Worcester factions, even though both were recognised as Genovese territory.

Antonio Miranda did not live to see these developments, as he died of natural causes in 1930.  He was accorded a lavish funeral, in accordance with his position.

 One Joseph Fiore stepped into a leadership role, partnering with the twice widowed Pasqualina.  This obviously did not sit well with some elements, as an attempt on Fiore’s life in 1932, resulted in Pasqualina being killed.  Fiore only managed to survive another year before being murdered [ 1933].

At this point we do not know who led the faction, as the next recognised leader only emerged around 1940.  A possible candidate could be Carlo Sarno, born in1891 in Salerno, who died in 1957.  We do know that after the 1934 Bocchia murder in Brooklyn, Michele Miranda sent Rupolo and Palmeri to hide in Springfield.  They were in the care of Nicholas Camerota [1904-72] possibly a member by then.

Salvatore Cufari who was the first “officially” recognised Capo in Springfield, was a Calabrian born in 1901.  He arrived in America in 1914, joining his father who had lived in Springfield since 1908.  Naturalized in 1927, he had a long criminal record [27 arrests] and had been shot and wounded by police in 1928.  He emerged as a force by the late 1930’s, and as the faction leader by the 1940’s.

Records held at the National Archives [NARA] list possible members of, what was by then the Springfield regime of the Genovese Family, as the following: -

Salvatore Cufari / AKA Big Nose Sam / 1901-83 / Capo 1940-80’s

Nicholas Camerota / Nick /1904-72 / Soldier 1930-70’s

Frank Scibelli / Frankie Skyball / 1913-2000 / Soldier 1950-80’s / Capo 1980-90’s

Alvaro Lanzetta / 1916-99 / Soldier 1950-80’s

Andrew Pradella / ????-76 / Soldier 1950-70’s

The following are possible members or associates : -

Mario Fiore / 1928-90

Joseph Mineo / ????-83

Albert Scibelli / AKA Baba / ????-76

Anthony Scibelli / AKA Turk / 1914-98

Louis Maloni / 1925-2002

Henry Siciliano / 1927-86

James Fiore / ????-2008?

William Fiore / 1920-2007

Pasquale Romeo / 1897-1970

Frank Lombardo / 1895-????

Amato Santaniello / 1921-76

Angelo Santaniello / 1915-79/86

Louis Scibelli / 1901-????

Felix Siciliano / 1909-76

Anthony Camerota / 1907-76

Michael Raffaele / 1909-83

Jerry Maloni / 1915-2002

Cufari died in 1983, and was succeeded by Frank Scibelli, a veteran member.  When he died in 2000 Al Bruno took-over as the Capo, but was killed in 2003.  Anthony Arillota was the new Capo, but the regime was decimated by prosecutions and convictions.  The following are suspected members, but the list is incomplete : -

Al Bruno / 1948-2003 killed / Capo 2000-03

Anthony Arillota / Capo 2003-

Frank Pugliano / AKA Pugs / Soldier

Amedeo Santaniello / Soldier

Felix Transghese / Soldier

Anthony Delevo / Soldier

Emilio Fusco / Soldier

Albert Calvanese / Soldier

Ralph Santaniello / Soldier

The regime is still believed to be active [2010’s], and present members can still trace their ancestry back to villages in Avellino and Salerno Provinces.

WORCESTER.

As stated above, Frank Iacone was probably inducted into the Genovese Family around the late 1920-early 1930’s period.  He likely operated alone, or with a few non-member associates.  Raymond Patriarca was born in Worcester in 1908 and was probably one of these associates.  It is difficult to assess when the faction became a regime within the Genovese Family.  Looking at the dob’s of suspected members, it was probably in the 1940’s.  According to NARA records the following were members during this period [1940-80’s] : -

Frank Iacone / 1896-1956 / born Castonor ?, Italy /  USA 1913, lived in Brooklyn / Naturalized 1937 / possible marriage link to Lombardo brothers of Boston / Conflict with Patriarca [1940’s] /Capo 1940-50’s

Francis Santo / 1908-93 / Soldier

Thomas Sanfratello / AKA Champ / 1910-91 / Soldier

Carlo Mastrototaro / 1920-2009 / Soldier 1950’s / Capo ????-2000’s

James Collaro / 1914-2004 / Soldier

Angelo Iacone / AKA Chester / 1919-91 / Soldier

Salvatore Iacone / AKA Sully / 1917-92 / Soldier

Cosmo Panarelli / AKA Pinky /1920-89 killed / Soldier

Carlo Mastrototaro continued as Capo until the 2000’s, but no other members names are known.  With his death in 2009 the regime became extinct.