The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder and the Birth of the American Mafia (56 page)

234.
had lost its leaders:
New York Times, June 3
, 1912, p. 9.

235.
Eugene Ubriaco:
Manhattan death certificate 18702, September 7, 1916, NYMA.

235
DiMarco … Verrazano:
Dailies New York, vol. 36 fols. 120-23, reel 591, July 18, 1912; fols. 165-66, July 23, 1912;
Herald
, July 21, 1916, p. 1 (cards held); Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fols. 89-90, 97, 107 (plot details).

235
Pasquarella Spinelli:
Dailies New York, vol. 33 fol. 522, reel 590, November 2, 1911 (informant); fol. 653-54, December 7, 1911 (Nick’s blacksmith’s shop);
Herald
, March 21, 1912, p. 1 (murder, address), January 7, SM2 (money), and November 30, 1917, pt. 1 p. 2 (police informant, Murder Stable);
American
, March 21, 1912, p. 7 (murder), and October 8, 1915, p. 5 (police knowledge of horse theft ring); Mondello,
A Sicilian in East Harlem
, p. 17 (Rex, extortion ring); Selvaggi,
The Rise and Fall of the Mafia in New York
, pp. 24-38 (Naples, character, illiterate, coal, moneylending); Manhattan death certificate 9128, March 20, 1912, NYMA (age); Manhattan death certificate 5755, February 19, 1914 (Lazzazzara murder, spelling of name);
New York Times
, February 20, 1914, p. 6 (Lazzazzara murder circumstances).

237
Morello’s only son was also killed:
Herald
, April 14, 1912, p. 7 (shooting), and June 2, 1912, p. 3 (informant);
American
, April 14, 1912, p. 1 (shooting); dailies New York, vol. 35 fols. 174-75, reel 591, April 17 (Clemente information), fol. 206, April 20 (“butcher every one of them”), fols. 258-59, April 25 (Terranova’s first killing), fol. 275, April 26, fols. 327-28, May 1 (Clemente’s information, breaking news to Morello), fols. 569-70, May 22 (Madonia relative), fols. 739-40, June 6, 1912 (Terranova’s second murder), and fols. 843-44, June 17, 1912 (alibi).

239
Terranova grew:
Dailies New York, vol. 35 fols. 827-28, reel 591, June 14, 1912; vol. 36 fols. 458-59, reel 591, August 20, 1912.

239
The Lomontes, for their part:
Dailies New York, vol. 34 fol. 442, reel 591, February 14, 1912 (saloon with Lima), fol. 729, March 13, 1912 (give it up).

239
Giosue Gallucci:
Passenger list for SS
Wertundam
, March 11, 1892, M237/ 583, RG85, NARA, and Manhattan death certificate 33625, May 21, 1915, NYMA (date of arrival, age); passenger list for SS
Aller
, August 8, 1899, “Passenger and crew lists of vessels arriving at New York, 1897-1957,” T715/77 (Neapolitan);
Herald
, May 18, 1915, p. 7 (appearance, jewelry, influence, lottery, theft of winnings, legitimate and illegal businesses, shot in leg), and October 14, 1915, p. 22 (Lomontes as Gallucci allies);
New York Times
, same date, p. 22 (moneylender);
Herald
, November 30, 1917, pt. 1, p. 2 (lottery in basement, winners robbed); Fiaschetti,
The Man They Couldn’t Escape
, pp. 111-18 (stool pigeons, army of men, workings of Royal lottery scam, spits); Cotillo,
A New American
, p. 20 (swaggered about, “All people were hirelings”); Nelli,
The Business of Crime
, pp. 129-30 (political influence).

241.
The Lomontes’ fall:
Manhattan death certificate 16903, May 24, 1914 (injuries); dailies New York, vol. 43 fol. 528, reel 594, May 26, 1914 (shot, location); fol. 537, May 27 (no clues to killer).

242.
his own brother, Gennaro:
Herald
, November 15, 1909, p. 1 (murder and background); Manhattan death certificate 33625, November 16, 1909, NYMA (time in New York; wounds)

242
ten men had died:
Herald
, May 18, 1915, p. 7.

242.
The assassins’ chance came:
Trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 246, 738; Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fol. 97.
Herald
, May 18, 1915, p. 7 (bodyguards, circumstance); Fiaschetti,
The Man They Couldn’t Escape
, pp. 116-17 (crime scene, deathbed);
Washington Post
, November 28, 1917, p. 3 (murdered by Morellos).

243.
Tom Lomonte was murdered:
Herald
, October 14, 1915, p. 22 (murder, chase, East 109th Street); Sealy transcripts, Impoluzzo, fols. 3-14, 475-92 (circumstances, Impoluzzo defense, no motive).

244.
one suspect stood out:
Brooklyn Standard Union
, September 8, 1916, p. 3.

CHAPTER 12.
Artichoke Kings

245.
left the Morellos the dominant force:
Herald
, May 18, 1915, p. 1 (rackets); trial transcripts, Vollero, vol. 75 fols. 113-15, and Marano, fols. 235-39, and Nelli,
The Business of Crime
, p. 131 (Morello rackets as of 1916).

245
Royal Lottery:
Herald
, May 18, 1915, p. 7 (robbed); Fiaschetti,
The Man They
Couldn’t Escape
, pp. 107-9 (profitable; Gallucci reputation).

245
Black Hand crime:
Sacco, “Black Hand Outrage.” 245
increasingly, narcotics:
American
, November 29, 1917, p. 3.

245.
not to one family, but to four:
Dailies New York, vol. 34 fols. 546-47, reel 591, February 25, 1912 (four families; leaders; affiliations); Bonanno,
A Man of Honor
, pp. 63 (“bland, compliant”), 84 (“not preordained”), 93-94 (Schiro character), 121 (size of Mineo family); Critchley, “Buster, Maranzano, and the Castellammare War,” pp. 55, 61 (Schiro and Mineo ages).

246.
Its leader was Nicola Schiro:
Dailies Flynn, vol. 34 fols. 546-47, reel 591, February 25, 1912 (exists); Critchley, “Buster, Maranzano, and the Castellammare War,” p. 61 and note (Schiro emigration date); Bonanno,
A Man of Honor
, pp. 63, 93 (character, rich).

246.
Manfredi Mineo:
Dailies Flynn, vol. 34 fols. 546-47, reel 591, February 25, 1912 (exists); Bonanno,
A Man of Honor
, pp. 84. 116, 141 (largest in 1930).

247.
Salvatore “Totò” D’Aquila:
Dailies Flynn, vol. 34 fols. 546-47, reel 591, February 25, 1912 (exists, can summon meetings, joint approval of members), and vol. 41 fols. 483-84, reel 593, November 11, 1913 (strongest, opposes other three families);
New York Times
, October 11, 1928, p. 20 (confidence man); Dickie,
Cosa Nostra
, p. 223 (Palermo Mafia dominance); Gentile,
Vita di Capomafia
, p. 70n; Critchley,
The Origin of Organized Crime
, pp. 36, 156-58 (structure and importance).

248.
Among those who joined:
Dailies New York, vol. 41 fols. 472-73, reel 593, November 10, 1913 (Fontana killed); fols. 483-84, November 11, 1913 (D’Aquila’s dominant position); fols. 678-79, November 27, 1913 (Fanaro killed).

249.
DiMarco had feared:
Dailies New York, vol. 36 fol. 81, reel 591, July 18, and fols. 165-66, July 23, 1912 (DiMarco a Terranova ally, marked for death);
Herald
, July 21, 1916, p. 1 (murdered, poker hand); Manhattan death certificate 21421, July 20, 1916 (place and time, injuries); trial transcripts, Vollero, fol. 119, and Marano, fol. 249, and Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fols. 6-9, 44–48, and
American
, June 4, 1918, p. 13 (Terranovas responsible); Thompson and Raymond,
Gang Rule in New York
, pp. 4-5 (plot).

251
Salvatore’s murder:
Queens death certificate 4413, October 13, 1913 (place and date, injuries);
Herald
, October 14, 1916, p. 5 (body found, auction).

251.
The Camorra, a criminal society:
Di Fiore,
La Camorra e le Sue Storie
, pp. 1-100 (history, organization); trial transcripts, Marano, fol. 53, and
New York Times
, June 30, 1926 (nationwide).

252.
Vollero’s boss:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 117-24 (Marano, Ricci), Paretti (1922), fol. 80 (Vollero, Marano), Marano, fol. 52 (Marano is overall New York boss).

252.
Thanks in large part:
Trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 52-53 (initiation), 58, 117, 242-45 (members drift in); 254 (organized only from 1916), 255, 281 (numbers).

253.
Relations between:
Trial transcripts, Paretti (1926), fols. 45-46 (background), Vollero, fols. 124, 130 (peaceful relations), fol. 130-31, and trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 64, 208 (move in on Harlem rackets), 232 (Morellos expand into Bronx), 238 (Harlem rackets), 252 (cocaine trade), 269 (Morellos kill Vollero friend).

254.
Vollero was actively plotting:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fol. 117-18 (three weeks, Marano instigates), 121 (seek Navy Street consent), 122 (Lauritano opposes), 123 (want three Morello rackets); trial transcripts, Marano, fol. 64 (incensed by Morello involvement in policy), 188 (“wear diamonds”).

254.
persuade the Navy Street gang:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 119 (DiMarco killing), 121-24 (Lauritano’s trust), 130 (save Ricci, “You must consent…,” Vollero and Ricci).

255.
to plot the Morellos’ deaths:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 117 (three weeks), 132 (fix witnesses), 135 (garlic and pepper, special cupboard); Nelli,
The Business of Crime
, p. 131 (invitation).

255.
Terranova’s willingness:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 146-47 (pale, Moxie).

255.
Terranova was the first to die:
Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fols. 67-68 (pale);
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
, September 6, p. 8 (weather);
Herald
, September 8, p. 7, and
New York Times
, same date, p. 18 (location, circumstances), and
American
, September 9, 1916 (half-drawn revolver).

256
Michael Mealli:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 152.

256.
soon lost another half-dozen:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 193 (attempt to hire rooms), 198-99 (bomb plot), 200 (poison plot); trial transcripts, Paretti, 1922, fols. 76-140 (Nazarro murder); Sealy transcripts, Giordano, fols. 5-9, and Terranova, fols. 69-71 (Verrazano and Nazarro murders), 82-84 (bomb plot), 84-85 (poison plot); trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 185-87 (Verrazano murder); Nelli,
The Business of Crime
, pp. 130-34 (Philadelphia); trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 230 (no choice but to pursue Morellos), 239 (bomb plot).

257.
Vollero himself only narrowly:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 201-2.

257
moving in on the Morellos’ operations:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 172
(zicchinetta)
, 173-75 ($50 a car, gambling payments in Brooklyn), 176-78 (policy negotiations); trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 178 ($150 a week), 216 (80 percent), 225 (60 percent). 293-95 (artichoke dealers resist), 298 (policy men will close down games).

257.
“Are you crazy?”:
Trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 292-94.

258.
“pretty hard characters themselves”:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fol. 73.

258
hand control of the Harlem lottery back:
Trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 303-4.

258
Ralph the Barber:
Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fols. 53-60, 94 (career); trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 116 (career), 206, 212, 233, 247-51 (career, pay, surrenders to police); trial transcripts, Paretti (1922), fols. 126 (kills seven in Italy), 129-30 (in Reno, sends letters); trial transcripts, Marano, fols. 242-43 (in U.S., barber till 1914), 322 (change of name, charges faced);
American
, November 28, 1917, p. 6 (confession, scar, twenty-three murders, “Different methods”);
Washington Post
, same date, p. 3 (Gallucci killing);
Newark Star-Eagle
, August 17, 1925 (criminal record).

260
police officers were taking bribes:
Trial transcripts, Vollero, fols. 152-53, 158 (police “fixed”);
New York Times
, September 24, 1911, SM8 (Carrao), and February 16, 1918, p. 6 (Mealli).

260.
Vincenzo and Ciro were arrested:
Sealy transcripts, Terranova, fols. 5, 10, 246-55 (Littleton defense); Terranova files (arrests, almost a dozen, most released, “possess influence,” first trial halted, “entirely hopeless”);
American
, June 4, p. 13, and June 8, 1918 (second trial, discharge); Lloyd Stryker,
The Art of Advocacy
, pp. 155-75 (Littleton background, greatest American jury lawyer).

261.
protracted series of prosecutions:
See trial transcripts, Vollero (1919), Marano (1922), and Paretti (1922) and (1926);
Brooklyn Daily Standard Union
, June 18, 1918, p. 8;
New York Times
, July 1, 1926, p. 7.

261
when Tony the Shoemaker unwisely returned:
Trial transcripts, Paretti (1926), fols. 125-34, 192-288, 453-78 (evidence);
New York Times
, June 30, 1926, p. 7; Downey,
Gangster City
, p. 36.