Angelo Meli was born on February 10,[1] 1897, in San Cataldo, Sicily, the youngest son of 13 children[2] born to Vincenzo Meli and Maria Antonia Gugaglio.[3] Meli immigrated to the United States at the age of 17,[4] settling in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to work as a coal miner.[2] He worked in a Pittsburgh foundry and moved to Detroit in 1918.[2] In Detroit, Meli worked as a baker and restaurateur. Throughout his time there, he owned a bakery, two restaurants, and the Whip Cafe, which he owned with "Black" Leo Cellura, another member of the Detroit Partnership.
In 1924, Meli married Jennie Dimercurio,[2] and had two sons, Vincent H. and Salvatore, and two daughters, Maria Antoinette and Angela.[6] In May 1929, Meli became a naturalized citizen at the age of 32 through the US District Court in Brooklyn, New York.[2][7][8] Before his death, he had 16 grandchildren.
Angelo Meli moved to the city of Detroit in 1915 and soon became affiliated with the Gianola Mob. In 1919, in the wake of the Gianola-Vitale War, 'Singing' Sam Catalanotte, Meli, Chester LaMare, and Leo Cellura started the West Side Mob of Hamtramck, Michigan.
In the early 1920s, backed by former Gianola gang member Sam Catalanotte's liquor and vice rackets, Meli, Cellura, and LaMare opened up the Venice Cafe in Detroit.[11] The West Side Mob excelled in extorting brothels, gambling houses and bootlegging operations. With Meli's assistance, LaMare soon dominated crime in Detroit. It required an effort by state investigators on recommendations from Michigan Governor, Alex Groesbeck, to smash the organization.[11] Thirty-one criminals were convicted of liquor law violations, however, Meli escaped without convictions.[11] In the midst of the investigation, Leo Cellura and Angelo Meli left the Westside Mob in Hamtramck. In doing so, Meli entered into an agreement with Salvatore Catalanotte, boss of Detroit's Unione Siciliana. With Catalanotte's support, Meli formed the Eastside Mob with top aides Leo Cellura, William Tocco, and Joseph Zerilli.[12] Catalanotte was instrumental in establishing the partnership between the Eastside Mob and the River Gang and other Jewish groups. LaMare, on the other hand, was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison amidst the Hamtramck investigations, but was eventually let off with a fine in 1926 for violating Prohibition laws.[12] By 1927 he was able to resume his position as the leader of the Westside Mob.
After Catalanotte's death on February 14, 1930, LaMare and the West Side Mob began raiding Meli-controlled speakeasies, and liquor storage houses. Meli responded by ordering LaMare's murder,[11] which happened on February 6, 1931. After LaMare's murder, Meli oversaw the merger of Detroit's various mob factions into what later became the Detroit Partnership.[11] Despite Meli's reputation as a mafioso in Detroit, and 16 attempts for his arrest for crimes including murder and armed robbery between 1915 and 1963, Meli was only ever convicted of a concealed carry charge in 1920. His bail was forfeited in 1921 due to his not showing up to court.[13]
The Crosstown Mafia War (1930-1931)
Angelo Meli was believed to be the leader of the dominant wing of warring Detroit gangs in 1930. It is theorized that Chester LaMare sought to eliminate Meli and Zerrilli as rivals by setting up a phony peace meeting at the Vernor Highway Fish Market on May 31. Meli, wary, sent Gaspare Scibilia and Sam Parina in his place and they were shot and killed by LaMare gangsters. Following these murders, LaMare went into hiding.[14][15]
Following was a slew of other mob-related murders, collectively known as the Crosstown Mafia War. It is believed that both West and East Side Gangs of Detroit, including that of Angelo Meli, were involved in these killings. According to deputy chief of detectives Robert A. MacPherson, Zerilli claimed that Meli gangsters were not engaging in this warfare, but merely seeking to kill LaMare.[15] However, police actively pursued Meli for his suspected involvement. Thomas Licavoli and Frank Cammarata—two of the three suspected trigger-men in the notorious killing of Gerald "Jerry" Buckley on May 31, 1930—were believed to be Meli gangsters. Eight associates of Meli, in total, were arrested in connection with the Buckley murder.[16][17] Nick Dellabonte—who, alongside Frank Salimone, was charged with the murder of patrolman Clause Lanstra on June 1, 1930—was the brother-in-law of Angelo Meli. Dellabonte admitted to hiding from police in Meli's home for the month following the murders.[18] On October 27, 1930, police raided Meli's Capitol Coal Co. seeking Meli for questioning and discovered machine gun shipments. It was also discovered that Meli had been armoring his automobiles in Detroit. Seven of Meli's men were subpoenaed by police, but he was still in hiding at the time.[16][17]
LaMare was to testify against rival gangs of Leo Cellura, William Tocco, Meli, and Zerilli, but he was slain six hours before he was scheduled to appear as a witness in court, on February 7, 1931. It is believed he was either executed in retaliation for Scibilia's death, or to prevent his testimony. Police determined that Elmer Macklin and Joe Antico, both members of LaMare's own gang, were responsible for his murder. They speculated that Meli's gang orchestrated this assassination and that the perpetrators were threatened with death if they failed.[14][19]
After the establishment of the Partnership
Once the Detroit Partnership was established, Meli became the first and longest serving consigliere. He was considered to be one of the five members of the Ruling Council of the Partnership, along with Joseph Zerilli, Peter Licavoli, Black Bill Tocco, and John Priziola.[20] He was a major figure in illegal weapons smuggling and in settling labor disputes. Smuggling liquor across the border from Canada was also a very lucrative practice for Meli and the Partnership. Meli's involvement in labor racketeering helped establish Jimmy Hoffa's rise in the Teamsters Union.[21] He suffered only one conviction; on charges of carrying a concealed weapon. Meli had extensive legitimate business holdings in the Michigan area, including a motel, a farm, a trucking company, a gas station, and two different music stores. He also had holdings in a warehouse and a cold storage facility.[20]
Meli's family was very interconnected with the rest of the Detroit mafia community. His son, Vincent H. Meli (not to be confused with his nephew, Vincent A. Meli), married Pauline Perrone, daughter of Detroit mobster Santo Perrone, while his daughter Maria would go on to marry Jack Tocco, the eventual head of the Detroit Partnership.[20] In 1957, the US government unsuccessfully attempted to deport Meli, on the grounds that he had lied about his criminal record on his application for citizenship.[22] Over time, as Meli's health declined, he began to spend less time working with the Partnership, and spent more time at his residence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[23]
James Riddle Hoffa was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. He is notorious for his alleged ties to organized crime and for his disappearance under mysterious circumstances in 1975.
The Bufalino crime family, also known as the Pittston crime family, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre crime family, the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Mafia, or the Scranton Mafia, was an Italian-American Mafia crime family active in Northeastern Pennsylvania, primarily in the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittston.
Francis Joseph Sheeran, also known as "The Irishman", was an American labor union official and enforcer for Jimmy Hoffa and Russell Bufalino. He was accused of having links to the Bufalino crime family in his capacity as a high-ranking official in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the president of Local 326.
Peter Joseph Licavoli, was an American organized crime figure in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to Detroit, Michigan. He controlled criminal operations in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, throughout the Prohibition era.
Vincent "Vincenzo" Angelo Meli was an Italian born-American mobster who was a soldier of the Detroit crime family.
Joseph Zerilli was an Italian-born American mobster who rose to power in the crime family known as the Detroit Partnership, leading from the 1930s through much of the 1970s. He immigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1914 at the age of 17.
Gaspar Milazzo was an Italian-American mobster and major organized-crime figure in Detroit, Michigan, during the Prohibition era. He had earlier been a member of the Brooklyn-based gang that would later become known as the Bonanno crime family.
Giacomo "Jack" William Tocco was an Italian-American mobster and the longtime mob boss of the criminal organization known as the Detroit Partnership, based in Detroit, Michigan. He had numerous legitimate business holdings. Tocco was also convicted of horse doping at Hazel Park Raceway in 1970, as was widely reported in The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press.
The Detroit Partnership is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Detroit, Michigan. The family mainly operates in Detroit and the Greater Detroit area, as well as in other locations including Windsor, Ontario; Toledo, Ohio; and Las Vegas.
Anthony 'Tony' Joseph Zerilli was an Italian-American mobster from Sterling Heights, Michigan. From 1949 he was one of the majority owners of the highly profitable Hazel Park Raceway. In 1970 he succeeded his father Joseph Zerilli as head of the Detroit Partnership criminal organization.
Gaetano Gianola was an Italian-American mobster and former consigliere of the Detroit Partnership criminal organization.
William Vito "Black Bill" Tocco was an Italian-American mobster from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan and a founding member of the Detroit Partnership of La Cosa Nostra.
Salvatore "Sam Sings in the Night" Catalanotte was an Italian-American mobster. "Sings in the night" is a translation of a close misspelling of his last name. Catalanotte immigrated from Sicily to Detroit in 1912 and participated and survived the Giannola and Vitale gang war. After surviving this war, Catalanotte later assumed the highest leadership position within the Detroit mafia. In addition to his mafia dealings, Catalanotte was also recorded to be a baker and a director of the Detroit Italian bakeries. Catalanotte died on February 14, 1930, from pneumonia and his funeral took place in Detroit.
The St. Louis crime family, also known as the Giordano crime family or the St. Louis Mafia, was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Nick "Old Man" Licata was an Italian American mobster who was the boss of the Los Angeles crime family from 1967 until his death in 1974.
Anthony Joseph Giacalone, also known as Tony Jack, was a Sicilian-American organized crime figure in Detroit. He served as a capo in the Detroit Partnership, and later as a street boss. In terms of Mafia organization, he was listed by the FBI in 1963 as one of the “Big Men” and deemed an administrator or heir apparent. He came to public notice during the 1970s investigations into the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, as he was one of two Mafia members – the other being Anthony Provenzano – that Hoffa had arranged to meet on the day he disappeared. In 1976, Giacalone was sentenced to 10 years in prison for tax evasion. He died of natural causes on February 23, 2001.
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan, is an American cemetery operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit.
William Eugene Bufalino was an American attorney who represented the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1947 until 1971. He retired in 1982. Bufalino worked closely with Jimmy Hoffa until 1971. Bufalino died on May 12, 1990.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Angelo Meli Tells His Story". Detroit Free Press. October 13, 1963. p.2. Retrieved August 22, 2020– via Newspapers.com. Cataldo, Sicily, 1897. He was the youngest son of 13 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Meli. He was 17 when he entered the United States through New York and went into the hard coal region near Scranton, Pennsylvania, where a brother lived at Dunmore. [...] "I worked in a Pittsburgh foundry as a helper, then as, a molder before coming moved to Detroit in 1918." said Meli. [...] Meli wife, born Jennie Dimercurio, whom he married in 1924, [...] Then, in 1952, the U.S. Government moved to revoke Meli's citizenship on the grounds that he concealed his police record when he applied for citizenship in Brooklyn 1929. [...] Meli's son, Vincent H., [...] was married 13 years ago to Pauline Perrone, daughter of Santo (Sam) Perrone, an ex convict and one-time bootlegger. [...] A daughter, Marie Antoinette (Tony) has been married 11 years to Jack Tocco, son of William (Black Bill) Tocco, another prohibition-era figure with a number of arrests in his background.
↑ "Immagine 98". Antenati (in Italian). Retrieved August 22, 2020. L'anno milleottocentonovantasette, addì diciassette di Febbraio [...], nella casa Comunale [...] è comparso Meli Vincenzo, [...], il quale mi ha dichiarato che alle ore [...] del dì sedici del corrente mese, [...] da Gugaglio Maria Antonia sua moglie [...] è nato un bambino di sesso maschile che egli mi presenta, e a cui dà il nome di Angelo.
↑ Ashenfelter, David (January 10, 2008). "Reputed mobster of Detroit Meli dies at 87". Detroit Free Press. p.23. Retrieved August 22, 2020– via Newspapers.com. Vincent Angelo Meli, a reputed member of the Detroit Mafia, [...] The FBI described Vincent Meli's father, also named Frank, and uncle Angelo Meli as Detroit-area Mafia leaders.
1 2 3 "District Deaths". The Times Herald. Port Huron, Michigan. December 6, 1969. p.2. Retrieved August 22, 2020– via Newspapers.com. MARINE CITY – Angelo Meli, 72, who formerly owned a horse farm south of Marine City, was buried today in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Ten-Mile Road, following funeral services in Holy Family Catholic Church, Detroit. Meli identified some years ago as a member of the Detroit Mafia family, died Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. [...] Survivors are his widow, Jeannie; a son, Vincent H., Flint; two daughters, Mrs. Jack Antoinette Tocco and Mrs. Sam Angela Ludico; a brother, Frank, and 16 grandchildren. The family requests that contributions be made to Lt. Salvatore A. Meli American veterans Post No. 2 Building Fund. Lieutenant Meli was a son of Mr. Meli.
↑ "Maria "Toni" Tocco". Bagnasco & Calcaterra Funeral Home. Sterling Heights, Michigan. November 25, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2020. Tocco, Maria "Toni" age 84, November 25, 2018. Beloved wife of the late Jack. [...] Dear sister of the late Vincent Meli, Sam Meli and Angela Lucido.
1 2 3 4 5 Kavieff, Paul R. (June 10, 1999). "The crosstown mob wars of 1930-31". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020. In the early '20s, LaMare established a base of operations in Hamtramck. He opened a popular nightclub known as the Venice Cafe. With his business partners, Angelo Meli and Black Leo Cellura, LaMare grew rich and powerful, shaking down brothels and gambling houses for protection and muscling into the bootlegging rackets. Hamtramck became so corrupt and wide open that in the fall of 1923, numerous complaints prompted Michigan Gov. Alex Groesbeck to take drastic action. Groesbeck ordered detachments of the Michigan State Police into Hamtramck to take control of the city government. This operation resulted in the arrest and eventual conviction of 31 men, including Hamtramck Mayor Peter C. Jezewski, for Prohibition law violations. [...] Meli sent word to Joe Amico and the other fish market assassins that unless they put their boss Chester LaMare "on the spot," they would die. Amico, who was the closest to LaMare, orchestrated the final betrayal of the boss. [...] LaMare's death effectively ended the crosstown mob wars. Amico and Macklin were later tried for LaMare's murder and acquitted. Leaders of the Eastside Mob became the founders of what was to become Detroit's modern day Mafia organization.
↑ Edwards, George (October 11, 1963). [file:///Users/alexandertrevino/Downloads/October_11,_1963_(Page_19_of_4.pdf "Here's What Edwards Told Senators..."] (PDF). Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 17, 2021.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)[permanent dead link]
1 2 3 United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime And Illicit Traffic In Narcotics. Washington: U. S. Govt. Print. Off., 1963.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
