Five Families

For the factions within the British Conservative Party, see Five Families (Conservative Party).

A March 1921 photo of Salvatore Maranzano, who organized and led the Five Families

The Five Families refer to five Italian American Mafia crime families that operate in New York City. In 1931, the five families were organized by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the Castellammarese War.

Maranzano reorganized the Italian American gangs in New York City into the Maranzano, Profaci, Mangano, Luciano, and Gagliano families, which are now known as the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. Each family had a demarcated territory and an organizationally structured hierarchy and reported to the same overarching governing entity. Initially, Maranzano intended each family's boss to report to him as the capo dei capi ("boss of all the bosses").

However, this led to his assassination that September, and that role was abolished for the Commission, a ruling committee established by Lucky Luciano to oversee all Mafia activities in the United States and to mediate conflicts between families. It consisted of the bosses of the Five Families as well as the bosses of the Chicago Outfit and the Buffalo crime family. In 1963, Joseph Valachi publicly disclosed the existence of New York City's Five Families at the Valachi hearings. Since then, a few other crime families have been able to become powerful or notable enough to rise to a level comparable to that of the Five Families, holding or sharing the unofficial designation of Sixth Family.

History

Leading up to the Five Families

Further information: Castellammarese War

In the 1920s, Mafia operations in the U.S. were controlled by Giuseppe "Joe The Boss" Masseria, whose faction consisted mainly of gangsters from Sicily and the Calabria and Campania regions of Southern Italy. Masseria's faction included Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Albert "Mad Hatter" Anastasia, Vito Genovese, Alfred Mineo, Willie Moretti, Joe Adonis, and Frank Costello. However, powerful Sicilian mafioso Don Vito Cascio Ferro decided to make a bid for control of Mafia operations. ^[1]

From his base in Castellammare del Golfo, he sent Salvatore Maranzano to seize control. The Castellammarese faction in the U.S. included Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, Stefano "The Undertaker" Magaddino, Joseph Profaci, and Joe Aiello. ^[2] As it became more and more evident that the two factions would clash for leadership of the Mafia, they each sought to recruit more followers to support them. ^[3]

The Castellammarese War was between the forces of Masseria and Maranzano. ^[4] Underneath, however, there was also a generational conflict between the old guard Sicilian leadership – known as the "Mustache Petes" for their long mustaches and old-world ways, such as refusing to do business with non-Italians – and the "Young Turks", a younger and more diverse Italian group who were more forward-thinking and willing to work more with non-Italians. This approach led his followers to question whether Masseria was even capable of making the Mafia prosper in modern times. Led by Luciano, the aim of this group was to end the war as soon as possible in order to resume their businesses, because they viewed the conflict as unnecessary. Luciano's objective was to modernize the mob and do away with unnecessary orthodox norms. ^[5] This was a vision that enabled him to attract followers, who had seen the inadequacies of Masseria's traditionalist leadership. Therefore, both factions were fluid, with many mobsters switching sides or killing their own allies during the war. ^{[6] [7]} Tensions between the Maranzano and Masseria factions were evident as far back as 1928, with one side frequently hijacking the other's alcohol trucks (alcohol production was then illegal in the United States due to Prohibition).

In early 1931, Luciano made the decision to take out Masseria. The war had been going poorly for Masseria, and Luciano saw an opportunity to switch allegiance. In a secret deal with Maranzano, Luciano agreed to engineer Masseria's death in return for receiving Masseria's rackets and becoming Maranzano's second-in-command. ^[8] Joe Adonis had joined the Masseria faction and when Masseria heard about Luciano's betrayal, he approached Adonis about killing Luciano. However, Adonis instead warned Luciano about the murder plot. ^[9] On April 15, 1931, Masseria was killed at Nuova Villa Tammaro, a Coney Island restaurant in Brooklyn. While they played cards, Luciano allegedly excused himself to the bathroom, with the gunmen reportedly being Anastasia, Genovese, Adonis, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel; ^[10] Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova drove the getaway car, but legend has it that he was too shaken up to drive away and had to be shoved out of the driver's seat by Siegel. ^{[11] [12]} With Maranzano's blessing, Luciano took over Masseria's gang and became Maranzano's lieutenant, ending the Castellammarese War. ^[8]

The Five Families' formation

With Masseria gone, Maranzano reorganized the Italian American gangs in New York City into the Five Families headed by Luciano, Profaci, Gagliano, Mangano, and himself. Maranzano called a meeting of crime bosses in Wappingers Falls, New York,^{[ when? ]} where he declared himself capo di tutti i capi ("boss of all bosses"). ^[8] Maranzano also whittled down the rival families' rackets in favor of his own. Luciano appeared to accept these changes, but was merely biding his time before removing Maranzano. ^[13] Although Maranzano was slightly more forward-thinking than Masseria, Luciano had come to believe that Maranzano was even greedier and more hidebound than Masseria had been. ^[8]

By September 1931, Maranzano realized Luciano was a threat, and hired Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll, an Irish gangster, to kill him. ^[8] However, Lucchese alerted Luciano that he was marked for death. ^[8] On September 10, 1931, Maranzano ordered Luciano, Genovese, and Costello to come to his office at the 230 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Convinced that Maranzano planned to murder them, Luciano decided to act first. ^[14] He sent four Jewish gangsters to Maranzano's office whose faces were unknown to Maranzano's people. They had been secured with the aid of Jewish mobsters Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. ^[15] Disguised as government agents, two of the gangsters disarmed Maranzano's bodyguards. The other two, aided by Lucchese, who was there to point Maranzano out, stabbed the boss multiple times before shooting him. ^{[16] [17]} This assassination was the first of what would later be fabled as the "Night of the Sicilian Vespers". ^[16]

The Commission's formation

After Maranzano's murder in 1931, Luciano called a meeting in Chicago. ^{[18] [19] [20]} Although there would have been few objections had Luciano declared himself capo di tutti i capi, he abolished the title, believing the position created trouble among the families and would make himself a target for another ambitious challenger. ^[21] Luciano's goals with the Commission were to quietly maintain his own power over all the families, and to prevent future gang wars; the bosses approved the idea of the Commission. ^[19] The Commission would consist of a "board of directors" to oversee all Mafia activities in the United States and serve to mediate conflicts between families. ^{[19] [22]}

The Commission consisted of seven family bosses: the leaders of New York's Five Families: Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, Vincent Mangano, Tommy Gagliano, Joseph Bonanno, and Joe Profaci; Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone; and Buffalo family boss Stefano Magaddino. ^{[19] [22]} Charlie Luciano was appointed chairman of the Commission. The Commission agreed to hold meetings every five years or when they needed to discuss family problems. ^[19]

Decline of the Mafia

The five Mafia families in New York City are still active, albeit less powerful. The peak of the Mafia in the United States was during the 1940s, and the 1950s, until the year 1970 when the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act) was enacted. ^[23] The specific reason for the RICO Act was to stop the mafia and organized crime as a whole. The act was effective, and led to a large portion of the members who were arrested turning into informants. ^[24] This effect compounded over time. ^[25]

Original and current Five Families bosses

Further information: Valachi hearings

In 1963, Joseph Valachi publicly disclosed the existence of New York City's Five Families at the Valachi hearings. According to Valachi, the original bosses of the Five Families were Charles Luciano, Tommaso Gagliano, Joseph Profaci, Salvatore Maranzano, and Vincent Mangano. At the time of his testimony in 1963, Valachi revealed that the current bosses of the Five Families were Tommy Lucchese, Vito Genovese, Joseph Colombo, Carlo Gambino, and Joe Bonanno. These have since been the names most commonly used to refer to the New York Five Families, despite years of overturn and changing bosses in each. ^[26]

Original family name	Founded by	Current family name	Named after	Current boss	Acting boss
Maranzano	Salvatore Maranzano	Bonanno	Joe Bonanno	Michael "The Nose" Mancuso [27]	N/A
Profaci	Joe Profaci	Colombo	Joseph Colombo	N/A	Robert "Little Robert" Donofrio
Mangano	Vincent Mangano	Gambino	Carlo Gambino	Domenico Cefalù	Lorenzo Mannino
Luciano	Lucky Luciano	Genovese	Vito Genovese	Liborio Salvatore "Barney" Bellomo	N/A
Gagliano	Tommy Gagliano	Lucchese	Tommy Lucchese	Victor Amuso	Michael "Big Mike" DeSantis

Territories

The crime families historically operated throughout the New York metropolitan area, but mainly within New York City. In the state of New York, the gangs have increased their criminal rackets on Long Island, including both Nassau and Suffolk counties, and the counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Albany. They also maintain a strong presence in the state of New Jersey. ^[28] The Five Families are also active in South Florida, Connecticut, Las Vegas, and Massachusetts.

• 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 Atlanta, and have ties to the Rizzuto crime family in Quebec.
  • The Bath Avenue Crew operated in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York City
• 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, Georgia, 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 Staten Island Boys operate mainly in Staten Island under few other sub-groups. ^[29]
    • The Annadale-Rossville Boys
    • Great Kills Crew
    • North Staten Island Crew
• 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.
  • Greenwich Village Crew operates in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan.
  • Genovese crime family New Jersey faction operates throughout New Jersey. ^[28]
• The Lucchese 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.
  • Lucchese crime family New Jersey faction operates throughout New Jersey.
  • The Tanglewood Boys was a "recruitment gang" that operated in Westchester County, The Bronx, and Manhattan.

Mafia boss succession

Bonanno family

Main article: Bonanno crime family

Mugshot of Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1931 to 1968

• 1909–1912 – Sebastiano DiGaetano
• 1912–1930 – Nicolo Schirò – fled
• 1930–1931 – Salvatore Maranzano – murdered on September 10, 1931 ^[30]
• 1931–1968 – Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno – on October 21, 1964, Bonanno disappeared; forcibly replaced as boss by the commission; ^[31] crime family split into two factions; in May 1966, Bonanno reappeared after two years; officially retires after a heart attack in 1968
  • Disputed 1964–1966 – Gaspar "Gasparino" DiGregorio – installed when Bonanno disappeared and later forcibly replaced by the Commission ^[31]
  • Acting 1966–1968 – Paul Sciacca ^[32] – for the DiGregorio faction
• 1968–1971 – Paul Sciacca – imprisoned
• 1971–1973 – Natale "Joe Diamonds" Evola ^[32] – died on August 28, 1973 ^[33]
• 1973–1991 – Phillip "Rusty" Rastelli ^[32] – imprisoned 1975–1984 and 1986–1991 ^[34]
  • Acting (unofficial) ^[35] 1974–1979 – Carmine "Cigar" Galante ^[32] – murdered on July 12, 1979 ^[34]
  • Acting 1979–1983 – Salvatore "Sally Fruits" Farrugia – appointed by the Commission ^[36]
  • Acting 1987–1991 – Anthony "Old Man" Spero ^[32] – sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002, died in 2008
• 1991–2004 – Joseph "Big Joey" Massino – imprisoned January 2003, became government informant in October 2004
  • Acting 1991–1993 – Anthony "Old Man" Spero
  • Acting 2003–2004 – Anthony "Tony Green" Urso – imprisoned January 2004
• 2004–2011 – Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano – imprisoned November 2004, in July 2007 received a life sentence
  • Acting 2004–2006 – Michael "the Nose" Mancuso – imprisoned February 2006
  • Acting 2006–2009 – Salvatore "Sal the Iron Worker" Montagna – deported to Canada in April 2009, ^[37] shot and killed in November 2011
  • Acting 2010–2012 – Vincent "Vinny T.V." Badalamenti – imprisoned in January 2012 ^[38]
• 2013–present – Michael "the Nose" Mancuso ^[39] – released from prison March 12, 2019
  • Acting 2013–2014 – Thomas "Tommy D" DiFiore ^[40] – arrested on January 23, 2014
  • Acting 2014–2015 – John "Johnny Skyway" Palazzolo – arrested on March 27, 2015, for violating parole ^[41]
  • Acting 2015–2019 – Joseph "Joe C" Cammarano Jr. ^[42] – indicted on racketeering and extortion charges on January 12, 2018, acquitted March 13, 2019 ^{[43] [44] [45] [46]}

Colombo family

Main article: Colombo crime family

The March 6, 1970 mug shot of Joseph Colombo, boss of the Colombo crime family

• 1928–1962 – Joseph Profaci ^[47] – died of natural causes
• 1962–1963 – Joseph Magliocco ^[47] – forced to retire by Mafia Commission
• 1963–1973 – Joseph Colombo ^[47] – paralyzed by assassination attempt
  • Acting 1971–1972 – Joseph Yacovelli ^{[47] [48]} – fled, after the murder of Joe Gallo
  • Acting 1972–1973 – Vincenzo "Vincent" Aloi ^[49] – imprisoned
  • Acting 1973 – Joseph "Joey" Brancato ^{[47] [49]} – imprisoned ^[48]
• 1973–2019 – Carmine "Junior" Persico ^[47] – imprisoned 1973–1979, ^[50] 1981–1984, ^[51] 1985–2019, ^[52] died on March 7, 2019 ^[53]
  • Acting 1973–1979 – Thomas DiBella ^[49] – stepped down, became consigliere
  • Acting 1981–1983 – Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico – Carmine Persico's brother; fugitive 1980–1987, imprisoned ^{[54] [55]}
  • Acting 1983–1984 – Gennaro "Jerry Lang" Langella – imprisoned ^[52]
  • Acting 1985–1987 – Anthony "Scappy" Scarpati ^[56] – imprisoned
  • Acting 1987–1991 – Vittorio "Vic" Orena ^[57] – imprisoned sentenced to life ^[58]
  • Acting 1991–1993 – Vacant – disputed leadership during the third war
  • Acting 1994–1996 – Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo ^{[59] [60] [61]} – imprisoned March 1997 ^[61]
  • Acting 1996–2019 – Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico ^[59] – Carmine Persico's son; imprisoned sentenced to life 2009 ^{[62] [63] [64]}
• 2019–2022 – Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo – indicted on September 14, 2021. ^[65] Died on April 18, 2022. ^{[66] [67]}

Gambino family

Main article: Gambino crime family

The 1990 mug shot of John Gotti, boss of the Gambino crime family from 1985 to 2002

• 1900s–1910 – Ignazio "the Wolf" Lupo  – imprisoned in 1910. ^[68]
• 1910–1928 – Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila  – took over the Brooklyn Camorra in 1916 and merged with Al Mineo's gang forming the largest family in New York. He was killed on orders of boss Joe Masseria in 1928. ^[72]
• 1928–1930 – Manfredi "Alfred" Mineo  – killed in Castellammarese War in 1930.
• 1930–1931 – Frank Scalice  – demoted after murder of boss of all bosses Salvatore Maranzano.
• 1931–1951 – Vincent Mangano  – disappeared in April 1951, allegedly killed on orders of underboss Albert Anastasia.
• 1951–1957 – Albert Anastasia  – murdered in October 1957 on orders of Carlo Gambino.
• 1957–1976 – Carlo Gambino  – died of natural causes in 1976.
  • Acting 1964–1976 – Paul Castellano – acting boss for Gambino, became official boss after his death.
• 1976–1985 – Paul Castellano  – murdered in December 1985 on orders of capo John Gotti.
• 1985–2002 – John Gotti  – imprisoned in 1990, died in 2002.
  • Acting 1993–1999 – John A. Gotti  – imprisoned in 1999, later retired.
  • Acting 1999–2002 – Peter Gotti – promoted to official boss.
• 2002–2011 – Peter Gotti  – imprisoned in 2002, died in 2021.
  • Acting 2002–2005 – Arnold Squitieri ^[73]
  • Acting 2005–2008 – John D'Amico ^[74]
• 2011–present – Domenico "Italian Dom" Cefalù
  • Acting 2015–2019 – Frank Cali  – murdered in March 2019. ^[75]
  • Front boss 2019–present – Lorenzo Mannino ^[76]

Genovese family

Main article: Genovese crime family

A 1996 mug shot of Liborio Bellomo, believed to be the current boss of the Genovese crime family

• 1890s–1909 – Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello – imprisoned
• 1910–1916 – Nicholas "Nick Morello" Terranova – murdered on September 7, 1916
• 1916–1920 – Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova – stepped down becoming underboss
• 1920–1922 – Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello – stepped down becoming underboss to Masseria
• 1922–1931 – Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria – murdered on April 15, 1931
• 1931–1946 – Charles "Lucky" Luciano – imprisoned in 1936, deported to Italy in 1946
  • Acting 1936–1937 – Vito Genovese – fled to Italy in 1937 to avoid murder charge
  • Acting 1937–1946 – Frank "the Prime Minister" Costello – became official boss after Luciano's deportation
• 1946–1957 – Frank "the Prime Minister" Costello – resigned in 1957 after Genovese -Gigante assassination attempt ^{[77] [78]}
• 1957–1969 – Vito "Don Vito" Genovese – imprisoned in 1959, died in prison in 1969
  • Acting 1959–1962 – Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo – disappeared in 1962
  • Acting 1962–1965 – Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli – became front boss
  • Acting 1965–1969 – Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo – became the official boss
• 1969–1981 – Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo – retired in 1981, died of natural causes in 1987
• 1981–2005 – Vincent "Chin" Gigante – imprisoned in 1997, died in prison on December 19, 2005 ^[79]
  • Acting 1989–1996 – Liborio "Barney" Bellomo – promoted to street boss
  • Acting 1997–1998 – Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo – suffered heart attack and resigned
  • Acting 1998–2005 – Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello – resigned when indicted in July 2005
  • Acting 2005–2008 – Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo ^[80] – imprisoned 2008–2013
• 2010–present – Liborio "Barney" Bellomo

Lucchese family

Main article: Lucchese crime family

Tommy Lucchese, boss of the Lucchese crime family from 1951 to 1967

• 1922–1930: Gaetano "Tommy" Reina: ^{[81] [ unreliable source? ]} murdered on February 26, 1930
• 1930: Bonaventura "Joseph" Pinzolo: ^[81] murdered on September 5, 1930
• 1930–1951: Tommaso "Tommy" Gagliano: ^[81] retired in 1951, died on February 16, 1953
• 1951–1967: Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese: ^[81] died on July 13, 1967 ^{[82] [83] [84]}
  • Acting 1966–1967: Carmine Tramunti: stepped down
  • Acting 1967: Ettore "Eddie" Coco: ^[81] stepped down
• 1967–1973: Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti: ^[81] imprisoned in October 1973
• 1973–1986: Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo: ^[81] indicted on February 15, 1985, convicted on November 19, 1986, in the Mafia Commission Trial and sentenced on January 13, 1987 to 100 years in prison.
• 1986–present: Vittorio "Vic" Amuso: ^{[81] [85]} arrested in 1991, received a life sentence in January 1993 ^[86]
  • Acting 1990–1991: Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco: ^[81] demoted, became a member of a ruling panel ^[87]
  • Acting 1995–1998: Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede: ^[88] imprisoned in 1998
  • Acting 1998–2000: Steven "Wonderboy" Crea: ^[81] imprisoned on September 6, 2000 ^[89]
  • Acting 2000–2003: Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone: ^[81] imprisoned March 2003, received life sentence in January 2004
  • Acting 2009–2017: Matthew "Matt" Madonna: indicted 2007 and 2009; imprisoned 2015–present; indicted 2017 ^{[90] [91] [92] [93]}
  • Acting 2017–present: Michael "Big Mike" DeSantis ^[93]

References

1. Sifakis, Carl (2005). The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Checkmark Books. p.  56. ISBN   978-0816056958.
2. Sifakis, (2005). pp. 56–57
3. Marc., Mappen (2013). Prohibition gangsters : the rise and fall of a bad generation. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. ISBN   978-0813561158. OCLC   852899302.
4. Critchley, (2008). p. 165
5. Nate., Hendley (2010). American gangsters, then and now : an encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. ISBN   978-0313354519. OCLC   727948429.
6. Raab, Selwyn (2006). Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. St. Martin's Griffin. pp.  22–35. ISBN   978-0312361815.
7. Sifakis, (2005). p. 323
8. The Five Families. MacMillan. May 13, 2014. ISBN   9781429907989. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
9. Reppetto, Thomas (2004). American Mafia: a history of its rise to power (1st ed.). New York: Henry Holt and Company. p.  137. ISBN   0-8050-7210-1. Joe Adonis.
10. Pollak, Michael (June 29, 2012). "Coney Island's Big Hit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
11. Sifakis, (2005). pp. 87–88
12. Martin A. Gosch; Richard Hammer; Lucky Luciano (1975). The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano. Little, Brown. pp.  130–132. ISBN   978-0-316-32140-2.
13. Sifakis
14. Cohen, Rich (1999). Tough Jews (1st Vintage Books ed.). New York: Vintage Books. pp.  65–66. ISBN   0-375-70547-3. Genovese maranzano.
15. Buchanan, Edna (1998-12-07). "Lucky Luciano: Criminal Mastermind". Time, December 7, 1998. Originally retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989779,00.html. Archived December 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
16. "Genovese family saga". Crime Library.
17. "The Genovese Family," Crime Library, Crime Library Archived December 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
18. Critchley, The Origin of Organized Crime in America: The New York City Mafia, 1891-1931, p. 232
19. Capeci, Jerry. The complete idiot's guide to the Mafia "The Mafia's Commission" (pp. 31–46)
20. Humbert S. Nelli The business of crime: Italians and syndicate crime in the United States (pp. 206–208)
21. David Wallace (2012). Capital of the World: A Portrait of New York City in the Roaring Twenties. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   9780762768196. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
22. "The Commission's Origins". The New York Times. 1986. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
23. "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act | United States [1970] | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
24. "Mobsters who became informants | American Mafia History". mafiahistory.us. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
25. "Ideas Shoot Bullets: How the RICO Act Became a Potent Weapon in the War Against Organized Crime". Concept. 26. 2003.
26. Lupo, Salvatore (2015). The Two Mafias: a transatlantic history, 1888-2008. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 123. ISBN   978-1-137-49135-0.
27. "Jerry Capeci: Mob Murder In Montreal Could Trigger Bloodshed In New York". Huffington Post. January 11, 2010. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
28. The Changing Face of Organized Crime in New Jersey (A Status Report) (PDF). May 2004. pp. 105–114. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
29. Durkin, Erin (March 15, 2019). "'They don't bother nobody': the quiet presence of New York's mafia". TheGuardian.com .
30. Raab, Selwyn. The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire. New York: St. Martins Press, 2005.
31. The Mafia Encyclopedia By Carl Sifakis pg.28–29
32. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra by Peter J. Devico (pg. 173) Archived January 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
33. Gage, Nicholas (August 31, 1973). "Natale Evola, Mafia Figure, Is Dead at 66" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
34. Bruno, Anthony. "The Bonanno Family: "What's There to Say?"". TruTV Crime Library. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
35. Raab, pp. 203–205
36. Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia By Joseph D. Pistone read Archived July 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
37. "Canadian officials aware of imminent return to Montreal of alleged Mafia boss" Archived January 28, 2013, at archive.today Mafia Today April 20, 2009
38. Marzulli, John (January 27, 2012). "Feds bust 5 mob suspects, including alleged Bonanno boss Vincent (Vinny TV) Badalamenti". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
39. Marzulli, John (June 24, 2013). "Bonanno crime family sniffs out Michael 'The Nose' Mancuso as new boss: sources". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
40. Capeci, Jerry (June 13, 2013). "New Bonanno Boss Speaks Softly; Hides in the Bushes". Gang Land News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
41. Yaniv, Oren (March 28, 2015). "Bonanno crime family street boss locked up after feds catch him meeting with other mobsters – violating his parole". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
42. Marzulli, John (January 18, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Mob boss rebuilding what's left of Bonanno crime family". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
43. Marzulli, John (January 18, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Mob boss rebuilding what's left of Bonanno crime family – NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
44. McShane, VICTORIA BEKIEMPIS, Larry (January 12, 2018). "Acting Bonanno mob boss, high-ranking family leaders busted in racketeering takedown – NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
45. Bekiempis, Victoria; McShane, Larry (January 12, 2018). "Acting Bonanno mob boss, high-ranking family leaders busted in racketeering takedown". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
46. Francesco Cali, Reputed Gambino Crime Boss, Shot and Killed on Staten Island Archived March 17, 2019, at the Wayback Machine , The New York Times, March 13, 2019
47. DeVico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra (pg. 174) Archived January 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Tate Publishing, 2007. ISBN   1-60247-254-8
48. Machi, Mario American Mafia.com Archived December 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine New York
49. MafiaNJ.com La Cosa Nostra State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation 1989 Report. pg.17 Archived January 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
50. Staff (January 6, 1981) "The City; Persico Trial Put Off On Bribery Charges" Archived July 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine The New York Times
51. Fried, Joseph P. (November 10, 1981) "Persico Rank Rankles as he is Given 5 Years" Archived July 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine The New York Times
52. Maas, Peter (1997) Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia HarperCollins. pp.191-92 ISBN   0060182563
53. "Legendary New York Mob Boss Carmine Persico, Head of Colombo Family, Dead at Age 85". nbcnewyork.com. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
54. Staff (September 13, 1989) "Alphonse Persico, 61, Is Dead; Leader of Colombo Crime Family" Archived July 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine . The New York Times
55. Buder, Leonard (December 19, 1987) "Colombo Figure Given 25 Years On '80 Charges" Archived July 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine The New York Times
56. Maas, Peter (1997) Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia . HarperCollins. p.155 ISBN   0060182563
57. Raab (2006), pp.332-33
58. Raab, Selwyn (December 10, 1991) "Even to the 5 Families, the Fighting Colombos Have Been Black Sheep" Archived January 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine The New York Times
59. Capeci (2001), pp.386-88
60. Capeci, Jerry (August 5, 1999). "MOB BOSS RIPS JURY-TAMPERING SENTENCE". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
61. United States District Judge John F. Keenan Case 1:97-cv-08591-JFK Archived March 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (May 22, 2006)
62. Marzulli, John (March 1, 2009). "Alphonse Persico life sentence may end control of Colombo crime family". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
63. "Updated Colombo Family Leadership being revealed?". Archived from the original on September 23, 2010.
64. Colombo Organized Crime Family Acting Boss Alphonse T. Persico and Administration Member John J. Deross Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for the Murder of William "Wild Bill" Cutolo and Related Witness Tampering Archived March 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (February 27, 2009)
65. "14 Defendants Indicted, Including the Entire Administration of the Colombo Organized Crime Family". www.justice.gov. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
66. McShane, Noah Goldberg, Larry (April 20, 2022). "Colombo family boss Andrew 'Mush' Russo dies at age 87 while awaiting federal racketeering case". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
67. Lawson, Kyle (April 21, 2022). "Colombo don Andrew 'Mush' Russo dies at 87 while facing federal charges: Source". Staten Island Live. News Paper. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
68. Sifakis, Carl (2005). The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Facts on File. pp. 281–282. ISBN   978-0-8160-5694-1. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
69. The complete idiot's guide to the Mafia by Jerry Capeci (read) Archived January 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
70. Dash, Mike (August 4, 2009). The first family: terror, extortion, revenge, murder, and the birth of the American Mafia. Random House Publishing. p. 24. ISBN   9781588368638. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
71. Crime: Computer Viruses to Twin Towers by H. Thomas Milhorn (pg.218) Archived January 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
72. ^{[69] [70] [71]}
73. Capeci, Jerry (March 25, 2004). "Gang Land News: America's Expert on the American Mafia (paid subscription site)". www.ganglandnews.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
74. Capeci, Jerry (December 15, 2005). "Gang Land News: America's Expert on the American Mafia (paid subscription site)". www.ganglandnews.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
75. Staten Island mobster takes Gambino leadership: report Archived December 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , New York Daily News, August 21, 2015
76. "Gambino crime family has a new boss". The US World Herald. May 12, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
77. "The Strange Saga of the 'Odd Father,' the Mob Boss Who Faked Mental Illness". Vice. May 17, 2016. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
78. "Mob justice: A year of violence in gangland". Jay Maeder. New York Daily News. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
79. Raab, Selwyn (September 3, 1995). "With Gotti Away, the Genoveses Succeed the Leaderless Gambinos". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
80. "Charges against mob boss show Mafia alive and well in New York", June 1, 2007
81. DeVico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra. (pg. 175) Archived January 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Tate Publishing, 2007. ISBN   1-60247-254-8
82. "White-Collar Mafioso: Tommy Lucchese (1899–1967)" Archived January 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine By Thomas Hunt Onewal.com
83. "Tommy Lucchese Biography" Bio website
84. Harrell, G.T. For Members Only: The Story of the Mob's Secret Judge. Arthur House Publishing, 2009 (pg 99-101)
85. Philip Carlo. Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss (pg.296) Archived February 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
86. Carlo, Philip Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss p. 246 Archived March 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
87. "Declaration of Alphonse D'Arco Archived January 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine by Allan N. Taffet
88. Gearty, Robert (October 23, 2002). "Luchese Ex-Boss Singing for Feds". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
89. "Construction Indictments" Archived March 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine District Attorney New York County Press release September 6, 2000
90. United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York (May 31, 2017). "Alleged Street Boss And Underboss Of La Cosa Nostra Family Charged With Murder And Racketering Offenses In White Plains Federal Court". Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
91. Jacobs, Shayna (May 31, 2017). "Luchese bosses among 15 cuffed in massive New York mob takedown". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
92. Whitehouse, Kaja (May 31, 2017). "Nearly two dozen Lucchese crime family members arrested". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
93. Capeci, Jerry (May 30, 2019). "Lucheses leadership changed hands in bloodless coup orchestrated from prison". New York Post. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.

Further reading

• Raab, Selwyn (2006). Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martins Press.