He is the last mafia boss of clout in the DeCavalcante crime family. The official criminal organization began with Simone DeCavalcante, known as "Sam the Plumber" and "The Count". Brooklyn-born Frank (Big Frankie) Cocchiaro was one of the most active racketeers in the DeCavalcante Family - and one of its most notorious. After the first season, a crew of remaining family members were recorded praising the shows realism and acting. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. I thought he was gonna fly though the wall. He relocated to Sicily and was replaced by Nicholas "Nick" Delmore. His father, James, Sr., received a Purple Heart during World War II and worked as a mason and then as a high-school custodian. Everything was caught on tape. But according to the Daily Beast, the dumbfella hitman stole license plates belonging to the wife of a fellow gangster. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Or at the very least, the mutt had to be maimed. Carpenito also said that for the gun conviction, U.S. Judge Anne E. Thompson will add a mandatory five years to his sentence at a hearing scheduled for July 7 in Trenton. DeCavalcante had hoped that he himself might get the honor and make his a sixth family. Seglem explained they still make money with traditional ventures likelabor racketeering taking control of workers at a construction site and demanding a payout from the builders. Joe Lolordo was a member of the Sam DeCavalcante Family and was reportedly involved in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929. He was convicted on a variety of extortion and labor charges in 1992, and sentenced to twelve years in prison. ', GOLDSTEIN: A strike by federal workers? All was seemingly settled until Amari became ill and died slowly of stomach cancer in 1997. Nicholas (Nicky Dell) Delmore was one of the original powers in Northern New Jerseys underworld - a very well-respected mafioso who eventually became boss. The family controls much of the construction in New York City, as well. [15], Using information provided by Guarino, US law enforcement launched a large scale arrest on December 2, 1999 of over 30 members and associates of the DeCavalcante crime family. The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia organized crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York, and various other North Jersey cities and the surrounding areas in North Jersey. Stango, now 75, ultimately opted for death, according to the document. Pete Galletta was a "sleeper" DeCavalcante member who was involved in the Family's gambling rackets, yet unknown to law enforcement. Im sorry, I hope everybody doesnt blame me, an informant would quote the hapless hitman saying before he himself was hit. For the next several years, every single word spoken by Sam and his Mafia associates was recorded for posterity by the agents. The Commission decided to divide up his territory among the Five Families and Badami's Elizabeth family.[9]. The new boss was Giovanni John the Eagle Riggi. [21][22] Associates Rosario Pali and Nicholas DeGidio were convicted on April 4, 2017, after pleading guilty to distributing more than 500 grams of cocaine. NEWARK, N.J. - Ten members and associates of the DeCavalcante organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra were arrested today and charged with various plots to commit murder, distribute drugs and run a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Charles Stango was also charged along with his son, Anthony Stango, 33 of Brick, New Jersey, with conspiring with members of his New Jersey-based crew to distribute cocaine and run a prostitution business. Riggi, nicknamed Johnny the Eagle brought lucrative union and construction connections to the familys illicit portfolio. It is also a message to La Cosa Nostra that FBI Newark will do everything possible within in its legal powers to eradicate La Cosa Nostra from New Jersey. An Amico Nostro is an Amico Nostro.. Like a lot of other crime families, the DeCavalcantes have had to deal with a slew of turncoats and canaries. The current boss is Charles Majuri. Stango along with his son Anthony was charged with distributing cocaine, conspiring to run a prostitution business and a murder plot. In 1935, Vincenzo Troia conspired to take over the Newark family and was murdered. He declined to commenton a rumored romantic motive, except to saywere investigating everything thats been reported.". Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Francisco Frank Guarraci hailed from Simone DeCavalcantes ancestral hometown of Ribera. Between June 6, 2013, and Nov. 6, 2013, Oliveri bought multiple cases of untaxed cigarettes from undercover law enforcement officers. But that was far from the end of the DeCavalcante Crime Family. The indictment reports that Guarraci then fired the general manager. The downfall of the DeCavalcante family was precipitated in 1998, when an associate named Ralph Guarino became an FBI informant, in an effort to avoid a long prison sentence in connection with taking part with two others in a heist of $1.6 million from the World Trade Center. He was convicted on a variety of extortion and labor charges in 1992, and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Comello's attorney told theNetwork the incident is related to hate online, "including right-wing conspiracy websites and public comments made by politicians,Robert Gottlieb said. [27][28] Stango reportedly wanted Nigro and associate Paul Colella to get permission from the New Jersey hierarchy to kill Luigi Oliveri, but the murder was not committed because Stango did not get an answer. Riggi placed the family under the day-to-day direction of a ruling panel headed by Vastola, whose various activities ranged from shaking down dice games to promoting concerts by Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia organized crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth,[2] Newark, West New York,[3] and various other North Jersey cities and the surrounding areas in North Jersey. With the release of the Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, its time to take a closer look at the DeCavalcante family. In March 1972, Vastola was convicted of extorting the dice game operators and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Under his guidance, the DeCavalcante Family added dozens of made men to their ranks, and, Unfortunately for Sam the Plumber, his rise to power coincided with another development: more aggressive and sophisticated law enforcement efforts to take down organized crime. DeCavalcante stepped down as boss officially in 1980, passing leadership to Riggi,[10] who had been a business agent of the International Association of Laborers and Hod Carriers in New Jersey for years. I had a terrible dream about a bunch of cops! he exclaimed, adding that the secretary had featured in it. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. But that was forgotten as Anthony Rotondo rhapsodized about The Sopranos. He was recorded telling Majuri of going with fellow mobster Gaetano Corky Vastola to visit someone who had failed to come in for a chat when summoned. SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.. Police Scotland revealed this morning that . Gregory "Georgie" Rago (born 1959) is a New Jersey mobster and "soldier" in the DeCavalcante crime family. Guarraci pleaded guilty and in January 2012 got off with six months of home confinement, followed by five years probation. Riggi continued to run the family throughout the 1980s, with underboss Girolamo "Jimmy" Palermo and Stefano Vitabile as consigliere,[11] after Frank Majuri died of health problems. The Commission did not recognize the DeCavalcantes as an autonomous crime family until the regime of Sam DeCavalcante. Gambino BossFrancesco "Franky Boy"Cali was gunned down in Staten Island earlier this month. Stefano Badami was stabbed to death in a New Jersey clam house in 1955. Angelo Gallo was active in loanshark rackets and was associated with the Gallo Gang faction of the Colombos. The Decavalcantes are considered by some to be the "Sixth Family".[4][5]. Corky hit him, DeCavalcante said. Following his release from prison in 1976, he allegedly retired from the Mafia and moved to Florida. DeCavalcante will soon be moving to Los Santos Either in October 2012 or Sometime in 2013. But creator David Chase is said to have drawn inspiration from real-life figures. Unrelenting law enforcement pressure was further diminishing the power of the DeCavalcante crime family as well. Cosa Nostra is Cosa Nostra, he declared. After being promoted to capo by former boss Filippo "Phil" Amari, . But still, the mob reigns eternal. There was also Abner Zwillman, a Jewish gangster operating in Newark, and the Philadelphia crime family operating in South Jersey. He declared that This Thing of Ours and Our Friends were the same, whether it be among the five families of New York or his family in New Jersey. lieutenant, Giovanni Riggi, as the head of the family. Which directive G.M. And they were now finding themselves overshadowed by a TV show about a New Jersey crime family modeled after the DeCavalcante family. Under his guidance, the DeCavalcante Family added dozens of made men to their ranks, and even gained a seat on the infamous Commission. Michael Daly on the primordial crew behind HBOs beloved Mafiosi. The DeCavalcante family is known as the inspiration for the acclaimed HBO series " The Sopranos ." An investigation into Vella and another family associate culminated in the execution of a. The members include Vito Spatafore, who is killed after it becomes known he is gay, just as John DAmato was killed. A locked padlock And that will continue as long as there are ships that are coming in from all over the world and the people here who know what the ships are bringing in.. But there is a sixth family just across the Hudson River who are equally greedy and bloodthirsty. The Family was active in many of the traditional rackets such as gambling, shylocking, labor union racketeering and corruption, extortion, and narcotics. From city to city and state to state, Button Guys of The New York Mafia breaks down the history of organized crime in America. Nicknamed Sam the Plumber because of the plumbing supply store he operated as a business front, DeCavalcante was an ambitious Mafioso who managed to organize New Jerseys rackets like never before, and make them profitable. OMalley said he didnt think the killing had the markings of a sanctioned mob hit. While incarcerated, Riggi attempted to maintain control of the DeCavalcante crime family, with uneven success. He retired to Florida upon his release. DeCavalcante Crime Family Associate Sentenced By DiMaiolo Santolo March 10, 2020 Mario Galli III, 28, from Toms River New Jersey and an associate of the DeCavalcante crime family has been sentenced His mother, Santa, worked as a high school cafeteria chef. However, one gangster caught on tape noted: The acting is really terrific.. Nearly 1 pound of drugs and a loaded 9mm FEG Model PGK-9HP gun with 12 rounds were seized during the raids in September, said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. He died of natural causes in 1997. There were several bosses in North Jersey during the Prohibition era controlling transportation of alcohol and whiskey into New York City, and there were two Mafia families based in New Jersey: the Newark family headed by Gaspare D'Amico, and the Elizabeth family headed by Stefano Badami. What follows below is a list of in-depth biographies for many of their more interesting members and associates. [17], In 2001, 20 mobsters were charged with racketeering, seven murders, 14 murder conspiracies, attempted murder, extortion in the construction industry, and stock fraud. The A Colombo Family Legend March 25, 2020 2023 American Mafia History Ten alleged members and associates of the New Jersey mafia also known as the DeCavalcante crime family including capo Charles Stango were busted back in 2015 by the feds for various crimes. was gunned down in Staten Island earlier this month. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is. As in The Sopranos, the DeCavalcante family recruited a new arrival from Sicily. The opening sequence of the first episode in 1999 made clear that this was New Jersey. NEWARK, N.J. Ten members and associates of the DeCavalcante organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra were arrested today and charged with various plots to commit murder, distribute drugs and run a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. [Colombo] sits like a baby next to Carl [Gambino] all the time, DeCavalcante said. Ba-boom! Umberto Gallo ran a private mob social club as a base and was partners with his older brother in the shylock rackets. You just gotta put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life or somebody's gotta get a f----- jar of acid and throw it in his f----- face… Charles Beeps Stango said, according to a March 2015 federal court document alleging crimes by him and other accused members of the DeCavalcante crime family, the New Jersey mob outfit known as an inspiration for "The Sopranos" series on HBO. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. As with all of Cosa Nostra in the last 20 to 30 years, the DeCavalcante Family has fallen prey to the Rat Fever permeating through the ranks of all the mobbut the beat goes on! The New Jersey crime family had a reputation for doing dumb things and as a result, became the Rodney Dangerfield of criminal organizations no respect. Under his guidance, the DeCavalcante Family added dozens of made men to their ranks, and even gained a seat on the infamous Commission. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Delmore kept running the organization until he became ill in the early 1960s. The Commission remains committed to working with all its law enforcement partners to eliminate organized crime in and around the port district, Walter Arsenault, Executive Director of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, said. Andrew Ford: @AndrewFordNews; 732-643-4281; aford3@gannettnj.com. [16] This was the fourth indictment of the family since 1999. But Guarraci and DeCavalcante and the others of that crime family are just criminals. Antonio Caruso was a member of the DeCavalcante Family active in gambling operations on the Lower East Side with policy and card games. Last edited by NYMafia; 04/03/23 07:16 PM. The popular Sopranos television series may helped make New Jerseys connections to the Mafia and organized crime a popular discussion topic at dinner tables across America. [26], In March 2017, Stango was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder. Amari was recognized by US law enforcement as being heavily involved with extortion, labor racketeering, loansharking, and narcotics activities in Newark and New York City. He has five sisters, including Claire and Nancy, and one brother. At the height of his power, DeCavalcantes crime family was reported to oversee illicit activities worth over $20 million a year. TRENTON - An associate of the DeCavalcante crime family Monday pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with the intent to . Law enforcement authorities seized 3,200 pounds of cocaine valued at $77 million at Port Newark in late February, though they havent yet named who they suspect of importing the drugs. He also claimed to be of Italian royal lineage, earning him the nickname "The Count". Most of its leaders are either dead or incarcerated, and other criminal networks have wrestled control of the remaining rackets that once provided serious revenue for the family. The Sopranos are fictional, the DeCavalcante crime family is not. FAX: 856-968-4917 [16] Other top members, like Anthony Rotondo and Anthony Capo, also agreed to become government witnesses. His father was an Italian immigrant who moved to New York when he was a teenager. Delmore attended the infamous 1957 Apalachin Convention to represent the small New Jersey crime family, with underbosses of Elizabeth and Newark Frank Majuri and Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso. A lock ( Whatever the truth of his lineage, DeCavalcante did have a certain courtly touch when he settled disputes or helped a younger mafioso through a rough patch in his marriage. [15] Majuri contracted soldier James Gallo to murder Vincent Palermo. Button Guys of The New York Mafia. D'Amato was later revealed to have participated in homosexual acts and was murdered in 1992. Trenton:609-989-2190 According to the complaint unsealed today: The feds say the family remains under the control of the Gambinos -- a shift believed to have taken place in the late 1980s around the time DeCavalcante crime family captain Vincent (Jimmy . Like Sam the Plumber, Riggi also had strong connections to the Five Families in New York as well; he had a particularly close relationship with John Gotti, boss of the Gambino Family. He died of a heart attack in 1997 at age 84. What characters, Rotondo said. Through deep-dive biographies and snapshots of mobsters to in-depth stories about mafia regimes and crews, youll uncover an underworld you might never have known existed maybe even in your own hometown! Late New Jersey mob boss Simone Sam The Plumber DeCavalcante. More than 30 members and associates of the family were arrested. Arsenault described mob activity at the port today similar to the problems that prompted the formation of the commission: theft of cargo and containers, extortion of port workers and importationand sale of drugs. Great acting.. Article content. James Gandolfinis parents came emigrated from Italy to New Jersey. Gay bosses, Sicilian recruits, FBI bugs. 1970s-1990s Organized Crime Jersey Style, After DeCavalcantes incarceration and apparent retirement, he appointed a trusted. Unions, construction, bootlegging, waste management, porn, gambling, prostitution, drugs, and much, much more. It is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia. And under his lead, the DeCavalcante spread money around to local politicians and often presented a veneer of legitimacy Riggi helped develop little league baseball fields and supported many charitable causes even as the family was committing serious crimes, extortion, and fraud across the state. He is now 87. 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