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.
