Morello crime family

Morello crime family
Morello Crime Family
PeterMorello.jpg
Former Boss Giuseppe Morello
In East Harlem, Manhattan
Founded by Giuseppe Morello
Years active 1890s-1922
Territory East Harlem, Little Italy and South Bronx
Ethnicity Sicilian
Criminal activities Racketeering, Counterfeiting, Extortion, Conspiracy and Murder
Allies Sicilian Mafia
Rivals Brooklyn Camorra

The Morello crime family is the direct ancestor of the Genovese crime family, the oldest of New York City's Five Families.

Contents

History

From Corleone to America

The Morello family traces back to Corleone, Sicily. In 1865, Calogero Morello married Angelina Piazza who gave birth to two children: Giuseppe Morello (born May 2, 1867) and Maria Morello-Lima (born about 1869). Calogero Morello died in 1872 and one year later Piazza remarried to Bernardo Terranova.[1] The new marriage produced five children: three sons Vincenzo (born 1886), Ciro (born 1988) and Nicolo (born 1890) and two daughters Lucia (born 1877) and Salvatrice (born 1880).[1] Critchley mentions a possible third sister of the Terranovas, Rosalia Lomonte (born 1892 - died October 14, 1915).[1]

In 1892, Giuseppe Morello emigrated to the United States.[2][3] On March 8, 1893, Giuseppe's family arrived in New York: his wife Maria Rosa Marvalisi, his mother Angelina Piazza, his stepfather Bernardo Terranova, his stepbrothers Ciro, Nicolo, Vincenzo and stepsister Rosalia.[1] The Morello-Terranova family lived in New York for a while before moving to Louisiana then Texas and by 1896 the family was back in New York City.[2][3]

107th Street Mob

The brothers returned to New York and became known as the 107th Street Mob (sometimes called the Morello Gang) dominating East Harlem, Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. Giuseppe Morello's strongest allie was Ignazio Lupo, a mobster who controlled Little Italy, Manhattan. On December 23, 1903, Lupo married Salvatrice Terranova who was Giuseppe Morello's half sister.

The Morello-Lupo alliance continued to prosper in 1903 the group began a major counterfeiting ring with powerful Sicilian mafioso Don Vito Cascio Ferro, printing $5 dollar bills in Sicily and smuggling them into the United States. Many of the later "barrel murders", particularly that of Giuseppe "Joe" Catania Sr. (whose body was found in July 1902), were thought to have been committed by the Morellos, who employed a large number of members of the counterfeiting operation.

On April 13, 1903 the body of Benedetto Madonia, brother-in-law to police informant Giuseppe DiPrimo (de Priemo), was found in a barrel after being brutally tortured. A United States Secret Service detective, who had been investigating the counterfeiting ring, traced the man to a restaurant where he was seen with Morello crime family Boss, Ignazio Lupo along with associate and hitman, Tommaso "The Ox" Petto. New York detective Joseph Petrosino later confirmed Madonia's identity after visiting DiPrimo at Sing Sing Prison. A letter by Madonia seeking to leave the organization was found in a search of Madonia's house. With this evidence several mafiosi were arrested including Morello, Lupo, Petto, and restaurant owner Pietro Inzarillo as well as several other members. However the charges are later dropped after witnesses changed their statements.

The Morello family had consolidated their hold on Upper Manhattan however on November 15, 1909 New York police raided a building in Highland, New York the Morellos were using as a front for their counterfeiting operation. After letters were found by Black Hand victims from New Orleans, fifteen members of the Morellos, including Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo, were arrested. Recovering a large amount of both American and Canadian counterfeit bills, including Morello member Pasquale Vasi in possession of $1,200 worth of counterfeit money, the printer agreed to testify against the Morellos.

Beginning on January 26, 1910 the trial ended on February 19 with all members involved convicted, including Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo, who were sentenced to thirty and twenty-five years respectively at Atlanta Federal Prison.

Mafia-Camorra war

With Giuseppe Morello's and Lupo's conviction, Nicholas "Nick" Terranova, with Vincenzo and Ciro Terranova, took control of the Morello crime family. At this time the Morellos' power was at its height, controlling Manhattan's criminal activities from East Harlem to Greenwich Village. Soon after opening the Venezia Restaurant, the club became a popular hangout for the city's underworld.

Nick's efforts to unify the Italian criminal organizations of New York, particularly the Sicilian Mafiosi and the Neapolitan Camorristi, during the early 1910s were unsuccessful despite his best efforts.

During this time the Morellos had allied with Don Giosue Gallucci, a prominent East Harlem businessman and Camorrista with local political connections and the Lamonti Brothers who where also powerful East Harlem businessmen and Camorristi. Gaetano "Thomas" Lamonti and brother Fortunato "Charles" Lamonti were known as friends of the Morellos who owned a feed store down the street from the famous Murder Stable owned by Ignazio Lupo. After the 1914 murder of Lamonti brother Charles and the 1915 murder of Gallucci, the alliance between the Morellos and the East Harlem Camorristi ended as the Brooklyn Camorristi planned to eliminate the Mafiosi from Manhattan.

In early 1916 Camorra Boss Pellegrino Morano, with lieutenant Vincenzo Paragallo, began moving into the Morello crime family's territory. After six months of fighting, however, Morano offered a truce to end the stalemate. Mafia Boss, Nick Morello agreed as a meeting was arranged at a Navy Street café owned by Camorrista, Alessandro Vollero. However upon arriving, Morello was ambushed by five members of the Brooklyn Camorra group and killed along with bodyguard, Charles Ubriaco on September 7, 1916.[4] While the loss of the Morello crime family's senior leader was a blow to the Mafia, Camorra Boss, Pellegrino Morano was quickly charged with Nick Morello's murder after two members of the Camorra group, Tony Notoro and Ralph Daniello, contacted New York police implicating Pellegrino Morano and Alessandro Vollero, revealing the war between the Sicilian and Neapolitan gangs. Both Morano and Vollero, after being denied help from New York detective Michael Mealli, were convicted of murder and imprisoned, as were the remaining leaders of the Camorristi, effectively ending the Mafia-Camorra War.

Morello family war

The Mafia-Camorra war ended in 1917, and Terranova brothers Vincenzo and Ciro kept control of family. Many former Brooklyn Camorra members joined the Morello family, Umberto Valenti was one of new members. One year early in 1916, Joseph Masseria was released from prison after serving 3 years for burglary of a Bowery pawnshop and became a top members in the family. In 1918, Ciro Terranova was tried for the murders of gambling bosses, Charles Lombardi and Joe DiMarco, the case was later dismissed. In 1920, both Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo were released from prison and Brooklyn Mafia Boss Salvatore D'Aquila ordered their murders.

This is when Joseph Masseria and Rocco Valenti began to fight for control of the Morello family. On December 29, 1920 Masseria's men murderd Valenti's ally, Salvatore Muaro on Christie Street. Then Valenti had Vincent Terranova murdered on May 8, 1922, while Terranova was in front of his home at 116th Street and 2nd Avenue he was shot by a gunmen from a moving car. Masseria ordered his men to murder Valenti and his bodyguard Silva Tagliagamba, they ambushed Valenti and Tagliabamba at Grande and Mulberry Streets in Manhattan shooting Tagliabamba but Valenti escaped. On August 11, 1922, Masseria's men murdered Valenti ending the conflict. Masseria became the boss of the Morello family, and Giuseppe Morello became his underboss.

Historical leadership

Boss

  • 1890s–1909 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — founded the 107th Street Mob; imprisoned 1909
  • 1909–1916 — Nicholas "Nick Morello" Terranova — killed in Mafia-Camorra war on September 7, 1916
  • 1916–1920 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — stepped down becoming underboss
  • 1920–1922 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — stepped down becoming underboss
  • 1922–1931 — Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria — paroled in 1920, became boss in 1922

Underboss

  • 1903–1909 — Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Lupo — imprisoned 1910
  • 1909–1916 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — became boss
  • 1916–1920 — Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova — stepped down
  • 1920–1922 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — murdered on May 8, 1922
  • 1922–1930 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — murdered on August 15, 1930

Former members

  • Giuseppe Fanaro - was a member of the Morello family, who was involved in the Barrel murder of 1903.[5] In November 1913, Fanaro was murdered by members of the Lomonte and Alfred Mineo's gangs.[6]
  • Eugene "Charles" Ubriaco - was a member of the Morello family, he lived on East 114th Street.[4] Ubriaco was arrested in June 1915 for carrying a revolver and was released on bail. On September 7, 1916 Ubriaco along with Nicholas Morello meet with the Navy Street gang in Brooklyn and they both were shot to death on Johson Street in Brooklyn.[4][7]
  • Tommaso "The Ox" Petto

References

Notes

Sources

  • Critchley, David. The Origin of Organized Crime in America:the New York City Mafia, 1891-1931 London: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 978-0415990301
  • Dash, Mike. The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London, Simon & Schuster, 2009.
  • Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. ISBN 1-56025-275-8
  • Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gambino crime family — Gambino Family redirects here. For the hip hop group, see Gambino Family (group). Gambino crime family Carlo Gambino, the boss of the family during 1957–1976. In New York City, New York Founded by …   Wikipedia

  • Genovese crime family — Infobox Criminal organization name =Genovese crime family |300px|right] caption =Named after Vito Genovese founded on =1931 founding location =flagicon|US New York City founded by =Lucky Luciano years active =1931 present territory =Various… …   Wikipedia

  • Los Angeles crime family — Joseph Ardizzone was the first Boss of the Los Angeles family. In Los Angeles, California Founded by Joseph Ardizzone Years active c. 1900–present …   Wikipedia

  • Dallas crime family — The Dallas crime family is an American Mafia crime family based in Dallas, Texas. It was one of the member families of The Commission, the network of American Mafia families organized by Charles Lucky Luciano in 1931.[1] Contents 1 Early history… …   Wikipedia

  • Morello — can refer to: Andrew Morello, winner of the first series of The Apprentice Australia. Morello cherry, a cultivar of the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) Joe Morello, a jazz drummer famous for being part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet Tom Morello, a… …   Wikipedia

  • Antonio Morello — was the patriarch of the famous mafia family from Sicily and the eldest of the three Morello brothers which included Nicolo Morello and Giuseppe Morello and two half brothers, Vincenzo Vincent Terranova and Ciro The Artichoke King Terranova. Tony …   Wikipedia

  • Nicholas Morello — Nicolo Terranova (1890 September 7, 1916), also known as Nicholas Nick Morello, was one of the first Italian American organized crime figures in New York City. Along with his half brother Giuseppe Morello and brothers Ciro and Vincenzo Terranova …   Wikipedia

  • American Mafia crime families — Mafia Crime Families=New York CityGenovese Crime Family(Due to the secretive nature of the organization, this list is based on generally accepted names and dates but may not be accurate; originally known as the Morello crime family) * 1892… …   Wikipedia

  • 1930 in organized crime — See also: 1929 in organized crime, other events of 1930, 1931 in organized crime and the list of years in Organized Crime . Events*In a prelude to the Castellammarese War in New York City, New York mob boss Joe Masseria attempts to mediate a… …   Wikipedia

  • 1916 in organized crime — See also: 1915 in organized crime, other events of 1916, 1917 in organized crime and the list of years in organized crime . Events*Summer New York Police break up the last of the Manhattan street gangs, including the Hudson Dusters, from The… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”