Mob bosses convicted for murder before RICO

I read somewhere that Nicky Scarfo’s conviction for the D’Alfonso murder is considered to be the first case ever in which a mob boss was convicted for first degree murder, but then I read that there were also the cases of Rosario Borgio in Akron in 1919 and that of Yonnie Licavoli in Toledo in 1934.
So I am curious if there were any other cases of Cosa Nostra or Black Hand bosses being convicted for murder before RICO was introduced?
I know I am asking more questions on this forum than I am providing information, but don’t get mad at me for that

Louis "Lepke" Buchalter (Murder Inc.) comes to mind. He was convicted of first degree murder, and he went to the chair for that. A lot of people were afraid he was going to testify to avoid the dead penalty, but he took his secrets to the grave.

The guy who testified against him, Abe Reles, later strangely 'fell' from a hotel balcony...

Yeah, Reles "falling" from that balcony was like the guy who shot himself in the back of the head. Twice.

Heard about that! Tragic, tragic story

Speaking of Yonnie Licavoli, I read a book centered mostly on him and his main enemy - the local bootlegger Jack Kennedy, I find very strange they became so important at such an early age: Licavoli is said to have kicked Al Capone out of Detroit when he was just 23 and Kennedy was killed when he was 25 but nevertheless he was considered to be the only one able to do something about Licavoli's Italian mafia in Toledo. I have always thought that in mafia-like organizations one has to be of a certain age to be taken seriously, after all it's not like the modern street gangs in which you can see even 14-year-olds in charge (seriously, I once watched a Gangland episode about a Mexican Mafia (La Eme) leader who, when he was going to jail, put his 14-year-old brother in his place!)

I get what you mean, but in the old days, people had to grow up faster. For example, Joe Bonnano became boss of his family in the 1930's at the age of 27. More recent, 'Barney' Bellomo was inducted into the Genovese Family at age 20, and became a capo at the age of I think 26 (could be off by two or three years). For the Genoveses, that's extremely young. Another example is Frank Cali with the Gambinos. But these days, those are exceptions.

This is true. Not too long ago, you were essentially an adult when you were thirteen or so.

Of course it's not at all like that anymore, at least in this country (example: I'm 32 and still a kid, haha).

It´s funny. But have you noticed that young men and women even in their early teens, dressed like adults back in the day?
Nowadays men and women, even in their 40s and 50s, prefer to dress like teenagers!

Forgot about Rocco Racco and Sam Cardinelli.
By the way, was Licavoli a made man in the national Cosa Nostra organization or was he just a boss of a separate gang?

A couple of questions about Anthony Provenzano ("Tony Pro"): I read he was convicted of the Castellitto murder and died in prison, but in some documents I read on internet it's written the murder conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered. But if he died in prison, was he convicted for some other crime or was the Castellitto murder conviction upheld after the second trial?
Another question: if they never found Castellitto's body, how did they manage to convict Provenzano, if they didn't even have RICO back then? Or maybe they already had it, but didn't use it, since the first mafia boss convicted using RICO is said to be Frank Tieri in 1980?

Anthony Provenzano (a Genovese member) was basically in and out of the court house throughout the 1960s and 1970s. One of the indictments in 1979 was on RICO charges and he was found guilty on these. Funzi Tieri however, was the first BOSS (well...reputed boss anyway) who was found guilty on RICO charges.

Here´s a short summary of Provenzano´s indictments:

On November 15, 1960 he was indicted in the District of New Jersey on one count of Hobbs Act Extortion (18 U.S.C. ? 1951) relating to the demand and receipt of what is commonly known as "labor peace" payoffs from the Dorn Transportation Company between 1952 and 1959. On July 12, 1963, having been convicted on this count, Anthony Provenzano was sentenced to a term of seven years. Between approximately May of 1966 and 1970 he was incarcerated on that sentence.

During 1962, Anthony Provenzano was indicted again in the District of New Jersey for Taft-Hartley violations (28 U.S.C. ? 186) relating to the wrongful receipt of a house from Eastern Freightways Company. These charges were, however, dismissed during 1967.


In 1975, Anthony Provenzano was indicted in the Southern District of New York for conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute (18 U.S.C. ?? 371, 1954) relating to a proposed loan from the Utica Teamsters Benefit Fund for the renovation of the Woodstock Hotel. During July of 1978 he was convicted of these charges and sentenced to a four year term of imprisonment.

On June 23, 1976, Provenzano was indicted in Ulster County, New York, along with Salvatore Briguglio and Harold "K.O." Konigsberg, on charges of conspiracy and murder (pursuant to New York Penal Law ? 580-A and ? 1044) relating to the 1961 death of Anthony Castellitto. On June 14, 1978, he was convicted on the murder count, while the conspiracy to commit murder count was dismissed. On June 21, 1978, Anthony Provenzano was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Finally, on February 22, 1979, Anthony Provenzano was indicted in the District of New Jersey, along with Gabriel Briguglio, Stephen and Thomas Andretta and Ralph Pellecchia on RICO charges in the Seatrain Labor Peace Payoffs case. On May 25, 1977 [must be typo since he was indicted in 1979], he was convicted of these charges, and, on July 10, 1979, he was sentenced to a twenty-year term of imprisonment and remanded. He remains incarcerated on that conviction today. [This is from 1984]

http://findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19840208_0000007.dnj.htm/qx

Thanks for the information. About the "boss" thing, I just thought that they used the word "boss" in its wider meaning - any high-ranking member of the mafia. What I don't understand is how could he be sentenced for murder and at the same time acquitted of conspiracy to commit murder? If he didn't kill Castellitto personally, but sent hitmen after him, how could it be regarded as something else other than a conspiracy? I am not an expert on law, could you explain this to me?

I´m def no expert on law either. But perhaps the jury didn´t find Provenzano guilty for instigating the killing, but found him guilty of somehow participating in the murder. I really don´t know. Anyone...?

The guys from the patriarch family were convicted of murder on the basis of lies told by barboza

The guys from the patriarca family were convicted of murder on the basis of lies told by barboza