Carmine Battaglia

Anything on this Genovese captain?

Was never sure who the guy that stood up for Caponigro to get him a pass was. Recently somebody posted in another thread that it was Battaglia. This would make sense due to the shared interests in New Jersey.

Can anyone confirm that it was Battaglia that got Tony Caponigro the pass and if so, any concrete information on Battaglia?

Caponigro didn't get a pass, he was butchered for his role in the conspiracy to kill Bruno.

I think you mean Peter Casella, he did get a pass for his part in the assassination of Phil Testa..

The genovese hierarchy made believe to Caponigro and after to Casella that they will cover their back, but was a lie.
The Genovese wanted Atlantic City and this 2 idiots helped them.

100% did mean Pete Casella. Same question applies. Just curious on who Battaglia was and if this was in fact the guy that got Casella the pass.



@Furio I do not disagree that both of these guys were mislead and that it was a powerplay for AC and more of Jersey plus the Philly proxy vote on the commission

In most sources I've seen, Carmine Battaglia never rose above the rank of soldier within the Genovese Family. So that would eliminate him from the equation.

http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.it/search/label/Genovese?updated-max=2015-02-17T06:34:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=2&by-date=false&m=0

Here is listed as nj capo.

http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.it/search/label/Genovese?updated-max=2015-02-17T06:34:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=2&by-date=false&m=0

Here is listed as nj capo.

http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.com/search/label/Newark


Might just be referring to his position in the Newark Family though.

There seems to be a misunderstanding as to when Battaglia got Caponigro a pass. Obviously Caponigro did not get a pass in 1980, otherwise he would not have been killed. When people refer to Battaglia getting Bananas a pass they are talking about another set of circumstances years years before. When Caponigro first came on the scene in Newark he tried to operate in the Boot's territory in the First Ward. The Boot chased him out and was going to kill him. However, Battaglia interceded on Caponigro's behalf and saved Caponigro's life. In the book the New Jersey Mob, which has transcripts of recordings that were done at Ray DeCarlo's restaurant the Barn, DeCarlo talks about how the Boot wanted to kill Caponigro and Battaglia saved him. He calls Battaglia a jerk for saving Bananas.

Battaglia was a Genovese soldier based in Newark who was very close to Gerry Catena. He mediated a dispute between the Campisis and the Philly crew in Newark that started when the Campisis moved into the Down Neck area without permission. I can not remember the name of the book or books where I read that, but I have seen reference to it a few times over the years. I don't think that he had anything to do with Caponigro's murder in 1980, he would have been pretty old by then even if he was still alive.

JC- thanks for sharing this info buddy..I have been wondering the name of that nj mob book pretty obvious lol..just downloaded it onto my kindle..how is it? Bob Buccino knows his shit for sure

Im wondering where did Tony Provenzanos crew fall in the relationship witb Caponigro? Union is pretty damn close to Down Neck no? Have to figure their business interceded right?

Sorry, this is the book to which I was referring:

https://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Mob-Henry-Zeiger/dp/0451063627

It was written in 1975 and contains the transcripts for the bug that was in Ray DeCarlo's restaurant. He talks about everyone (the Boot, Gerry Catena, Bananas, Vito Genovese, etc.) and everything (Genovese family interests in Las Vegas, Florida and Havana, bribing politicians, bribing cops etc.). It is really interesting stuff, he was a very powerful and well connected guy.

As for Provenzano, I have never read anything about him doing business with Caponigro. His crew seems to have been a little bit different and not as tied to a particular territory like others given his position in the Teamsters. He was probably the second most powerful person in the Teamsters after Hoffa and Fitzimons with the power that his local had and the backing of the Genovese, and was certainly the highest placed made man in a major labor union.

Tony Pro had nothing to do with Caponegro.

no worries pal..I downloaded buccinos book it looks good...Id love to read that book cept unfortunately its not available on Kindle

I didnt know that about Provenzano and Capognigro, but it makes sense he was involved in national labor shit making way more money i would think than even tony huge nj book...didnt have time for that garden state shit lol

in the book you mentioned, De Carlo is the one discussing the Genovese family interests in Vegas? I was under the impression that Costello was the one who had the interests in Vegas and that after he was unseated and Vegas sold to Hughes, the Genovese didnt have any skim going in Vegas in the late 60's early 70s? Is that accurate? I wonder if capos like him, the boot and even Catena were still getting Vegas skim money into the 70s?

The Genovese had dealings in Vegas long after Frank Costello.

Sinatra - are u referring to Catena having points in a few hotels? I read about jimmy nap having some Vegas interests too now that you mention it, good call my mistake.

I read in Buccinos book that Carmine Battaglia was the Consigliere of the Bonnanos? Is that accurate?

As far as the book goes, for my 2 cents - I really liked it, lotta good info especially about Anthony acceturro, John Digilio, Gyp De Carlo, and the Boot. Stuff I didnt know..although I did notice some errors, like easy silly ones, but idk how a fuckin book company doesnt pick that shit up. But Bob Buccino is universally recognized as an OC expert on NJ and I do recommend it. For what its worth, I read the entire book last night on my kindle, although im a speed reader from law school

Battaglie stood up for Caponigro in the early in a dispute with Gyp DeCarlo as well. Here is just one page from many documents. It was my argument on another topic about how many times Caponigro got one over on the Genovese Jersey guys, which ultimately caused his betrayal..........................https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=141695&search=%22caponigro%22#relPageId=175&tab=page

Off the top of my head I believe that in the 50's and 60s Catena, Boiardo, and DeCarlo had points in the Fremont, the Sands and the Horseshoe in Vegas. Catena's points supposedly came from Longy Zwillman, who was a close associate of Catena and a member of the Combination, a group that consisted primarily of the big Jewish racketeers in the early days such as Zwilman, Lansky and Dalitz, along with members of the Chicago Outfit and Genovese family such as Costello, Alo and Catena. The Combination members were the first ones in on investing in Vegas, Havana and Florida. I have also read that Jimmy Blue Eyes, Charlie the Blade Tourine and Trigger Mike Coppola had points in Vegas as well at that time, but I don't know in which hotels.

As far as I know the casinos in which the aforementioned Genovese members had points were sold when Howard Hughes started to invest in the late 60's. However, in the late 60's Caesar's Palace was built and supposedly members of the Genovese including Catena, Fat Tony, Jimmy Blue Eyes and Jimmy Nap had points there along with members of the Chicago Outfit and members of the Patriarca Family. I can also remember reading that Matty the Horse was a secret owner of the Dunes in the late 70s early 80s and that Fat Tony had interests in a few Vegas hotels at that time as well. Pussy Russo, a member of the Boot's crew, was also the power behind the Jolly Trolley in the late 70's.

In the early years of Vegas investment by the Mob the Genovese along with Cleveland and Chicago were the biggest investors in Vegas. In the 70's when Chicago went in for its second round of investing along with Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cleveland through the Central States Pension Fund the Genovese were not as involved but still had a presence, probably still the biggest of any East Coast family.