Who's the new DeCavalcante Family boss?

Anybody have information on that?

Or even care to take an educated guess?

I wonder when Charles Stango get released, I'm sure they could make him street boss or something and make him a sacrificial lamb

After he got pinched they brought him back to NY. He's still being held in the Brooklyn lockup.

...To the best of my knowledge anyway

They said Charles Majuri was the boss I believe. Unless that's old news now..

Could be. After all, Charlie, and his father Frank, before him, were each highly placed guys in that crew for years. And he's gotta be one of the oldest and most knowledgeable guys left among them.

But his "alleged" appointment to the top spot was reported about some years ago. So, today? Who knows?

Yea, I don't know much but I think it was that cop, Giovanni something, who got close to Stango who said he was boss. As you say, that was back in 2015/2016 maybe before

If I'm not mistaken, Stango has already become a "sacrificial lamb" of sorts.

I can only figure this family is on life support in activity. There may be guys in the family but I'd say in name only for the most part.

I would say that the fact they do still have guys out there and have been so low key for the last decade or two may be a sign they are doing things "the right way". Alternatively as you suggest maybe it's because they ain't doing much of anything...

decavalcante crime family (march 2023)....OR decavalcante crew???

-there appears to be no good consensus or info about who the boss is post death of john riggi and francesco guaracci. there also is no consensus about if indeed this is still a functioning crime family with an administration or now a crew of the gambinos. i will choose at this point to believe they are still a crime family but a small one and getting smaller. the state of new jersey has including the decavs proof of 5 different families operating crews in the state. gambino,genovese,lucchese and philadelphia. also the pagans mc has a heavy presence in the state albeit somewhat involved in different criminal activity. the same can be said for the myriad of different black OC groups. those are just the most prominent OC groups i'm sure there is more.
-the following will be a list of confirmed members and the highest rank they have reached in the crime family.

1.charles majuri
-acting boss/ruling panel member (2000),capo.
2.philip abramo
-capo (2000)...released jan.21 2018
3.frank nigro
-consigliere (2015)
4.charles stango
-capo (2015)...released 2022,2023.
5.louis consalvo
-soldier (2000)...brother-in-law to philip abramo...released feb.14 2012.
6.joseph sclafani
-soldier (2000)...released july.29 2005.
7.daniel annunziata
-soldier (2003).
8.frank d'amato
-soldier (2000)...released may.19 2012.
9.gregory rago
-soldier (2000)...released nov.14 2014.
10.gaetano vastola
-soldier.
11.rosario cocchiaro
-soldier (1988).
12.jerry balzano
-soldier (2011,2017)
13.john j riggi
-soldier (1989)...son of BOSS JOHN RIGGI.
14.vincent j riggi
-soldier (1989)...son of BOSS JOHN RIGGI.
15.anthony mannarino
-soldier (2000)
16.mimmo marzullo
-soldier (2003)
17.paul colella
-soldier (2015)
18.james gallo
-soldier (2000)...released dec.22 2021.
19.bernard nicastro
-soldier (2000)
20.giuseppe schifilitti
-capo (2000)...possible he is still imprisoned. he was appealing his life sentence i believe.

-the above are my best researched members of this family that are currently alive/on the street. as noted above i am unsure about the status of schifilitti. excluding him as a possible boss that would leave 4 possible members who have once attained the position of capo or higher that i know of. majuri, abramo, nigro, stango. that is not to say a younger candidate was promoted to the position but again there is no conclusive proof either way. i will also add i could find NO CONNECTIONS in the 2000's back to ribera,sicily. these connections existed in the past i will not dispute that but in the past 20 years i don't buy it. it is even hard to find good info on a functioning mafia in ribera let alone establishing direct links from sicily to NJ.

I always thought it was Majuri but who the hell knows. Louie Eggs looks like a boss in waiting

The Plumber did things the right way.
He insisted on all his guys working a 9-5 job and made sure they were able to get union jobs, rather than rob the union for every cent they didn’t have, he was more concerned with having a vehicle for his men to have cover from the feds and earn a decent living.

Historically they have not had many rats.

Before the early 2000’s when they had a wave of guys getting indicted and flipping they stayed way under the radar.

They did NOT kill many and did not have much internal fighting..

So they were a very stable family.

Also, after Bruno if the Westside N.J. faction was putting a lot of pressure on their rackets or even the P.A. family that was now run by a maniac (SCARFO)
It would make perfect sense for them to align with the Gambino Family for extra strength which they have historic ties to, so the other families operating in N.J. would leave them alone.

According to Giovannie the admin is fully functioning, they are recruiting younger members like the DOG, and have a few crews left.

Why they would make big headlines today when even at their prime they just never did would make no sense.

The answer is Tony Soprano.

the Cosa Nostra family based in Ribera is still active as the DIA reported; the last indictment that proofs the links between Ribera family and New Jersey was in 2006

by JoePuzzles234 @ r/Mafia

I'd have to mostly agree with you. Because although their is def a formal membership structure still in place, there's not a helluva lot of organized crime activity out there anyway (most everything's been legalized, lol) and after the family indictments of the late 1999s-2000s this crew was pretty much gutted.

Are they still active? Most probably. Are they still viable? Most probably not.

Francesco Guarraci died in 2016, the last years no idea. Francesco 'Joe' Gatto was an important member and drug trafficker. He died in 2020, most of those old guys are gone.

There are a lot of guys who have died over these last years. Or in the alternative, are old and infirm. Top guys. So, again, thats what I'm trying to ask. Who is at the helm? Who's manning the DeCavalcante ship?

And lastly, I seriously, seriously doubt whether Gatti, or anybody else for that matter, is currently an "important member" at this point in time.

There's little left in the rackets, especially their rackets, to be "important" over.

Gatti also died in 2020, most of those old guys are gone now.

Frank's brother Girolamo Guarraci, also born in Ribera, was a member no idea if he's still alive.

Maybe "Luigi Oliveri" aka "The Dog," also known as "The Mutt" in certain circles is the big boss now. Who knows? He seems like a real "capable" guy to have on top. Lol

I prefer to have a beautiful woman on top, but that's just me

What are you talking about? There must be a dozen names on that chart who are dead?...maybe more. And others who are out of the picture for one reason or another.

I don't doubt they have a few new guys. But if they do, they're not on that list.

Sorry. Anyway if they becomed a Gambinos crew for sure would be appointed a capo from NY and the other families men would speak of it and the feds and the mob experts would speak of the Gambinos move.

In Giovanni's Ring, it describes how Charles Majuri was in line to become boss after John Riggi. That investigation ended in 2015, just before Riggi died, so the book doesn't confirm whether or not Majuri actually ended up taking over. Either way, one could argue it certainly still makes Majuri the most likely candidate for the current official boss.

At the time of the investigation, Majuri was acting boss of the family and the individual referred to as 'Horse' in the indictment. The street boss 'Milk' was Joseph Merlo Jr. In Giovanni's Ring, Merlo is referred to as 'Luca Vitale.' Merlo died a couple of years ago.

If they do have a strong and active family we'll know after NJ leaves the water front commission for good.

The NJ crew never really had a heavy influence on the NJ waterfront. rackets. Oddly, their true strength was over Brooklyn ILA Local 1814. So, whether or not the NY/NJ Waterfront Commission is disbanded or not, I doubt whether it would affect the DeCavalcante Family, one way or the other.

I don’t disagree with you about the past. I’m implying if the commission goes away, I suspect and I understand you disagree with this, there will be moves made to get into waterfront in NJ. If they’re a strong family. Too much to be made not to try. If not they’re just a crew nothing more and probably less.

Im not a fan of Luigi Oliveri.....but ive heard that Johnny Capozzi is a real heavy hitter.

The DeCavalcantes are more then a crew not a medium family like Philly but for sure more than a crew.

Furio, support your position with facts and maybe you’ll convince me. I can be convinced. As of now they’re not more than a crew under the umbrella known as the Gambinos.

Boss: Charles Majuri, 83
Underboss: Unknown
Consigliere: Frank Nigro, 81

Members:

Philip Abramo, 78
Gaetano Alessi, 84
Daniel Annunziata, 84
Ciro Balzano, 60
James Castaldo, 68
Rosario Cocchiaro, 81
Domenico Colletti, 63
Giacomo Colletti
Louis Consalvo, 66
Carl Corsentino, 88
Nicholas Cottone, 81
Frank D’Amato, 75
Anthony Falzone
Paolo Farina, 97 – deceased?
Leonard Giacobbe, 68
Felice La Mela, 90 – deceased?
Nicholas LaMela
Anthony Mannarino, 75
Domenico Marzullo, 59
Michael Merlo
Luigi Oliveri, 50
Gregory Rago, 64
John Riggi Jnr, 69
Vincent Riggi, 72
Giuseppe Schifilliti, 85
Joseph Sclafani, 85
Charles Stango, 79
Gaetano Vastola, 95
James Gallo, 79

Furio posting a list of possible members which all but two are 60 or older hardly makes an argument this is an active family. Supports my position that in name and paper it’s a family, but in reality and activity it’s much less. I’m not convinced by this list.

I don't know what it is with these US family lists 80% is way over the retirement age.

Because the small families had a core of old made men and many more associates. Its the same for the Chicago Outfit.

Yes but I believe these lists are dated we are in 2023.

What it shows is that at a certain point is is right around the time that feds were hitting all the families with RICO, cases without mercy they stopped inducting new members some completely some still recruited by at a lower rate.

Also, they started going back to their roots and inducting older members.
Your not seeing really any guys in their 20’s being inducted anymore or their 30’s.

Lastly the feds do not have anywhere near the resources they had to develop informants, bring cases etc.

So without have any guys on the inside we don’t know what’s going on.

Think about this if it had not been for Giovanni and his under cover work the boards consensus on the board would they are completely defunct because there has not been any indictments so that means nothing is happening.

What was the last case before Stagno?

The Stagno indictment painted a different picture.

This list arent dated.

There are many old men in these families, but these lists are usually missing several people. Pennisi and others have already stated that there are many more people in these families. Unless Capeci or some reputable source has exposed them, anyone who was made in the last 10-15 years or so and hasn't been named in any indictment is not on these lists. The Bonannos have probably brought in close to 40 people in the past 10 years. I somehow doubt they are all old.

To be honest the last news we heard about the DeCavalcante's does not support the idea that they're a strong family: sloppily discussing a hit, dealing in child-sized quantities of narcotics... Stango even told an undercover agent that they are operating under the Gambinos now. No doubt there's still activity, but it looks like the actual juice is in NYC and Philly and if they're not already usurped by the other families, they do seem to be heading that way.

We never know what is going on if law enforcement is busy with other things.
The FBI and Dutch just busted a global cyber crime network there are other priorities in this world.

That's true, a bust usually shows the tip of the iceberg, but unless you're actively part of that life you're never really gonna know all that's going on. I just can't help but think; what's left for the Decavalcante's? In Newark there are crews from the NYC families operating that are - if you include associates - bigger than the Decavalcante's in their entirety. South Jersey has traditionally been more influenced by Philly. The Decavalcante's traditional power base is in Elizabeth. Can a family in this day and age survive on that alone?
I can imagine most aspirant mobsters in the area are gonna wanna join either one of the Five Families - which they regard as "Premier League" - before they're thinking of the Decavalcante's. On top of that I have heard talks about other East Coast families like New England and Philly that they've been rebuilding. I obviously don't know how much truth there is to that, but there's smoke in that regard. I just haven't heard the same about the Decavalcante's.

I do believe they're operating as a criminal enterprise as we speak, but when I do the math based on what I heard and read the vision of the future I have doesn't bode well for them.

the lack of indictments let to think this family is barely active, if not dead

I have a problem with that theory the reason is this:
For every one racket that gets busted there are 100 that go under the radar or are above and nobody cares.

Historically the family has flew under the radar they have not had any crazy mob wars that led to extensive shootings on the streets, they were never public enemy #1.

If Giovanni, would have never gotten those indictments we would know NOTHING about the family.

Guys would be saying they have no Admin.

Granted Stagno’s rackets weren’t major money making rackets.
Not every racket will be, there are a whole bunch of colombo and Gambino associates running around BensonHURST, buying their friends, families, associates whatever pain pill prescriptions for $20 a pill and flipping those pills for $30-$35 each:

You get a script for 100 you make $7.00 a pill you flip it one shot $700.00 every month.

You get a script for your self that’s all profit:
$2,000= Your Script
$700= Your family member
$700= Your friend
$700.= Friend of a friend.

That’s $4,100/M from just pills.
Every month consistent income.

Throw a little coke some weed.

My point is those low level rackets could start to add up.

If your an associate and trying establish yourself you want to have a book with money on the street.
Or if your a down on your luck guy with a button, you want to get your money out there working for you.

Every $1,000.00 you lend out you charge $40.00 a week.
$160.00/M

$10,000.00 = $1,600.00/M
$20,000.00 = $3,200.00/M

Again hustling some drugs and putting some money on the street.
Starts to add up pretty soon you are close to $10K Monthly coming in from “LOW LEVEL” rackets.

With no money out of pocket you can get a sheet with a bookie and you get a percentage of what all your people lose, Footballl season you have a dozen bettors that lose $8,000 for the week you just earned $1,600.00 for yourself.

The NFL playoffs
SuperBowl Sunday your bettors lose $50,000 you just made yourself $10,000.

Stagno was trying to put together a crew to work these types of low level rackets that do not take much of a cash outlay to get off the ground.

From what I read the son was a moron couldn’t get these off the ground he needed Giovanni, to get shit going.

From my point of view indictments are never really a complete indication of what's going on. There's lots and lots of stuff happening we're never gonna hear about.
Stango being caught saying they run under the Gambinos however is more of a telltale sign for me.

Before Stango indictment there was Jerry Balzano and Joseph Collina indictment for contraband and selling of cigarettes and rackets in 2011.

Agreed I bring that up because that is a consistent argument that is brought up here by some posters, there have not been any indictments.

That low level stuff I brought up I knows guys that have engaged in those types of rackets under the radar for 20+ Years, I think the feds know of most of them, they just don’t care if they cannot wrap it up into an indictment that the press will give attention to they have no interest.

Unless some idiot is going beat a guy down that owes home $1,000.00 and risk going to jail for 5 years and having to pay $20k in attorneys fees.

Stagno- I have heard many times over and over that the DeCalvs were under the Gambino’s, not aure exactly what that means:

Does that mean that after the DeCalvs, no longer had their seat on the commision they were represented by the Gambino Family on important matters regarding the other families.

Does that mean that the DeCalvs, seen what happened with Philly and the Westside that they chose to cus a deal with the Gambino’s for protection to keep the Philly Famiky, Luke’s and the Westside away from them?

If they are kicking up the Gambino’s there would have to be something to kick up?
I’m sure the Gambino’s aren’t providing protection for a $500.00 Envelope, that relationship could mean they have active rackets and money coming in to protect?
Why would they pay to protect nothing?

Balzano indictment wasn’t that on mafia take down day which again had they never of been dragged into that Gambino 127 mobster indictment that racket probably would have gone under the radar.

Again they got in trouble for getting out of their lane and getting in bed with the Gambino’s.

The "DeCavalcante Family,' since the days of Sam DeCavalcante himself, has always sort the counsel and support of Carlo Gambino, and by extension, the family he headed.

The way things are going, in today's underworld, I seriously doubt there's much left to oversee. That Family is currently on a respirator, as are several other East Coast crews.

And as far as Charlie Stango goes, I wouldn't put too much stock in what he had to say. He doesn't seem like the sharpest pencil in the box to begin with. Lol

Decav's, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh to name a few are probably all the same. Name and history only, nothing more than a street crime crew at most in my opinion.

Stango said the Sicilians run the family, I believe that's true there are still links to Ribera.

Ribera still has connections to Decavalcante family.

Nope. Pittsburgh and Cleveland have one made man each the DeCavalcantes many more. Maybe with the help of the sicilians the family could try to rebuilt the ranks but would remain a small but active family.

No.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh are unquestionably inactive as LCN entities.
NJ, no matter how diminished and subservient to larger families, is still active.

Instead of just making the statement they’re active provide your reasoning with facts. I’m sure they exist, I’m saying they aren’t active in any major way. Certainly not as an independent family. The members are either old and inactive or participating in low level street crimes for the most part. As far as the Ribera connection, that’s nothing more than blood relations and a good conversation piece. They’re not bringing guys over and making them, they’re not running any major operations with them it’s all in the past. The Elizabeth area is not and will never again contain an Italian neighborhood. Those days are gone. The family is on life support. There is nothing other than hope, and options that they are a viable family. A point I think that gets lost here is most of the power in this family was local, the local power is gone. The family is old and in a few years will be completely extinct or under the gambinos complete control it seems to me

Nothing like Cleveland and/or Pittsburg by the late 90’s those families were already in serious decline.
In the 90’s the Dacalvs had ALOT of money making rackets.

1) They were on Wallstreet
2) John Riggi still had control of a couple of unions.
3) They still had their Brooklyn crew
4) Vinnie Ocean had whatever he had going on.

They did all the above after they were under the Gambino’s.
They were under the Gambino’s officially since the late 80’s.

You are pointing to being under the Gambino’s as proof that they are extinct.
Just a smaller family being eaten up by a bigger family.
Same thing happened with Philly and the Genovese family.
Genovese moved in by force and had Bruno whacked, but that wasn’t because the family was dying it was the opposite the family had big money making rackets that the Genovese wanted.

Similar circumstance.

Lastly it is again a known fact and generally accepted that the DeCalvs are under the Gambino’s
If you want to dispute that then you have to prove it not the other way around.

We said they’re active, which they are. Period. No one said they’re some sorta top-tier criminal organization. We know they’re basically a crew, subservient to NY. The fact they’re not involved in anything “major” is absolutely irrelevant: you don’t need major scams to be considered “active”.

But it’s ridiculously wrong to put NJ on the same level of Cleveland/Pittsburgh: these two are not even “crews” because there are gone, defunct. Decades ago. Period.

This is obvious. So it’s your responsibility to provide evidence to prove something that goes against common and proven knowledge.

They won't be absorbed by the Gambinos or Genovese because a Family is recognized as a Family no matter how many members they have or how old and active they are. You'd think after how many year and how many Families going defunct you'd know better but I guess not.

Their connection to the Ribera Family still exists today and it doesn't matter if its just socially or through Family ties. It doesn't need to be some huge international criminal conspiracy. In 2015 the Charles Stango case revealed they still have their own administration. His comment about being under the Gambinos could mean a lot of things. It revealed during this time the Family was divided into two factions and in times of turmoil the Mafia has assigned another Family to oversee a Family until their problems have been worked out. Historically they were represented by the Genovese Family on the Commission and by the late 1980s it looked like their avuguad had switched to the Gambinos. The DeCavalcante Family and the Gambino Family's members who were from Agrigento have always been close. Charlie Mujuri is believed to be the Boss now and for those who don't know he is cousins with Liborio Bellomo. It's not known how close they are but this could change the dynamic in the Family and they could distance themselves from the Gambino Family.

Nice punt guys, can't provide any current facts so I have to prove a negative? The facts provided above are only about 30 years old. I dont dispute what the WERE, I dispute what they are TODAY. And It's really not possible to prove a negative but if you want to believe they're viable go ahead. I appreciate the comments but no one proved anything to show they aren't on life support.

just look at all the silver/white hair in that photo to know the average age of members.

i am of the belief that they still exist as a separate family. however to what extent and involved in what crimes we would need a new indictment to show that info.

as previously posted not too long ago the family cannot have more than 30 active members on the street. that number is only an estimate for those not imprisoned and still active. with that criteria the number may fall lower.

also no one likes to mention the fact that the family only operates in NJ. i realize they once had a crew that operated in NY but c'mon. the territory in NJ is being swallowed up by a myriad of different OC groups and we are to believe they still scratch out something in NY? in NY a city far greater in size, with a far greater amount of criminal groups working the rackets. somehow the decavs are still running a crew? i doubt it. this family does not even have total control of its own state let alone other territories out of state.

lastly i have said it before and will do again there is no more connect back to ribera,sicily in a criminal sense. do sicilians possibly continue to come over and settle in NJ? sure but there is no evidence proving that said sicilians are doing so to rebuild the decav family. citing a 2006 article that stated a connection still exists is not enough proof in 2023 of such a claim.

I believe your viewpoints are largely incorrect Vito.

1) The family always hovered around 30-40 members, plus additional associates. Today, I don't doubt they have an even smaller footprint. But thats no different than all remaining crime families in the U.S., even NYC's Five Families. (But as far as quality goes in NJ, and even elsewhere for that matter, well thats another conversation altogether)

2) As far as operating in NJ, and having to contend with a myriad of competitors, thats no different than NYC where there are tons of other OC-type gangs, of many ethnicities.

3) As far as not having total control of any one state. Just look at the state you speak of? NJ is a vibrant state that has always had at least 7 separate Mafia families operating on its turf, and all of them made a ton of money through the years. If the DeCav's are not making money in NJ, its due more to a sign of the times we live in, rather than NJ per se.

4) As far as maintaining connections back to Ribera, Sicily. Even in 2023, this group still maintains some ties to their homeland. In fact, the DeCavalcante crew is one of the very few crews that did keep ties. A fact that greatly aided them through the years. (But remember, every Mafia faction in America has fewer ties, if any, nowadays to their ancestral birthplace - thats just a fact of life in the American underworld). The mob all across America has been "Americanized."

to point 4 first i guess we need to clarify or establish what "ties to sicily" means in this context.

do we mean ties like the gambino family obviously has ties back to sicily through the inzerillo,gambino families amongst others. in that case there has been several fairly recent arrests on both sides of the ocean proving this connection. that is what i mean when i say there is no ties back to ribera for the decavs in that type of gambino family context. no one on here can state those type of strong ties exist for the decavs in present day.

we can disagree about the scope of criminality of this family that is fine. not having any current intell on family since 2015 doesnt help the matter. its possible they have gone quiet and continue to grind out rackets in nj on a small scale. its possible they have ceded territory or partnered up with other families to maintain some control of traditional rackets in the state. we may never know was only posting my un educated opinion.

always good to debate said topics ny mafia. you are one of a few on here who continues to keep an eye on present day MAFIA as well as a vast knowledge of MAFIA families from the past. with that being said is there any validity to charles majuri and liborio bellomo being related? i have never come across this connect before wonder if you know.

Good morning VC,

There are "familial" ties (at the very least), between the blood families of those in the U.S. and back in Ribera. And if in fact, mafiosi still exist in Ribera (which they do). Then it only stands to reason that if any of them decide to immigrant to the U.S., NJ's blood relations would come into play. Whether thats yesterday, today, or next year. Having said that, because they are such a small presence and have always been, you will never see the level of Sicilian/American activity like a family such as the Gambino's who number into the hundreds.

The same goes for their level of criminal activities. They are on the down low, as are each of the Five Families, and whatever out of state families still exist in America.

One only has to review the amount of indictments among NYC's Five Families in recent years (or the dismal lack thereof) to realize that. These families are massive compared to the DeCav's, yet, there have been very few arrests and cases. When I was a kid, there were literally hundreds and hundreds of cases annually. Multiple arrest nearly every week. Today? It's down to a trickle.

With a tiny membership, naturally the DeCav arrests are reduced proportionately. Correct? It's only common sense.
-
And as for Majuri and Bellomo, I've never heard of any blood relations between them. I'm not saying it's not possible. But personally, I'm not aware of any.
-
And lastly, I thank you for the compliment Vito, and the feeling is mutual. Its always nice to interact with nice posters (which is what I consider you).

Liborio Bellomo's grandmother on his mother's side was sisters with Charlie Mujuri's grandmother making Liborio Bellomo's mother Giovanna DiGiglio and Charlie Mujuri's father Frank Mujuri first cousins. One of Giovanna DiGiglio's sisters married into the Mujuri family.

Charlie Mujuri is half Riberese and Half Corleonese.

Why not ask the guy who said it

sorry didnt scroll back to check who made comment. was looking for another opinion is all.
it does make for a interesting familial connection and possible other connect to genovese. begging the question to whom do the decavs fall under gambinos and genovese?

history tells us the gambinos and is probably correct, however the genovese have the largest presence in NJ for any of 5 families at least as current activity, indictments and overall crews in state would suggest.

it may also be a time to note that according to most available intell senior member and possible admin member/leader philip abramo is brother-in-law to alan longo of the genovese.

NYMafia and Vito, you guys made my point better than I could or did.

[quote=NYMafia]I believe your viewpoints are largely incorrect Vito.

NY- I agree with almost everything of what you said however,
At some point in time American LCN, was so powerful and strong they didn’t need to maintain ties to Italy.

For what did they need Italy for during that point in time.

Fast forward today it is essential for the future for many of these LCN families to sustain and survive.

I’n 1988 Gotti has a meeting with John Riggi at the funeral home during Rotundo Sr’s wake.

At the meeting Gotti/Gambino’s officially took over the DeCalvs.
So that puts that to rest.

And it was because they had a lot of money making rackets at the time.

This is when the family was still very strong.
So it had nothing to do with them being defunct.

This was before the Weiss hit that Joe Wattts couldn’t get done and the DeCalvs were able to get done.
Afterwards supposedly they were respected a little bit more.

GOTTI WHACKED MY DAD: CANARY

By Kati Cornell Smith
August 17, 2005 4:00am
A mob turncoat testified that he blames John Gotti for his father’s murder, but denied that he is seeking revenge by taking the witness stand against the late Gambino boss’ son John “Junior” Gotti.

Anthony Rotondo, 48, a former mob capo, testified yesterday that he believes that the Dapper Don and the heads of the other four New York mob families ordered the 1988 murder of his father, a powerful capo in New Jersey’s DeCalvacante family.

“You don’t much like the Gotti family, do you, sir?” asked defense lawyer Marc Fernich, who represents “Junior” Gotti at his racketeering trial.

“Neither here nor there,” Rotondo replied during cross-examination.

“Isn’t it true that you’re testifying here to exact revenge against the entire Gotti family? In particular, you want to avenge your father’s murder by jailing the son of his suspected killer. Isn’t that a fact?” Fernich pressed.

“Nothing’s further from the truth,” Rotondo insisted.

Earlier in his testimony, Rotondo told the Manhattan federal jury that his father, Vincent “Jimmy” Rotondo, was shot to death in his car in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn.

“He was murdered in front of our house,” Rotondo testified.

During his father’s wake, John Gotti Sr. turned up with about 20 Gambino members in a “show of strength” and called DeCalvacante boss John Riggi into an office in the funeral parlor for an hourlong meeting, the turncoat testified.

When Riggi came out he “looked like he saw a ghost” and announced that the DeCalvacante crime family would from then on be “a family within a family” answering to Gotti.

“Do you believe the Mafia ruling commission in New York felt your father was too powerful?” Fernich asked.

“Yes,” Rotondo said.

Rotondo has fingered Junior Gotti for running the Gambino crime family while his father was behind bars, but yesterday said he knows very little about the relationship between the two.

“I know his father loved him very much. That I know,” the turncoat said.

There are plenty of reports that state Cleveland and Pittsburgh are defunct

1) L.E.
2) The “EXPERTS”
3) Even Wikipedia says it.

Show us where anyone of the above says that about the DeCalvs

Does the FBI agent that went undercover in 2015 say that anywhere?

101, I mean Majicrat
?

How do we know

Where does it say that?

---
Hi BH, The main reason why Italy and America kept very close ties all through the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, even 1960s, was because many Italian/Sicilian mafiosi were either first generation or their blood families maintained close ties to blood relatives back in Campania, Calabria, and Sicilia. By the late 1970s forward, we're starting to see second and third generations becoming active. (and just like in the legit world, with Italians, Germans, Irish, Jewish, etc., the more americanized ethnicities lose the connections to their relatives back in their homeland).

So its not so much that they didn't "need" them or want them, I think it's more that the "ties the bound" them became severed.

But remember too, that the "homeland" was the incubator for several generations of mafiosi that staffed all the borgatas throughout America (and elsewhere for that matter).

And to answer the second part of your question about, "For what did they need Italy for during that point in time." My answer is this, for many decades (not years, but decades), Italy/Sicily/and their connections to France, Marseilles, Corsica, and the Middle East, greatly facilitated a multi-zillion dollar transatlantic narcotics pipeline that lined the pockets of many a mafiosi. Thats #!

#2, Then add in multimillion-dollar currency counterfeiting schemes, alien smuggling, and guys looking to avoid prosecution by "going on the lam to Europe (or vice versa) who were given safe harbor and protected by their "brothers" across the ocean, and you start to see just some of the benefits and reasons to maintain close ties and alliances between America and Italy.

Add to that, the fact that many Italian-born hoodlums were later "imported" to America to shore up the ranks of families like the Bonanno's, Gambino's, DeCavalcante's, etc., and there you have it!

Ok and I am not disputing anything you are saying I appreciate the fact that you have done probably as much or more research as anyone at this point.

The way I understood it was that when the Feds announced the end of Prohibition that is when LCN went heavy into Narcotics.

I still feel that in order to survive today a Borgata needs to have established ties to Italy for a couple of reasons recruitment being a major reason.

BH, I absolutely agree you, 100%, on the last point you made about fresh "recruitment" being vital to shore up a sagging "weak" Americanized Cosa Nostra.

Most of the American-born Italians of today DO NOT want any part of organized crime, Cosa Nostra, or otherwise. Young Italians today are generally much better educated than their forefathers and have tremendous opportunities in the legitimate world where they can make as much, and often times, much more money than in the rackets. And not risk jail and death and all the other pitfalls of the "Life."

And most of the young Italian men still drawn to that life today are, generally speaking, not of the same caliber or made of the same fiber as their predecessors. THATS a fact! They generally don't have the intelligence or moxie of a Frank Costello, Lucky Luciano, or Carlo Gambino. In a word, with few exceptions, they're ignoramuses who are looking for a quick fix for their lack of education and drive.

Trust me when I tell ya, that there ain't too many real smart, capable guys going into that line of work nowadays. lol

Grazie majicrat. Glad you approve

Rotondo said years ago the family invested in the orphanage in Ribera as a way to launder money, the Bonanno family was also involved.

It would be nice to find out if Charlie Mujuri's grown influence on the Family and his relations to Liborio Bellomo has played any part in the current politics of the Family. I don't think the Gambino Family has absorbed them and it's known they haven't but I don't think they're running the DeCavalcante Family or pushing them around. The investigation into Charles Stango gave us a picture of a independent Family with their own leadership. The relationship is probably just closeness and cooperation between the Sicilians in the Gambino Family and the DeCavalcante members with close ties to Sicily like the Bonanno Family's and Gambino Family's Sicilians back in the 80s. Charles Stango might just perceive the close relationship as being under them. Or like I said originally it could be that the Gambino Family is or was overseeing the DeCavalcante Family because of the tension that was in the Family at this time.

You might have doubt of their current links to Sicily and that's a fair assessment but consider the Bonanno Family had a large membership of guys who maintained ties to Sicily but many people believe it died out in the 1990s and 2000s. That was until the Cutrara investigation in Castellammare Del Golfo showed the connection is still there not only with towns in Trapani province but also in nearby Agrigento. Now compare it to the DeCavalcante Family who have always had ties to Ribera dating back to their formation of a Family. The Family's membership has mostly been from Ribera and other towns in Agrigento even to this day. There is at the very least a social link between them and some writers have said they are still criminally active. It's hard to believe the criminal element in these social circles just disappeared. Maybe the DeCavalcante Family just serve as a point of contact and act as middlemen to introduce them to other American Families for their friends in Sicily.

It would be nice to find out if Charlie Mujuri's grown influence on the Family and his relations to Liborio Bellomo has played any part in the current politics of the Family. I don't think the Gambino Family has absorbed them and it's known they haven't but I don't think they're running the DeCavalcante Family or pushing them around. The investigation into Charles Stango gave us a picture of a independent Family with their own leadership. The relationship is probably just closeness and cooperation between the Sicilians in the Gambino Family and the DeCavalcante members with close ties to Sicily like the Bonanno Family's and Gambino Family's Sicilians back in the 80s. Charles Stango might just perceive the close relationship as being under them. Or like I said originally it could be that the Gambino Family is or was overseeing the DeCavalcante Family because of the tension that was in the Family at this time.

You might have doubt of their current links to Sicily and that's a fair assessment but consider the Bonanno Family had a large membership of guys who maintained ties to Sicily but many people believe it died out in the 1990s and 2000s. That was until the Cutrara investigation in Castellammare Del Golfo showed the connection is still there not only with towns in Trapani province but also in nearby Agrigento. Now compare it to the DeCavalcante Family who have always had ties to Ribera dating back to their formation of a Family. The Family's membership has mostly been from Ribera and other towns in Agrigento even to this day. There is at the very least a social link between them and some writers have said they are still criminally active. It's hard to believe the criminal element in these social circles just disappeared. Maybe the DeCavalcante Family just serve as a point of contact and act as middlemen to introduce them to other American Families for their friends in Sicily.

Sonny what’s the beef with the dog?
Do you know him?
Of him?

Mind sharing?

I know in the book he he gave Giovanni a real hard time and the dog thought he sniffed out a rat, it turned out he did.

From what I remember from the book that was the main reason Stagno wanted to kill him.
Stagno at the time used as an excuse that the dog was disrespectful to the admin, I think that was a BS excuse the best Stagno was able to come up with.

What do you know about Cappozzi it seems that a few posters think the DeCalvs have nothing going on so if you personally know some of the rackets he is into please share so we can get a better picture of who and what is going on in the streets.

I thought that one of the issues with The Dog was that he had ingratiated himself to Riggi near the end of his life and that was one of the only reasons that he was made.

Oh well if wikipedia says it, it must be true BH. I never ever said they were defunct (depending on your definition of defunct). I said and maintain they're on life support. Thats a huge difference.

Read for yourself what you wrote.

Being downgraded to same as Cleveland and Pittsburg and/or a mere street crew would mean they were DEFUNCT.

That info is everywhere on the internet not sure what you mean.

I am sure everyone on here agrees Cleveland and Pittsburgh are defunct families.

The “Giovanni Gatto” undercover operation of 2015 shown they are still operating as a functioning and recognized entity, no matter how small or subservient to NY.

There have been zero cases that point to even the slightest LCN activity in Cleveland and Pittsburgh in several decades. Zero. Saying that the DeCavs are on the same level of the Ohio and W. PA families is just ludicrous. Those borgatas are gone, finished.

NJ isn’t, no matter how diminished it unquestionably is.

That’s what I read that as well.
However, the Riggi was the real BOSS, not the acting or anything below but the BOSS, is the BOSS, is the BOSSS…

As Dellacroche said

The other thing is he sniffed out Giovanni’s called him out as a RAT, while Stagno had his head up his ass.

the fact that most of the members are old may be due to the rule that only deceased members can be replaced

I read that the DeCavalcantes have a limit of 75 made men so I dont think that can replace only the decesed members but that they havent many people to induct.

I stand by my comment that NJ is not much more than Pittsburgh or Cleveland at this point in time and the only lifeline they have is being associated with the Gambino's. There's just no major presence.