Who was best mafia captain and crew.

Firepower, manpower, financial power.

The crew known as the "116th Crew," "Uptown Crew," or "East Harlem/Bronx Crew," once run by Fat Tony Salerno, and now by Barney Bellomo, is probably the single most powerful crew in the entire Mafia.

X2

BINGO

Why do you say that Ivy?

Ok, who's #2?

Probly cherry hill guys

Were the Cherry Hill guys an official crew with an official captain,soldiers,and associates cuz I always viewed them as more of a familial drug ring led by the Gambino brothers

One of the North Jersey Genovese crews:

Jerry and Eugene Catena.

or

The Boot

116th

They were, and perhaps still are, led by John Gambino who was made a captain in 1986. They are called "Cherry Hill Gambinos" (well...by the media and mob watchers) because the brothers lived in Cherry Hill, NJ. However, their headquarters was actually in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. And yes, the Cherry Hills was (still is?) an official Gambino crew.

I'd be obliged if someone can provide more information on the 116 crew - size, capo, soldiers, and if you know what rackets they're in. Thanks!

We justt had a thread on them specificallly about a week ago check the archives

Well, it's pretty much going to be whatever crew is the strongest in the most powerful family. That would make it a Genovese crew. And this particular Genovese crew seems to be the one that runs things from the top much of the time. In the last 30 years, several of the family's acting bosses (Salerno, Bellomo, Serpico, Muscarella, Nigro) have come from that crew. Another thing to consider is that the crew is a powerhouse in the union rackets. Mainly construction but it's also involved in garbage, trucking, and the waterfront.

Would you say the 116th Crew when Fat Tony was around had more juice then Gigante's crew in the Village?

These are the current members I'm aware of. Most, if not all of them, have been or are involved in the construction trades or other industries. D'Elio owns several companies involved in carpentry. Falcetti was the vice-president of METRO on the waterfront. Ragusa is also involved in the drywall business, in addition to holding a no-show job on the watefront. Dellacava owns Cava Construction. DiNapoli has been in the construction trades forever. Pontoriero owns Worth Construction. And Auletta has S&A Construction.

1. Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
2. Ernest "Ernie" Muscarella
3. Athur "Artie" Nigro (IP)
4. Robert "Bucky" Carbone
5. James "Jamie" D'Elio
6. Pasquale "Scop" DeLuca
7. Pasquale "Patty" Falcetti
8. Michael "Mikey" Ragusa
9. Carmine Dellacava
10. Louis DiNapoli
11. Joseph "Joe P" Pontoriero
12. Nicholas Auletta


These are some associates of the crew. Some may be made now. Bellomo has Sigma Builders. Anthony Fiorino was involved in the Javits Center back in the day.


Liborio "Barney" T Bellomo (Barney's cousin)
Joseph D'Elio
Anthony Fiorino
Gerald "Jerry" Fiorino
James "Jimmy" Muscarella


What's interesting is, if you look at the cases involving this crew over the past decade or so, it's largely a sophisticated, "white collar" crew. The 2006 case, where Bellomo was the lead defendant, can be confusing to some because it had various gambling, drug, and other offenses. But if you look closely, those involved defendants from other crews. Most of the stuff the Bellomo crew has been involved in have been labor racketeering and extortion in legitimate industries.

Gigante's crew were no lightweights. Cafaro testified that it was very powerful, especially because of it's large size. It controlled much of the gambling in lower Manhattan and was also involved in some of the union rackets. But I'd still give the edge to the uptown crew. Of course, when he was boss Chin still had the final say anyway.

Wouldn't Gigante's crew be dismantled by now? Same for Salerno's. Both had insiders who cooperated agaisnt them, both had leaders imprisoned. With Gigante and Salerno both dying in prison, and rest of their gang under scrutiny, it would be difficult for them to function as well as other crews.

Not at all. If that were the case, there would probably be no crews left. Crews, especially if they are well established and strong, don't crumble simply because their captain dies or there's a rat among them.

Dominick Cirillo is the official captain of the crew Gigante used to run. If I'm not mistaken, I also believe Fritzy Giovanelli's crew was a break-off from that one, though I don't know if he has captain rank anymore.

And, of course, Bellomo is still the official captain of the crew Fat Tony used to run. I'm not sure but I've wondered if Danny Leo's crew broke off from that one.

Thank you. I thought Cafaro gave up entire crew, and that a fellow close to Gigante also turned and gave up everyone.

Pete savino

Thank you southend, that is his name. I thought Savino had known Gigante's entire crew, and given enough information to bring many of them down. He also wore a wire while with them. A lot of damaging info must have been collected.

Savino was the key to breaking up the Windows scam, as well bring the initial charges against Chin after he had avoided them for so long. But he certainly didn't take out the entire crew. Same for Cafaro and Fat Tony's crew. Cafaro testified against Fat Tony and gave up a lot of general information about the mob. But his defection wasn't devastating to the crew.

Each rat, especially high ranking ones like Gravano, D'Arco, or Casso, can be very damaging. Not just in terms of their direct testimony but the over all picture they can give to the feds of the inner workings of the families. Who's who. Who has what business. Who's involved in what union. Etc. But the whole point of the mob is that it's not dependent on a single guy. So a crew, much less a family, doesn't crumble because one guy flips or dies.

I thought the tapes he gathered would damage entire crew. It also showed that Gigante was not very smart for a boss.

Gigante is widely considered to be on the smartest and most shrewed Mafia bosses ever. By other mafiosi, by organized crime journalists, as well as by the very law enforcement officials who went after him. He certainly made a fatal mistake in letting Savino get so close but that certainly doesn't sum him up. He became boss precisely when the heat was really coming on strong against the mob in the 1980's. Yet, he lasted on the street for the better part of two decades. And it's his leadership that has been credited as the reason the Genovese family remained strong and largely intact while the other NY families suffered so many defectors and damage by the feds.

Well put. That family is a rock. Credit goes to its leaders in the eighties and nineties

The Cutolo crew was pretty influential in its day.

I've often wondered the same thing ,

^100%; Cutolo was as stand up and old school as they come

I was always curious as to Fritzy's rank/value to the family. I mostly read hes a soilder but I also read he repped the Genovese fam in a commission meeting in the early 2000's, so idk what to think about him.