Was Pittsburgh numbers king Anthony Grosso affiliated with the Pittsburgh Mafia or strictly independent?

I believe that Tony Grosso was not a member but was affiliated, per say and was a very big "producer" and treated well.

Although Grosso was never made,there is some speculation that because of the sheer volume of his business (15-20 million/year), he was paying off the Mob to be allowed to operate.
There has never been any credible information to support this.
Abe Zeid,a Jewish gangster,who was closely involved with the Mannarino brothers in New Ken,as well as other O.C figures,and who turned snitch,stated that some Pittsburgh Mob members discussed either taking over,or demanding a cut of Grosso's operation. Supposedly John LaRocca wouldn't sanction it because of the police protection that Grosso had.
Tony paid off a lot of cops,all the way up to Lawrence Maloney,the Pittsburgh Police Deputy Superintendent. Grosso put so many cop's kids through college that he could have his own Scholarship Fund.

It's a shame that he got a fucking 14-year sentence for illegal gambling and tax evasion, and yet people out there romanticize the government and law enforcement.

There is also another theory, that although Grosso wasn't directly connected to mob guys, he stayed friendly with them, and they with him. But that he was never "shaken down" for an envelope because of the fact that he was very close to many top members of law enforcement and nobody wanted to run afoul of him.

It's also suspected that through his police connections and the suspected "bribery pad" he ran, that was how he ingratiated himself with mob guys. I guess maybe he helped some of them avoid getting busted, so that's how he "serviced" them, without having to cough up monthly cash himself.

I agree...Big Contributor with local Police protection.
John always thought this was more valuable to him than more money.

You nailed it Liggio. Consider that Al Capone only got 11 years for tax evasion.

That because pittsburgh was a small family,in NY he would be forced to paid a tribute for don't be killed.

I think that the Pittsburgh mob tried to get future Rochester boss Frank Valenti to move in on him in the early 1960s, but nothing came of it.

If that was NYC, Scarfo-era Philadelphia, or Chicago I doubt he would've gotten away with it. Even Raymond Patriarca wouldn't have put up with it.

At its peak how many made men had Pittsburgh family? Was strange that after Grosso get 14 years nobody tried to take his racket.

Actually, when Grosso went away Adolph "Junior" Williams took over the numbers business along with his brother Salvatore.

How do Italians end up with the name Williams? Salvatore Williams?

I believe that "Junior" also bought Charlies Roost from Jo Jo's Sons in laws and restored it to it's original beauty.

Their birth name is actually Gugliielmo.
Besides the numbers racket,they ran a jewelry business and also a deli.
The deli was in a building owned by Anthony Ripepi,a long-time Pittsburgh Mafioso.

Thanks

From Italian, converted to English, Guglielmo translates to William.

Like "Black Bill" Tocco, his real name was Guglielmo Tocco...

So Salvatore Williams is actually Salvatore Guglielmo. That sounds better. lol

Why they need to traslate the surname?

He used the police to raid numbers rackets who were his main competitors. Many of them Larocca family operations