This ButtonGuys exclusive exposes and documents the little known but massive underworld network in Syracuse, New York.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/the-anthony-destefano-crew-of-syracuse-ny/

These guys were the leading racketeers in the city for many decades.

Interesting, De Stefano is a well known name in Reggio Calabria, so were they mostly Calabrese?

Yes, most of these Syracuse guys were from the mainland of Southern Italy, a good majority were from Calabria and Bari, and some more were from Naples and the outer Campania region.

That said, its actually somewhat surprising that a Sicilian like Steve Magaddino was able to "claim" the area. Although truth be told, although he had "officially" planted a flag, and most everybody respected him and his crew and many worked with them, there was actually a huge network of "semi-independent" guys (for lack of a better word) who also maintained close ties to their "compare" who were Camorrista and N'dranghetista.

It seems they all worked together over the years...a rare occurrence. And surprisingly, there was very little violence "pound for pound" compared to other cities of the same size.

Thanks NYM ! Magaddino did have connections to many Calabrians in the area and Canada.

Love the Saturday mornings when I prepare breakfast for my kid, while reading my "paper" lol.

Another very good and for me personally, quite rare story and the pics are also great. So, again thanks a lot NYM and Lisa!

Btw, does the whole story regarding Falcone having some higher stature then DeStefano who in turn was involved in the day-to-day activities of the faction, reminds you regarding another very similar situation which occurred between two very famous families during the early days? And on top of that, again, most of them were "mainlanders"...

You're very welcome Hollander. Glad you enjoyed the piece.

I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece TD. I did too. I love uncovering, researching and learning about new crews and racketeers that I was previously unfamiliar with.

And I hear ya about "similarities" regarding situations of "mainlanders" exerting power in different parts of the country that the mainstream media, law enforcement, and even mob aficionados were not aware of. In many ways, these men was the "hidden" shadow powers behind the curtain.

Thats right and I was also talking about back in 1928 when Capone became "decina" under the Masseria regime back in NY, similar to the Falcone/Magaddino situation. Later, the Falcone/DeStefano thing was also similar to the Ricca/Giancana hierarchy...maybe Im wrong but i think it was...

No, I don't think you are wrong...at all.

There are many comparisons that can be made. But its almost a reverse situation in that the Falcone Brothers were thought to have originally run their own Mafia Family in Utica, and after 1931, they blended into the larger Buffalo Family, technically reduced in rank as "capo di decina," who still remained as the rulers over the City of Utica and its adjoining territories.

Whereas, Capone originally started out as a "capo di decina" under New York's Masseria Family, and later, after 1931, got even bigger, becoming the actual boss of the entire Chicago Family and its outer territories.

But, for sure, there were many "blending" of crews and similar situations throughout the country...especially during the fledgling days of Cosa Nostra and the Commission.

Yes, I completely agree regarding the different details in both situations and also regarding the blending of crews which occurred quite often during those days. Thanks again

No doubt, pal.

Steubenville, Ohio was another good example of a place where "mainlanders" ruled the roost. The notorious Jimmy Tripodi and his partner Cosmo Quattrone were perfect examples of that.

Dating all the way back to the Prohibition era, they ruled that territory as powers in the Calabrian underworld. And although in later years they became affiliated with Pittsburgh's John La Rocca Family and, in fact, became inducted members in that borgata, with Tripodi rising to a capo position over the city of Steubenville, these two men largely governed a "Calabrese" faction of men.

Their origins were not Sicilian, but the mainland of southern Italy (Campania and Calabria.) And even after their assimilation into Cosa Nostra, they're closest associates throughout the country remained that "original" network of Societa' Onorato oriented members, some of whom became inducted mafiosi themselves, some not.

Thanks again for the cool info.

Btw, can we consider it as "double membership" if someone was previously made in the Camorra and later also got inducted into America's Mafia or US CN?

In a way I imagine it is, but not in the "traditional" way of dual Cosa Nostra membership (in Italy, and then once more, in America.) Because although they may have been members of another criminal group, albeit an Italian one, it wasn't Mafia per se.

But to those Napolitani or Calabrese who belonged to the Camorra or N'drangheta I'm sure it was.

Good point bud and thanks again.

My pleasure TD

Can you please elaborate more on what you mean by Semi Independent and how that differs from Independent?
Would some guys ever have their own ties/membership to other Cosa Nostra families in other cities like NYC or Chicago rather than with Maggadino? And/ Or possibly have memberships in the Camorra or N'drangeta as well. Yet from time to time or in ongoing partnerships /ventures work with DeStefano or Falcone under Maggadino? And all the while nobody stepping on another's toes?

Hello Havana,

In my terminology, "semi-independent" would be a guy who knows local mafiosi from a particular family. He may have grown up with them and hangs out with them and may even do some business with them, be it legal or illegal, yet, is NOT technically "with" that family. That could mean that he holds loyalty to another Sicilian family, per se, or is affiliated with a Camorra or N'drangheta crew, or he may just be someone who jumps between the families and is "respected" and liked enough that he never became officially tied to any one entity.

Yet, he is trusted enough and respected enough because he can handle himself well and people like him that he never gets shaken down or abused. In other words, he can handle his own problems and if push ever came to shove, he still can go somewhere to get represented at a table.

We got guys all over NY and NJ like that, and elsewhere too! Thats the real way things work in the street.

Were there any in that DeStafno crew that fit that bill?
I.E. either Semi Independent or Independent as per your definition,yet with probable/possible membership with oher Cosa Mostra families,within NYS ,such as one of 5 NYC Families, Buffalino,or elsewhere in America, and/or that you suspect were afilliates of the Camorra or N'Drangheta?
I suppose there might be guys in DeStefano's crew that had affiliations with Buffalino,Falcone,or Maggadino. But outside of those indiviuals,do you have reason to believe there were others who had affiliations elsewhere?

I keep posting these relies in the wrong place,please see my question(s) just before or just after this reply

Yes, no doubt about that! Not other Cosa Nostra "Families" per se, but Camorra and Societa' Onorata factions. In fact, although De Stefano is generally considered to have been the acknowledged "power" in that city, Syracuse was actually dominated more by affiliates of Calabrese and Napolitani factions.

Were there any names in particular affiliated with other groups that had as much or more power than Destefano?

Havana, if you don't mine me asking, are you from the City of Syracuse or the surrounding territories? Because you seem very fixated on De Stefano and that area in particular (which is completely fine, I'm just curious,)

Yes, located nearby.in general area.
There used to be rumors about this opne or that one being in Cosa Nostra.,who evidently weren't. But by your mentioning semi- independent or Independent possibilities, or even possibility of some of them possibly affiliated elsewhere,or even with Camorra,,N'Drangheta,etc. might mean that some rumors were true,although I don't want to mention names

Many of these guys had familial and friendship ties to Calabrian powerbroker in Canada. Some were n'dranghetista themselves.

Would it be correct to say that in Canada, there is a Cosa Nostra faction (maybe the Montreal area) that is either a crew of the Bonnanos, or that broke off from the Bonnanos and is a Cosa Nostra Family of its own? Maybe started out as a Sicilian born crew of the Bonnanos?

And in Montreal there is a Calabrian N'Drsngheta family in the Toronto area that is not at all part of the Cosa Nostra? If so ,hw long has this Independent( iNdependent from Cosa Nostra) been active in Canada ? Do they answer to anybody else,particularly in Calabria ?

Thats 100% correct Havana. In fact, for many decades already there have been many different Calabrian factions, or n'drina, from many different Calabrese N'drangheta families, who migrated to Canada to set up shop. The Calabrese are the true organized crime powers in Canada.

[
Thats 100% correct Havana. In fact, for many decades already there have been many different Calabrian factions, or n'drina, from many different Calabrese N'drangheta families, who migrated to Canada to set up shop. The Calabrese are the true organized crime powers in Canada.
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So in effect the Calabrians and maybe the Neapolitans,kept their thing more secret in America and maybe in Canada ,than the Cosa Nostra did? And even when some of them did get caught commiting crimes,their memberships in the Camorra or N'Drangeta we not suspected or divulged,although they might get mistaken as Cosa Nostra members?
Seems like only recently, maybe when Getty's grandson was kidnapped in 1970s that anybody ever heard of them,and for the most part weren't asware of just what they'd become or maybe already were in the sense of their power,ruthlessness,etc? Do you think any other long time secret criminal clans of some other organization will come to light?

So in effect the Calabrians and maybe the Neapolitans,kept their thing more secret in America and maybe in Canada ,than the Cosa Nostra did? And even when some of them did get caught commiting crimes,their memberships in the Camorra or N'Drangeta we not suspected or divulged,although they might get mistaken as Cosa Nostra members?
Seems like only recently, maybe when Getty's grandson was kidnapped in 1970s that anybody ever heard of them,and for the most part weren't asware of just what they'd become or maybe already were in the sense of their power,ruthlessness,etc? Do you think any other long time secret criminal clans of some other organization will come to light?
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Thats a very good assessment Havana. Because, in fact, Getty's grandson getting kidnapped by the Calabrian "Mafia" back in the 1970s, when they later cut off the kid's ear because his tightwad grandfather didn't wanna part with the ransom money and had to be "convinced" so pay, so his grandson wasn't sent back to him piece by piece, first exposed the N'drangheta (Societa' Onorata) and was really when the world first became aware of who they were....And they just grew in power from there.

To the point, that today, some fifty-years later, they are the acknowledged "powerhouses" of the Italian underworld.

Thats a very good assessment Havana. Because, in fact, Getty's grandson getting kidnapped by the Calabrian "Mafia" back in the 1970s, when they later cut off the kid's ear because his tightwad grandfather didn't wanna part with the ransom money and had to be "convinced" so pay, so his grandson wasn't sent back to him piece by piece, first exposed the N'drangheta (Societa' Onorata) and was really when the world first became aware of who they were....And they just grew in power from there.

To the point, that today, some fifty-years later, they are the acknowledged "powerhouses" of the Italian underworld.
[/quote]

Does the term "La Santa Mama" mean anything? Years ago,I was watching a Kirk Douglas movie "The Brotherhood". Douglas was Sicilian born but had lived in America. He visited Sicily and liked the old ways better than in America where themodern guys killed old timers. So in Sicily Douglas met in a cave with a group of old mafiosi. They were telling him thast they countedon him to get revenge for "La Santa Mama" At least I thought that's what they said. My grandmother was starting to get alzeimers but I asked her what it meant. She said it was the Black Hand

Havana, "The Brotherhood" was a great movie. Lol. I especially like toward the end when Kirk Douglas hands the lupara to his kid brother, then sits on the rock, turns his head away from his brother, and instructs him to do what he has to do....It was rudimentary in many ways, but back then, which was way before The Godfather was ever released, it was a classic. I watched it several times as a kid.

And as your grandmother correctly advised you, "La Santa Mama," and so many other abstract terms used over the years, all essentially describe the same thing, "La Fratellanza" (the brotherhood.)

And she knew exactly who they were, living across the street from their hangout but even with alzheimers would say more than "Nevermind'

I have no doubt. She probably knew many of them from having grown up or resided near them in Syracuse for much of her life.

Yes,but at the time I never knew that she lived in that exact neighborhood. I had thought she lived in another area,until a couple years ago,when a friend that does some geneological search for me as his hobby,found her family on an old census,which was not where I thought she ever lived .But matched where I'd learned later that the gangsters lived. Chronologically,I knew neither hers or the hangout's location at the time she talked about La Santa Mama being the name they used .. At some point years later I realized where the gangsters lived.And then recently (last couple years that she had lived somewhere else besides her family's .homestead that we all used to go when I grew up. Earlier years they lived liiterally across the same Street ,probably the distance of a half block away. And those guys probably lived all around her,maybe same building. Growing up she had mentioned their presence as something she was terrified of.She liked telling us kids scary stories

Sure, if she grew up there, she went to "grade school" with them, hung out with their brothers and sisters after school, went to the same social functions, etc., etc.

All the old neighborhoods were the same.

She was my only Grandparent born here in America. I believe most if not all of the gangsters were born in Italy,and more her father's age. However I suspect that they had probably had younger guys ,maybe as young as 15 or 16 involved in their membership,probably also younger immigrants,maybe sons of the older ones.

I don't think many her age went beyond grade school as I think you suggest.. Even though she and her siblings were forced to put English first,and even though she was born here,even she only went as far as the local grade school,and married at about 16.

But yes ,she probably did know and grow up around and play with those gangster' kids,many of whom probably became the more modern types of criminals during and/or after Prohibition who she evidently was not as fearful of ,except for probably some individuals.Probably because their rackets became less violent in nature rather than murders,stabbings,kidnappings,gang wars,etc that those Originals were involved in

So you and your family all come from Syracuse? Interesting. Do you currently still reside in Syracuse today?

.

,No,outside of Syracuse,but the family did once live in Syracuse many years ago

Pretty sure that first they were in NYC (Mulberry Street and Bronx),Philadelphia,and I think Rochester

A lot of people don't realize just how "mobbed up" Syracuse was...once upon a time.

When the 'Ndrangheta discovered America
Antonio Nicaso, Maria Barillà, Vittorio Amaddeo
Archaic and ragged, dedicated to oppression and abuse, the Calabrian Picciotteria of the late nineteenth century seemed destined to remain anchored to the myths, rites and codes of behavior born in the Bourbon prisons based on those of the secret societies of the Risorgimento. And instead, right then, a silent revolution begins that will transform its rural face into the entrepreneurial one of today's 'ndrangheta, an unscrupulous and ruthless multinational crime corporation, capable of adapting to the changing challenges of the global market.What triggered this metamorphosis at the turn of the two centuries was the "discovery" of America. Having landed in the New World together with tens of thousands of honest labourers, the Calabrian "maffiosi", unlike their less astute Sicilian and Campanian brothers, choose a low profile to reconstitute their underworld network, made up of leaders, henchmen and legends (above all , that of the "brigand" Musolino), who makes lavish profits at the expense of Italian workers (such as the miners of Carbondale, Pennsylvania) and of hundreds of young immigrants induced into prostitution in the resorts of Manhattan and Chicago, before holding the ranks of the clandestine trade in alcohol and drug trafficking.Thus was born the overseas 'Ndrangheta entrepreneur, who shakes hands, stipulates agreements and manages to infiltrate the sancta sanctorum of the social elite, starting from Tammany Hall, the powerful electoral machine of the Democratic Party and undisputed mistress of New York, with which it establishes a relationship of mutual assistance: votes in exchange for protection and favors. To the point of casting his shadow heavily on the scene of the Petrosino crime.Once back in Calabria, it will be the "Americans" who will impose the new criminal strategy on the organization (control of the territory and collusion with politics and institutions), starting that process which, in a few decades, will make the 'ndrangheta one of the most powerful mafias and pervasive in the world.After a long research effort conducted on a vast amount of documents, mostly unpublished, Antonio Nicaso, Maria Barillà and Vittorio Amaddeo reconstruct for the first time the history of this criminal mutation of the 'Ndrangheta on American soil, in pages that effectively alternate the cadence and color of the most compelling companion novels to the hyper-realistic, sometimes horrifying, register of sentencing devices and trial papers.

There are probably many younger people now who know nothing about 9/11/2001 or MLK.That doesn't mean 9/11/2001 didn't happen or MLK didn't exist .So its good to know what was true and what wasn't true about this part of history ,the good and the bad in different parts of the country and the world

Naturally. I agree with you. History, in and or itself, is a very interesting subject, regardless of which particular part of history you look at. As far as the mob goes. Aside from Syracuse, there are plenty of cities and little towns all across America where they once operated but are long gone from there.