John LaRocca, as he is more commonly known, has been the head of the southwestern Pennsylvania Cosa Nostra family since 1956. In 1957, he attended the Apalachin meeting of major organized crime figures in New York with his chief lieutenants, Michael Genovese and Gabriel Mannarino. A subsequent investigation by the McClellan Labor Management Committee of the Senate found that LaRocca had hidden interests in coin machine and jukebox businesses in Pittsburgh. In addition, LaRocca had been an officer in the North Star Cement Block Company in Pittsburgh, along with crime family member Antonio Ripepi. North Star also employed Michael Genovese. His primary business has been 100 Sandusky, which trades as the Allegheny Car Wash, in Pittsburgh.
The McClellan Committee also found that LaRocca was very close to labor racketeer Nicholas Sitrone, involved in the laundry and overall business in Detroit with Cosa Nostra leaders William Tocco and Anthony Zerilli, and considerably influential in organized crime in West Virginia. A Bureau of Narcotics investigation also revealed that LaRocca had attended an organized crime meeting in Sierra Madre, California, in 1956 in the company of racketeer Anthony Pinelli, Los Angeles Cosa Nostra boss Frank DeSimone, and Salvatore Marino, a former LaRocca capo who had moved to California.
LaRocca, who was born in Sicily on December 19, 1901, controlled the numbers rackets and other gambling activities in the Pittsburgh area since the 1940s. He also financed and controlled several gambling casinos located in West Virginia, which were operated by one of his family's members, Joseph" J0 J0" Pecora. In the early 1950s, the Immigration and Naturalization Service began deportation proceedings on LaRocca, stating that he was an undesirable alien. The authorities based their claim on a previous conviction of LaRocca for larceny, receiving stolen goods and operating a lottery. After the hearings on deportation had closed, LaRocca was granted a back dated pardon for his crimes.
Vending in PittsburghSomewhat like their southeastern Pennsylvania counterparts, organized crime figures in southwestern Pennsylvania have been involved in numerous vending businesses. Several of these were founded over 30 years ago. An Investigation by the McClellan Labor Management Committee found that crime boss John LaRocca had large hidden interests in the coin machine and jukebox business in Pittsburgh. Information gathered by investigators indicates that LaRocca and some of his top lieutenants have been involved in at least eight vending companies, often incorporating those companies through intermediaries and associates.
Following are examples of their companies and their tactics:
Coin Machine Distributing Co., 500 North Craig Street, Pittsburgh. Coin Machine had its beginnings in 1940, in a partnership between John LaRocca and George Messer, called LaRocca and Messer. The partnership was formed to distribute coin operated machines, including pinball and slot machines.
In 1943, LaRocca and Messer incorporated the business with other investors, including Barney McGinley, Frank Amato (a deceased LaRocca family member), Fred Zogg and Samuel Mannarino, brother of Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino. Both Mannarinos had been highranking figures in the LaRocca family.
On June 1, 1945, a statement of cancellation or withdrawal from the business was filed for all the partners except Samuel Mannarino. Following that dissolution, papers of incorporation were filed on December 11, 1946, under the names of Samuel Mannarino, John LaRocca and Gabriel Mannarino.
During deportation hearings in the mid 1950's held on John LaRocca, LaRocca testified that he was sole owner of Coin Machine. No steps, however, had been taken to change the corporate relationships set up in 1946 by LaRocca and the Mannarino brothers which would have made LaRocca the sole owner. There was no listing in the Pittsburgh phone book for Coin Machine, and there is no record at the Bureau of Labor and Industry.
Nu-Ken Novelty Co., 1371 Fourth Avenue, New Kensington. In 1940, Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino and his brother Samuel registered this business. Other interested parties over the years have been F. W. Zogg, Tom Tanness, Albert Sam and William Sam, all of New Kensington. In 1963, the late Samuel Mannarino was convicted of tax evasion stemming from the operation of Nu-Ken. He was found to be reporting only half of the gross income of the company. In October of 1969, the Nu-Ken Novelty business was officially incorporated by Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti, an active LaRocca family member. James R. Marino, of Cheswick, was also an incorporator. In 1974 and 1975, "Kelly" Mannarino was an employee of Nu-Ken. The address of the company at that time was 1420 Fifth Avenue, Arnold, which was the current location of S & S Vending, another Ciancutti/Mannarino vending company.
In 1976, Ciancutti was listed as president of Nu-Ken and Genivieve Moreno was listed as secretary treasurer.
S&S Vending, 1420 Fifth Avenue, Arnold, Pennsylvania. The predecessor firm, S & S Distributing, New Kensington, was founded in 1949. Gabriel Mannarino became affiliated with S & S Distributing in 1953. As of 1956, Samuel Mannarino, William Sam and Gabriel Mannarino were listed as owners of S & S Distributing. S & S Distributing was officially incorporated in October of 1969. The name of the firm was later changed to S&S Vending, Inc. In October of 1973, Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti was president of S & S. James Marino was the company's secretary treasurer. By 1974, Georgianne Bufalino, "Kelly" Mannarino's daughter, was listed as secretary treasurer.
Keystone Sales Co., 725 Franklin Street, Johnstown. Keystone Sales was incorporated on May 28, 1951, by Patrick Torchia, Joseph Torchia and Thomas Crocco. All three have been associated with Joseph Regino, the LaRocca family capo who controls the Johnstown area. Although the three men incorporated Keystone, they did not hold the controlling interest in the company. Out of 250 shares in the company, they held only three. As of 1972, John J. LaRocca, brother of John LaRocca, was the principal figure in Keystone Sales. In 1979, Joseph Regino was listed as president and John LaRocca, the crime boss, was listed as vice president of Keystone. Telephone records for Joseph Regino and Keystone Sales for 1979 have been obtained. During that time, 10 calls were made to the John LaRocca owned Allegheny Car Wash, Pittsburgh; three were made to John LaRocca in Pittsburgh; eight calls were to LaRocca's Pompano Beach, Florida, residence; ten were to Catoris Candy ("Kelly" Mannarino is Catoris' president); one was to S & S Vending ("Sonny" Ciancutti's business); one was made to Keystone Music Co., Pittsburgh (owned by LaRocca capo Antonio Ripepi); six calls were to J & Z Vending, Chester, West Virginia (allegedly owned by "Jo Jo" Pecora)
L&G Amusements, 6323 Glenview Place, Pittsburgh. This vending company, was a partnership between John LaRocca and Michael Genovese, who is a capo in the LaRocca family.
P and C Amusements, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1970, Joseph Regino was president of P and C Amusements, a partnership in Johnstown that dealt exclusively in pinball machines. Crime boss LaRocca's brother, John J. LaRocca, was listed as treasurer of the firm. In July of 1970, Pennsylvania State Police seized a number of pinball machines owned by P and C as gaming devices. Gus Poulakos was the manager of P and C at that time.
Keystone Music Co., 771 Clairton Boulevard, Pittsburgh. Keystone Music Co. Inc., a company which deals in cigarettes and candy through vending machines, was incorporated on June 17,1970. Antonio Ripepi, Ursala Ripepi and Lauretta Legeza were the incorporators and first directors. As of June, 1979, Ripepi was still an officer in Keystone Music. As was stated before, Ripepi was a capo in the LaRocca crime family.
J & L Cigarette Service Co., Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. J & L was in operation prior to December of 1968. Joseph Sica, was its secretary treasurer and Louis Volpe, another member, was lsted as its president.
J & Z Vending, Chester, West Virginia. Allegedly owned by Joseph "Jo Jo" Pecora.
