Made Guys Transfering Families

I know that associates get traded around like athletes on draft day. What about made guys?

I know it prolly never happened with any of the big families. It seems to of happened to the families that didn't have the muscle to keep their soldiers with that particular family.

An infamous case was Jimmy "The Weasel" Frattiano. Was this a common thing? Does it still happen? Has it ever happened with the bigger families?

I'm very curious on how easy it is to start a life somewhere else that's mob controlled as a soldier.

As for Jimmy the Weasel: The midwest families operated as a pseudo partnership back in the day. You had guys from Cleveland, Detroit, KC, LA operating in crews together.

Out east you had Fat Jack DiNorscio who went from Philly fam to Lucchese Jersey crew. Then recently, Nicky Scarfo making the same jump.

Think I asked a while back but never got an answer...why did dinorscio transfer from philly to lucchese? Who was he under in Philly anyone know? Dont think he was made but someone more in the know can pry clear that up.

guys have been made in other families outside NY when the books were closed and then transferred to NY. nicky bianco was a colombo guy then went up to N.E.there are some stories of this happening in time..pete milano and his brother to L.A. from Clev. palimeri's went to buffalo.. non made guys to other families then get made are in greater #s

I once read that when all of the killing was going on in the Lucchese family, probably due to Amuso and Casso running amok, many made men started putting in for transfers to others families to escape being hit.

Not sure what a transfer would consist of or what the financial ramifications are. My guess is that in some cases the guy leaves and the rackets stay behind, or else he'd have to take the rackets with him to the new family and deprive the old boss of what he was accustomed to getting.

during the last colombo war the west side wanted to take part of the faction that broke away..that was some of the talk between the family higher ups meets back then.. one person said lets put the names in a hat and draw names..what was that lets make a deal!..

Also the gambinos and Gaspipe wanted Vic orena and his guys to be absorbed into there families I dont know why Vic and his guys stayed in the colombos after they lost the war because these guys now have to kick up and take orders form guys who just whacked their buddies

It allegedly happened in the past between certain East Coast and West Coast crime families. For example, I believe Vincent Figlia and Sal Cerrito were said by the FBI to have transferred from the Colombo Crime Family to the SJ Crime Family. And Sal Marino was said to have transferred from the Pittsburgh Crime Family to SJ Crime Family. I believe these transfers were approved because the mobster permanently relocated or was related to the West Coast boss. These transfers allegedly happened in the 1950s or earlier.

Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo - transferred to Genovese family in 1975
Frank "Punchy" Illiano - transferred to Genovese family in 1975
Nicholas Bianco - transferred to Patriarca family in 1963, died of natural causes in 1994

I'don't know for sure if Jack Dinorscio was made in the philly mob,his father dominick (1911-2000) was a soldier.

The longtime Don of the Philadelphia crime family, Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno, was killed on March 21, 1980, resulting in a huge power vacuum. Anthony Accetturo and Michael Taccetta, on the other hand, used their situation to establish a new foothold in Philadelphia as a part of the Jersey Crew, with illegal GAMBLING and loansharking operations. Because of the bad relations between the two factions in Philadelphia's crime family, as well as both Taccetta and Accetturo taking advantage of the situation, the relationship between Philadelphia and the New York Families, especially the Luccheses, eventually turned worse than ever, which led to all cooperation between the families being completely terminated. It was around this time that prominent Bruno member, DiNorscio, along with many others, defected to the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family to earn greater profits and to avoid being killed.

Nicky Scarfo sr maybe soldier in the philly mob passed to the luccheses

Joe Valachi went from the Bonnano family to the Genovese at some point after the Castellammarese War.

None of this guys were made before being transfered. I dont think Dinorscio was ever made into the philly family or the lucheses.

Anyone know who they were put with?

And when they got bumped to Skipper/s?

I don't think anyone has been made in 2 American families . They may have been affiliated with one crime family then released and made into a different family , not made into 2

Wasn't Robert dibernardo with the Delcalvacante family and then got traded to the Gambino's?

Gravano went from Colombo to Gambino of course. Books weren't open but he was still up and coming and they let him move over. The Jersey mob had several guys move away or to. Guys used to go to Jersey if they couldn't get made in NY.

Gravano moved to the Gambinos after the beef he had with Spero.Tino fiumara was with the Delcalvacantes first.

Yes made guys do transfer to other other families, not so much in the big families, with the exception of the Bonanno split where 10-15 made members left the family, but did not go with Joe Bonanno but with other smaller families, where they were operating.

San Jose
Charles Carbone- Pittsburg
Joseph Cerrito- Profaci
Salvatore Cerrito- Profaci
Joseph Chiri- Genovese
Joseph Cusenza- Detroit
Anthony Ditri- Bonanno
Vincenzo Figlia- Profaci
Carmelo Sciortino- Los Angeles

Salvatore Vassallo- Most likely made in the Bonanno family before relocating to San Jose.

San Francisco
Vito Bruno- Genovese
Joseph Curreri- Gambino
James Franzone- Chicago
Nunzio Mannina- New Orleans
Epifanio Trafficante- Tampa
Giuseppe Trifiro-Cleveland

Salvatore Maugeri is listed as a member to this family, but most likely remained with the Gambino family.

Los Angeles
Girolamo Adamo- St. Louis
Rosolino Bartolotta- Detroit
Steven Cino- Buffalo
Carmine Carpinelli- Cleveland
Aladena Frattino- Cleveland
Frank Gruttaduaria- Cleveland
Nicolo Licata- Detroit
Michael LiMandri- Gambino
Antonio Milano- Cleveland
Lawrence Musso- Kansas City
Angelo Polizzi- Buffalo

This is only the California cities, and does not include those members that moved out to these areas before the 1931 meeting. There are other LCN members who operated in these cities or areas that belonged to other families and never transfered to these families. The lists do not include associates that transfered from other cities and were made into these families.

Tino was never with the Decavs, he was with the Philly Down Neck crew as an associate before transferring to the Genovese where he was eventually made.

If you don't mind me asking Alex, where did you read/hear that from?

I think you're confusing him with DiBernardo.

Never heard of this. How would the Gambino's & Gaspipe want Vic Orena & his followers to be transferred to their families after the war? The war was still ongoing while Orena was on the street, it didn't end until he was indicted on the RICO act and went to prison.


I know Gotti & Gaspipe wanted Orena on the commission and got what they wanted for the short period he was on the street as boss. Never heard of the transferring families story though.


DiNorscio wasn't made in the Philly family, he was on his way after years of being an associate, but got into a beef and some Made guy, I forgot who it was, wanted him dead. So Bruno had him transferred to a Lucchese crew, and the rest is history.


Nicky Scarfo Jr. was never formally made into the Philly family either. He had clout based off who his father was, and participated in their illegal activities..He oversaw the operations with his uncle after his father went away, and that's when he almost got killed. His uncle was shelved not too long afterwards by John Stanfa. Nicky Sr, had Nicky Jr under the protection of some Philly guys who were based in Jersey for a short while, before having him formally inducted into the Lucchese's as a favor from his friend, Vic Amuso.


There really isn't many examples of this actually happening, I don't think.

It's from the Brotherhoods book, and that story is according to Colombo capo Big Sal Miciotta who claimed Gas was thinking of absorbing the Orena faction into the Luccheses and they were in the process of talking it out.

In Piitsburgh, Stan Valenti, son in law to powerful Pittsburgh Capo Antonio Ripepi, and his brother Frank Valenti, both made in Pittsburgh, broke off and took over the rackets in Rochester with full support from Frank Amato/John LaRocca. Also, longtime Pittsburgh Capo, Sal Marino, from Sharon, PA went out to California with his son Angelo Marino and ran the rackets in San Jose under the protection of John LaRocca's cousins Pasquale & Alfonse in San Francisco as well as Boss Jimmy Lanza.

Sal Marino operated the Sharon Cheese Company and after his son Angelo, boss of San Jose, moved the cheese company to Cali, they sold it for tens of millions to Sorrento Cheese Co.

Also, Stefano Randazzo, made in Cleveland, transferred down to Tampa and became Traficante's driver and a made soldier under the protection of John "Peanuts" Tronolone, former Consigliere of Cleveland based out of Hallandale Beach, FL.

Also, James "Jack White" Licavoli and his brothers were originally part of St. Louis, moved to Detroit and while Yonnie & Pete stayed around Detroit, James Licavoli settled in Cleveland and became boss (by default and nepotism).

Tony Milano never transferred to L.A. , although he owned many key unions out there along with his brother Frank because Warner Bros were from Youngstown. He put both his sons, Peter & Carmen Milano in control and spent 6 months a year of his semi retirement in Holmby Hills, CA.

Really interesting stuff guys. Thanks a ton.

Fano Trafficante was not made in the SF family.

Vincent Amato, Gambino made guy, was part of the Trafficante's family's Miami faction in the 1980s.

Tony Milano never transferred families, he and his brother Frank had a grip on Warner Brothers, who were from Youngstown. Tony ran the old Mayfield Road Mob and was a big proponent of entering business ventures with connected Jewish racketeers, he was partners with Moe Dalitz, Morris Kleinman, Louis Rothkopf, and Samuel Tucker, who all went on to seize control of Vegas and West Coast Rackets through Mickey Cohen. Milano was extorting unions from very early in his career, he had Bill Presser in his back pocket. Plus, he had Milton "Maishe" Rockman, known as the Meyer Lansky of Cleveland. Milano had all the major motion picture unions in his back pocket, more than any other mob family in the country. Hence, why Frattiano and his sons Peter & Carmen were in positions to take over. Tony's sons weren't like him or his brother Frank, they were educated and one of them was a lawyer...they grew up accustomed to privilege. Tony came from nothing and died with close to $75 million dollars, he was known to have his first communion money. He did a lot of business in LA and had a second home in West LA, but never transferred there, just had a lot of clout because Mickey Cohen was scared shitless of the Old Man.

Thank you OTD, I heard Tony transferred to LA. Thank you for clearing that up.
SD, Trafficante was involved in a peace deal backed up by Joe Profaci in NY sometime in the early 1940's to avoid a war between SF and Tampa. SF traded a member as well, but have no ideal who it was. This was the Sicilian way where hostages or called "Guess" were sent over from both sides, if there is no family relations to help make peace. If one family acts aggressive or cuts the other family out of profits, then the guess would be killed. This helped avoid war and allowed those families to keep earning.

are you saying the underboss of Cleveland Tony Milano had a networth of $75 million??? Where you getting this number from? This is an absurdly high amount...not saying you're wrong, its certainly possible but wheres the facts?

Has it ever been confirmed that Ceaser Boneventre and Baldo Amato were made in Italy or in the US. I know they became captains later on

How about made guys moving between families ? Not an offical transfer but being able to do business with other families and other crews ? Do you think that this is a breech of family rules ? Do you need the Boss approval ? Not all wise guys go on record with everything that they do when it comes down to $$$. Some guys just flutter around just trying to earn where ever they can. This can be a delicate (and deadly) position for one to take on but it happens alot.

Baldo Amato is badass. His conduct in court when he was being sentenced was very respectful.

It goes two ways. It's nice to see someone being courteous and having the balls to know why they are going where they are going, instead of mouthing off at photographers, judges, lawyers and pretending to have pneumonia.