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Who were the Scariest Mafiosos?

Posted By: JackieAprile

Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 03:44 AM

Who were some of the scariest Mafiosos in any family - guys like Mad Sam DeStefano or Roy Demeo who even other made guys were afraid of?
Posted By: hoodlum

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 05:12 AM

Originally Posted By: JackieAprile
Who were some of the scariest Mafiosos in any family - guys like Mad Sam DeStefano or Roy Demeo who even other made guys were afraid of?
Louis Buchalter..Nicky Scarfo..Tony Mirra..Carmine Galante..& ppl were somewhat afraid of Philip Leonetti, who would kill @ the drop of the dime.
Posted By: hoodlum

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 05:32 AM

Originally Posted By: hoodlum
Originally Posted By: JackieAprile
Who were some of the scariest Mafiosos in any family - guys like Mad Sam DeStefano or Roy Demeo who even other made guys were afraid of?
Louis Buchalter..Nicky Scarfo..Tony Mirra..Carmine Galante..& ppl were somewhat afraid of Philip Leonetti, who would kill @ the drop of the dime.
U ask 2 many ?ss. Puttin some filament on your zebco rod?,,dont 4get the worms
Posted By: OakAsFan

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 05:41 AM

The bosses that had people killed for sneezing had to have been scary. Scarfo, Amuso, etc. John Gotti's neighbors probably didn't sleep well after John Favara suddenly disappeared. Sociopaths are scary because there's no rules with them. They kill because they feel like it. Everyone in their sphere is on borrowed time.
Posted By: BillyBrizzi

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 02:10 PM

Albert Anastasia comes across to me in pics and footage as someone I never would want to f*ck with..

And I always remember that statement by that old cop Joe Salerno about Galante and Dellacroce:

''Of all the gangsters that I've met personally, and I've met dozens of them in all of my years, there were only two who, when I looked them straight in the eye, I decided I wouldn't want them to be really personally mad at me. Aniello Dellacroce was one and Carmine Galante was the other. They had bad eyes, I mean, they had the eyes of killers. You looked at Dellacroce's eyes and you could see how frightening they were, the frigid glare of a killer."
Posted By: bigboy

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 06:04 PM

Certainly DeMeo and Anthony Mira, but also Tony "Roach" Rampino of the Gotti crew, and Of the DeMeo crew- Joey Testa and Anthony Senter who had a huge body count
Posted By: Beanshooter

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 08:00 PM

Salvatore ‘Toto’ Riina
Posted By: Beanshooter

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 08:04 PM

Al Capone
Posted By: Terence

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/17/16 11:34 PM

Mirra, DeStefano, Pitera, Scarfo, Gallo and for me based on looks alone Aniello Migliore with that 1,000 yard stare.
Posted By: gangstereport

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/18/16 12:32 AM

charles Carneglia
Posted By: dixiemafia

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/18/16 12:33 AM

They say Carlos Marcello could be scary when he wanted to be.

He supposedly had a sign in his office that said "3 can keep a secret, if 2 are dead" or some shit like that. Word was he liked to talk to folks where they could see that sign.
Posted By: SC

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/18/16 01:01 AM

Aniello Dellacroce was the single scariest wiseguy I've ever seen.
Posted By: TheMechanic

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/18/16 01:47 AM

Originally Posted By: BillyBrizzi
Albert Anastasia comes across to me in pics and footage as someone I never would want to f*ck with..

And I always remember that statement by that old cop Joe Salerno about Galante and Dellacroce:

''Of all the gangsters that I've met personally, and I've met dozens of them in all of my years, there were only two who, when I looked them straight in the eye, I decided I wouldn't want them to be really personally mad at me. Aniello Dellacroce was one and Carmine Galante was the other. They had bad eyes, I mean, they had the eyes of killers. You looked at Dellacroce's eyes and you could see how frightening they were, the frigid glare of a killer."

Ralph Salerno was the cop's name. Galante, I get, but didn't Dellacroce get his ass handed to him by Joe Gallo's crew?


Legendary anecdote:When Dalitz got his 5'3 back up, no one could rattle him. There is the oft-told tale of Dalitz sitting in the dining room of the Beverly Rodeo Hotel in Hollywood. Heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, in an ugly mood from drink, approached the old bootlegger. Words were exchanged and the angry Liston drew back a powerful fist.

Dalitz did not move and his voice was not loud but crisp. "If you hit me, you'd better kill me, because if you don't, I'll make one telephone call and you'll be dead in twenty-four hours."

http://www.retrokimmer.com/2013/04/moe-dalitz-most-organized-mobster-in.html
Posted By: mchang93

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/20/16 05:43 AM

Originally Posted By: TheMechanic
Originally Posted By: BillyBrizzi
Albert Anastasia comes across to me in pics and footage as someone I never would want to f*ck with..

And I always remember that statement by that old cop Joe Salerno about Galante and Dellacroce:

''Of all the gangsters that I've met personally, and I've met dozens of them in all of my years, there were only two who, when I looked them straight in the eye, I decided I wouldn't want them to be really personally mad at me. Aniello Dellacroce was one and Carmine Galante was the other. They had bad eyes, I mean, they had the eyes of killers. You looked at Dellacroce's eyes and you could see how frightening they were, the frigid glare of a killer."

Ralph Salerno was the cop's name. Galante, I get, but didn't Dellacroce get his ass handed to him by Joe Gallo's crew?


Legendary anecdote:When Dalitz got his 5'3 back up, no one could rattle him. There is the oft-told tale of Dalitz sitting in the dining room of the Beverly Rodeo Hotel in Hollywood. Heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, in an ugly mood from drink, approached the old bootlegger. Words were exchanged and the angry Liston drew back a powerful fist.

Dalitz did not move and his voice was not loud but crisp. "If you hit me, you'd better kill me, because if you don't, I'll make one telephone call and you'll be dead in twenty-four hours."

http://www.retrokimmer.com/2013/04/moe-dalitz-most-organized-mobster-in.html



Yea that's the story but Dellacroce was La Cosa Nostra to the core. His boss at time ( Don Carlo) said let it go and he did. If he got a contract or OK to take care of someone, they were going and He was very feared by many hard asses from what I heard. No coincidence Gotti did not make his move until Mr. Neil was gone. There's no shame in losing a fight to multiple men by oneself.
Posted By: ralphie_cifaretto

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/23/16 04:15 PM

In the fifties and sixties, people were deathly afraid of Sonny Franzese. However, if I had to choose one and only one then I'd probably go with Carmine Galante. Not even his closest associates felt comfortable around him. Man was pure evil.
Posted By: blacksheep

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/23/16 05:15 PM

Richie aprile
Posted By: VitoSpatafore

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/23/16 06:18 PM

Chin always scared me...
Posted By: Strax

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/23/16 07:06 PM

Salvatore ‘Toto’ Riina is on top of the list.

Or Leoluca Bagarella

Posted By: Moe_Tilden

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 06/23/16 09:06 PM

Originally Posted By: ralphie_cifaretto
In the fifties and sixties, people were deathly afraid of Sonny Franzese. However, if I had to choose one and only one then I'd probably go with Carmine Galante. Not even his closest associates felt comfortable around him. Man was pure evil.


Galante was actually diagnosed as a psychopath in prison.

He was also proficient in French and Italian and helped set up numerous cross-country drug deals.
Posted By: OakAsFan

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/10/16 02:05 AM

I think Jimmy Burke should get honorable mention here.

Posted By: Tonytough

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/10/16 08:35 AM

Sonny Ciccone ," look at me when I talk to u" (Seagal was petrified)
Posted By: Alfa Romeo

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/10/16 08:02 PM

I don't know who was the scariest, and I don't think Jimmy Burke was..the scariest. But it's saying something when you have a guy walking around in the street who doesn't even know his own birthday, or even where he was born, who was sexually molested, who did killings outside of mob permission, who killed his partners just to keep his share of the loot they stole together. He was frightening to many for good reason.

I don't know who read Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi here, but the part retold by Henry Hill when Jimmy BUrke found out DeSimone was whacked instead of being made...for killing a made man, was riveting. Jimmy Burke hears the news and slams the payphone down so hard, the whole phone booth shook. He might have even cried. Sadness and anger is a scary combination. This was a guy who killed his friends and strangers wih ease, and now he was shaking with anger and crying simultaneously. A very dangerous unhinged individual.
Posted By: Binnie_Coll

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/11/16 01:02 AM

let us not forget the little freak from Chicago, marshall caifano this animal set a woman on fire, and burned her alive.

her name was Estelle cary, and caifano thought she was a rat, she wasn't. caifano never had any remorse for this brutal and sadistic act, in fact, used to brag about it.

hard to top that one for sadism. and Richie "the boot"boiardo a new jersey henchman who had a crematorium in his new jersey barn.
Posted By: MightyDR

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/11/16 04:13 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hORU40ENCA

The look Albert Anastasia gives the camera and the accompanying music at 1:07 gave me the chills
Posted By: Regoparker100

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/12/16 01:43 PM

Gaspipe Casso was quite a nasty guy and a homicidal maniac, ordering virtually anyone who crossed them or were purported informants to be rubbed out. May have killed 50 people, and reportedly behind 80-100 hits.

Anthony Accetturo even said of Casso, "all he wanted to do is kill, kill, get what you can, even if you didn't earn it."

Greg Scarpa was another notorious hitman (80-100 hits), and so was Carmine Persico.
Posted By: Moe_Tilden

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/12/16 02:03 PM

Accetturo was no choirboy himself.

He had a vicious reputation.

He also didn't seem to understand that when you are in the mafia you are supposed to pass a percentage of the money you steal up the food chain.

Guys like him and Ricciardi were renegades, out for themselves.

I wouldn't put much stock in the spin that guys like him and Ricciardi come out with.

It has as much worth as D'Arco's outlandish Kimberly Hotel story.
Posted By: MightyDR

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 01:15 AM

Originally Posted By: Moe_Tilden
Accetturo was no choirboy himself.

He had a vicious reputation.

He also didn't seem to understand that when you are in the mafia you are supposed to pass a percentage of the money you steal up the food chain.

Guys like him and Ricciardi were renegades, out for themselves.

I wouldn't put much stock in the spin that guys like him and Ricciardi come out with.

It has as much worth as D'Arco's outlandish Kimberly Hotel story.


That's a good point. The guy runs the entire NJ Luchese crew and expects all he has to do is toss over $50,000 a year? That may have been the arrangement with Corallo but I don't see why any other boss would put up with it. Corallo should have at least told Casso that was going to happen, or told Acceturo to kick up more.
Posted By: LaLouisiane

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 01:51 AM

Pitera
Posted By: richierich

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 11:55 AM

Tino Fumara HAS to be on that list.. Here is a guy that people were afraid to say his name for gods sake.. Even made guys made a hand signal out of fear of his name coming out of their mouths
'
Posted By: majicrat

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 03:00 PM

Steve Flemmi, total creep, rapist and a killer despite being a WW2 hero. Carmine Galante I agree with based on what I've read. I will dispute Dellacroce, simply because after the Gallo beating he let it go. Cosa Nostra or not, I don't see an Anastasia, Gallo, Scarfo letting it go. And to be honest if he was so feared he wouldn't have gotten the beating to begin with. Just my opinion
Posted By: Toodoped

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 04:33 PM

I dont know if we're talking about scary faces or scary reputation but here's few examples which had a little bit of both...


Salvatore Sam Cardinella


Rocco Pranno (first from the left)


Rocco Pranno


Fur Sammons


Sam Battaglia


Frank Buccieri


Albert "Obie" Frabotta


Billy Dauber


Frank Schweihs


Phil Alderisio




Jack Cerone


Sam "Sambo" Cesario


Alex Ross
Posted By: Regoparker100

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 07:33 PM

What about Tony Spilotro and the Gemini Twins (Anthony Senter and Joseph Testa)?
Posted By: OakAsFan

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/13/16 08:01 PM

Not sure about Jack Cerone in that photo. He looks like Barney Fife.
Posted By: Binnie_Coll

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/15/16 06:40 AM

Originally Posted By: majicrat
Steve Flemmi, total creep, rapist and a killer despite being a WW2 hero. Carmine Galante I agree with based on what I've read. I will dispute Dellacroce, simply because after the Gallo beating he let it go. Cosa Nostra or not, I don't see an Anastasia, Gallo, Scarfo letting it go. And to be honest if he was so feared he wouldn't have gotten the beating to begin with. Just my opinion


the beating never happened, nothing ever written about the gallos mentions said beating, there apparently is no source.
Posted By: Regoparker100

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/15/16 03:20 PM

Originally Posted By: Moe_Tilden
Accetturo was no choirboy himself.

He had a vicious reputation.

He also didn't seem to understand that when you are in the mafia you are supposed to pass a percentage of the money you steal up the food chain.

Guys like him and Ricciardi were renegades, out for themselves.

I wouldn't put much stock in the spin that guys like him and Ricciardi come out with.

It has as much worth as D'Arco's outlandish Kimberly Hotel story.


I wonder what was going on in Tony Ducks' mind when he chose two violent hitmen as his successors. Up until Vic Amuso becoming boss in 1987, the Luccheses were the most peaceful of the five.
Posted By: BlueEyes

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/15/16 07:58 PM

No doubt about it -- this day and age;
Michael Sarno from Chicago. He killed high leveled people and blew up a rival poker machine business i believe it was?
And this he did after the century shift. After 2000.
Guy is obviously in Prison but man he had the mindset of a violent 1930's gangster. Would not have messed with him.
Posted By: OakAsFan

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/15/16 08:19 PM

Originally Posted By: Regoparker100
I wonder what was going on in Tony Ducks' mind when he chose two violent hitmen as his successors. Up until Vic Amuso becoming boss in 1987, the Luccheses were the most peaceful of the five.


I'm sure what was going on with the Gambinos and Genoveses had something to do with it. The peace had been broken.
Posted By: JJChicago

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/16/16 06:53 PM

Without a doubt Frank Schweihs. Scared the shit out of other killers like the Spilotro brothers
Posted By: americafyeah

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 12:44 AM

lupo the wolf

Posted By: Alfa Romeo

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 01:33 AM

Lupo is one of the worst. The absolute worst. Next to degenerate murderer in the dictionary is a picture of that animal.

It was said that before prohibition, you could easily tell a mafia person apart from a civilian. The mob people weren't doing well back then. They looked like h e double hocky sticks. Then after prohibition, they put on the ritz and started blending into high society. Lupo is from the days when they looked like heck.

His worst photo is the classic one, where it looks like he just got back from his meat hook at the murder stables, like he hadn't taken a bath in like 3 weeks.

But for me, his scariest photo is actually the one of him as a old man, clean cut, shaved, seemingly civilized and mellowed out, hair combed and flawless, most of his mob life maybe left far far behind, except he is leering sideways into the camera like a lion in a zoo looking through a glass wall at visitors...wishing he could pounce on them. Disturbing. Disturbing the way he tilted his head. To understand this, you have to see the whole photo, not just the one that shows his head tilt, but his whole upper body.
Posted By: Binnie_Coll

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 05:01 AM

alfa, I believe you are referring to ignazio saietta, a blackhand of the early century, before LCN was established here, he owned a property known as the "murder stables" he was accused of having a part in the murder of joe petrosino, a cop who went to sicily, and was executed there. he was born 1877, and died 1947, his brother-in law, was ciro terranova. supposedly got his nick name by breeding wolfs, and when someone he wanted killed he would tie them up in a big leather bag, and put a wolf pup in with them. he was supposed to have done this all the time, but, like I say, who really knows?
Posted By: Alfa Romeo

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 06:14 AM

Originally Posted By: Binnie_Coll
alfa, I believe you are referring to ignazio saietta, a blackhand of the early century, before LCN was established here, he owned a property known as the "murder stables" he was accused of having a part in the murder of joe petrosino, a cop who went to sicily, and was executed there. he was born 1877, and died 1947, his brother-in law, was ciro terranova. supposedly got his nick name by breeding wolfs, and when someone he wanted killed he would tie them up in a big leather bag, and put a wolf pup in with them. he was supposed to have done this all the time, but, like I say, who really knows?


Wow, I never heard the wolf story. That's ugly. I always read about Lupo hanging his political opponents on meat hooks down at his so-called murder stables. Yes, it's Saietta I am referring to.

It's funny you know. You look at his jailhouse photo where he is young and his hair is cut. He looks like a little kid.

Lupo in Jail?

Funny how far taking a bath will go. His other mugshots look savage.
Two different people.

Edit: I think the mugshot of Lupo with dark hair, black suit, and black tie on, a few posts above, was taken before the photo I linked. My photo might be from around or near 1920. Not sure about it though. He actually looks younger in my photo than in the possible older mugshots. Strange.
Posted By: SinatraClub

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 10:23 AM

Lupo was said to be not a force as an old man, nor after he was released from prison. Its said that he and Morello would try appeal after appeal once they was locked up in Sing Sing, I think it was, and once those failed, it really crushed the both of them. Morello was able to be released and reclaim his status within the Masseria family, but Lupo was just left alone and lived well into old age, before dying. There was a statement he made in which he says he wishes he was still a little boy in Italy, because then he never would've been exposed to the mafia. He expressed some serious regret of his life choices. Prison really messed him up, the photo of him as an old man I think shows that, so we have two different interpretations of that photo. To me he looks like a guy just waiting to die. Also the fact that he wasnt bothered, had no known role in the hostilities between Masseria & Maranzano and even simply living as long as he did, especially during those days, proves that he was a changed, and dejected man. He lost his position during his time in prison and never sought to gain it back during all those years after his release.

Posted By: SinatraClub

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 10:28 AM

Originally Posted By: Binnie_Coll
alfa, I believe you are referring to ignazio saietta, a blackhand of the early century, before LCN was established here, he owned a property known as the "murder stables" he was accused of having a part in the murder of joe petrosino, a cop who went to sicily, and was executed there. he was born 1877, and died 1947, his brother-in law, was ciro terranova. supposedly got his nick name by breeding wolfs, and when someone he wanted killed he would tie them up in a big leather bag, and put a wolf pup in with them. he was supposed to have done this all the time, but, like I say, who really knows?



A woman was the initial owner of the murder stables, Saietta was just kept after her horses. While owner, she let the Morellos use that place as a grounds for torture and killing. She was eventually killed directly outside of the stables and I think thats when Saietta took over the place. All this stuff is covered in Mike Dash' "The First Family" book.
Posted By: CabriniGreen

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 10:55 AM

@Sinatra

You are the first person I've seen on here mention the Morello book. I didn't think anyone on here had read it but it's a must for that time period, as well as tracing the origins of the Genovese family, and indeed, the others too. He mentions D' Aquila, Mineo, the Terranovas. It's a really good read, awhile back someone posted an article of the Morellos counterfeit operation. An old newspaper article, I wanted to suggest First Family to em.

Good stuff man...
Posted By: Alfa Romeo

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 02:19 PM

Originally Posted By: CabriniGreen

Good stuff man...


I agree.
Posted By: Dwalin2011

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/18/16 08:58 PM

Toodoped, where did you find the Sam Cardinella photo? I thought there weren't any, he isn't a widely known character, even though he is the only gang boss ever executed in Chicago I think (another proof Lepke Buchalter wasn't the first mobster in USA history to get the death sentence).
Posted By: Toodoped

Re: Who were the Scariest Mafiosos? - 09/19/16 11:08 PM

Originally Posted By: Dwalin2011
Toodoped, where did you find the Sam Cardinella photo? I thought there weren't any, he isn't a widely known character, even though he is the only gang boss ever executed in Chicago I think (another proof Lepke Buchalter wasn't the first mobster in USA history to get the death sentence).


I just searched for Cardinella smile You can check out one of my previous articles on the Cardinella mob, its called the Devil

http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/ubbthr...9682#Post889682
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