Vito Genovese in Italy

I read somewhere that Genovese was a powerful boss when he was in Italy. How true is that with the Italian mafia still obviously operating? I know he did have a lot of money back then as he donated $4 million to the fascist party. And I read something about a black market operation he was running with Vizzini throughout Italy.

Took a few trips to London as well.

He give 100'000 $ to Mussolini for building the House of Fascio of Nola (that was near the city where he born) and where stay one of the offices of the university where I graduated. For the businesses,don vito made more money with the black market after the Allies occupated Naples because had on his payroll the american governator Charles Poletti.In 1944 2 soldiers arrested him because was found with a radio devi c'è and thinked that he was a spy.Shortly after was released on Poletti order.

Sounds as if he was living his best life. Was he instrumental in the mafia in Italy at all during that time?

Didn’t know that. He set up businesses there as well?

If vito genovese was a don over there is gis family still in operation or were they absorbed into another family. Did he operate in sicily i thought he wasnt sicilian

No. Luciano used Don Calogero Vizzini of Villalba to help the Allies to conquer the sicily. Rumors says that before the attack an airplain launched near Villalba a metal box with inside a white flag with a L printed in the center. When the american come near Villalba a tank with speaker went in the town yelling "we search for don calò" and shortly after Vizzini went out with the flag.

No, he was in Naples. I don’t think he was a don of his own separate family in Italy but I’m sure he still had a lot of power regardless of that. The American mafia was a lot stronger than the Italian mafia at that point.

I posted a pic in rare Photos of him meeting with Reg Kray at one of his clubs in London.

I have to check that out

Pls could I see this photo

I read somewhere that Mussolini made him a commendatore after that big donation.

He moved to Sicily after the Allied invasion, helped US forces as a translator. Convinced them that the gaboletti that Mussolini crushed before the war were "Italian patriots." Allies restored the gaboletti to power, and they showered money on Genovese. Later moved to Naples and headed the black market.

That is an amazing.

Here's a good run down of what he was up to. Tried to bribe the guy who arrested him with $250,000.
http://crimemagazine.com/hunting-down-vito-genovese-wwii-italy

I feel Genovese catches a lot of grief for Apalachin, as he should. But when you go through his life story it's pretty amazing. Very cunning guy.

Ol Dickey should have taken the $250k.

Vito was enlisted in the NY branch of the Fascist Party.

Is that defo Vito and Reggie Kray?

What an unbelievable story. Was he living in a big villa or something while he was there?

An irony: Mussolini ruthlessly suppressed the Sicilian Mafia. According to one account I read: Early in his career as Il Duce, Mussolini was to give a speech in a Sicilian town. The local gaboletto told Mussolini to get rid of his security detail--he, the gaboletto, would guaranty Mussolini's safety. The Duce refused his offer. The day of the speech, Mussolini found the town square, where he was to speak, empty. The gaboletto, to assert his power, had ordered all the local people to stay home. This reinforced Mussolini's fear that the Mafia in Sicily constituted a threat to his power. He sent his military commander to Sicily with an army to drive the Mafia underground, where they remained until the Allied invasion.

Great facts T. Keep me coming. Read some of these details somewhere and always found the relationship to be very interesting.

The Kray Twins entertaind many High Profile guests at various clubs through London. They would do this at times with great fan fair for publicity and also at almost zero attention in order to protect the agenda, Not only Vito Genoese but many other people. The Mafia had a strong hold in London at the time and frequently met with Reg ( not so much Ron) - Hollywood types often as well as prominent Politicians from all shores, mostly under the radar.

We will never know how many and all who, since most did not want to be Photographed or noted as meeting with them.
They would even be greated or met at times by Ron Kray, who would be documented as in prison at the time.
Reggie would have Ron escorted in and out of Prison while serving terms for meetings.

I knew the Kray firm has links to Angelo Bruno, Meyer Lanskey and some NY guys but never heard about Vito meeting with them but as you say they knew what to keep quiet.

I wonder WHO technically had more power?

Italy had the product connections but NY had the market.

I really wonder how a sitdown would have even went down back then?

Possibly an immediate truce that both sides need each other and neither saw their involvement as superior to the other.

Has ANY side ever tried to internationally whack a member?

Power was always in the States at the times mentioned.

However, power was a bravado in meets. How you handle yourself in person would make deals.
Certainly out of Town or off shore.

London had huge presences of Italian interest which called for high profile visits often.
The Krays mostly played nice with them but had some difficulties as well.
Ronnie was not a Fan but Reggie was smarter and cut deals.

At that time in history, the American mob was probably the most powerful organized crime group out there. Remember Michael’s power and wealth in Godfather 3? That’s what some of the top bosses during that time probably would’ve matched had they stayed on track with their businesses and were able to legitimize everything. But, being that Vito Genovese was in Italy it wouldn’t be easy for him to have a huge advantage in a sit down. But he had a lot more to offer them than vice versa. In terms of money and connections.

If you fast forward to the 80s and up to the present, then it’s the opposite. The Sicilians, Camorra, and Ndrangheta became much more powerful than the American mob.

Vito settled in Nola a notorious camorra town close to Mount Vesuvius.

Was he close with a lot of Camorra men? I know we hear about him being friends with Sicilian mafiosi but never really the Camorra. At that time the Camorra was not a powerhouse however.

Vito's nephew a Camorra boss was killed in 1981.

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/16/world/mafia-leader-killed-near-naples.html

Was he a casualty of the NCO and NF war? Never knew Vito had a nephew who was a boss

Yes.

Lucky Luciano and Vito Genovese, in the '50s, entered into business with some pharmaceutical companies in the North for the illegal importation of drugs and the Italian-American boss became the link between Naples and the great trafficking of drugs and cigarettes with the American mafia. Also helping the Neapolitan Camorra to enter the great international traffic, overcoming its local dimension.

The Outfit in Chicago was also involved in this operation, especially the Chicago Heights faction

I know Luciano lived in Naples so I think it only made sense for him to forge relationships with the Camorra.

One of his friends was Mario Siniscalchi the Camorra boss of Quindici.

There are so many Camorra bosses. Was Mario the most powerful Don in the Camorra? Their most profitable era was in the 70s/80s/90s I believe. Some of the top guys made hundreds of millions maybe even billions. Until they all got locked up.

Just read that a mobster in Naples named Vittorio Nappi smacked Luciano in the face at a race track. Nappi disappeared afterward. Is there any truth to him smacking Luciano in the face and does anyone know why he would even do that? Talk about signing your own death warrant.