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Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co

Posted By: Zavattoni

Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co - 11/03/19 11:45 PM

I have a question about Vito Genovese taking over the family after the hit on Frank Costello.

Who in the family opposed Genovese and survived or atleast held onto to their position?

I know Anthony Carfano;. A powerful captain; and Costello ally was murdered after he missed a meeting or two with the new Genovese administration. How powerful was Carfano? He's not talked about much on the boards.

Would love some insight; especially about Carfano!
Posted By: Giacomo_Vacari

Re: Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co - 11/04/19 03:13 AM

Vincent Alo took over Doto crew when Joe was deported in 1955, Carmine Battaglia, Anthony Caefano, Michael Coppola, Cosmo Frasca took over Tommy Licata crew when he died in 1952, and Thomas Greco.

Before Vito Genovese took over the family, he called a small group of six powerful capos to a meeting. One of the capos did not show up and was most likely Michael Coppola, he was dragged to the meeting by Strollo and and another Capo. When the attempt on Frank's life was made, Vito tried to smooth things with both his family and other New York families.
The capos opposed Vito Genovese taking over the family and still wanted Costello as their boss but Frank Costello told them to stop and obey the commission ruling for Vito to be the boss. Anthony Carfano did not like that and had a few meetings with Albert Anastasia down in Florida. Carfano was a powerful capo who moved to Florida in 1935 to avoid the scrutiny of LE and was back and forth between Florida and New York. Vito Genovese caught wind of the meetings and planned on hitting Anastasia first. After that Anthony Carfano stopped trying to find a way to remove Vito, but Genovese never trusted after that. In 1959, Strollo, Miranda, and Catena summoned him twice during the summer and he refused to come in. He was killed in September of 1959, when he was trying to escape the city due to him being tipped off that Genovese sent word to kill Carfano. Carfano was a huge earner for the family in Gambling, casinos, and unions, lots of unions. Vincent Alo went along with Vito being boss as he was allowed to earn and became close to Phil Lombardo and Michael Coppola backed him up. Carmine Battaglia protested Genovese take over but was demoted, not by being against Genovese, but feuding with Mike Miranda and Gerardo Catena, mostly Catena, and was demoted for a sort time until the early 1960s at least. Michael Coppola was always butting heads with Vito, but when Vito went to prison, and unlike Anthony Carfano he showed up when summoned by the administration and was butting heads with Catena, and Strollo, it was Strollo who ran Coppola out of New York and to Connecticut in 1961, then living in Boston in 1962 and on.
Cosmo Frasca is thought have broken away from Miranda crew in the late 1950s, but he took over Licata crew in 1952 and supported by Frank Costello to take over that crew and remain loyal to Frank ever since. Due to legal problems in the 1960s he stepped down, but came back to being a temporary Capo in the mid 1970s before he retired. Thomas Greco also opposed Vito, but as he had taken over Luciano old crew and was well liked by many in the family, never lost his cool and followed all rules and showed respect to many members, nothing happened to him. Greco retired in 1972 or 1973 said do to Eboli getting killed, and frustration with Frank Funzi and Tony Salerno, he lived till the 1980s.
Posted By: BarrettM

Re: Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co - 11/04/19 03:50 AM

Dear Giacamo. The following were new facts to me:

-Carfano being tipped off and attempting to flee the city
-Carfano actively meeting with Anastasia, Costello's friend
-The capos initially wanting Costello

. What was your source?

The way it's been painted, since info is always hard to come by when you're researching a past era, is that Genovese was virtually unopposed once Chin Gigante took a shot at Costello. I have also read that the three Costello loyalists within the Genovese family were Carfano (killed), Cockeyed Nick Ratteni, and Joe Adonis (deported). Meaning it always seemed to be Vito had the most support.

Interesting breakdown, I guess that's not so.
Posted By: Giacomo_Vacari

Re: Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co - 11/04/19 07:32 AM

Carfano meeting with Anastasia down in Florida is from FBI informant NY 3864-C-TE. The informant sees Anastasia almost every day from 1954 till Anastasia is killed. Anastasia would go down to Florida to see Joe Rivers a couple times a year. The informant said the first meeting was in June 1957 at the meeting was Albert Anastasia, Gambino Capo Joseph Silesi, Gambino soldiers Tommy Altamura and Joe Florino, Genovese capo Anthony Carfano and Genovese soldier James Caponi. The second meeting was sometime before October after Anastasia had another meeting with Trafficante over casino profits.

There are numerous witnesses that saw Anthony Carfano was told by the hostess that there was a phone call for him. A couple of minutes later he came back to the table and told the group he had urgent business to take care of and he and Janice Drake had to go. Their bodies were found near the airport almost an hour later shot to death. Police have theories that it was Frank Costello who tipped him off, and Tony Bender anticipated such a move to have someone hiding in the backseat of the vehicle.

When I say Capos opposed Genovese as boss, I am talking about the six capos mentioned above. Besides things really cooled down when Costello and Genovese were in the same facility and compared notes, that they realized Anthony Strollo set alot of it up and was pitting both camps and both Costello and Genovese at each other. Tony Bender went on a trip to New Jersey in 1962 and was never seen again. After that, many members of the family began working with each other again, then Joe Valachi happen when Genovese failed to silents him, however the most likely two reasons why Vito wanted Valachi gone was he did not get cuts in the Narcotic deals and was believing Vito Agueci everything he was saying. That angered many members in the family even members in Genovese loyal ranks.
Posted By: kingoflittlenewyork

Re: Vito Genovese taking over the family from Frank Co - 11/04/19 11:59 PM

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