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Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families?

Posted By: NYMafia

Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 07:26 AM

Throughout the years it has been well established by the FBI and other federal and local law enforcement agencies that Cosa Nostra (at one time at least,) operated at least 26 known Families, or “borgatas” throughout the United States of America.

And generally speaking, the FBI also established that these particular Families were each awarded or assigned a specific city, state or overall “territory” which then became exclusively theirs and theirs alone.

Yet, we also know, as in the case of New York State, the notorious “Five Families” shared and cut up New York City and its outer suburbs among them like a pizza pie. And for that matter, Upstate New York boasted a sixth Mafia network, the Stefano Magaddino Family based in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area. NYS alone gave birth to six different borgatas.

So the question is, which of the following eight states listed below also had Families that originated and headquartered there?

NOTE: We are NOT asking how many different families may have operated in a particular State or had a few men or a crew operating within its borders. We are only asking about Families that “originated” in that State as their home-base.

Here are your choices;

* California
* Illinois
* Michigan
* Missouri
* New England
* New Jersey
* Pennsylvania
* Wisconsin

Make your picks and expand on your answers as you wish.
Posted By: Sullycantwell

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 09:55 AM

California had two families, San Francisco and Los Angeles (possibly three, if Bill Bonanno was right about San Diego)

Illinois had a family in Chicago, Chicago heights, Springfield, and Rockford

Michigan had Detroit and Detroit itself may have had multiple families early on, but this is only speculation
Posted By: CabriniGreen

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 10:19 AM

KC n St Louis
Posted By: CabriniGreen

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 10:20 AM

Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 12:50 PM

Good info so far, guys. Let's see who else can contribute to this list.

I'll put my two cents in later.
Posted By: Friend_of_Henry

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by CabriniGreen
Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...

Agree, if fact a very wealthy real estate developer from Youngstown had a connection to Buffalo.
Before you get carried away, it's not who might think it would have been. Anyone know?
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by CabriniGreen
Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...


So your saying Philly (Bruno,) Pittsburgh (La Rocca,) and Pittston-Scranton (Bufalino.) That makes sense. And as far as the State of Pennsylvania goes, that answer is correct.

Now how about some of the other states listed? Any info on those CG?
Posted By: ChiCubs

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by Sullycantwell
California had two families, San Francisco and Los Angeles (possibly three, if Bill Bonanno was right about San Diego)

Illinois had a family in Chicago, Chicago heights, Springfield, and Rockford

Michigan had Detroit and Detroit itself may have had multiple families early on, but this is only speculation


Wasn't Frank Bompensiero in San Diego a capo in the L.A. family?

Illinois went hard!
Posted By: Mafia101

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 03:50 PM

California
- San Jose
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Maybe San Diego

Illinois
- Chicago
- Chicago Heights
- Rockford
- Springfield

Michigan
- Detroit was probably multiple families in the beginning
- Maybe Flint

Missouri
- Kansas City
- St Louis

New England
- Patriarca was probably at least two Families in Boston and Providence
- Connecticut could've had an earlier Family that as later absorbed.

New Jersey
- DeCavalcante
- Newark

Pennsylvania
- Pittsburg
- Philadelphia was multiple families in the beginning
- Pittson

Wisconsin
- Madison
- Milwaukee

Probably were a lot of smaller Families in and around these areas before being absorbed into the larger ones.
Posted By: furio_from_naples

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 06:09 PM

Florida had Tampa,Louisiana had New Orleans and the Texas had Maceos in Galveston and Dallas family.
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by ChiCubs
Originally Posted by Sullycantwell
California had two families, San Francisco and Los Angeles (possibly three, if Bill Bonanno was right about San Diego)

Illinois had a family in Chicago, Chicago heights, Springfield, and Rockford

Michigan had Detroit and Detroit itself may have had multiple families early on, but this is only speculation


Wasn't Frank Bompensiero in San Diego a capo in the L.A. family?

Illinois went hard!


Thats correct Chicubs. There was no officially San Diego "Family." It was an offshoot, one single regime, of the larger LA Family.
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 06:50 PM

First of all. I wanna thank everyone who participated in this question I posted. It was enjoyable. I hope you enjoyed it like I did.
--

Here is the official breakdown of (FBI recognized) Cosa Nostra borgatas that operated in the United States.

What follows below were the States that had more than one indigenous "Family" as homegrown Families originating in that state. Remember fellas, other families may have operated in some of these states as well, but they had their "home base" elsewhere.
---

California (3 families); Los Angeles (Dragna), San Jose (Cerrito), San Francisco (Lanza)

Illinois (3 families); Chicago (Accardo), Rockford (Zammuto), Springfield (Zito)

Missouri (2 families); St. Louis (Giordano) and Kansas City (Civella)

Pennsylvania (3 families); Philadelphia (Bruno), Pittsburgh (La Rocca), Pittston-Scranton (Bufalino)

Wisconsin (2 families); Milwaukee (Balistrieri) and Madison (Caputo)

Note: The three remaining states listed below had only one “officially” recognized homegrown Cosa Nostra Family.

Michigan; Detroit (Zerilli)
New England area (Patriarca)
New Jersey; Elizabeth (DeCavalcante)



Posted By: Lou_Para

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/12/23 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Friend_of_Henry
Originally Posted by CabriniGreen
Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...

Agree, if fact a very wealthy real estate developer from Youngstown had a connection to Buffalo.
Before you get carried away, it's not who might think it would have been. Anyone know?


Gotta go with DeBartolo
Posted By: furio_from_naples

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/13/23 08:03 PM

New York state win because have the 5 families and Buffalo mob if still active.
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/13/23 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by furio_from_naples
New York state win because have the 5 families and Buffalo mob if still active.


That may be Furio, but NY was NOT one of the 8 states listed as choices.
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/13/23 09:27 PM

Furio, that's why I didn't include NYS within the question. Lol. Because, as you say, it had six families. There would be no contest or question about it.
Posted By: Friend_of_Henry

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/13/23 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Lou_Para
Originally Posted by Friend_of_Henry
Originally Posted by CabriniGreen
Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...

Agree, if fact a very wealthy real estate developer from Youngstown had a connection to Buffalo.
Before you get carried away, it's not who might think it would have been. Anyone know?


Gotta go with DeBartolo

As I said: "Not as I said Do not get carried away". Ed did banking business in Tampa with another "big Timer.
Bill Cafaro's daughter, Florda, wanted to married an Elvis impersonator. Bill insisted that he signed a pre-nup.
Mr. "Elvis" said:" No way"so Bill called a couple of friends from Baffalo and Mr. Elvis was willing to sign anything ;-)
Posted By: Lou_Para

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/14/23 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by Friend_of_Henry
Originally Posted by Lou_Para
Originally Posted by Friend_of_Henry
Originally Posted by CabriniGreen
Pennsylvania... . Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalino's thing...

Agree, if fact a very wealthy real estate developer from Youngstown had a connection to Buffalo.
Before you get carried away, it's not who might think it would have been. Anyone know?


Gotta go with DeBartolo

As I said: "Not as I said Do not get carried away". Ed did banking business in Tampa with another "big Timer.
Bill Cafaro's daughter, Florda, wanted to married an Elvis impersonator. Bill insisted that he signed a pre-nup.
Mr. "Elvis" said:" No way"so Bill called a couple of friends from Baffalo and Mr. Elvis was willing to sign anything ;-)

You're right F.O.H, I jumped at the 1st worm on the hook.
My other guess was Marchionda.
Posted By: NYMafia

Re: Which of these States had multiple Mafia Families? - 09/14/23 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by furio_from_naples
New York state win because have the 5 families and Buffalo mob if still active.



I initially listed 5 states for this little question I posed here. But, then I threw in three more; Michigan, New England and New Jersey, just to make it interesting. But each of those 3 areas had only one "homegrown" borgata that called those states their sole "territory."
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