Whoever from associate and up that you're comfortable sharing Any and all ordered by Larocca or Genovese or their capos. Its whatever you want to write down, man.

For an out-of-state online researcher there's barely any information available. Practically nothing at all, other than the well-documented Youngstown war...but that's a bit like keeping track of the Lucchese family's hits and misses based on who got whacked by the Jersey faction, you know?

I can tell you I've been heavily researching the Pittston Family for over 3 years now. I still couldn't tell you what guys got killed during the heyday because I didn't live there and its been lost to all but those who did.

Late in 1982 I had to talk with Zebo regarding a video game room I wanted to install in the back room of a restaurant I was going to open the following year. I had a source, that he knew well, to supply the games. He was willing to provide all the necessary sound equipment I would need to open as an inducement to use his games in addition to the usual 50% cut.

We were given the OK as long as the vendor didn't provide either a cigarette machine or jukebox. Any or all of those had to come from Youngstown United Music.

We had to meet him in Morgantown on site of a rather large strip mine. When I pulled up he was operating a D-9 dozer as were several other large machines. We went downtown to lunch and I asked him what was this about. He simply said: "Family" business. That was as far as it went and it was never brought up again. Go figure?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5h9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZVgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3004,418494&dq=sebastian+john+larocca&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=69kcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GGEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6934,3556911&dq=cleveland+pittsburgh+mafia+war&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wp1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n20DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6079,3632247&dq=youngstown+mob+war&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XIJcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=41YNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1737,2532222&dq=joey+naples+murder&hl=en (Joey Naples Murder)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LoIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2318,2607648&dq=ernie+biondillo+murdock+st&hl=en (Ernie Biondillo Murder)

February 13, 1980 – Robert "Bobby" DeCerbo, who had survived one attempt to kill him – a car bombing which left him partially maimed – was a victim of the Mahoning Valley’s Carabbia/Naples War. DeCerbo was in his Beaver Township home watching television with his wife. The couple’s children were a sleep in their bedrooms. At approximately 10:45 two shotgun blasts exploded through the front window hitting the 36 year-old DeCerbo in the chest and arms. He was rushed to St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center where he died an hour later of shock and hemorrhage from the wounds. DeCerbo’s killer was believed to be Joe DeRose, Jr. Police theorized that DeCerbo, who had been associated with the Carabbia faction, might have changed sides.

Joe DeRose Jr disappeared and is "presumed" dead

Dominic "Junior" Senzarino
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X0NJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5IMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2407,864127&dq=senzarino+shotgunned&hl=en

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2002/07/21/1381801.php

**It would take me hours to pull files out of the 30,000 files that I have to give you a laundry list of the mob hits sanctioned by Pittsburgh. Copy and paste google links as there are some "in depth" articles and federal affadavits.

Other names of some victims off the top of my head are Robert "Bobby" Mancini, Nicholas Gelormini, Melvin Pike, Abe Zeid

http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/20...es/200511220171


http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19650629&id=Yz8NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hGwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7471,4316525

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19780421&id=t1YdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X1gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6837,2885684

I will start pulling other names of victims when I get the time.

Dude, that was a huge help! The Bobby Mancini murder looks pretty significant!

Any ideas on the Murder of Santino Joseph "Sandy" Naples in 1960 Youngstown supposedly he was connected to Pittsburgh

Bombing of Billy Naples in 1962.

Joey Naples getting shot from the corn field across the street from a house he was building....also a side note he was driving Frank DiLeo (Tuddy from Goodfellas) white mustang the night he was assassinated.

The Dominic Mallamo FBI file states that three informants told the FBI that several top Youngstown men met at the home of Paul Romeo Sr. Included in that meeting was Jimmy Prato, Mike Romeo Sr., Dominic Mallamo and Rocco Martelli who decided to kill Sandy for not kicking up to Mallamo/Romeo. Sandy had his own faction, but the Calabrese Organization called the shots in Youngstown for many years until the late 1970's. I have a federal affadavit that says that Amil Dinsio was ther triggerman in the Joey Naples murder. a former FBI agent who dogged the organized crime figures in Youngstown for 30 years said that after a thorough investigation, the Dinsio information checks out because he was an expert with the same rifle and was a marine sniper. Since he was from West Branch, it was an easy ride home from Lynn Rd and when the Feds went to see Dinsio back in 2001 in prison, he told them to go fuck themselves and that he'd rot in prison before he assisted them. As far as Billy, most of the FBI files indicate that Tony Milano in Cleveland felt he was an embarrassment and that Dominic Moio, a known hitman and arsonist, set up the car bomb.

According to FBI affadavits and several informants, Mallamo & Romeo were very conservative and they did not like the attention that Sandy was bringing to the rackets. According to FBI agents tracking the OC figures in Youngstown, Mallamo was caugfht on tape talking about Sandy and how he couldn't stand his flash, the way he carried thousands in his pocket and showing off the bright new cadillacs he drove. Paul Romeo Sr. and Dominic Mallamo lived very under the radar (the way it is supposed to be) and they felt, according to top echelon informants, that he attracted way too much attention.

Keep in mind that Paul Romeo Sr. ran Youngstown and parts of Western PA for decades prior to Dominic Mallamo taking over. Paul Romeo's godson was John Bazzano Jr from Pittsburgh and Dominic Mallamo baptized both of Paul's sons.

Here is a letter from Don Hanni Jr., aka The Bull Moose, one of the most notorious criminal defense lawyers in the country, mob lawyer to Vincenzo "Brier Hill Jimmy" Prato, who was Dominic Mallamo's nephew and Godson. Hanni was also a judge and head of Youngstown's Democratic Party for years.

After all the research I've done, the interviews I've conducted with former agents, mobsters and FBI files, Sandy was actually affiliated with Buffalo, Billy with Cleveland and Joey was the only one actually "made" into a family, which ended up being Pittsburgh because he was close to Jimmy Prato who was cumpare with John Bazzano Jr. Youngstown was wide open in the 40's-60's, so as long as you had muscle, you could make a name for yourself in the rackets. Sandy had a large numbers bank and Billy provided muscle for his brother Sandy, but Romeo stated on one occasion that Billy was unpredicatable and couldn't be trusted according to the files.

Another convincing theory about the death of Joey Naples was that under the direction of Michael Genovese, Joey was involved with narcotics trafficking out of a business on Andrews Ave and that Mike Genovese was heard on tape at L.A. Motors, his place of employment, that Joey was attracting too much attention with the house he was building out on Lynn Rd. Mike Genovese's eyes and ears for 30 years was a guy from Warren named Charles "Charlie Murgie" Imburgia, who was the Consigliere of the Pittsburgh Family for at least 20 years. If you think about it, it makes sense. Charlie died in 2002 but since Lenny Strollo took over everything by September of 1991, there was never any high profile hits or serious FBI heat until Charlie was very old and living most of the time in Deerfield Beach, FL. Once Charlie started spending more time in Florida, Strollo started his cowboy antics...which is why Mike Genovese sent Henry "Zebo" Zottola every week to keep things calm and Lenny under control. Henry died in 1998...Strollo was indicted in December of 1997. Charlie Imburgia became the guy who made sure Pittsburgh was getting their cut and that he was getting his cut from Naples/Strollo. Charlie's power stretched to NY, Chicago and KC. Charlie ran the Sunrise Inn Pizza Shop in downtown Warren and was the Consigliere by December of 1984 right after Big John LaRocca died. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh didn't get control of Youngstown until about 1982. Charlie Imburgia's son in law was Frank Nannicola of Nannicola Bingo Supply.

P.S. If you've never heard of Charlie, it's because that's exactly how he wanted it, the same with Mallamo, Romeo and Zottola. They were connected all over the country and in three other countries, their ties were extensive because they were first generation Italian Americans, Italians emigrated in enclaves, but once this hit America, the went in all directions and into Canada and Australia. And they were absolutely brutal and would kill you for stepping out of line, more so than the following generations. The future generations tried to be as brutal, but constant surveillance made them tone down the violence. And in those days, they'd kill a cop in a heartbeat. They weren't afraid. Michael Genovese stayed out of prison and died peacefully at 87 years old at home in his 7000 sq ft farm mansion out in rural West Deer Twp, PA. If he were alive, as arrogant as he was, he would have said it was because of Charlie Imburgia. They were lifelong friends and Charlie's brothers who lived in Pittsburgh, were very close with Michael Genovese's brothers Felix (Phil) and Fiore (Fio). Both the Genovese's and Imburgia's roots started in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. Michael was low key, Charlie was low key, Big John LaRocca was low key, Frank Amato Sr., Frank Amato Jr., Antonio Ripepi, John Bazzano Jr., Sonny Ciancutti, Joe Sica, Henry Zottola, Joe Regino , Louis Volpe, Wango Capizzi, and Jo Jo Pecora...all these guys served either no time or minimal time in prison, with 5 years being the maximum time actually spent in prison on one stretch and it was Jo Jo...and he was in a country club...and if he didn't get sentenced to prison, he was LaRocca's #1 choice as his successor. Michael and Jo Jo had two completely different management styles and Jo Jo was loved, Michael was viewed as very arrogant by everyone and everybody who has ever been in his presence. But he was low key and only met with his two top Capos by 1988, Louis Raucci and Chucky Porter. He was a homebody and loved working on his farm and taking care of his horses, especially his prized possession with award winning horse Gunga Din. By 1986, only two years into his reign, Porter would see him four days per week to deliver cash to him. He invested and washed most of his money through some people that were tied to Vic Calautti in Youngstown, I have a copies of the affidavits. Money was going into Swiss bank accounts and in other countries as well. Genovese, Billy D'Elia from Scranton, John Stanfa in Philly, Joey Naples in Youngstown as well as several others. The FBI office in Pittsburgh said after following money trails, surveillance, informants...they put the Narcotics operation at Vic Calautti's business on Andrews Ave, who was close to Joey Naples, and Michael Genovese, and Stanfa were involved with narcotics. Large quantities of money at one time needs washed, so Calautti, through his company finds financial guys who know how to get around tracing the money. And sometimes banks overseas have stolen dirty money and seizes it without reporting it to the US Govn't. Especially in cases of death or a massive indictment, that's when these guys are vulnerable most and can't do shit about it while they are in jail while awaiting trial. Anyway, they operated smart and low key.

Here are a few good files on Youngstown:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=133566&relPageId=8

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=87915&relPageId=1 (Read this whole report. Starting on page 13, they start to get into Dominic Mallamo and Paul Romeo...on page 20, they say Mallamo and Romeo held a meeting at Romeo's house on March 8, 1960 and several top Italians including Jimmy Prato put a vote to kill Sandy Naples because he was not kicking up tribute to them for his numbers operations).

Keep in mind that Paul Romeo Sr., Dominic Mallamo, Bruno Mallamo, Jimmy Prato and Mike Romeo Sr all grew up in the same little village in Italy and were made in Calabria (N'Drangheta) and then Mallamo was also made in New York City under the old Profaci Family prior to coming to Youngstown to settle with his family. The Romeo/Mallamo organization had major dealings with Italy and the powerful N'Drangheta over there. Their contacts stretched into Canada, Italy and Australia.

Oscarthedago

It is amazing how much information you have put together on Youngstown / Pittsburgh Group. There are some names that you have brought up that my Wife and I haven't thought about or heard of in years. Good Work!

Thank you friend, I've lived in Ohio for many years. Ask your other friend here

This is a damn good thread. Thanks a billion oscar. I can really get an image of how Pittsburgh was back in the day just from my continued reading.

Here are some good links on Youngstown/Pittsburgh to get a good feel for the landscape of organized crime in the Ohio River Valley:

1. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=133566&relPageId=2

1. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=90182&relPageId=3

2. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=90179&relPageId=2

3. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=90180&relPageId=6

4. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=90182&relPageId=3

5. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=90263&relPageId=5

6. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=69819&relPageId=18

7. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=69818&relPageId=9

8. http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=95204&relPageId=4

Some good links to John LaRocca:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=114350&relPageId=4

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=114355&relPageId=2

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=114392&relPageId=2

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=114398&relPageId=10

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=114400&relPageId=9

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=115015&relPageId=3

Can you add any info from the Altoona, Johnstown pa factions of Larocca's family, I know stories but would like to hear when they were all done around there as well as if there are any guys still here. Thanks

Joseph "Little Joe" Regino ran that area for decades under John LaRocca. Regino was very close friends with Big John and was his neighbor down in Pompano Beach, FL. Once Regino was in semi retirement around 1982, John Verilla took over. After Verilla and his couple of cronies were indicted and convicted of murdering a drug dealer, Mike Genovese never put anybody back in charge because the gambling wasn't what it was. However, Alfred Corbo still ran a major book. Corbo was considered a "high ranking" associate and Verilla wanted to whack Corbo, but Mike Genovese told Verilla not to lay a finger on Alfred Corbo because his book brought in twice the amount of money that Verilla brought in. Corbo ran his operation out of Brunswick Billiards in Altoona along with Jack Miraglia, Samuel Rametta, Joseph Jacobs, Walter Nichols, Stephen St. Clair and Chris Boring. After Verilla was convicted in 1984, Corbo took over everything and was also associated Paul "No Legs" Hankish, a Pittsburgh LCN associate from Wheeling, WV; and Steven Hatzimbes, an associate of Pittsburgh LCN member Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti.

Besides Corbo and Verilla, the major gambling operatives in the Altoona area during the 1980s were Joseph "The Weep" Ruggiero, and Paul Folcarelli, also known as Paul Farrell. Ruggiero at one time was part of the Verilla organization. Folcarelli had been associated with Frederick Piera, a major gambling operative in Johnstown and with deceased Pittsburgh LCN member Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino. Folcarelli has also been involved in loansharking.

Very accurate info Oscar.

I don't have all the answers, but I personally know some of the players in both Pittsburgh and Youngstown and have been researching this for over 10 years. I have every FBI file on every Pittsburgh & Youngstown mobster since 1940. I am still "good friends" with quite a few of the sons of some of the upper echelon of the family, however, it's gone and it's never coming back no matter what any other poster says. Yes, there is still gambling but there is no family left. The last honorable made man standing is Sonny Ciancutti, as Porter & Strollo defected but are still alive.

I can remember many a night at Brunswick before it was turned into a District Justice office.

Ha! Ironic, huh? The good ole days are gone my friend.

Is Fred Piera still alive in Johnstown itiswhatitis?

A friend of mine used to allways be in the brunswick back in those days, you might have known him if you went there. He told me lots of awesome stories about verilla and his crew, very accorate info from what he told me. Funny storiy about Verilla, my dad did physical therapy on John Jack Verilla back in the day where he worked for a extended period of time, My dad said he was a nice guy as far as there conversations were, Verilla would allways have a associate with him during the visits.

He was brutal. The power went to his head and in a small town like Altoona, he had surveillance out the ass and never hid who he was. He was an earner, but his obsessive jealousy over Alfred Corbo didn't do him any good in the eyes of Michael and Jo Jo. Regino ran that area with an iron fist, but low key. He had his vending company and went to work every day like a businessman. Legitimate company. Verilla was an enforcer, which was bad for business when overseeing a small crew.

Was it true that Verilla had a resturaunt as well in Altoona? When you say he was a enforcer, and that was bad for a small crew, do you mean he took too many chances? In a very small city like Altoona I can see that would be a problem.