Names of some of the S.F. family involved in narcotics in North Beach, San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s are pretty well known.

I'm trying to find out who was running things prior to that - 1960s - 1970s. Anyone have any idea?

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In his book, "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno said he reported to Lanza in 1973 when he moved to the Bay Area after his release from prison. A few years later, Lanza ended his friendship with Fratianno. Lanza complained about him being in San Francisco. In 1977, when Fratianno heard he had a hit on him, one of the charges was that he was bringing too much attention to the existence of the San Francisco crime family. Lanza was believed to have given permission for the murder of former New England crime family associate turned government witness Joseph Barboza in 1976.

By 1990, there were only a few made men left in the San Francisco mob, one was Sergio Maranghi, who was involved in cocaine and heroin trafficking. Maranghi moved to the U.S. from Florence, Italy in 1975 and eventually settled in San Francisco in 1978. He first began working as an employee of Starfish Co., a small fish processing company, which did a lot of business with Alioto's Restaurant.

In 1980 Maranghi opened the Anchor Bay Cafe in North Beach. Lanza quickly noticed Maranghi's ability as a money maker and soon made him a member of the crime family. Maranghi was spotted many times meeting with Lanza and other San Francisco mob figures at the Anchor Bay Cafe until it closed down in 1983. He was one of many involved in a cocaine bust in October 1991. Maranghi decided to become an FBI informant instead of serving a long prison sentence and told federal agents of cocaine transactions he had had with his associates over a period of several years. Another man arrested was Gaetano Balistreri, a San Francisco mob associate, who owned the Portofino Cafe on Columbus Ave.

Balistreri and his two sons were later arrested again in the prosecuted in the late1990s for distribution cocaine. Others would have surely been busted but the FBI lamented that certain individuals were being protected by corrupt North Beach police officers, who would tip them off about FBI efforts.

Would it have been mainly the Balistreri's?

From Mafia.Wikia:

Mario Balistreri (born November 20, 1901- died November 17, 1979) was a prominent member and known narcotics trafficker in the San Francisco crime family. Balistreri was born in San Francisco, California. He was a known mafioso who resided in Santa Clara and frequented the San Jose area and Kansas City. His rap sheet dated back to 1924 and included arrests for counterfeiting and narcotics trafficking, he had three federal narcotics convictions.

Sergio Maranghi was born and raised in Florence, Italy. Maranghi moved to the United States in January 1973. He first settled in New York City and developed close ties to some members of the Gambino Crime Family. Five years later, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Maranghi was involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal gambling. He also dealt in stolen merchandise. Mafia soldier AL LaRocca sponsored Maranghi's membership into the San Francisco mafia organization in 1982. Maranghi owned and operated a small pizza place called the Anchor Bay Cafe until selling it to Vince Iacolino in October 1983. On December 14, 1988, he was arrested for being a ring leader in a large cocaine dealing operation at the Portofino Cafe in North Beach. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in a California State Prison. Maranghi was released on parole in July 1990. His next meeting with the law came in October 1991. This time he decided to become a government informant instead of facing a very long prison sentence for selling 22 pounds of cocaine to an undercover cop. He enabled the FBI to arrest 13 underworld figures. Although Maranghi repeatedly been offered status in the government's Witness Protection Program, which would have meant a steady paycheck from Law Enforcement, he didn't like the idea of spending the rest of his life in hiding. Maranghi spent two years in Italy before moving back to the Bay Area.

Still trying to figure out who might have been "ring leaders" before Sergio.

Just North Beach or the entire bay area cause there were bigger players than Maranghi came on the scene, but by the mid 1980s most of them had passed away.
Frank Cosenza passed away in the late 1970s.
Renaldo "Red" Ferrari without a doubt was bigger, when he passed away in 1984, Maranghi inherited most of his routes, and customers. When someone said give some Reds, you would think they were talking about Marlboro cigarettes, but they were talking about Ferrari products.
Mario Balistrieri you already mentioned, and his son Gaetano inherited from his father Mario.
Alfanso LaRocca proposed Maranghi for membership, but before the 1980s, Al and his brother Pat were midlevel narcotic dealers, but major smugglers due to their commercial fishing boats, they were close to Mario Balistrieri, and the Lanzas.
Junior and Domenico Lima were also big players.
Before 1960s, forget about it. Everyone talks about Carmine Galante, Natale Evola, Vito Genovese and other New York mobsters that went to prison in 1959, but that was one part of the operation LE were doing. It was from coast to coast and it was felt in the bay area as well, many of the bigger players besides Mario Balistrieri and Renaldo Ferrari went to prison or were deported, and never regained their power or were too shallow of what they once were once they were released.

I'm researching North Beach specifically (1960s and early 1970s), but am interested in the Bay Area and Northern California in general. A lot of what happened in the late 70s - 90s is pretty well known and documented.

Thanks for the info, I'll see what else I can dig up.

The Zodiac

Vito Bruno a member of San Francisco family, had connections to both Bonanno (Frank Garofalo) and Profaci (Salvatore Profaci), and was smuggling narcotics on orders from Abati. He was a link in Profaci olive oil business. He passed away in 1965.

Salvatore Maugeri, a Gambino member who resided in San Francisco. He was one of those caught up on arrests and detained in the big bust nationwide. He was a narcotics trafficker, he is a cousin to Anthony and Frank Cosenza. Anthony was just a point man, it was Frank who gained power in the drug trade when Maugeri passed away in 1961.

Stephen Sorrentino, a soldier in Mario Balistrieri crew who had direct access to Mexico routes. Oakland was mainly his area and surrounding areas. Not one of those rounded up, but was convicted on a robbery charge. Was a Motel Manager and used the Motel for pimping and selling narcotics. Big in the narcotics trade on his own, died in 1971.

Sebastiano Nani- Colombo member who split between NYC and San Francisco. Was a partner with Mario Balistrieri, Vito Bruno and Renaldo Ferrari. Arrested in the round up and deported in 1958.

Gaetano Capalbo, a Lucchese member who moved to San Francisco in the 1955. Listed as a member of San Francisco. Did not transfer membership till Tony Ducks came into power. Big time narcotics trafficker in Tony Lanza crew. Had San Pablo Bay on lockdown. Last active was 1977 with New York meeting of Vincent Foceri of Lucchese and his former Capo, Anthony Salerno of the Genovese crime family, and Louis Eboli of Chicago. A big meeting that is said to have gone in Genovese favor. After that semi active until he died. Nothing linking him to narcotics after 1977, not even a whisper.

Salvatore Billeci- trafficking in San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Pittsburgh, Concord, and Antioch California. Another member of Mario Balistrieri crew.

Some others.
Abraham Chalupowitz
Elijah Kassop
Reuben Polansky
Fred Edwards
James Longstreet(alias real name unknown)
Rocky Graves

Thanks for this help Giacomo.

Have you heard of Rickey Caponio? He was a long time smack dealer, pretty sure he was small potatoes but just wondering if he had a reputation.

I'm still not sure where you get all your info from, and I don't like to call people out, but I sometimes find incorrect/unverifiable information in some of your posts (sprinkled among facts, so they appear to make sense)... Mario Balistreri was not Gaetano's father, and I haven't found a direct relation between them, aside from both families coming from Palermo (Mario's father, Carlo, was born there). Mario was born in SF in 1901. Gaetano was born in Palermo in 1920. Mario married Delia Olivo, from Kansas City, in 1947; they had two sons, Carl and Marco. I'm double-checking with some folks and, if I'm wrong, I'll circle back with an update.

Mario Balistreri father was Salvatore "Salvo" Balistreri, an early member of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Palermo. Mario was brother in law to Joseph Olivo.

Gene Caponio? Not mob related, but he was an associate. I think the two who were involved are out now at least since the mid 2000s since anyone with power and vengeance passed away in the early 2000s.

It appears that the Balistreris of S.F. are blood related to Big Frank of Milwaukee. I see some of the family wound up in both places. Are you aware of business ties between any of them? I'm also researching the Aliotos, btw.

To this day many San Franciscans will say Joe Alioto was the last great Mayor. It all started turning to shit after he left office.

Also, in the late 80s & early 90s there were two North Beach bars which were infamous for coke dealing, the Columbus Cafe and Vieni Vieni Lucky Spot. Additionally Vieni Vieni was known for back room card/dice games and distribution of parlay cards.

Gino and Carlo's was good for gambling at one point.

I've been there a few times on Sundays to watch games, I live out by Ocean Beach so I usually stick to local bars in the Richmond/Sunset. G&C had some of the BEST free food of any place in SF. I worked with the guy who would cook on those days. if I remember correctly his name was Tim. Anyway, the owners spared no expense and it was very welcoming. I'm not sure if they still do this with COVID restrictions but it's one of my favorite places to grab a drink in North Beach.

Everybody talks about the Vesuvio Cafe because of its connection to the Beat Poets but I'd pick the Adler Museum (Spec's),Tony Nik's and Gino & Carlo as the best bars in North Beach. Original Joe's is good too and they'll serve the full restaurant menu at the bar. To tie in with the topic, after a meal at Joe's you really don't want to do a bump.

I've been corresponding with a retired judge in Milwaukee and last week I asked him about the ties between Joe Alioto, the old Mayor of San Francisco, and John Alioto. He replied, "What I know about the two persons you mentioned is not going in an email message and will not be given to anyone outside my immediate family, sorry." Seems I hit a nerve, lol.

The following men were all identified and documented by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics as being very active in either the smuggling, wholesale distribution, or general trafficking (wholesale and retail), of various quantities of heroin, opium, morphine, cocaine, etc., in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1950s and 1960s era that the FBN kept track of. I'm sure that many of them were active both before (1940s) and after (1970s) those dates as well.

Mafia bosses and underbosses of the San Francisco borgata who allegedly governed and profited from this traffic included the following four men;

Antonio (Tony) Lima
Michael (Mr. Mike) Abati
James (Jimmy the Hat) Lanza
Filippo (Phil) Maita

Various inducted soldiers and close associates known to actually conduct the traffic included the following men named below. An asterisk next to a name indicates that particular person was extremely active and considered a top narcotics dealer by the agents. Some were smugglers per se. Others distributed the product once it hit the city, but all were active;

Alphonse (Al) LaRocca
Mario Balistrieri *
Vincent Barrisa
Salvatore (Duke) Belleci *
Vincenzo (Vince) Bruno *
Joseph (Corky) Bruno
Renaldo (Red) Ferrari *
Vito Bruno
Gaetano (Paulie Helm) Capalbo *
Abraham (Abe Chapman) Chalupowitz *
Concetto (Frank) Colombo *
Salvatore (Sam) Maugeri *
Antonio (Tony Melo) Cosenza *
Stephen Sorrentino *
Frank (Cow) Cosenza *
Guiseppe (Joe) Parente *

These four men below were largely NYC mafiosi who 'serviced' the west coast with drugs. There were many others of course who did the same. But these names stand out;

Sebastiano Nani
Michael (Skinny Mike) Pecoraro
Joseph Dentico
Peter (Petey 17) Piacenti
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I hope this helps those of you interested in mafia narcotics activity in the Bay Area from years back.

I know that some of these names were already listed by previous posters, but I tried to give a solid overview for you as well.

Greatly appreciate your post. Thanks!

my pleasure