Few organized crime networks have ever operated as smoothly and internally peaceful as the Mafia Family based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But it wasn’t always that way.
During the “Roaring” 1920s and 1930s era, the City of Pittsburgh saw more than its fair share of gangland killings and underworld power plays.
You can read more of the brief history and view the chart in full here:
You must be kidding, a real life OC Family in Pittsburgh :-) "Bout time some small town love! Really well done, thanx.
Thanks FOH, glad you enjoyed this chart as much as you did. If anyone knows the accuracy and validity of La Rocca's Family, it's you. And as you stated, nobody has ever taken the time or the interest to devote research and to design a complete hierarchy chart depicting Pittsburgh's Family...until now that is! Lol
Hey fellas, what was the story behind Bazzano and the Volpe brothers? Why was he whacked for making a move on them? Doesn't a boss have a right to eliminate his own members as he sees fit?
Apparently Frank Milano was backing him and it hurt his reputation.
Re: The LaRocca Family Leadership Chart
[Re: MafiaStudent]
#1036231 06/23/2202:49 PM06/23/2202:49 PM
Hi BarrettM - Yes, he took out the Volpe brothers without Commission approval. Volpe were not necessarily his 'members", they were his business partners and they were becoming very powerful in the Pittsburgh, Wilmerding and Turtle creek areas, and they were becoming politically connected and they were a threat to Bazzano. Volpe's even made their own brother in law police chief. Bazzano became angry, maybe jealous when the Volpe clan started expanding their territory towards the City of Pittsbrugh. In 1932 the Mob family Hierarchy as it has become known was not in place yet. I am not sure many "members" were sworn members like they were a decade later. It was in its infancy.
And incase you were not aware Barrett - John Bazzano' s son, John Jr became Family boss in 2006 when Michael Genovese passed away and served as the Boss for 2 years until his passing in July 2008. John Jr was 4 1/2 yrs old when his father was ice picked to death and dumped in a New York gutter. Some say Chucky Porter became Underboss when Jo Jo Pecora passed in 1987 until his conviction in 1990, others say John Jr became served as Genovese's Underboss after Jo Jo Pecora passed until Genovese died at home on Halloween night 2006. He was sentenced to 7 years in Federal prison and paroled in 1981.
Re: The LaRocca Family Leadership Chart
[Re: Millspgh]
#1036270 06/24/2206:46 AM06/24/2206:46 AM
Hi BarrettM - Yes, he took out the Volpe brothers without Commission approval. Volpe were not necessarily his 'members", they were his business partners and they were becoming very powerful in the Pittsburgh, Wilmerding and Turtle creek areas, and they were becoming politically connected and they were a threat to Bazzano. Volpe's even made their own brother in law police chief. Bazzano became angry, maybe jealous when the Volpe clan started expanding their territory towards the City of Pittsbrugh. In 1932 the Mob family Hierarchy as it has become known was not in place yet. I am not sure many "members" were sworn members like they were a decade later. It was in its infancy.
And incase you were not aware Barrett - John Bazzano' s son, John Jr became Family boss in 2006 when Michael Genovese passed away and served as the Boss for 2 years until his passing in July 2008. John Jr was 4 1/2 yrs old when his father was ice picked to death and dumped in a New York gutter. Some say Chucky Porter became Underboss when Jo Jo Pecora passed in 1987 until his conviction in 1990, others say John Jr became served as Genovese's Underboss after Jo Jo Pecora passed until Genovese died at home on Halloween night 2006. He was sentenced to 7 years in Federal prison and paroled in 1981.
Thats largely correct Millspgh. The Volpe brothers were Napolitani, unlike Bazzano who was Sicilian. In those early days before the amalgamation and blending of Sicilians, Neopolitans and Calabrians there was much competition among them as they fought for supremacy. In 1931 with the formation of the Commission in NY all southern Italian brotherhoods were brought in as "friends." When Bazzano made the unauthorized move to rid himself of his Napolitano problem he paid with his life. Because at that point the entire underworld ruled against him. In particular back in NYC underbosses Vito Genovese and Albert Anastasia (both non-sicilians) insisted on Bazzano's demise. Thereafter with Genovese's assistance fellow Napolitano Frank Amato was installed as the new boss of Pittsburgh.
Hi BarrettM - Yes, he took out the Volpe brothers without Commission approval. Volpe were not necessarily his 'members", they were his business partners and they were becoming very powerful in the Pittsburgh, Wilmerding and Turtle creek areas, and they were becoming politically connected and they were a threat to Bazzano. Volpe's even made their own brother in law police chief. Bazzano became angry, maybe jealous when the Volpe clan started expanding their territory towards the City of Pittsbrugh. In 1932 the Mob family Hierarchy as it has become known was not in place yet. I am not sure many "members" were sworn members like they were a decade later. It was in its infancy.
And incase you were not aware Barrett - John Bazzano' s son, John Jr became Family boss in 2006 when Michael Genovese passed away and served as the Boss for 2 years until his passing in July 2008. John Jr was 4 1/2 yrs old when his father was ice picked to death and dumped in a New York gutter. Some say Chucky Porter became Underboss when Jo Jo Pecora passed in 1987 until his conviction in 1990, others say John Jr became served as Genovese's Underboss after Jo Jo Pecora passed until Genovese died at home on Halloween night 2006. He was sentenced to 7 years in Federal prison and paroled in 1981.
Thats largely correct Millspgh. The Volpe brothers were Napolitani, unlike Bazzano who was Sicilian. In those early days before the amalgamation and blending of Sicilians, Neopolitans and Calabrians there was much competition among them as they fought for supremacy. In 1931 with the formation of the Commission in NY all southern Italian brotherhoods were brought in as "friends." When Bazzano made the unauthorized move to rid himself of his Napolitano problem he paid with his life. Because at that point the entire underworld ruled against him. In particular back in NYC underbosses Vito Genovese and Albert Anastasia (both non-sicilians) insisted on Bazzano's demise. Thereafter with Genovese's assistance fellow Napolitano Frank Amato was installed as the new boss of Pittsburgh.
Great details NYM, Thank you!
Re: The LaRocca Family Leadership Chart
[Re: Millspgh]
#1036273 06/24/2209:17 AM06/24/2209:17 AM
Hi BarrettM - Yes, he took out the Volpe brothers without Commission approval. Volpe were not necessarily his 'members", they were his business partners and they were becoming very powerful in the Pittsburgh, Wilmerding and Turtle creek areas, and they were becoming politically connected and they were a threat to Bazzano. Volpe's even made their own brother in law police chief. Bazzano became angry, maybe jealous when the Volpe clan started expanding their territory towards the City of Pittsbrugh. In 1932 the Mob family Hierarchy as it has become known was not in place yet. I am not sure many "members" were sworn members like they were a decade later. It was in its infancy.
And incase you were not aware Barrett - John Bazzano' s son, John Jr became Family boss in 2006 when Michael Genovese passed away and served as the Boss for 2 years until his passing in July 2008. John Jr was 4 1/2 yrs old when his father was ice picked to death and dumped in a New York gutter. Some say Chucky Porter became Underboss when Jo Jo Pecora passed in 1987 until his conviction in 1990, others say John Jr became served as Genovese's Underboss after Jo Jo Pecora passed until Genovese died at home on Halloween night 2006. He was sentenced to 7 years in Federal prison and paroled in 1981.
Thats largely correct Millspgh. The Volpe brothers were Napolitani, unlike Bazzano who was Sicilian. In those early days before the amalgamation and blending of Sicilians, Neopolitans and Calabrians there was much competition among them as they fought for supremacy. In 1931 with the formation of the Commission in NY all southern Italian brotherhoods were brought in as "friends." When Bazzano made the unauthorized move to rid himself of his Napolitano problem he paid with his life. Because at that point the entire underworld ruled against him. In particular back in NYC underbosses Vito Genovese and Albert Anastasia (both non-sicilians) insisted on Bazzano's demise. Thereafter with Genovese's assistance fellow Napolitano Frank Amato was installed as the new boss of Pittsburgh.
The LaRocca Family Pittsburgh Leadership Chart we created was very intricate and lengthy. But we posted up another chart today representing another Pennsylvania based borgata, the Barbara-Bufalino Family Leadership Chart thats a total monster! Fans of these types of charts will really really love it (and thats a promise form ButtonGuys to you!). Lisa posted up a preview a few minutes ago, so come check it out.
Pittsburgh always had more influence than was attributed to them
Funny when they talk about bosses that had had rather lengthy tenures, LaRocca never gets brought up. But his run as boss is as good as it gets in LCN history
Re: The LaRocca Family Leadership Chart
[Re: Augustus]
#1036384 06/27/2207:45 PM06/27/2207:45 PM
Pittsburgh always had more influence than was attributed to them
Funny when they talk about bosses that had had rather lengthy tenures, LaRocca never gets brought up. But his run as boss is as good as it gets in LCN history
Plus LaRocca had ties to Cuba, Detroit, Traficante in Tampa, Cleveland of course, Rochester, and California. One of the Pgh higher ups actually moved to Cali and began working with Famiies there. LaRocca was stopped by feds while with other California Members. Pgh and Detroit were very close, as was Pgh and Scranton.
Re: The LaRocca Family Leadership Chart
[Re: Millspgh]
#1036386 06/27/2209:05 PM06/27/2209:05 PM
Pittsburgh always had more influence than was attributed to them
Funny when they talk about bosses that had had rather lengthy tenures, LaRocca never gets brought up. But his run as boss is as good as it gets in LCN history
Plus LaRocca had ties to Cuba, Detroit, Traficante in Tampa, Cleveland of course, Rochester, and California. One of the Pgh higher ups actually moved to Cali and began working with Famiies there. LaRocca was stopped by feds while with other California Members. Pgh and Detroit were very close, as was Pgh and Scranton.
LaRocca and his men accomplished a lot in a low key fashion. They also had major ties to NYC crews over the years which became obvious when they all got pinched together in that multimillion-dollar Teamsters loan kickback scheme in the early 1970s. Top Pittsburgh guys, Genovese and Lucchese bigwigs, and Detroit capo Corrado all get federally indicted.
