I thought it’d be interesting to make a list of made guys who were killed by other families. When you look at it (please feel free to add other names i have forgotten or don’t know about), you see that, rarely, one family decided to kill a made guy from another family without approval.

The rules of Cosa Nostra are well respected in that matter, despite few exceptions.


- Franck Piccolo (Gambino) killed by the Genovese family with the approval of the Gambino Family over a business matter.

- Shorty Spero (Colombo) killed by a made guy from the Genovese family (Gerry Pappa) for personal reasons and without the approval of the Colombo family.

- Gerry Pappa (Genovese) killed by the Colombo family with the approval of the Genovese family.

- William Bentvena (Gambino) killed by associates of the Lucchese Family for personal reasons without the approval of the Gambino Family.

- Eddie Lino (Gambino) and Bobby Borriello (Gambino) killed by the Lucchese Family in retaliation for their involvement in the attempted hit on Gaspipe Casso. The Lucchese did not seek approval from the Gambinos.

- John Simone (Philadelphia) killed by the Gambino family on order from the Commission and with the approval of the Philly Family.

- Antonio Caponigro (Philadelphia) and Freddie Salerno (I think he was made ?) killed by the Genovese family in retaliation for their involvement in the hit on Angelo Bruno.

- Gaetano Amato (Genovese) « accidently » killed by the Colombo family during the third Colombo war while he was stainding next to men from the Orena faction. The Genovese did not retaliate.

- Augie Maniaci (Milwaukee) killed by the Chicago Family as a request from the Milwaukee Family because he was contesting the leadership position.

William Bentvena was killed by associates without approval and nothing was done? That's odd. The Gambino's should really be embarrassed.

They murdered tommy desimone who killed him, Gotti at first tried to have Tommy’s father in law set him up(the father in law was part of the Gotti crew) but eventually he was brought to a fake making ceremony and killed

Also Foxy Jethroe was killed by Tommy Desimone and that was another reason he was killed...

Bentevena was better known as Billy Batts

Got it, now I'm embarrassed. I wrote without thinking it through and forgot that was Billy Batts.

https://nypost.com/2013/12/29/the-mob-murder-at-raos-that-started-over-a-song/

Joseph 'Joe Bikini' Brocchini was killed on May 19, 1976 by the DeMeo crew because punched Roy,the murder was unsanctioned by Gambino leadership and staged to look like armed robbery gone wrong.

Louis “Louie Lump Lump” Barone killed Albert Circelli a lucchese made man in a dispute over a song sung by Rena Strober at Rao's.

The Gaetano Amato situation is kind of interesting.

The Genovese did not retaliate because, officially, they have instructed their men to stay away from the war and not to go to Colombo hang outs. So Amato was blamed for being around Colombo guys.

I think the real reason is that Gigante did not want to go after the Persico faction. Not because he likes Junior but because he did not like the idea of putting aside the rightful Boss and he did not want the Colombos to fall into the Gambinos influence.

If the Orena faction had killed Amato, I'm sure Gigante would have ended the war right away and have the Commission rule in favour of Persico. He may even have ordered a hit on Orena. He certainly had a strong case for it.

All good Happens to the best of us...

I have seen people claim that William Bentvena was not the Billy Bats killed by Burke's crew, and I have even seen people claim he was an associative and not a member. Has anyone every found out if Henry Hill said in his early days of testifying that Billy Bats was indeed William Bentvena?

Hill's story of Billy Bats somewhat resembles that of William Bentvena who was charged in 1959 for distributing heroin from Canada (he also seems to be brother-in-law of Richard Mcgovern who was involved in distribution with him) and who died in 1970 (exact date unknown). He was born in 1933 so he was either made by 26 or was an associate. Also he wasn't Italian on his mother's side so that casts another doubt on the claim. Would Burke assault a made guy and get a pass?

Same guy

Willie boy wasn’t a made guy

Bobby Boriello

Solid list Malavita. I was gonna make a list, but you took the words right out of my mouth. Lo

I agree Jace. There's been a lot of confusion and half truths where this 'alleged' Billy Bats is concerned.

Just realized I forgot Franckie DeCicco (Gambino) killed by The Lucchese and Genovese Families in retaliation for the Castellano hit.

Has anyone ever confirmed with a mugshot or anything definitive that "Billy Batts" even existed? Henry was full of shit about a lot of things and I think it's kind of odd that no pictures of this guy ever surfaced. I mean, he's pretty infamous from that scene in a classic flick.

Theres pictures online as well as nypd files that back this up...Foxy Jethroe was around that time and in similar situaiion

I don't trust Henry Hill's account of anything. He his the one and only source for the killing. I think they may killed a person, probably a guy in the drug rackets over a dumb bar fight, but I don't think it was anyone made, or that DeSimone was tricked into thinking he was going to get made in order to kill him. I wonder if Henry Hill's book version of events (Which differ from the movie) are in his original briefings from when he began to rat? In the book I think DeSimone killed the so-called Billy Bats 2 weeks after the "shine box" argument in a different bar.

Al Darco also spoke about this hit as well, also multiple other sources including Willie Boy Johnson and James Cardanali as well as the NYPD Files and picture of Billy Batts...You dont need to just take Henry Hills word, you can take take the totality of the evidence and words of Al D'Arco, Willie Boy Johnson, James Cardanali and Remo Franschisi for that matter..... Al Darco literally descibed himself running into Tommy Desimone and Bruno Facciola who told him they were going to a making ceremony and then he was murdered there..

ps its pretty obvious your upset because I called you a child molesting supporter so you challenge everything I say but im not sure what I should call someone that refuses to believe witnesses, thousands of pages of FBI Files, FBI wiretaps of the subjects in theyre own words admitting to it, evidence found during raids including financial records and video evidence and multiple articles and NYPD files that contain non refutable obvious evidence.....Not trying to derail the thread just telling it like it is...

Your first paragraph is ok, but then you turn around and attack me for the second time today, totally unproved too. I'm upset that you called me a child molesting supporter...is that shocking? You also said me and NYMafia ran a child porn ring. I said nothing about you here, so stop this.

If the shoe fits... you pick and choose what proof to believe and you refuse to admit to any truth of proof when it comes to that , the only people I’ve seen that act like that when it comes to that subject are named Clinton,Epstein and Maxwell

The only photo I've ever seen attributed to Billy Batts is actually Pat Spirito's mugshot out of Philly.

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/319/916/315805/

Case against William Bentevena aka Billy Batts as well as Carmine Galante,Tony Mirra,John Ormento etc

I found him on ancestry.com at one time. Birth name was spelled Bentivgna

Thanks to Malavita

- Franck Piccolo (Gambino) killed by the Genovese family with the approval of the Gambino Family over a business matter.

- Shorty Spero (Colombo) killed by a made guy from the Genovese family (Gerry Pappa) for personal reasons and without the approval of the Colombo family.

- Gerry Pappa (Genovese) killed by the Colombo family with the approval of the Genovese family.

- William Bentvena (Gambino) killed by associates of the Lucchese Family for personal reasons without the approval of the Gambino Family.

- Eddie Lino (Gambino) and Bobby Borriello (Gambino) killed by the Lucchese Family in retaliation for their involvement in the attempted hit on Gaspipe Casso. The Lucchese did not seek approval from the Gambinos.

- John Simone (Philadelphia) killed by the Gambino family on order from the Commission and with the approval of the Philly Family.

- Antonio Caponigro (Philadelphia) and Freddie Salerno (I think he was made ?) killed by the Genovese family in retaliation for their involvement in the hit on Angelo Bruno.

- Gaetano Amato (Genovese) « accidently » killed by the Colombo family during the third Colombo war while he was stainding next to men from the Orena faction. The Genovese did not retaliate.

- Augie Maniaci (Milwaukee) killed by the Chicago Family as a request from the Milwaukee Family because he was contesting the leadership position.

- Joseph 'Joe Bikini' Brocchini (Lucchese) was killed on May 19, 1976 by the DeMeo crew because punched Roy,the murder was unsanctioned by Gambino leadership and staged to look like armed robbery gone wrong.

-Albert Circelli (Lucchese) killed by Louis “Louie Lump Lump” Barone in a dispute over a song sung by Rena Strober at Rao's.

- Gaetano "Tommy" Amato (Genovese) was killed because was together with Joseph Tolino that was the target of the hit in December 1991.

- William "Billy Batts" Bentvena aka William Devino murdered by Lucchese crime family associate Tommy DeSimone, with the help of fellow Lucchese associates Jimmy Burke and Henry Hill.

- Bartholomew "Bobby" Boriello (Gambino) killed on April 13, 1991 by Lucchese capo Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino on Casso order.

- Franckie DeCicco (Gambino) killed with a car bomb in 1986 on Amuso and Casso order.

You should write an article about it NYM.

It'd be interesting to go into details of each killings.I'm sure you can dig up some interesting stuff.

Something should aslo be done on Furio's hit lists of every family. It's very well documented and it tells us a lot about the situation and the evolution of these families. You guys should get in touch with each other and make a nice article for your website.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/2020/05/13/youngstown-ohio-bombing-wars/

The La Rocca and the Cleveland families feud for the Youngstown.

Why did Joe Bikini punch DeMeo? All these notes lately on their altercation aren’t really clear it seems to be pretty interesting someone got the best of someone so feared by others.

Thanks for posting up my story on the Youngstown Bombing Wars, good man Furio.

One of these days I may sit down and try, but with literally thousands of gangland murders its too daunting a task. So thats why I specialize and pick one "war" or conflict at a time to write about