I was wondering; Why did Frank Costello want Willie Moretti as underboss??!

Moretti was from NJ and had a large crew situated there….

Wouldn’t it have been a better option if Costello had a NY underboss who had a crew? This may have kept Genovese away for quite a bit longer….

Why would Costello have a NJ underboss??? Was it nepotism because Willie Moretti was his cousin??

Would love opinions!!

According to Bonanno, in his autobiography, "A Man of Honor," Moretti was Costello's "strength"--his protector. It seems odd that a Mafia Don would need a protector, but given the violence and treachery that surrounds Mob life, having someone as feared as Morettti at his side would help deter rivals--like Genovese. After Moretti was whacked (because his tertiary syphilis weakened his mind and loosened his lips), Costello took on Albert Anastasia as his partner and protector. That worked until May 1957, when Genovese ordered The Chin to kill Costello. The attempt failed, but Costello got the message and stepped down. Back in power, Genovese then quickly conspired with Gambino to have The Mad Hatter whacked.

For what its worth, according to the Rat Trap site, some made member (informer) from other familily considered Moretti as also allegedly being Chicagos guy in New York, and was labelled as "eastern rep" for the Ricca family. Maybe he acted as messenger between the two "cousin" families but that was allegedly Tony Riccis job, so who knows?!

http://mafiahistory.us/rattrap/infisabella.html

On top of that there are some old sources saying that Costello allegedly also played a major role in the early release of Chicagos top bosses back in 1947. So maybe this Chicago connection had something to do with the Costelo/Moretti alliance...

Not sure how accurate it is but Valachi said Costello and Moretti both grew up on 108th Street in Harlem

Costello problem trusted him. Once Moretti started going insane from a disease and talking openly to reporters, they had to kill him.

Some additional info regarding my previous post...so it was Roselli (made guy) who told the informant (also made guy) about Moretti and Chicago...something which raises lots of questions regarding the old and close connection between the Genoveses and Chicago...

As 'the' landing family out of NYC, Chicago was always directly connected to NYC. Remember too, that ALL families were deeply connected to NY because NYC is the 'hub' so to speak. But Chicago, in particular, because of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone and others who were originally NYC guys sent to the Windy City, those two cities were simpatico.

It is said that Costello and Moretti were both Calabrese, grew up together in East Harlem, and were, in fact, blood cousins (whether of not that last part is true is almost immaterial. because the very fact that such a claim would even be made, shows how close the two of them were considered).

So when Frank was elevated to the "Acting Boss" position, it makes perfect sense that he would also elevate his 'compare' Willy Moretti to be his "number two."

Yes I agree but dont forget that the Colosimo/Torrio/Capone group was an extended arm only for the Masseria/Yale group, not the whole Sicilian Mafia which was already established in Chicago since the late 1880s or 1890s. During the 1920s Chicago became a battlefield between the Masseria and D'Aquila factions and the Capone group together with the Roberto/Ammirato group from the Chi Heights area, eliminated every Mafia leader who stood in their way (there were allegedly two Mafia families in Chicago which had problems with the mainlanders aka Capone/Roberto).

Thats why the Chicago Outfit under Capone was looked upon as the "Americanized" faction of the Italian Mafia. I say "Italian" because besides Sicilian Mafiosi, there were also Mainlanders (Calabrese and Neapolitans) or Camorristi like Paul Ricca. Some sources say that even Capone was an alleged Camorrista.

Thats the main reason for which Masseria made a smart move by making Capone a capo in 1928 (the same year D'Aquila and his Chi associates like Lombardo were eliminated) and thats when members like the Fischettis also arrived in Chicago and became a part of Capones decina. After the murder of Masseria, it was Maranzano who recognized Capone as representative for the Chicago family

During that period lots of Genovese big shots (Toddo Del Ducca or something like that, dont remember the name) invested in Capones illegal activities, and were together involved in murders like the one on Pollaccia which in turn included Vito and Ricca, or the Yale hit which was allegedly executed by guys from Chicago.

When the problem between the Fischettis and Mike the Trigger occurred regarding Miami rackets, there was a meeting between Giancana, Rocco Fischetti, two Genovese leaders (possibly Catena and Coppola or Eboli), Gambino and Lucchese. According to the report Giancana had the last word and solved the meeting in Chicagos favor.

This means that by the 50s and 60s Chicago was way more powerful on national level than the Genoveses or other families, which in fact was the main reason for the creation of "illusions" or confusing information in which some made guys labelled Giancana as the "boss of bosses", same as Vito. Those made guys were usually members of other small families which were represented on the commission by much larger families such as Chicago or the ones in NY such as the Genoveses.

I have a question;

Why didn’t Frank Costello give the “red light” to have Moretti. “New Jersey” crew go after Genovese and have him whacked…

Costello was Boss and had the power to go after Genovese;

Moretti had a huge crew and was fully capable….

Any opinions?? We’re Costelllo and Genovese still friends even though they had animosity?? They operated as Boss and Underboss so there had to be some friendship or some type of business relationship between the two dispite them hating each other.

It was probably a commission order and lets imagine that Costello was possibly the only one who voted against it. Same as the "legend" regarding Lansky and Bugsy. If Chicago and the other families voted for Morettis removal, than that was it. No matter how powerful Costello was, still he had to follow protocol. New York was different than Chicago in term of territories, meaning the NY families operated in all areas, while Chicago was more territorial. This means that Moretti was able to give information not just regarding the Genoveses or Chicago, but also about other families too.

Hey TooDoped! Welcome back!

If Moretti was not losing his mind due to syphilis, he would not have been killed. The reason for his tantrums, along with his talking openly about things he would never had spoken of earlier, led to what was basically a mafia style "mercy killing."

Hey Jimmy long time no see bro! Thanks and really nice to see you again.

The fact that the "Sicilian Mafia" operated separate and apart from the Colosimo/Capone group was not all that unique, to Chicago or anywhere else for that matter. Throughout the U.S. that is the way things stood. You have to remember that back in Italy, they were separate organizations. Sometimes allied, sometimes not.

Once they arrived on America's shores, they were now forced to compete for the same "turf" so to speak. It sometimes became a contentious relationship. Camorrista, N’dranghetista (then called Uomini d'onore), and the Mafia were often in violent conflict with one another, and amongst themselves as well.

History records the conflict between the Gennas, Aiello and others (the Sicilians), with Colosimo/Torrio/Capone etc (the mainlanders) very well. But there were many similar circumstances in NYC, PA, OH, etc., as those networks also fought for supremacy.

Hence, thats one of the main reasons (and benefits) of why, after the Castellammarese War of 1929-1931, with the formation of the "Commission," little by little all the separate groups across the country were encouraged and "brought in" and absorbed by what by then had been renamed "Cosa Nostra" (Our Thing). It was no longer "The Mafia" (a Sicilian thing), it was now a blending of all three entities into one.

I agree and yeah similar situations occurred in other cities, not just Chicago. I also agree regarding different factions fighting for turf and the alliances that were created during those days. The first or second generations of immigrants were still the original Sicilian Mafia but later things changed with the so-called Americanized Mafiosi.

Thats the main picture of the American Mafia, not the European. Thats why we have non-Ital guys like Rockman in Celeveland or Watts in New York who were involved in the inner workings.

The main problem or difference is that neither Rockman or Watts were preceded or followed by a LINE OF SUCCESSION of other non-Ital reps.

Chicago had a non-Italian representative on their own round table or board of directors (some call it Consiglio (european) ) since 1932 until 1991/92.

The line of succession started with Jake Guzik, then with Murray Humphreys and ended with Gus Alex who in turn by the early 70s received even more higher position next to Accardo.

It was a official spot of the Outfits formal structure and brotherhood, which is the real and main proof regarding the Americanized Mafia. These guys werent able to become made guys of the Italian faction but they had their own crews rackets and areas, and even sometimes inherited made guys from imprisoned or deceased capos and had jurisdiction over them.

Some new researchers try to make an illusion regarding organizational vs operational but that stands for Europe, not the US.

Other old researchers and I call it traditional vs modern, which again is the real picture of the US Mob. And I even think that those same new researchers stole that same idea and deformed it according to their alleged "new" understandings which is a complete lie because they are looking for more youtube views and to sell books.

Ill make a different thread about this subject but still heres how the traditional vs modern looks like according to another long time researcher but too bad the link doesnt work anymore....


TRADITIONAL VS MODERN

ORGANIZATION

Families, clans <-Traditional

Familes, hierarchies, individuals, temporary groups, networks<-Modern

LOCATION

Based in cohesive communities<-Traditional

Global reach<-Modern

GOAL

local power and status<-Traditional

profit-making<-Modern

ENVIRONMENT

weak state, lack of alternative social organisation<-Traditional

strong states, robust social organisation<-Modern

Taken from article written by John Lea... http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/orgcrim/3802.htm

You too!

Can I 2nd that?....Toodoped ..I f---in' missed u dude...U always were the best w/ the rare pics thread....nobody could touch you...not even god could touch you..lol..welcome back!!!!

Vito Genovese was a Neapolitan through and through, the Calabrese were in a tough spot.

Heck yea Hoodlum… always good to see you too!

Nice to see you too hoodlum and thanks for the kind words lol

You, Jimmy, Blueracing, Big Tuna, Kese, NY Mafia, Turnbull, alicecooper and the rest of the fellas are the most posituve members around here and thanks for that too. Cheers

Not in Chicago, which was the second largest city at the time, and the Mainlanders like Capone, Ricca, Campagna, Nitto and the Fischettis together with the non-Italian groups won the war against the first or second generation of Sicilian Mafia bosses while working for another New York Sicilian group (politics), and controlled the organization or maybe the city of Chicago for more than 50 years, until all of them were gone and Sicilians like Accardo, Aiuppa, Prio and DiBella arrived at the top spots during the early and mid 70s...

Good to see you TD.

Thanks bud, same here

The truth is that Frank C was one of the best things that ever happened to the Luciano/Genovese Family.