Does anybody know who were the chairmen of the commission after Castellano's murder? Was the next one Gotti or Gigante? Or did they abolish that position after Castellano's murder?

Joe Massino supposedly chaired a meeting in 2000.

It was always..lets say "abolished" but theres always the top guy on the table...i think it was the Chin for some time

I don't think there was ever a formal position like that. Some bosses may have been more deferred to because of their status. Castellano and Chin were equals. After Castellano was killed, and the others went away in the Commission case, Chin obviously had the most seniority. But we only have the record of a single (partial) Commission meeting after that. At least before the one Massino chaired in 2000.

By the way, was Gigante already recognized as official boss in 1981 or was he just acting boss and became official only after Lombardo died?

You think acting bosses and bosses speak to each other today? like not all 5 but like tony and johnny sac kinda thing when they speak outside there cars?

My understanding is, when Lombardo stepped down in 1981 or so, Salerno was slated to become the new boss. But he had his stroke. After which, Chin became the new boss. And, after Salerno recovered, he became the acting boss for Chin.

Does anyone know what was discussed at the 2000 discussion meeting that Massino hosted? It was him and Louie Bagels and some others.

Yeah, the meeting was held at Louie Restivo's house. The attendees were Joe Massino (boss) and Sal Vitale (underboss) from the Bonanno family. Larry Dentico (captain/ruling panel) from the Genovese family. Peter Gotti (acting boss) from the Gambino family. Louie Daidone (acting boss) from the Lucchese family. And Joel Cacace (consigliere) from the Colombo family.

According to Vitale, a few of the things that were discussed included:

* "They all agreed that from now on we will have to be 100 percent Italian to get straightened out [become a made member]. Your mother couldn't be Irish and your father Italian. Both had to be Italian."

* "They agreed to take five new [made] members" each into their families.

* "If a person was arrested for drugs and went to jail, you would have to wait five years to straighten him out [let him become a made member]."

Also, the idea to merge the Colombos into the other families was floated but rejected.

Bill Bonanno describes a chairman of the commisson being a rotating position, if i remember right. Al th chairman did was "call together the circle" and basically ran the meeting from a moderator stand point.

Thanks Ivy for that info... where can I read more about the Massino meeting in 2000?

Joel Cacace must have been scrambling trying to think of a defense for his crew.

There's just been snippets here and there in books about Massino and Vitale, articles about them, and court testimony from Vitale.

so if the commision is supposed to be the bosses from all or most the families why the philly, chicago la, partairca,buffalo and even the jersey bosses not there. why is always the five in ny to be the headquarters of such i know the history and power there (as far as numbers ) butnot taking anything away its just idk like the give me one reason yall think the other bosses from the other existing factor families

The Commission actually never involved all, or even most, of the bosses. The timeline below may be informative. The information comes mainly from Jerry Capeci...


1931 - The original Commission consisted of the bosses of the 5 NY families, as well as the bosses of the Buffalo and Chicago families.

1957 - the Appalachin meeting was technically not a Comission meeting, which was held every 5 years, but a special conference where leaders around the country were invited.

1961 - the bosses of the Philadelphia and Detroit families were added to the Commission.

1960's - the Chicago Outfit starts to miss more Commission meetings, which eventually resulted in a two-headed Commission with Chicago resolving family disputes west of them.

1974 - the Buffalo family loses it's seat on the Commission when boss Stefano Magaddino dies.

1977 - the Detroit family loses it's Commission seat when boss Joseph Zerilli dies.

1980 - the Philadelphia family loses it's Commission seat when boss Angelo Bruno is killed.

1985 - the leaders of the five New York families are indicted in the "Commission case."

Early 1980's - the Bonanno family loses it's Commission seat due to a number of reasons including the family not being unified, it's excessive involvement in narcotics, and the infiltration of FBI agent Joseph Pistone from 1976 to 1982.

1980's - the New York and Chicago families lost more contact due to prosecutions that brought new leaders that were unacquinted with each other, as well as the weakening of New York and Chicago control of the four international union through prosecutions and internal reform. The Commission essentially becomes a New York enterprise.

2000 - leaders from the 5 New York families attend a meeting chaired by Bonanno boss, Joseph Massino. After he had flipped, Massino would later testify in court that the Commission hadn't existed since the 1980's. Despite ongoing meetings of leaders afterward, including the one where Chin and Gotti met, apparently Massino felt these did not warrant real Commission meetings because they did not involve the official bosses of all the families.



* It should also be noted that, at one time or another over the years, the Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, New England, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh families had been represented on the Commission by the Genovese family."

Just watching last night about the Joe Bonnano and his family and was wondering about what you listed here thanks a bunch it is great helo and very thorough!!

cool, many thanks!

You mean they were considering merging the Colombos into another family and making them one, therefore leaving only 4 NY families,is that what u mean?

I believe they were considering the other four families all take in the Colombo members. But it was rejected since, besides not being very practical, they felt it would be disrespectful to Carmine Persico.

I've read a few times that it was seriously discussed on more than one occasion that the Colombo's be consolidated out...

Also, I read someone that in the 60's and 70's commission meetings were comprised of any boss from the the 10-12 recognized families in America.

Word would go out that meeting was needed and what the subject matter was and Boss's would respond as if they could attend.

Anywhere from 5-7 Bosses would get together and solve an issue or dispute, it wasn't just a NY thing...I think it may have been in the Scarpa FBI paperwork that someone linked in here about a month ago.

Castellano loved those meetings in the early 1980s. Especially if it involved construction, something he had great knowledge of. He was a brilliant negotiator and the meetings allowed him to show off and shine in front of the others. Some guys gets a new haircut to feel better, Castellano called in Commission meetings.

I think most people feel better once they've gotten a haircut you feel fresh to death like dougie

Probably why he was so well liked by the other bosses, in stark contrast to that of his soldiers and capos.