The DeCavalcante Family of New Jersey

One of the oldest Cosa Nostra networks in existence, the Simone DeCavalcante Family of Elizabeth was there at the very formation of the Mafia in America.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/decavalcante-family-new-jersey/

What about the family in 2020?

Hi Furio. It’s still around. But doing poorly.

Smaller than they were. And they’re a very small crew to begin with. And penny-ante rackets compared to previous years. The DeCavalcante’s are in bad shape.

The quality of their membership today (similar to most of CN) is a far cry from the soldier that they inducted decades ago.

I don’t imagine they’re gonna be inducting the likes of another Frankie Cocchiaro, Corky Vastola, or John Riggi anytime soon!

There are just 2 or 3 capos,right?

In decades past they had 6-7 skippers at their peak. Today? lol, who knows? It may be 2 or 3. realistically I would hope they still have 4-5. It would all depend upon how many members they have to break up into crews I'd imagine. A skipper typically governs a crew. Now they may have decided to only have 3 or 4 soldiers per crew. In which case they could very well have 6 or 7 skippers like years past.

More commonly they'd have at least 5, 6, 7 men or more per crew. It all depends upon upon the mentality up at the top. And the way they choose to style their crews.

Sounds dismal especially during the pandemic.

Well fellas, it's a friggin scorcher out there in NYC today so I guess I'll be staying inside where its cool with A/C and posting up a bit of conversation to you.

First I wanna mention that this expose on the Sam DeCavalcante crew of Elizabeth, New Jersey is my latest piece of writing. I do hope everybody enjoys it.

At one time they had the potential to be a real solid crew, and they were going that way. Small, tightly run. Sam was on the right track, but got screwed up with those tapes.

....as far as it goes today, I think the best anybody can hope for in any of the Five Families and the DeCav's also is too condense themselves. NO Family is doing great. And that's true from the Genovese on down. Its been often said the the Genovese are the "Rolls Royce" of wiseguys. I gotta tell ya that that's a crock of shit!

Everybody's in the same boat today. Now, have the Genovese had less rats? yes. Have they been more cohesive? yes. But that's largely been because they have a big crew and deep bench. The same could be said for the Gambino's...the DeCavalcante's, with only 30-40 members have been devastated the worst for that very reason. Less human "assets" so to speak.

The Bonanno, Colombo, Lucchese, and DeCavalcante crews are much much smaller. So the same amount of arrests and pinches has crippled them quicker that's all. ALL the crews today are in trouble.

IMO, the smart individual crews should actually capitalize on that fact now and go the other way. Condense themselves and stay small and very surreptitious in their activities. It is the one move that I think may help them.

NO collaboration with others. NO reaching out to expand rackets and activities. Stay small, stay tight, and just hold their ground..... its called "survival". Whether it's an individual skipper and his few "soldiers". Or a single soldier with several of his closer "associates". Or for that matter an individual top "associate" who does his thing and not mix around as much with fellow knockaround guys.

THIS is the mindset that I believe needs to be adopted for survival. It's not unlike what the Mafia in Sicily did back in the 1920s when the government tried to purge them off the Island, and again in the 1940s under Mussolini dictatorship.

Back to "the caves" so to speak. Underground!... "True" mafiosi know this well. The washed down American version of younger street guys have no clue. Whether guys are born in this country or back in Italy makes little difference. A true mafioso "mentality" teaches you this. This is "core" mafioso values.

@nymafia I noticed you didn’t have Greg Rago listed as a soldier. I believe he was made in the late 80s early 90s.

Hi Jshov31. I sent you a message yesterday I believe. Maybe it didn't go through. I said that you are absolutely correct. I do believe Greg Rago was there by that era.... I compliment you. Good looking out my friend. That was very perceptive of you.

I'm usually pretty good with that sort of thing. But nobody's infallible. Lol

we intend to add his name as soon as we can.

Thanks for the heads up

http://mafiamembershipcharts.blogspot.com/search/label/Elizabeth


1. Aiosa-Frank Capo
2. Abramo-Phillip 1945
3. Alessi-Gaetano 1939
4. Balzano-Jerry 1963-
5. Castaldo-James 1955-
6. Cocchiaro-Rosario Russell 1942
7. Colletti-Dominic 1960
8. Collina-Joseph 1946-
9. Consalvo-Louis Louie Eggs 1957 Capo
10. Corsentino-Carl 1936
11. Cottone-Nicholas 1937
12. D'Amato-Frank 1948
13. DiChiara-Victor 1947
14. Gallo-James 1945
15. Gatto-Francesco Joe 1941
16. Gaurraggi-Girolamo 1949
17. Giacobbe-Leonardo Larry 1955
18. Giacobbe-Joseph Jnr. 1969
19. Greco-Anthony 1956
20. Ippolito-Louis
21. LaBarbera-John
22. Lombardo-Salvatore
23. Mannarino-Anthony Marshmallow 1948-
24. Merlo-Joseph 1968-
25. Merlo-Joseph Jnr.
26. Merlo-Michael 1952
27. Miglorato-Joseph
28. Nigro-Frank Shipe 1942
29. Oliveri-Luigi Dog 1974
30. Paparatto-Emanuele
31. Paparatto-Francesco 1940
32. Polizzi-Salvatore
33. Rago-Gregory 1959
34. Riggi-Emanuel Jnr. Manny 1947
35. Riggi-John Jnr. Junior 1954
36. Saracco-James Jimmy Easy 1978
37. Schifilliti-Giuseppe Pino 1938
38. Sclafani-Joseph Tin Ear 1937
39. Stango-Charles The Hat 1944
40. Vastola-Gaetano Corky 1928
41. Vitabile-Steven Truck Driver 1935

Another good list. But I do think that #13 DiChiara, 21, LaBarbara, 27 Migliorato, were never made to the best of my knowledge. They were associates.

Also, the chart I created was for the 1955 through 1995 period. A lot of the younger guys on this list were just kids back then, such as 4 Balzano, 5 Castaldo, 7 Colletti, 18 Giacobbe Jr., 19 Greco, 29 Oliveri, 36 Saracco. I did not include them speficially because they were not players during that period. Certainly not inducted players that's for sure.

It was a forty year span that I chose to design because it was before the heavy disruption and breakup of the family. You'll find that I do that a lot. Our extensive Colombo chart was for the same time period. Before the destabilization that the third-Colombo War and subsequent indictments that followed created.

You'll notice a few younger guys are included on my chart; the Riggi brothers, the Merlo's. It's because despite their youth through the influence of their fathers they were brought in earlier. Unlike several of the other younger members later inducted.

Still that chart you posted Furio is a good chart reflective of the more "current" situation with that Family.

Thank you for your post.

It didn’t go through, you’re welcome. Keep up the good work!!

The Decavs hq is still in Elizabeth, however the city is not Italian and no longer can provide any capable bodies to the family. Newark, no way. Same thing. Jersey city, nope. This is the problem for oc. There is just no talent in the cities anymore for them. No hungry fight for a piece of bread guys. That is a good thing for the Italian people, they’ve moved up the social ladder left the ghettos behind. That’s a bad thing for the mob, anyone who thinks this site is anything but a history lesson at best is fooling themselves. I enjoy reading the posts and esp. enjoy the history and inside info some post. But the thought that today’s mob is anything but barely holding on is a refusal to see reality. There will be the occasional big story but those are going going going gone. Btw that’s the issue for all the families, no ghettos to raise future members in. The suburbs are not the same. Nymafia you’re articles are alway well done, ty

Majicrat
I totally agree. Italian neighborhoods with social clubs were breeding grounds. They are basically gone.

And I agree with you both. Most Italians today have moved up in their "social strata". And as Majicrat astutely observed, have moved to the suburbs and are solidly middle to upper class in both education and financial status.

NO more social clubs, very little hunger to survive, a cushy and comfortable lifestyle.... etc etc.

It spells the death kneel for Cosa Nostra down the road. It's happening now.

Those factors coupled with law enforcements high technology today doesn't allow for the wide open, far flung racketeering of even several decades ago...Finito! It's over!

Yet, there are many mafiosi who are very "white-collar" in their operations today. Sophisticated rackets and legitimate activities that earn large. Many are not even "illegal" in that sense. They've invested racket profits they've earned through the years, or that of the fathers and grandfathers.

WTF would they risk themselves, or even bother with street rackets at all if they don't need to?

But also don't misunderstand like many people do, that if the guy is not flipping a quarter while hanging out on a street corner in East Harlem or Brooklyn while booking a bet or shying a loan, that he's NOT a wiseguy or mafioso.

He may very well be a solid guy. A wiseguy all the way! He's just not a "dese and dose" blue collar racket guy like the image that most people have in their heads of a mobster.

THAT is the way I see Cosa Nostra going in the future.

IMO there will always be a Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Onorata Societa, or however you'd like to refer to it as. It will just morph into an entity that is unrecognizable as we now know it. And I do think that a certain segment of the organization will always indulge in criminality. Major narcotics smuggling. Big monetary schemes, scams, etc Gambling is its not legalized nationwide, etc.

Maybe not the bulk of the Families, but a segment. They may condense in size. In fact I'm sure they will. It's happening now....but IMO they'll go on.

Let's face it. The Mafia is an ancient entity or organization..... been around hundreds of years. I don't see them dissipating any time soon.

It will just be a lot different than they've been..... I believe they are good Chameleons, and will change color and shape if needed to continue on.

There was once 25 families but now there are only 8-9? And those families are severely undermanned if you compare them to days gone by. I think their decline will continue.
If they can't replace their membership then they are heading for extinction, and that is what is happening - they can't replace their membership. Sure it will be decades before they go extinct, but it will happen eventually.

I predict in 50 years there will only be the Genovese family left and they will only have 2-3 crews underseige from Russian OC groups who are moving in on their gambling and shy rackets.

Adding fuel to the fire is when you start seeing Italian kids being named Trevor and Jake. To me thats the end.
I still live in a very italian area and its a throw back to the 1980’s is many ways.

LOL...... Lenox, you've just said a mouthful! MORE than a mouthful. Trevor, Jake, Blake, Kristian, etc..... once theres no more Frankie, Johnny, Sammy, Bobby, Al, Jimmy and Sally..... there're done!... LOL we're done!

All these Yuppie, Puppie names. All these Whitebread, "UN-ethnic" names are a telltale sign of Cosa Nostra's downfall. with THAT I wholeheartedly agree.

You lose the history, tradition, "flavor" if you will, of who and what they are.

The point I was trying to make in my post was just that the Mafia (in some shape or form) will be around. Especially in Southern Italy and Sicily. Over there you will NEVER, EVER, fully eradicate it.

Because of that America will always have at least some Mafiosi here. If not American born, then Italian born who come over. It may not by the 24-26 crews that they started out with. As you pointed out, there's only 8-10 true families left in 2020 now anyway. In years to come I don't see them making a miraculous comeback. But I do think you'll have a few crews around. Even if at some future point in time they merge. Maybe not in Chicago, Detroit or even Philly anymore. But down the road in the NY-NJ area. The hub and center of their universe? Yes, I do think we will continue to see that.

If at some point in time they choose to absorb Italian born mafiosi into their ranks, THAT will be the blood infusion (literally) that Cosa Nostra needs.


........We may even see in 10, 20 years, Sicilian and Calabrian born mafiosi setting sail for America and starting up solid "complete" borgatas in the USA if the Americans are not strong enough anymore. It could be like 1910-1930 all over again. "Round 2" so to speak.... far fetched? I'm not so sure of that.

I wouldn't count the Mafia out just yet! If history has taught us anything, it's shown us that they are a very resilient bunch.

A little far fetched. 2030-2040 will look a lot different than 1910-1930.

....Of course. It will look a lot different on all fronts. I'm only saying that Cosa Nostra/The Mafia is alive and well in Italy. And that this is what they do. Immigrate to other countries.

I doubt it would ever be amid the waves of millions of Italian immigrants coming to America like they did in the early 1900s, but certainly hundreds of mafiosi could very well migrate to New York, etc., for the sole purpose of establishing a new beachhead.

Just look all across Europe, Australia, the U.S., Canada for goodness sake! America is a prized plum. Always has been. Do you really think that if in fact the American Cosa Nostra was ever to be completely eradicated that the Italian/Sicilian "men of honor" wouldn't come over in larger numbers and set up shop in a bigger way than they've done in the past?

Hell, they've been doing it already for the last sixty plus years. But they've had to recognize and pay a tribute to the American families which is customary of any mafia group that wants to operate in another Families territory.

Perfect examples of this are the Gambino brothers who settled into Brooklyn and later Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Also Lorenzo Mannino who were later absorbed into the Carlo Gambino Family. Many, many Bonanno's who as early as a week or so ago took a hit back in Sicily. The prosecutors over there said that evidence they uncovered during their investigation clearly pointed to the Sicilians supplying the American Bonanno's with manpower and constant cooperation between the two countries.

Then we have the N'dranheta who are setting up shop in New York, Miami, and elsewhere in North America (and all over Canada as well), as clearly evidenced by their arrests several years ago in NYC where they worked in tandem with the Gambino and Genovese Families. They got pinched right along with another 20 + American mob guys.

But if the Americans were ever weakened to the degree we are talking about, I think you'd either see them (the American bosses) welcome new Italian blood with open arms, or if they were that weak the native Italians would just "set up shop" on their own as they've done plenty of times before.

Do you really think that's far-fetched?? ...because I definitely don't. In fact to the contrary, the more I think about it, I do think it's quite possible. Even probable!

Yeah it's not hard to imagine the 'Ndrangheta and other Italian OC groups expanding their presence in New York if the American Cosa Nostra was completely eradicated but I don't see them having full-blown borgatas. Then again I suppose it depends on what you consider a borgata. 20 made guys could be called a crew like the 18th Ave crew, or 20 made guys could be called a borgata like the Detroit partnership.......all depends on your definition of a borgata.

I think that in the future maybe a borgata can made of a core of stand up guys and hundred of associates.

Even in the Sopranos,the guys mock Walden Belfiore 'cause his name.

Furio, Lol, definately!..... where did these cretins come from to begin with? Lol

NyMafia speaking of the Sopranos,the sequel Many Saints of Newark refer to Moltisanti? Because Moltisanti in english is translated as Many Saints.

I never thought of that but now that you mention it, lol, that's very correct!... smart story writing on David Chases part.

“The Sopranos… Is that supposed to be us?” – Profile of DeCavalcante Mafia family soldier Joseph Sclafani http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profil...osed-to-be-us-profile-of-decavalcante-ma

Couldn't agree more. Esp in the smaller areas too like Providence. Nothing left.

And then when you think about Italy, that's a whole other story. They're constantly rebuilding the ranks because of how bad of shape the country in economically. So those families/clans will never leave those ghettos. So it only reinforces your point and that's why the mafia will never die in that country.

Its where it all started, so yeah I agree with you. There are not going anywhere. CN will be in Italy forever.