In addition to help at sentence hearings, political officials can give assistance to racketeers who are incarcerated for long periods or who need to erase their criminal convictions in order to secure licenses or other privileges. Hers's a list of members who have been given gubernatorial pardons by Penn. Governors:
JOHN S. LAROCCA: boss Southwestern Family. Pardoned in 1954 by Governor John Fine for the crimes of larceny, receiving stolen goods, and operating a lottery. The pardon was filed after deportation hearings for LaRocca closed, but was dated to occur while the hearings were still in progress. In effect the pardon cleared LaRocca's record and left the government without a deportation case.
JOHN FRANK ROSA(deceased): Capo, Southwestern Family. Pardoned in 1954 by Governor Fine for the crimes of illegal entry and bombing.
NICHOLAS PICCOLO: Capo Bruno Family. Pardoned in 1947 by Governor James Duff for the crime of robbery.
FRANK S. PALERMO, Sr., Member Southeastern Family. Pardoned in 1948 by Governor Duff for the crimes of aggravated assault and battery and operating a lottery. The pardon was needed so that Palermo could obtain a boxing manager's license. In 1961 he was convicted of interstate extortion involving boxing.
LUIGI QUARANTA: Member Southeastern Family. Pardoned in 1938 by Governor George Earle for the crime of murder.
JOSEPH LUCIANO: Member, Erie regime of the Buffalo NY Family. Pardoned in 1938 by Governor Earle for the crime of robbery.
Many other racketeers have received pardons. Mafia member Felix Bocchiccio, a friend of Frank Palermo Sr., and Frank Carbo in boxing rackets, was pardoned in 1949 for the crime of breaking and escaping prison. Erie racketeer Leo Kaminski had his 1955 conviction for bribery and conspiracy commuted by Governor George Leader. The murder conviction of Reading racketeer John Wittig, the enforcer for czar Abe Minker, was commuted in 1952. The sentence of Louis Barish, a racketeer from Delaware County and an associate of Pittsburgh and NY Families, was commuted by Governor Fisher in 1937. He had been convicted in 1953 for murder.
