Expanding early Mafia timeline

A great deal of information, along with source citations, has recently been added to Timeline Part 1, 1282-1899. Later parts of the Timeline - largely neglected for more than a decade - will soon receive similar attention.

Additions to Who Was Who

Recent additions to the Who Was Who collection of American Mafia biographies:

Frank "Butsey" Morelli

(1896-1965)

Frank "Butsey" Morelli was an early leader of Italian organized crime in Rhode Island, mentoring a number of later Mafiosi, including Raymond Patriarca and Henry Tameleo. Morelli and some of his brothers long have been suspected of involvement in the April 1920 South Braintree, Massachusetts, robbery-murders for which Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in August 1927.

Gaspare Messina

(1879-1957)

Gaspare Messina was one of just two men known to have served as temporary boss of bosses of the American Mafia. He is also distinguished among Mafia leaders by his lack of arrests and apparent competence as a legitimate businessman.

Vincenzo LePore

(1899-1931)

Vincenzo "Jimmy Marino" LePore was one of a small number of Salvatore Maranzano loyalists murdered following Maranzano's Sept. 10, 1931, assassination. His killing helped to give life to the "Night of Sicilian Vespers" legend in the U.S. Mafia.

Hoffa / Teamsters timeline

Currently under construction:

We are adding an extensive timeline relating to Jimmy Hoffa and his involvement in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union. At this moment the timeline features nearly 200 events up through the year 1959. All timeline items provide source information. Click on the document icon in an item to acquire source reference details.

You can access the timeline through this link: http://mafiahistory.us/a028/f_hoffatime.html

As always, we welcome your comments / criticisms.

Alo biography added

A biography of Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo has been added to the website's Who Was Who section. Alo, a longtime pal of Meyer Lansky, was the inspiration for a number of fictional underworld characters, including "Johnny Ola" of the movie, The Godfather Part II. In real life, Alo was born in Harlem and became an important figure in the Genovese Crime Family, organizing rackets in Bronx and Westchester Counties, as well as in eastern Florida. He helped to link the crime organization led by Frank Costello, and later Vito Genovese, with Lansky. (Three dozen sources are listed following the article.)

Click here to jump to this biography.

'Murder While You Wait'

After his retirement, former NYPD Homicide Bureau leader Arthur A. Carey penned an autobiographical book called, Memoirs of a Murder Man. A chapter in that book looked back at the 1903 Barrel Murder and police efforts to put the early Mafia organization of Giuseppe Morello out of business. Carey's account is noticeably different from the better known story told by William Flynn of the U.S. Secret Service (significant when you note that Flynn's was published first in book and serial forms and was certainly available to Carey at the time he wrote his book). That chapter, entitled "Murder While You Wait," has been added to the website.

Click here to jump directly to the chapter.

Additions to Who Was Who

Several biographies have been added to the Who Was Who section of the website (click on a name to jump to the bio):

•  Antonio "Tony Bender" Strollo (1899-1962) - longtime leader in the Genovese Crime Family.
•  Tomasso "the Ox" Petto (1879-1905) - Enforcer for the early New York Mafia organization of Giuseppe Morello.
•  Salvatore "Charlie Luciano" Lucania (1897-1962) - perhaps the most-talked-about New York Mafia boss.

All of these biographies have source listings at the end.

Morello article

A brief biography of early New York Mafia boss and U.S. Mafia boss of bosses Giuseppe Morello has been added to the website. Entitled, "Sinistro: The Underworld Career of Giuseppe Morello (1867-1930)," the article includes more than 40 endnotes containing references to numerous sources.

Click here for a direct link to the article.

'Frankie Shots' Abbatemarco

A biography of Brooklyn Mafioso Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco has been added to the American Mafia site's Who Was Who. Abbatemarco, brother of Mike Abbatemarco, became a powerful and independent-minded capodecina in the Profaci Crime Family. His 1959 murder appeared to be intended to restore discipline in the Profaci organization but, instead, triggered a determined revolt by the Gallo group in South Brooklyn.

Read more: Abbatemarco, Frank (1899-1959)