Born October 28, 1883 in Campobello di Mazara comune of Trapani, Sicily to Bartolomeo Passanante and Grazia Indelicato. Godparents were Gaspare Pietranocosta and Tommasa Firenze.
Around August 1903 arrived at Ellis Island aboard S.S. Sicilian Prince.
Around September 1907 married Rosa Maggio in Philadelphia. At time of marriage Passanante listed residence at 920 South 6th St in South Philadelphia, where employed as general laborer. [Some records, including the marriage certificate, give Cecola as Rosa's maiden name. There were Cecalas/Cecolas, from Caccamo in Palermo, living in Philadelphia at the time. This may have been a a mistaken reference to another individual of the same name. Subsequent records confirm Biagio's wife as a Maggio. Several members of this family, also from Campobello di Mazara, would be influential LCN members in the region.]
By Summer 1916 left Philadelphia for Boston where a son, Bartolomeo, was born.
By September 1918 moved to 310 Lincoln Ave in Bristol, Pennsylvania, situated along the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey. Ran a grocery from same address.
Although the date of Biagio Passanante's induction is unknown, given his age and relationship to the Maggios he was possibly already a member by 1921. Early that year he was arrested, under alias Leo DiBartholomeo, by the Philadelphia PD for narcotics possession, his first of two known local charges. At the time he gave an address at 835 Christian St in South Philadelphia. Held on $2,500 bail and officially indicted in February 1921, the case ended in acquittal the following month.
By September 1926 resided at 981 Montrose St. That month he filed Petition for Naturalization No. 78 327 in USDC Philadelphia. Witnesses were Domenico Caimi (DOB 6.21.1895 - DOD 12.1981) and Joseph Luppino (7.26.1897 - 2.1956), a chemist and bookkeeper respectively. Both were also from Campobello di Mazara, and both gave the same address of 1166 South 11th St. Passanante became a naturalized citizen on February 25, 1927.
By 1930s resided at 917 South 8th St and operated Red Devil tavern in vicinity Montrose St and South 8th St. Ostensibly a coffee shop, the location was also used as a delivery point for bootleg whiskey purchased from Philadelphia LCN members Frederico and Joseph Lagana. Said to have operated stills in Trenton and Vineland, New Jersey. [An article in the Vineland Evening Times states Passanante resided in Vineland for a time, a claim repeated by one of the FBI's member sources years later.]
May have been involved in shylocking on behalf of Antonio Pollina, who later served as the Family's Acting Boss. Asked about this years later, an FBI member source (possibly Harry Riccobene) gave this response: "[CI] laughed and said if anything, Passanante owed the loansharks considerable amounts of money as he frequently borrowed from them." This source did describe Passanante as 'friend' to Pollina. (The Caccamo-born Pollina's mother was a Cecala, indicating a potential connection to Passanante; as noted above, some early records list Biagio's wife as Rosa Cecola.)
On May 24, 1939 indicted on Federal bootlegging charge. Fined $2,500. A similar indictment the following year gives no disposition.
As told by an FBI source years later, around 1941 a territorial dispute occurred between Passanante and Philadelphia Capodecina Gaetano Scafidi. Passanante sought to operate a card game out of his tavern. Scafidi wanted the same for his own business located nearby at 909 South 8th. A sitdown arbitrated by Marco Reginelli ended in Scafidi's favor as, the source noted, 'Scafidi did not have a lot of money and Passanante was well off financially'.
On July 14, 1942 arrested by Philadelphia PD on disorderly conduct charge. Case dismissed. Final arrest on record.
Died in South Philadelphia on February 12, 1946. Wake held at Leonetti's Funeral Home on Broad Street. Proceedings then moved to Bristol, where a Mass was held at St. Ann's Church, then over to Greenwood Cemetery near Trenton for burial.
