Monday, August 5, 2019

Colombo Family Induction Ceremony (1957)

Brief description of Colombo Family ceremony held in or around the middle of 1957.

c. Mid-1957

Location: Magliocco Residence (Bath Beach, Brooklyn)

Attendees:
- Giuseppe Magliocco (59y) (Underboss) (Died 1963)

- Harry Fontana (58y) (Captain) (Died 1979)
- Calogero 'Charlie Sidge' LoCicero (53y) (Captain) (Murdered 1968)
- Salvatore Musacchio (52y) (Captain) (Died 1972)
- John 'Johnny Bath Beach' Oddo (53y) (Captain) (Died 1975)

Members Inducted:
- Leonard Dello (29y) (Died 2009)
- Charles 'Lolly' DePierro (29y) (Died 1973)
- Lawrence Lampasi Jr. (31y) (Murdered 1992)
- Joseph Magnasco (32y) (Murdered 1961)
- Anthony 'Tony Skee' Scianna (26y) (Died 2009)

===

Notes

- Details of the ceremony were provided to the FBI by a Colombo member source in 1974. This informant was a member of the Family's South Brooklyn crew and more or less picked up where CI Gregory Scarpa left off following the latter's deactivation in 1975. It wasn't until this informant was unable to continue providing intel that Scarpa was again approached and re-opened as a source.

- CI described the ceremony as 'brief' and, in naming those present, characterized LoCicero as 'Profaci's sharp-tongued mouthpiece and backbone for 17 years'.

Background on those inducted:

1. Leonard Dello


Born August 1927 to family from Vibo Valentia, Calabria. Member of Harry Fontana's South Brooklyn crew. Joined the Gallo brothers in their revolt against Family Bosses before returning under Captain Nicholas Forlano in 1964. Remained in this crew when leadership transferred from Forlano to Aniello 'Allie Lamont' Giannattasio in the mid-1970s.

After Giannattasio's demotion in September 1976 Dello was transferred first to James 'Jimmy Brown' Clemenza then to the newly promoted Andrew Russo.

In 1979 sentenced to five years Federal imprisonment for stolen securities conviction.

During the intra-Family war briefly switched to the rebel Orena faction.

Member of Thomas Gioeli's crew by the early 2000s. Died 2009.

2. Charles DePierro


Born July 1928 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Nephew to Colombo Soldiers John and Patsy Guariglia and, like his uncles, reported to John Oddo. Ran bookmaking and card games out of candy store and luncheonette on 18th Ave and oversaw a small crew of thieves and hijackers.

In Fall 1971 involved in dispute with Genovese Soldier Joseph Traina, leading unspecified DePierro associates to assault members of Traina's crew. CI Scarpa was present when DePierro was called in by Colombo leaders and threatened with death should the situation escalate further.

On March 14, 1973 found dead of heart attack inside his room at the Manhattan Beach Hotel in Brooklyn. DePierro had been living at the hotel in recent years and was said to have essentially taken the building over; reports were frequent of various illegal activities being conducted on the premises and a woman committed suicide by gunshot in his room the previous year.

3. Lawrence Lampasi Jr.

Source: New York Daily News
Fontana crew member born December 1925 in New York. Father Lorenzo, a long-time Colombo Soldier from Monreale comune of Palermo, acted as one of the primary mediators in the Profaci - Gallo conflict.

In December 1973 shot and wounded by a masked assailant, reportedly at the direction of his crew leader Dominick Scialo. Lampasi had lodged a complaint with Scialo over the murder of one of his bookmakers four days prior. Shortly after this incident Scialo disappeared. Informants later described the unsanctioned Lampasi shooting as the last of Scialo's many infractions as crew leader, and one that led Lampasi's former Captain Harry Fontana to personally request Scialo's murder.

Following Scialo's disappearance Lampasi was transferred to Vincent 'Vinny Sicilian' Gugliaro. In early 1977 Gugliaro was demoted as part of the Family's large-scale reorganization and Lampasi was assigned to the reinstated Aniello Giannattasio. His associate Joseph Tomasello was inducted that February.

In the 1980s reported first to Dominick Montemarano then to Richard Fusco. As a member of Fusco's crew Lampasi joined the Family's Orena faction. In the early morning hours of May 22, 1992 he was shotgunned to death outside a Borough Park apartment building by Persico loyalists.

4. Joseph Magnasco

Source: New York Daily News
Fontana crew member born February 1925 in Brooklyn. His father Pietro, a tailor from Palermo, was shot to death in 1930. Related by marriage to the Abbatemarcos from Salerno, Campania.

Along with Abbatemarco and many other South Brooklyn Colombos, he joined the Gallos in their revolt against the Family. On the afternoon of October 4, 1961 participated in the attempted kidnapping of his former crew leader Harry Fontana outside the College Restaurant in Gowanus. Harry's older brother Salvatore observed the commotion, retrieved a .32 caliber automatic and opened fire, killing Magnasco with three shots before fleeing the scene. Under questioning by law enforcement both Fontanas admitted being present at the time of the shooting but denied involvement.

5. Anthony Scianna


Another South Brooklyn crew member with Palermo heritage, at the time of induction he and brother Vincent aka Jimmy Skee both reported to Calogero LoCicero. Owned the Skee Bar on 11th Ave in Dyker Heights. In July 1962 murdered Giacomo Brez outside location and subsequently fled to San Juan, Puerto Rico where apprehended in January 1964. When tracked down Scianna was managing El Chico Nuevo Bar under alias John Calabrese. (Former Newark Boss Gaspare D'Amico was living in San Juan at this time. D'Amico's brother John was an identified Colombo member and Gaspare was reportedly well acquainted with the Family's South Brooklyn crews. It's worth speculating whether this association influenced Scianna's choice of Puerto Rico as a haven.)

Extradited and formally charged with murder 1st degree, Scianna pleaded guilty the following January and received a sentence of seven-to-twenty years. (Scianna's nephew Joseph 'Joey Flowers' Rotunno was charged for interfering with the investigation.)

Paroled from Wallkill Prison in July 1969 and assigned to Carmine Persico's crew, Scianna moved to Garfield, New Jersey, joined Local 1772 Carpenters Union and worked construction in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Avoiding gambling and other overt criminal activity to prevent a parole violation, one informant claimed Scianna had nonetheless participated in two additional murders shortly after his release. Also carried as a suspect in the 1975 murder of Jacob Molinas in California.

A June 1976 report named four Colombo members who were considered outcasts in the Family. Both Scianna brothers were included due to their heavy drinking. They were reporting to Aniello Giannattasio at the time, broken to Soldier three months later for the same reason, after which the brothers were put with Andrew Russo.

By Fall 1980 Anthony was transferred to the New Jersey crew headed by Salvatore Profaci. In the years since his release from prison Scianna remained in the state, moving from Garfield to Elmwood Park where he opened a luncheonette. He later served as Profaci's Acting Captain and attended the 1987 ceremony where the Cagno brothers were inducted. Identified by CW Carmine Sessa as a member under Thomas Petrizzo circa 1991, an informant report the following year again places him with the Jersey crew. Died 2009 in Florida.

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