FBI Surveillance (Midwest)

 

L to R: LaGalbo, DeGeorge, DiBella

FBI surveillance photo taken at an unknown location in August 1961.

Those depicted:

1. Frank LaGalbo (1908-1976): Member of the Milwaukee Family who transferred to Chicago around 1954. Like many other members of that Family he was born in Bagheria, Palermo. On May 24, 1976 found dead of an apparent suicide by gunshot.

2. James DeGeorge (1899-1978): Chicago Member from Ribera comune of Agrigento. As the result of an intra-Family conflict, DeGeorge was ordered out of that city by the Family's leadership on threat of death.

3. John DiBella (1890-1964): Bonanno member from Montelepre in Palermo. Moved to Wisconsin in the 1940s, residing at the Hotel Retlaw in the town of Fond du Lac where he managed Grande Cheese Company. Others with financial interests in the company included the wife of Family Boss Joseph Bonanno. DiBella became a naturalized US citizen under sponsorship of Milwaukee Family members John Alioto and Pasquale Migliaccio. He died in 1964, his funeral held in Fond du Lac and attended by members from across the country.

Readers interested in Chicago and Milwaukee should visit Gavin Schmitt's Milwaukee Mafia site, which hosts various member bios, photos, FBI file cliffnotes along with a large collection of the files themselves that the site owner has taken the time to make available to all. The site was single-handedly responsible for sparking my interest in the Midwest Families, and information on LaGalbo and DeGeorge was found in its uploaded documents.

Joseph Sciglitano (Bruno Capodecina)

 

August 1968

Passport Photo of Joseph 'Joe Marino' Sciglitano, Philadelphia's Captain in Chester, Pennsylvania during the 1960s-early 1970s.

Born April 17, 1895 in Seminara comune of Reggio Calabria, Sciglitano was living in Chester by 1934 where he and Philadelphia Member Demetrio 'Smart Money' Pennestri (1898-1961) ran a beer distributorship at 226 Lamokin St. Pennestri was identified in a 1958 FBI report as having been Underboss for Joe Bruno until an 'error of judgement' led to his demotion.

Pennestri was also from Reggio Calabria (Pellaro), along with the rest of the crew's known membership, many of whom were related by blood.

Joseph's younger brother Antonino (1902-1976), as well as a cousin of the same name (1927-2005), were members, as were in-laws James Gaglioti (1903-1967) and Santo 'Sam' Idone (1920-2005).

Additional members included Joseph Scalleat (1911-1993) from Hazleton, Dominick Festa (1897-1959) and Giuseppe 'Peppi / The Wolf' Perugino (1879-1949), who reports indicate may have been one of Chester's early crew leaders.

By 1964 Joseph Sciglitano had taken that role, overseeing his crew's activities while running a beer distribution firm with his brother Antonino.

He was identified in informant reports as part of the Family's Calabrian faction along with fellow Captain Nicholas Piccolo and Consigliere Joseph Rugnetta. Years later Rugnetta's nephew Dominic (1924-2021) was named as part of the Chester crew.

In early 1969 Joseph supported Family Consigliere Joseph Rugnetta and Capodecina Nicholas 'Nicky Buck' Piccolo in a dispute over the pending induction of new members. The conflict centered on a plan to have the ceremony occur in New Jersey. The Rugnetta side refused to attend a ceremony unless it was held in Philadelphia. An FBI member source reported: "[CI] believes [Boss Angelo] Bruno will contact members of Commission, LCN. [Underboss Ignazio] Denaro said that the reason Rugnetta, Sciglitano and Piccolo do not want to go to New Jersey was because they, all of whom are members of the Calabrian Group, Philadelphia LCN, have no candidate for induction." The ceremony is believed to have been called off and the various candidates inducted in following years.

Joseph Sciglitano died April 1971 while visiting the Calabrian comune of Palmi, located not far from his birthplace.

His nephew Tony Sciglitano may have briefly taken over as Captain. He was succeeded by Santo Idone.

Joseph Meringolo (Bufalino)

 

August 6, 1982

FBI surveillance photos of Joseph Meringolo (1921-2016) taken in Utica, New York.

The report accompanying the photographs notes that Meringolo had been identified by a Bureau source as a made member of the Bufalino Family, although his name does not appear on available membership lists and hierarchy charts from the time period.

Those same charts do include Joseph's younger brother, William 'Brooklyn Willie' Meringola (1925-2008). They were born in Manhattan to a father from Calabria's Cosenza province, living first in Tribeca, Manhattan before moving to Downtown Brooklyn.

By the 1970s Joseph Meringolo, a member of IBT Local 707, resided in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey and worked for Howard's Express in nearby Rutherford. He died in September 2016.

Salvatore Giglia (Patriarca Member)

Undated surveillance photograph of obscure Patriaca member Salvatore Giglia.

Born September 15, 1900 in Aragona comune of Agrigento, Sicily.

On December 6, 1920 married Rose Boiardi in Aragona.

On May 18, 1929 arrived at Port of Boston aboard S.S. Presidente Wilson. He and Sebastiano Giannino (50y), another immigrant from Aragona, listed the city as their final destination.

On August 3, 1931 filed Declaration of Intention in USDC Boston. His family still in Sicily, Giglia resided alone at 11 Charles St in Waltham, Massachusetts and listed his occupation as barber.

His Petition for Citizenship was filed August 31, 1933 at the same place.

Witnesses to the petition were brothers and fellow Aragonesi Gerlando (1898-1989) and James Russo (1904-2003), operators of the Russo Variety Store at 184 Newton St in Waltham.

Giglia was naturalized in February 1934.

For the next fifty years the extent of his involvement in the Patriarca Family is unknown.

By February 1942 he resided at 75 Maple St in Waltham. His WWII Draft Card lists employment with Frank Calore at 344A Washington St in nearby Brighton. Also residing at the Maple St address was Dr. Marcello Gandolfo, who Giglia named as a reference. Gandolfo was born 1872 in the northern Italian comune of Oneglia, Liguria.

In September 1954 Giglia's son Peter joined his father in the US. Salvatore was then living at 81 Maple St and worked as a barber in Newtownville.

In March 1957 Peter briefly left the country to marry Rosa Scilea in Aragona. He returned and was naturalized in Boston four years later.

Salvatore Giglia's affiliation with the Patriarca Family remained unknown to authorities until approximately September 1983, when a Federal Drug Task Force began investigating Biagio DiGiacomo.

Through CI and wiretap information it was determined that DiGiacomo, born 1946 in Aragona, was a made member of the Patriarca Family. Furthermore, DiGiacomo reported to a previously unknown Captain, Salvatore Giglia.

The FBI subsequently reported: "During the last 15-20 years, an unknown male has been known to attend various LCN functions but no positive identification was ever made. In view of the information furnished by [Top Echelon CI], it appears likely that Salvatore Giglia is identical to the unknown male."

A follow up report was soon filed: "[Giglia] has been characterized as a Sicilian 'don' who has been living in the Boston area for many years. DiGiacomo [is reportedly] a member of Giglia's regime."

Ten days later the FBI noted: "...It has been proven that Giglia has access to the hierarchy of the Organized Crime Family in Boston." A separate report specifies that Giglia was known to be in contact with Underboss Gennaro 'Jerry' Angiulo.

An April 16, 1988 article in The Boston Globe references a Family hierarchy chart compiled by the FBI, noting that Giglia was among nine identified as Captains. Biagio DiGiacomo is named as a Captain in the same chart, the article describing the pair as 'members of the Sicilian Mafia'.

It's probable that DiGiacomo was Acting Captain for Giglia, then approaching ninety, or that Giglia had stepped down and been officially replaced.

By 1989 known members of DiGiacomo's regime included Vincent 'Dee Dee' Gioacchini (37y) and Anthony 'Spucky' Spagnolo (47y).

Giglia died February 17, 1990 in Waltham.

Gambino Arrest Photo (1964)

L to R: A. Dellacroce, Joseph Gennaro, C. Dellacroce

NYPD lineup photo of Aniello Dellacroce, Joseph Gennaro and Carmine 'Chicago Jim' Dellacroce. The trio were briefly held on a consorting charge.

Aniello Dellacroce and Joseph Gennaro were both Captains, Gennaro having taken over from the recently demoted Carmine Lombardozzi.

The membership status of Carmine Dellacroce, brother to Aniello, is not as clear.

In January 1967, an FBI member source reported that he was formally introduced to Carmine Dellacroce as a made member by Gambino Soldier Charles 'Charlie West' DeLutro.

In September 1968 a second member source, believed to be Carmine Lombardozzi himself, claimed Dellacroce was not made.

Carmine Dellacroce died the following January in Dallas, Texas. Reports note that the Gambino Family contributed to a fund for his family, but offer no clarification as to his membership status. His name is absent from subsequent lists of dead members compiled by the FBI.