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.
