Antonino 'Nino' Sciglitano was a member of the Bruno Family.
Born September 10, 1902 in Barritteri frazione of Seminara, Reggio Calabria to Giovanni and Caterina Febbo.
Around 1923 served in Italian Army.
On March 14, 1925 obtained a false passport under the name Francesco D'Elia.
Six days later he was issued a Non-Quota Immigration Visa under the false name in Messina, Sicily.
Sciglitano presented these credentials when he arrived at Ellis Island, New York the following month. He listed his occupation as a baker and gave his final destination as Fort Lee, New Jersey where his brother Joseph Sciglitano was then residing.
By 1930 the brothers moved to Chester, Pennsyvlania and partnered in a beer distributorship. They were commonly known in the area under the alias Marino.
On the morning of March 5, 1934 the frozen bodies of Gus 'Brown' Masino and William Schwalbe, tied together and wrapped in a blanket, were discovered in Shellpot Creek located about five miles outside of Wilmington, Delaware.
The victims, last seen en route to Chester on February 27, were both stabbed multiple times in the chest. According to at least one press account Schwalbe's throat was also slashed ear to ear.
Both had a penny in their hand or pocket. Contemporary press described this as an indication that the victims were 'chiselers'.
The Chester Police Department arrested Nino, his brother Joseph and Bruno Member Dominick Festa later the same day. Joseph Doman, a truck driver employed by the Sciglitanos, was temporarily held.
The following day Bruno Member James 'Jimmy' Gaglioti was also arrested.
On March 6 Dr. William Fenimore shared his conclusion that the victims had been held down, throttled, stabbed multiple times with a heated ice pick and then left to bleed out. The Morning News reported: "...This method of murder makes it possible for the victim to suffer intense pain and yet remain conscious for as long as two to three hours, it was said. As an indication of the intense pain the men must have suffered before death, Dr. Fenimore pointed to the hole in Masino's lip, which police at first believed was a bullet hole, and said that it was probably caused by Masino's biting his lip in agony."
Cheste Police suspected Masino and Schwalbe were killed either at a location in town or near the Pennsylvania - Delaware border, the perpetrators then driving to a bridge overlooking the creek and throwing the bodies over. They were unable to find the actual crime scene however, and the group was released for lack of evidence on March 14.
Nino and his brother were likely already made members of Bruno Family.
By the 1940s the Chester crew was headed by Giuseppe 'Joe Lupo / Peppi' Perugino. Members included Dominick Festa, James Gaglioti, Demetrio 'Smarty Money' Pennestri and the Sciglitano brothers. All were Calabrian.
Associates included William 'Fish Cake' Dostiglio, Mario 'Murph' Eufrasio and Charles 'Fat Charlie' Zoiena.
In addition to conducting legitimate business, particularly in beer distribution, Perugino and his men oversaw the city's numbers and horsebetting operations. Card games were run from the candy store on 3rd St, a common meeting place for the crew.
On January 22, 1943 Nino submitted a sworn statement in Philadelphia regarding his use of fraudulent papers when entering the country in 1925. The FBI later summarized: "[Sciglitano] stated that after discharge from the Italian Army in 1923 or 1924, he returned to his home where the political situation not being very good, he decided to come to the United States. He discussed the matter of obtaining a passport with a person who said he would get the proper papers which would get the subject into [the country] for approximately 2,000 lira plus a number of photographs. Sometime later, this person gave the subject a passport, which he did use in coming to [the US]. Instant passport was in the name of D. Ella Francesco, a name which this person told the subject he would have to use until he got to the US. After arriving [Sciglitano] was to say that he had been born in Argentina but had gone to Italy and that he was now returning to Argentina by way of the United States."
In April 1943 the INS issued an arrest warrant against Sciglitano for violating Immigration Laws.
An Immigration Hearing was held in Philadelphia the following year and it was decided to allow Sciglitano a voluntary departure. He left the US on April 27, 1945.
On February 26, 1946 he legally re-entered the country at Niagara Falls, New York with the stated intention of permanent residence.
In June 1947 he was issued a passport in Philadelphia and briefly left the country again, returning in November.
On November 29, 1951 he was naturalized in the Common Pleas Court located in Media, PA.
Sciglitano was then residing at 820 West 3rd St in Chester and continued to work as a beer distributor.
On October 2, 1952 he and Bruno Member Demetrio Pennestri arrived in New York aboard a flight from Italy.
On July 31, 1959 Nino applied for a beer distributorship license under the trade name Delaware Valley Beverages. Initially under Nino's sole ownership, the business was updated to include Joseph and to change location to 317-21 Pusey St.
By the 1960s Joseph Sciglitano was the Capodecina in Chester.
Members of the Sciglitano crew included James Gaglioti, Anthony Iacono, Santo 'Sam' Idone, Antonino 'Nino' Sciglitano and Antonino 'Tony' Sciglitano, a nephew. Possible crew members included Vincenzo 'Upstate Jimmy' Amato, Jack Parisi and Joseph Scalleat.
On January 22, 1965 the Sciglitano brothers were interviewed by the FBI in Chester. Agents noted: "Joseph Sciglitano furnished [information] which was concurred by Anthony Sciglitano by constant nodding of his head."
Joseph provided family, health and employment details and admitted that Bruno Member James Gaglioti was employed as a route driver by their distributorship.
Joseph denied knowing Former Bruno Acting Boss Antonio Pollina but admitted a close relationship with Consigliere Joseph 'Joe the Boss' Rugnetta: "[He] sees Joe Rugnetta of Philadelphia on an average of about once every six months. He knows very few Sicilians and has no dealings with them. He knows only Calabrians and limits his association to people of this ethnic origin."
On April 23, 1965 Bruno Member Joseph Lagana was interviewed. Asked about the Sciglitano brothers he stated: "He identified these individuals as living in Chester where they operate a beer distributing place. They came from the same town in Italy as he did and he has not seen them for approximately five or six years."
On May 4, 1965 one of the FBI's sources in Philadelphia acknowledged knowing the Sciglitanos '25 years ago' and described them as 'close friends of Joe Rugnetta'.
In February 1967 FBI CI and Bruno Member Rocco Scafidi reported on a meeting he had with Underboss Ignazio Denaro at the latter's Cafe Internazionale in South Philadelphia. While there Scafidi was formally introduced to Santo Idone and Tony Sciglitano, the nephew, as made members: "[Scafidi] continued he did not know why the two individuals were in touch with Denaro [nor] did he know for certain how long they had been LCN members." The pair told Scafidi that they knew his brother Sam, who died the previous month, and stated that the Sciglitano brothers had attended Sam's wake 'and in doing so represented all of the LCN members from Chester'. They also stated Joseph and Nino were 'doing good in the beer business' and told Scafidi to reach out through Delaware Valley Beverages if he visited Chester.
On May 18, 1967 Nino and Joseph were again interviewed the FBI.
The brothers provided Agents with an extensive breakdown of the relationship between the Sciglitano, Idone and Gaglioti families.
Agents noted: "Anthony Sciglitano commented that shortly he will go on pension at age 65 and will derive an income of $130 per month Social Security. He commented 'we could live like a king over there on that amount'."
The Sciglitanos were asked about the recent arrest of Bruno Capodecina Pasquale Massi on an obscenity related charge: "Neither Sciglitano brother hesitated in replying. Joseph Sciglitano immediately said that he had heard about Pat Massi. Anthony Sciglitano commented that he had met him but not seen him for a year. Joseph Sciglitano said: 'Yes, somebody had told me about the incident'. He said he did not know the Massi story was in the newspapers or on the radio. Anthony Sciglitano commented that he did not believe the story, to which Joseph Sciglitano replied, 'no, these fellas don't lie'. Joseph Sciglitano appeared to know exactly what had happened and was aware that the FBI was handling matter. Anthony Sciglitano commented he knew the incident had happened at a hotel."
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 and Nino both left the country for Reggio Calabria not long afterwards. Joseph died there in April 1971.
In December 1971 a relative, possibly Bruno Member Tony Sciglitano, told the FBI: "[Nino Sciglitano] still remains in Italy and intends to continue to reside in that country for an indefinite period of time. [Nino] is presently doctoring a bronchitis condition from which he has suffered his entire life...He does not know whether [Nino] will ever return to this county to live."
An FBI hierarchy chart prepared in November 1972 lists Antonino Sciglitano as a Capodecina. This is believed to have been either a mistaken inclusion or a reference to his nephew of the same name. The FBI later clarified: "Investigation of [Nino] Sciglitano during recent years has developed no information that he has ever been in a policy making position in the LCN or that he has been active in any LCN projects of functions. Also, he has never been consulted regarding LCN decisions of policy and in reality, his LCN membership has been totally inactive."
In September 1974 Bruno Member Anthony Iacono told the FBI that 'Anthony still lives in Italy and apparently has no intention of returning to the US'.
Around May 1975 the FBI's Legal Attache in Rome requested that all Italian border points and police districts be advised of the interest in Sciglitano and to provide notification on his travels.
In September 1975 an FBI member source passed along information that three made members in the Bruno Family had recently died: Vincenzo Amato, Rocco DiCondina and 'Antonino (Nino) Sciglitani'.
Three months later the FBI stated: "[Nino] is about 73 years old and reportedly has resided in Italy for the past five years. He and his brother, Joseph, went to Italy to die there and Joseph died several years ago."
The September 1975 claim of Sciglitano's death may have been a premature declaration brought about by worsening health. According to his Social Security Death Index entry he died in July 1976, presumably in Calabria.
