Brief descriptions, in chronological order, of known Lucchese Family induction ceremonies from the 1980s.
The majority of this information was obtained from the Lucchese CWs of the 1990s.
Many of the dates given are approximate. It's possible some names listed separately were made together.
===
c. 1981
Location: Unspecified Apartment (The Bronx)
Attendees:
- Antonio 'Tony Ducks' Corallo (67y) (Boss) (Died 2000)
- Salvatore 'Tom Mix' Santoro (67y) (Underboss) (Died 2000)
- Chris 'Christy Tick' Furnari (57y) (Consigliere) (Died 2018)
- Anthony 'Tumac' Accetturo (43y) (Capodecina) (Flipped 1993)
- Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso (47y) (Capodecina) (IPL 1992)
- Anthony 'Buddy' Luongo (42y) (Soldier) (Murdered 1986)
Members Inducted:
- Leo Magliori (ph)
- Thomas Ricciardi (29y) (Flipped 1993) [Sponsored by A. Accetturo]
 |
| Ricciardi |
Ceremony believed to have consisted of verbal oath only.
Ricciardi: "Tumac told me that he had someone for me to kill, and he was taking me to New York to show me who it was. So when I walked into this room Tony Ducks said to me do you know why you're here, and I had never met the Boss of the Family before, so I looked over at Tumac. I didn't know how to answer, and he busted out laughing and he said to Tony, he said he doesn't know why he's here. He thinks he's on a piece of work [meaning murder, and] they had a laugh, and then Tony said you are here to be inducted into [the] Family...[Corallo told me there] should have been a gun and knife on the table. You live and die by the gun and the knife, but somebody had forgot to bring the gun. So he says we're going to just talk through this."
The other inductee named by Ricciardi, transcribed as 'Leo Magliori', may be a reference to Aniello 'Neil' Migliore (48y).
According to a Gang Land News article published in 2019, CW Alfonso D'Arco told the FBI that Migliore had been inducted into a Family outside of New York prior to the books opening in 1976. He was then transferred into the Lucchese Family.
D'Arco possibly received this information directly from Migliore, who was placed in his crew around 1990.
If Migliore was in fact the 'Leo Magliori' named by Ricciardi, then the 1981 ceremony may have been where his transfer to the Luccheses was formalized.
===
August 23, 1982
Location: Unspecified Residence (The Bronx)
Attendees:
- Antonio 'Tony Ducks' Corallo (68y) (Boss) (Died 2000)
- Salvatore 'Tom Mix' Santoro (67y) (Underboss) (Died 2000)
- Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso (47y) (Capodecina) (IPL 1992)
- Peter 'Petey Beck' DiPalermo (67y) (Acting Capodecina) (Died 1990)
- Paul Vario (68y) (Capodecina) (Died 1988)
- Salvatore Avellino (46y) (Soldier)
- Richard DeLuca (46y) (Soldier) (Died 2020)
- Charles 'Charlie Brody' DiPalermo (57y) (Soldier) (Died 2009)
- Frank Manzo (57y) (Soldier) (Died 2012)
Members Inducted:
- Louis 'Crossbay Louie' Daidone (36y) (IPL 2004) [Sponsored by P. Vario]
- Alfonso D'Arco (50y) (Flipped 1991) (Died 2019) [Sponsored by P. Vario]
- Joseph Giampa (41y) [Bronx - Westchester]
- Joseph LaMorte (52y) (Died 1997) [New Jersey - Florida]
- Frank Taccetta (48y) (Died 2006) [Bronx - Westchester]
- 'Frankie Black' LNU
 |
| D'Arco Source: Gang Land News |
D'Arco: "They told me to get dressed up, I lived on Spring Street [in Little Italy, Manhattan], they said get dressed. One of the crews of the Family was on Prince Street [also in Little Italy], they called it the Prince Street crew. At that time there was a guy named Petey Beck DiPalermo. He was Acting Captain there and his brother Joe was I think in prison at that time. Anyway, they [said] go see Petey and be dressed. At a certain time I did.
I met Pete DiPalermo and his brother Charlie DiPalermo and we got in this Cadillac and went up in the Bronx and parked by a brick wall near Westchester Avenue...Another car pulled up, and it was [another] member of the Family known as Sally Bo, Sally DiSimone. He had a 4-door Fleetwood Caddy. We all piled in this car. We met Mr. Manzo, Frank Manzo, and others, got in the car with me. We took off and squared the blocks, you know, we went around, they call it drycleaning the blocks [to make sure] you haven't got a tail or somebody made a mistake and blabbed where they were going, law enforcement heard about it and tailed you, so you get everybody under surveillance, you know.
...Then we were told that we are going to arrive at a house, small house, narrow street with small brick houses, nice houses on the side, when the car stops you pile out of the car and go up the stairs, you got to go upstairs, the door would be open for you, just pile in there...We all piled out [and] went upstairs. A guy named Sally Avellino, another member of the Lucchese Family opened the door, and there was a backup guy, a Richie DeLuca [who] was another member. We all went [into] this little parlor room, small room with couch, some chairs, there were six of us...It was me, Louie Daidone, Joe LaMorte, Joe Giampa, Frank Taccetta, a guy named Frankie Black; I never saw him after that.
...We just sat in the parlor. There was a like a sheet, bed sheet over another doorway, and that doorway, I didn't know but I learned later it was a kitchen area, small kitchen, and we were told when your name gets called, you go where the sheet is into the other area. We sat in there and they called my name.
...I went, like they said to go, through the sheet and when I walked in there, [Frank] Manzo was in there [along with] Pete DiPalermo and Charlie DiPalermo, and there were others in the room. There was a small table, the doorway, then you face the window, there was a small table there, and I was sitting right in front [of] Mr. Tom Mix, who was the Underboss, Santora [and] to his left was Tony Ducks Corallo [who] was Boss of the Family. And to his right in the third seat was Paul Vario, my captain, and right immediately to my right hand was Vic Amuso, who was captain at that time, and Sally Avellino was in the front room, they were going back and forth, they were like keeping watch in the front room [with] Richie DeLuca, and that was it.
...When I sat down they said you know why you are here [and I gave the customary] answer, you know why you are there, the customary answer is no. You are not supposed to know, you have no knowledge of the Family, you know...They said you know you are going to be made part of this Family, is that OK with you [and I said of] course. You'd better say it's OK with you, yes.
...Then they said you know you might have to kill somebody. I shrugged my shoulders [and] he said OK, he said I am going to crumple up some papers. He had some paper on the table. There was a towel on the table with a gun and knife under it. They took it off the gun and knife, they crumpled up these papers, and [he said] you are going to get your finger punched, trigger finger punched with a pin, you know, and Paul [Vario] is going to do that, and then [we] are going to put the blood on the papers and light them, you keep shuffling the papers back and forth like this so you don't get burned, and you repeat the words that I tell you.
...The words were that may I burn, my soul burn in Hell like these papers if I betray anyone in this Family or betray anyone in this room. [Afterwards] they ran some rules. [Santoro] introduced himself to me. That's the only time they told me how to make introductions, all that. Then it was like a formal thing, he introduced himself to me, you know, congratulations, you are a member, then [Santoro] introduced me to the Boss, Tony Corallo.
...[Santoro] introduced me to the Boss, then the Boss introduced me back to Tom Santora as the Underboss, and so forth around the room to each guy and his title, they told me who were the members of the other Families, the Bosses of other Families...[Santora] introduced me to Paul Vario, this is your Captain, you are with Paul, they introduced me to Vic Amuso, everybody around the room and their titles, Frank Manzo and Charlie DiPalermo and Petey DiPalermo...[Afterwards they] told me to sit down. There was a couple of chairs in a small area. I sat in one of the chairs there. And they called the other men in, one at a time.
...After everybody went through the ceremony and met each other, they had all the coffee and sandwiches and cake, cookies and what. We all stood up and [he] says, 'Tack up'. Everybody grabbed each other's hands and made a circle which is tacatta; it means to be tied to one another. And they said, 'The affairs of this Family are closed,' meaning that whatever went on in this room from then on, the members or anybody, you didn't say it. So we did that. We had this coffee, but everybody was anxious to get out of there because it was crowded and especially the bosses wanted to get out for law enforcement, the way we came, pulled up and we went out a few at a time."
===
Pre-1984
 |
| Avellino |
- Carmine Avellino (38y) [Sponsored by J. Capra?]
===
Fall 1985
- Donato 'Finnegan' Christiano (49y) (Murdered 1987) [Sponsored by A. Luongo]
An FBI report from January 1987 noted: "[Source] credited Anthony Luongo's death [in 11/86] to Luongo's decision to 'make' Finnegan without express approval of the Lucchese hierarchy."
===
Pre-1986
- Ralph Cuomo (50y) (Died 2008) [Sponsored by C. DiPalermo?]
- Chris 'Jumbo' Furnari Jr. (27y) (Died 2020)
===
c. 1986
- Joseph Massaro (43y) (IPL 1993) [Sponsored by A. Russo]
- Carmine Varriale (29y) (Murdered 1987)
===
February 1987
Location: Apartment located above Funeral Parlor (Brooklyn)
Attendees:
- Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso (52y) (Boss) (IPL 1992)
- Others
Members Inducted:
- Peter 'Fat Pete' Chiodo (36y) (Flipped 1991)
- Others
===
c. 1987
- Frank Lastorino (48y) (Died 2022)
- John Petrucelli (43y) (Murdered 1989) [Sponsored by V. Amuso]
===
Pre-1988
- Ray Argentina (32y) [Sponsored by P. Vario]
===
Mid-to-Late 1988
Location: Residence (Canarsie, Brooklyn)
Attendees:
- Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso (53y) (Boss) (IPL 1992)
- Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso (46y) (Acting Underboss) (Flipped 1994) (Died 2020)
- Robert 'Bobby' Amuso (55y) (Capodecina) (Died 1994)
- Alfonso D'Arco (56y) (Capodecina) (Flipped 1991)
Members Inducted:
- Anthony 'Big Tony' Calagna (50y) (Died 2000)
- George 'Goggles' Conte (28y)
- Joseph D'Arco (32y) (Flipped 1991) [Sponsored by V. Amuso]
- Anthony Senter (33y) (IPL 1989)
- Joseph Testa (33y) (IPL 1989)
- One Additional Inductee
Alfonso D'Arco re his son Joseph's induction: "My cousin, who was the consigliari in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Family, wanted to take my son down there and induct him into their Family. And I stopped that. I didn't stop it; you can't stop it. But I told him, Joe, his name was -- I said -- Joe Sega [Sica] -- I said, Joe, my son doesn't want to move to Pittsburgh, you know."
===
Pre-May 1989
- George 'Georgie Neck' Zappola (32y)
===
October 1989
Location: Residence on or near Farragut Rd (Canarsie, Brooklyn)
Attendees:
- Vittorio 'Vic' Amuso (54y) (Boss) (IPL 1992)
- Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso (47y) (Underboss) (Flipped 1994) (Died 2020)
- Robert 'Bobby' Amuso (56y) (Capodecina) (Died 1994)
- Salvatore Avellino (53y) (Capodecina)
- Anthony 'Bowat' Baratta (51y) (Capodecina)
- Peter 'Fat Pete' Chiodo (39y) (Capodecina) (Flipped 1991)
- John Conti (55y) (Soldier)
Members Inducted:
- Joseph 'Little Joe' Defede (55y) (Flipped 2001) (Died 2012) [Sponsored by V. Amuso]
- Michael DeSantis (34y) [Sponsored by P. Chiodo]
- Frank 'Frankie Pearl' Federico (61y) [Sponsored by A. Baratta]
- Richard Pagliarulo (40y) (Died 1999) [Sponsored by P. Chiodo]
- Frank 'Frankie Bones' Papagni (32y)
 |
| Defede Source: New York Daily News |
Defede: "[Vic Amuso] put me on what we call on his list, I was proposed, and I didn't know exactly when [until Vic's brother Bobby Amuso] called me to come down...[Bobby] told me to get dressed. This was on Saturday, to get dressed, on Monday somebody will pick you up, which they did, they dropped me off at a Canarsie restaurant, met a few other people there, in turn we went into Brooklyn.
...When I walked into the house, a couple of other people there, there was a living room, we sat around for a while, somebody got called downstairs to go into the basement...[I waited] and they sent for me next one to go downstairs...When I got downstairs there was a table, administration sitting behind that table, there was a gun and knife on the table. [Administration] at that time it was Boss and Underboss and a Capo [Sal Avellino].
...They asked me two questions, do you know what you are doing here tonight, I told them no. The right answer was no. Then they asked me, if we ask you to kill somebody, the right answer was yes, which I did...They started the thing where they pinch my finger, got some blood, a little tissue, roll it on my finger, the blood got on the tissue, they come up with words, if you tell on your friends or anybody in this place what happened tonight, may you burn like this paper...[After my induction the others] all come down one at a time, we get introduced to them as amica nostra.
...[After] inductions, we sat around the table and then they start introducing the administration and then we start to get rules. Somebody would say in Italian, the Lucchese business is now open, and they start giving out the rules...No drugs, no paper, no counterfeit, no securities, anything to get back to the Lucchese Family, no things with guys' wives, daughters and sisters. [You] are not allowed to touch any other member, you can't hit any other member in the Luccheses or other crews. [Afterwards everyone] held their hands and in Italian they said, the Lucchese business is finished."
===
c. 1980s (Confirmed Inducted Pre-1990)
- Michael Angelo Contino (46y) [New Jersey - Florida]
- John 'Sonny' Giglio (50y) (Died 2002) [NJ]
- Michael 'Big Mike' LaBarbara Jr. (50y) (Died 2004)
- 'Butch' LNU [Brooklyn]
- Patsy Maselli (60y) (Died 1994) [Yonkers]
- Frank Petrullo (50y) (Died 2007)
- Frank Suppa (45y) (Flipped c. 1994) [NJ - FL]
- John Trematerra (55y) (Died 2018) [FL]
- Many others
Edit1: Narrowed date for Chiodo induction taken from press report.
