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| 1932 |
Thomas Scardino was a member of the Bonanno Family.
Born Gaetano Scardino on January 23, 1897 in Camporeale, Palermo to Angelo and Angelina Beninati.
Angelo arrived at Ellis Island aboard the S.S. Scotia on November 9, 1897, destined for 'uncle' Antonio Governale at 104 Franklin Ave in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.
Governale, also from Camporeale, was likely an early leader in the Bonanno Family.
Angelo took up residence at 594 Flushing Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and worked as a painter.
Thomas arrived in the United States aboard the S.S. Ancona in March 1913 and took up residence on Flushing Ave near his father, who died three years later.
On April 29, 1917 he married Concetta Saladino in Brooklyn. The bride's parents also hailed from Camporeale. Antonio and Vincenzo Lecato (Licata?) acted as witnesses.
The Scardinos moved to 205 Wallabout St in Williamburg. Thomas worked as a tailor with L. Cohen located at 62 West 14th St near Manhattan's West Village.
On February 14, 1927 his Declaration of Intention was filed in the US District Court in Brooklyn.
On April 28, 1930 he filed Petition for Citizenship with Lawrence Alaimo and in-law Joseph Saladino as witnesses. He became a naturalized US citizen that summer.
Lawrence Joseph Alaimo (1902-1949), possibly from Caltanissetta, resided at 29 Ellery St in Bedford-Stuyvesant. He worked as a chauffeur and also operated a pool room.
Joseph Saladino (1888-1971?) resided at 440 Marcy Ave in Williamsburg and, like Scardino, listed his occupation as tailor.
Three years previous a younger Joseph Saladino (DOB c. 1902) was shot and wounded outside his residence next door at 433 Marcy.
In November 1932 Scardino applied for a US Passport in Brooklyn, seeking a two-month trip to visit his sister in Sicily. He then worked as a soap maker with a florist on Wallabout St in Williamsburg. His witness on the application was salesman / importer Charles Giambalvo of 521 Atkins Ave in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood.
Calogero 'Charles' Giambalvo (1891-1963) was born in Santa Margherita di Belice, Agrigento.
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| 1927 |
Scardino was likely a made member of the Bonanno Family by the time he became a citizen.
Among his associates were the LaBruzzo brothers Frank and Lucio, also from Camporeale. An FBI report later from 1965 noted: "[Scardino] was a close friend of [Lucio] in Italy and renewed the friendship in this country." Lucio died in 1960. Frank went on to briefly serve as the Bonanno Family's Acting Boss.
On May 18, 1936 Salvatore Ferrugia, another future Acting Boss, married Scardino's niece Martha at St. Joseph Patron Church in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Martha was the daughter of Anthony, brother to Thomas, and Marietta Saladino. Jennie Alaimo and Archibald Vaccaro acted as witnesses.
By the early 1940s Thomas Scardino and his wife were living at 414 Stanhope St in Bushwick, Brooklyn. His World War II Draft Card lists self-employment a couple of blocks south at 182 Wyckoff Ave. By 1947 the Scardinos moved to 1464 Greene Ave, located adjacent to the Wyckoff Ave business address.
In November 1947 Concetta Scardino purchased seven acres of land in the town of Gardiner, located about seventy miles north of New York City in Ulster County.
By 1950 the Scardinos were living in Gardiner at P.O. Box 175. The property consisted of the main house, multiple cabins and a work shop where Thomas operated the Gardiner Cabinet and Woodworking Company.
On March 14, 1955 Thomas went into partnership with Salvatore Ricci and renamed the business to Gardiner Cabinet Making and Woodworking Company. The partnership dissolved early the following year and the business reverted to its original name.
Thomas remained completely unknown to the FBI until around late 1964. Investigations into Bonanno Members Frank LaBruzzo and Giuseppe Grimaldi discovered phone calls to the Scardino home in Gardiner.
Thomas still ran his woodworking business, primarily handling the construction of shipping crates for a local company. The Scardinos also rented out two or three cabins as well as the second floor of their residence.
Locals provided the FBI with general background on Scardino, noting the family enjoyed a good reputation in the community. One source reported: "Scardino rarely has any company at his home but leaves the area almost every weekend to visit Brooklyn or Long Island."
On September 17, 1965 Thomas was injured in an automobile accident near Highland, New York. He suffered a fractured wrist and lacerations to his ankle and feet and spent the next month in Benedictine Hospital.
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| Grimaldi |
On November 18, 1965 Giuseppe Grimaldi was interviewed by the FBI at his residence in Queens. He denied all knowledge of LCN and stated he considered it 'an insult' to think anyone he associated with was a member of organized crime. When asked specifically about Thomas Scardino, Grimaldi claimed he was 'not acquainted with anyone by this name'.
David McDowell, who formerly lived on the second floor of the Scardino residence, was interviewed by the FBI in January 1966: "...McDowell stated that Scardino has never had a large group of guests but often has a few people up New York for the weekend. He recalled these individuals drove Cadillacs and Imperials and, during the time they were visiting Scardino, only Italian was spoken. McDowell stated he was never introduced to any of these people and cannot, therefore, identify the guests. McDowell stated, although Scardino has a cabinetmaking business, he never has had much business and certainly has not made enough money on which to live. Scardino has no apparent need for money as he always seems to have money and never pressed McDowell for the rent."
Two months later McDowell reported that 'Uncle Mike' LNU, believed to be a brother of Scardino's wife, was now living with the family.
David McDowell's father Warren, Justice of the Peace in Gardiner, was interviewed that June: "[McDowell] advised he has known Thomas Scardino since the time Scardino moved to Gardiner, which would be about 15 to 20 years. He stated Scardino is a very quiet person who enjoys a good reputation in the area...According to McDowell, the only person with whom Scardino seems to be closely associated is one Thomas Salterella who owns summer bungalows on Route 208 in Gardiner known as 'Uncle Tom's Cabins'. McDowell recalled that several years ago the New York State Police raided a crap game at Salterella's cabins and many well-known hoodlums were arrested on gambling charges. McDowell stated that Salterella rented the cabin to these people. McDowell stated, as far as he knows, Scardino is not involved in any type of illegal activities."
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| November 1966 |
Scardino was tracked down for interview at his residence in November 1966. Several photographs were taken with a hidden camera during questioning, a tactic commonly used by Agents at the time to get pictures of the more obscure figures.
Thomas Scardino died at his residence on September 15, 1978.
Two days later a wake was held at the Pine Funeral Home in New Paltz, New York, after which he was returned to Gardiner for burial in Saint Charles Borromeo Cemetery.
