 |
| 1936 |
James 'Jimmy Yago' Cusumano was a member of the Genovese (Gambino?) Family active in Lower Manhattan.
Born Giacomo Cusumano at 120 Elizabeth St in Little Italy, Manhattan to Giuseppe and Virginia Rumeo. Father from Sciacca comune of Agrigento, Sicily.
At the time of Cusumano's birth the family resided at the same address.
Within a couple of years they moved to 118 and later to 120 Elizabeth. Giuseppe listed his occupation first as saloon keeper and later as bartender (store). James worked as presser in a hat factory.
His first arrest of record came May 25, 1922, charged under the names James Cusamo with attempted burglary. Ten days later discharged by Grand Jury.
In May 1924 he was among 4 arrested by the NYPD following an opium den raid on a Spring St tenement. Others held included Thomas Indelicato and Peter Quarato. (There were several Indelicatos from the neighborhood who, like Cusumano, had Sciacca origins and associated with the Gambino and other Families. At the time of his arrest Quarato claimed residence at 224 Elizabeth St, an address linked to the Bonanno - Bufalino Family Saracenos and Cannones. One of the Cannones married a DiMatteo from Sciacca.)
Born Giacomo Cusumano at 120 Elizabeth St in Little Italy, Manhattan to Giuseppe and Virginia Rumeo. Father from Sciacca comune of Agrigento, Sicily.
At the time of Cusumano's birth the family resided at the same address.
Within a couple of years they moved to 118 and later to 120 Elizabeth. Giuseppe listed his occupation first as saloon keeper and later as bartender (store). James worked as presser in a hat factory.
His first arrest of record came May 25, 1922, charged under the names James Cusamo with attempted burglary. Ten days later discharged by Grand Jury.
In May 1924 he was among 4 arrested by the NYPD following an opium den raid on a Spring St tenement. Others held included Thomas Indelicato and Peter Quarato. (There were several Indelicatos from the neighborhood who, like Cusumano, had Sciacca origins and associated with the Gambino and other Families. At the time of his arrest Quarato claimed residence at 224 Elizabeth St, an address linked to the Bonanno - Bufalino Family Saracenos and Cannones. One of the Cannones married a DiMatteo from Sciacca.)
In August 1924 arrested, under alias Jack Sutro, for robbery in both Brooklyn and Jersey City, New Jersey. The Brooklyn case resulted in a discharge on September 4 and the Jersey City case was nolle prossed October 10. (It's not clear from the records whether these two arrests, made eight days apart, stemmed from the same incident or possibly from a spree of robberies.)
Arrests for grand larceny and narcotics (opium) in 1925, 1926 and 1927 resulted in dismissal or $25 - $50 fines.
On August 18/19, 1928 arrested in Erie, Pennsylvania for violating the Harrison Act (sale of narcotics). Around September 20 convicted and sentenced to three years Federal imprisonment.
On October 24, 1928 received at USP Atlanta and subsequently transferred to USP Leavenworth, Kansas.
Cusumano was released by 1931 and may have already been a formally inducted member of the Genovese Family.
On September 22 of that year he, along with Genovese Members Vincenzo 'Jimmy Dimino' Generoso and Vito Campo, were arrested in North Pelham, Westchester County after a traffic stop uncovered two loaded revolvers hidden under the front seat of Cusumano's auto. The trio were also found in possession of $1,000 cash (approximately $20,000 today). Cusumano, using the alias Frank Bono, was additionally charged with transporting firearms.
On October 8 the Grand Jury dismissed Cusumano's charges. Generoso was subsequently convicted and given a one year suspended sentence.
(Both Vito Campo [1884-1971] and Vincenzo Generoso [1895-1981] were Sciacchitani as well. Vincenzo's son Michele aka 'Mickey Dimino' was later inducted into the Genovese Family and served in the Family's administration during the 1990s.)
On February 17, 1932 arrested by NYPD's 5th Squad in Little Italy for felonious assault with a gun. On March 9 discharged.
By Summer 1933 resided at 355/365 Broome St in Little Italy.
That June among five picked up by the NYPD's 5th Squad for consorting. Those held in addition to Cusumano included Albert Cosentino (32y), Jerry or Joseph Curreri (23y) and Fred Pellecchio (39y). (Future Gambino Member Accursio 'Swifty' Marinelli [1911-1983], born on Elizabeth St to a Sciacchitano father, was brother-in-law to a Curreri from the same neighborhood who later moved to San Francisco and is believed to have become a member of the Family in that city. The Curreris were also from Sciacca. Pellecchio resided at 285 Mott St, later the site of Bonanno Acting Captain Russell Mauro's Catherine Social Club.)
On May 8, 1934 arrived at the Port of New York aboard S.S. Oriente.
On September 12, 1934 arrested by NYPD 5th Squad for disorderly conduct. Discharged the following day.
In December 1936 photographed for US Passport. (See top)
In early 1938 traveled to Italy, returning May 19 aboard S.S. Saturnia.
On September 13, 1938 members of the 5th Squad picked up Cusumano for vagrancy. The charge was thrown out the following day.
As later summarized in FBI reports, by 1939 Cusumano was considered 'a member of the Mulberry Street Mob under Vito Genovese' which 'engaged in the illegal sale of narcotics'.
Intelligence received by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics around October of that year noted: "[Cusumano], along with [Two Redacted Names] used the address of 90 Elizabeth Street in New York City as their headquarters and that they were their own individual section bosses working in conjunction with one another in connection with illicit narcotics traffic in New York City." (90 Elizabeth St was site of a longstanding social club later described as a 'strong-hold' of LCN in New York and frequented by members from Sciacca / Agrigento. The location was controlled at the time by Gambino Family Captain Giuseppe Parlapiano and later by his successor Antonino 'Nino' Indelicato. Influential Genovese Member Dominick Didato was shot to death outside the club a couple of years prior to this report.)
On April 4, 1940 charged with violating the Harrison Act (possession of narcotics). Around May 27 convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment and one year probation.
From June 1940 to January 1944 served sentence at USP Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas, the US Public Health Service Hospital (Federal Medical Center) in Lexington, Kentucky and finally at FCI Milan, Michigan.
Upon his release he joined wife Florence at 103 Eldridge St in Little Italy.
In July 1949 questioned and released by FBN re another narcotics investigation.
On August 10-17, 1956 FBI CI reported: "[Jimmy] Yago, true name James Cusamano, is considered a 'power' on the lower east side of New York City by the Italian criminal element, and that he has a considerable number of young Italians under his direction."
On August 21, 1956 FBI CI reported: "[James] Cusamano is a 'button man' in the Italian criminal element."
On September 21, 1956 FBI CI reported: "[He] had been in contact with [Redacted]. Informant stated that [Redacted] advised him (the informant) that some time ago [Redacted] had gone to Jimmy Yago [Cusamano] seeking permission from Yago to kill [Redacted] Pilo. [Redacted] stated that he had wanted to kill Pilo because Pilo had 'set up' a couple of good guys for the authorities. Yago had declined to give [Redacted] permission to kill Pilo. The informant stated that [Redacted] did not go into greater detail with him concerning his reasons for wanting to murder Pilo. He did state, however, that though 'they' knew that Pilo was 'wrong' one of the good things in [Redacted] favor was the fact that he had gone away on his 'long bit' with a very good guy, highly respected in the neighborhood."
On December 22-28, 1956 FBI CI reported: "[At] various meetings held in the home of Salvatore Granello, some of the persons attending these meetings at Granello's home were Jimmy Yago, true name James Cusumano, Joe Franco, and Carlie DiPietro." (Salvatore 'Sally Burns' Granello [1923-1970] and Cosmo 'Carlie' DiPietro [1930-1981] were both Genovese Soldiers and, as of the early 1960s, reported to Cusumano's old co-defendant Vincenzo Generoso. Joe Franco may be identical to Gambino Captain Joseph Franco [1904-1957] who had since taken over the former Indelicato crew.)
Cusumano's final arrest was a June 15, 1957 vagrancy charge.
By 1958 he was included in the FBN's National List of offenders.
That same year an FBI informant reported: "[Cusumano] frequents the Mott and Mulberry Streets areas in New York City and was a former owner of a luncheonette at 305 Broome Street, New York City."
On June 5, 1959 Cusumano was interviewed for the first and possibly only time by FBI Agents:
"
Cusamano advised that he was born October 24, 1903 at New York City, and has resided at [103 Eldridge] during the past sixteen years. He stated that he resides with his mother and his wife [and] has been unemployed for many years and that his means of support is his wife [who] is a beautician.
Cusamano stated that he last journeyed to Italy in approximately 1938 for the purpose of visiting his mother's relatives and to the best of his recollection remained for a period of approximately two months.
He stated that he served four or five years imprisonment for having violated the Federal Narcotic Laws and was released in [1/44]. He stated he has had no narcotics interest since that time. He stated he does not indulge in gambling and that he occupies most of his time relaxing in his home or loitering on the street corners in the vicinity of his residence.
He stated that he does not believe that there is a 'Mafia' or 'syndicate' exiting in the United States. He stated that the only knowledge he has concerning the 'Mafia' is information he acquired from reading various newspapers. He stated he has no knowledge concerning the Apalachin, New York meeting and that he was not familiar with any of the individuals who were alleged to have attended this meeting. Mr. Cusumano stated that he believes in keeping to himself and has made it a long standing policy not to furnish information to anyone.
Cusamano stated that he last journeyed to Italy in approximately 1938 for the purpose of visiting his mother's relatives and to the best of his recollection remained for a period of approximately two months.
He stated that he served four or five years imprisonment for having violated the Federal Narcotic Laws and was released in [1/44]. He stated he has had no narcotics interest since that time. He stated he does not indulge in gambling and that he occupies most of his time relaxing in his home or loitering on the street corners in the vicinity of his residence.
He stated that he does not believe that there is a 'Mafia' or 'syndicate' exiting in the United States. He stated that the only knowledge he has concerning the 'Mafia' is information he acquired from reading various newspapers. He stated he has no knowledge concerning the Apalachin, New York meeting and that he was not familiar with any of the individuals who were alleged to have attended this meeting. Mr. Cusumano stated that he believes in keeping to himself and has made it a long standing policy not to furnish information to anyone.
"
Cusumano died July 7, 1959 in Manhattan and was waked three days later at 43 2nd Ave in Manhattan's East Village. (His obituary provides a third spelling of the surname, Cusimano.)
On December 19, 1962 included in FBI New York Office list of LCN Members whose Family affiliation was unknown.
On January 30, 1963 FBI CI Alfred Santantonio, a Gambino Soldier, reported: "[Jimmy] Cusamano, aka Yargo, is a member of the Carlo Gambino or Vito Genovese Families."
On February 5, 1963 posthumously designated subject of an FBI anti-racketeering investigation.
Cusumano died July 7, 1959 in Manhattan and was waked three days later at 43 2nd Ave in Manhattan's East Village. (His obituary provides a third spelling of the surname, Cusimano.)
On December 19, 1962 included in FBI New York Office list of LCN Members whose Family affiliation was unknown.
On January 30, 1963 FBI CI Alfred Santantonio, a Gambino Soldier, reported: "[Jimmy] Cusamano, aka Yargo, is a member of the Carlo Gambino or Vito Genovese Families."
On February 5, 1963 posthumously designated subject of an FBI anti-racketeering investigation.
 |
| P. DeFeo |
On April 21, 1965 FBI CI reported: "[Cusumano aka Jimmy Yargo] died about four years ago of natural causes. He originally comes from the area of Eldridge Street, New York City. Cusamano was a button in the Genovese Family and was very close to [Redacted] and Pete DeFeo. At the time of his death Cusamano was about 56y-60y. Cusamano was reported to have killed 16 persons prior to his death. He formerly owned and operated the bar at Forsyth and Delancey Streets. PC recalled Cusamano's wife had operated a beauty shop in the neighborhood of Delancey Street, and she still could have this shop in operation." (Peter DeFeo [1902-1993] was a longtime Genovese Captain based in Lower Manhattan.)
 |
| M. Sabella |
On August 29, 1965 FBI CI reported on an Unspecified Genovese Member (name redacted) from 'the East Side' who was a former close associate of Cusumano's. The informant related an incident where Bonanno Captain Michael Sabella briefly attempted to move in on a card game bankrolled by this individual. (Like Cusumano, Michael Sabella [1910-1988] was born on Elizabeth St to Sciacchitani parents and controlled various interests along Elizabeth and Mulberry.)
In 1966 identified by FBI as Former Genovese Member.
From November 1969 to January 1977 the FBI's lists for both the Gambino and Genovese Families include the name James Cusumano in the deceased members section.
In 1966 identified by FBI as Former Genovese Member.
From November 1969 to January 1977 the FBI's lists for both the Gambino and Genovese Families include the name James Cusumano in the deceased members section.
More Genovese Family posts can be found in the Index.
