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| 1971 |
'Little Felix' Bocchino was a member of the Bruno Family.
Born October 6, 1918 in Philadelphia to Marcello and Lena Bocchino.
The Bocchinos resided at 1839 South Sartain St in South Philadelphia. Marcello, a barber, was believed from Castelfranci comune of Avellino, Campania.
By 1940 resided at 1826 South Mole St.
On October 23, 1948 Felix and brother-in-law William Wames (31y) were among 4 arrested by the New Jersey State Police near Medford. The group was held on suspicion of involvement in multiple swindles throughout Jersey and Philadelphia.
In early February 1949 a Camden, NJ Grand Jury indicted Bocchino for three of the incidents totaling $3,450. Judge Rocco Palese handed down a four-to-seven year sentence at the State Prison in Trenton.
On October 16, 1951 Bocchino was taken from prison on a warrant related to another two swindles in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported: "[In one case] Bocchino picked up [the victim] when he was shopping in Philadelphia for then scarce automobiles. Bocchino convinced [victim] he could deliver a new Pontiac sedan for $2111, adding that for $4222 there would be two. [Victim] gave Bocchino the cash, detectives said, and that was the last seen of Felix." Arraigned before Central Police Court Judge John Coyle and held on $2,500 bail pending GJ.
By Fall 1954 Bocchino was out of prison. Early that December he was caught up in a bootlegging raid carried out on farmland near Mullica Hill, NJ. Charges of possession and manufacture of illegal alcohol were subsequently dismissed by Woodbury Judge John B. Wick.
On January 7, 1956 arrested with Anthony Farese in another raid, this one on a farm near Coatesville, Pennsylvania. An alcohol still, five vats containing 10,500 gallons of mash and an oil truck were seized. Bocchino and Farese, in the process of refilling the equipment when apprehended, were each released on $2,500 bail.
Anthony Farese (1907-1998), born to parents from Avellino and Salerno, Campania, resided at 8th and Morris Sts in South Philadelphia.
Bocchino was then residing on Juniper St in South Philadelphia and owned farmland near Chester County.
On January 11, 1957 he was charged in a third bootlegging case, this one after the IRS raided a six-hundred gallon still operating out of a barn on West Clements Bridge Rd in Runnemede, NJ. Bocchino and co-defendants Jack Gugluzzo (41y) and Joseph Orlando (40y) were loading a truck when Agents arrived and seized $35,000 worth of equipment and alcohol. Property owner Joseph Chichi (27y) was also arrested and remanded to Camden County Jail with the others.
In September 1960 Bocchino was caught up in yet another bootlegging case following a raid in Monroe Township, NJ.
On April 18, 1971 arrested by Philadelphia PD on unspecified charge. At the time of arrest he resided at 6103 South Broad St in South Philadelphia.
By 1976 identified by the New Jersey State Police as controller in the Bruno Family's gambling operations.
In June of that year Bocchino participated in a large-scale credit scam carried out on the Paradise Casino in Las Vegas. Others involved included Bruno Soldier Carl 'Pappy' Ippolito and Bruno Associates John Calabrese, Victor DeLuca and Vincent Pagano. Decades later The Philadelphia Inquirer provided a summary: "Through fear, intimidation and the inside connections of [Ippolito] and mob associate Gary Garramone, a group of 54 mobsters ended up on a 'junket' to the small Vegas casino...[Using] aliases [they] were granted lines of credit and proceeded to rip off the Vegas casino during a three-day period. When they left, the Paradise had lost $325,000 and was holding markers for $400,000 more that proved uncollectible." The casino was closed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and filed for bankruptcy.
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| Bocchino (Late 1970s) |
By the late 1970s Bocchino's close acquaintances included Bruno Associates Raymond 'Long John' Martorano and
Ralph Natale.
Imprisoned for arson in February 1979, Natale later blamed the other two for his family's lack of support: "[Bocchino and Martorano] were very close to me in a lot of things we were doing. They spread the word around. Don't go around, you're gonna get involved, this guy might go bad, he might do this, he might do that, stay away from the house, don't bring anything over, and I was left alone. And my wife was left alone...Everybody who was involved with me all at once didn't come around. And I went to jail for 27 years."
Bocchino was also closely associated with Family Consigliere Antonio 'Tony Bananas' Caponigro.
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| Caponigro (1979) |
Caponigro headed a large faction of loyal members and associates that included Bocchino, Associates John Calabrese and Anthony 'Tony Meats' Ferrante as well as Caponigro's brother-in-law, recently inducted member Alfred 'Freddy' Salerno.
Another Caponigro associate was Nicholas 'Nicky Crow' Caramandi, who was inducted into the Family in 1984 and subsequently became a cooperating witness. His time with the Bruno Family was the subject of Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob - The Mafia's Most Violent Family published in 1991.
According to Caramandi, around the late 1970s Bocchino and Calabrese were involved in a feud with Victor DeLuca and Peter Rinaldi over the extortion of a local P2P dealer. Caponigro wanted to resolve the dispute by killing DeLuca and Rinaldi, who sought protection from 'Mr. Amato' in Florida. (This is likely a reference to Gambino Soldier Agostino 'Augie' Amato or one of his sons).
A sitdown was held and the P2P dealer was put exclusively under the control of Bocchino and Calabrese. DeLuca and Rinaldi were saved by vote. Caramandi noted in Blood and Honor that Caponigro was unhappy with the decision to spare the two and complained that Boss Angelo Bruno 'was too easy'.
By 1980 Caponigro and select associates had begun directly plotting against Bruno.
On January 3, 1980 Agents with the FBI's Newark Office surveilled Caponigro, Bocchino, Calabrese and Ferrante at the Diamond Tower Exchange located at 55 West 47th St in Manhattan's Diamond District.
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| 1980 (L to R): F. Bocchino, A. Ferrante |
Bocchino, Ferrante and multiple others were surveilled at a second meeting two weeks later.
They were also seen meeting with Bruno Captain Nicholas 'Nicky Buck' Piccolo and Bruno Member Frank Sindone.
Angelo Bruno was shotgunned to death outside his South Philadelphia residence around 9:30 PM on March 21, 1980. His driver for the night, Family Member Giovanni 'John' Stanfa, was wounded.
A Philadelphia Daily News article later reported that Bocchino and eight others convened at the Stadium Hilton located at Packer Ave and 10th St in the wake of the shooting. In addition to Bocchino, the article noted, the group included Bruno Members Joseph 'Joey Chang' Ciancaglini and Frank Sindone.
Bocchino, who may have supplied the shotgun used by Bruno's killer, was later subpoenaed by a Philadelphia Grand Jury investigating the murder.
Sources have provided differing accounts on the actual shooter, including Caponigro himself or possibly his brother-in-law Freddy Salerno.
Having carried out the plot without authorization of the other Families, Caponigro and Salerno were themselves killed the following month.
With New York's blessing Philip Testa was made the new Boss.
Caramandi stated in Blood and Honor that Bocchino quickly 'surrendered to Testa' and put his various interests on-record with the new Boss, later remarking to Associate Pasquale 'Pat the Cat' Spirito: "It's a new ball game."
Within a year Testa was also dead, a victim of further internal plotting, and he was succeeded by his Consigliere
Nicodemo 'Nicky' Scarfo.
On January 24, 1982 Scarfo inducted Bocchino and ten others in a ceremony held at the residence of Associate Robert Lucicero in Vineland, New Jersey.
Those inducted in addition to Bocchino were Giuseppe 'Happy' Bellina, Thomas 'Tommy Del' DelGiorno, Gerardo Fusella, Frank 'Faffy' Iannarella, Eugene 'Gino' Milano, Albert 'Reds' Pontani, Joseph Pungitore, Michael 'Mickey Walker' Ricciardi,
Joseph 'The Nodder' Sodano and Pasquale Spirito.
DelGiorno provided the following account of his induction during court testimony in 1990:
"
Well, there was about 30 or 35 people there, and the guys who were already made were taken to one room, and we were sent to another room, the ones who were getting made. And one at a time we were called to go to the room where everybody was.
When we got in there, [everybody was] sitting in chairs. The boss was at the front table with consiglieri and underboss, then there was captains and then the rest of the soldiers. You walk in, [Scarfo] asks you [a] couple questions, do you know why you're here? You know, do you like everybody here? Would you -- there was a gun and knife on the table. He asked you would you use this [to] defend, help anybody here, and things like that. Then you say yeah to all these answers, except the one do you know why you're here, you're supposed to say no to that.
[It's] just a formality. [Then] you get up he chooses a guy to come and pinch your finger. He pinches your finger, he asks you what hand you shoot with. The guy comes and he pinches your finger, and he wipes blood off. Then he takes a piece of tissue and he burns it, and you say may I burn like the saints if I betray my friends. You, you know, rub that in your hands to ashes. Then you shake hands with him, you kiss him on both cheeks, you go around the room doing the same thing to everybody else, and you wind up back with the boss, you kiss him on both cheeks again and then you go to the back of the room. You get in a circle, he says something in Italian and then you're a made guy.
[Those inducted were] me, Pat Spirito, Felix, Joe Pungitore, Gino Milano, there was Reds Pantana [Pontani]. There was two guys -- a couple of guys from Newark. [Felix was] Felix Procopio, something like that.
"
DelGiorno was inducted in part as a result of his involvement in the October 1981 murder of former Caponigro supporter John Calabrese.
Following induction, he and Bocchino both reported to Captain Joseph 'Joey Chang' Ciancaglini.
Bocchino's activities as a made member continued to include the extortion of drug dealers.
Around May 22, 1983 he pleaded guilty in a Federal tax case and was given two years and a $20,000 fine.
On January 11, 1985 released from Federal prison.
That year he attended the annual Christmas party hosted by Scarfo at LaCucina restaurant in South Philadelphia. Additional attendees included Bruno Captain Philip Leonetti and Bruno Soldier
Dominic Rugnetta.
Bocchino is not mentioned in further sources from that decade. By 1990 Scarfo was serving what would be a life sentence in Federal prison.
In March 1990 the FBI's Newark Field Office reported on the Family's status in that region: "[Due to death and conviction] all remaining leadership potential in the Southern New Jersey / Philadelphia area has been eliminated. There remain only ten active members in the area [including Bocchino]."
By 1992 Giovanni Stanfa had assumed leadership of the Family and was utilizing Bocchino and others to exert control over the city's rackets.
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| M. Baldino |
Bocchino began shaking down various local criminals, including bookmaker Michael 'Sheiky' Baldino. Baldino sought protection from his nephew Joseph Merlino, an associate in the Family's rebel faction, who in turn contacted the still imprisoned
Ralph Natale.
Natale, who would go on to run the Family with Merlino, later testified:
"
[Merlino] said that Felix was out there shaking down everybody downtown, especially his uncle, Sheekie. He was taking money from him, was abusing him, was abusing everybody in South Philadelphia. He said I'm gonna try to get him on the phone, maybe [you] could talk to him.
I spoke to him on the phone. I said hello, how ya' doin', this and that there. I said you know that Michael Ciancaglini and this young man are all together over here. Why are you doing this to embarrass Joey Merlino, and everybody else? I'm not embarrassing anybody, he said. They got a green light. They can do anything they want to do. Right then and there, I didn't trust him...[Bocchino] at that time, was with John Stanfa, who was going around shaking down all the bookmakers, all the gamblers, because he knew who was who. John Stanfa was born in Sicily, was only in Philadelphia a few years. So he didn't know who was who. Felix Bocchino actually was running everything on the street [and] he was instrumental in it, in helping John Stanfa taking control of Philadelphia.
[Later] Michael came up on a visit. I think Tommy Scafidi was there. Joey Merlino and myself. We talked a few things over. I said, Michael, you gotta kill Felix 'cause Felix is not gonna do what we asked him to do. He said, you know, I just -- he just came from the street to tell me that, he said he's still shaking down everybody, including Joey Merlino's uncle. I said, well go do what you gotta do. Show them where we're at.
"
On January 29, 1992, at approximately 8:00 AM, Felix Bocchino was shot to death while sitting in the driver's seat of his two-door maroon 1977 Buick parked near his residence in the 1200 block of Mifflin St in South Philadelphia. A lone assailant approached on foot and fired at least four shots from a .38 caliber handgun, hitting Bocchino twice in the neck and once in the temple. Another shot grazed the bridge of his nose. Police found $1,000 in his pants pocket.
Bocchino, described in contemporary press coverage as victim of the city's first 'major' mob hit since 1985, was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery located in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.
Ralph Natale was filled in on the details in a subsequent prison visit from Merlino and Ciancaglini. The pair informed Natale that Ciancaglini was present at the scene while Steven Mazzone carried out the shooting, and that it was Mazzone's first murder. Natale later testified: "[Joey and Michael]
told me they wanted to make [Mazzone]
when they were ready to make him. I said, well do what you gotta do, because Stevie did what he had to do."
Years later CW Ronald Previte, a former Bruno Captain, testified about Stanfa's reaction. A Philadelphia Daily News article covering the testimony reported: "[John] Stanfa blamed [the Merlino faction] for killing [Bocchino] 'without authorization' from the mob boss, said Previte. And Stanfa hated Natale, who 'shouldn't be able to breathe air or get out of jail', Previte said. 'John thought they were all conspiring against him, not turning in the money, not showing him any respect,' he added."
On February 24, 1992 Anthony 'Tony Buck' Piccolo, Stanfa's Consigliere, was picked up on an FBI bug stating that the Family knew the identities of the perpetrators and that the killing would be avenged.
On March 3, 1992 Michael Ciancaglini narrowly avoided an attempt on his life.
A fragile peace was reached later that year and both Ciancaglini and Merlino were inducted by Stanfa.
Ciancaglini was among those killed by a Stanfa hit team when hostilities resumed not long afterwards.
The conflict ended with Stanfa's indictment and subsequent incarceration.
Upon
Ralph Natale's release from prison he was inducted by Merlino, then made Boss of the Family. He in turn named Merlino as his Underboss.
In July 1996 Natale was picked up on a bug discussing Bocchino with Bruno Associate Dan Daidone.
On February 12, 1997 Felix's brother Richard testified for the defense in the Frank D'Alfonso murder trial. Defendants included Former Boss
Nicodemo Scarfo. Richard provided testimony claiming that D'Alfonso was actually killed by state witness Gino Milano, not the individuals named by the prosecution. The following week Scarfo and the others were acquitted.
On May 5, 2000
Ralph Natale, now a cooperating witness, pleaded guilty in Camden, NJ to charges that included conspiring in Bocchino's murder.
Natale testified against his former Underboss Joseph Merlino and others the following year.
Although the Bocchino homicide was not among the crimes charged at trial, testimony about the subject was allowed to establish a pattern of racketeering against the defendants.
Felix's brother Richard returned as a defense witness and provided an alternate account of the murder. Bocchino claimed that after Felix was killed, James 'Jimmy Brooms' DiAddorio was heard around the neighborhood taking credit. DiAddorio was shot to death four months later.
Merlino was acquitted of the charged murders but found guilty on assorted racketeering counts.
Aside from Natale's guilty plea, no convictions have been obtained in the Bocchino murder.
