Bufalino crime family

The Bufalino crime family,

After the death of boss Giovanni "John" Sciandra in 1949, the family elected Rosario Alberto "Russell" Bufalino to become the new boss of the crime family.^[10][11][12]

In November 1957, boss Russell Bufalino and Buffalo crime family caporegime Joseph Barbara held a national Cosa Nostra meeting at his Apalachin, New York, estate. The meeting was preceded by the assassination of Albert Anastasia by a few weeks, as well as a smaller meeting at the New Jersey estate of Ruggiero Boiardo. The Apalachin meeting was attended by about 100 Mafia heads from the U.S., Italy and Cuba. A raid by New York State Police caught many heads of families or their deputies. Many other family heads and their deputies were suspected of being present by law enforcement but evaded detection and capture. All those apprehended were fined, up to $10,000 each, and given prison sentences ranging from three to five years, however, all the convictions were overturned on appeal in 1960.^[13][14][15]

Bufalino era

D'Elia was aided in running the family by captains Anthony Guarnieri, James David Osticco, and Phillip Medico, Consigliere Remo Allio, as well as soldiers Angelo Bufalino, John Rizzo, Angelo Son, and Joseph Sperrazza.^[17] Bufalino was released from prison in 1980 briefly after serving his sentence for extortion. Towards the end of 1981 Bufalino was again imprisoned after being found guilty of conspiring to kill Jack Napoli, a witness in his 1978 extortion trial. Bufalino learned the whereabouts of Napoli, then in the Witness Protection Program, and conspired with Los Angeles mobster Jimmy Fratianno and another man he met in prison to murder Napoli. Fratianno turned government informant and testified against Bufalino at trial.^[18] He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and released in 1989. Russell Bufalino died on February 25, 1994, of natural causes near Pittston, Pennsylvania.

D'Elia the last boss

On May 31, 2001, agents from the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, US Postal Inspectors, and Pennsylvania State Police executed search warrants at the homes of D'Elia, his mistress Jeanie Stanton, Thomas Joseph, and Marranca, who has been identified as an informant working for the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police. Marranca also testified on behalf of authorities against Louis DeNaples in front of the Fourth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, in regards to DeNaples' mob ties and his ownership of the Mount Airy Casino.^[21] On February 26, 2003, D'Elia was banned from entering any Atlantic City, New Jersey, casinos by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement,^[22] based on information shared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.^[23]

On May 31, 2006, D'Elia was indicted on federal charges of laundering $600,000 in illegal drug proceeds obtained from a Florida-based associate of the Bufalino crime family among others, including Lucchese family associate Phillip "Fipper" Forgione. While D'Elia was free on bail, he solicited a U.S. Customs Agency informant to murder a witness in the case and was remanded to prison until his eventual guilty plea and sentencing.^[24][25] In March 2008, D'Elia pleaded guilty to witness tampering and money laundering.^[24] He was sentenced to nine years in prison.^[24] D'Elia cooperated with the government and testified against Louis DeNaples, the owner of Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Pocono Mountains. In 2010, D'Elia got two years dropped from his sentence for his assisting the government's investigation against DeNaples.^[26]

Status

In 2011, author Dave Janoski interviewed former Pennsylvania Crime Commission investigator James Kanavy who asserted that there is no longer a standalone family in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and that any remnants of the Mafia family would be aligned with the New York families.^[27][28]

Historical leadership

Boss (official and acting)

• 1900–1905:
  Tommaso Petto — killed^[29][8]
• 1905–1908: Stefano LaTorre — stepped down^[8]
• 1908–1933: Santo Volpe^[3] — retired in 1933^[8][9]
• 1933–1949: Giovanni "John" Sciandra^[3] — died of natural causes in 1949. There is a common misconception he was murdered in 1940, but newspaper articles confirm he died of natural causes in 1949.^[3][8][9]
• 1949–1994: Rosario Alberto "Russell" Bufalino^[16][8][9] — imprisoned from 1978 to 1989; retired, he died on February 25, 1994^[2]
  • Acting 1978–1994: William "Big Billy" D'Elia^[2] — became boss
• 1994–2008: William "Big Billy" D'Elia^[8][9] — in 2006 he was indicted on money laundering charges, in 2008 he pleaded guilty and testified in front of a grand jury for leniency.^[24][30][31]

Former family members

• James Osticco: served as underboss to Russell Bufalino.^[2] Died in 1990.
• Anthony "the bone" Cozzone: served as bookmaker and accountant during 1950’s. Died in 2002.
• Edward "Eddie the Conductor" Sciandra: served as consigliere to Russell Bufalino.^[2][8][9] imprisoned 1981–1982; was close with Anthony Guarnieri and William D'Elia^[2] Died in 2003.
• Angelo Polizzi: served as consigliere to Giovanni Sciandra.^[3] He moved to Detroit and started the Polizzi line of L.C.N. figures in the Detroit area.
• Anthony F. Guarnieri: former caporegime,^[2] died in 1992
• Frank Cannone: former soldier, deceased, he ran a bookmaking operation in Binghamton, New York.^[2]
• Anthony J. Mosco: former soldier, he was active in Binghamton, New York^[2] Mosco served 17 years in federal prison for racketeering along with capo Anthony "Guv" Guarnieri and other family members and associates. He currently resides in Arizona and Florida and has been seen visiting with family members and associates in the Pittston area in recent years.
• Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran: former associate and right-hand man to Russell Bufalino. He was indicted in July 1980 with six others on labor racketeering charges, and on October 31, 1980, he was convicted and sentenced to a 32 year prison term, he served 13 years and was released in 1993. He died at age 83 on December 14, 2003. ^[32]

References