Hi guys, it's been 4 years since I posted in this forum. Got a question that you all maybe have the answer.

It is widely believe that Vincent Mangano was murdered on order by Albert Anastasia. Prior to Mangano's demise, the twos verbally duke it out on a regular basis, sometimes nearly coming to blows. What I don't understand is, Anastasia was Mangano's underboss - why Mangano did not eliminate Anastasia even though Anastasia did something excessively disrespectful to him? Even Gotti never shows his hatred in front of Castellano himself, he knew the consequences.

I reckon a mixture of/or the following;

- Anastasia power within the family - as head of murder inc, a strong faction of the family, his brother big on the sea front etc and his reputation as a killer

- mangano due to the above didn’t have the balls

- was boss for decades which made him sluggish to move (like Castellano was)

- obviously waning influence in the family to make a move. Both him and his brother got it so must’ve been served up to Anastasia by their supposed loyalists..

In that life if you allow any slant by an underling without retribution the writing is on the wall. Mangano allowed him to argue without whacking him. Other see this as a sign of power and go where the wind is blowing. Like gotti refusing to hand over the tapes and talking loudly about paul behind his back. This must’ve got back to Paul but he was too worried about his cases etc not thinking that he could get it as easily as his predecessors got it. He probably thought it’s 1985 no commission sitting boss is going to get it in this day and age. Mangano probably thought the same until he got it.

As Streetbossliborio stated;

Anastasia was pretty much the power in that family; He had his brother Tough Tony on the waterfront; and plenty of killers working for him through Murder INC. He also had Frank Costello's friendship.

Did Mangano have any loyalist at all in his family? Never heard of anyone in his family; who was close to him except his brother Phil. He was friend's with Bonanno; and Profaci but it seemed Anatasia wasnt worried about them or their approval.

Vincent Mangano was a Maranzano guy. He was named boss by Maranzano while Frank Scalice was demoted. Over the years he became complacent, was too much in the old ways for the young members of the family, and that complacency made him a slouch.

Look like there's a trend; Old school bosses were never really respected by the young guys. Look at the cases of Joe Profaci; John Stanfa; Vincent Mangano; Angelo Bruno.

What about Carlo Gambino? He was an old school too, a very low-key mafia boss, yet his men respected him and look up to him as a role model. Maybe Carlo Gambino is a rare case - I dont know, what do you think guys?

He's definitely a rare case; When you got Neil Dellacroce; Guys like Carmine Lombardozzi, Jimmy Brown Failla and other powerhouses. It would set potential enemies at bay. I believe if you were a old style Boss; and didnt have a captain or faction with a group of killers; You were done... Look at the case of Frank Costello; He lost Willie Moretti who controlled a ruthless crew in Jersey; After that; He was screwed. Vito Genovese made his move..

According to one source, when Anastasia showed up at a Commission meeting and plopped down in Mangano's chair, he said Mangano was plotting against him. Could have been. Costello once called a Commission meeting to complain that Genovese and Lucchese were plotting against him and Anastasia. Gambino called a Commission meeting because Bonanno and Magliocco were plotting against him and Lucchese.

Anastasia was pretty bold about it too; Always shocked me that Profaci and Bonanno did nothing as retaliation. Mangano was a good friend of there's who went fishing with them occasionally.

I think that said it all....well thought & period to the point.

I think Keeping quiet after the Anastasia hit was a sign of approval. I suspect they didn't mind seeing him go.
I also believe that Anastasia was whacked in such a brazen fashion, it was a sign of disrespect.... same disrespect he showed for his boss, Mangano and his brother.

Mangano really messed up; Should have gotten rid of Anastasia when he had the chance.. Same exact situation with Castellano not moving quick enough and getting rid of Gotti.


Did Mangano have any loyalist or heavy hitters back then?? I know he was a old school boss; Older then most if not all the commission. He was a “Mustache Pete”... I wonder how he got the boss position?? Him and Gagliano were older by 1931. No-one liked a old boss; (etc; Frank Scalise stepped down; Some others were whacked I believe)

This blantant act by Anatasia and the refusal by Profaci and Bonanno to do anything about the Mangano situation; really set the tone “You can kill a boss without reprisal”

Not sure. Anastasia obviously has a brutal reputation maybe that factored into it. As for Castellano and Gotti you have to remember all the stuff with the drug dealing was happening around the same time as the Commission Case. Paul didn’t want to draw more attention by killing a bunch of guys. Also Neil basically protected Gotti until the moment he died. Honestly Gotti simply got lucky

@JCrusher

Anastasia must have had a brutal reputation but still; Mangano could have done something about it.... Profaci and Bonanno were his buddies. 3 bosses against a upsurper should have been enough to get rid of Anastasia.

There’s more to this story...

Costello alone shouldn’t have been enough for two bosses to let a “Unsanctioned Murder” go on. The Profaci”s were vicious. They had killers in every crew.

Idk where Gagliano/Lucchese stood on the Mangano whacking.

In Bonannos book, he talks about how many times him, Mangano and Profaci would get together to make and eat nice dinners. Even if his own family felt more loyal to Anastasia, why didn't Mangano just go to his allies Bonanno and Profaci, give them 250k and tell them Anastasia, his brother Anastasio and a few others need to go. Can you do the work you have my OK has this is my borgata.

I would be the most pro-active Don ever. I wouldn't give anyone in my family a chance to pull a mutiny, I would go to my allies and pay them to do it along with hiring soldiers loyal to my allies as security if he felt he couldn't fully trust his own borgata.

Technically it was inside his own Family. Mangano was the Boss. He wouldn't need permission from any Commission members to handle his own family's affairs.

I am aware a boss can order killings in his own family. Clearly he felt the majority of his men were more loyal to Anastasia then himself. Thats why he should have farmed out a hit on Anastasia. If a Bonanno or Profaci soldier got an order to hit an UB from a different family he wouldn't not do it and warn the guy who at the time was not the leader of a family unlike Joe Colombo who warned the other bosses of the order that he had received.

It always looked like faulty checks and balances to me. Meaning, Albert and Murder Inc was Mangano's counterweight to other bosses and rivals in his family, but Mangano didn't seem to have anyone to counterbalance Albert. Albert answered only to him. The bottom line was that Mangano didn't scare Albert. Albert needed to be afraid that Mangano himself would kill him if he disobeyed.

You never do that. Seeking other crew's help to ease your troubles is a sign of weakness and detachment.
When Funzi offered Licavoli a help to deal with Danny, Blackie declined it. He knew the consequences.
Still, you'd arrange something like that, if your amico nostras all alone benefited from death of undesirable.
Albert got killed, because he was stepping on Trafficante's toes, bringing too much heat and out of retaliation. Loyalists like Neil couldn't do much about it, for many big shots were involved. Carlo and Big Paul got the sits at the top, Vito and Ray L.S. made an alliance with Carlo for awhile, Trafficante Jr got rid of competitor and CDG finally got their revenge. What about Frank? He had no problem with anything, as long as money would flow.
But Vincent's situation was all within the family. No conflict of interests. Bonanno wrote, that nobody wanted to go mattresses.
Hypothetically, Albert's crew would have Vincent killed, if he first had Albert whacked.
Frankly, Mangano had it coming. He was in that business from the day one. Two Tommy's were wise enough to share the crown and sword. Same thing he should've done. Go fishing with Joe B, receiving kick-ups from Albert and let him rule the ship.
Many guys in that business rotted in the can or got whacked because of lust for power.

Read Joe Bonanno's book he covers this in detail. Whether or not it is believable is up to the reader.

Mangano must have never seen it coming. He may have argued or yelled at Anastasia, but di don't think it would lead to him being killed. Anastasia killed Mangano, was killed in turn by Gambino and others, then Gambino's successor was killed by Gotti.
The Gambino boss spot doesn't have a pleasant history. Gotti died a slow painful death of cancer doing life in prison, and the last boss was killed by a kook. The quality of assassins has even gone downhill.