Underboss
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,837 Underground
Originally Posted by NYMafia
Originally Posted by Giacomo_Vacari
Bufalino family. Some corrections. Tommaso Petto was the first boss. He was orginally with the Morello family while operating in Brooklyn. Killed in 1905, active in Pittston since 1903 since he was hiding from NYPD, had a cousin living in Pittston and had been visiting the area since 1898. Although two different organizations, they both merged with La Torre becoming boss in 1908. Volpe handed the reigns to John Sciandra sometime in the mid to late 1930s, information suggests that the Nicola Gruppuso murder never sat right with Volpe even though he ordered it. Russell Bufalino was acting boss for John Sciandra in the late 1940s, and three times for Barbara, 1952, 1956-1957 and 1959 before becoming boss. Bufalino was also a former associate of the Buffalo family. Edward Sciandra was pretty much Russell's righthand man, severing as acting boss numerous times starting in the mid 1970s. That murky early 1990s is because Sciandra and D'Elia were rivals, and by 1992 Sciandra was no longer acting and D'Elia became acting before taking over.
We are generally in agreement here. But I'm not sure about Petto's status as a "boss" over Pittston.
I am aware of mafioso Tomasso Petto, and his presence and activities while living there. But I don't necessarily buy into the fact that "he" ruled the roost. For me, he was just a mafioso 'on the lam' there, hiding out, who was given sanctuary by his fellow mafiosi.
The first organizer and leader of what would become the "Volpe Family" was, to my knowledge, Stefano La Torre, who later abdicated power in favor of his boyhood friend, the iconic mafioso Santo Volpe.
Great info and convo guys. Thanks.
He who can never endure the bad will never see the good
