...the Pittsburgh mafia?

I watched the film Goodfellas about his drug operation now in real life (if these guys were actually from Philadelphia) were they Italian-Americans connected to the LaRocca family

I put that one part in brackets as directors change some of the facts in films such as Jimmy and Tommy's surnames

On the show "Locked up abroad - Henry Hill"... Henry was saying how those guns that he was getting from his Pittsburgh guy were brand new straight from the factory and that Jimmy bought all of them. Not like in the movie where Jimmy said they were no good and didn't want them.

It's actually a pretty good show...check it out. The guy that plays Henry in the reenactments cracks me up.

Henry's Pittsburgh guy (Mazzei) was a small to mid-level drug dealer who met Henry while he was locked up.Mazzei ran a dog grooming business in either Aspinwall or Sharpsburg,but he was not a Mob guy or even connected to any. He dabbled in guns and some coke and was pretty much a nobody.

Paul Mazzie as well as his father were connected to chucky porter and joe sica , who were capos or higher later on in the mob

Wasn't the greenhouse near/on PITT'S Campus a mob hangout back in the day. Or was it called the Green Mansion. SHiet time for Breakfast...

That is 100% correct. Chucky Porter extracted tribute from "anybody" dealing in drugs/weapons/fencing stolen property. Paul Mazzei was partners with Eugene "Nick the Blade" Gesuale, Pittsburgh's top heroin/cocaine distributor who was partners with Ramon Sosa (Cuban born) down in Miami. Sosa was linked to the Cali Cartel. Here are a few articles and some newspaper articles from Chucky Porter's trial:

1. http://www.pittsburghsportsreport.com/PSR/node/2033

2. http://www.bostoncollegefix.com/

3. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19900907&id=YqoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2G4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5611,1795500

4. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19901018&id=9d4cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3GMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6801,879560

5. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19901124&id=PMMwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jW4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6839,3771516

Mazzei did dabble in guns and was connected to Chucky Porter through a Porter henchman named Geno Chiarelli. Geno's specialty was burglary and dealing in stolen guns as well as gun running for the Cubans back in the 1960's-1970's. Geno once got popped with over $2 million dollars in antique guns that he stole. Geno recently died after he was released from prison. He was not a made guy (although Torsten Ove from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette called him a member). Geno was born in Italy and was actually a super contractor, he could do anything with his hands and Mike Genovese would pay him to do a lot of handyman work at his farmhouse in West Deer.

Here is the court case regarding Geno Chiarelli and stolen guns.

http://www.leagle.com/decision/19901271898F2d373_11192

Geno Chiarelli Obituary:

http://www.post-gazette.com/obituaries/2...es/201206210241

Mazzei was charged in the game fixing case along with 2 brothers, Rocco and Anthony Perla. What was the deal with those 2 guys? Were they connected to anyone of importance? Hill ratted them all out.

The Perla brothers were from Braddock Hills and were not connected to any mobsters. They both went to high school with Kuhn, the guy who was part of the fix.

That case sounds like it was the theft of old antique guns that were worth alot of money....over a million. Seems that they were trying to sell them back to the insurance company.

But the guns i'm thinking of came either direct from the manufacturer or maybe a gun distributor according to Hill. All brand new guns that Hill said were right from the factory. On that 'Locked up Abroad" show on Hill, Henry said Jimmy loved them and bought all of them. But in the movie it showed Jimmy calling them garbage and refusing to buy them. Not sure if Henry's story about the guns has changed or the Goodfellas writers just changed it. With Hill you never know.


Thanks JCB.

Is Paul Mazzei still a alive ?

Looks like someone is trying to make a movie on Mazzei.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

APOSTLE PAUL

The Life Story of Paul Mazzei & The Boston College Fix

Feature Film Status: In Development (Treatment)

Writer: Cayman Grant

While serving time in prison for a crime he didn't commit, a young hustler and sometimes wiseguy, learns his apathetic father has put his family into major gambling debt. With no legit way of helping them from prison, he turns to known mafia associate and inmate, Henry Hill, to save his family. Once released from prison, he vows to leave the crime world behind completely, but quickly realizes that once you've gotten a taste of the big game, there's no way to turn back.


http://www.steeltitanproductions.com/htm...&multi_id=4

http://www.apostlepaulie.com/about.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

They're also making a documentary on the Boston College point shaving scandal.

JCB I just wanted to say we appreciate having you here as an expert on Pittsburgh OC. Over the years we've had scholars on KC, St Louis, and some of the more obscure OC families but never from Pittsburgh as far as I've seen. You're teaching me a lot!

Yes, he is still alive living in Pittsburgh last I heard...His father just passed away recently. Here is his dad's obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=165551803

I appreciate that BarrettM. My expertise is Pittsburgh/Youngstown/Cleveland, as we have researched it for over a decade. If you have any questions regarding Pittsburgh/Youngstown/Cleveland, do not hesitate to ask or send me a pm.

FYI- The LaRocca Crime Family in Pittsburgh had quite a bit of control over Western PA including Altoona/Johnstown, Northeast Ohio (Youngstown/Warren/Steubenville/East Liverpool) and over the Wheeling, WV area as well as Jamestown, NY and Erie, PA. The Valenti brothers were both made in Pittsburgh and LaRocca gave them permission to start their own family in Rochester, NY which Pittsburgh and Buffalo split some of the illegal gambling rackets, Salvatore Marino was also made in Pittsburgh with his son Angelo, who then moved out to California and became the boss over San Jose, which LaRocca took a piece of those rackets as well. The history is pretty interesting, especially the John Bazzano Sr. murder, whose son, John Bazzano Jr. recently died in 2008. Also, Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino, who was John LaRocca's underboss for many years was equal partners with Meyer Lansky, Santo Traficante and Carlos Marcello in the Sans Souci Hotel & Casino in Havana, Cuba. Most of the Pittsburgh members were related to one another, as their structure and hierarchy was very similar to Detroit.

wow, excellent video..thanks for sharing!

To me, that was the most interesting story that involved Jimmy, right up there with Luftansa.

I'm surprised Goodfellas barely touched upon it, it deserved a subplot in the move.

I agree it was one of Jimmy's "highlights" but I think due to the length of the movie, they just couldn't get into all the subplots.

That locked up abroad with Henry Hill is great. I don't think he was ever locked up abroad he made it through customs with all the yeyo.

The guy playing him and paul mazzei are a trip. If people don't have the patience to watch the entire video, watch the first few minutes when they show him partying it's funny as shit

I thought it was pretty good myself. Funny but informative too. Like when Jimmy made him strip in the bathroom because he thought Henry was wired for sound and this was before Henry got busted for the drugs. Just little things i thought made it pretty good, like the truth bout those guns. They were brand new according to Hill, not the garbage the movie made them out to be and Jimmy took all of them.

When it first aired the show was called "Banged Up Abroad" but they later changed it to "Locked Up Abroad". No idea why they did a show on Hill because as you said he was never locked up outside the usa. But still a pretty good show IMO.

I am interested in learning more about the Licavoli era - what were the rackets, how many guys and associates, etc? I have always been curious about the Licavoli's in general, and how the brothers interacted with one another since they were in Detroit, Cleveland and Toledo. I think they are about the only family to have 3 guys in 3 separate cities with their own rackets. Any information that you can share would be appreciated.

Here is a chart of Cleveland in 1980:

Boss James Licavoli
Underboss Angelo Lonardo
Consigliere John Tronolone
Consigliere Milton "Maishe" Rockman (John Scalish's brother in law, Jewish-not made but highly respected)

East side Captains
Joe Gallo
Tony Liberatore (union liason)

East side Lieutenants
Tommy Sinito
John Calandra

Soldiers
Collinwood Crew
Joe Iaccobacci
Allie Calabrese
Tony Delguyd
Joe Bonnarigo
Tony Occhinero
John Delzoppo
Joe Ilacqua

Other Soldiers
John Oliverio
John Montana (informant)
Russell Papalardo
Dominic Lonardo (Ange's brother)


East side associates
Phil Bonnadona
Michael Dubalo
Eugene Ciasullo
Butchie Cisternino
Anthony Delmonti
Angelo Lonardo (nephew of Big Ange)
Martin DeFabio (informant)
Peter Sanzo
Sam Vecchio aka El Porko
Jimmy Pallendino (waste management)
Danny Dzina
Sam Lucarelli
William "Billy D" Dileno
William Denova
Anthony Hughes (Pressers right hand man,informant)
Glen Pauley

Union and City Hall Liasons
Tony Liberatore
Chester Liberatore
Nicholas Nardi (made, Brother of John)
Frank Scalish (son of John)
John Felice Jr
Carmine Parise

Inactive Made Members
Tony Milano
Frank Embescia

Numbers Racket Liasons
Michael Panzarella (made)
Ronnie Bey
Virgil Olgetree
Monk Tolliver

Inner City "Powers"
Bill Seawright
Geechy Bell
Donald "The Fixer" Peppers

The West Side
Captain Carmen Basile

Soldier
Joe "Joey Spags" Spaganlo (gambling kingpin)

Youngstown/Warren, OH Faction
Ronald "Ronnie the Crab" Carabbia
Charles "Charlie the Crab" Carabbia
Orlando "Orlie the Crab" Carabbia
Joseph Perfette (Trumbull County-Kicked to Peanuts Tronolone until 1983 and then answered directly to Pittsburgh's Charlie Imburgia, Consigliere who resided in Warren)
Dominic "Junior" Senzarino (Carabbia cousin gunned down at his house in 1980)
Joe DeRose Jr (went missing during the Pittsburgh/Cleveland war and is presumed dead)


Narcotics movers
Hans and Fritz Graewe
Jimmy Coppola
Keith Ritson (killed Nov 1978)
Brian O'Donnell
Kevin McTaggert
Carmen "Mr. Z" Zagaria

The A team....Lawyers
Gerald Gold
James Willis

The Licavoli's were a tight family and James "Jack White" Licavoli was the "odd" choice as boss and it has been debated that John Scalish actually named him boss on his death bed. John Scalish, the long time head of the Cleveland Crime Family had two sisters, one that was married to Angelo Lonardo (Underboss) and the other one married a powerful Jewish guy named Milton "Maishe" Rockman, known as the Meyer Lansky of Cleveland. Rockman and Lonardo rarely saw eye to eye, although they were brother in laws. Jack White was a lifelong bachelor who lived in a tiny, 1 BR apartment on Murray Hill, Cleveland's Little Italy. Jack White lived with another elderly bachelor and was known to have his first communion money. Licavoli originally refused the nomination as boss, as he was a street guy involved in loansharking, illegal gambling and extortion. He was hardly a "racketeer" and did not completely understand the white collar rackets. The Family was "stunned" when Rockman, who was with Scalish on his death bed, came out and announced that he wanted Licavoli to take over as the new boss. Speculation is that Rockman, who feared Lonardo would diminish his role with the family if he was named boss (which he should have been),wanted Licavoli in so Rockman would be relied upon and be able to keep his high powered position within the family. Rockman knew he could control Licavoli and was always jealous of Lonardo and the respect he garnered with Fat Tony Salerno in New York. After Licavoli was named boss, Big Ange had to approach him to inform him that he should go to New York and introduce himself as the new boss since the Genovese Family and Salerno represented Cleveland on the commission...something Licavoli didn't even know he had to do. Soon after he was named boss, he should have "made" John Nardi, who was Anthony "The Old Man" Milano and Frank Milano's nephew, but Licavoli refused because he didn't like the Milano brothers. Once he passed over Nardi, John joined forces with Danny Greene and wanted to "overthrow" the Italian mafia which sparked an all out war for over a year until they finally got to Danny Greene. Licavoli was indicted on the newly formed RICO statute and became the first boss in the country convicted under RICO...the entire hierarchy of Cleveland was tried and convicted. During this time, they were also at war with the LaRocca Crime Family in Pittsburgh over control of the Youngstown, OH rackets...which Pittsburgh seized control of all of Youngstown/Warren/Canton OH rackets and the Cleveland family limped along for a while and were essentially defunct by the early 1990's.

Here's a classic video of James Licavoli and John Calandra attacking a photographer. This is the real mentality of Jack White, a knock around guy who has no clue how to behave while the cameras are rolling. IMO, a disgrace as boss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgbemxaRtGQ

Here is some great information on Licavoli in his appeal of his conviction:

http://www.ipsn.org/court_cases/us_v_licavoli.htm

Good stuff JCB. Are you familiar with the details of when Licavoli got shot in Chicago when Anthony "Shorty" Russo and Vincent Spicuzza were murdered as part of a war in St. Louis? Waugh's book does not paint a flattering picture of him.

Here is an interesting old link about pittsburgh:

http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001106mobhistory2.asp



Sept. 13, 1931. Joseph Siragusa, 49, a bootlegger known as the "Yeast Baron" of Allegheny County, is preparing for his morning shave in the basement bathroom of his Squirrel Hill mansion.

His face covered with lather, he walks into the main room of the basement and finds himself facing three men with guns.





He wheels and runs for the staircase.

Too late.

Five bullets rip into his chest and face.

He falls, grasping a stairway post, as two holy pictures tacked to the post fall onto his body.

When police arrive, they find a bizarre scene.

As Siragusa lies lifeless beneath a string of rosary beads, his prized parrot, Polly, shrieks from a cage nearby.

"Poor Joe! Poor Joe!"

"Two hours later she was still repeating her lament," read the account in The Pittsburgh Press, "while two canaries in a second basement chorused funeral tones."

Such was the death of one of Pittsburgh's earliest mob bosses.

It wasn't the first spectacular killing, or the last.

Chicago has its Scarface Al Capone and New York its Lucky Luciano, but Pittsburgh is not without its own bloody mob history.

The Western Pennsylvania mob is one of 24 traditional Mafia families in the United States, and its rise and decline has mirrored that of families in other cities.

The mob grew from the bootlegging years of the 1920s as immigrants seized economic opportunity. It became entrenched by alternately intimidating and protecting urban communities. It flourished for five decades despite internal power struggles.

And in the end, it was crippled by a combination of its own greed and relentless law enforcement.

Origins

Organized crime, in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, is largely a story of immigrants and alcohol.


rest of the article is behind the link

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2004&dat=19920409&id=HroiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q7UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1180,1726924

info on frank unis jr and sr. and running things in aliquippa/beaver county(suburbs of pittsburgh)

Frankly, aliquippa used to be a nice town when LCN was there. now it's a real shithole. the police are so corrupt they sent one of their own on a foot patrol in the projects and he got gunned down in about 2002-2003. earlier this year a whole cache of police weapons went messing and they ended up finding one of the guns used in a murder in the town.

I grew up in Poland, OH which is right on the New Castle, PA border...I'm very aware of Frank Unis Sr. and Frank Unis Jr. Frank Unis Jr just had charges dropped from a shooting that took place outside his business, Aliquippa Wholesale Tire. The Unis family were closely associated with Joey Naples from Youngstown as well as Paul Hankish, who ran all the illegal gambling for the LaRocca Family in Wheeling, WV.

http://www.post-gazette.com/breaking/200...es/200810230386

Thanks for the link. I grew up in that area myself and have lived in most of those towns. In beaver falls there was this printing place in a back alley we always thought was a hangout of some sorts. A friend of mine lived across from it and we would be partying in his back yard and always seeing cars going in and out at odd hours...for a t-shirt/sign printing place.