Below is a link to a story about where Detroit mobster Joe D'Anna currently stands in Michigan mafia circles, weeks away from facing a RICO trial. Sheds light on some of the area's gangland politics of the day

www.gangsterreport.com

Great report that Scott, loads of info, well done man.....so D'Anna is Detroits muscle then. Looks like they send in the hood to swing the wood.

Great report Scott. About how many active made guys are there in the Detroit LCN?

Great Stuff Scott! I love reading your articles! Thanks for sharing!

Amazing stuff scottburn! Would love it if you could keep this post alive as soon as the date is confirmed. Also I've been wondering about other D'Anna siblings in the Detroit area. These guys aren't exactly spring chickens. Any youngbloods coming up in the ranks or extended family in Detroit?

the # of made guys in Detroit is of great debate, as many as you know. I will say probably more than 30, less than 50.

Not much of a younger generation in Det LCN right now.

Scott

I'm from Detroit (originally from Australia, LOL!) but I get sick of talking about the place.

You gotta remember there's almost two Detroits: inside 8 Mile Road (blighted, rough, African-American neighborhoods) and outside 8 Mile Road (safe, white and suburban).

There is no sign of Italian LCN inside 8 Mile Road from what I've seen. From what I can gather, LCN in Detroit are strictly behind the scenes - no street level shit. Probably more into selling kilos, not nickel bags, in other words.

Detroit isn't really a gang town, as such. What I mean is there's no major Bloods/Crips type gangs, just smaller neighborhood gangs like the YBN crew. (The 'Young Brewster Niggaz' - they are kids whose parents were from the notorious Brewster Housing Projects on Detroit's rough Eastside.)

I live Downtown (business district and highrise apartments) but I frequently go into the 'hood coz a friend has 'dealings' there, shall we say. I'm often in his car so I have to go along for the ride. Heroin is called 'dog food'.

There's Mexicantown near the MCS train station ruins and the Ambassador Bridge, but I don't know if there's any Mexican gang activity around town. Detroit's a rough place and you have to steer clear of any shit to be safe. Being a ghetto-gawker can be dangerous.

The crack-cocaine epidemic of the 80s was probably when Detroit was its most murderous and most profitable for the local gangsters - Rockin' Reggie, Maserati Rick, Meech, The Best Friends, etc. All of that happened inside 8 Mile Road in the inner city. I suspect the LCN in expensive suits live in Grosse Point.

Thanks scott another solid article keep em coming

Curious whats your opinion of jackie the kid as boss? Do you think as someone in the know that he will be relatively successful boss or a violent psychotic prick? Best educated guess.of course but he def has the bloodlines in that family

Damn I just read the toccos (jack and his nephew) were only locked up a combined 2yrs whe the giacalones (historically the street bosses) have been locked up combined over 25 yrs. If that isnt the best evidence of smart gangsters insulating the real boss by using a street boss then idk what is. My opinion Detroit is def an active,smart viable family. Plus le needs to focus on the crime of a different race to clean up that hellhole not the mob..strictly my opinion

Jackie The Kid has never been the psychotic, violent type, to the best of my knowledge. He was groomed by Jack Tocco, so I think he'd take a bit after him, as far as running a criminal enterprise goes.

Little to no evidence the Detroit family is into the drug trade, big or small.

Enjoyed your article very much Scott, thanks for posting. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't one of the Giacolone brothers more high profile or brash? Billy Jack or Tony Jack? The Tocco/Zerilli clan did it the right way and truly became millionaires by legitimate enterprises and buying land among many other enterprises. Excellent way to demonstrate income and net worth, avoid serious white collar tax issues, while the Giacolones were almost the blue collar wing of the family, therefore, being more visible to the Feds and more susceptible to wiretaps. Always been an interesting family, especially during the heyday of the IBT with Hoffa, Fitzsimmons, Presser etc. Detroit was relied on by all their commission counterparts. Which is also why Russell Bufalino was so strong, Hoffa liked dealing with him, and for the most part, felt safe and protected with RB. The rest of the commission knew Bufalino had Hoffa's ears.

To say the Detroit LCN Family has no presence in the local drug trade is false - the D'Annas are alleged to move a lot of 'H', Joey Jack's crew and the Corrados are reputed to move powder, pills and pot. Some of Jackie the Kid's guys are dealers, too, i'm told. Tony Pal is in charge of Windsor, Canada, where there is quite a bit of activity

Scott

I'm not sure how Jackie the Kid will do as Don. Like Jack Tocco, he isn't beloved, but he is capable & has a strong core of loyalists around him.

I wouldn't necc say he was groomed by Jack Tocco, more by his dad Billy Jack, who was beloved. Jack Tocco did take an interest in him, though and agreed that he would be his successor more than a dozen years before it happened so in that way there was some mentorship I guess. Black Jack did officially groom Tony LaPiana, the current Underboss.

It's been a rough start for Jackie the Kid in the boss' (before that acting boss') chair - the whole Frank the Bomb sit didn't play well and has caused him a lot of headaches. The Bomb is eccentric to say the least, but he's hardcore LCN and a hardcore street guy that the street guys on the eastside respected - Jackie the Kid, who is not a 'street guy' I think overlooked that and how "in-check" he had that part of town (which is very working class, opposed to Jackie on the west side).

Keep all this stuff coming in fella.....first rate.

I just love how incestual the Tocco family is in terms of membership. Really helps keep the rats out (with exceptions of course). These guys got kids. Some of them got kids. As long as people want to gamble on credit or buy dope or borrow money, there will be people with the last name of Giacalone and Tocco who have supplemental employment.

Good insight on the Detroit LCN drug landscape, and Jackie The Kid's issues for taking down Bommarito. Any idea why he did that to a guy who was in the thick of things for so long in Frankie The Bomb, and was his father's best friend?


And isn't it pretty fair to say Jackie The Kid is Jack Tocco's protege? I think his father groomed him on all around La Cosa Nostra, because that's what the Giacalone's were. But I think Jack Tocco groomed him in how to be a boss and to operate the family and oversee all of it's rackets.

Seems the usual with Detroit. Lots of "alleged" this and "reputed" that but little to nothing in the way of hard evidence. I mean, when was the last significant drug bust involving the Detroit mob?

Not getting in to the mix here, just wanted to pop in and say,

does anyone have a Tocco family tree? Or any Detroit bloodline family tree?

I don't recall "ever" seeing Detroit being heavily involved in narcotics trafficking. Not saying nobody dabbled, but I would venture to say that Jack Tocco wouldn't have tolerated it as they really focused on traditional LCN crimes and were heavily involved in union infiltration.

The Gametax indictment confirms they dealt in drug trafficking. And I'm almost certain the Nove Tocco & Corrado tapes mentions something about Jackie The Kid wanting to tax the drug dealers, along with the bookies, and loansharks.

Scott-

What is Detroit LCN's current involvement in Windsor? The reason I ask is because I have been within the Italian community in Windsor (which is strong) and its mainly fresh off the boat Italian speaking recent immigrants so I am surprised the LCN there isn't Naples or Sicilian clans....

On a side note, one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to in my entire life was in Windsor- Spago Ristorante. Check it out if you ever get a chance!!

Gotcha

So they are basically on the same level as philly?

The drug violations in the Gamtax case were almost an afterthought. And that was nearly 20 years ago.



Philadelphia has approximately 50 made members. I'd be surprised if Detroit has more than half that at most at this point. And Philadelphia is far more active.

Yet there were drug trafficking charges, which proves they clearly played and possibly still do play a role in narcotics.

How do you know how active Philly is compared to Detroit? If we base this on news articles, like some on this forum do, wouldn't they be pretty comparable? There's barely any news reports on current Philadelphia LCN, the only reason majority of the community has some idea of their current activity, is through articles written up by the researchers like Capeci, Anastasia, & even Scott himself. Not doubting you, but do you have anything to support the statement of Philly being far more active?

No, they wouldn't be comparable. You don't even have to go by articles (which there are far more of in regards to Philly). There's a reason there isn't much written about about Detroit - because there's not that much to tell. You can also compare the amount of indictments. I could post a list of cases involving both families after the last 15 years but it wouldn't do any good. That's where I'd get the response that Detroit is somehow smarter and better at staying under the radar or that law enforcement in Detroit concentrates on other things. Anything people can come up with rather than face the current state of the Detroit mob.

You can't be serious? Philly LCN have had plenty of recent indictments, can't remember the last Detroit bust.

The Joe Ligambi & Borgesi trial, in which the majority got off after two mistrials. And Anthony Nicodemo's case, and I guess Nicky Jr's case, what "plenty of recent indictments" are you referring to?

An episode of "Mob Talk" by Anastasia during the trial listed Philly as having 15-20 made guys on the street. Not saying he can't be wrong, but I'm just saying. The number's could have increased by then, but no one really knows how much, and in this day and age...I don't see there being many recruits lining up to join the Mob, in Detroit or Philadelphia. But hey, what I do know.

I actually think Detroit are stronger then Philly, Philly have far more indictments because they operate in a smaller space and are far more visable, just my opinion. Both families are basically gambling operations and obviously loans, small drug trafficking.

I'm referring to Lucibello, Canalachio, Staino, Ligambi, Esposito, Borgesi, Angelina, Nicodemo, Fazzini, Scoops and several associates probably missed more guys getting getting indicted.

As far as new recruits in Philly, I don't know all that much but I do know since Ligambi took over they've made a lot of new guys, at least a dozen. As for Detroit, I haven't got a clue as far as new made members.