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1 hour ago
Luigi Roncisvalle the Forrest Gump of the mafia, I tried to take the most important parts and I put Roncisvalle's words in brackets to better understand how he thought.
Do you understand, Your Honor? I go around, make stick-ups, and then second generation pick up the money.
(Luigi Roncisvalle that continues to complain about the new generations)
TESTIMONY OF LUIGI RONSISVALLE on Organized Crime and Drug Traffick in 1985 - Record V Hearing February 20-21,1985 Miami,Florida
He (at time) was 44 and was born in Catania
He come in United States at the age of 26 between March 4 - March 16th, 1966
Ronsisvalle said that never heard of Cosa Nostra while was in Sicily
When asked "what meant to be a man of honor in Italy at thu time that he came to the United States?"
He answered "A man of honor no go around stealing and killing for money. A man of honor, he kill for some
reason, to help people.
For instance, if somebody does something wrong against another person, go to these people, call them Mafia.Explain the situation, like his daughter being raped. If the man no have a right to live and that to kill him. That is a man of honor"
When the judge asked him if was ever made,he answered:" I grew up in Sicily. Since age 10, 11, 12, like a kid, American kid falls in love with baseball, I fall in love with Mafia.
Ronsisvalle start sayng that the Mafia in Sicily was changed doing wrong thing but in the United Stated there was no Mafia but just a gang because "what they done, shake up Italian people, go around pick up money ever week, killing Italian people, doing everything against Italian people, its own people"
In the United States he killed thirteen people, eleven was mafia contracts and was convincted of only one.
THE CONTRACT TO KILL A MEN
"In 1976,a gentleman named Giuseppe Mirabile said to me, Luigi, I got a contract. A man have raped his niece.
A man in Brooklyn raped his sister's daughter, 13 years old girl, and the father is not able to do nothing because the man no got no guts to do nothing to his brother-in-law.
The man put contract $8,000 to kill his brother-in-law.When he told me that, there was no matter the money anymore.
I say, I will do. So, he showed, believe it was the restaurant, the Unicorn or something like that, down Brooklyn, and the gentleman was on vacation. After a month keeping calling the place,corne back, say I am sorry, just a couple of days ago, the mother die and is going to stay two more weeks. Mr. Mirabile take me down with his own car.From side of kitchen. the younger daughtEr show me the man.
At 11:30 at night, I shOW up at the door. I calL the gentleman by name. He camE to me, and I shoot him five times.
Apart murders he committed arson and armed robbery.
Once in NY he live with his wife and son he lived in Brooklyn on Pennsylvania Avenue.
his friend in Sicily told him to go to Knickerbocker Avenue once in Brooklyn?
A MEN FROM KNICKERBOCKER AVENUE
He meet at the Cafe Sport early 1967,Pino D'Aquana and told him that he went from Sicily and spent the name of his friend.Ronsisvalle asking the judge said that D'Aquana was a bonanno and that during the war "He make a phone call to the family, Buccellati family, in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. Mr. Buccellati send over a dozen men, all hit men, to help him.They went with tourist visas. In his knowledge, about four or five of them come back. The rest stay in the States,like Mr. Pino D'Aquana at Knickerbocker Avenue."
Ronsisvalle was introduced to Pietro Licata [then a Bonanno capo] but first to Paolo LaPorta by Pino D'Aquana.
"I was having a cup of coffee with this gentlemar and come inside, a couple of guys, a guy named Rizzo,
another guy named Paolo LaPorta, another guy, Charlie the Barber. they call him. This guy was fast with the
knife. They call him the Barber, Charles the Barber".
THE MAFIA ACCORDING LUIGI
"I no recognize myself. but this is a true, only one, because these people who come from Sicily, they don't succoed in being Mafia people in Sicily because they don't have enough balls.
They come here, and they rob his own people. They kill his own people. They call themselves a Mafia. In Sicily,
they no have nobody. Even in Sicily today, no recognize them."
Now the chairman ask Ronsisvalle about the american mafia or La Cosa Nostra,he say:" The La Cosa a Nostra is somenthing
American. The Capo Tutti Capo--in 1960, what is the name of that guy that dropped dead in Rome? I don't
know"
Maybe referring to Lucky Luciano that dead in 1962 in Naples.
"He wants to make something like Caesar. He going to put everybody all together and this belong to us, Cosa Nostra.Big deal.
Okay. He was the boss of the bosses. Everybody make money killing, rip off. the end of the month they get even a percentage.Why I got to kill a person, I got even a percentage."
" In Sicily, you whistle, and in two minutes, you have 200 guys ready with shotguns behind
you.They don't even think about what happened."
Ronsisvalle that the firs man to be introduce by Pino D'Aquana was a person known as Paolo LaPorta and went 3 times in Canada with him.
When knowed LaPorta Rizzo and Charles The Barber asked him because went to Sicly if "have the ball".
LaPorta gave him a .45 and Ronsisvalle robbed a drugstore for $45 and the doctor in shot him six times but miss him.
Laporta he ran away with the car and after two hours on Knickerbocker Avanue he argued with him for leaving him alone but then everything was fine.
La Porta offered Ronsisvalle to steal car for him but Ronsisvalle said that wasn't his bussiness.
He went with LaPorta to Niagara Falls for sell six passports to Sicilian in Canada that are coming to Usa.
They where pay 3'000 dollars,$500 a passport and made the same trip for another 3 times.
When Paolo D'Aquana introduced Ronsisvalle to Pietro Licata,they spoke in sicilian because Luigi had a poor english.
He understand that Licata was the Bonanno capo in Knickerbocker Avanue that his bussinesses was loansharking,control of a gambling den,baccarat and he was against drug.
Peter Licata was murdered on November 4th, 1976.
"If I recall exactly before, a year before or two years before, his nephew. Joe Licata, was killed on Knickerbocker Avenue inside, I guess pretty sure it was Bella Palermo Cafe. on the pool table.He was in charge of game before. When he
died, his uncle pick up the game. He moved from that place to Cafe de Vialle (phonetic spelling), and he was
in charge. He was in charge of the place about, I would say, a good seven months. and they kill him."
Ronsisvalle,say that Pietro Licata was killed because he was against the drug and street talks say that the killer was Cesare Bonventre and Baldo Amato.
"Well, when Mr. Peter Licata was in charge of the game on the street, Knickerbocker Avenue, a gentleman named Salvatore Catalano have a little boutique selling Italian records, Italian souvenirs, and newspaper.
Nobody knows him. Some people, they know him, but was very, very quiet man.
At once, when Mr. Licata was killed, Mr.Catalano became the boss of Knickerbocker Avenue in a matter of three days, in charge of completely and with Cesare Bonventre and Amato in charge of the gamble."
Usually there is a party for the gamble " on October 1st, every year, and the guest of honor, Pasquale Conte from Brooklyn,
Mr. Aniello Dellacroce, Mr. Joe Gallo."
Dellacroce have a share of the gambling operation.Enzo Napoli was a gambino soldier for Ronsisvalle.
"Pino D'Aquana [...] make me meet Mr. Aniello Dellacroce, Mr. Felice Puma, Mr. Salvatore Catalano, Mr. Pasquale Conte, Vincenzo Napoli. I meet dozens of people, Mr. Tartamella, and he give me some kind of recommendations, Mr. Felice Puma."
Ronsisvalle start working for D'Aquana collecting his money and needed 5'000 dollar Puma gave him without asking the vig.
One day Ronsisvalle blow up a pizzeria for La Puma and received 9'000 dollars.
he become good friend of Felice Puma and start talking about heroin.
they travelled many times to Brooklyn, in 18th Avenue,Cafeteria Valentino.
A day Puma "call me and say, okay the
man you are going to move huroin from Knickerbocker Avenue
to 18 Avenue Mr. Giuseppe Mirabile is going to drive a car and you will be the man who deliver"
One night Mirabile went with the car a case with "80 pounds of heroin in the trunk of the car, give me a shotgun, a .38 and a .38 for Mr. Mirabile".
They went to Cafè Mille Luci in 18th Avenue and gave the case to name called Valentino and so did it then.Luigi made this 15 times in a year.
Given that the delivery started from Felice Puma house and that 18th Avenue was a Gambino territory,the judge ask if they was delivering heroin to Bonanno family to Gambino family.Ronsisvalle nodded.
Ronsisvalle made the same trip about 15 times from 1976 to early 1977.He was paid 5000 dollars a trip and had a lupara has weapon.
For a while the trips stopped so Ronsisvalle "Make a diamond heist up to 47th Street within 5th Avenue on April 18th, 1977
I delivered to Mr. Mario Maimone at the 51st street and corner of 2nd Avenue. It was in connection with Mr. Vincenzo Napoli. He is supposed to sell diamonds".
Ronsisvalle and Mirabile went to Chicago to let the waters calm down and then introduce Luigi to Frank Lombardo belonged to the Gambino family in Chicago, was going to hijack meat, whatever can get. sell it to the other guy"
Frank Lombardo said to Ronsisvalle " He say to me, what was age 16 coming to United States, and Mr. Paul Gambino, he take care of him the best, and when was age 21, Mr. Paul Gambino send him in Chicago, told him what he got to do it, how to live, which people to contact. In other words, you stay here, do whatever you want. If anybody give you trouble, you call to New York"
Lombardo had a legitimate business known as Lombardo Cheese.
After returned in New York after few months Ronsisvalle supposed that Enzo Napoli could earn 1 milion from the diamon sell but gave him only 25'000 and wanted to kill Enzo Napoli.
Giuseppe Mirabile asked Salvatore Catalano on the diamonds question and he decided to make a sitdown because wanted a share of the money.
in the sit down in a restaurant on 1st Avenue and 6lst Street,trhere was Catalano,Ronsisvalle,Brian from England (the other thief),Gallo and a man named Vito come from Venezuela because the brother of Vincenzo,Nino that also stay in Venezuela asked Luigi to calm down.He got another 30'000 dollars and every men had a diamon as a gift.
"In the end, there was left one diamond, about four carats or three carats and-a-half. This is for the person you know.
I say, no, I don't know. Who is the person? I supposed to know, and then 'Ile find out the person I supposed to know was Mr. Paul Castellano go with diamond. Mr. Paul Castellano took."
VINCENZO NAPOLI ORDER TO KILL LUIGI
Ronsisvalle when was in Chicago he was convinced by a woman to go to a hotel.
"2 o'clock in the night, two cowboys or two pistoleros or whatever they are called, thli:!y come there to the desk, they grab the Italian girls was there, say, what room is Luigi?
I think he moved. Nobody in the room.They know even the number of my door.
They pick up the key, drag the lady, open the door, and started shooting my bed and then go inside
the toilet shooting over there inside. I don't know what is there.
Mr. Enzo Napoli tried to kill me to no give me my share. I think, in the end, got it, anyway."
The lawyer said to the Chairman
the person described as Vincenzo Napoli, shortly after this meeting took place, showed'a series of these diamonds to an undercover police officer with whom he had been dealing for a period of several years without knowing his identity.
During the course of this undercover operation by the New York City Pelice Department by a cop named Douglas LeVien, Napoli offered these items for sale to the undercover police. officers; eleven million dollars in United states Treasury bonds; ten million dollars in coal securities; half a million dollars' worth of AT&T stock; a steady supply of stolen cashier's checks in amounts of $40,000 and up; a supply of blank checks from a major airline; five handguns;72 riles; ten machine guns; a'share in a smuggling operation which he said was in business for 20 years; 2,000 Cartier watches i continuing supply of assorted gold and diamond jewelry and unlimited supply of stolen credit cards: counterfeit stock and currency; a truckload of brand name toiletries; 25,000 pounds of scallops per week at fifteen cents per pound below the market price;five pieces of Italian art; a fifteeth century Italian sculpture; two Remington bronze sculptures; four stradivarius violins and two, quote, by Stradivarius; several Ming vases and two books of original Picasso sketches.
Later Vincenzo Napoli "of this undercover investigation, Napoli arranged a sale of one kilo of heroin from Bangkok, pure heroin from Bangkok,Thailand. The sale was made by a Napoli associate in Bangkok,Alfred Purcella.
The heroin moved from Milan,Italy to a delivery point of the Howard Beach, New York motel owned by a member of the Genovese crime family.
In August LaPuma told Ronsisvalle that was ready to turn selling heroin.In those days Mario Maimone asked for a kilo of cocaine but LaPuma told Ronsisvalle that must go to Los Angeles to man called Rispoli.
"Mr Raspoli, was Mario Maimone, Mr Felice Puma's nephew, Mr Hario Maimone's nephew, Mr. Bruce McDowell."
LaPuma and Ronsisvalle met a man called Roland half Mexican,half American which started selling heroin in Los Angeles because 2 week after LaPuma and Ronsisvalle flied with 2 kilos of heroin on their body.
Ronsisvalle flied to Los Angeles for another 12 times with 2 kilos of heroin on his body with total 16 kilos that was gave to Roland and was paid 3000 dollars a time.
"One trip to California, two trips to California and then one in Chicago with a suitcase, about 40 pounds delivered by tra1n to a gentleman named Carlo in Chicago."
in Chicago delivered by train a suitcase " was to go inside the car with my suitcase, call it a suitcase, it was 40 pounds of heroin, anyway, and after about 100 feet, 200 feet, nobody there, I go out of the car.He goes his way. I go my way and approximately about 15 times down there."
One day LaPuma called Ronsisvalle for help in deliver of about 100 kilos in Florida to Miami.There another man gave Luigi another suitcase with 40 pounds of heroin and Ronsisvalle took a train to NY.
During a delivery LaPuma stopped of Cafe Scopello owned by Dominick Tartamella,LaPuma went in a corner where spoke with Sal Catalano and after returned with Tartamella ordering Luigi to gave all to him.
Luigi was "paid for Los Angeles $3,000; Chicago,$5,000, and Knickerbocker Avenue $5,OOO each trip."
Ronsisvalle know in Cafè Paradiso "Mr. Rosario Gambino,Mr.John Gambino, Mr. Paul Castellano".
In January 1979 Ronsisvalle and another man Cornillaro a young sicilian to do a payroll robbery.But the 30'000 dollars was transported by a woman but there was only 2'000 and Luigi complained that lost his face for only 2'000 dollars!!!
But was after arrested by the NY police.
Two month before in house of Maimone,Ronsisvalle spoke with Michele Sindona for put a contract of 1 milion for kill a DA named Kenny and for kill in Milan another man called Giorgio Ambrosoli for 100'000 dollars.But Ronsisvalle refused.Because in Italy the law was too heavy for him.
The plan for kill DA Kenny was "kill him,and we will put one ounce heroin on his body to make believe he was some kind of junkie".
Ronsisvalle called Sindona 12 times and tried to send a letter asking 20'000 dollars or he will hand over to the FBI.
Then went in a police station and then called the FBI.
Ronsisvalle in 1985 when decide to cooperate he was serving a 5 to 15 years sentence for murder and was 6 years that was in prison and was also serving a 5 years probation for a federal offence.
Ronsisvalle threatened a man from Milano that was working in Wall Street and had testified against Michele Sindona.
He and ,Mario Maimone's nephew,Bruce McDowell went Wall street,101 Building said to the man:"you make some statements to FBI against some person.You better read everything and no testify no more, or I will kill you, your wife, and your kid."
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