Morello crime family

Now-defunct Mafia syndicate

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For fictional crime family of the same name, see Mafia (video game).

Criminal organization

Morello crime family

Founding Boss Giuseppe Morello

Founded by| Giuseppe Morello
Founding location| Italian Harlem, New York City
Years active| 1890s–1931
Territory| Italian Harlem, Little Italy and the Bronx
Ethnicity| Sicilian
Criminal activities| Racketeering, counterfeiting, extortion, conspiracy and murder
Rivals| Brooklyn Camorra, D'Aquila crime family, Schiro crime family

The Morello crime family (Italian: [moˈrɛllo]) was one of the earliest crime families to be established in the United States and New York City. The Morellos were based in Manhattan's Italian Harlem and eventually gained dominance in the Italian underworld by defeating the rival Neapolitan Camorra of Brooklyn. They were the predecessors of what eventually became known as the Genovese crime family.

## History

[edit]

### From Corleone to America

[edit]

The Morello family traces back to Corleone, Sicily. In 1865, Calogero Morello married Angelina Piazza who gave birth to two children: Giuseppe Morello (born May 2, 1867) and Maria Morello-Lima (née Morello, born c. 1869). Calogero Morello died in 1872, and one year later Piazza remarried to Bernardo Terranova.[1] The new marriage produced five children: three sons, Vincenzo (born 1886), Ciro (born 1888) and Nicolo (born 1890), and two daughters, Lucia (born 1877) and Salvatrice (born 1880).[1] Critchley mentions a possible third sister of the Terranovas, Rosalia Lomonte (1892 – October 14, 1915).[1]

In 1892, Giuseppe Morello emigrated to the United States.[2][3] On March 8, 1893, Giuseppe's family arrived in New York: his wife Maria Rosa Marvalisi, his mother Angelina Piazza, his stepfather Bernardo Terranova, his half-brothers Ciro, Nicolo, and Vincenzo, and his half-sister Rosalia.[1] The Morello-Terranova family lived in New York for a while before moving to Louisiana, then Texas, and by 1896 the family was back in New York City.[2][3]

### 107th Street Mob

[edit]

The brothers returned to New York and became known as the 107th Street Mob (sometimes called the Morello Gang) dominating East Harlem, Manhattan, and parts of the Bronx. Giuseppe Morello's strongest ally was Ignazio Lupo, a mobster who controlled Little Italy, Manhattan. On December 23, 1903, Lupo married Morello's half sister, Salvatrice Terranova.

The Morello-Lupo alliance continued to prosper in 1903, when the group began a major counterfeiting ring with powerful Sicilian mafioso Don Vito Cascio Ferro, printing $5 bills in Sicily and smuggling them into the United States. Many of the later "barrel murders", particularly that of Giuseppe "Joe" Catania, Sr. (whose body was found in July 1902), were thought to have been committed by the Morellos, who employed numerous members of the counterfeiting operation.

On April 13, 1903, the body of Benedetto Madonia, brother-in-law to police informant Giuseppe DiPrimo (de Priemo), was found in a barrel after being brutally tortured. A United States Secret Service detective, who had been investigating the counterfeiting ring, traced the man to a restaurant where he was seen with Morello crime family boss, Ignazio Lupo, along with associate and hitman, Tommaso "The Ox" Petto. New York detective Joseph Petrosino later confirmed Madonia's identity after visiting DiPrimo at Sing Sing Prison. A letter by Madonia seeking to leave the organization was found in a search of Madonia's house. With this evidence, several mafiosi were arrested including Morello, Lupo, Petto, and restaurant owner Pietro Inzarillo, as well as several other members. However, the charges were later dropped after witnesses changed their statements.

The Morello family had consolidated their hold on Upper Manhattan. Additionally, on November 15, 1909, New York police raided a building the Morellos were using in Highland, New York, as a front for their counterfeiting operation and recovered a large amount of American and Canadian counterfeit bills. After letters were found by Black Hand victims from New Orleans, fifteen members of the Morellos were arrested, including bosses Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo and member Pasquale Vassi, who possessed $1,200 worth of counterfeit money.

The trials began on January 26, 1910, and ended on February 19 with all members involved convicted, including Morello and Lupo, who were sentenced to 30 and 25 years, respectively, at Atlanta Federal Prison.

### Mafia–Camorra War

[edit]

Main article: Mafia–Camorra War

With Giuseppe Morello's and Lupo's convictions, Nicholas "Nick" Terranova, the youngest of the three Terranova brothers, took over the family with the aid of his older brothers, Vincenzo and Ciro. The family was involved in many criminal activities from East Harlem to Greenwich Village. Soon after opening the Venezia Restaurant, the club became a popular hangout for the city's underworld.

Without Joseph Morello and Lupo the Wolf at the helm, the Morellos' power was waning. During this time, Gaetano Reina, a captain within the family, took advantage of its weakened status and broke off, forming his own separate mafia famiglia based mostly in the Bronx. Nick Terranova made an effort to unify much of the Italian underworld in the face of these problems. His efforts to unify the Sicilian mafiosi and the Neapolitan camorristi during the early 1910s were unsuccessful despite his best efforts.

During this time, the Morellos had allied with powerful and prominent East Harlem businessmen and camorristi, including Giosue Gallucci, who possessed local political connections, and the Lamonti brothers. Gaetano "Thomas" Lamonti and brother Fortunato "Charles" Lamonti were known as cousins of the Morellos and owned a feed store down the street from the famous Murder Stable owned by Ignazio Lupo. After the 1914 murder of Charles Lamonti and the 1915 murder of Gallucci, the alliance between the Morellos and the East Harlem camorristi ended. The Brooklyn camorristi made plans to eliminate the mafiosi from Manhattan.

In early 1916, Camorra boss Pellegrino Morano and lieutenant Vincenzo Paragallo began moving into Morello territory. After six months of fighting, Morano offered a truce to end the stalemate. Mafia boss Nick Morello agreed to a meeting arranged at a Navy Street café owned by camorrista Alessandro Vollero. However, upon arriving on September 7, 1916, Morello was ambushed by five members of the Brooklyn Camorra group and killed along with bodyguard Charles Ubriaco.[4] While the loss of the Morello family's senior leader was a blow to the Mafia, Morano was quickly charged with Nick Morello's murder after two members of the Camorra group, Tony Notoro and Ralph Daniello, contacted New York police and implicated Morano and Alessandro Vollero, revealing the war between the Sicilian and Neapolitan gangs. Both Morano and Vollero, after being denied help from New York detective Michael Mealli, along with the remaining leaders of the camorristi were convicted of murder and imprisoned, effectively ending the Mafia-Camorra War.

### Morello family war

[edit]

The Mafia–Camorra war ended in 1917, and Terranova brothers Vincenzo and Ciro kept control of the family. Many former Brooklyn Camorra members joined the Morello family; Umberto Valenti was one of new members. One year earlier in 1916, Giuseppe Masseria was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of a Bowery pawnshop and became a top member in the family. In 1918, Ciro Terranova was tried for the murders of gambling bosses Charles Lombardi and Joe DiMarco; the case was later dismissed. In 1920, both Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo were released from prison so their former captain, now Manhattan Mafia boss, Salvatore D'Aquila, sensing his power to be threatened by their return, ordered their murders.

One of D'Aquila's men, Umberto Valenti, had also run afoul of his boss and was under threat of death. To re-ingratiate himself with D'Aquila, Valenti would take out the rising power, the former captain and current ally of the Morello's, Giuseppe Masseria. First attempts failed and a war was on. On December 29, 1921, Masseria's men murdered Valenti's ally Salvatore Muaro on Chrystie Street. Then Valenti had Vincent Terranova murdered, effectively taking out the head of the Morello family. On May 8, 1922, while Terranova was in front of his home at 116th Street and 2nd Avenue, he was shot by a gunman from a moving car. Masseria ordered his men to murder Valenti and his bodyguard Silva Tagliagamba; they ambushed Valenti and Tagliabamba at Grande and Mulberry Streets in Manhattan shooting Tagliabamba but Valenti escaped. On August 11, 1922, Masseria's men (supposedly including a young Charlie Luciano) murdered Valenti ending the conflict. Masseria became the boss of the Morello family, and Giuseppe Morello became his underboss.

## Historical leadership

[edit]

### Boss

[edit]

* 1890s–1909 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — founded the 107th Street Mob; imprisoned 1909
* 1909–1916 — Nicholas "Nick Morello" Terranova — killed during Mafia–Camorra war on September 7, 1916
* 1916–1920 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — stepped down becoming underboss
* 1920–1922 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — stepped down becoming underboss
* 1922–1931 — Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria — paroled in 1920, became boss in 1922

### Underboss

[edit]

* 1903–1909 — Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Lupo — imprisoned 1910
* 1909–1916 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — became boss
* 1916–1920 — Ciro "The Artichoke King" Terranova — stepped down
* 1920–1922 — Vincenzo "Vincent" Terranova — murdered on May 8, 1922
* 1922–1930 — Giuseppe "the Clutch Hand" Morello — murdered on August 15, 1930

## Former members

[edit]

* Giuseppe Fanaro – a member of the Morello family who was involved in the Barrel murder of 1903.[5] In November 1913, Fanaro was murdered by members of the Lomonte and Alfred Mineo's gangs.[6]
* Eugene "Charles" Ubriaco – a member of the Morello family, he lived on East 114th Street.[4] Ubriaco was arrested in June 1915 for carrying a revolver and was released on bail. On September 7, 1916, Ubriaco along with Nicholas Morello meet with the Navy Street gang in Brooklyn and they both were shot to death on Johnson Street in Brooklyn.[4][7]
* Tomasso "The Ox" Petto

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Critchley p.51–54
2. ^ a b Hunt, Thomas. 'Clutch Hand Confusion Mafia Boss of Bosses Giuseppe Morello Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine The American Mafia
3. ^ a b Giuseppe Morello Gangrule.com
4. ^ a b c 2 Die In Pistol Fight in Brooklyn Street, The New York Times, September 8, 1916
5. ^ Gangrule:"Giusepppe Fanaro"
6. ^ Critchley pg.44
7. ^ Gangrule: "Eugene Ubriaco"

## References

[edit]

* Critchley, David. The Origin of Organized Crime in America:the New York City Mafia, 1891-1931. London: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 978-0-415-99030-1
* Dash, Mike. The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia. London, Simon & Schuster, 2009.
* Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. ISBN 1-56025-275-8
* Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3

## External links

[edit]

* GangRule.com - The Morello Gang: Early Years (1900-1910)

* v
* t
* e

Morello crime family

Administration|

| Bosses|

* Giuseppe Morello
* Nick Terranova
* Vincenzo Terranova
* Joe Masseria

|

Other members|

| Brothers|

* Ciro Terranova
* Nick Terranova
* Vincenzo Terranova
* Giuseppe Morello

|

Members|

* Tommaso Petto
* Ignazio Lupo
* Charles Ubriaco
* Umberto Valenti
* Joe Masseria
* Silva Tagliagamba
* Charlie Luciano
* Gaetano Reina
* Nicola Gentile

Associate(s)|

* Rosario Dispenza
* Ignazio Lupo
* Vito Cascio Ferro

Family events|

| Wars|

* Mafia–Camorra War
* Castellammarese War

|

Relation to other groups|

| Allies|

* Ignazio Lupo
* Giosue Gallucci
* Sicilain Mafia
* Black Hand Gang

|

Rivals|

* Genna crime family
* Camorra
* Salvatore D'Aquila

* v
* t
* e

Genovese crime family

Bosses|

* Giuseppe Morello
* Nicholas Morello
* Vincenzo Terranova
* Giuseppe Masseria
* Lucky Luciano
* Frank Costello
* Vito Genovese
* Philip Lombardo
* Vincent Gigante

Current members|

* Anthony Antico
* John Barbato
* Liborio Bellomo
* Mikey Coppola
* Lawrence Dentico
* Louis DiNapoli
* Albert Gallo
* Rosario Gangi
* James Ida
* Daniel Leo
* Alan Longo
* Alphonse Malangone
* Louis Manna
* Daniel Pagano
* Ernest Varacalli

Past members|

| Made men|

* Joe Adonis
* Vincent Alo
* John Ardito
* Richard Boiardo
* Adolfo Bruno
* Dominick Canterino
* Anthony Carfano
* Gerardo Catena
* Dominick Cirillo
* Michael Clemente
* Michael Coppola
* Angelo DeCarlo
* Peter DeFeo
* John DiGilio
* Vincent DiNapoli
* Thomas Eboli
* Albert Facchiano
* Anthony Federici
* Tino Fiumara
* Joseph Galizia
* Mario Gigante
* Federico Giovanelli
* Matthew Ianniello
* Frank Illiano
* Joseph Lanza
* Ignazio Lupo
* Venero Mangano
* Carlo Mastrototaro
* Michele Miranda
* Willie Moretti
* James Napoli
* Joseph Luco Pagano
* Gerard Pappa
* Tomasso Petto
* Angelo Prisco
* Anthony Provenzano
* Nunzio Provenzano
* Joseph Rao
* Lawrence Ricci
* Carmine Romano
* Anthony Russo
* Anthony Salerno
* Rudolph Santobello
* Saverio Santora
* Anthony Strollo
* Ciro Terranova
* Frank Tieri
* Charles Tuzzo
* Frankie Yale

|

Associates|

* Evsei Agron
* Thomas Andretta
* Attilio Bitondo
* James Galante
* Fotios Geas
* Louis Gigante
* Bumpy Johnson
* Phillip Kastel
* Meyer Lansky
* Peter LaTempa
* Jack Molinas
* Angelo Ponte
* Bugsy Siegel

Informants|

* Vincent Cafaro
* Frank Lucas
* Ernest Rupolo
* Joseph Valachi

Factions and crews|

| Active|

* 116th Street Crew
* Greenwich Village Crew
* New Jersey faction
* Springfield faction

|

Defunct|

* Broadway Mob
* Purple Gang

Family events|

| Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

|

Scheme|

* French Connection (1960s–1970s)

Trials|

* Mafia Commission Trial (1986)
* Window Case (1991)

Wars|

* Mafia-Camorra War (1914–1917)
* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Relation to other groups|

| Allies|

* Lucchese family
* Gambino family
* Bonanno family
* Colombo family
* Philadelphia family
* The Bugs-Meyer gang
* Murder, Inc.

|

Rivals|

* Westies

* v
* t
* e

Italian-American Mafia

* List of Mafia crime families
* Mafia bibliography

Families|

| Five Families of
New York City|

| Bonanno|

* Calabrian group
* Motion Lounge crew
* New Springville Boys
* Sicilian group

|

Colombo|

Colombo

Gambino|

* Baltimore Crew
* Ozone Park Boys

Genovese|

* 116th Street Crew
* Broadway Mob
* Greenwich Village Crew
* New Jersey faction
* Springfield faction

Lucchese|

* Brooklyn faction
* New Jersey faction
* Tanglewood Boys

East Coast|

* Buffalo
* DeCavalcante (Northern New Jersey)
* Patriarca (New England) (Angiulo's Boston crew)
* Philadelphia (10th & Oregon Crew)

Midwestern/Western|

* Chicago
* Detroit
* Kansas City
* Los Angeles

Mostly defunct|

* Bufalino (Northeastern Pennsylvania)
* Cleveland
* Colorado
* Dallas
* Genna (Chicago)
* Lanzetta (Philadelphia)
* Morello (Italian Harlem)
* D'Aquila (Little Italy, Manhattan)
* New Orleans
* Milwaukee
* Pittsburgh
* Rochester
* Rockford
* San Francisco
* San Jose
* St. Louis
* Trafficante (Tampa)

Structure|

| Chain of command|

* The Commission
* Boss
* Underboss
* Consigliere
* Caporegime
* Soldato
* Associate

|

Members (made men)|

* List of Italian-American mobsters
* List of Italian-American mobsters by organization

Terms|

* Initiation ritual
* Made man
* Bagman
* Black Hand
* Black Hand in Chicago
* Vendetta
* Capo dei capi (boss of bosses)
* Mustache Pete
* Omertà
* One-way ride
* Sixth Family
* Zips

Events|

| Meetings|

* Atlantic City Conference (1929)
* Havana Conference (1946)
* Apalachin meeting (1957)
* Palermo Mafia summit (1957)

|

Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

Wars|

* Mafia–Camorra War (1914–1917)
* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Trials|

* Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)

Closely related
and affiliated
organizations|

| Active|

* Camorra
* Colacurcio Organization
* Commisso 'ndrina
* Cotroni crime family
* Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan
* Inzerillo Mafia clan
* Jewish Mafia
* Luppino crime family
* Musitano crime family
* 'Ndrangheta
* Papalia crime family
* Philadelphia Greek Mob
* Rizzuto crime family
* Sacra Corona Unita
* Sicilian Mafia
* Siderno Group
* Stidda
* Velentzas Organization

|

Defunct|

* Broadway Mob
* Bugs and Meyer Mob
* Bumpy Johnson gang
* New York Camorra
* The Corporation
* The Council
* Dutch Schultz Mob
* East Harlem Purple Gang
* Five Points Gang
* Forty-Two Gang
* Italian-American National Union
* Maceo Organization
* Marat Balagula gang
* Murder, Inc.
* National Crime Syndicate
* New Springville Boys
* Rudaj Organization
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Tanglewood Boys
* Unione Corse
* Westies
* Winter Hill Gang

Other topics|

| Government
operations|

* Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia
* Operation Family Secrets
* Operation Old Bridge
* Operation Solare
* Operation Underworld
* Operation Wasteland

|

Crimes|

* French Connection
* Hired Truck Program
* Lufthansa heist
* Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

Related articles|

* Barrel murder
* Buster from Chicago
* Cement shoes
* Shotgun Man

Category

* v
* t
* e

Organized crime groups in New York City

Italian American Mafia|

| Active|

* The "Five Families": Bonanno
* Colombo
* Gambino
* Genovese
* Lucchese

|

Inactive or in decline|

* Camorra in New York City
* D'Aquila crime family
* Five Points Gang
* Morello crime family
* Murder, Inc.
* New Springville Boys
* Purple Gang
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Tanglewood Boys

Irish Mob|

| Inactive|

* 19th Street Gang
* 40 Thieves
* Bowe Brothers
* Dead Rabbits
* The Ducky Boys
* Gopher Gang
* Grady Gang
* Hudson Dusters
* Kerryonians
* Marginals
* Patsy Conroy Gang
* Potashes
* Short Tails
* Rhodes Gang
* Roach Guards
* Swamp Angels
* Westies
* White Hand Gang
* Whyos
* Yakey Yakes

|

Jewish-American organized crime|

| Inactive|

* Arnold Rothstein
* Bugsy Siegel
* Dutch Schultz
* Bugs and Meyer Mob
* Murder, Inc.
* Brooklyn Thrill Killers
* Eastman Gang
* Lenox Avenue Gang
* New York divorce coercion gang
* Yiddish Black Hand
* Zwi Migdal
* Howard Spira

|

Russian mafia|

| Inactive|

* Evsei Agron's Bratva
* Marat Balagula's Bratva
* Potato Bag Gang

|

Eastern and Southeastern European groups|

* Velentzas Organization (Greek)
* The Greenpoint Crew (Polish)
* Rudaj Organization (Albanian, inactive)
* Albanian Boys

Outlaw motorcycle gangs|

| Active|

* Hells Angels
* Pagans

|

Inactive|

* Breed

African-American groups|

| Active|

* Crips
* Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips
* United Blood Nation
* Nine Trey Gangsters
* Sex Money Murder

|

Inactive|

* Black Spades
* Bumpy Johnson's gang
* Casper Holstein's gang
* Frank Lucas's gang
* Frank Matthews' gang
* Nicky Barnes's Council

* Supreme Team
* Stephanie St. Clair's gang

Hispanic-American groups|

| Colombian drug cartels|

* Medellín Cartel (inactive)
* Cali Cartel (inactive)
* Norte del Valle Cartel (inactive)

|

Dominican gangs|

* Dominicans Don't Play
* Trinitarios
* Jheri Curls (inactive)

Puerto Rican gangs|

* Latin Kings
* Ghetto Brothers
* Mau Maus (inactive)
* Ñetas

Central American gangs|

* 18th Street
* MS-13
* Sur 13

Chinese American groups|

| Tongs|

* Four Brothers
* Hip Sing Association
* On Leong Tong

|

Gangs|

* Flying Dragons
* Ghost Shadows
* White Tigers
* Continentals

Foreign Triad gangs|

* 14K
* Big Circle Gang
* Sister Ping's Snakehead

Other Asian American groups|

* Born to Kill (Vietnamese, inactive)
* Tiny Rascal Gang

Other historical groups|

* Atlantic Guards
* Batavia Street Gang
* Baxter Street Dudes
* Boodle Gang
* Broadway Mob
* Charlton Street Gang
* Cherry Hill Gang
* Chichesters
* Crazy Butch Gang
* Daybreak Boys
* Decepticons
* Dutch Mob
* Gas House Gang
* Honeymoon Gang
* Hook Gang
* Lenox Avenue Gang
* Molasses Gang
* Neighbors' Sons
* Savage Nomads
* Savage Skulls
* Shirt Tails
* Slaughter House Gang
* Tenth Avenue Gang
* Tub of Blood Bunch
* Bowery Boys

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