Sammy Gingello

He bought my mom a little red bike when she was a little girl...............he was a nice man..........................he was killed one day when he started his car..................they put a bomb under his hood

Joe Rossi...........Grandma's x husband..........he had a good nickname Joe the hop Rossi........its in their somewhere

MOBSTER NICKNAMES
Peter "Pete the Killer" Abbanante Frank "The Dasher" Abbandando Frank "Frankie Shots" Abbatemarco Ralph "The Head" Abbruzi Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo Anthony "Tumac" Acceturo Joseph "Curly" Agone Joseph " Joey Doves" Aiuppa Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio James "Jimmy the Monk" Alegretti Harry "The Hook" Aleman Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo Sebastiano "Buster" Aloi William "Smokes" Aloiso Dominick "Fat Dom" Alongi Louis "Louie Two-Gun" Altiere Baldassare "Baldo" Amato Gaetano "Tommy Scar" Amato Joseph "Black Jack" Amato Samuzzo "Samoots" Amatuna Joseph "Joey Brains" Ambrosino Albert "The Mad Hatter" Anastasia Anthony "Tough Tony" Anastasio Joseph "Joey the Builder" Andriacci Donald "The Wizard of Odds" Angelini Anthony "Tony the Gawk" Angello Joseph "Joe Burns" Anselmo Joseph "Joe Piney" Armone Louis "Louie Fats" Astuto Louis "Louie Ha Ha" Attanasio Alphonse "The Peacemaker" Attardi Salvatore "Toddo" Aurello Philip "Joey Cello" Bacino Ecola "The Eagle" Baldelli John "Johnny Sausages" Barbato Joseph "Joe the Animal" Barboza Frank "Sleepy" Barcellona James "Jimmy the Duke" Basile Frank "The Bear" Basto Charles "Charlie Bats" Battaglia Sam "Teets" Battaglia Frank "Frankie Hearts" Bellino Liborio "Barney" Bellomo Joseph "Joe Granza" Benintende Nicholas "Little Nicky" Bianco John "Futto" Biello Joseph "Joe Bandy" Biondo Robert "Bobby Cabert" Bisaccia Ferdinand "The Shadow" Boccia Anthony "Tony Boy" Boiardo Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo Frank "Frankie Bomp" Bompensiero Joe "Joe Bananas" Bonanno Robert "Bobby Darrow" Bongiovi Dominick "Fat Dom" Borghese Nicholas "The Baron" Bonina Caesar "The Tall Guy" Bonventre John Anthony "Tony Bors" Borsellino Dominick "Nags" Brancata Lorenzo "Chappie" Brescio Salvatore "Sally Bugs" Briguglio Fiore "Fifi" Buccieri Frank "Frankie The Horse" Buccieri Lawrence "Larry the Hood" Buonaguidi James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke Joel "Joe Waverly" Cacace Gaetano "Tommy Twitch" Cacciapoli Vincent "Fish" CafaroLeonard "Fat Lennie" Caifano Michael "Mike Tally" Caiazzo Frank "Frankie Breeze" Calabrese Joseph "Little Joe" Calabrese Vincent "Gazut" Calderazzo Gerald "Cheesebox" Callahan William "Willie the Rat" Cammisario Louis "Little New York" Campagna Frank "F. Bell" Campanello Peter "Petey Black" Campisi Cosmo "Gus" Cangiano John "Gilly" Cannistraci Jr. Stephen "Stevie Beefs" Canone Dominic "Baldy Dom"Canterino Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezio Alphone "Scarface" Capone Ralph "Bottles" Capone Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro Gregory "Whitey" Cappello Nicholas "The Thief" Capuzi Nick "The Crow" Caramandi Thomas "Huck" Carbonaro Anthony "Tony the Sheik" Carillo Sam "Wings" Carlisi Anthony "Tony C" Carminati Joseph "Little Lollipop" Carna Larry "Big Lollipop" Carna Anthony "Tony the Sheik" Carillo Frank "Frankie the Bug" Caruso Martin "Motts" Casella Ronald "Ronnie the Pig" Cassesso Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso John "Sonny" Castagna Paul "Big Paul" Castellano Salvatore "Toto" Catalano Anthony "Maxie Baer" Cataldo Frank "Gunner" Catapano James "Jimmy the Bomber" Catuara Samuel "Big Sam" Cavalieri Louis "Blind Louie" Cavalaro Charles "Cadillac Charlie" Cavallaro John "Boobie" Cerasini John "Jackie the Lackey" Cerone Anthony "The Hatchet" Chiaramonti Angelo "Chippo" Chieppa Peter "Fat Pete" Chiodo Joseph "Chickie" Ciancaglini Eugene "The Animal" Ciasullo Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo James "Jimmy Brown" Clemenza James "Big Jim" Colosimo Joseph "Joe Pits" Congiliaro George "Georgie Goggles" Conte Pasquale "Patsy" Conte Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola Charles "Charlie Bananas" Coppolino Leonardo "Nina" Coppolla Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo Nicky "Little Nicky" Corazzo Joseph "Joe Butch" Corrao Vincent "Vinny Butch" Corrao Paul "Paulie Ham" Correale Michael "Dago Mike" Corrozzo Joseph "Little Bozo" Cortese James "Sonny Jim" Cosmano Louis "Lou Brady" Coticchia Frank "Frankie the Spoon" Cuccharia Salvatore "Big Nose Sam" Cufari Ralph "Raffie" Cuomo William "Billy Fingers" Cutolo William "Willie Potatoes" Daddano Anthony "Tony Blue" D'Agostino Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso Thomas "Fat Tommy" D'Ambrosio John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico Ralph "The Barber" Daniello Frank "Frankie Dap" D'Apolitano Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco Salvatore "Flungo" DeAngelis John "Johnny Banana" DeBiase Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo Sam "The Plumber" "The Count" Decavalcante George "Butterass" DeCicco Salvatore "Solly D" DeLaurentis Aniello "The Lamb" Dellacroce Armond "Buddy" Dellacroce Anthony "Chickie Spar" Dellarusso Anthony "Tony Dope" DelSanter Carl "Toughy" DeLuna Charles "Charlie West" DeLutro James "Machine Gun Jack" DeMora Lawrence "Larry Fab" Dentico Dominick "Dom the Sailor" DeQuarto Richard "Bocci" DeScisio Samuel "Mad Sam" DeStefano Louis "Louie Crossbay" Diadone Jack "Legs" Diamond Robert "DiBi" DiBernardo Peter "Pete the Crumb" DiCaprio Paul "Legs" DiCocco Dominick "Dick Terry" Didato John "No Nose" DiFronzo Peter "Sugarhouse" DiGiovanni Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo Frank "Frankie the Hat" DiStefano Joseph "Joe Beck" DiPalermo Anthony "Mad Dog" DiPasquale John "Johnny Dio" DioGuardi Joseph "Little Caesar" DiVarco Gaetano "Tommy Ryan" Eboli Louis "Louie the Mooch" Eboli Pasquale "Pat Ryan" Eboli Charles "Charlie Green" Entratta Jimmy "The Clam" Eppolito Charles "Charlie the Jap" ErrigoFrank "Frankie the X" Esposito Natale "Joe Diamond" Evola James "Jimmy Brown" Failla Frank "Frankie the Beast" Falanga Costabile "Gus" Farachi Carmine "Charlie Wagons" Fatico Donato "Danny Wags" Fatico James "Dizzy" Feraco Peter "Petey Pumps" Ferrara Joseph "Joey Spoons" "Nagall" Ferriola Peter "Skinny Pete" Fiamura Lawrence "Larry Tattoo" Fiorenza Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi Vincent "The Butcher" Flemmi Nicholas "Jiggs" Forlano John "Sonny" Franzese Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno Frank "One-Ear Frankie" Fratto Nicholas "Nicky the Blond" Frustaci Louis "Louie Beans" Fucceri Christopher "Christy Ticks" Furnari Joseph "Davy Crockett" Fusaro Anthony "Nino" Gaggi Joseph "Joey Gags" Gagliano Carmine "Lillo" Galante James "Jimmy Frogs" Galione Ralph "Ralphie Wigs" Galione Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo Frank "Don Chick" Gambino Philip "Fat Fungi" Gambino Joseph "The Eagle" Gatto Louis "Streaky" Gatto Joseph "Peppy" Genero Michele "Mickey Dimino" Generoso Vito "Billy Jack" Giacalone Philip "Philly Lucky" Giaccone Salvatore "Momo" Giancana Leonard "Needles" Gianola Vincent "Chin" Gigante Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe John "Handsome Jack" Giordano Joseph "Joe Jelly" Giorelli Frederico "Fritzy" Giovanelli Joseph "Hop Toad" Giunta Joseph "Joe Black" Gorgone John "Johnny Boy" Gotti John "Junior" Gotti Jr. Nicholas "Nicky Black" Grancio William "The Wild Guy" Grasso Sammy "The Bull" Gravano Louis "Louie the Gimp" Grieco Vito "Socko" Gurino Joseph "Joe Loose" Iacobacci Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianiello Joseph "Joe Notch" Iannaci Francis "Faffy" Iannarella Charles "Charley White" Iannece Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi Jimmy "The Little Guy" Ida Frank "Punchy" Iliano Joseph "Joey Eye" Inadi Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato Ernest "Rocky" Infelise Vincent "The Saint" Inserro Carl "Pappy" Ippolito Joseph "Joe the Barber" LaBarbera Paul "Needlenose" Labriola Michael James "Jimmy Needles" LaCapra Joseph "Joe the Cat" LaForte Joseph "Joe Black" Lamattina Ralph "Ralphie Chong" Lamattina Gennaro "Gerry Lang" Langella Joseph "Socks" Lanza Angelo "The Hook" LaPietra James "Jimmy the Lapper" LaPietra Joseph "Joey Narrow" Laratro Salvatore "Sam the Barber" LaRussa Richard "Richie Phone" Leone Joseph "Joe the Baker" Liberito Harry "The Hunchback" Licabini James "Blackie" Licavoli Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli Frank "Frankie Loc" Locascio Peter "Mr. Bread" LoCascio Salvatore "Tory Loc" LocascioPasqualino "Patsy" Lolardo Salvatore "Sally Dogs" Lombardi Salvatore "Tutti" Lombardino Anthony "Big Tony" Lombardo Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo Joey "The Clown" Lombardo Phillip "Benny Squint" Lombardo Carmine "The Doctor" Lombardozzi Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo Anthony "Tony Tea Bags" LoPinto Frank "Frankie Blaze" LoTiempo Charles "Lucky" Luciano Dominick "Big Lolly" Luciano Gaetano "Tommy Brown" Lucchese Joseph "Joe Pesh" Luparelli Pasquale "Paddy Mac" Macchiarole Anthony "Dukey" Maffatore Joseph "The Fat Man" Magliocco Frank "Baldy" Maltese Benjamin "Benny Eggs" Mangano Phillip "Philly" Mangano Louis "Bobby" Manna Joseph "Joe Buddha" Manri Frank "Frankie the Wop" Manzo Nicholas "Nicky Glasses" Marangello Frank "Frankenstein" Maranto Carlos "Little Big Man" Marcello James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello Pasqualino "Pat Marcy" Marchone John "Johnny Moose" Marone George "Cowboy" Martorano Raymond "Long John" Martorano John "Gentleman Johnny" Masiello Joseph "Joe the Boss" Masseria Joseph "Big Joey" Massino George "Martini" Matrisciano Vincent "Little Vince" Meli Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino Salvatore "Big Sal" Miciotta Charles "Charlie Lemons" Mineo Michele "Mr. Big" Miranda Leonardo "Leo Lips" Moceri Joseph "Don Peppino" Modica John "Curly" Montana John "Johnny Apes" Monteleone Dominick "Donnie Shacks" Montemarano Frank "Butsey" Morelli Peter "The Clutching Hand" Morello Nick "Nicky Cowboy" Mormando Salvatore "Sally the Sheik" Mussachio James "Jimmy Nap" Napoli Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano Frank "Chickie" Narducci Rosario "Black Sam" Nastasia Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti Victor "Little Vic" Orena Louis "Louie Dome" Pacella John "The Ape" Pacelli Richard "The Toupee" Pagliarulo Dominick "Tootsie" Palermo Joseph "Joe Beans" Palladino Joseph "Little Beans" Palladino Jr. Vincent "Tippy" Panella Frank "Frankie Bones" Papagni Johnny "Pops" Papalia Pasquale "Pat the Pig" Parillo John "Dandy Jack" Parisi Joseph "Old Man" Paruta Frank "Big Frank" Pasqua Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pazonia Joseph "Joe Peck" Pecora Thomas "Timmy Murphy" Pecora Michael "Skinny Mike" Pecoraro Rocco "The Old Man" Pelligrino Anthony "Big Tony" Peraino Alphonse "Allie Boy" Persico Carmine "Junior" Persico Dominick "The Gap" Petrilli Americo "The Cigar" Petrillo William "Butch" Petrocelli Nicholas "Nicky Buck" Piccolo Anthony "Little Augie" Pisano Anthony "Tony Waterguns" Pisapia Salvatore "Dago Louie" Piscopo Thomas "Tommy Karate" Pitera James "Jimmy Doyle" Plumeri Salvatore "Crazy Sal" Polisi Alphonse "Al the Owl" Polizzi Albert "Reds" Pontani Frank "Frankie Steel" Pontillo Rocco "The Parrot" Potenza Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano Frank "Frankie Pugs" Pugliano Joseph "Joe Putsy" Puzzangara Raffaele "Jimmy Q" Quasarano Anthony "Tony Roach" Rampino James "Jimmy Ran" Randazzio Philip "Rusty" Rastelli Nicholas "Cockeyed Nick" Rattenni Abe "Kid Twist" Reles Paul "The Waiter" Ricca Louis "Louie Braciole" Ricco Harry "The Hunchback" Riccobene Joseph "Joe Bono" Riccobono Natale "Big Chris" Richichi Frank "Slippery" Rio Vincent "Vinny Oil" Rizzuto Joseph "Johnny Roberts" Robilotto Michael "Mike the Wiseguy" Rocco Angelo "Munge" Russetti Alfredo "The Blind Pig" Rossi Joseph "Joe the Hop" Rossi Arnold "The Brain" RothsteinAnthony "Fat Andy" Ruggiano Angelo "Fat Ange" Ruggiero Dominic "Lefty Guns" "Lefty" "Lefty Two Guns" "Half Cock" Ruggiero Ernest "The Hawk" Rupulo Anthony "Little #####" Russo Thomas "Big Tom" Sabatino Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf" Saietta Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno Frank "Cadillac Frank" Salemme Joseph "Joe Yonkers" Salistino Joseph "Joe the Horse" Salvucci Albert "Fat Al" Samenza Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro Girolamo "Bobby Doyle" Santuccio Francisco "Don Cheech" Scalise Nicodemus "Little Nicky" Scarfo Anthony "Scappy" Scarpati Francesco "Frankie Skiball" Scibelli Louis "Brother" Scida Charles "Charlie Scoops" Scoperto Salvatore "Sally Shields" Shillitani Joseph "Joe Rivers" Silesi John "Johnny Bubble Gum" Silvestri John "Johnny Keys" Simone Joseph "Joe Blondy" Simonelli Clyde "Flip Flop" Smaldone Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone Pat "The Cat" Sperito Thomas "Shorty" Spero Tony "The Ant" Spilotro Michael "Baldy Mike" Spinelli Frank "Frankie Steel" Stillitano Joseph "Joe Stretch" Straci Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo Louis "Louie the Fox" Taglianetti Peter "Little Pete" Tambone Enrico Henry "The Referee" Tameleo Albert "Tick Tock" Tannenbaum Francisco "Frankie the 500" Telleri Frederick "The Angel" Tenuto Vincent "Fat Vinnie" Teresa Philip "The Chicken Man" Testa Frank "Funzi" Tieri William "Black Bill" Tocco Joseph "Lead Pipe Joe" Todaro Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro Philip "Philly Beans" Tolemeo Nicholas "Big Nose Nick" Tolentino Joseph "Joe T" Tomasello James Vincent "Turk" Torello Anthony "Torty" Tortorello Charles "Charlie the Blade" Tourine Carmine "Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti Anthony "Tony Pep" Trentacosta Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera Joseph "Peanuts" Tronolone Joseph "Joe Cargo" Valachi Louis "Big Lou" Vallerio John "The Bug" Varelli Salvatore "Babe" Vario Vito "Tuddy" Vario Pasquale "Paddy Bulldog" Varriale Joseph "Babe" Vento Nicholas "The Choir Boy" Viana Paul "Fat Paulie" Villano James "Jimmy the Sniff" Vintaloro Nicholas "Nicky Blades" Virgilio Joseph "Joey Yack" Yacovelli Ilario "Larry Baiona" Zannino George "Georgie Neck" Zappola George "Georgie Saturday" Zarate Joseph "the Old Man" Zerilli Anthony "Little Tony" Zizzo I hope this helps those of you who are searching desperately for a nickname . REMEMBER! DO NOT use someone elses nickname. Even if the guy is already dead. It will only add confusion to a way of life already wrought with anxiety.- Fat Sally

Beginning and the end

Salvatore Gingello was the most colorful gangland figure in Rochester, New York’s organized crime history. His quick rise to fame and sensational ending was characteristic of the Rochester mob itself.
Born in Rochester in 1939, Gingello spent his entire life in the city. Called Sonny as a child, Gingello disliked the nickname and let people know it by being the toughest kid around in the Bay Street neighborhood where he grew up.
In the early 1960s, gang warfare began in Rochester. It would take almost three decades before it came to an end. The strife began shortly after the Appalachin Summit in November 1957. Constenze “Stanley” Valenti was the recognized boss of the city. Stanley was sentenced to 16 months in prison in August 1958. In his absence, Jake Russo began to take control of the Rochester rackets. When Stanley’s brother Frank, an ambitious capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family tried to intercede, he found himself convicted on an election’s fraud charge and was sentenced to three years probation, but told to stay out of the state.
Frank bided his time and returned in September 1964 when his three years were up. In December, Russo disappeared and was never seen again. Hosting a party at a popular restaurant, Frank Valenti let it be known that he was the man to see in Rochester.
As Salvatore Gingello moved up the ranks during the mid-1960s, one Russo loyalist was still in the area, William “Billy” Lupo. In early 1970, Gingello became a capo. He got involved in a scam collecting deposits for a gambling junket to Las Vegas. Gingello and his associates kept the money, but called the police and reported it stolen. With a lot of angry gamblers in the area, Gingello and family underboss, Samuel J. “Red” Russotti, placed the blame on Lupo and used the incident as an excuse to have him murdered.
The increased underworld activity in Rochester drew the attention of the local police and government agencies. Valenti and his men responded with a public bombing campaign to keep the authorities distracted. On October 12, 1973 five bombs exploded around the city. They would be dubbed the “Columbus Day Bombings” by the media. The explosions obtained the results Valenti had hoped for and he continued with additional bombings through the balance of the year. A federal investigation into the bombings eventually turned up who was responsible for them and Valenti, Gingello, and Rene Piccarreto, the family consigliere, were indicted along with Gingello’s brother Anthony and four others. Eugene DeFrancesco, who constructed the bombs, was found guilty while everyone else was released.
In the early 1970s, Russotti, Gingello, and Piccarreto discovered that through a special crew Valenti had established, he was skimming thousands of dollars from activities and keeping the money for himself. After the three men brought their accusations to him, Valenti ordered them killed by Dominic Chirico, the capo of the special squad. By this time, Russotti, Gingello and Piccarreto had so many loyalists within the family that the order to kill them was ignored. Instead, it was Chirico who found himself on the wrong end of a shotgun in June 1972. With Valenti’s muscle removed, the Rochester mob was under new leadership.
Under this new regime, members of the former special crew were reassigned. When Gingello found that one of these members had violated rules by being with another family member’s girlfriend, he had the man beaten and expelled from the family. When another member of this special squad, Vincent “the Hammer” Massaro, began complaining about the new leadership, he was killed on November 23, 1973. His death would bring down Russotti, Gingello, and Piccarreto, as they were found guilty of conspiracy to murder and were sentenced from 25 years to life in January 1977. However, one year later, they were released after a Monroe County Deputy Sheriff revealed that evidence against the mobsters had been fabricated.
Out of circulation for only one year, the Russotti, Gingello, Piccarreto regime found themselves at war trying to regain their old rackets. Thomas Didio, who had been anointed acting boss, was not about to relinquish power and the battle for Rochester was underway. Called the “A & B War,” or the “Alphabet War,” by the newspapers, those loyal to the past leadership were referred to as the A Team, while Didio’s forces were called the B Team.
Russotti, upon leaving prison, had indicated to the newspapers that he was retiring from the rackets. Whether this is true or not, Gingello was being hailed as the new boss in some circles, and he was the man the B Team was targeting for assassination. B Team members felt that by killing the colorful Sammy G, “on the fence” operators, family members, and associates would be swayed to their side.
Between February and April 1978, five unsuccessful attempts were made to kill Gingello with a bomb. Gingello knew he was a target, but felt he needed to show himself to rally his own troops as the B Team members were deep in hiding. Surrounding himself with two overstuffed bodyguards, Thomas Torpey and Thomas Taylor, Gingello continued about his business, eating lunch at his favorite restaurant, the Blue Gardenia, and visiting popular city night spots.
During the planning sessions to kill Gingello, the suggestion came up to lower a bomb down his chimney. This plan was quickly discarded when a review of his home revealed that the house didn’t have a chimney. A second plan to plant the bomb in a child’s Big Wheel in front of the house was dismissed as being too risky to neighborhood children. On March 2, 1978, an attempt to kill Gingello outside the Blue Gardenia failed. The killer, hiding in the trunk of a car in the parking lot, triggered a bomb hidden in a snow bank near the restaurant’s entrance. The explosion sent Gingello air born, but he escaped any serious injury.
Still not deterred, Gingello continued his rounds making himself seen. At 1:15 a.m. on April 23, 1978, Gingello stopped at Ben’s Café Society on Stillman Street. Along with his two bodyguards and two young nephews, this had been their third club stop. Around 2:00 the nephews left, and twenty minutes later, Gingello and the two Thomas’s walked out. Gingello got into the driver’s seat of a borrowed black Buick and closed the door. The two bodyguards got in but before they closed their doors, a bomb placed under the car was detonated by remote control.
Because they had not had time to close their doors, the two bodyguards were blown out of the automobile, the extent of their injuries being one broken foot. Gingello was not as fortunate. His right leg was blown off below the knee and his left leg was nearly severed at the thigh. His entire body was blackened from the powder of the explosion. He was rushed to Genesee Hospital where he died at 3:35 from shock and loss of blood. With him when he died were his father and other family members.
A sordid crowd of drunks, hookers, and pimps, flocked to the scene of the battered black Buick. Women from a nearby massage parlor ran out into the cold night in their leotards to see what had happened. When police finally removed the car, twelve hours later, souvenir hunters and morbid curiosity seekers moved in to collect jagged pieces of metal and glass and even shards of flesh left behind in remembrance of Sammy G, their home town gangster.

Alot of these People were friends of my family

In the wake of the infamous Apalachin Conference in November 1957, the New York State Crime Commission began an investigation of the individuals from New York who attended the meeting. Constenze "Stanley" Valenti, the recognized boss of the Rochester Family, and his brother Frank were jailed for civil contempt after failing to answer the questions of the commission members. Stanley began his sentence in August 1958 and served 16 months. During this period, Jake Russo took advantage of Valenti's absence to seize control of the Rochester rackets.
At the time, Frank Valenti was a capo in the Pittsburgh Crime Family of John LaRocca and worked under Antonio Ripepi. Stanley Valenti was married to Ripepi's daughter. Frank was considered an ambitious man in the Pittsburgh Family and was encouraged to help his brother. When Frank tried to intervene in Russo's takeover of the Rochester activities, he was indicted for violation of New York State election laws. Frank pled guilty and was sentenced to three years probation providing that he stayed out of New York during this period. Informants later revealed that this arrest was contrived by the enemies of the Valentis' to get Frank out of Rochester.
At the end of the probation period, Frank Valenti returned to Rochester. In September 1964, he and Pittsburgh associate Angelo Vaccaro set out with brother Stanley to retake control of the family. In December, less than three months later, Russo disappeared and his body has never been found. On the night of the disappearance, Frank hosted a dinner at Eddie's Chop House in Rochester. Buying drinks for everyone, Frank let it be known that he was now "the man to see in Rochester."
From 1965 to 1970, the Valentis strengthened their hold on the Rochester rackets. In 1970, a newly made capo, Salvatore "Sammy G" Gingello collected $100,000 in deposits for a gambling junket to Las Vegas. Gingello contacted the police and reported that the money was stolen. Whether it was stolen or not was never made clear, but Gingello and underboss Samuel J. "Red" Russotti placed the blame on William "Billy" Lupo, a local mobster who at one time had strong ties to Jake Russo. In April 1970, Lupo was murdered.
Also during 1970, Frank Valenti told Buffalo Family boss Stephano Magaddino that the Rochester Family's allegiance would now be to the Pittsburgh Family. Magaddino, who was in failing health and struggling with dissention in his own family, was helpless to do anything to stop Valenti. Magaddino continued to collect 15% of the gambling revenue, but Rochester would operate as an independent family.
Rochester law enforcement and the media were becoming aware of the increased underworld activity in the city. When the local publicity became too much to bear, Valenti struck back. He had several bombs assembled by gang member Eugene DeFrancesco. The purpose of the bombs was twofold; one was to distract law enforcement officials from his operations, and two was to intimidate some of his enemies. The bombs were detonated at two churches, the Monroe County Office Building, the U. S. Courthouse and Federal Building, and at the home of a union official. The bombs went off during the early morning hours of October 12, 1970 and were dubbed by the media the "Columbus Day Bombings."
The bombings achieved the effect Valenti was hoping for - to take the heat and publicity off the local mob activities. Happy with these results, Valenti continued the practice and set off six more explosions between October 27 and December 14. This time his targets were three synagogues, a Black Islamic mosque, a Black Baptist church, and the home of a county court judge. The nature of his targets caused law enforcement to focus its investigation on radical groups, militants and Vietnam War protestors.
In June 1975, when a federal investigation revealed the truth behind the bombings, Valenti, Anthony Gingello, Salvatore Gingello, Thomas Didio, Angelo Vaccaro, Dominic Celestino, Eugene DeFrancesco and Rene J. Piccarreto were indicted. DeFrancesco was found guilty and sentenced to eleven years in federal prison. Valenti, due to health problems, was not tried. All of the remaining defendants were found not guilty. Valenti was tried in February 1979 for possession of a "destructive device" and pled guilty. Again, he received a sentence of three years probation.
Valenti set up a strange hierarchy in his Rochester Family. He had an underboss, consigliere, and capos, but he then set up a special crew under Dominic Chirico that reported directly to him. The members of this special crew committed crimes on Valenti's orders and the proceeds would go to him and were not shared with the rest of the family.
This crew handled specific activities. Vaccaro and Celestino ran dice and gambling. Didio, DeFrancesco, and Spike LaNoverra conducted loansharking and extortion rackets. Angelo Monachino ran a construction company that specialized in fraudulent contracts and corrupting labor officials. Dominic Chirico's brother, Rosario specialized in operating a stolen car ring and providing weapons for the gang. His work included removing serial numbers from guns and fitting them with silencers. Rosario also worked to acquire a remote control detonating device for the gang's bombing activities. Finally, Monachino and Vincent Massaro were involved in an arson for hire ring.
Valenti's consigliere, Rene Piccarreto, who had developed ties with the Bonanno Family in New York City, confronted Valenti with the allegations that he was with holding profits from these operations from the rest of the family. In a meeting that included Russotti and Salvatore Gingello, the three accused Valenti of skimming and using the money to purchase property and make business investments in Phoenix, Arizona. Valenti brazenly admitted to "keeping certain moneys" for himself, but was unconcerned with his accusers, feeling confident that the Pittsburgh Family and his special crew under Chirico would protect him.
In May 1972, the three men approached Valenti again, this time ordering him to relinquish the family's records and to turn over the money that he had skimmed. He was told it was time for him to retire. Valenti turned over what was requested, but immediately ordered Chirico to kill Russotti, Gingello, and Piccarreto. Realizing the strength of family members loyal to the trio, the soldiers under Chirico refused to carry out Valenti's orders.
Crime experts believe that Thomas Didio, a member of Chirico's elite crew, advised his cousin, Thomas Marotta, a close associate of Gingello, of Valenti's order to kill the three men. Piccarreto approached his Bonanno contacts for support in removing Valenti. They advised that killing Valenti would not be sanctioned due to his connections with the Pittsburgh Family. The gang members then moved against Chirico and he was shot gunned to death on June 5, 1972 outside the apartment of his girlfriend.
The following day Valenti was confronted by Russotti, Gingello and Piccarreto at the Red Lion Inn and again was ordered to leave Rochester. Valenti, fearing that he could be murdered next, finally got the message and "retired" to Phoenix. His brother, Stanley, moved outside Rochester and established a produce business and continued with some small time gambling activities. On December 15, 1972, Frank Valenti was convicted of extortion in a case involving building contractor in Batavia, New York. He is sentenced to twenty years.
With the Valentis out of Rochester, Samuel "Red" Russotti became boss. Salvatore Gingello was the underboss and Piccarreto retained the position of consigliere. In addition, with the backing of the Bonanno Family, the ties with the Pittsburgh Family were forever severed.
After the murder of Dominic Chirico and Frank Valenti stepping down, Vaccaro fled the city while the other special crew members were reassigned. Massaro continued in the arson for hire business, now reporting to Russotti. He soon began complaining to family members that he was not being compensated fairly for his efforts. When word of this reached Russotti, he ordered former crew members LaNoverra and DeFrancesco to prove their loyalty to the new regime by killing Massaro. On November 23, 1973 the two men with the help of Massaro's arson partner Monachino murdered Massaro. The killing took place at the Bar-Mon Construction Company garage, owned by Monachino, with guns and silencers supplied by Rosario Chirico.
In 1974, another former member of the once special crew was beaten and thrown out of the family by underboss Gingello after having been caught with another family member's girlfriend.
An investigation in 1975 resulted in the arrests of the four gang members involved in the Massaro killing. Faced with the murder charges and feeling that they had been consigned to subordinate positions in the family, Monachino and LaNoverra agreed to become government witnesses against the family. Their testimony resulted in Russotti, Gingello, Piccarreto, DeFrancesco, Richard Marino, and Thomas Marotta being convicted on November 11, 1976. They all received sentences of 25 years to life in January 1977.
With the imprisonment of the entire leadership of the Rochester Family, Thomas Didio, the aforementioned cousin of Thomas Marotta and the bodyguard, chauffeur and confident of Salvatore Gingello, was promoted to acting boss. Russotti believed he could easily control the slow-witted Didio who was known for his intimidating size. However, once in charge Didio was reluctant to take orders from the previous leaders. Despite his relationship to Marotta, he did not provide support to the wives and families of the imprisoned family members. A fundraiser was held in the spring of 1977 to help the men in prison. Afterward, it was rumored that Didio skimmed a portion of the proceeds for himself. Other crime family members loyal to Russotti were soon demoted and lost positions in the union, and their no-show jobs. Dissension was soon growing in the ranks.
Sensing this dissatisfaction, Didio met with Stanley Valenti to seek counsel. Frank Valenti, who was imprisoned at the Springfield Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Missouri, was contacted immediately and saw this as an opportunity to return to power. Angelo Vaccaro was asked to return to Rochester to assist Didio. As the battle lines were drawn, the media would name the opposing factions the A Team and the B Team, and the ensuing war would be called the A & B War or the Alphabet War. A Team consisted of those loyal to Russotti, Gingello and Piccarreto. While the B Team was headed by Didio and included those still loyal to the Valentis.
By September 1977, Russotti decided that Didio should be removed as acting boss. B Team members Didio, Vaccaro and Celestino were confronted in the Blue Gardenia restaurant in Irondequoit, New York and advised that a new leadership team was taking over. The meeting ended with the three men being given a severe beating by A Team members. Didio and his men were now outnumbered and went into hiding. The gang war was just beginning, however.
On January 31, 1978, Russotti, and the others sent to prison the previous January, were released after information came forward that the Monroe County Sheriff's office fabricated evidence against the mobsters by faking surveillance notes and heating them in an oven to make them look old. Within days the old order was restored to the Rochester family, but the leadership was facing a deadly foe.
B Team was making plans to kill family underboss Salvatore Gingello. They felt that his death would create the biggest impact in letting the "on the fence" operators and family members know the determination of the B Team. Between February and April 1978, B Team members made five unsuccessful attempts to kill Gingello with a bomb. One of these attempts took place at the Blue Gardenia restaurant on March 2, 1978. The bomb was hidden in a snow bank and detonated by Celestino who was hiding in the trunk of a car owned by Frank Frassetto. The explosion blew Gingello off the ground but he escaped serious injury.
In late March, Stanley Valenti advised B Team members that his brother would soon be released from prison. He urged them that "Rochester should be ready when Frank gets out." He also reminded them that if they won the war, they would have the backing of the Pittsburgh Crime Family again.
Around 2:30 on the morning of April 23, 1978, the life of one of Rochester's most popular and colorful gangsters came to an end when a bomb was detonated under the automobile of Salvatore "Sammy G" Gingello. The explosion outside Ben's Café Society on Stillson Street blew off the right leg of Gingello, below the knee, while his left leg was almost severed at the thigh. He was taken to Genesee Hospital where he soon died. His two bodyguards, Thomas Torpey and Thomas Taylor, were also injured but would recover.
After Gingello's death, B Team members tried to negotiate a peace settlement. When an agreement could not be reached, B Team decided to extend the bombing campaign to gambling houses operated by the A Team. The war raged on through May and June with bombs going off at various gambling clubs run by the A Team. On May 25, B Team member Rosario Chirico was slightly wounded by a sniper using a high-powered rifle. Miraculously no one was killed with all the shooting and bombings going on.
On June 18, Celestino and Frassetto were chased down and arrested by the local police. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents began an investigation of Frassetto and his home. The investigation and surveillance resulted in the arrest of Anthony Chirico (Rosario's son) and Rodney Starkweather, and the confiscation of a cache of explosives and bomb making devices. After this arrest, there were no further bombings reported.
With several members of B Team now in jail, the A Team struck back. On July 6, 1978 gunmen used a Thompson sub-machinegun to kill Thomas Didio in a room at the Exit 45 Motel in Victor, New York. On July 30, while free on bail, Starkweather was shot three times by two gunmen wearing ski masks. When he recovered, he became a government witness and entered the Federal Witness Protection Program.
Investigations by the local police and the ATF continued and more arrests were made. As a result of their efforts B Team members William Barton, Anthony and Rosario Chirico, Dominic Celestino, Frank and Betti Frassetto, Angelo Vaccaro, and Stanley Valenti were named in a 14-count Federal indictment that included RICO charges. Stanley Valenti would use poor health as an excuse to sever himself from the other defendants.
On January 8, 1980 the trial began, three weeks later all of the defendants were found guilty. The sentences handed down on March 11, ranged from two years for Frank Frassetto's wife, to thirty years for Frassetto and Celestino. B Team was terminated and so was the Valenti's last effort to return to power in Rochester.
With the convictions of the seven B Team members, violence in the Rochester underworld remained dormant until December 1981. With the Blue Gardenia again the setting, A Team loyalist John M. Fiorino, a vice president of Teamster's Local 398, was shotgunned to death on December 17, 1981. Standing just a few feet from where a bombing attempt was made on the life of Sammy Gingello in March 1978, Fiorino's murder would be one of the few mob assassinations where police were on the scene quick enough to pursue the killers.
Police theorized that Fiorino was murdered to prevent him from testifying to a grand jury and a federal Organized Crime Strike Force. Police believe Fiorino's murder was carried out to set an example for others. Anthony F. Oliveri and Vincent J. Rallo had both testified before the grand jury and were placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program.
After the shooting, Irondequoit Police Officer Michael DiGiovanni spotted the killers escaping in a Cadillac. DiGiovanni gave chase and the getaway car sideswiped another automobile and then jumped the curb before coming to a stop. Both men exited the Cadillac and fired back at the young officer as they fled. Joined by other policemen, DiGiovanni was able to capture one of the gunmen, Louis A. DiGuilio, who was subdued after a scuffle, when he was found hiding in the brush near a schoolhouse. Through fingerprints, police were able to identify Joseph J. "Mad Dog" Sullivan as the gunman. Sullivan would be convicted of Fiorino's murder in September 1982. The two men who hired him to make the hit, Thomas E. Torpey and Thomas Taylor were tried in January 1984, but the trial ended in a hung jury. Tried again in March 1985, the two were found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life.
Torpey and Taylor were considered part of an insurgent mob faction labeled the C Team by the media. After Fiorino's murder, Rene Piccarreto ordered A Team hit man Dominic Taddeo to eliminate members of this renegade team. Taddeo responded by killing Nicholas Mastrodonato on May 25, 1982 in a shop in Gates, New York. Three months later on August 27, Taddeo blasted away at Thomas Pelusio, an alleged challenger for control of the Rochester gambling rackets. Taddeo wounded Thomas Pelusio and killed his brother Gerald. The following year, Dino Toratice was murdered by Taddeo on August 2, 1983 outside his home.
Also in 1983, Thomas Marotta became the clay pigeon of the Rochester underworld as he was shot seven times on April 13. He survived only to be wounded again less than seven months later as he left his home. Both shootings were attributed to Dominic Taddeo.
On October 8, 1987, Taddeo would be named in an affidavit as a suspect in the shootings. He had disappeared from view the previous March and many wondered if he was still alive. Taddeo was captured and brought back to Rochester where he was arraigned on August 2, 1990. After pleading guilty in January 1992 to killing three men and wounding two others, Taddeo was sentenced to 24 years in prison. This was in addition to the 30 years he received after being convicted on RICO charges.
The government had begun its assault on the Rochester Family with two RICO trials during the 1980s. In the first trial, the indicted were Russotti, Piccarreto, Marotta, Joseph R. Rossi, Anthony M. Colombo, Donald J. Paone, Richard J. Marino, Joseph J. Trieste, Joseph J. La Dolce, and John Trivigno. All, or part, of this group were indicted on the following charges: operating an "enterprise" which was engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity; the murder of Vincent Massaro, the attempted murder of Rosario Chirico; the attempted murder of Dominic Celestino; the murder of Thomas Didio; the attempted murder of Angelo DiMarco; obstruction of justice; extortion of the Caserta Social & Political Club; extortion of the Young Men's Social Club; attempted arson; and several "overt acts."
All of the defendants, except Trieste, La Dolce, and Trivigno, were convicted on October 30, 1984. On December 17, the guilty men were sentenced from 20 to 40 years in prison. Samuel "Red" Russotti died in prison at Milan, Michigan on June 25, 1993.
The second RICO indictment was released on October 3, 1987. Indicted this time were Angelo Amico, Loren Piccarreto, Joseph Geniola, and Donald Paone. All were charged with violating federal anti-racketeering laws. Paone, at the time of the indictment was serving a twenty-year sentence from his conviction on the previous RICO indictment. In addition to these four men, Joseph La Dolce, who was also charged in the last indictment but found not guilty, was charged with conspiracy. At the time of the arrests, Roger P. Williams, the acting U S Attorney for western New York, told reporters, "These individuals are the last remnants of what we know to be organized crime in Rochester."
The indictment stated that Amico was the acting boss of the Rochester Family, and that Loren Piccarreto was the acting underboss. Piccarreto was the son of imprisoned family consigliere Rene Piccarreto. Charges against the defendants included extortion of approximately one million dollars a year from 16 separate gambling operations, bookmakers, or card games, to help support the families, and pay the legal fees, of the seven mobsters imprisoned in 1984.
Angelo Amico, 55 years old when he was arrested, was also charged with filing false tax returns and conspiracy to defraud the government. Amico's daughter was also charged with income tax evasion. In late October 1988, Amico pleaded guilty to both counts of the racketeering and conspiracy indictment, and to one count of tax evasion in a separate indictment. Two other tax evasion counts, including the one against his daughter were dropped. Amico was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
During the trial of the remaining defendants, Special U S Attorney Anthony M. Bruce identified Loren Piccarreto as the leader of the Rochester Family. Bruce alleged that the younger Piccarreto had restructured the organization sometime after he took control of it. Bruce stated, "The real leader of this organization is Loren Piccarreto." Amico had a lot of authority, but "the last say came from that man, Loren Piccarreto."
Both Piccarreto and Joseph Geniola were identified as union stewards for Teamster's Local 398. Donald Paone was accused of being the conduit from which orders were relayed from the men in prison to Amico and Piccarreto. Testifying against the men was Anthony F. Oliveri, the mobster-turned-government informant back in 1981. In early 1989, the remaining four defendants were found guilty and sent to prison.
Finally in March 1991, Angelo Misuraca, vice president of Teamster's Local 398, was bounced out of the union and barred from holding any further office in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Misuraca, who succeeded the murdered John Fiorino, had been charged with associating with Angelo Amico from 1984 to 1989.
There has been little organized crime activity since the convictions from the last RICO trial. Although several members will be released during the next decade, police do not expect a reoccurrence of the activities that took place during the three prior decades.