Pittsburgh crime family

The Pittsburgh crime family, also known as the LaRocca crime family, is an American Mafia crime family based in Pittsburgh, United States.

Prohibition era
In Pittsburgh the Italian underworld was broken into two ethnic faction the "Sicilian Mafia" controlling the North and South sides of the city and the "Neapolitan Camorra" which controlled the East end of the city. In the early 1920s, the two faction became involved in bootlegging, the illegal making, selling and transporting of alcohol. Throughout the Prohibition era the factions fought in the city for control over the Italian neighborhoods of Larimer, Homewood, Hill District and Downtown. In the outer suburbs of southwestern Pennsylvania the factions fought over New Kensington, Arnold, Wilkinsburg, McKees Rocks, Wilmerding and Braddock. During the late prohibition era from 1926 to 1933 there were over 200 murders in Allegheny County.

During Stefano Monastero regime as boss in the late 1920s, he rivaled other Pittsburgh gangs and a Chicago gang, he and his brother were eventually murdered on August 4, 1929. Giuseppe "Yeast Baron" Siragusa regime as boss was cut-short do to his allegiance to the Castellammarese Clan in New York City, he was murdered on September 13, 1931 days after Salvatore Maranzano was murdered.

Bazzano vs. the Volpe brothers
After the murder of Siragusa, the family came under the control of Sicilian John Bazzano, who was selling sugar and yeast to home breweries allowing them to manufacture illegal alcohol. Bazzano formed an alliance with the eight Volpe brothers which he allowed to operate out of a coffee shop in Middle Hill. The Volpe brothers already had control over the Neapolitian faction and illegal rackets throughout the Turtle Creek Valley and Wilmerding. The alliance ended when the Volpe brothers began expanding into East Liberty and the North Side, Bazzano sent a hit-team on July 29, 1932 murdering three of the Volpe brothers. The surviving Volpe brothers went to the Commission in New York and it was decided Bazzano would be held responsible for his unsanctioned hit. Bazzano's body was found on August 8, 1932 in Red Hook, Brooklyn he had been stabbed and strangled to death.

The LaRocca era
Vincenzo Capizzi, became the new boss after Bazzano's murder, but he eventually resigned in 1937, and was replaced by Frank Amato. As boss Amato, began expanding his influence over the gambling rackets in and around Allegheny County, but in 1956 he became ill and resigned becoming underboss.

John LaRocca took control of the crime family and reigned as boss for nearly thirty years. In 1957, LaRocca attended Apalachin Meeting with capos Gabriel Mannarino and Michael James Genovese. LaRocca escaped the federal authorities but Mannarino and Genovese were unsuccessful and were arrested. LaRocca and capo Mannarino became partners with Tampa crime family boss Santo Trafficante, Jr. in the Sans Souci hotel-casino in Havana, Cuba. In 1959, Fidel Castro took control of Cuba and forced out all the mobsters in the country. Through bribery LaRocca became a powerful Mafia boss by controlling politicians, police officers and other officials in the Pittsburgh area. His family also maintained control of laborers unions through local 1058. LaRocca influence also grew through close ties to Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino, Bufalino crime family boss Russell Bufalino, Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo Bruno and Kansas City crime family boss Nick Civella. In the 1960s, LaRocca's family started a conflict with the Cleveland crime family when they expanded into Youngstown, Ohio. In 1964, LaRocca supported Frank Valenti's takeover of the Rochester crime family from Jake Russo. LaRocca died on December 3, 1984 and was succeeded by Michael Genovese as boss of the Pittsburgh crime family.

Genovese's leadership
Since the bootlegging and ammunition trading industries were finished, Genovese turned to gambling and drugs. By this time, around the 1980s, the mob was slowly losing its influence on the government so the FBI quickly saw the path the Mafia was about to take and so the FBI pursued them. The FBI quickly traced Genovese's cocaine trail to his three top men, Charles "Chucky" Porter, and Louis Raucci Sr. Another change the mob had was finding new people for the Family at this time. The two chosen were Joseph Naples and Lenine "Lenny" Strollo who were inducted in 1987. However the major fall the Mafia took over the years and decline of political and governmental power led to the murder of Naples by an unknown mobster believed to be Strollo in 1991 and the arrest of Thomas Ciancutti in 2000 for "running a gambling ring in Fayette County". Strollo has denied having been the culprit behind the murder of Joey Naples.

Current status
After the conviction of the top members in the late 1990s, and the death of many important members in the last decade the family has few to any members left.

Boss (official and acting)

 * c.1910s–1920 – Gregorio Conti – retired
 * 1920–1925 – Salvatore Calderone – retired
 * 1925–1929 – Stefano Monastero – murdered on August 6, 1929
 * 1929–1931 – Giuseppe "Yeast Baron" Siragusa – murdered on September 13, 1931
 * 1931–1932 – John Bazzano – found dead on August 8, 1932 in Red Hook, Brooklyn
 * 1932–1937 – Vincenzo Capizzi – retired to Italy
 * 1937–1956 – Frank Amato – stepped down, becoming underboss.
 * 1956–1984 – Sebastian "John" LaRocca – died on December 3, 1984.
 * Ruling Panel 1978–1980 – Michael Genovese, Gabriel Mannarino (died July 1980) and Joseph Pecora (imprisoned 1979)
 * Acting 1980–1984 – Michael Genovese – promoted to boss
 * 1985–2006 – Michael James Genovese – died on October 31, 2006
 * 2006–2008 – John Bazzano Jr. – died on July 28, 2008
 * 2008–present – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti

Underboss (official and acting)

 * 1925–1929 – Salvatore "Sam" Monastero – brother to boss Stefano Monastero
 * 1936–1956 – Sebastian "John" LaRocca – promoted to boss
 * 1956–1973 – Frank Amato – died 1973
 * 1973–1987 – Joseph "Jo Jo" Pecora – imprisoned 1979-1983, died 1987
 * 1987–2006 – John Bazzano Jr. – took over after Pecora died; became boss in 2006
 * Acting 1987–1995 – Charles Porter – convicted in 1990 and sentenced to 28 years, defected to the government in 1999.
 * 2006–2008 – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – became boss in 2008
 * 2008–present – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli

Consigliere

 * 1956–1985 – Michael James Genovese – promoted to boss
 * 1985–1989 – Pasquale "Pat" Ferrucci – controlled gambling in the Canton, Ohio area, imprisoned in 1991
 * 1989–2002 – Charles "Murgie" Imburgia – his nephew Anthony Murgie was connected to the Genovese family.
 * 2002–2006 – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – became underboss
 * 2006–2008 – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli – became underboss

Youngstown faction
The faction operates in Youngstown, Ohio throughout the Mahoning Valley. In the 1970s the faction gained control over the Youngstown gambling rackets while sharing some of the profits with the Cleveland crime family.
 * 1960s–1988 – James "Jimmy" Prato – died 1988
 * 1988–1991 – Joey Naples – protege of Prato, he was murdered in 1991
 * 1991–1999 – Lenine "Lenny" Strollo – nephew of Prato, imprisoned and defected to the government in 1999.

Made members

 * Boss – Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti – took over Kelly Mannarino's New Kensington gambling rackets. In 2002, Ciancutti was given probation for controlling gambling operations in Allegheny and Fayette counties.


 * Underboss – Robert "Bobby I" Iannelli – controls a sports bookmaking operation; he also took over Tony Grosso's old numbers and illegal gambling operation.


 * Soldier – John V. Leone


 * Soldier – Mauro P. Matone

Associates

 * John Francis "Duffy" Conley Jr. – controlled an illegal video poker machine ring in Pittsburgh. In 2006, Conley was arrested for running illegal gambling operations.
 * Ralph "Big Head" Maselli – controls gambling operations in Pittsburgh
 * John V. "Johnny A" Adams – controls gambling operations in Pittsburgh
 * Christopher Paul Hankish
 * Salvatore A. "Sonny" Williams

Former members

 * Frank Amato – a former boss Amato controlled rackets in New Kensington and West Virginia he expanded the crime family's territory throughout Allegheny County. He stepped down as boss becoming Underboss to LaRocca. He died in 1973.
 * Sebastian "John" LaRocca – a former boss. Under LaRocca's leadership the crime family became a powerful force in Pittsburgh's labor unions. He established rackets in Ohio, while sharing some of the illegal income with the Cleveland crime family. LaRocca also formed an agreement with Tampa crime family boss Santo Trafficante operating casinos in Havana, Cuba. In 1957, LaRocca attended the Appalachian conference with Michael James Genovese and Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino. He later died on December 3, 1984.
 * Michael James Genovese – a former boss. Genovese leadership the crime family became involved drug distribution in the Midwest and Northeast. His crime family also took control over rackets in Ohio after the Cleveland crime family members were imprisoned. Genovese also had members attempt to infiltrate an Indian casino near San Diego. His crime family also tried to take control of the McKees Rocks gambling rackets. After the 1990s defection of his underboss Charles Porter and capo Lenny Strollo, Genovese's family lost power. He stayed boss until his death in 2006 at the age of 87.
 * John Bazzano Jr. – a former boss. Bazzano's father John Sr. was boss of the Pittsburgh family before beining murdered in 1932. During the 1950s, he joined his father-in-law Antonio Ripepi crew operating gambling rackets in the Monongahela Valley. Bazzano was released from prison in 1981 and was promoted to capo controlling Kelly Mannarino's old crew. He later became underboss to Genovese and became boss in 2006. On July 28, 2008 Bazzano Jr. died.
 * Joseph "Jo Jo" Pecora – a former underboss who controlled gambling rackets in West Virginia, he was imprisoned from 1979-1983 on illegal gambling charges and died in 1987
 * Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino – a former capo who controlled the New Kensington rackets. He died on July 18, 1980 from cancer.
 * Antonio Ripepi – a former capo who controlled Monongahela Valley gambling, with his son-in-law John Bazzano Jr.; he died in 2000.
 * Pasquale "Pat" Ferrucci – a former capo who operated in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. He worked with the Cleveland family and died in 2006.
 * Frank "Sonny" Amato Jr. – a former soldier who operated in East Pittsburgh, Braddock, Turtle Creek and North Versailles.
 * Frank Valenti – a former soldier in the early 1960s he took over the Rochester family.
 * Louis Raucci Sr. – a former soldier, he took over Joseph Sica Penn Hills rackets. In 1990 he was imprisoned, he died in 1995.
 * Joseph Sica – a former soldier who controlled rackets in Penn Hills, he retired in the 1980s and died in 1991.
 * Anthony "Wango" Capizzi – a former soldier who operated in Las Vegas with the Bufalino family. He died in 2007
 * Henry "Zebo" Zottola – he died in 1998
 * Geno "Eugene" Chiarelli – a former soldier. He was released from prison in 2008. Chiarelli died on June 14, 2012.

Rival

 * Antony "Tony" Grosso – controlled gambling in the Pittsburgh area, the FBI never categorized Grosso as an organized crime member. Grosso was linked to Chuckie Porter, and he had ties to the Pittsburgh political system allowing him to run his organization unscathed for many years and unconnected to organized crime. He was eventually arrested by law enforcement and he served significant jail time, ultimately dying while incarcerated. His organization has no members left operating in the Pittsburgh area today. Grosso's antics were so legendary Hollywood loosely based the movie "Lucky Numbers" starring John Travolta on them.